Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 4 | A Shift in Affection | Novela.app

“Hey, did you hear? I heard Young Master Ren has already confessed to the Eldest Miss.” Student A whispered. “I know! I just got home yesterday and heard my dad sighing, wondering if there’s any room for other families to grow if those two houses unite,” Student B replied. “What about the Eldest Miss? Did she accept? If she didn’t, I might still have a chance. Young Master Ren is just so handsome~” Fan-girl A swooned. “Are you stupid? Young Master Ren and the Eldest Miss are childhood friends; they’ve grown up together and have a great relationship. Besides, Young Master Ren is so outstanding—how could she possibly refuse?” Student B countered. “Ah... true. This really is a world that only cares about looks. It’s so unfair!” Fan-girl A lamented. Que Tang, biting a chocolate stick and carrying her lunch box, walked past the gossiping group as if none of it concerned her. Over the past few days, Little Mushroom had been reminding her that the male lead’s affection for the female supporting character had already skyrocketed to eighty—the "it has to be you" level. “But the female supporting character is unexpectedly hard to win over. Her affection for the male lead only went up by ten... why?” “I don’t know either. Meow~” Que Tang’s face darkened. “Do you know that half of my part-time wages go toward buying your dried fish?” “I don’t know. Meow~” “Fine, fine, I get it. I’ll give them to you once we get to the pavilion.” “Meow~” “Enough, stop acting cute!” Her relationship with her classmates wasn't harmonious. Every lunch break, rather than staying in the classroom feeling out of place and having to mind her image, Que Tang preferred to take her lunch further away to the pavilion in the garden. And, well—she was actually quite reluctant, of course—but Little Mushroom kept pestering her to let him out to play, so she had that stupid cat to talk to while she ate. “Here, your dried fish. This is all you get today; you’ve almost spent my entire paycheck!” Que Tang pulled out a handful of dried fish and placed them on the table. “And for the sake of your health, you should eat less of this chemical-laden industrial stuff! I’m doing this for your own good!” She received a feline eye-roll in return. Que Tang huffed. She opened her lunch box, finished her rice balls in two or three bites, and then lay down to sleep, not forgetting to pull her jacket over her head. “Wake me up ten minutes before class.” “Understood,” a gentle voice replied. Que Tang thanked her naturally. Then, after a moment of silence, she suddenly yanked the jacket away and sat up, only to be momentarily blinded by the glittering words "Female Supporting Character of this World." She shielded her eyes, pretending to be timid. “E-Eldest Miss, why are you here?” Ever since the plot had taken an unexpected turn last time, Que Tang had been maintaining a "silly, sweet, and simple" persona in front of the female supporting character to probe what she was thinking and to stay consistent with the original heroine’s naive setting. “Didn’t I tell you last time? Don’t call me ‘Eldest Miss.’ You can call me by my name.” The female supporting character narrowed her eyes. Her tone was calm but brooked no argument. *But I don’t know your name...* Que Tang grumbled internally, though her face remained a mask of trepidation. “No, how could I dare...” “Hey, stupid cat, hurry up and tell me the Eldest Miss’s name!” Que Tang began communicating with Little Mushroom through her thoughts. “Meow~” “Meow my foot! Tell me quickly! Do you want me to fail the mission?” “Meow~~” “Fine, I’ll give you another handful of dried fish later, okay?” Que Tang lowered her head in heartache, but in the eyes of the female supporting character, it only looked like she was being timid and submissive. “Qi Yunan. Meow~” *...The male lead is named Aotian, yet the female supporting character’s name has such a normal vibe. It’s enough to make me faint. I’m begging to know which author wrote this; I’ll definitely avoid their work in the future.* “Meow~” Just as Qi Yunan was about to displeasurably reach out to tilt her chin up, Que Tang looked up first, biting her lip as if forced by circumstance. “Qi... Senior Qi.” The female supporting character was a grade above her and the male lead. Qi Yunan remained expressionless, watching her with arms crossed. “Yun... Senior Yunan.” Que Tang lowered her head again, fidgeting with her fingers. Qi Yunan finally smiled. “Female supporting character’s friendship with the protagonist has reached ninety. Congratulations on becoming besties. Please keep up the good work to reach maximum affection. Meow~” Que Tang was shocked. *When did her affection for me get so high? I didn't even know.* “It was already at eighty-five when you went for afternoon tea last time; I forgot to tell you. Meow~” Little Mushroom jumped into Qi Yunan’s arms, tilting his head and staring with wide, innocent eyes as he let out two soft meows. Then, Qi Yunan pulled a whole bag of "Premium Imported American Dried Fish" from her purse and opened it for him. Little Mushroom immediately rubbed against her. *You traitor! You’d abandon the mission for some fish!* Que Tang accused him silently from the side. “Meow~” Little Mushroom jumped onto the table and began munching on the fish, ignoring her completely. “Que Tang.” “Y-Yes, Senior.” Que Tang returned to her role as the junior. Qi Yunan sat down closely beside her. “You don’t have to be so afraid of me. You’ve saved me twice, remember?” Que Tang pretended to be shy and uncomfortable, scooting slightly away. “That was nothing, Senior. Anyone else would have done the same.” “Is that so?” Qi Yunan responded with a mix of coldness and mockery. She thought of the boy who had ignored her, disregarding even their childhood bond, and then looked at the junior beside her—someone who was clearly timid yet always stepped forward without regard for danger when she was in trouble. Which one was more important? It was clear at a glance. “Meow~ Female supporting character’s affection for the protagonist has reached one hundred. ‘More than friends, less than lovers’ romance mode unlocked. Female supporting character’s affection for the male lead has decreased by twenty. Current affection: twenty. Congratulations to the host for unlocking Special Plot Mode. The first unlock grants an additional five thousand bonus points.” Que Tang was shocked once again. She hadn't done anything just now! The direction of this novel was getting weirder and weirder! “Did you know? Aotian confessed to me. He even said he agreed to the engagement between our families. But I haven’t replied yet; I told him to give me some time to think,” Qi Yunan said indifferently, showing none of the attitude of a girl in love. However, Que Tang unexpectedly displayed a look of utter heartbreak. “Young Master Ren... confessed to you?” Qi Yunan’s expression darkened. “You like him?” “From the first time I met Young Master Ren here, I fell in love with him at first sight.” Que Tang bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears, gasping and sobbing as she tried to keep them from falling. “Meow~ Female supporting character’s affection for the male lead has decreased by one hundred and twenty. Current value: negative one hundred. Enmity level reached. Female supporting character’s Blackening Value has been activated. Current Blackening Value: fifty.” Que Tang’s sobbing abruptly stalled. Hearing this prompt, she was too exhausted to even be shocked. Weren't those just the standard lines from this novel? How could they cause such an effect? Besides, she didn't have the male lead’s protection now; trying to steal a man from a female supporting character who possessed her own "halo" was practically a death wish. With a sudden flash of inspiration, Que Tang stood up. Stuttering but firm, accompanied by intermittent sobs, she said, “S-Senior Qi, I know you’re outstanding, and I know I’m not qualified to like Young Master Ren. You two are such a perfect match in terms of family, background, and looks. But as long as Young Master Ren isn't engaged, I won’t give up!” She turned and ran away, her face covered in tears. Qi Yunan watched the direction she fled, her expression stiff. Recalling that last sentence, her gaze turned sharp and piercing.