Chapter 19.
Chapter 19
Three faintly glowing words hovered above Yasin’s head, like the faint glow of a firefly. The light was so weak that it was almost invisible, yet he could still make out the words: [Supporting Male #N].
Yasin pointed at his reflection in the glass. “What the hell is this?” he asked Timothy. “Can you see anything above my head?”
Timothy quickly walked over and scrutinized Yasin’s head for a good while. After finding absolutely nothing, he said hesitantly, “Mr. James, don’t worry. You don’t have any gray hairs yet.”
At Yasin’s displeased expression, Timothy’s survival instincts kicked in and he quickly added, “And there’s no dandruff at all. You can rest assured! Your hairstyle today is dashing and captivating, embodying a wild, untamed spirit yet with a touch of alluring restraint.
“In those romance novels girls love, you’d totally be the male lead.”
Timothy was sure he’d nailed the flattery, only to realize Yasin’s face had grown even darker.
Even when he was completely expressionless, Yasin’s face naturally carried the menacing aura of a loan shark about to break someone’s kneecaps. But now that he was in a foul mood, he looked downright terrifying.
The moment Yasin pinned Timothy with that glare, Timothy felt as if his boss could eviscerate him with just a look.
Timothy was totally unaware. His remark was a brutal slap in the face, especially when contrasted with the “Supporting Male #N” tag hovering above Yasin’s head.
In that instant, Yasin finally understood what Quinlyn had meant. He thought, ‘So this is it? Others couldn’t see it, and I wasn’t able to see it earlier, either, but she could?’
He paused and suddenly demanded, “Say that again.”
Timothy let out a nervous hum. He quickly replayed the scene in his mind and then braced himself and forced out another round of praise for Yasin. This time, he carefully left out the dandruff part.
He figured that the dandruff must have been what upset his boss in the first place.
Yasin’s expression darkened even further as Timothy continued, saying, “In those romance novels girls love, you’d totally be the male lead.”
Seeing his reaction, Timothy thought to himself, ‘What’s the catch with that sentence? Does Mr. James not like being the male lead?’
Timothy timidly voiced his confusion and then added, “So, Mr. James, do you prefer the second male lead, the one with tragically unrequited love?”
Yasin shot him a look that spoke volumes.
Yasin strode into the hall, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd like a laser until it locked onto Quinlyn. He marched straight toward her.
He didn’t just shoot Timothy a cold glare. He also zeroed in on the main point of his words—romance novels.
His mind was racing as he recalled every subtle change in Quinlyn’s behavior. He thought of her eagerness to get close to him and the urgency in her questions about the words above his head. ‘Was it because she knew something?’ he wondered.
But this whole “Supporting Male #N” tag really only showed up in romance novels or dramas. The label genuinely pissed
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Chapter 19
him off. ‘Me? Just a fucking supporting character?’ he thought bitterly.
What Yasin didn’t know was that the “Supporting Male #N” tag was actually a recent upgrade. Before that, he’d been nothing more than a random guy.
Now, Yasin was even more eager to find out what role Quinlyn played in all this.
Back in the hall, Quinlyn knew it was time to play her part in the story.
After exchanging pleasantries with Quinlyn, Logan chuckled softly and said, “Hardship truly tempers character. These hothouse flowers are no match for you, Quinlyn.”
Quinlyn forced a hollow chuckle, her gaze sweeping over Yalena’s and Zachary’s grimacing faces. She couldn’t deny the secret satisfaction bubbling up inside her. Yet, in this seemingly perfect moment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
She thought that she was nothing but a whetstone, meant to temper Zachary’s character. And honestly, her instincts told her she was probably right.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Logan mentioned the upcoming outdoor activity to Quinlyn.
Quinlyn paused for a moment and then nodded. She recognized this activity from the plot.
In romance novels, every plotline would always revolve around the main couple’s sweet love story. This outdoor event, basically a wilderness survival challenge, served as the perfect catalyst for Yalena and Zachary’s relationship.
If Zachary’s proposal at the birthday party was his reluctant submission to a prearranged engagement, then it was during the wilderness survival challenge that he truly fell for Yalena.
Being the scheming villainess wasn’t just for show. Quinlyn had work to do.
For example, she’d have to brave a torrential downpour to search for the missing duo. When she found them, Zachary would be badly injured, burning with a high fever and completely unconscious, while Yalena, though meticulously protected, would be left immobile with a twisted ankle.
As Zachary’s obsessive fangirl who only had eyes for him, Quinlyn simply couldn’t manage to drag both of them, so with great effort, she would haul Zachary away. By the time the search party returned, Yalena would have vanished.
Despite his dire condition, Zachary would drag himself through the wilderness until he finally found Yalena. She would be soaked to the bone from a night-long downpour, trapped in a muddy ditch.
No one else was to blame for the mess. It was all Quinlyn’s doing.
Quinlyn couldn’t be bothered by the details. ‘Bring it on!’ she thought, brimming with eagerness to rewrite the script this
time.
She scrolled through her phone, placing an order for a bunch of outdoor gear while daydreaming about what movies to watch next. She pictured herself sipping a big bottle of soda, watching some eye candy on the screen, and enjoying every blissful moment of camping.
Quinlyn thought to herself, ‘As for saving anyone, with how delicate and frail I am, that’s probably out of the question.’
Finally, the Narrator in her head clocked in for work. [Modification: While no one was paying attention, Evelyn made a call summoning Beatrice. After hearing the story, Beatrice stormed over in a rage, got into a physical altercation with Quinlyn, and threatened to call Herbert.
[However, Herbert ended up utterly humiliating Beatrice. Public perception of the Guzman family shifted. Fate Change Progress: 25%.]
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Hearing the commotion, Quinlyn screamed internally, ‘Don’t go! Explain to me. Why did a random guy level up? Don’t you dare play dead, or I’ll slack off and just marry Zachary to spite you.
Quinlyn’s threat seemed to work. The Narrator finally responded, but it only said curtly, [No idea.] Then quickly, it went back to playing dead.
Quinlyn ground her teeth. She thought, I have to fight tooth and nail just to change my fate and survive, while some nobody gets promoted from a random guy to a “Supporting Male #N” without lifting a finger? How unfair! I’m so jealous and mad.’
The Narrator suddenly chimed in, [Well, it just means he might have died more miserably than you in his previous life.]
Quinlyn fell silent. She wondered, ‘Did he also travel back through time? Otherwise, how could he have just popped up like this?’ But after a moment’s thought, she shook her head hesitantly.
‘Yasin seemed to have traveled back through time, or maybe not. He doesn’t even realize there’s a character tag above his head. Oh, what a pitiful man,’ she thought.
When Yasin finally found Quinlyn, she looked at him with a gaze usually reserved for a pitiful, lost puppy. But just moments ago, on the terrace, she had seemed utterly dismissive of him.
Yasin fell silent, utterly baffled. ‘What the hell could have change her attitude in just a few minutes?’ he thought.
