The Vicious Supporting Character Must Flirt or Die [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 8

Jiang Yuan tried hard to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her lips, but the joy in her eyes was impossible to suppress.

Jing Ying turned slightly and looked at the girl. The light from outside the door fell perfectly across her face. In the soft daylight, the faint downy hairs on her skin were clearly visible. Her complexion was flawless, not a single blemish or acne mark to be seen.

Her large, shimmering eyes blinked repeatedly with excitement. It looked as though she was trying her best to hold back her joy, as if Jiang Yuan’s choice to stay meant the world to her.

No one had ever valued her like this before.

Jing Ying’s lowered face finally curved into a small, involuntary smile.

After they entered the house, Jing Ying took the initiative to choose the second bedroom. Jiang Yuan felt slightly disappointed. She had wanted to offer the master bedroom to this goddess, but after thinking it through, she worried that doing so might offend her pride. Eventually, she agreed to Jing Ying’s choice.

The two of them carried the suitcase upstairs together.

Although it was called the second bedroom, the space was still quite large.

Inside, the north side held a small walk-in closet with a vanity, while one wall had an en suite bathroom. In the middle stood a huge bed, and beside it was a single-seat sofa with a matching footrest.

On the south side, there were floor-to-ceiling windows. A deep purple wool rug was spread out in front, exuding luxury. Two pillows rested on it, and beside them stood a row of bookshelves, just right for storing books.

Jing Ying clearly looked surprised by the room’s layout.

Her voice dropped slightly before she spoke. “Miss Jiang, I think this room is a little too nice. Is there… a simpler one?”

“There probably isn’t. This villa only has two bedrooms.”

“…”

Jing Ying lifted her gaze and looked at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan’s face turned a light shade of red.

She had just said other newcomers would move in later, and now she was saying there were only two bedrooms. Even she felt the slap of contradiction.

Jing Ying’s idea of switching rooms was immediately extinguished. After pausing for a moment, she said, “Then I’ll pay market rent for this room. Also, I’ll return the one and a half million.”

Jiang Yuan: …

She knew the female lead was someone with strong principles. If she insisted on rejecting payment, it would only damage the other’s pride. But if she accepted the money, then their relationship would become purely transactional. How could she possibly get closer like that?

Suddenly, inspiration struck. Jiang Yuan raised her brows.

“How about this? You can pay three thousand a month for rent. As for the rest of the money, pay it off by cooking for me. How does that sound?”

Jiang Yuan gave a cheeky grin.

“I don’t really know how to cook. But I don’t want to hire a maid either. Miss Jing, why don’t you do it? That way, it can cover the rent.”

Jing Ying looked genuinely surprised.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Yuan to say something like that.

But when she thought about cooking, her expression turned slightly hesitant.

“My cooking… isn’t great.”

“That’s okay, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I don’t eat much anyway, and I won’t be home all the time. Just do what you can.”

Jiang Yuan quickly waved her hands.

Jing Ying paused, then finally nodded. “Alright.”

Seeing the female lead agree, Jiang Yuan couldn’t help the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile.

Perfect. She had taken another step closer to best-friend status.

Even the male lead hadn’t tasted food cooked by the goddess in the original novel.

Afterward, Jing Ying went to her room to unpack, while Jiang Yuan took a quick spin around her own room.

Her bedroom was slightly larger than the second room and even had a small bar counter. Other than that, the layout wasn’t much different.

However, the decor was far even more overly sweet and princess-themed. Pink was everywhere.

Jiang Yuan shivered as she looked around the room.

She was already twenty-four. She had long outgrown the little-girl phase of liking pink. Now, all she could feel, facing this pink overload and ribbons everywhere, was a wave of goosebumps.

There was no changing it right now, but she made a mental note to talk to Uncle Jiang later and see if they could redo the decor.

Or maybe she’d just do it herself.

Her wardrobe was fully stocked, but the aesthetic was also completely off.

If the pink room was already overwhelming, then the wardrobe was an explosion of clashing colors, with reds, blues, yellows, greens, and even leopard print all fighting for attention.

She randomly picked up a pair of underwear. It was boldly leopard-print.

“…”

Forcing down her discomfort, she rummaged through the entire closet and picked out a few tolerable outfits to stash in a separate cabinet for daily wear.

Once she was done organizing, she knocked on the door to the room next door.

“Miss Jing, I noticed I’m short on some daily items. There’s a supermarket nearby. Want to go together?”

Jing Ying heard her and gave a nod.

She closed her door, grabbed her bag, and went along with Jiang Yuan.

When Jiang Yuan reached out to grab a shopping cart, Jing Ying stepped up. “I’ll get it.”

“Oh, alright.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and let go. Jing Ying took the cart from her.

They walked side by side.

First, they headed to the household goods section.

Jiang Yuan pulled a sticky note from her bag.

Jing Ying glanced over and was surprised to see a long list of daily items.

She watched as Jiang Yuan stood in front of a shelf, carefully comparing scents and prices and even checking manufacturing dates.

The girl was meticulous.

With one bottle of body wash in each hand, Jiang Yuan kept examining them, turning them over and over. Eventually, she turned to Jing Ying, looking a little torn.

“Xiao Ying’er, which one do you think is better? This one is five yuan more, but it smells nicer. That one’s cheaper, but the scent isn’t as good. The effects are similar and the size is the same.” She furrowed her brow slightly and studied the two bottles with focused attention.

After a long moment without a reply, she turned her head and found Jing Ying looking right at her.

“?”

“Do you usually do your own shopping?”

Jing Ying hesitated but asked anyway.

In her mind, someone like Jiang Yuan, who could easily give away one and a half million, usually would not bother about a five-yuan price difference.

Jiang Yuan: …

Crap.

She had completely forgotten her character setup.

She just instinctively did her own shopping.

As she scrambled for an excuse, Jing Ying pushed the cart over and stood beside her. A fresh, clean scent drifted over, and Jiang Yuan couldn’t help twitching her nose, trying to catch another whiff.

“This one. It’s affordable, lasts long, and works well. I use it too.”

Jiang Yuan looked at the body wash in Jing Ying’s hand, blinked, then nodded. “Okay.”

“And…” Jing Ying suddenly said.

“Hm?” Jiang Yuan looked up in confusion.

Jing Ying reached out and ruffled her hair. “Don’t call me Xiao Ying’er. Just call me Jing Ying. I’m older than you.”

Jiang Yuan: ………………

—

They bought other toiletries as well. Jiang Yuan didn’t want the hassle of mismatched items, so when picking out toothbrushes and cups, she got two of each. Even the towels were identical.

To her, sharing matching items was just what best friends did.

To Jing Ying, though, it felt a little complicated.

After buying toiletries, they went to the fresh food section.

Since Jing Ying had agreed to cook, she would follow through.

“What do you want to eat tonight?”

“Tonight?”

Jiang Yuan paused. Something clicked.

“Actually, never mind cooking. Let’s eat out tonight.”

“Hm?”

“It’s our first night officially living together. We shouldn’t eat at home. Let’s go out and celebrate.” Jiang Yuan leaned lazily over the cart and tilted her head with a grin.

Jing Ying hesitated. “But tonight…”

“Oh, come on, don’t overthink it. Let’s just go out.”

“…Alright.”

Jing Ying frowned slightly, but as they passed another shelf, she still picked up a pack of noodles.

Jiang Yuan noticed, but pretended she hadn’t seen anything.

After choosing more ingredients and sauces, the two returned home.

At noon, Jiang Yuan had to step out, and Jing Ying went to visit her mother in the hospital, so neither of them stayed at the villa.

By six in the evening, Jing Ying received a call from Jiang Yuan.

“Come to this address. We’re eating there tonight.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yuan let out a breath.

A wide smile spread across her face.

She turned around and began directing the restaurant staff, giving precise instructions on how to set up the scene to her liking.

She had already made up her mind. Tonight, she was going to give the female lead a night she would never forget.