The Vicious Supporting Character Must Flirt or Die [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 5

The nurse took the card, her face flushed. Jiang Yuan and Jing Ying walked with her to complete the payment.

As the card was being swiped and the password screen appeared, Jing Ying glanced at Jiang Yuan but remained motionless. The nurse kept looking between the two of them, visibly puzzled.

To their surprise, Jiang Yuan took the card and said in mock astonishment, “Huh? Sister Jing, did you forget your password because you have too many cards? All your card passwords are your birthday.”

Jing Ying: ??

Nurse: …

With that, Jiang Yuan entered the six-digit number: 980306.

When she saw the numbers, Jing Ying’s brows furrowed slightly.

As Jiang Yuan had said, there was indeed one and a half million on the card.

Jing Ying pressed her lips together as her gaze landed on the string of zeroes that remained.

Once the payment was done, Jing Ying’s mother was smoothly admitted into the ICU.

While Jing Ying was busy settling her mother in, Jiang Yuan stayed close, running around and helping however she could.

But ICU visitations were typically limited to thirty minutes, and outside of that, family members were not allowed in.

When the time was up, they both left the ICU and stood in the corridor outside the intensive care unit. Jing Ying frowned slightly and looked up at the lively, beautiful girl standing before her, then asked with a furrowed brow, “Why are you investigating me?”

Jiang Yuan: ???

“If you weren’t investigating me, how would you know which hospital my mother is in, or even my birthday? Miss Jiang, what is it exactly that you want from me?”

At that moment, Jing Ying’s eyes were full of caution.

Jiang Yuan was momentarily stunned, then realized that her enthusiasm had probably frightened the girl.

She pursed her lips and straightened her expression. “Actually, I was here to visit someone. Do you believe me?”

She raised her eyes, only to meet Jing Ying’s cold, guarded gaze.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but shiver.

The affection meter in her head trembled faintly and looked ready to plummet into the negatives.

Jiang Yuan shut her eyes, then just admitted it all. “Okay, I’ll be honest. The truth is, after that brief glimpse of you last night, I thought you were way too good-looking, so I did a little digging into your background. I found out your mother was hospitalized, so I brought some gifts. Honestly, I wanted to buy some expensive supplements, but I was afraid you’d think I was a bad person…”

Jing Ying: …

The corners of her mouth twitched. Looking at you now, I do think you seem suspicious.

“So what is it you really want to do?”

“I want to be your friend!” Jiang Yuan blurted.

Jing Ying: …

Seeing her wary expression, Jiang Yuan waved her hands rapidly. “No, no! I actually want to sign you as my artist. Aren’t you a student at the performing arts academy? If you sign with my company, I guarantee I’ll make you a star!”

Jing Ying looked at her with suspicion.

Jiang Yuan scratched her nose, her delicate face flushing with urgency. “I know this might seem abrupt, but I really believe in you. I’ve got an eye for talent and I’m never wrong. If you’re willing, we can try signing a contract. And don’t you need money? That one and a half million can count as part of your upfront payment. Let’s make a one-year deal. If after a year you’re not satisfied, you can leave anytime.”

She looked at Jing Ying cautiously.

Jing Ying kept her eyes lowered, her expression unreadable. Jiang Yuan grew increasingly anxious. If the female lead doesn’t agree, what excuse will I have to keep approaching her? I’ll be in big trouble.

To her surprise, a short while later, Jing Ying nodded. “Okay. Give me the contract.”

“…Eh… contract?” Jiang Yuan was stunned.

Jing Ying looked at her curiously. “You didn’t bring a contract?”

Jiang Yuan gave an awkward, stiff smile.

She didn’t just forget the contract—

She didn’t even have a company.

Everything she had said to convince the female lead into signing was just talk.

“Um… well, I left in a bit of a rush this morning, so I didn’t bring the contract. How about this? Let’s meet tomorrow at eight in the morning at the Starbucks in the hospital. We’ll sign it then. How does that sound?”

Jing Ying found it a bit odd, but after thinking it over, realized that if anyone would suffer a loss in this deal, it was this girl.

After all, that one and a half million was cold, hard cash.

And…

Jing Ying looked up at the stunning girl standing before her. There was more to her than beauty. She came across as a little naïve, oddly charming in her cluelessness. Though her words made little sense, there was something undeniably adorable about her.

She nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

“Eh? You really agreed?!”

Now it was Jiang Yuan’s turn to be stunned.

She grinned with joy.

Her large eyes curved into two crescent moons. She looked silly and endearing.

“Then it’s a deal. You’re not allowed to back out.”

Jing Ying couldn’t help but laugh. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll take your one and a half million and run off?”

“Huh? No way~ You’re not that kind of person. I trust you.” Jiang Yuan waved with a smile. “I’ve got some things to do, so I’ll head out. See you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Jing Ying stood where she was, watching Jiang Yuan skip away. She couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from lifting.

That line, “I trust you,” had been spoken so casually, yet it settled deeply in her heart.

Trust…

Sometimes, even a stranger can show you trust. But your own family never will.

Jing Ying leaned against the corridor wall, closed her eyes, and exhaled tiredly.

—

Jiang Yuan went straight to find Uncle Jiang after she got back.

“Uncle, under my name… um… do I have an entertainment company?”

“Miss, you have no entertainment company under your name. Only Nancheng’s Money Cabinet Bar, three properties, four sports cars, one yacht, a number of collectibles, some jewelry, and a sizable amount of liquid assets.”

When Jiang Yuan heard that, she felt a surge of delight. It turned out she truly was a little rich lady. Then it hit her. She had no entertainment company.

Then how was she supposed to sign the female lead?

“Um… then does our family business have any entertainment companies domestically?”

Uncle Jiang chuckled and shook his head. “No. Only Third Young Master has one overseas. The domestic companies were all sold off at your request to Li’s Corporation at a low price.”

Jiang Yuan: ………..

Right. She had forgotten that the original owner was a complete spendthrift.

In order to curry favor with Li Tingshen and support his entertainment ventures across Nancheng and the whole country, she had forcibly taken the business from Third Brother’s hands and sold it to Li Tingshen at a disgracefully low price.

If the Jiang family hadn’t been so wealthy, they would have gone bankrupt ages ago.

Jiang Yuan inwardly wanted to drag the original owner out and scold her a thousand times.

“Miss, why are you asking about this? Is something bothering you?”

Jiang Yuan scratched her nose, slightly embarrassed. “Well, I like a friend. Her family’s situation isn’t great. I want to help her. She’s beautiful, well-proportioned, and very talented. With time, she could definitely become a dazzling star in the entertainment world.”

“Miss, are you referring to Miss Jing Ying?”

“Ahem… Uncle Jiang, you guessed it~”

Uncle Jiang sighed. His young lady always gave her all when she liked someone, without thinking things through. She had acted this way with Li Tingshen, and now she was doing the same with this Jing Ying she had only just met.

He frowned. “Miss, not everyone in this world is as simple as they seem. You are still young. Please think twice before acting.”

“But she really is a good person. Uncle, don’t I still have money? Could you help me register a company~” Jiang Yuan saw her persuasion wasn’t working and started clinging to Uncle Jiang’s arm, acting spoiled. If he didn’t help her, the female lead might slip away, and she’d be done for.

But Uncle Jiang wasn’t one to be easily moved. He replied, “Miss, matters of business are beyond my authority. If you truly want to open a company, you’ll need to speak with the three young masters.”

“…”

The moment Jiang Yuan heard she had to speak to her three older brothers, she wilted.

Sure, she had taken over Jiang Yuan’s body, and bluffing her way through with the butler worked fine. But facing her real blood-related brothers?

That was daunting.

Still, for the sake of the contract, she had no choice but to brace herself.

With trembling fingers, she dialed her third brother Jiang Yangui. He was the one responsible for entertainment.

As soon as the call connected, a face appeared on the screen. It was more dazzlingly seductive than any woman’s and it caught Jiang Yuan completely off guard.

“Brother?”

“Heh… You still remember I’m your brother? Say it. What do you want this time? Don’t tell me you’re planning to sell my overseas entertainment company to Li Tingshen again.”

Clearly, Jiang Yangui was still holding a grudge.

Jiang Yuan shrank back, then said shyly, “No way. I’ve already realized my mistakes! I’ve turned over a new leaf! Li Tingshen is a total scumbag! How could someone like that be worthy of your stunning sister? If he stood in front of me now, clinging and begging, I’d call security to throw him out!”

She gave the male lead a good verbal lashing, swearing never to have anything to do with him again, finally coaxing her third brother into a better mood.

He smiled. “It’s rare for you to come to your senses. Big Brother, Second Brother, and our parents will be thrilled. If it weren’t for you putting Li Tingshen in his place at the port yesterday, I wouldn’t even have answered this call. Now, what do you want?”

His peach blossom eyes were full of affection for his sister.

Jiang Yuan grew even more embarrassed.

She spoke softly. “It’s nothing big. I just want a small company.”

Jiang Yangui: …

His face instantly darkened. “You want a company? Planning to send it to Li Tingshen again? Jiang Yuan, haven’t you learned anything?!”

“No, no, I swear I’m not! I want to register a company myself and build something from scratch. But Brother, you know I’ve got no talents. All I know is how to play with makeup and chase celebrities, so I just want to open a talent agency.”

Jiang Yangui narrowed his eyes and stared at her.

Under his gaze, Jiang Yuan felt a chill in her bones. Finally, he asked coldly, “You’re really not lying to me?”

“No, no! Really, I’m not!” Jiang Yuan waved her hands frantically. “I honestly want to improve myself, make a career, and take our entertainment company back from Li Tingshen! You’ve got to support me, Brother~”

“…”

Jiang Yangui frowned, his slender fingers toying with a limited-edition gold and diamond pen, then finally set it down.

“Fine. I’ll give you a company worth ten million and assign two people to help you. But if you fail to double its value or try to sell it within a year, I’ll talk to Second Brother and have him take back the Money Cabinet Bar.”

“…”

Jiang Yuan wasn’t stupid. That bar was easily worth several hundred million. Her third brother giving her a company worth only ten million?

Clearly, she was getting the short end of the stick.

But the arrow had already been released.

She gritted her teeth and nodded. “Fine! Deal. But the company must be established before eight o’clock tomorrow morning!”

“No problem. I’ll get it done tonight,” Jiang Yangui grinned.

“…”

Jiang Yuan had a bad feeling that she had just fallen into her third brother’s cunning trap.

Double the value within a year?

Ha. Ha.

Lowering her head to glance at the life bar that had dropped a few more points, she sighed.

Fairy Jing, right now, you not only hold my life, you control my wallet as well. I am begging you, please go easy on me.