The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

Since he planned to go out barefaced, Hai Ku was about to leave when he suddenly received a message from Zhuoye Xingchen.

[Zhuoye Xingchen: Damn, damn, damn!!! Look at that guy’s girlfriend! That girl must be blind to fall for him. [Image]]

Raising an eyebrow, Hai Ku opened the picture. The girl in the picture had heavy makeup, but she looked quite pretty.

[Haiku Shilan: My current style is the youthful campus look. Should I change my style before heading over?]

Hai Ku’s current outfit was completely different from the girl in the picture. The girl exuded a sultry charm, her six-out-of-ten appearance elevated to an eight thanks to her makeup. Although he was confident he could outshine her, their styles were simply different.

[Zhuoye Xingchens: No need. With that little face of yours, just put on some lipstick. I’ve already got everything prepared at home, so make sure you don’t slip up later.]

[Haiku Shilan: Don’t worry, once I turn on the charm, she won’t stand a chance. Make sure to pick me up when I get to your neighborhood entrance.]

[Zhuoye Xingchens: Of course!]

Swaggering out the door, Hai Ku was full of confidence. Even the man in the elevator couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.

With a slight smirk, Hai Ku’s face carried a fresh and innocent charm. But deep inside, he was already planning how to put on the most flamboyant performance possible once he arrived at Zhuoye Xingchen’s place.

“Hey there, beauty… Are you new here?” As they reached the first floor, the man finally couldn’t hold back and pulled out his phone. “How about adding me on WeChat?”

Hai Ku smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, I already have a boyfriend. He doesn’t let me add other guys. Really sorry about that~”

Yes, he wore women’s clothes. Yes, he was beautiful. But no, he wasn’t into men!

The distance to Zhuoye Xingchen’s home was just one neighborhood away. As he neared the entrance, Hai Ku contacted him.

***

Strolling over leisurely, he spotted Zhuoye Xingchen standing downstairs from afar; along with an unfamiliar man beside him.

Guessing that this must be Zhuoye Xingchen’s half-brother, Hai Ku walked up with a smile. As soon as he reached Zhuoye Xingchen, he grabbed his hand and shook it. “Darling~”

“Han Yuchen, is this really your girlfriend? You didn’t just randomly find someone to pretend, did you?” Han Yucheng’s expression darkened.

Hai Ku was, after all, a guy. At over 1.7 meters tall, his figure was lean and elegant. Meanwhile, Han Yucheng himself was also only in the 1.7-meter range. Standing in front of Hai Ku, he suddenly felt outmatched.

With such a beautiful face and a stunning figure, how could this possibly be the girlfriend of Han Yuchen; a guy who supposedly spent all his time gaming and had no proper job?

The whole reason Han Yucheng had brought his girlfriend along was to show off. When he heard that his older brother had a girlfriend, he simply didn’t believe it. Someone who barely left the house; how could he possibly have a girlfriend?

And even if he did, she must be some chubby shut-in, right? But now, reality had slapped him in the face, and he couldn’t help but suspect the worst.

“How mean…” Hai Ku pouted unhappily, his gaze sweeping over the man as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Why would you say that? Yunchen and I have been together for a long time.”

“Heh, beauty, I’d advise you to stop pretending to be his girlfriend. How much did he pay you?”

“Oh? Are you offering to double it?” Hai Ku’s soft lips curled up slightly as he looked into his eyes.

“That… wouldn’t be impossible.”

“Yunchen gave me this apartment. Are you going to give me two?” Hai Ku pointed to the floor above with an innocent expression.

Han Yucheng’s face turned black.

“Forget him. He’s just jealous. Alright, let’s head upstairs.” Struggling to hold back his laughter, Zhuoye Xingchen wrapped an arm around Hai Ku’s waist and leaned in close, pretending to whisper sweetly but actually speaking quietly, “That idiot insisted on coming down with me. He thought I was lying.”

Hai Ku also leaned in, whispering back as they entered the elevator. To an outsider, they looked incredibly intimate. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your reputation is fully restored.”

Han Yucheng felt like a massive third wheel, his face darkening as he silently waited for the elevator to ascend.

He had been looking for something to use against Hai Ku, but as soon as they entered Zhuoye Xingchen’s home, Hai Ku’s familiarity with the place was evident. His natural movements made it clear that he was a regular visitor.

Even Mother Han looked surprised. She had assumed her son was lying about having a girlfriend, but now it seemed he had actually brought one home.

“Have a seat~ Would you like something to drink? I’ll grab something from the fridge.” Seeing everyone sitting on the couch, Hai Ku knew they were ready to watch the show. But having been here so often to play games, he was as familiar with this house as his own.

Casually heading into the kitchen, he poured a few cups of tea and walked back out, mumbling softly, “Darling, where’s the ice cream I left at the bottom of the freezer last time?”

“You must be the sister-in-law! I just ate that ice cream…” A young woman sitting on the couch stood up. Her makeup was sultry, but now she looked a little awkward. “I’m Xiao Li, Yucheng’s girlfriend~ Sister-in-law, you’re so pretty! Which university did you graduate from?”

“I graduated from XX University. I’m Xiao Hai~” Hai Ku smiled sweetly.

Han Yucheng’s face darkened even more.

XX University was one of the top universities in the city. He hadn’t expected Han Yuchen to be capable of landing such an outstanding girlfriend.

And then there was the ice cream issue. His girlfriend had only taken it after they had left. There was no way Han Yuchen could have warned her in advance.

“So that’s how it is… Xiao Hai, right?” Even Mother Han looked a little awkward. She had originally come over to urge Han Yuchen to find a girlfriend. She had assumed he was just making excuses when he said he already had one. But now, seeing such an outstanding young woman in front of her, she had to admit she had been wrong. “Come, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Hai Ku smiled and naturally walked over to sit down.

“I’ll go cook first. Xiao Hai, you can chat with them for a while.” Even though he didn’t like it, since they were guests in his home, it wouldn’t be appropriate to be inhospitable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to his father later. Zhuoye Xingchen had no choice but to head into the kitchen to cook.

Hai Ku nodded, understanding Zhuoye Xingchen’s predicament.

“At first, when Xiao Chen said he had a girlfriend, we didn’t believe him. But it turns out he really does… When did you two start dating?” Seeing her son’s dark expression, Mother Han could only awkwardly ask Hai Ku.

“It’s been over half a year. He’s really great.” Hai Ku smiled.

“Sister-in-law, you’re so outstanding. Big Brother must have put in a lot of effort to win you over, right?” Xiao Li sounded a little jealous. She had always thought she was attractive enough, yet this woman in front of her, with a completely bare face, was much prettier than her.

When they came here, her boyfriend had said they were here to embarrass Zhuoye Xingchen. But now, she found herself completely outshone.

“Yes! He was very generous when he was pursuing me. This apartment is mine now, and the deed is in my name alone. Yuchen gave it to me while we were dating. He also said that for our one-year anniversary, he would buy me a car.” Hai Ku beamed as he pointed at the apartment, then turned to ask, “Xiao Li, you’re so beautiful. Your boyfriend must have gone all out to woo you, right?”

Now, not only did Xiao Li’s face darken, but even Mother Han’s expression turned grim.

Even though this child wasn’t her biological son, he was still part of their family. Yet before even getting married, he had already given his girlfriend an apartment?

Xiao Li’s face also darkened. She glanced at Han Yucheng, who remained silent, as if questioning him—or maybe feeling envious.

“Xiao Hai, right?” Mother Han spoke, clearly distressed. “A young woman like you… isn’t it a bit improper to just take someone’s apartment? How much do you earn per month?”

“Giving gifts is a mutual thing. Yuchen gave me this apartment, and I gave him my other apartment in the neighboring complex. Do you want to see it? That’s where I live now, just one block away. We exchanged apartments back then.” Hai Ku smiled as he watched their expressions gradually change before continuing, “My salary isn’t as high as Yuchen’s, but I still make about 30 to 40,000 a month.”

Han Yucheng’s face turned even uglier. “He stays home all day. How could he possibly make that much money in a month? He must be doing something shady, right?”

“What kind of logic is that? People say long hair means short-sightedness, but you have a buzz cut, so why is your vision so narrow?” Hai Ku looked at Han Yucheng with disdain. “There are tons of jobs online, and the pay varies. If you had any skills, you could make even more.”

The key to holding the upper hand in a situation like this was to leave the other party completely speechless.

After finishing his grand claims, Hai Ku stood up. “I’ll go check on the kitchen. You all sit here for a while.”

He walked into the kitchen with small steps and leaned in close to Zhuoye Xingchen’s ear. “So? Did you hear all the nonsense I just spouted?”

“I did… but how are you going to explain it later?”

“What, do you think they’re going to ask to see our property deeds? Bragging is all about confidence. As long as we say it convincingly, it doesn’t matter. You don’t even like them anyway. As long as you’re living better than them, it’ll feel satisfying. Leave the arguing to me; I’ll make sure they can’t get a single word in!” Hai Ku looked completely confident. If he was in the game, one of him was worth ten of them!

“Sister-in-law~” Xiao Li walked in. “Do you need any help?”

As soon as he heard her voice, Hai Ku immediately put on a cheerful smile and stood next to Zhuoye Xingchen. “Take it easy, be careful.”

“It’s fine, no need. Cooking is a man’s job, after all. We should just watch from the side.” He smiled at her as if he were brainwashing her.

“I’ve been with him for so long, and I’ve never had to do any chores. Sometimes, I just enjoy watching him cook.”

“Your skin is so delicate. Just leave these things to me. You should be spoiled.” Although he couldn’t out-flirt Hai Ku, after spending so much time in the anime and gaming world, Zhuoye Xingchen was quite familiar with cheesy pick-up lines. Since the other party was trying to make things difficult for him, he didn’t mind returning the favor.

“But shouldn’t housework be a woman’s responsibility?” Xiao Li felt increasingly unbalanced.

“Is that so?” Hai Ku suddenly wrapped his arms around Zhuoye Xingchen’s waist, pouted, and blinked at him with a sullen expression. “If we get married in the future, are you going to make me do all the housework until I turn into an old, worn-out woman?”