The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

It was evident that Mu Xiaoya had chosen the wrong path from the start. Perhaps the author had written it this way to create some connection between her and Zhuoye Xingchen.

It was like the trope of a top student tutoring a failing one; the super-skilled male lead carrying his rookie girlfriend. That alone was one of the story’s charm points.

After watching some of Mu Xiaoya’s videos, Hai Ku couldn’t stand her clumsy gameplay any longer and gave up.

Time passed quickly without Mu Xiaoya’s interference.

***

When Hai Ku’s 7 A.M. alarm went off, he got up leisurely.

As a full-time gaming streamer, the original owner didn’t need to leave the house for work. However, this type of homebound lifestyle often led to irregular routines.

Self-discipline was crucial, and Haiku Shilan had excelled in this area.

He was used to waking up at 7 A.M., going for a 40-minute morning jog, taking a shower, and then having breakfast.

Now inhabiting this body, Hai Ku found its biological clock to be just as punctual.

However, since he had plans to go out today, he skipped the run. By the time he was ready, it was already 7:30. Hai Ku sent Zhuoye Xingchen a message to let him know he was on his way.

At this early hour, only a few breakfast shops were open. The commercial street hadn’t woken up yet. Fortunately, Hai Ku managed to buy some fruit on the way to Zhuoye Xingchen’s residential building.

It was his first visit to someone’s home, so he didn’t want to arrive empty-handed. Following the directions on his phone, he arrived at the entrance of the building. Before he even got close, Hai Ku spotted a man in white waving at him from a distance.

Zhuoye Xingchen looked just like how he was described; sunny and handsome. His tanned skin gave off a healthy vibe, and he stood over 1.8 meters tall. When Hai Ku walked up to him, he had to slightly lift his head to meet his gaze.

Haiku Shilan, in contrast, had a fondness for cross-dressing, so he was only 1.74 meters tall, with a much smaller frame compared to men of the same age. Aside from his finely sculpted, attractive face, he couldn’t compare to the protagonist aura of Zhuoye Xingchen in any other way.

“Haiku Shilan?” Zhuoye Xingchen raised an eyebrow and smiled at Hai Ku.

When suggesting their meeting, neither had exchanged pictures, wanting to preserve the surprise of their first impression.

It had to be said; Zhuoye Xingchen truly felt the impact.

Based on the information from their phone conversations, Zhuoye Xingchen had assumed Haiku Shilan might be a somewhat androgynous-looking boy. After all, someone who wore women’s clothing and managed to fool a large number of men surely had to have some solid foundation for that.

But seeing him in person still left Zhuoye Xingchen stunned.

Haiku Shilan’s appearance wasn’t feminine, he had the fresh and clean charm of a sunny boy. While his facial features were undoubtedly more refined than most men’s, there was nothing effeminate about him. Standing there naturally in his well-fitted sportswear, there was no hint that this person had a penchant for cross-dressing.

“Surprised?” Mimicking his raised eyebrow, Hai Ku teased with a grin, “Seeing how handsome I am, are you reconsidering letting me come up?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. How could a little guy like you outshine me?” Zhuoye Xingchen chuckled at Hai Ku’s playful banter and slung an arm around his shoulder. For some reason, he felt like this person was born to be his friend. “Come on, let’s go. I’ve already prepared breakfast. Let’s eat and officially become bros.”

It was evident that Zhuoye Xingchen had put a lot of thought into this meetup. Even breakfast consisted of five or six different dishes.

“You might not believe it, but I’ve actually studied some cooking. I made all of these myself,” he said proudly, gesturing toward the breakfast spread. “Gaming is my favorite thing, but cooking comes in second. If I had more energy, I’d upload tons of cooking videos too.”

Hai Ku nodded, finding that this meeting wasn’t nearly as awkward as he had anticipated. Maybe their personalities just meshed well. Even though it was their first time meeting in real life, it felt completely natural.

“Wow, you’re truly a jack of all trades,” Hai Ku remarked sincerely. This jack-of-all-trades protagonist being paired with Mu Xiaoya felt like such a waste.

“Heh,” Zhuoye Xingchen beamed with pride. After all, who doesn’t enjoy being complimented? “My real name’s Han Yuchen. I studied game design in college, but after graduating, I decided I preferred streaming games.”

He had met plenty of people in real life before, but he’d only revealed his real name a couple of times.

Hai Ku’s energy and vibe just hit all the right notes for him, and Zhuoye Xingchen genuinely wanted to be friends with him.

Understanding the appreciation in his gaze, Hai Ku returned the favor with a warm smile. “I’m Hai Ku. I studied business management in college, but my current job has nothing to do with my major. I’m basically just drifting through life.”

Sometimes, making a friend doesn’t take much time—it’s just a subtle feeling.

***

After breakfast, Zhuoye Xingchen enthusiastically pulled out his newly purchased gaming console.

It was an old model, and the game cartridges were magnetic cards; one of those retro handheld consoles from long ago.

As he was handed a controller, Hai Ku could truly feel Zhuoye Xingchen’s love for gaming.

While playing and chatting, Zhuoye Xingchen suddenly lamented, “You’re so good-looking. Why would that girl treat you that way? Don’t girls usually go for looks?”

“Even though my face is pretty good, I do have a thing for cross-dressing. She probably didn’t like that part of me,” Hai Ku replied. Playing with a game controller felt great, and his mood lifted as well.

After two rounds, Hai Ku’s phone began to ring.

“Is it that girl calling again?” Putting down his controller, Zhuoye Xingchen saw Hai Ku nod before adding, “I don’t think you need to wait until 6 P.M. Just give her the room number now. I’ll guide her for a bit, and then we can get back to gaming.”

Getting interrupted mid-game was annoying, but a promise was a promise. Zhuoye Xingchen decided to compromise.

Hai Ku nodded, looking at the message on his screen. “I think she’s eager to get started too.”

[Mu Xiaoya: So, did he give you the room number?]

[Haiku Shilan: He said he has something to do this afternoon. Can we move it to this morning? Here’s the room number: xxxxxxx. Password: xxxxx. Remember what I told you yesterday—no recording.]

[Mu Xiaoya: Got it.]

Having just finished her livestream, Mu Xiaoya excitedly searched for the hidden room number.

She felt a bit nervous. Zhuoye Xingchen was a big deal. If she could catch his attention, wouldn’t her rise to fame only be a matter of moments?

Adjusting her tone of voice several times, Mu Xiaoya knew exactly where her strengths lay.

Separated by an internet connection where her face couldn’t be seen, the first impression would undoubtedly come from her voice. Mu Xiaoya was most proud of her voice; 80% of her fans had been drawn in by its charm. This alone spoke volumes about how melodious and captivating it was.

“Seriously, is this person always so indifferent?” Zhuoye Xingchen frowned at their chat exchange, feeling slightly indignant. “She should at least thank you, don’t you think?”

“Maybe she’s used to it,” Hai Ku replied nonchalantly. “I used to treat her pretty well, always telling her there was no need to say thank-you. We’re friends, after all. She must’ve only remembered the first part of that.”

Watching Zhuoye Xingchen move his computer to the living room, Hai Ku found a comfortable spot to sit down.

Seeing him open and click into the channel, Hai Ku suggested, “When you’re talking later, if I want to say something, I’ll just send you a message on my phone, okay?”

“Sure. Let’s hope I don’t lose my temper.” Clearing his throat, Zhuoye Xingchen switched to a lower-quality mic. “Ahem, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can…” Mu Xiaoya’s voice came through sweetly, tinged with girlish coyness. “I-I’m Yaran Tianxin. Are you the legendary Zhuoye Xingchen?”

“Ahem,” Zhuoye Xingchen remained unmoved by her pleasant voice, as he had already labeled her a ‘bad woman.’ “I heard from Hai Ku that your gaming skills aren’t great, so you’d like some guidance, right?”

Without any pleasantries, he launched a basic game.

Zhuoye Xingchen had no intention of making small talk. “The key to gaming is hand speed and reaction time. Once you improve your hand speed, your reaction time will naturally get better. Try this game—it’s perfect for beginners who are just starting to practice.”

Being handed a game right off the bat, Mu Xiaoya felt a bit deflated.

She’d thought there would at least be some pleasantries exchanged, but she hadn’t expected him to be so direct. When he said he’d guide her in gaming, he really meant just gaming…

“I’ve watched your streams with Hai Ku,” Mu Xiaoya said, trying to start a conversation. “Your skills are amazing, truly godlike. I usually avoid horror games, but your streams drew me in without me even realizing it.”

Not wanting to chat with her at all, Zhuoye Xingchen was already considering ending the session. “That game is worth trying too, though it requires some brainpower. I’m not sure if you’d be able to clear it.”

Mu Xiaoya: “…”

She felt as though Zhuoye Xingchen was mocking her intelligence, though she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

Feeling unwilling to give up, Mu Xiaoya probed further. “I’m curious, how did you and Hai Ku meet? You two really aren’t on the same level. His fan count is nowhere near yours, yet he gets to stream with you. I’m so envious!”

“He’s pretty good at gaming…” Zhuoye Xingchen, who normally enjoyed chatting while playing, was genuinely put off by Mu Xiaoya’s tone.

He was barely tolerating the conversation at this point.

But her own agenda was far from achieved, so Mu Xiaoya couldn’t resist pushing further. “Did you know Hai Ku isn’t exactly… normal? It’d be better if you kept your distance from him.”

“Hmm?”

“He likes cross-dressing to deceive people. Don’t believe me? Take a look.” She uploaded some pictures she had prepared in advance to the private chatroom. Feigning concern, she added, “You’ve streamed together so many times, and your relationship seems really close. If people start spreading rumors about you two being gay, what would you do? Just look at his cross-dressing pictures—they’re so convincing they’ve fooled many people already.”

The pictures Mu Xiaoya shared were all from Hai Ku’s secondary account, deliberately chosen to be more revealing.

There were shots showing his collarbone and others of his long legs. The delicate, beautiful collarbones and slender thighs were undeniably alluring.

Zhuoye Xingchen muted his mic and looked innocently at Hai Ku beside him. “I didn’t dig up your cross-dressing pictures on purpose. She sent them to me!”

Pointing at the screen, Zhuoye Xingchen glanced at the pictures, silently marveling at them while also shifting all the blame onto Mu Xiaoya. “She sent these; I didn’t go looking for them myself!”

Hai Ku: “…”

“Just look at these pictures! How can his legs be so smooth? Guys usually have lots of leg hair. Cross-dressing is one thing, but photoshopping them this much is pure deception, isn’t it?” Mu Xiaoya’s tone was full of resentment as she stared enviously at Hai Ku’s secondary account, where his fan count continued to grow.

Glancing at Hai Ku’s legs, which were clad in sporty shorts, Zhuoye Xingchen mumbled softly, “They really are smooth…”

Hai Ku: “…”