The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

With a gentle smile tilted at a 45-degree angle, Lan Weicai’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. Her flushed cheeks appeared especially enchanting under the glow of the setting sun.

At an age where her skin was tender and youthful, Lan Weicai’s round little face exuded an irresistible charm.

Duanmu Xi felt his heart stir, and flirtatious words flowed naturally from his lips. “I still haven’t properly thanked you for last time. How about we grab a meal together and then head to the study hall?”

“That might not be appropriate,” Lan Weicai responded shyly, gently declining. Although she felt a tiny flutter of excitement, she couldn’t agree to a dinner date with the senior so casually.

“Exactly. I think dinner should wait for another time. I just happened to have something to discuss with Weicai,” Hai Ku interjected, feeling a little anxious.

Duanmu Xi’s profile was no ordinary one. According to the character profile data, while he had a slightly poor sense of direction, his true nature was that of a ‘hidden black-hearted’ type; a trope that had once been popular as the male lead in sadistic romantic plots.

On the surface, he seemed gentle and refined, but deep down, there was a subtle streak of mischief. Once he genuinely fell for someone, he remained loyal but couldn’t resist “teasing” them in a way that bordered on torment.

Though Duanmu Xi’s current personality only hinted at these tendencies, Hai Ku couldn’t predict how it might develop when combined with the female lead’s halo.

Although Lan Weicai appeared somewhat reluctant, she still put on a show of politeness. Only after agreeing to a future movie outing did Duanmu Xi finally leave.

***

Pulling Lan Weicai upstairs, Hai Ku cautiously asked, “Weicai, let me ask you; what do you think of Duanmu Xi?”

Lan Weicai was in high spirits, humming a tune as she climbed the stairs, practically floating with joy. She completely missed the probing tone in Hai Ku’s voice. “I think he’s great; so gentle.”

This response alarmed Hai Ku.

While he could understand the appeal of a charming boy to a high school girl, being an outsider allowed him to see things more clearly. “If you had to describe him as a school subject, which one would it be?”

“I think he’s like music. He’s so attractive to listen to, and he looks so pleasant, too,” Lan Weicai replied, her face beaming. Then, she turned to Hai Ku with a bright smile. “Brother Haiku gives me the feeling of language arts. You seem easy to understand, but there’s so much depth that’s hard to grasp. Even though you’ve been with me since I was little, I still haven’t fully figured you out.”

While Hai Ku felt slightly touched by her praise, he didn’t hesitate to point out the problem.

“A lot of people like music, but not everyone is good at it, and not everyone is suited for it. So, I think you should carefully consider whether it’s right for you.” Hai Ku softened his tone, uncertain if she would take his words to heart.

“Brother Haiku! I know what you mean, but now I kind of understand what people mean when they talk about falling in love. Please don’t tell my parents, I’m begging you~” Lan Weicai pleaded, blinking her eyes mischievously. Her playful, lively demeanor made it clear that she was already caught in the throes of young love.

Hai Ku felt a headache coming on. Dealing with a love-struck teenager was nearly impossible; unless she came to her senses on her own, any advice would likely be futile.

“By the way, Brother, he said he wanted to go to the movies this weekend. Since you’re his roommate, do you know what kind of movies he likes?” Lan Weicai suddenly pulled out her phone, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush.

Knowing he couldn’t rush her, Hai Ku kept his expression serious. “Do you really want to know?”

“Of course I do~”

“Finish your practice workbook, and I’ll tell you.” His face turned cold as he spoke. Hai Ku reminded himself that he had no obligation to care about whether Lan Weicai dated or not. She wasn’t his daughter, and even if her grades dropped, it wouldn’t affect him.

“That’s so unfair…” Lan Weicai pouted, clearly unhappy. “After evening self-study, could you at least ask him for me? I’d feel too embarrassed to ask directly. I’d much rather surprise him by buying tickets and having him say, ‘What a coincidence, you like this kind of movie too.’”

Scratching his head, Hai Ku frowned. “I can’t help you with this. I won’t tell your parents about you wanting to date, but if your grades drop because of it, I think Uncle and Auntie will figure it out anyway.”

“Stingy!” Lan Weicai spun around and ran back home, completely unwilling to pay Hai Ku any more attention.

Hai Ku didn’t mind. In matters like these, helping was a favor, but not helping was only right. He didn’t feel he had done anything wrong.

If he actually got involved and ended up pushing the two of them together, it might backfire on him later if they argued or broke up.

***

After enjoying a proper meal at home, Hai Ku cleaned up and returned to school for evening self-study.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. When Hai Ku turned around, he saw Long Ritian, whose face still carried that confident, rebellious expression. “Hey! I just ran into Ouyang Guang. Guess what he was doing?”

“Hmm?” It was almost time for evening self-study. Hai Ku thought for a moment. “He’s in his senior year, so he’s probably reviewing.”

Ouyang Guang was the typical academic genius; knowledgeable about everything from astronomy to geography, good-looking, and nearly flawless apart from being a bit slow in matters of the heart.