Winning the male lead

In an instant, all the blood in Jiang Qu’s body surged to his brain. The word “anger” was no longer enough to describe his emotions. A deep, inexplicable sadness also welled up inside him, and a single tear rolled down from his bright and defiant eyes.

The tear slid down his unruly cheek as he lunged forward and punched Jiang Yue directly. Jiang Yue didn’t defend himself, taking the hit solidly. He staggered, supporting himself against the ground, and blood instantly dripped from the corner of his mouth.

A drunken Le Tian dazedly looked up and breathed out a puff of alcohol-laden air. “Jiang… Jiang Qu…”

Jiang Qu panted heavily and glanced at him, only to realize that he was half-lying on the rattan chair, wearing nothing. His body was covered in visible red marks, especially on his crossed long legs, which were bruised in shades of blue and purple.

“Jiang Yue! I’ll kill you!” Jiang Qu roared, eyes bloodshot, throwing another punch. Jiang Yue had no intention of taking a second hit. He dodged swiftly, and the two immediately started fighting on the small glass balcony.

Le Tian rested his chin on his hands, tilting his head as he watched them. He muttered, “It’d look even better if they took off their clothes first.”

System: … This guy is really something else.

Jiang Qu and Jiang Yue had both learned mixed martial arts under the same master since childhood. Despite being wealthy young masters, they trained hard. Jiang Qu specialized in Jeet Kune Do, while Jiang Yue was skilled in Muay Thai. They had sparred many times before, and every time ended with Jiang Qu’s defeat.

This time was no different. Jiang Yue’s elbows flashed like lightning, delivering a powerful strike to his shoulder. Jiang Qu immediately fell to the ground, his shoulder dislocated. He gritted his teeth and rolled on the floor, unable to get up.

Jiang Yue shook his slightly reddened elbow and still had the strength to lift the nearly-asleep Le Tian. Le Tian obediently curled up in his arms. Jiang Qu raised his head, only to see Le Tian’s pale feet lightly swinging past him.

Jiang Yue carried Le Tian back to the bedroom. After putting on a shirt, he returned to check on Jiang Qu, who was still lying on the balcony.

Jiang Qu lay there staring blankly at the night sky, as if he had suffered a huge blow.

Jiang Yue, barefoot, nudged his shoulder with his foot. “Get up.” He had used just enough force—Jiang Qu’s shoulder would only be numb for a while, not seriously injured.

Jiang Qu didn’t move. He slowly turned his eyes toward him, who was towering over him. He truly hadn’t expected that the person who had “bullied” Le Tian would be Jiang Yue. He had always thought he was an emotionless monster. But remembering how Le Tian had sobbed uncontrollably in their dorm, he was sure of it—it was him. Jiang Yue had toyed with Le Tian!

“Is it fun?” Jiang Qu slowly sat up, his injured shoulder hanging low. “Do you find it entertaining to toy with someone’s feelings like this?”

Jiang Yue looked at him calmly. “Go home.”

Jiang Qu gritted his teeth. “I’m taking him with me.”

Jiang Yue laughed, filled with disbelief. He asked seriously, “And what gives you the right?”

“I’m his friend. He told me he doesn’t even like you!” Jiang Qu snapped. “You must have forced him!”

Jiang Yue stopped laughing.

Seeing his reaction, Jiang Qu smirked mockingly. “How ironic. A man who has everything still has to force someone who doesn’t even like him. Jiang Yue, you’re pathetic.”

Jiang Yue showed no reaction, his face returning to that usual calm, mask-like expression. “You can leave now.”

Jiang Qu insisted, “I said, I’m taking him with me.”

Jiang Yue didn’t fasten his shirt. He raised his arms into a Muay Thai stance, his body poised like a drawn bow. His voice was calm: “Do you really think I won’t break your bones?”

Jiang Qu’s back tensed instinctively. His cousin had always been a freak. Jiang Yue’s mother passed away early, and his father raised him with a ruthless “wolf-pack” mentality. Coupled with his innate indifference, he had grown into someone utterly cold and ruthless.

Jiang Qu knew that Jiang Yue never made empty threats. But he still stood his ground. “You can break my bones, and I’ll still take him away. Besides forcing him, making him cry, what else can you even do?”

“Jiang Yue, Le Tian is just a normal person. He’s not like you. Let him go!”

Jiang Yue hesitated slightly.

He had heard similar words before. As a child, he had once fought another boy, breaking the boy’s leg. His father had not scolded him, only reminded him: “Jiang Yue, he’s just a normal child. He’s not like you.”

He had always been “different” from others.

Le Tian… was, of course, different from him too.

Jiang Yue lowered his arms and straightened up. “When he wakes up, he can leave if he wants to.”

Jiang Qu said, “Then I’ll wait until he wakes up.”

Jiang Yue didn’t respond, his attitude ambiguous. He turned toward the bedroom, but Jiang Qu quickly stepped in front of him. “What are you trying to do?”

Jiang Yue glanced at his lowered shoulder, suddenly feeling a faint irritation. His usually emotionless eyes flickered with impatience. “What does it have to do with you?”

Jiang Qu retorted, “Le Tian is my friend.”

Jiang Yue stated directly, “You like him?”

Jiang Qu exploded. “Do you think everyone is as disgusting as you?”

Jiang Yue countered, “Having an interest in someone is disgusting?”

“Having an interest isn’t disgusting. Forcing someone just because of a little interest is what’s disgusting,” Jiang Qu said, pointing toward the bedroom. “If Le Tian wakes up and says he was willing, I’ll leave immediately without another word.”

Jiang Yue knew that was impossible. Le Tian had already refused countless times, but he simply didn’t want to listen or accept it. After all, he was happy when they were together.

The two of them stood in a standoff in the hallway.

Le Tian stumbled out of the room, still drowsy. Seeing the two tall figures, he jumped in surprise. “Jiang… Jiang Qu!” He had vaguely seen him when he was drunk, but he thought it was just a dream.

Jiang Qu turned his head and scolded, “Put some clothes on!”

Le Tian’s face turned red as he realized he was still undressed. Jiang Yue had kept him in the apartment for days, and at some point, they both stopped bothering with clothes.

Le Tian hurried back inside, pulled out his dry-cleaned clothes, and got dressed before stepping out again. “I-I’m dressed now.”

Jiang Qu didn’t even have the energy to look at him. He turned his back to him and said, “I’m taking you with me. Are you coming?”

Le Tian looked up, glancing at Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue’s dark eyes stared into his, silent and heavy.

Avoiding his gaze, he gently grabbed Jiang Qu’s sleeve and whispered, “Okay.”

Jiang Qu breathed a sigh of relief and pulled him away.

But as soon as Le Tian took a step, Jiang Yue caught his other arm.

Jiang Qu was about to explode when Jiang Yue said calmly, “Remember our agreement.”

Le Tian knew he meant, “I won’t come for you, but you can’t go to anyone else either.”

He nodded, thinking: Big bro, we haven’t even had our first real time yet. We’ll see each other again.

Jiang Qu didn’t know what they had agreed on. He just yanked Le Tian’s arm again. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Qu stopped downstairs, stood in front of Le Tian, and said in a deep voice, “I’ll carry you on my back.”

Le Tian glanced at his broad back and replied softly, “No need.” He had once been carried by someone else before and didn’t want to be carried by anyone again.

Jiang Qu didn’t insist, just held onto his arm and walked slowly, scolding in frustration, “How did you end up in his hands again? Didn’t you say you didn’t like him?!” If he hadn’t overheard his mother talking to Jiang’s father on the phone—where Jiang’s father mentioned that Jiang Yue had made a friend at school, the young master of Le Wu Lingerie—Jiang Qu wouldn’t have even known that Le Tian had been taken away by Jiang Yue.

He had originally thought that, since he had rejected Jiang Yue at the school gate that day, Jiang Yue—being such a petty person—was simply taking revenge on Le Tian. It never even crossed his mind that Jiang Yue could be the one who had ‘bullied’ him.

Someone as strange as Jiang Yue being involved with anyone would always seem odd.

Le Tian silently shed two tears and whispered, “I don’t know either.”

Jiang Qu fell silent, then gritted his teeth and said, “From now on, you have to stay by my side at school, not leaving even for a moment!”

Le Tian shook his head, his voice tinged with sobs. “He won’t come looking for me again. This was the last time.” Yeah, right. Hee hee.

Jiang Qu suddenly stopped walking, pulled Le Tian’s hand away, and bent down to look at his face. Only then did he realize that his face was streaked with tears. That inexplicable sadness in his heart surged up again like a tide. He wanted to ask, Do you still like him? But in the end, he didn’t say it. Instead, he simply opened his arms and hugged him. “It’ll get better.”

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Three months later, Le Tian’s father excitedly called to tell him that Le Wu had successfully been placed on the shelves of Jiang family’s luxury department stores worldwide, and he could start preparing for the company’s IPO.

Le Tian received the call at noon. Students were chatting in groups along the corridor. Zhang Qingning was standing beside him, discussing independent enrollment. When Le Tian hung up the call, he visibly deflated.

Zhang Qingning asked curiously, “What’s wrong? You’ve been feeling down lately.”

Le Tian shook his head. “Nothing.”

Zhang Qingning smiled. “Boyfriend, cheer up. There’s only half a year left before high school ends.”

Le Tian nodded, then suddenly asked, “Zhang Qingning, do you want to study abroad?”

Zhang Qingning was stunned. “Of course I do.”

Le Tian said, “My dad has a scholarship fund. Would you be willing to accept it? His company is about to go public, and he wants to nurture talent. I think you’re amazing.”

Zhang Qingning pondered for a moment. “I’ll think about it.”

Le Tian nodded.

When the class bell rang, the students returned to their seats. Le Tian unconsciously glanced behind him—Jiang Yue hadn’t come to school for a week.

During class, the teacher brought news that everyone had been curious about: Jiang Yue had already been admitted in advance to a top university abroad and wouldn’t be attending school anymore. The classroom buzzed with sighs of admiration.

Le Tian shrank into himself, slowly burying his chin in his arms.

Some time later, the final exams arrived. After they finished, Zhang Qingning told him she had decided to accept the scholarship. Le Tian was very happy.

She teased him, “Is this a girlfriend privilege?”

Le Tian blushed. “Don’t say that.”

Zhang Qingning pinched his cheek. “Got it, boyfriend~”

After the finals, the New Year arrived. This year, Le Tian’s father was in high spirits and drank a lot during the New Year’s Eve dinner. Family and friends gathered in laughter, but Le Tian remained quiet. He went upstairs early and lay on the balcony, sighing: “Ugh, I was supposed to have my first adult experience in three days, but now it’s ruined.”

The system had grown sick of watching him play the tragic little white flower. Hearing him say something so ridiculous actually made it feel relieved—at least he hadn’t really fallen for Jiang Yue.

Le Tian, however, insisted, “I love him, of course I do. I love all the handsome guys with big and skillful—”

System: …Great. Still the same shameless pervert.

On the third day of the New Year, Le Tian’s birthday arrived. As usual, his father celebrated with him, providing cake, longevity noodles, and plenty of gifts. This year, his father gifted him a car. But he still wasn’t happy, thinking: An 18th birthday without my first adult experience is meaningless.

After dinner, he video-called Jiang Qu, who was abroad. He told him he had a present for him. Le Tian smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

A voice called for Jiang Qu in the background, so he quickly ended the call.

Le Tian lay on the balcony, feeling bored. Suddenly, a snowflake landed on his nose. “Wow, it’s snowing!” He cheered up and said to the system, “I love snow the most!” Then he twirled around in excitement.

System: …Idiot.

The snow fell heavily throughout the night. Le Tian stayed on the balcony watching for a long time before finally going to bed. The next morning, when he woke up, everything outside was covered in white. He immediately ran downstairs, declaring that he was going to build a snowman.

The system watched as he excitedly grabbed a flowerpot and shovel, running to the entrance like a little fool.

“Woohoo~” Le Tian exhaled a puff of warm breath and stomped around in search of the best patch of snow. While looking around, he suddenly spotted a red box partially buried in the snow near the fortune tree by the door.

Curious, he walked over and pulled it out. It was a wine-red velvet box. When he opened it, inside lay a diamond necklace with a star-shaped pendant. A folded note was tucked inside.

He opened it.

The note read: Happy Birthday.

It was Jiang Yue’s handwriting.