The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

“Sigh…” Mother Zhang let out a long sigh and fell into her memories. “Back when I got together with your dad, your grandfather was completely against it. He even tried to drag me back home. Thinking about it now, those were some wild years for me.”

“Drag you back home?” Hai Ku was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected such a dramatic story.

“Yes,” Mother Zhang nodded and sighed again. “Don’t be fooled by how poor our family is now. Your grandfather’s family was a wealthy and powerful household back then. All the family assets were originally meant to go to me, but I gave it all up for love. I’ve been estranged from my family ever since, and it wasn’t until you were born that our relationship began to thaw, just a little.”

Once pampered as a wealthy young lady, Mother Zhang had given up her privileged life to marry Father Zhang purely for love. Yet Mother Zhang didn’t regret her decision, not even for a moment.

Hai Ku was stunned. He hadn’t followed the later plot developments and thought that once the child was sent away, the storyline involving Zhang Haiku, the supporting male lead, was over. Could it be that Zhang Haiku would appear in later chapters after all?

Feeling like he had underestimated the complexity of the plot, Hai Ku couldn’t resist summoning the system.

Initially, he had thought protecting the child would be the end of it. But now, things seemed far more complicated than he had imagined.

The system began transmitting the complete plot to him.

[Transmitting storyline. Please prepare to receive.]

Spending another experience point, Hai Ku quickly received the full story.

It turned out that after Zhang Haiku sent the child back, Zhang Xiaobao reluctantly moved into the household. But at 10 years old, he already had his own thoughts and showed no interest in Ning Rourou or Nangong Jun.

When Ning Rourou and Nangong Jun discovered that the child was calling Zhang Haiku every night, they were both displeased; Ning Rourou mildly so, while Nangong Jun was outright furious.

After failing to reason with Zhang Xiaobao and seeing no change in his attitude, Nangong Jun argued with Ning Rourou.

Although the child had been brought back home, his heart clearly wasn’t with them. Instead, he called someone else “Dad” while addressing Nangong Jun as “Uncle.”

In the domineering CEO universe, no one was allowed to defy the male lead. After 6 months of trying and failing to bond with the child, the relationship between Nangong Jun and Ning Rourou became even more strained.

Just as things between them were starting to improve, the situation with the child drove another wedge between them. Ning Rourou felt deeply guilty toward both sides.

Finally, after yet another argument with Nangong Jun, Ning Rourou took the child and went to Zhang Haiku’s home, pouring her heart out about the difficulties she’d faced over the past 6 months. She hoped Zhang Haiku could help persuade Zhang Xiaobao to call Nangong Jun “Dad.”

Several dozen chapters were spent depicting this process. In the end, the supporting male lead Zhang Haiku fell for this “beautiful, kind-hearted, pure, and ‘responsible’” woman. Despite knowing she was married, he couldn’t stop himself from loving her.

Even though Hai Ku knew this was all part of the typical Mary Sue CEO plotline, he still felt like dropping the story at this point. However, considering that there might be critical plot points later, he begrudgingly continued reading.

After being sent back, Zhang Xiaobao was ecstatic. His attitude toward Ning Rourou even improved. After living in Zhang Haiku’s home for more than half a year, he was eventually brainwashed by Zhang Haiku and Ning Rourou…

Hai Ku: “…”

—Smack!

He couldn’t bear to read any further and decided to revisit it only after hitting a wall in his progress.

***

“By the way, I’ll send you your grandfather’s phone number in a bit. Make sure to call him tonight,” Mother Zhang said, finally feeling relieved after sharing her past. With no secrets weighing her down, she felt incredibly at ease.

Barely hearing what Mother Zhang said next, Hai Ku nodded absentmindedly. “Alright, I’ll call him tonight. I’ll go check on what Xiao Bao’s doing in his room.”

Hai Ku stood up and walked to the second floor, heading back to his room.

There was no sound, which struck him as odd. When he moved closer, he found Zhang Xiaobao already lying on the bamboo mat, fast asleep.

He couldn’t help but chuckle softly and turned Zhang Xiaobao over to a more comfortable position.

After driving the entire way back today, Zhang Xiaobao had woken up very early and hadn’t slept at all during the long car ride. It made sense that he was tired now. Unable to resist, Hai Ku lay down next to his son and, closing his eyes, soon fell asleep as well.

They slept soundly until 6 in the evening.

After dinner, Hai Ku asked Zhang Xiaobao to play downstairs with his grandparents while he returned to his room.

By the time Mother Zhang sent him the phone number, Hai Ku was already lying down.

After hesitating for a while, he finally dialed the number.

The phone barely rang before it was answered, likely because Mother Zhang had already informed the other party. “Hello, Grandpa? This is Zhang Haiku…”

After saying that, there was a long silence on the other end.

Hai Ku couldn’t decipher what the other person was thinking and didn’t speak either. The prolonged silence made things awkward for both sides. Just when Hai Ku thought the call might get disconnected, the voice on the other side finally spoke.

“When do you have time to visit?” The voice sounded old, but Hai Ku could detect a trace of excitement within it. “I haven’t seen you since you were 3 years old. I’ve only heard about you from your mother.”

“Sure, Grandpa. Let me know when you’re free, and I’ll definitely come by,” Hai Ku replied directly without hesitation.

After chatting with his grandfather for a while, Hai Ku got a rough understanding of the situation.

Mother Zhang was originally an only child, and her father had planned to leave everything to her. However, her stubborn decision to leave home infuriated her father. As a result, Hai Ku now had an uncle who was about the same age as him.

After hanging up, Hai Ku was left dumbfounded.

Fortunately, it seemed this uncle was very kind to Mother Zhang. When he was a teenager, he had even tried to bring her back home, but Mother Zhang had refused, and the matter was dropped.

It took Hai Ku a while to sort out this messy family dynamic.

Apparently, when Hai Ku was 20, his grandfather, in an attempt to reconcile with his daughter, had wanted to introduce a match for Hai Ku. However, by then, Hai Ku had already returned home with Zhang Xiaobao, so Mother Zhang never told him about it.

Thinking about it now, the relationships seemed even more convoluted.

“Dad, what are you thinking about?”

Suddenly, a small weight settled on his lap. Hai Ku looked down to see Zhang Xiaobao’s confused gaze. He ruffled the boy’s hair and said, “I’m your dad.”

Zhang Xiaobao gave him a look of disdain. “Dad, what nonsense are you talking about again?”

“Xiao Bao, I’m your real dad. No one can take you away from me.”

Although Hai Ku wore a playful smile, the seriousness in his eyes made Zhang Xiaobao nod in agreement.

“Dad will take you to see your great grandfather in a few days,” Hai Ku said, feeling gratified by his son’s affirmation. He felt his care for the boy hadn’t been in vain.

“Okay!” Zhang Xiaobao, who had never met his great grandfather, was thrilled to hear the news.

***

It had been 10 years since Ning Rourou last dialed that number. Holding the yellowed business card, she hesitated, unsure if the call would even go through anymore.

She deeply regretted not reaching out to the old gentleman while she was abroad, not even sending him a holiday greeting or a simple message.

10 years had passed, and she didn’t even know if the old gentleman was still alive.

After hesitating for a long time, Ning Rourou finally decided to visit the old gentleman’s residence.

The area was full of high-end villas, so she chose to stay at the nearest hotel.

Having received his help a decade ago, visiting now to express her gratitude didn’t seem inappropriate. Moreover, the place wasn’t somewhere ordinary people could afford to live. Even if the old gentleman no longer resided there, whoever bought the property must have a remarkable status.

No matter how she thought about it, she felt she stood to gain something. Resolving her doubts, Ning Rourou directly dialed the number.

When Leng Aotian saw the unfamiliar number, he felt a bit skeptical.

This was his private number, and apart from family members, very few others had access to it. Typically, he ignored calls from unlisted numbers. However, he was in a good mood today, having had a long conversation with his grandson. Perhaps this number also belonged to him?

It wasn’t unusual for young people to have two phone numbers.

With this thought, Leng Aotian answered the call.

As soon as the call connected, Ning Rourou became extremely nervous. Her voice trembled, carrying a hint of excitement. “Hello? Is this Mr. Leng Aotian? I’m Ning Rourou. You helped me many years ago. Do you still remember me?”

“Ning Rourou?” Leng Aotian was puzzled. He couldn’t recall when he had given his number to such a person.

He had absolutely no memory of this Ning Rourou.

“Yes, 10 years ago, you helped me and even helped send me abroad. Haha, do you remember? You even mentioned introducing your son to me back then. Haha…” Her laugh was awkward. Ning Rourou knew it wasn’t very tactful to bring up something from a decade ago, but the old gentleman was like her last lifeline. She was willing to try anything to establish a connection.

“Haha… Rou Rou, yes, that does sound vaguely familiar,” Leng Aotian lied smoothly, though he had no recollection of her at all.

As for the part about introducing his son, Leng Aotian found it even funnier. Before his son got married, he had tried to set him up with every pretty girl he came across. If lined up, all those introductions could probably circle his villa.

Hearing that he still remembered her, Ning Rourou felt elated. As long as he remembered, there was still hope. “I’m truly grateful for your help back then. Without you, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today. I’ve returned to the country and started my own business. I’d love to thank you properly, so I was wondering when you might have time for a meal together?”

She succinctly explained her situation and intentions. Filled with anticipation, her heart pounded wildly, and she gripped her phone tightly.

“Haha, I’d be happy to have a meal with you when I have time,” Leng Aotian replied. As a former businessman, he kept his words vague. After some polite exchanges, he ended the call.

Turning around, he immediately dismissed the matter from his mind. He then called his son, Leng Haotian, asking him to come home over the weekend.

Having already told Hai Ku to visit that weekend, Leng Aotian still had a week to prepare. He held his grandson in high regard and was taking the matter very seriously.