"Que Tang?" Song Aotian looked at her, his expression wounded.
"Mr. Song, I thought I made myself very clear." Que Tang raised her right hand in a 'stop' gesture, preventing him from stepping any closer. If she had infinite patience for the female supporting lead, she had absolutely zero tolerance for this scumbag.
"Why? I've divorced her. Are you still not satisfied?" Song Aotian’s pained expression fell right into the eyes of Yu Luoyan as she walked downstairs.
Recalling what this man had been doing in the Yu Xia office just yesterday and contrasting it with his current display of undying affection, she shook her head with a mocking smile. Stepping forward, she walked straight to Que Tang’s side. "Song Aotian, you were just doing unspeakable things in your office yesterday with that... what was it, Chelsa or ChelC? And today you’re here playing the devoted man?"
"Yu Luoyan? Why are you here?" Song Aotian’s face turned ashen the moment he saw her. Noticing how closely she stood to Que Tang—nearly shoulder to shoulder—he glared at her in sudden realization. "I see. You scheming woman. So you’re the one sowing discord between Que Tang and me?" He turned back to Que Tang with a soulful gaze. "Believe me, Tangtang, those women were just for show. You’re the only one I love. Once we’re married, I’ll give you everything I own."
Que Tang stood to the side, blinking innocently. She felt as if she had missed a few chapters of the script.
This look was captured by Yu Luoyan, who had been watching her closely. A flicker of amusement rose through the dark clouds of her negative emotions.
*Such a cute woman... how could I let her be snatched away by Song Aotian?* Song Aotian didn't deserve her in the slightest. In the moment she lowered her eyes, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, all pointing to one conclusion: she had suffered enough at this man's hands; Que Tang... must not be his.
Thus, when she faced Song Aotian again, her sarcasm was even more merciless.
"Did I say something wrong?" Yu Luoyan tilted her elegant neck, looking at him from the corner of her eye. The disdain in her gaze was so obvious that even Que Tang could see it clearly. She seemed to have returned to her former self—the haughty, aloof heiress of the Yu family who looked down on everyone. "If Que Tang doesn't believe me, I can call everyone who was there yesterday to testify for her, one by one." Her confident, heaven-blessed aura was something Song Aotian—a man who had only recently clawed his way into the ranks of the wealthy—could never hope to match.
"Enough!" Song Aotian barked, his face flushed with humiliated rage. He glared at Yu Luoyan with pure hatred. He hated this side of her most of all; it always reminded him of the past when he was like a dog, wagging his tail and begging for scraps—those wretched days when he had no background and was bullied by everyone. "Yu Luoyan, fine. Que Tang is here today, so I won't argue with you. You’d better hurry up and sign the divorce papers. I don't want to hold the title of your husband for another second."
"That works out perfectly. Since you're here, let's go do it now."
"Fine."
In all their years of marriage, the first time they were ever in sync was the moment they decided to finalize their divorce. Standing to the side, Que Tang thought pensively that being rich certainly seemed exhausting. "Since you both have business to attend to, I won't intrude. I'll take my leave." She waved her hand as if she hadn't heard a thing and prepared to walk away, but she was suddenly grabbed and held tight.
"Que Tang, stay with me..." The moment Song Aotian turned his head to make a phone call, Yu Luoyan’s face collapsed into a look of helpless, lost pleading.
***
"Tang... I'm divorced. What do I do now?" The strength she had shown in front of the lawyers was gone. Before Que Tang, she was a woman who had shed all her defenses to rely solely on her.
A marriage that had troubled her and made her unhappy for so long had finally ended today. Yet, she didn't feel as happy as she had imagined; she only felt confused. She didn't understand what she had been doing all these years. Why had she wasted so much time?
"Luoyan, didn't you always say you wanted to beat me? Then try to seize control of the contract from my hands."
"Control?" Yu Luoyan blinked, stunned, before a joyful smile broke across her face. "You're not going back to America?"
"The head office said they really don't have a suitable replacement to send over for the time being. So, I have to stay here and keep managing things." Que Tang shrugged with feigned distress.
In reality, because the female lead's rival—the "supporting character"—desperately didn't want her to leave, Que Tang didn't want to risk her "Inhibition Level" dropping by leaving. Therefore, while they were processing the divorce, she had slipped away to make a long-distance call. She woke up her boss, who had always wanted her to stay, and expressed her willingness to remain in the position. Naturally, the boss had agreed with great enthusiasm.
Life's plans can never keep up with its changes... At this moment, Que Tang deeply understood the meaning of that phrase.
Hearing this news, Yu Luoyan’s eyes lit up with joy. "Then you'd better be careful. I will definitely seize this opportunity. But before that, to celebrate my return to the single life, shouldn't you treat me to dinner tonight?"
Que Tang was now like a fish on a chopping block, completely at the mercy of the supporting lead's whims. If Yu Luoyan said go east, Que Tang wouldn't dare go west. So, when Yu Luoyan suggested dinner, Que Tang immediately agreed and offered to book a restaurant. However, noticing the dissatisfaction on the other woman's face, she quickly changed her tune, suggesting they just stay at her place and cook together.
The supporting lead nodded in satisfaction.
And so, they drove to the mall and spent the entire afternoon on a massive shopping spree. By the time they returned to Que Tang’s home, they were both on the verge of exhaustion.
As soon as they entered, Little Mushroom let out a 'meow' and jumped onto Que Tang, rubbing against her incessantly.
"Little Mushroom really likes you," Yu Luoyan said with a smile from behind her.
"He's just hungry..." Que Tang pried the cat off her with some effort and carried him to the feeding area. Only after she pulled out a bag of dried fish and cat biscuits did Little Mushroom meow happily.
Ever since the last time Little Mushroom had used her Taobao account to buy dried fish, she had taken everything in the house that could connect to the internet to her office. She also locked up the dried fish, only giving him one meal a day.
Now, Little Mushroom was thin enough that his belly had shrunk by two sizes. This was all thanks to her hard work.
"It's not just him. You must be hungry too, right? I'll cook—"
"No, no. You're the guest of honor today, and this is my house. How could I trouble you?" Que Tang quickly stopped her. "Let me do it." She picked up the bags full of ingredients and walked into the kitchen.
However, Yu Luoyan was not to be deterred and followed her inside to help. While Que Tang was focused on adding ingredients to the soup pot, Yu Luoyan finally couldn't resist and wrapped her arms around her from behind.
"Luo... Luoyan?" Que Tang’s hand shook, nearly spilling the soup.
"Tangtang... why are you so good to me?" Her resistance to Que Tang’s kindness was failing. She felt an uncontrollable urge to be near her, to be close to her.
"Because we're friends." A perfectly safe answer.
"Just friends?" Yu Luoyan nuzzled against the back of her neck, her breath warm and suggestive against Que Tang’s delicate, sensitive skin.
"And neighbors," Que Tang immediately offered another identity.
"Just neighbors?" The lilt at the end of her voice was deliberate.
"And... and colleagues." Que Tang gave the next answer, feeling like she wanted to cry.
Yu Luoyan couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, a sound so enchanting it made Que Tang feel a little intoxicated.
*Is she laughing that sexily on purpose to make me fall in love with her?* Que Tang screamed internally.
"Tangtang, you know what I'm thinking, don't you?"
"Luoyan, I think you're just experiencing a bit of emotional transference because of everything that's happened. I just happened to be by your side to support you at this moment, so you're having these misconceptions..." Que Tang resisted the urge to push her away, trying to use a rational explanation to bring the supporting lead back to her senses. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Little Mushroom sitting by the door, watching them with innocent cat eyes while pretending not to understand. She immediately sent him a look that said: *Are you looking for a death wish?*
Little Mushroom stuck his tongue out at her.
"No, it's not a misconception." Yu Luoyan gave her a playful, punishing nip on the neck. Hearing Que Tang gasp in pain, she reluctantly let go. "But even if it is a misconception, I don't care anymore. What did my previous love get me? But... you are so good to me... you aren't allowed to be this good to anyone else. No matter what it takes, I will make you mine alone."
"Meow~ The supporting lead's Inhibition Level has dropped by 20. Current level: 70. Keep it up, Host!"
"...Didn't you tell me everything would be fine if I just listened to her? What is this situation now!" Que Tang was aghast. She knew every time that she shouldn't trust this坑爹 (scamming) cat, yet she always ended up believing him. Why?!
"Meow~ Perhaps the Host was too obedient, triggering the supporting lead's dark psychology. Anyway, please take care of yourself, Host."
"I think you probably don't want to eat dried fish for the rest of your life. Let's 'take care' together," Que Tang replied in a tone that suggested she was ready to go down in flames with the cat.
"Meow-wu~ No!" By the door, Little Mushroom immediately wore an expression like the world was ending.
"Hehe."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 虞之遥 | Yu Zhiyao | Yu Luoyan's cousin. |
| 小香菇 | Little Mushroom | Que Tang's cat, which is also the physical manifestation of her system. |
| 羞耻度 | Inhibition Level | Literally "shame level" or "modesty." In this context, it refers to the character's psychological boundaries or moral restraints. |
| 黑化 | Blackening | A trope where a character becomes dark, obsessive, or morally ambiguous/villainous. |
| 坑爹 | Scamming / Pitiful | Slang for something that is a let-down, deceptive, or troublesome. |
| 玉石俱焚 | Go down in flames together | Literally "jade and stone burned together"; to destroy everything, including oneself. |
