I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 11

Ah Luo’s cheek was pressed tightly against his palm. The soft warmth of her skin felt hot, so hot that he felt as if his hand was burning. Wenren Jin curled his fingertips slightly.

“Wife… Do you know who I am?”

His voice was soft and slightly muffled, as if it came through a layer of mist, but the calm and steady tone was one Ah Luo was all too familiar with.

Although her mind was a little hazy, and she felt inexplicably excited, her consciousness was clear. To her, there was no mistaking who the man before her was.

“You must think I’m drunk and can’t recognize you.” Ah Luo smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. “You’re Wenren Jin. I know that. I can see you.”

She still didn’t let go of him. Her hands clasped his firmly and pressed it against her cheek.

Initially, she had wanted him to ‘see’ her. However, she slowly found his hand, which was as cold and smooth as jade, pleasant against her overheated face, so she used it to cool herself down.

Despite this, she hadn’t forgotten her original purpose. She moved his hand around her face, letting it rest wherever it got too warm, and let his fingers brush over her skin.

It was a simple gesture, but it served two purposes: cooling her heated cheeks while letting him ‘feel’ her appearance at the same time.

His hand was large and strong. His fingers were long and slender, like bamboo joints, and they easily covered half of Ah Luo’s small face. Despite the size and strength in his hand, it remained obedient in her grasp, as if he was too afraid to move it—it remained placid and docile the whole time.

Ah Luo frowned in confusion and asked, “Why don’t you move? Don’t you want to see what I look like? I’m your wife. Don’t you want to know whether I’m beautiful or plain?”

Wenren Jin’s long lashes drooped slightly. Calmly, he asked, “Wife, do you know what you’re doing?”

His voice, still steady, made him seem unshaken by the situation.

Ah Luo felt a surge of frustration. She had gone so far as to press her face against his hand, and yet he remained composed and unmoved. Did he truly have no curiosity about her at all?

“You are the heir of the Marquis of Yuanting, and you are my husband. There is nothing wrong with wanting my husband to see my face, is there?” 

With a huff, she released his hand and threw it to the side in frustration.

Wenren Jin seemed to sense the disappointment in her voice. He pressed his lips together tightly. His long, dark lashes trembled, and he whispered, “I only worry that you may regret it later…”

Ah Luo sat in silence and ignored him for a while to nurse her irritation. When she finally glanced back at him, she saw that his usually composed face was now uncertain, with his eyes half-lowered, his long lashes veiling his gaze. The blush on his face had faded, and there was a trace of awkwardness in his expression. It was a far cry from his usual calm demeanor.

Her heart softened instantly. 

“Lift your eyes and look at me,” she said gently.

“…I cannot see you, Wife,” Wenren Jin replied. His lips pressed together even more tightly. His pale face showed hints of his unease.

“I know that,” Ah Luo responded lightly. She reached out to tug on his collar. He wasn’t sure what she intended but obediently leaned down to her level.

Ah Luo voiced the question that had been lingering in her heart. “When you speak to others, you always face them directly, but why do you hide your eyes from me every time? Why don’t you let me see them?”

As she spoke, her fingers gently caressed the corner of his eye, tracing the soft curve where a hint of redness lingered. Her touch was intimate and filled with tenderness.

They were so close now that Ah Luo’s warm breath fell lightly on Wenren Jin’s face, and he could faintly catch the fragrance of her presence.

His ears flushed a delicate red as he softly explained, “My eyes… their color is unusual. They’ve frightened children before. I didn’t want to scare you, so I avoided looking directly at you.”

“I’m not a child,” Ah Luo replied.

Wenren Jin fell silent again, but then a thought struck her suddenly. “That day at my home—was it because you noticed I was nervous around you? Did you think I was afraid of your eyes?”

He didn’t deny it, and Ah Luo immediately understood.

“You’re mistaken. I wasn’t afraid.” Her hand continued its delicate exploration, moving from his eye to his eyelid, tracing along his eyebrow and down to his nose, all the while speaking in a soft voice. “You probably haven’t been around many women, so you don’t realize that when a man stares at a girl for too long, she might think you’re a bit forward. If that man is as beautiful as you are, though, she’s more likely to feel shy and flustered rather than scared.”

Under her touch, Wenren Jin’s long lashes fluttered. His light-colored eyes shimmered with a thin veil of moisture. Wherever her fingers brushed, a soft blush rose on his pale skin, as if she’d left a delicate mark on him.

Ah Luo gazed into his amber eyes, noting how carefully he kept his gaze fixed on her, as if he was afraid to upset her again. Even as she touched him so intimately, he didn’t turn away.

“I’ve seen many eyes, but yours are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. They’re clear and bright, and their color is warm and gentle. In the sunlight, they glisten like glass. They’re so lovely, like polished jade.”

Her eyes grew dreamy as she leaned forward and, on an impulse, pressed her lips lightly against his eyelid.

She murmured, “I like them very much.”

The kiss was feather-light—a brief, tender touch before she pulled away.

Wenren Jin immediately stiffened. His lashes trembled,  as if they were butterfly wings caught in a sudden storm. He straightened up abruptly, and his entire demeanor was now that of someone who had just been thoroughly flustered. His ears, face, and neck all turned a deep red. The composure he usually carried was now nowhere to be found; it was replaced by a rare, almost panicked awkwardness.

“Wife… it’s late. You should rest,” he stammered, his words hurried and awkward.

With that, he turned to leave, but before he could take a step, a small, pale hand tugged on the hem of his red robe.

Then came the soft inquiry from behind him. “Where are you going?” 

Her voice was light and gentle, and the force pulling on him was almost negligible, but for some reason, Wenren Jin found himself unable to move, as if his feet were rooted to the spot.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Without turning around, he answered, “I’ll stay in the room next door. If you need anything—”

Before he could finish, she interrupted him.

“Wenren Jin, you said you wanted to marry me, so why are you treating me like this now? Do you mean to humiliate me?”

Her voice had risen, and it now carried a sob. It was filled with grievance and hurt. The moment her voice reached his ears, Wenren Jin’s heart skipped a beat.

He turned around quickly and instinctively stepped towards her. He wanted to see if her eyes were red, if tears were streaming down her cheeks, but all he saw was the endless darkness that had accompanied him for so many years.

For the first time in his life, Wenren Jin desperately wished he could see.

He stood there helplessly, enveloped by the black void. Yet he knew, just a step ahead of him, was a girl—his wife—who had kissed his blind eyes.

And now, she was crying because of him.

“I never meant to insult you,” he said anxiously. He didn’t even realize that his voice had begun to tremble. “Why would you think that?”

He didn’t know, but beyond the veil of darkness, Ah Luo was watching him intently, observing every flicker of emotion on his face.

Her silence only deepened his fear. Wenren Jin’s expression paled, and his amber eyes filled with guilt and remorse.

He didn’t even understand what he had done wrong, yet he was already apologizing, already convinced he had hurt her feelings. Ah Luo couldn’t help but smile inwardly. How could a man like this not have feelings for her?

Clearly, he needed a stronger push. Subtle approaches wouldn’t work with someone like Wenren Jin, who was so passive.

“Then why won’t you touch me? Why do you avoid me like I’m something dreadful? On our wedding night, you would leave your bride alone in the chamber. Tomorrow, when the servants come to collect the wedding bedsheet, they’ll know right away that the marquis’ heir didn’t consummate his marriage. People will laugh at me, saying the Su family’s daughter was abandoned on her wedding night by her husband. Is that what you want?”

Wenren Jin’s face turned pale as he quickly bowed deeply before her. His voice was heavy with apology as he said, “I never meant to cause you any shame. I only… I didn’t want to force you.”

Ah Luo pressed further. “You didn’t even ask me if I felt forced. Or is it that you, Heir, feel this marriage is a burden?”

Her tone had shifted back to formal, and she called him ‘heir’ rather than ‘husband.’ She had put a distance between them. Wenren Jin didn’t feel relieved because of it; on the contrary, his chest tightened with indescribable discomfort.

“I sent you that letter myself. I’ve never once thought that marrying you was a burden.”

He had guilt and unease written all over his face. Seeing this man, who was always so composed and in control, now showing vulnerability in front of her, Ah Luo finally felt a sense of satisfaction.

She smiled silently. Her tone softened as she said, “Come here.”

Wenren Jin hesitated before stepping closer. Ah Luo was sitting on the bridal bed, and now they were so close that their knees nearly touched.

She reached out and slid her hand into the wide sleeve of his robe, searching for his hand.

The once warm hand was now cold, trembling slightly as her fingers closed around it.

Ah Luo felt a pang of sympathy. She tightened her grip on his fingers and pulled his hand out of the sleeve.

Wenren Jin remained silent and offered no resistance.

‘So obedient. How could he be so well-behaved?’ Ah Luo thought to herself with a smile as she guided his hand and placed it on her lap.

“Feel it. What is this?” she asked. Her voice was light and calm, even as she smiled.

His hand lay still at first, but at her prompting, his fingers twitched slightly and began to move, exploring the object beneath them.

He touched the hard, round surface of an ornament hanging from her waist—a jade pendant intricately carved in the shape of a white crane.

Wenren Jin hesitated for a moment and then, in a low voice, said, “This is…”

“It’s always been here, ever since you gave it to me,” Ah Luo said softly. Then she added, “Now, feel below the pendant.”

Beneath the pendant? Wasn’t that just her dress?

Wenren Jin didn’t understand at first, but he complied and let his fingers trail lower. He could feel slight bulges where the fabric folded, as well as the delicate coolness of her silk dress. His sensitive touch quickly detected something unusual—small, raised patterns in the fabric of her dress.

The patterns were embroidered with delicate threads, and as his fingers traced the shapes, realization dawned on him. These were flamboyant flowers—large, blooming flamboyant flowers.

His hand froze instantly, as if it had turned to stone.

“The flamboyant flower you gave me,” Ah Luo continued softly, “I embroidered it for a month, and now I’m wearing it, on my wedding dress, just for you.”

Her gentle words echoed in his ears, but they triggered a great wave of emotion in Wenren Jin’s heart. In the boundless darkness he had always known, a vision of crimson flamboyant flowers suddenly bloomed, falling like rain, burying his solitary figure that had once stood alone in his quiet, desolate world.

The hand he wasn’t using curled into a tight fist inside his sleeve, and the usually calm and composed man stood still for a moment, his voice almost shy as he asked, “Wife… could I… may I… look at you again?”

Ah Luo raised her eyebrows and smiled.

“Would my husband do me the favor of removing my crown and hairpins first?”

“Of course.”

Wenren Jin carefully reached out, his movements slow and deliberate, as he began to undo the heavy ornaments from her hair. His touch was gentle as he removed each piece of jewelry with the utmost care. Her long, dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall, sliding through his fingers as he worked.

When he came to the butterfly hairpin, he paused for a moment but said nothing.

The room was quiet, filled only with the soft crackle of the red candles burning nearby. They could still hear the faint sounds of the wedding banquet—the lively chatter of guests and the clinking of glasses, from outside.

Once he had finished, Ah Luo looked up at him. Her face glowed in the candlelight. She said, “Husband, when you’ve seen me, you can’t look at anyone else for the rest of your life.”

Wenren Jin said nothing. Instead, his hands reached up to cup her face, just as she had done to him. Slowly, gently, his fingers traced the lines of her eyebrows, her long lashes, and her warm, soft lips.

“Wife,” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

“May I…” His voice faltered, as if the words were difficult to say. 

He pressed his thumb lightly against her lips, brushing them slowly, as if silently asking for permission.

Was he always this reserved? Did he even have to ask? She had made her wish so clear, and yet, he still hesitated.

She was worried that he might ask for permission for every little thing, so she decided to give him a broad answer to avoid more awkwardness later. She said, “You can do anything you want.”

Upon hearing this, Wenren Jin lowered his head slightly. A soft laugh escaped his lips, and he said, in his warm voice, “In that case, I won’t refuse.”