The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

Lin Xiaomu never imagined such an outcome. Her initial enthusiasm was completely dampened, leaving her heart in an inevitable state of sorrow.

Her nose tingled slightly as her tears started to fall before she could even speak. The once-delicate makeup on her face became smudged, leaving her looking disheveled. She tried to hold back her tears, but every time she opened her mouth, they streamed down uncontrollably.

Her flushed cheeks and ruined makeup made her look less attractive, but surprisingly, Hai Ku didn’t feel like mocking her. Perhaps he truly thought of her as his daughter; at that moment, he even felt a sense of paternal affection.

Hai Ku sighed, realizing how deeply he had impacted Lin Xiaomu. He felt that his efforts to treat her as a daughter weren’t in vain.

However, he still had many other worlds he wanted to explore. Now that his wishes in this one had been fulfilled, there was no longer a reason to stay.

He initially planned to leave without a word, but at this moment, he felt that the farm needed someone to take care of it. Previously, Lin Xiaomu wouldn’t have been his choice, but things had changed.

People could wear many masks, and from a distance, it was impossible to discern their true intentions. However, after spending time with her, Hai Ku gradually came to understand this girl.

Although the farm eventually ended up in Lin Xiaomu’s hands, this result was far more acceptable than the alternatives.

After comforting her with a few words, Hai Ku, as if leaving a will, told her many things. He had already been planning to share these matters with her, and today’s situation happened to be the perfect opportunity.

After finishing his explanations, Hai Ku finally got to the main point. “Zhang Daniu came to see me today. I was afraid you’d be upset, so I didn’t tell you much before, but Zhang Daniu isn’t the right person for you. You’re excellent now. You can have any partner you want. Don’t blind yourself and settle for him.”

“Cough, cough. How could I possibly be interested in him…” Though her tears had stopped, she still sniffled. “I… I don’t even know what to say right now.”

Her mood had completely sunk to the bottom. The meticulously prepared farewell dinner had turned into something entirely unexpected.

The words she had planned to use to confess her feelings were now impossible to say. If what Hai Ku said was true, revealing her feelings at this moment might mean losing the chance to see him ever again.

By a twist of fate, Lin Xiaomu’s confession was missed. Meanwhile, Hai Ku felt relieved when he returned home and began discussing with the system where to go next.

***

When he first arrived in this world, the life of a farm owner was enjoyable, but over time, it became unbearably dull. Perhaps he simply wasn’t suited for the life of a wealthy man.

After setting up the system to leave this world in 10 days, Hai Ku began organizing his assets and documents. At this point, he fully understood the female lead’s character and felt at ease entrusting the farm to her.

Following the storyline, Lin Xiaomu would likely end up with the fertilizer factory owner’s son. Although that man was a late-stage supporting character, he was diligent and talented; a perfect match for Lin Xiaomu.

Unconsciously, Hai Ku found himself pondering Lin Xiaomu’s marriage prospects. Once he confirmed that she didn’t like Zhang Daniu, he was utterly relieved. When handling paperwork, he nearly walked with the swagger of someone who had disowned his relatives.

On Lin Xiaomu’s side, things were far less pleasant for Zhang Daniu.

Relying on her previous fondness for him, Zhang Daniu shamelessly wormed his way into her life, believing he was still the charming and dashing prince he once was.

Having stayed within the confines of the farm for so long, he finally sat in Lin Xiaomu’s office chair and understood what true comfort was.

Sighing contentedly, Zhang Daniu squinted with a smug, fake humility on his face. With his current demeanor, he looked less like someone seeking work and more like someone angling to be a kept man.

Unable to help herself, Lin Xiaomu reflected on how terrible her past taste in men had been. Covering her face, she said, “You should go back. There’s no suitable job for you here.”

“How can you say that? If you can do this, why can’t I?” His smile froze slightly. He had anticipated that Lin Xiaomu might have changed somewhat, but this outright rejection still stung his pride.

Zhang Daniu could lower himself before others, but not before Lin Xiaomu.

After all, no one else knew his “prince” status, but Lin Xiaomu did. She was just a maid in the backyard, so how dare she defy his commands?

Seeing Zhang Daniu like this, Lin Xiaomu knew that he still hadn’t let go of his “prince” attitude. Even though his current status was that of a servant, he still maintained an air of superiority.

Curving the corners of her lips, Lin Xiaomu picked up a document and tossed it to Zhang Daniu. “Take a look at what this document says.”

Zhang Daniu disdainfully took the document, expecting it to contain something strange. But when he saw the dense English text inside, he was left speechless.

Having been in this world for so long, he still struggled with recognizing simplified Chinese characters, and now he was being handed this confusing jumble of words…

“You don’t understand, right? It’s normal not to understand.” Her tone was cold. Lin Xiaomu had been learning English over the past few years. Her foundation was weak, and with so much to learn, it had been difficult to focus on everything at once. She had only recently passed Level 4 of the language exam.

The document that had fainted in her hands contained some technical terms she didn’t fully understand either, but it was enough to shut Zhang Daniu up.

“Are you trying to humiliate me?” Being mocked like that by a maid, Zhang Daniu smiled through gritted teeth.

Since this person wouldn’t respond to gentle persuasion, he had no choice but to take a more forceful approach.

“I advise you not to act rashly. This office is equipped with surveillance cameras everywhere. If anything happens, the security outside will rush in immediately.” Lin Xiaomu didn’t want to waste any more effort on this person. Over the years, she had seen through many things.

In her earlier years, she had been narrow-minded, always wanting to climb the social ladder. But now, she had learned that everything had to be achieved through her own efforts. When everything you possess is earned through your own hard work, you can speak with confidence.

Zhang Daniu, in his current state, wasn’t worth much of Lin Xiaomu’s time. As soon as he stepped out of this ranch and into the real world, it would teach him a lesson.

Rather than waste more time on him, Lin Xiaomu felt it was better to learn something new.

Just before leaving the office, Lin Xiaomu turned around and said to him, “In your current state, even if I gave you everything I have, you wouldn’t be able to hold onto it. You may have forgotten the words I said to you in the past, but I’m under no obligation to remind you. Think carefully.”

With that, Lin Xiaomu left the office without looking back.

“Tsk, just a stinky maid, acting all high and mighty!” Zhang Daniu, whose deepest insecurities had been exposed, felt a twinge of panic.

The comfortable life of these years had made him accustomed to ease. Now, not only did the thought of leaving the ranch unsettled him, but he also didn’t want to change jobs at all.

He had come with the attitude of ‘just giving it a try,’ but to his surprise, he was rejected.

With his tail between his legs, Zhang Daniu returned to the ranch, genuinely reluctant to leave this comfortable place.

***

Having stopped caring about Zhang Daniu’s issues, Lin Xiaomu hadn’t seen Hai Ku for 2 days after meeting him.

Although she had wanted some time to process things, when she passed by his residence, she couldn’t shake the bitter feeling in her heart. She had always thought of herself as a brave person, but in front of him, she still felt timid…

After completing the final handover work, Hai Ku only had 2 days left in this world.

After all, he had entrusted the entire farm to Lin Xiaomu. Besides giving her detailed instructions, he had treated her to a meal, just like inviting a friend out, and shared many things with her.

The more he spoke, the more Lin Xiaomu cried. By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

She only remembered drinking a lot of alcohol at the end, but the incoherent words she spoke were something Lin Xiaomu couldn’t recall.

But when she woke up, she was already at home, completely alone. That feeling of emptiness immediately crept into her heart. She had clearly prepared herself mentally, but when she actually had to bear it all, Lin Xiaomu still cried bitterly.

The whole world seemed to have no trace of him, not even a sign of his existence.

Hai Ku seemed to have vanished into thin air. After Lin Xiaomu took over the ranch, she never saw him again. It was as if he had never existed in this world, like he had appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as mysteriously.

But the world was so vast; where had he gone?

She hadn’t given up on finding him, but with each passing year, she grew more disheartened.

She had her share of suitors during this time, but she had no desire to be in a relationship. Lin Xiaomu focused all her energy on the ranch, and it wasn’t until she was 29 that she finally started to move on from Hai Ku’s “world.”

Her suitors changed over time, one after another, until the moment she was moved. That’s when Lin Xiaomu realized that someone else had already entered her heart.

When she brought that person to the empty tombstone, Lin Xiaomu smiled and said to the one beside her, “He was like a father to me…”