Healing the Black Lotus Female Supporting Character (Transmigration into a Book - ABO) - Chapter 17

Even though Hua You knew Bian Chengyi hadn’t meant any harm, she still made a mental note to settle this score one day.

Hmph!

Besides the sting of pain, an odd sense of comfort surged through her, running straight to the bone. As the seconds ticked by, her breathing gradually steadied.

Bian Chengyi finally released her, her gaze dark and unreadable as she looked at Hua You.

The scent of peach blossoms still clung to the air around them, almost wrapping them in an invisible shroud. Hua You tried to regain control after the temporary marking, but found that her efforts were oddly ineffective—twice the effort for half the result. Still feverish, her eyes were hazy as she looked at Bian Chengyi. A mix of guilt and confusion filled her voice. “Why can’t anyone else…?” But when she saw the look on Bian Chengyi’s face, she swallowed the rest of the question.

At that moment, her mission progress bar officially broke 60%.

Hua You thought, Well, if passing out can push the progress this far… totally worth it.

Bian Chengyi let go of her arms and shifted slightly away, creating some space between them.

In the haze of peach blossom pheromones, her own breathing became irregular—far more than Hua You’s—and her heart was racing. She coughed twice, lowered her head, and muttered, “You can forget what I just said.”

Hua You’s eyes widened. No way—that’s not the development I wanted! But with her fever muddling her thoughts, she didn’t know what to say.

After a stretch of silence, she finally tried to break the wall between them. “Sister Chengyi…”

Bian Chengyi took a deep breath.

She stood up, her tone soft but emotionally distant. “Sorry. I lost my composure earlier. I’ll go get the teacher.”

She knew it was Hua You who had lied and neglected to take care of herself. She’d made people worry. Bian Chengyi reminded herself of that. But still, why was she the one acting like a fool—so invested in someone who clearly didn’t know how to take care of herself?

This feeling was… troublesome.

Bian Chengyi was used to having full control over her world. This sudden chaos made her feel lost.

And Hua You, right now, didn’t have the strength to explain or beg her to stay.

She kept touching the bite mark on the back of her neck. The strange, tender indent felt like something had cracked open inside her.

Hua You… she’s just a target in your strategy. You’re not actually catching feelings, are you?

She curled up in bed again, drifting into another feverish, fragmented dream.

In the dream, she was five or six years old again, looking up at towering adults. She kept trying to grab someone’s hand—but every time she reached, the person would vanish like mist. She grasped at figure after figure, only for each one to disappear into air.

In the end, she saw Bian Chengyi.

They stood at the edge of a cliff, below which loomed an endless, black abyss.

Bian Chengyi’s eyes were filled with a numbing sadness. She turned to look at Hua You, and the emotion was so overwhelming it felt like Hua You’s very form was unraveling.

Then, Bian Chengyi extended her hand.

Hua You, as if drawn by fate, reached for it—only for Bian Chengyi to pull her down with her, off the cliff’s edge.

As she plummeted, Hua You bolted awake, drenched in sweat, to see the school nurse disinfecting a thermometer nearby.

“You’re awake? Looks like the fever’s gone. How are you feeling?”

After confirming repeatedly that she was fine, Hua You was given a suppressant pill. Once her condition stabilized, she was allowed to return to class.

The moment she stepped back into the classroom, every head turned to look at her—except Bian Chengyi’s.

She remained at the podium, eyes fixed on her test paper. Without so much as a glance, she said, “Alright. Return to your seat.”

Really? Now you’re pulling the class monitor card on me?

If not for the ever-present mission progress bar—this cheat-code of a system—Hua You would’ve believed everything she’d done had gone to waste. But no, the progress still read over 60%, and Bian Chengyi was still her desk mate.

She shuffled through the mountain of test papers and materials stacked on her desk, feeling a sudden wave of restlessness. Deciding to burn it off, she pulled out two math practice sets and began working through them to calm her nerves.

When the bell rang to end evening study, the usual chorus of groans echoed: “There’s no way I’m finishing all this homework!” Bian Chengyi walked down from the podium with her signature grace, returning to her seat and calmly organizing her bag.

Hua You wasn’t planning on a cold war. She simply waited beside Bian Chengyi, watching her fuss endlessly with her things. When she finally slung on her backpack and turned to leave, she noticed Hua You—who had clearly been waiting for her—hesitate at the last moment.

She sighed, her frustration melting. “Let’s go. Weren’t you waiting for me?”

Hua You trotted up behind her and tugged lightly on her school uniform sleeve. Smiling, she said:

“Sister Chengyi… I really didn’t mean to trick you the other day…”

“Mhm, I know,” Bian Chengyi said, continuing to walk—though she didn’t brush off Hua You’s hand holding her sleeve.

Those four words left Hua You momentarily speechless. She could only keep her head down and follow behind, fingers lightly clutching the hem of Bian Chengyi’s sleeve.

“Does it hurt?”

The sudden question caught Hua You off guard. She took a second to react.

She wasn’t sure if Bian Chengyi was asking about last time or this time—but she still answered, “No, it doesn’t hurt anymore. I know you were trying to help me.”

“I have another question.”

Bian Chengyi stopped and turned to face her fully, her gaze sharp and serious.

Hua You’s expression became equally sincere. “Go ahead, Sister Chengyi.”

Under the night sky, everything was cloaked in darkness. A few shadowy figures passed by from time to time. The only light, aside from the moon, came from the yellow glow of a lamppost above—a warm hue casting shifting shadows across Bian Chengyi’s face. Though she had just turned eighteen, her eyes seemed impossible to read in that light.

“I want to ask you—have you ever used that method on anyone else?”

“What? No way!” Hua You shot up like a startled cat, practically bristling.

After her initial outburst, she deflated a little. Her voice turned soft and raspy, tinged with a sliver of hurt. “Sister Chengyi… You should know this: You’re different to me. You’re not like anyone else.”

Yes, because you’re my target. Everyone else? Just background characters.

But of course, Bian Chengyi misunderstood.

Her throat moved like she wanted to respond—but when she saw the look on Hua You’s face, she said nothing.

Truthfully… even if she graduated, with the unpredictability of her susceptibility phases, Bian Chengyi had always imagined she’d never fall in love or get married.

But if it were Hua You—if it were you…

Then maybe her long-standing principles didn’t matter as much anymore.

Too much had happened today. A wave of calm clarity washed over Bian Chengyi, and for the first time since Hua You had fainted, she smiled.

It was a small curve of her lips, but it outshone the stars above.

“Hua You, you’ve always been different to me too.”

“I believe we’ll both make it through the college entrance exam—and reach the destinations we’re aiming for.”

Beep—College Entrance Exam Card played—

Hua You blinked, totally thrown off by the sudden emotional elevation. Wait, what? I didn’t even confess! Where did that dramatic closing line come from?! This black lotus really knows how to overinterpret things…

What she didn’t know was that Bian Chengyi had received more than her share of confessions growing up—so many they could be counted in stacks. And yet she had never once responded to any of them.

Let alone returned them.

But with Hua You, she kept breaking her own rules.

Bian Chengyi let out a soft breath and looked at Hua You, whose brows were scrunched in confusion, clearly unsure how to respond. She gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Stop overthinking. Let’s go.”

As they continued walking, Bian Chengyi started to feel a little awkward again.

Because this time—Hua You wasn’t clinging to her arm.

It seemed the exam-wish speech had shocked her enough to make her forget even the most basic good-favor-building behaviors… like latching onto her Alpha for attention.

Bian Chengyi let out a soft cough, snapping Hua You out of her daze. She then lifted her arm slightly—an unspoken gesture that meant: We’re good now. The past is behind us. Let tonight be a new beginning. She hoped Hua You understood.

And what else could Hua You do?

Pamper! Of course you pamper your target like crazy! Whatever Bian Chengyi wanted, she’d go along with it. Once the mission was complete and the progress bar filled, she’d be free to fulfill her wish and make her exit. The system could deal with the aftermath.

System: I have a bad feeling about my future…

And so, hand in hand once more, they walked toward the library, ready to begin their late-night study session.

But as they entered the library, they unexpectedly ran into someone—Fang Jinyu, alone.

Fang Jinyu’s expression was… subtle, when she saw them. But at her core, she was always someone bright and composed. She quickly collected herself and greeted them with a warm smile. “Chengyi. Hello. Here to study too?”

Her tone was perfectly measured—polite and poised. “I’m heading out now. Was going to stay longer, but the sports day wore me out. Good luck to you both!”

She even gave them a cheerful little fist-pump gesture before leaving.

It was rare to see Fang Jinyu without Fang Huai by her side. Hua You raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded in return, entirely forgetting to let go of Bian Chengyi’s hand still hooked through her own.

She quickly skimmed through her mental copy of the original novel and suddenly remembered: the sports meet marked a rough patch in the romance between the male and female leads. The cause? A minor female character—an “extra” rival—saw Fang Huai during the event and fell for him at first sight. She made a grand scene on the basketball court, presenting him with water, flowers, and a blessing card—right in front of Fang Jinyu.

Fang Huai had turned her down, of course, and even explained it all to Fang Jinyu. But that girl from the neighboring class wasn’t ready to give up. As she passed by Fang Jinyu, she threw in a final jab: saying someone with Fang Jinyu’s looks wasn’t worthy of a male lead like Fang Huai—and apart from her grades, she had nothing to offer.

Now, with Hua You suddenly thrown into the picture, Fang Jinyu’s biggest strength—her academic prowess—was beginning to look shaky too.

Reading that arc back then had made Hua You feel like her bl00d pressure was spiking. What do you mean she’s not good enough? In her opinion, Fang Jinyu’s character, her presence, her genius in the liberal arts—all of it made her more than deserving of the best. Even Bian Chengyi’s affection for her in the book had felt… well, natural.

…Fine, she’d admit it.

She didn’t want to be friends with the female lead.

If anything, she’d rather keep her as a backdrop—an irrelevant passerby. Not an immovable obstacle wedged between her and Bian Chengyi.

“Alright then, I’ll head inside with Sister Chengyi.”

With a smile sweet as candy and laced with just a hint of triumph, Hua You nodded politely to Fang Jinyu—like a queen acknowledging a subject.

Then, with a gentle but deliberate tug, she pulled Bian Chengyi further into the library.