Winning the male lead

Le Tian stood beside Zhao Xin, swaying his neck and looking distressed. “Brother-in-law, my neck still hurts.”

Zhao Xin glanced at him, then slowly extended his hand to massage his neck. His technique was strong, and Le Tian felt quite comfortable, narrowing his eyes and letting out a long, drawn-out “Hmm—” sound. That sound was delicate and melodious, but Zhao Xin immediately withdrew his hand, furrowing his brows. “Inappropriate.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Le Tian asked knowingly, turning his back with an innocent look.

Zhao Xin asked, “Is this how you usually behave?”

Le Tian shook his head. “I don’t usually act like this.”

Zhao Xin was left speechless and whispered, “What will it take for you to change?”

Le Tian stretched his leg forward and lifted his robe. “If this lame leg is healed, I’ll be fine.”

He was once again fishing for Zhao Xin’s sympathy. Though he could be rebellious, even in his mischief, his charm was undeniable. To deal with a gentleman like Zhao Xin, it was about making him feel responsible, making him sympathize, and ensuring Zhao Xin felt like he was a burden he couldn’t escape from.

Zhao Xin’s expression softened as he bent down to lower his robe. “A true gentleman, even in danger, must reflect on himself and strive for self-improvement. A lame leg isn’t such a big deal. I have a good swordsman in my army, and he’s also a cripple.”

Le Tian raised his eyes to look at him, and Zhao Xin met his gaze with an encouraging, gentle look. They stared at each other for a long time. Zhao Xin’s expression remained calm and warm, but it was Le Tian who turned away first, blushing slightly as he muttered, “You’re calling me a cripple.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Zhao Xin said softly.

Le Tian rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m going to watch archery.” He said, skipping ahead a few steps before turning back to wave at Zhao Xin. “Come on!”

Zhao Xin couldn’t help but laugh. His opinion of Le Tian had completely changed. At first, he thought he was just a mischievous child, but now he realized, no matter how mischievous, he was still a child. They say gentleness overcomes stubbornness, and if he became a bit more lenient, he could teach this little rascal well.

If the system knew what Zhao Xin was thinking, it would definitely shout, “Brother, wake up, you’ve been tricked!”

The sound of arrows slicing through the air echoed, “Whoosh, whoosh,” as soldiers practicing archery released arrows one after another. Most of the soldiers were tall and strong, with long, muscular arms. Le Tian momentarily lost focus, thinking to himself, “This is a team of male models.” But the handsomest one was right beside him. He quickly grabbed Zhao Xin’s arm and said, “Brother-in-law, teach me archery.”

“Archery is not something you can learn in a day. If you really want to learn, you should start by fetching water at dawn,” Zhao Xin said seriously.

Le Tian pouted. “I just want to play. Why are you being so serious? I don’t care, you have to teach me now.” He continued to tug on Zhao Xin’s sleeve, his eyes flashing with mischief. “If you don’t, I’ll bite you.”

Zhao Xin knew that Le Tian, with his nature, would definitely follow through, so he helplessly ordered someone to fetch a bow and arrows.

Le Tian eagerly tried to imitate the soldiers, pulling the bow. However, as soon as he used his strength, he realized he couldn’t pull it back. He tried harder, but still couldn’t. Annoyed, he put down the bow and looked back to see Zhao Xin smiling at him with his hands behind his back.

“Brother-in-law, are you laughing at me?” Seeing Le Tian about to get upset, Zhao Xin hurried over and said, “Don’t rush. You’ve never practiced before, and your arms aren’t strong enough. Of course, you can’t pull it.” He then stood behind him, wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and took his arms, helping him pull the bow.

Zhao Xin was at least eight feet tall, and Le Tian only came up to his shoulder. The strong, masculine scent of Zhao Xin overwhelmed Le Tian as he stood in front of him. He felt a bit distracted, almost losing his grip on the bow. Zhao Xin lowered his head and whispered, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” He steadied Le Tian’s hand, and with a slight pull, the arrow was released, hitting the bullseye. The white feathers of the arrow fluttered, and it sank deep into the target.

“Good!” The surrounding soldiers cheered. Zhao Xin smiled at them and reached out to ruffle Le Tian’s crown, saying, “Le Tian is really amazing,” in a tone like he was praising a child.

Le Tian’s face turned slightly red as he lowered his head. “What’s so amazing? It’s you who are amazing.”

“I can teach you.”

“I won’t be able to learn.”

Le Tian tossed the bow aside and ran off.

Zhao Xin quickly followed. He had become somewhat accustomed to Le Tian’s unpredictable nature, and now, he found himself trailing behind him. Le Tian had broken off a piece of grass and was limping along, waving it around, which made Zhao Xin feel an indescribable sense of pity.

What a fine young man, but ruined by one bad leg. If he were like Le Tian, a cripple, he couldn’t imagine how things would turn out for him. With such thoughts, his patience and compassion for Le Tian grew even more.

“Don’t follow me,” Le Tian turned around and said. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Zhao Xin hesitated for a moment before replying, “This is a military camp, don’t wander off. If something happens, don’t cry to me later.”

Le Tian glared at him. “I never cry!”

He really did need to go to the bathroom. Afterward, he started singing, and it was one of his own off-key tunes. “La la la, la la la, I’m a little expert in selling smiles, I’ll go sell my smile before dawn, singing as I go, saying today’s Le Tian looks so good, one brother-in-law gets two smiles.”

The system: “…” Your brother-in-law is going to kill you if he hears that.

Le Tian turned a corner and saw Zhao Xin waiting for him in the distance. He stood there, straight-backed and gazing up at the sky. His demeanor was not only noble but also like a sword sheathed, with a latent sharpness and killing intent, making one want to explore further.

Le Tian was about to approach when he heard some strange sounds coming from inside the wall. These sounds seemed oddly familiar. He turned around and pressed his ear against the wall to listen.

“You… you’re too rough…”

“I know, but I just couldn’t help it…”

“Wasn’t it you swaying your hips at me, acting all seductive…”

Damn! A live performance?! Le Tian hadn’t expected to stumble upon something this juicy while strolling through the military camp. He pressed his ear hard against the wall, eager to catch every sound. The one on the receiving end had a clear, youthful voice, soft and slightly muffled — probably covering their mouth to avoid being heard.

Zhao Xin, seeing Le Tian hadn’t returned for a while and worried he’d gotten into trouble again, followed the path to find him. Turning a corner, he spotted him bent over, ear pressed to the wall, looking entirely too intrigued by what he was hearing.

When Le Tian saw him, he waved frantically at him, gesturing to the spot beside him and making a ‘shh’ sign at his lips.

Zhao Xin walked over, confused. His hearing was sharper than Le Tian’s — the moment he got closer, he caught the sounds from the other side of the wall. His expression instantly darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Le Tian grabbed his belt and yanked him down, pressing a hand over his mouth and shaking his head solemnly.

Noises continued from the other side. Zhao Xin’s face shifted from red to green and back again. Just as he tried to stand, Le Tian tackled him into a nearby bush, covering his mouth tightly again and whispered into his ear, “Don’t make a sound — or I’ll kiss you.”

Zhao Xin was stunned.

“I think someone’s there…”
“No way, you’re hearing things. Be good now, stop fussing. Just give it to me…”
“Mmm… mmm… if I don’t give it to you, what — you’ll just… ah…”

The sounds from the other side grew more and more intense, no longer held back. Zhao Xin’s face turned crimson. Unable to hold back any longer, he pushed Le Tian off and stood up, yelling, “Which unit are you from?!”

The noises cut off instantly.

Le Tian, panicking, grabbed Zhao Xin’s waist and yelled, “Run!”

There was immediate scuffling and hurried footsteps from the other side. Zhao Xin, fuming, growled, “Let go. They’ve broken military rules — they’ll be flogged.”

Le Tian clasped his hands together in protest, “But it’s just human nature! Why punish them? They’re not like you — high-ranking, with brothels at your beck and call. They’re just blowing off steam!”

Zhao Xin’s face darkened further. “My troops don’t keep prostitutes.”

Le Tian replied indignantly, “Then you really shouldn’t punish them! What else are they supposed to do? Don’t tell me you never have needs?”

Zhao Xin, realizing this was heading into absurd territory, said quickly, “Let go. They’re gone.”

Suspicious but compliant, Le Tian finally released him. Zhao Xin exhaled. This hour was for rest — a quick roll call would reveal who had snuck off.

Le Tian, seeing his expression, knew he wouldn’t let those two off the hook so easily.

“Come on, bro, why make it hard for fellow comrades?” Le Tian started to whine, hands on hips. “Unless you’re saying you never had needs. If that’s true, go ahead and punish them.”

Zhao Xin, struggling to stay patient, said, “This is a military training ground.”

“And you never jerked off during downtime at war?” Le Tian shot back.

Zhao Xin’s face turned all sorts of colors.

“See? You’re just like the rest of us.”

Zhao Xin clenched his jaw. “Nonsense.”

Le Tian raised an eyebrow. “Jealous of them for having someone, huh?”

Zhao Xin ignored him and turned to leave, but Le Tian grabbed his sleeve, hanging off him as he chattered on, “Hey, bro, when you jerk off, do you think of my sister?”

Zhao Xin froze, his face like thunder. “She’s your sister. Show some respect.”

Le Tian blinked innocently. “How am I being disrespectful? It would be disrespectful if you didn’t think of her when you did it.”

Zhao Xin nearly choked, lips pressed tightly together as he stormed off.

Le Tian hung onto him, still chirping, “So, bro, did I hit the mark? Everyone says you’re a devoted man, but it seems like you already forgot about my sister. Today you better confess — who were you thinking of last time?”

“Shut up!” Zhao Xin suddenly shouted, spinning around.

Le Tian, startled by the outburst, narrowed his eyes. Seeing him truly angry, he wasn’t afraid — he raised his chin and said, “What, can’t take a little teasing? So you’ve moved on from my sister and don’t care about me anymore, huh? Fine then, let me go. I’m done learning archery and all this noble crap!” He stomped hard on Zhao Xin’s black boot, then limped off in a huff.

Zhao Xin stood there, staring at the shoe print, head pounding. This was his turf — no need to chase him. Scowling, he summoned his aide, Zhao Yuancheng, and instructed him to check who had gone to the northern latrine during the rest period.

Zhao Yuancheng looked puzzled. “What happened, General? Did someone collapse the latrine?”

Zhao Xin shot him a look. “Just do it.”

Zhao Yuancheng saluted, then asked, “Where’s the young lord?” He’d just returned from errands and heard the general had brought back a pretty boy — and seeing that the boy was limping, it could only be Le Tian.

Mentioning him again made Zhao Xin’s face darken further. Zhao Yuancheng, half-joking, half-curious, said, “Didn’t you say the young lord had it rough growing up? A bad temper is understandable — don’t be mad.”

Zhao Xin, at the end of his rope, snapped, “You want a flogging too?”

Zhao Yuancheng chuckled, “Nope, no thanks. I’ll get right to it.” As he darted off, he added, “You don’t have kids, General, so you wouldn’t know — sometimes they just need a good spanking!”

“Scram!” Zhao Xin finally exploded with a bit of soldierly roughness, kicking at him. Zhao Yuancheng ran off laughing to himself — anyone who could rile the general this much must really be something.