Chapter 4 — Glitch in the Supporting Character's Narrative

I tilted my head to look out the window. My throat bobbed as I swallowed several times, and only after a long pause did I finally speak.

"It was you who took me away."

The man beside me remained silent. I drew a shallow breath and forced a mask of naive sweetness onto my face.

"So you see, brother, you absolutely must live well. If you die, who else would I have left to take my revenge on?"

The following day, Xiao Cheng sent his assistant, Li, to my school in Germany to investigate. I was busy preparing to trim the money tree in the office when Huong Van Tinh appeared. She was pregnant, and because Xiao Cheng was terrified that I might upset her, he had strictly forbidden me from leaving the house. I peered through the crack in the door and heard her voice.

"Brother Xiao Cheng, a girl will naturally learn to be gentle and virtuous once she is married."

"Besides, if my own child were ever to marry a girl like that 'fire-demon' of a sister, my heart would truly break for them. So, wouldn't it be better if we let my younger brother marry her instead..."

I understood now. She was trying to arrange a marriage alliance for me, was she? How wonderful. I was just running low on ways to torment my dear brother.

"Bang!" I threw the door open and moonwalked right up to her.

"Oi! You haven't even given birth yet, but do you think the whole world is already your daughter-in-law?"

Huong Van Tinh jumped in alarm, frantically trying to maintain a composed, forced smile.

"Xiao Lam, you came at the perfect time. Sit down, I have some happy news to discuss with you."

Xiao Cheng’s fingers twitched slightly at his sides, but he quickly fought back the tremor, regaining his icy composure.

"That won't be necessary. My sister is not in a position where she needs to enter a marriage alliance."

I arched an eyebrow in surprise and raised a hand to stop him.

"Hey, don't say that. I’m actually quite interested."

"I am truly curious. Someone as kind and thoughtful as Sister Van Tinh—I wonder which 'high-quality young man' she intends to introduce to me?"

It was her own younger brother. I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. The comment section scrolled by in a familiar, frantic blur: 【The female lead is so smart! If the second male lead dies and the fake sister marries her brother, wouldn't all the Xiao family assets fall right into the lap of the Huong family?】 【Genius! She truly deserves the title of a mastermind, knowing how to utilize every resource available. I am taking notes!】

I lifted my wine glass and gave it a gentle swirl. The dregs of the sedative at the bottom had not yet fully dissolved. Huong Than Tung, having been soundly beaten by me once before, was terrified of me; he huddled in his chair like a shivering quail. I smiled and pointed toward the distance.

"Look over there! Your sister is flying through the sky!"

Huong Than Tung instantly craned his head up. In that fleeting second, I swapped our glasses. Moments later, he slumped over the table, dead to the world. I pulled out my phone and made a call.

"Hey bro, long time no see. You’re back in the country, right?"

"I have a 'younger brother' who happens to be quite your type. Would you like me to send him over to you?"

【I am in awe. The second male lead has already slit his wrists four times, and every time, like some sort of Venice monster, he crawls out of the bathtub to clean up the messes left by the fake sister. His endurance is truly top-tier.】

I brushed a few stray, damp locks of hair from Xiao Cheng’s forehead.

"Oh dear, brother, why do you keep crawling out of the bathtub halfway through your bath lately?"

Xiao Cheng swatted my hand away, his gaze icy. "Xiao Lam, how did you become like this? It’s clear that before..."

"Before?" I threw my head back and laughed wildly before strutting toward the door. "Let me tell you, brother, I have fully 'darkened'! This is now the era of the Ancient Tower Shadow God! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

Xiao Cheng was left speechless, unable to utter a single word. At that exact moment, Huong Van Tinh’s wails erupted. She rushed over, grabbing my collar and shaking me frantically.

"Xiao Lam! That is the black market! You sold my brother into the black market! How am I supposed to save him now?!"

I pondered for a moment and said, "You could always use the 'invisible hand of the market' to pull him out."

Xiao Cheng massaged his temples, reaching for his contact list to start making calls; he was always so busy solving problems that he kept forgetting to die. By the time Huong Than Tung was rescued, my brother had gained another two weeks of life expectancy. Heh heh heh.

At the Huong family villa, Huong Than Tung was curled up in a white blanket like a shed cicada shell, paralyzed by fear. Huong Van Tinh had called the police. She sat by the bed, weeping as she asked him:

"Younger brother, do you still recognize me? It’s me. Tell me, who sold you to the black market? Was it Xiao Lam?"

Huong Than Tung recoiled violently into the corner of the wall.

"Don't come near me! Don't touch me! It was my fault, all of it! I shouldn't have drugged Xiao Lam..."

Huong Van Tinh frantically clamped a hand over his mouth. Xiao Cheng’s expression darkened instantly. "Drugged her? What are you talking about?"

I leaned forward slightly, tilting my head with a playful grin.

"Miss Huong, according to your own deductions, shouldn't the one in this pathetic state be me?"

Huong Van Tinh shot to her feet, her beautiful eyes rimmed with angry red.

"Xiao Lam, you really still hold a grudge because I exposed your theft of the bracelet all those years ago... But if you want to take revenge, aim it at me! Why would you go after my brother?!"

Oh my, what a moving display of sisterly love. I clapped my hands in admiration. Xiao Cheng pulled me behind him, his eyes sharp and cold, looking at Huong Van Tinh with a profound sense of alienation and heartache. Perhaps he couldn't grasp why the gentle childhood friend from his memories had suddenly transformed into such a stranger.