The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

Leng Aotian had just finished his phone call with his son when Ning Rourou’s text message came through.

Glancing at it casually, he saw that it was filled with pleasantries.

Leng Aotian snorted coldly. Over the years, he had helped many people, not expecting anything in return. Most of it was just done out of convenience.

However, many of those people kept in touch with him, sending messages during holidays or inviting him to a meal to express their gratitude once they achieved success.

And here she was, still bringing up something from 10 years ago.

It had been a decade. Why hadn’t she reached out earlier? What was the point of showing up now after all this time?

Wasn’t it obvious she’s after my connections and resources? Did she really take me for a fool?

Leng Aotian wasn’t interested in playing games with someone so naive. He was in a good mood today and decided not to bother with Ning Rourou.

Meanwhile, Ning Rourou had no idea that her little schemes had already been seen through. She only thought herself incredibly lucky that the old gentleman still remembered her.

But merely being remembered wasn’t enough. Ning Rourou felt she needed to find a way to meet him in person. Some things could only be effective when spoken face-to-face; most phone conversations were just nonsense.

However, after staying in the area for 3 or 4 days, she hadn’t seen any cars leaving the villa.

Realizing she had been away from her company for several days and that her deal with Nangong Jun had fallen through, the company was now in a precarious situation.

Unable to wait any longer, on the fifth day, Ning Rourou decided to stand watch at the entrance of the villa.

Her persistence paid off. By noon, a car finally appeared.

***

Leng Haotian found it odd to see an unfamiliar woman standing outside his family’s home.

Wasn’t Hai Ku supposed to bring his child over for lunch today? He hadn’t heard about a woman being part of the plan.

Hearing a knock on his car window, Leng Haotian frowned. Lowering the window slightly, he fixed her with a cold stare and asked, “What’s your relationship with Hai Ku?”

Hai Ku?

Ning Rourou was momentarily stunned. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Zhang Haiku?”

“You know him?”

Ning Rourou nodded, uncertain about the relationship between this handsome man and Hai Ku. She chose to be vague and said, “My son is with him right now.”

Leng Haotian didn’t like the way she phrased it, sensing her indifference toward the child. Still, he didn’t expect this woman to be Hai Ku’s partner.

Scanning her up and down, Leng Haotian couldn’t help feeling disdain. His eldest nephew’s taste seemed rather low. In the Leng family, they should only choose from the very top of the pyramid.

Ning Rourou’s heart raced with anxiety. Unable to hold back, she asked, “May I ask what your relationship with Leng Aotian is?”

“He’s my father.” Leng Haotian glanced at her disdainfully. “Do you actually know my father?”

“Of course, I do. He helped me 10 years ago, and I’m here specifically to thank him. Could you take me inside? I want to thank him in person.” Hope lit up her eyes, and her voice turned sweet.

Leng Haotian’s eyes were full of doubt. In front of her, he called his father directly. Not bothering to avoid her, he asked bluntly, “Dad, there’s a strange woman at our gate saying she wants to thank you. She seems to have some connection to Hai Ku. Should I let her in?”

Ning Rourou felt awkward, not expecting Leng Haotian to judge her so directly.

“Fine…” Leng Haotian sighed as he looked at her. “Once the gate opens, you can go in on your own. I’m waiting here for someone.”

“Would you… mind giving me a ride in your car?” Ning Rourou’s expression became even more embarrassed. He looked so polite and refined…

“Tsk, I have a wife, you know? What makes you think you’re entitled to get in?” Leng Haotian sneered at her. He couldn’t fathom where this woman got the audacity to assume she could ride in his car.

Hearing such a blunt rejection, Ning Rourou’s face turned pale. But for the sake of meeting the old gentleman, she forced herself to endure the humiliation.

When the automatic gate opened, Ning Rourou quietly walked inside.

This place had changed significantly since she had last been here 10 years ago. Everything was so different that she had no idea what to do other than to follow the road leading inward.

As she walked, her frustration grew. That man was so arrogant and obnoxious; how lucky she had been not to agree to the old gentleman’s suggestion back then. Otherwise, if she had become his wife, who knew what kind of mistreatment she would have endured?

“Patience brings calm,” she reminded herself, exhaling deeply to cool her temper. After all, that man was the old gentleman’s son, and she needed to remain composed.

But what about what he had mentioned earlier; Hai Ku…

Ning Rourou began to speculate. Could it be that the old gentleman had been investigating me all this time?

Was that why he hadn’t contacted me before? Perhaps he had already discovered that her precious son was still with Zhang Haiku. Maybe he was even planning to help her bring the child back into her care…

The more she thought about it, the happier she felt. Her legs, clad in high heels, seemed to gain renewed strength.

***

Meanwhile, Leng Haotian waited at the gate for quite a while before finally receiving a call from Hai Ku.

Making a turn to pick them up, Leng Haotian found himself intrigued by his nephew, who was almost his age.

Hai Ku had previously traveled everywhere by car, but this time, he and Zhang Xiaobao had taken a bus instead.

The bus stop was a fair distance from his grandfather’s house, so Hai Ku had no choice but to call his uncle to come pick them up.

Hai Ku had planned for everyone to ride together in one car, thinking it would spark more conversation. He called ahead just before the bus arrived, and within 2 minutes of stepping off, a white car pulled up in front of him.

When the car window rolled down, Hai Ku saw the face of someone straight out of a classic TV drama; a stereotypical domineering CEO.

Leng Haotian smiled slightly. “You must be my nephew. Get in.”

“Xiao Bao, greet your grand-uncle.”

“Hello, Grand-Uncle!” Zhang Xiaobao immediately caught on and gave Leng Haotian a deep bow at a perfect 90 degrees.

Leng Haotian, who had been trying to take advantage of the situation, was speechless: “…”

Lifting the child into the car, Hai Ku maintained his cheerful demeanor. “Uncle, isn’t Aunt coming with you?”

“She’s about to give birth. Her due date is in a week, so I didn’t let her move around unnecessarily. But you, kid, you’ve got guts—I like that.” As a businessman, Leng Haotian appreciated straightforward and bold people, especially in private.

“Haha, it’s my honor to hear that,” Hai Ku responded smoothly, feeling no pressure. Before coming, he had analyzed Leng Haotian’s personality and found him to be unexpectedly forthright. A direct approach seemed to work best with him.

As they reached the villa’s gate, Leng Haotian suddenly remembered something and casually asked, “Oh, by the way, there was a woman at the gate earlier who said she’s the mother of your child. What’s that about?”

Zhang Xiaobao, who had stayed silent the entire trip, immediately retorted after Leng Haotian’s remark, “Grand-Uncle, she’s lying…!”