Chapter 16: The Vicious Female Supporting Character in the 1980s (16)

The young girl was crying badly, as if she had suffered a huge grievance. Cheng Lan had a headache and could only apologize. When settling the payment for the cotton quilt, she gave a few extra yuan.

Su Qin watched as the woman and the young girl left. She walked into the courtyard and saw Cheng Lan sitting on the steps with a troubled expression. She didn’t know what to say.

“What kind of girl do you think he actually likes?” Cheng Lan looked frustrated. “I thought he’d be a bit softer toward a delicate girl, but he didn’t say a single word to her. As soon as he saw her, he pulled a long face. That girl was so scared her face turned pale and her shoulders started trembling.”

Su Qin: “……”

Was it that bad?

According to Cheng Lan, when she brought the girl over and saw no one was home, they planned to wait. But then Cheng Wenfeng passed by the gate. When he saw them, he came in.

At first, when Cheng Wenfeng learned Cheng Lan had bought him a quilt, he was still okay. But when the woman started sizing him up and signaling the girl with her eyes to get closer to him, his face immediately turned dark.

Right after that, he scared the girl badly. The scene became chaotic.

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t care. He didn’t even want the quilt and just turned and left.

“Could it be that our Wenfeng is really that bad?” Cheng Lan began to doubt herself and looked at Su Qin, deeply shaken.

“Of course not.” Su Qin denied it.

Cheng Wenfeng was actually a very decent person. At first, she thought he was just inexpressive and dull, but that wasn’t true. He simply didn’t talk much. His mind was definitely sharp, otherwise he wouldn’t have become a big shot.

Cheng Lan felt a little better, but her tone was still glum. “But being this bad with girls isn’t going to work. What are we going to do?”

Su Qin sighed silently in her heart.

Looks like it’s not about the type. Could it be that Cheng Wenfeng simply couldn’t develop feelings for anyone other than Su Yue?

She thought of this and looked at the increasingly dejected Cheng Lan. She also felt a bit stifled.

“Forget it.” Cheng Lan stood up, adjusted her mood, and walked to the side.

She wasn’t new to tricking Cheng Wenfeng into blind dates and was used to him turning and walking away.

“This cotton is really good. It’s warm to sleep under.” Cheng Lan bent down and touched the pile of cotton. “Thick and cheap. You can’t find this in the city.”

Su Qin came over to take a look and touched it too.

“This one’s the quilt I bought for Wenfeng. He’ll probably be mad at me for days. How about you help me take it to him?” Cheng Lan thought for a moment and felt it was a workable idea. She added with assurance, “Don’t worry, Wenfeng definitely won’t lose his temper at you. He’s very well-mannered.”

Of course, Cheng Lan didn’t force her. “If you don’t want to send it, just keep it at your place for now. Once he’s no longer mad at me, I’ll ask him to come get it.”

Cheng Lan didn’t stay for dinner. After she left, Su Qin rested her chin in both hands and looked at the other quilt on the kang bed, feeling a little conflicted inside.

She had also helped Cheng Lan trick Cheng Wenfeng into a blind date. Even though she had known in advance and didn’t tell him, she was still an accomplice.

She truly felt too guilty to face him.

Just as Su Qin was feeling conflicted, there was a noise outside. She walked out to check.

Cheng Wenfeng appeared at the door. Su Qin was startled, her eyes darting all over the place.

“The carpenter is free this afternoon. Do you want to make the bookshelf today? If we are, I’ll go get the boards now,” Cheng Wenfeng asked.

He looked calm, but Su Qin could sense his suppressed frustration. She stammered, “Are we going now?”

“Yeah, let’s try to finish it in the next couple of days, otherwise we’ll have to wait again.”

“Alright then.”

After Su Qin spoke, Cheng Wenfeng turned to leave. She quickly called out, “After you bring the boards back, stay for dinner, okay? I bought a lot of vegetables and meat.”

As soon as she said this, Cheng Wenfeng’s lips pressed even tighter. “So you do know there were a lot of people today.”

Looked like she had it all planned out — he’d succeed in the blind date and then everyone would happily enjoy a meal together.

Su Qin immediately understood what he meant and forced herself to respond, “Why are you talking in such a passive-aggressive tone?”

“Am I?” Cheng Wenfeng turned around, his dark eyes staring into hers, deep and unreadable.

Su Qin couldn’t stand being looked at like that. She lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes. Her tone weakened and after a long moment, she quietly said, “I’m sorry. I found out about it earlier but didn’t tell you.”

“Team Leader Cheng didn’t mean any harm either. She said she won’t be introducing you to any more blind dates for now. Take the quilt she bought for you later. It’s really good and warm.”

Cheng Wenfeng’s anger vanished instantly the moment she apologized. Looking at her with her head lowered, clearly feeling guilty, he couldn’t bring himself to say she had wronged him.

It was like someone had grasped his weak spot — helpless and giving in.

Thinking about it carefully, what had she done wrong?

She wasn’t wrong at all.

After Su Qin finished speaking and saw he didn’t respond for a long time, she bit her lip in frustration. “Why don’t you tell me what I need to do to make it up to you? I will take responsibility for what I did.”

He was so angry, yet still thinking about helping her carry materials. He really was a good person.

“I’m not mad at you,” Cheng Wenfeng finally said.

Hearing that, Su Qin kept watching his expression, trying to tell if he meant it. Her bright eyes flickered back and forth.

Cheng Wenfeng felt uncomfortable under her gaze and grew more and more uneasy. Then he turned to leave. “I’m going to get the boards.”

“I’ll start cooking then?” Su Qin called to his back.

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t respond. He kept walking toward the end of the alley. His furrowed brows slowly relaxed and the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted. His mood was clearly better.

An hour later, Cheng Wenfeng brought the boards back and started unloading them.

Su Qin came out of the kitchen. “Do you need help?”

“No,” Cheng Wenfeng shook his head. “You won’t be able to lift them.”

Su Qin didn’t insist. She went back to the kitchen and kept cooking. She stir-fried chicken, made eggplant with minced meat, steamed eggs, and prepared a vegetable soup.

When she brought the dishes out, she noticed Cheng Wenfeng was nowhere to be seen and felt a bit confused.

The boards he had brought back were stacked neatly to the side.

“Cheng Wenfeng?” Su Qin called out.

“I’m here.”

As soon as she called, his voice responded from the doorway.

Su Qin saw that he had changed clothes and looked confused. Cheng Wenfeng avoided her gaze and rubbed his nose. “I sweated too much, so I went back to take a shower.”

“Oh, I see. Let’s eat.”

The two of them sat across from each other and ate. Su Qin even asked, “Has my cooking improved?”

“Yes, it has,” Cheng Wenfeng nodded affirmatively and praised her, “It’s delicious.”

Su Qin didn’t doubt his words at all — because he ate two bowls of rice.

After the meal, Cheng Wenfeng took the initiative to wash the dishes. Su Qin walked over and cautiously said, “Actually, that wasn’t Team Leader Cheng’s fault either. I told her you might like the type of girl who’s a bit delicate, so it’d bring out your protective instincts. That’s why she found that girl.”

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t refute her.

Because what she said was true.

He did want to protect her, constantly worried she’d be bullied or wronged.

Seeing that he didn’t object, Su Qin pressed further. “That time we ate together, I noticed you secretly glanced at Su Yue several times.”

That look clearly wasn’t normal. Later, didn’t the two of them talk downstairs at the staff dorm too? They looked like they were getting along well.

Once Cheng Wenfeng realized what she meant, his expression instantly darkened. “If you dare say again that I like her, you’ll deal with the consequences.”

Su Qin immediately stopped talking. “I didn’t say that.”

Cheng Wenfeng stacked the washed dishes and put them in the cupboard. His tone was firm. “I’m very sure I could never have any feelings for her.”

“You don’t like her?” Su Qin looked at his resolute expression and felt momentarily dazed.

She knew he wasn’t the type to talk casually. He meant what he said.

Did the plot go off track?

In the original novel, Cheng Wenfeng had a good impression of Su Yue the first time he met her. He looked at her several times and then became increasingly attentive, even willing to risk his life for her.

Didn’t he look at her several times the last time too?

“Why would I like her?” Cheng Wenfeng closed the cupboard and slowly said, “Humans are social animals. Anyone with normal logical thinking should not get entangled emotionally with the people around them.”

Su Qin’s pupils slightly contracted.

Didn’t that basically mean Su Yue had no shame? He was just putting it in a more tactful way.

This wasn’t just a matter of liking or not — Cheng Wenfeng clearly rejected Su Yue.

That afternoon.

The carpenter came over. Cheng Wenfeng worked alongside him. With the two of them, the progress was much faster.

Su Qin also stayed busy, helping out and giving directions. She supervised the work on site, instructing the carpenter according to her ideas. By the end of the afternoon, the bookshelf already had a basic shape.

“This young lady has a lot of ideas,” the carpenter even praised Su Qin.

Su Qin said, “Sorry for the trouble. You ended up doing a lot more work.”

The carpenter waved it off. “It’s no trouble. Talking with young people lets me learn things too. We have to keep up with young people’s aesthetics nowadays.”

After two and a half busy days, Su Qin finally had a bookshelf in her room that she was very satisfied with. When it came time to settle the payment, the carpenter voluntarily gave back part of the money: “Just count it as two days. Your partner helped me out, saved me from hiring a laborer.”

Su Qin was just about to explain when the carpenter added, “That young man is really talented. It’s rare to see hardworking young people like him nowadays.”

After saying that, he asked Cheng Wenfeng, “You used to deliver wood for Boss Ning, right? Do you know that guy Ah Wei?”

“Yeah, I know him.”

The two of them walked out one after the other. Cheng Wenfeng kept chatting with the carpenter, while Su Qin couldn’t even join in the conversation. The other party rode off on his bicycle and said he would come back tomorrow to collect the remaining tools.

As soon as he left, Su Qin remembered what had just been said and felt inexplicably awkward. “It seems like we were misunderstood.”

“Yeah.” Cheng Wenfeng nodded, but didn’t go on to explain.

Su Qin: “!”

He he he——

Cheng Wenfeng carried a bag back into the room and started cleaning up the mess. He picked up the large wood pieces and took them to the kitchen to use as firewood. The wood shavings were put into a bag to be thrown away later.

Su Qin looked at Cheng Wenfeng busying around the room and couldn’t stop her heart from stirring. She even felt a bit flustered and panicked.

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t like Su Yue and even avoided her, yet he was running around helping out at her house…

Thinking about all of Cheng Wenfeng’s actions recently made Su Qin even more confused. Her mind was like a tangled mess of ropes that couldn’t be unraveled.

Cheng Wenfeng carried out two large bags, and Su Qin immediately stepped forward. “Is this trash? I’ll take it out and throw it away.”

As she spoke, she took the bag from his hand.

“Let’s go together.” Cheng Wenfeng didn’t hand over everything to her.

Su Qin carried the lighter bag of trash while Cheng Wenfeng carried the large bag of wood shavings. The two of them walked out one after the other.

Perhaps sensing that her mood was off, Cheng Wenfeng brought up a topic. “How’s the studying going?”

“Oh, pretty good.” Su Qin snapped back to reality and responded, then added confidently, “Getting into a university shouldn’t be a problem.”

If He Peng had heard this, he probably would’ve laughed. After all, getting into college was really hard, and Su Qin’s previous exam results weren’t that great.

But Cheng Wenfeng didn’t say anything. He actually believed her. “That’s good then.”

When it came to the college entrance exams, Su Qin fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking him, “The lady boss at the recycling station said a young man gave her a box of books to pass on to me. Was that you?”

She had never confirmed this with Cheng Wenfeng, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten.

Su Qin knew that Cheng Wenfeng had asked the recycling station lady to do it because he didn’t want her to find out. She had also thought about what to do if he denied it.

But Cheng Wenfeng admitted it openly. “Yeah, it was me.”

Su Qin: “Why didn’t you just give them to me directly? I always thought it was the recycling station lady boss who gave them to me.”

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t answer and continued walking forward.

“Hmm?” Su Qin was confused and followed up with another question, though she felt a bit anxious and nervous. Something she had deliberately been ignoring seemed to be slowly being revealed.

Cheng Wenfeng: “I wasn’t ready, and I thought that way you’d be more likely to accept it.”

Su Qin: “!!!”

What was he saying?!

What was he hinting at?!

Seeing her reaction, Cheng Wenfeng slightly clenched his hanging hand, his palm starting to sweat. He was carefully thinking about how to speak next.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Su Qin’s heart leapt and her blood felt like it was rushing to her head. She suddenly saw a familiar figure and quickly interrupted, “Isn’t that Zhou Xiufang’s daughter?”

Right next to Su Qin’s house, Wang Zhuzhu was standing at the door knocking.

“I’ve seen her a few times,” Cheng Wenfeng responded calmly.

Su Qin was puzzled. “What’s she doing here?”

“She’s probably in a relationship. That guy lives next door,” Cheng Wenfeng pointed to the house beside Su Qin’s.

As he spoke, the courtyard door opened and a man walked out and hugged Wang Zhuzhu. The two of them hugged each other tightly, laughing and giggling.

The door quickly closed.

Su Qin had almost forgotten about Wang Zhuzhu. But Zhou Xiufang kept bragging every day that under Su Yue’s tutoring, Wang Zhuzhu’s grades had improved a lot. From the sound of it, she was guaranteed to get into a junior college, and even getting into a university wasn’t anything special.

But Su Qin remembered that in the end, Wang Zhuzhu didn’t even take the college entrance exam.

As for what exactly happened, she really couldn’t recall.

These past few days, Cheng Wenfeng had been eating at Su Qin’s house. He worked with the carpenter while she made meals in advance. It was almost evening now, and she had prepared dinner for both of them again today.

Cheng Wenfeng naturally followed Su Qin back home.

As soon as they entered the small courtyard, Su Qin felt the atmosphere had become a little strange. She quickly walked to the kitchen and started washing rice and preparing to cook. Cheng Wenfeng followed right after.

He sat by the stove and added firewood, keeping the fire going.

Neither of them spoke, but they worked together in perfect sync. Su Qin’s thoughts began to drift.

Why did this feel a bit like a married couple?

Thinking about everything that had happened recently, Su Qin felt even more out of sorts. Her expression turned wooden as she carried the rice-washing water and slowly walked over to the corner to pour it out.

Suddenly, faint noises came from the other side.

“Do you hear something?” Su Qin originally just wanted to change the awkward atmosphere.

Cheng Wenfeng walked over.

Su Qin moved a little closer to the wall. On the other side, a woman’s moaning sounds kept coming, along with the sound of bodies colliding. She froze on the spot, then her whole face turned red as she stared blankly at Cheng Wenfeng.

Completely stunned.

And it was her who had called Cheng Wenfeng over to listen—Su Qin wished she could dig a hole and bury herself right now.

She couldn’t even remember how that meal ended. Anyway, from that day on, the two of them didn’t see each other for half a month.

Su Qin had already asked Cheng Wenfeng to take the blanket back. When she told Cheng Lan, she handed her a peach and casually said, “This peach is really good. I saw Cheng Wenfeng bought a whole bag the other day.”

“Really?” Cheng Lan ate a peach, looking a bit doubtful. “He doesn’t like fruit.”

Su Qin’s heart skipped a beat, even slowed for half a beat. “There are people who don’t like fruit? Fruit is so delicious.”

Cheng Wenfeng would bring her fruit every now and then. He always said it was from Cheng Lan and that he couldn’t finish it. Since Cheng Lan often gave him things, she never suspected anything.

“He doesn’t like it. Even during New Year or festivals, I never buy him fruit. He won’t eat it even if I do.”

After Cheng Lan said this, all the fleeting thoughts that had once crossed Su Qin’s mind suddenly had an answer.

That was—Cheng Wenfeng liked her.

Su Qin couldn’t calm down for a long time, not knowing where things had gone wrong. She was supposed to be the vicious female supporting character. That was how Zhou Zhiyuan treated her, and that was how the Su family treated her too.

Cheng Wenfeng was supposed to be the deeply affectionate male supporting character.

She had made things hard for Su Yue. As the male supporting character, he should have disliked her. The fact that he didn’t target her and could even be friends with her was already good enough.

Su Qin felt this was too terrifying. It was beyond what she could accept, and she didn’t even know what to do.

She began to avoid Cheng Wenfeng on her own. She no longer went out at fixed times like before, so naturally, she didn’t run into him.

This also confirmed that Cheng Wenfeng had previously chosen the same times as her on purpose.

As the college entrance exam drew closer, Su Qin became even busier besides her work. She also had to draw and submit illustrations to magazines to make money to support herself. She had no time to think about anything else.

*

May 1st, Labor Day.

On this day, the whole country was celebrating. Streets and parks of all sizes were bustling with activity.

The canning factory held a commendation ceremony to award city-level outstanding individuals and labor pioneers. There were also a few slots for permanent positions, and the temporary workers were secretly hoping.

Of course, those slots were for old employees who had been waiting for years. Someone like Su Qin had nothing to do with it.

Everyone was excited, busy with all kinds of preparations.

Su Qin went along to join in the fun, but she didn’t expect the factory director to mention her at the end. “Comrade Su Qin from the pineapple section of our factory has had several illustrations published in magazines this year. I’ve read them all, and they’re of very high quality. Moreover, the articles she wrote discuss the spiritual independence of women in the new era, and they’re also very thoughtful.”

“Fair and objective, seeking truth from facts. This is the attitude we need in work and life. Being innovative and down-to-earth is the spirit we must have. Striving to improve and living earnestly is the life goal we should pursue—”

While the factory director was speaking, many people looked at Su Qin and whispered to each other, trying to figure out who she was.

Countless envious glances fell on her. She had always looked good—delicate features and fair skin—and the unmarried male workers inevitably had some little thoughts.

They also heard that Su Qin was once engaged to Zhou Zhiyuan but later called it off.

It was a childhood betrothal. If it didn’t count, then it didn’t count. It wasn’t like she was dumped. It showed she had independent thinking. Outstanding people know what they want.

Su Qin had always had good grades since she was young. She often won certificates at every major meeting, so she wasn’t afraid of being looked at this way.

She unintentionally glanced back and met Cheng Wenfeng’s gaze. His eyes were too intense, staring straight at her. Su Qin immediately looked away and unconsciously clutched the edge of her shirt, feeling guilty for having deliberately avoided him these past few days.

After the meeting ended, Su Qin walked home.

She still had a set of practice papers to finish today. There wasn’t enough time to cook, so she bought some meat from the diner, planning to heat up leftover rice and fry an egg for lunch.

While walking, she was thinking about the final math question from last night. As she turned a corner, her steps came to a halt when she saw a figure ahead.

Cheng Wenfeng’s figure was tall and upright like a pine tree. He stood there as if he already knew it would be her coming. When he saw someone approaching, he looked her way.

The setting sun cast its light on his broad shoulders, like a golden glow, making him appear gentler.

Su Qin’s first instinct upon seeing him was to run and avoid him, but his eyes were clear without the slightest hint of blame or questioning. Her steps came to a hard stop.

“You’re off work this early?” She slowly walked over and greeted him.

“I just got here too,” Cheng Wenfeng replied softly.

Su Qin walked closer and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. “I see. What a coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence. I was waiting for you.”

Su Qin’s pupils flickered slightly. Her expression was filled with unease and nervousness. Her eyes didn’t know where to look and she couldn’t even respond.

Cheng Wenfeng saw this and thought about how she was about to take the college entrance exam. He couldn’t bear to pressure her too much. “Didn’t you say last time you wanted to plant vegetables in that patch by the wall? When are you going to do it? There are bricks by the warehouse. If you need them, I’ll bring them over and help you build the border.”

Su Qin was surprised that he remembered such a casual comment. She looked down at her toes, feeling guilty. “I’ve been busy with practice papers lately and haven’t had time.”

“It’s okay. I have time. How about I help you build the border first?”

“No, no need.” She quickly refused. Realizing she sounded too resistant, she changed her tone. “Let’s talk about it after the college entrance exam. I can’t be distracted right now.”

Cheng Wenfeng looked at her and finally nodded lightly. “Okay.” Just as Su Qin was about to find an excuse to slip away, he noticed the bag in her hand. “You didn’t have time to cook?”

Su Qin looked down at the lunchbox in her hand and forced a smile. “I’ve been working on papers lately, so I didn’t have much time. It’ll be better after the exam.”

Cheng Wenfeng said directly, “I’ll bring you a portion when I cook. Just tell me what you want to eat.”

“No need.”

“It’s just making one extra portion. It’s no trouble at all.”

Su Qin: “……”

Cheng Wenfeng was so sincere that she didn’t even know how to refuse.

He was practically writing his intentions to pursue her on his face. If this went on, a confession was only a matter of time. Su Qin was really afraid he would say it out loud.

So she still spoke up, “Thank you, but really, there’s no need.”

After she finished speaking, it felt as though the air pressure around them suddenly dropped. Su Qin instinctively shrank her neck and didn’t dare look up at him. She hurriedly left behind a sentence: “I’m heading back now, see you tomorrow.”

Cheng Wenfeng watched her somewhat panicked and fleeing figure.

See you tomorrow?

Would they really see each other tomorrow?

Most likely, she wouldn’t give him another chance.

After returning home, Su Qin spent a long time overthinking, which made it impossible for her to concentrate on reviewing questions. She kept feeling that she had wronged Cheng Wenfeng—he hadn’t done anything wrong.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that she finally fell asleep. She had originally thought she could take advantage of the holiday to sleep in a little, but unexpectedly, she came down with a fever.

The next day, she couldn’t even get out of bed.