The Heroine and Villainess Eloped!

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, the summer heat gradually receded.

By the floor-to-ceiling windows, the fiery colors of the setting sun outlined the silhouette of a woman lounging on the sofa, her fingers splayed as she admired the cold, yet striking, gradient white manicure on her nails. She captured a photo, taking advantage of the sunset's glow.

After a few minutes of editing, she sent the photo.

Her WeChat notifications popped up, and seeing the name "Yu Xingye" on the list, Su Yirao mentally cursed her luck. She decided instead to upload a few photos to her Moments feed.

Smiling at the comments like "Goddess" and "Slay me, Queen," her mood lifted, but the bliss didn't last long. A phone call disrupted her peace.

Caller: Yu Xingye

A few days ago, a call from Yu Xingye would have thrilled Su Yirao. But ever since waking up two days ago with a system in her head, she had truly awakened.

It turned out that Su Yirao wasn't just Su Yirao.

She was also a malicious supporting character in a clichéd CEO novel, destined to fall hopelessly in love with the male lead, using increasingly foolish methods to interfere with the romance between the main couple...

Not only would she ruin the main couple's relationship, but by the end of the story, her own fate was sealed—losing everything and ending up in prison.

After reviewing her role as the villainous supporting character, Su Yirao was dumbfounded.

Being a wealthy, beautiful socialite wasn't appealing enough? She'd have to be crazy to follow through with the villain's script!

Resolute in her decision, Su Yirao vowed to stay far away from the main couple and live her own fabulous life.

Glancing at the caller ID, she remembered why Yu Xingye was calling.

Their families had known each other for years, and her parents had arranged an engagement between them when they were children.

This childhood engagement made her crush on Yu Xingye seem natural, but he was as cold as ice, never warming up to her. He was polite yet distant, only showing a rare smile when both sets of parents were around.

As they grew older, the engagement was brought up more frequently, and monthly dinners with their parents became routine.

This time, Yu Xingye's call was to ask her to join him for one of those family dinners.

"Su Yirao, it's time for dinner," Yu Xingye's voice was cool and impersonal, more of a notification than an invitation.

Su Yirao's refusal was swift and straightforward, "Not going."

Before her awakening, Su Yirao would have eagerly anticipated these dinners. Her refusal now was unusual, as she expected.

After a brief pause, Yu Xingye, ever succinct, simply replied, "Fine."

She ended the call and immediately blocked his number.

Her stomach grumbled in response, prompting Su Yirao to chuckle. She swapped her shoes for a more suitable pair of boots and headed out in search of food.

...

Night fell, and a cool breeze began to stir, sweeping through the city of Rong.

Cars sped along Dongfeng Road, streetlights flickering in the wind, casting shifting shadows on the roadside trees.

Su Yirao strolled leisurely beside the trees, digesting her meal while mulling over how to completely avoid the main couple.

First, she had to quit the job she'd taken at the Yu Corporation.

Secondly…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a middle-aged man, "A deal is a deal, young lady. How can you go back on your word?"

She looked up to see a man with a fierce expression gripping a young girl by the arm. The girl, pretty but pale with fear, looked like she'd be charming when she smiled.

Su Yirao had no intention of getting involved and started to walk past them.

But just then, she heard a faint plea for help, "Please… help me… Sis… save…"

Su Yirao paused and glanced back. She realized that the man had one hand tightly gripping the girl's wrist while covering her mouth with the other.

Seeing Su Yirao hesitate, the man's voice wavered slightly before he regained his composure and quickly said, "We agreed on a price, but she's backing out."

The girl whimpered, but it was too muffled to understand.

"Let her speak!" Su Yirao demanded, glancing around to ensure there were no accomplices before feeling slightly reassured.

"Mind your own business!" the man snapped, his eyes flashing with anger.

The girl winced in pain, her tear-filled eyes pleading with Su Yirao.

"Fine, I'll call the police then," Su Yirao threatened, pulling out her phone.

Seeing this, the man sneered, "Go ahead. The worst that'll happen is that I'll get a few days for solicitation. I've been in and out of jail before—I'm not scared."

This information left Su Yirao with a clearer picture of the situation.

The man was clearly trouble, someone who wouldn't be easy to handle without risking making things worse.

Su Yirao quickly regained her composure and offered a solution, "This girl is too inexperienced for you, she's stubborn—she won't satisfy you. How about I give you some money, and you find someone else?"

The man's sneer deepened, and he named an outrageous price, "Fine, give me a hundred thousand, and I'll leave."

"Deal!" Su Yirao pulled out her phone. "What's your account number? I'll transfer it now."

Her decisiveness caught the man off guard, but he quickly rattled off his account number.

"6217******"

Moments later, Su Yirao showed him the successful transfer on her phone.

After confirming the transfer, the man finally released the girl.

"Let's go," Su Yirao grabbed the girl's hand and hurriedly led her away in the opposite direction.

Once they were a safe distance from the disturbing encounter, Su Yirao let out a sigh of relief and turned to the girl.

"Thank you… thank you so much, Sis…" The girl was still trembling with fear, tears streaming down her face. "I'll repay the money, I promise."

"There's no need. I can cancel the transfer within 24 hours."

"Thank goodness!" The girl looked relieved. "I'm so lucky to have met you tonight, Sis. I don't know what I would've done otherwise."

Su Yirao looked at her quietly and asked, "What kind of trouble are you in?"

The girl bit her lip and explained, "My mom is in the hospital, and she needs expensive treatment. I want to save her, but I don't have the money. I was desperate…"

The girl's voice was hurried, desperate to explain herself, not just for her own sake but to make sure her savior didn't think poorly of her.

"Every family has its problems," Su Yirao sighed softly, "Are you still in school? How old are you?"

"Twenty-two, I just graduated… I haven't found a suitable job yet, so…"

Seeing the girl's unease, Su Yirao smiled reassuringly and said, "You regretted it, which means you know to respect yourself. This begins and ends tonight."

"Thank you, Sis…"

Su Yirao handed her a tissue from her bag, "Here, wipe your tears. Your face is a mess."

"Meeting you was fate. Here's the deal: tomorrow, I'll have my lawyer draft a work contract for you. I'll advance you a hundred thousand yuan to cover your mother's treatment."

She handed the girl a business card and said, "Call me tomorrow."

Since she was planning a new venture, having an extra person around would be useful.

The girl gratefully accepted the card, clutching it to her chest like a lifeline.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she stammered, "Thank you, Sis. You're a true blessing in my life…"

A car honked loudly as it sped past, pulling Su Yirao's gaze. A strange sense of déjà vu crept over her.

But the car quickly disappeared into the night, leaving only shadows. The license plate and brand were indiscernible.

Pushing the thought aside, Su Yirao smiled and asked, "By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Guan Qingtong."

Su Yirao's smile froze, her muscles twitching as she tried to keep it in place.

Taking a deep breath, she repeated the question, "What did you say your name was?"

Guan Qingtong took out her phone and typed her name, showing it to Su Yirao.

"Sis, my name is Guan Qingtong. This is how it's written."

Su Yirao forced herself to look away, gazing at the wide road ahead.

Yu Xingye would have to take this road to get home after dinner at his parents' house…

Fate, my foot! This was clearly the original novel's dog-blood plot where the male and female leads first met!

"Sis, can I ask what job you're offering?" Guan Qingtong asked, sounding a bit unsure. "I'm fresh out of school, and I don't know much… I'm afraid I'll just cause trouble for you."

Su Yirao turned back to look at her, eyes narrowing as they landed on the business card Guan Qingtong was holding tightly.