Chapter 6 — Glitch in the Supporting Character's Narrative

The world spun in a dizzying blur, and I collapsed, meeting the frigid embrace of the concrete floor. Somewhere in the distance, a faint light flickered. The sharp, rhythmic barking of dogs echoed through the night.

"Found her! Director Xiao! The young miss is over here!"

"Xiao Lin!"

Thank goodness, it was Xiao Cheng who had arrived. Oh, how curious—this man, destined to play the eternal second lead, actually knew how to weep for someone other than the heroine?

"Xiao Lin, we are going to the hospital! I am taking you to the hospital! Stay with me, please, do not leave me behind..."

I curled my lips into a frail, trembling smile. Brother, why are you crying? Look closely—I have helped you find your true sister. Now... you can go on living, can you not? A few scorching tears fell onto my forehead, blurring the foggy chaos in my mind. This must be it, then. I am dying. A disjointed montage of memories began to cycle through my thoughts like a broken film strip. Before I turned fourteen, Xiao Cheng and I were not siblings bound by hatred. He was seven years my senior and pampered me beyond measure. If I had no new dresses to wear? He would summon a Parisian designer to measure me instantly. If there was no room to hang my gowns? He would build a new villa just for the storage. If I found a blond man to be my boyfriend? He would brandish a knife, ready to carve the intruder up. Everyone in the capital knew that Master Xiao was the world’s most devoted brother.

Until the day Xiang Wanting exposed that I was not his biological sister, my world shattered like glass. Xiao Cheng had not seemed to care at the time. He had simply and quietly sent people to search for his true kin, assuring me that I would always remain the young miss of the Xiao household. However, Xiang Wanting—the woman I had addressed as sister-in-law since childhood—seemed to transform into a different person overnight. She no longer indulged me; instead, she began to openly mock Xiao Cheng, labeling me an interloper who had stolen a rightful place. She whispered that the real sister was suffering out there in the cold, while I lived a life of opulent luxury. On my birthday, she even framed me for stealing a family heirloom bracelet.

"Xiang Wanting, what have I ever lacked since the day I was born? I used to play marbles with Bohemian rubies; do you really think I would covet your wretched bracelet?"

I was fourteen that year, living under the protective umbrella of my brother, completely ignorant of how cunning one must be to survive. Yet, it was as if everyone had been bewitched, all of them choosing to stand on her side. I was so frantic I wept, my eyes searching for Xiao Cheng’s gaze. He was so brilliant; he could not possibly believe I was a thief. But in the depths of Xiao Cheng’s eyes was a piece of biting ice, as if he were acting out a script already written—a script that demanded he despise me. Coldly, he spoke:

"Do as Wanting says. Take the young miss abroad."

"Brother! Do you not want me anymore?!" I struggled against the guards, clutching the hem of his coat. "Brother, when will you come to take me home? Please, do not abandon me..."

His footsteps faltered, his fingers twitching slightly. A moment later, his voice was as frozen as a winter frost:

"Not until I am dead will you ever be allowed to return."

And so, I was exiled to Germany. I knew none of the language, my money was stolen, I had no friends, and nowhere to call home. It was the stereotypical ending for a cannon-fodder character. I once stabbed countless wooden dolls, cursing him to die so that I could follow the script and return to claim the inheritance. But... why... at the very moment I knew for certain he would die, did I still rush to save him?

12

"Brother Xiao Cheng, congratulations! The true young miss of the Xiao family has finally returned!"

How wretchedly unlucky. I had barely crawled back from the gates of the underworld only to be greeted by the voice of Xiang Wanting. Seeing me regain consciousness, Xiao Cheng hurriedly poured a glass of water: "Be careful of your abdominal wound." Reflexively, he reached out to steady me. His fingertips were covered in tiny, needle-prick scars. I furrowed my brows in suspicion. Just then, a "righteous" voice rang in my ears:

"Xiao Lin! Why is Brother Xiao Cheng’s biological sister so severely injured? Had you found her long ago and intentionally bullied the real young miss, you cruel girl?!"

As soon as Xiang Wanting spoke, Xiao Cheng’s hand froze in mid-air, as if under a spell. His eyes grew vacant for a fleeting moment, as if he did not know where to place his hands, eventually shifting them to massage his throbbing temples. Xiang Wanting stood with her hands on her hips, acting like a judge presiding over the sins of a supporting character:

"Xiao Lin, how could you be so wicked?!"

A sweet, metallic taste rose in my throat. I coughed, spitting up a mouthful of blood. I heard her voice dripping with disdain: "See that? She is even faking illness to compete with Xiao Cheng’s real sister." I could not hold it back, and I moaned in pain:

"Big sister, I risked my own life to save her from those thugs, alright? If you do not believe me, go ask her yourself!"

Xiao Cheng fell into a deep silence before saying, "She is mute." I was stunned. The comment threads flashed before my eyes: [Boo hoo, the real sister is so pitiful, she was mistakenly swapped into a family of gamblers, and when she ran a high fever, no one cared, burning her vocal cords beyond repair.] [That’s right, even though good people helped her get to school, being mute meant she was always bullied.] [Look at the fake sister—she lived like a princess with the second lead in the Xiao house; it’s so unfair...] [In the original plot, the real sister had to overcome countless obstacles to reclaim her identity, but it only happened after the second lead’s funeral—once he had committed suicide and all the assets had been seized by the fake sister.] [At least she’s found now; the fake sister surely won’t be able to hold onto a single cent of that fortune. How wonderful, haha!] Hmph, as if any of you would ever be worth my time.