I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 44
Ah Luo had never played The Hero Returns before, but she was confident that she could become a skilled player with some practice. Then, she would be able to attract Shen Xi’s attention like the female lead did and become his gaming buddy as well.
However, while the fantasy was perfect, reality hit hard.
As soon as she opened the game, she decided to play a beginner bot match to practice. However, despite the easiest difficulty level, she was thoroughly demolished and left utterly defeated.
Ah Luo was unwilling to give up, though. She launched three consecutive bot matches, only to endure relentless mockery from her teammates. They commented things such as [Looks like we’ve got another bot on our team], [Hey kid, time for kindergarten?], and [Maybe it’s some grandpa playing!]. They stung her pride and ignited a stubborn determination to prove them wrong.
Xin Luo was not someone who gave up easily. After all, she was someone who, at just 26 years old, had already made a name for herself in the entertainment industry.
She started another beginner bot match. This time, she smartened up and decided to stick close to her teammates throughout the game. Wherever her teammates ran, she followed. Whenever they made a move, she cautiously lingered nearby and seized opportunities to use a skill or two. She didn’t know how to aim properly yet, so she simply clicked wherever the screen lit up.
The Hero Returns was a 5v5 team battle game where the goal was to destroy the opponent team’s crystal to win. In bot matches, the difficulty was so low that, no matter how much Ah Luo dragged her team down, her teammates could carry her to victory. This time, when her team destroyed the opponent’s crystal, she had only died five times, which was a huge improvement. Ah Luo couldn’t help but smile with pride at her modest success.
In the livestream room, though, the number of people watching her had increased. Many eagle-eyed fans figured out the game that Ah Luo was playing through her gestures, and someone had even calculated the number of deaths that she’d suffered.
[LOL, she died five times again! These matches end so quickly. They must be low-level matches. I never thought Goddess Xin Luo would be a gamer, but seeing her as a clueless noob is kind of adorable!]
[Ahh, Precious Xin Luo! Look behind you! There’s a cute guy watching your terrible gameplay!]
Just as her lips curled into a smile, she suddenly heard a stifled chuckle behind her. The sound startled her, and she instinctively turned her head to see who it was.
Standing slightly to her right was a tall young man with soft, fluffy chestnut hair. His pale, delicate features and droopy puppy-like eyes gave him an adorably gentle appearance, while his lips, curved in an amused smile, revealed a small, sharp canine tooth.
“You—you…” Ah Luo pointed at him. She was utterly speechless and in shock.
[Look at her wide-eyed expression! She looks like a startled bunny. I used to think she was too sultry, but she has a surprisingly cute side to her!]
[And this guy! Who is he? He’s so soft and adorable!]
[That’s Shen Xi! He’s super famous in the e-sports world, though he retired recently. His fangirls are crazy.]
[Wait… Why do they look unexpectedly good together? Glamorous femme fatale x soft puppy boy? I ship it!]
The young man raised his hand and waved like a beckoning cat and greeted her cheerfully. “Hi, Sister~”[^1: 姐姐 (*jiějiě*), tl. Sister, Elder Sister. This is something you call a slightly older woman (who’s still young). She doesn’t have to be related to you, and this address can even be used romantically if you’re dating an older woman~]
Ah Luo quickly turned off her phone and yanked out her headphones. Her face burned with embarrassment. She had no idea if he had seen her atrocious gameplay, and she wasn’t brave enough to ask.
She forced a smile and introduced herself with feigned calmness. “Hello, I’m Xin Luo.”
Shen Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. There was a faint smile on his lips as he said, “Of course I know who you are, Sister. I’m Shen Xi.”
His gaze briefly flicked to her upside-down phone before settling on her captivating, almond-shaped eyes. Her cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue, possibly from the embarrassment, which made her look like a living, breathing painting—one that was seductive yet radiant in the mansion’s soft lighting.
Xin Luo was a renowned beauty in the entertainment world. How could he not know her?
However, what Shen Xi hadn’t expected was that the allegedly aloof and untouchable Xin Luo would be so endearing in private—particularly when playing a game so poorly it was almost comical.
He had accidentally caught a glimpse of her wildly inaccurate skill shots and random button-mashing while passing by earlier. To him, the mobile version of The Hero Returns was so easy it practically played itself, yet somehow, she had managed a 2-5-0 record.[^2: 2 kills, 5 deaths, 0 assists.]
Moreover, judging from her proud expression, that result earlier seemed to be a rare good result for her.
He couldn’t help it. The moment he saw that, he burst out laughing. He swore it wasn’t intentional—really!
Right now, it seemed that this couple pairing might be a lot more fun than he had expected.
Not long after that, the other cast members also arrived. Zhou Jiayin and Wen Yuxin walked in together. Whether it was by coincidence or prior arrangement was unclear.
[Ahhh, my male god is here! My CP is finally reuniting! If Xin Luo and Zhou Jiayin aren’t paired together, I’ll riot!]
[Hold on. Look at who Film Emperor Zhou showed up with. That doesn’t seem random. I smell pre-planning.]
Ah Luo was still reeling from her earlier social disaster, so she kept a low profile and avoided too much interaction with anyone.
The cameras focused on the group. Their first order of business was to draw lots to determine the CPs. However, everyone knew the pairings were predetermined.
Ladies were given priority, so Ah Luo drew first. When she opened her slip of paper and read ‘Shen Xi,’ she glanced at him nervously. Wen Yuxin followed and drew ‘Zhou Jiayin.’
The livestream comment section erupted into chaos.
[No! I don’t believe it! My male god and goddess aren’t paired together!? This show’s producers are insane!]
[Finally, no more riding on our male god Zhou Jiayin’s fame! Let’s see how that ‘seductive starlet’ handles herself now without it. I think the production crew is being pretty fair; let’s hope there’s no behind-the-scenes manipulation.]
[Just saying, after watching closely for a bit, Film Emperor Zhou and Xin Luo seem pretty distant. Maybe the CP is just for the drama. Let’s not confuse it with real life.]
After drawing lots, the cast members entered a half-day adaptation period. During this time, they received no mission assignments, and they were given an opportunity to just focus on getting familiar with each other. The mission assignments would begin the next day.
For most people, treating a total stranger as a romantic partner would be challenging. However, for the actors and actresses, this kind of role-playing was basic professionalism.
When the director finished explaining the show’s format, the professional actors, like Zhou Jiayin, appeared calm and composed. However, the models and athletes seemed visibly uneasy. They weren’t used to being in the spotlight in this way and struggled to adjust to the show’s style.
To Ah Luo’s surprise, though, her assigned CP partner, Shen Xi, seemed completely at ease. He seemed natural, relaxed, and not the least bit anxious.
Once everything was explained, the production crew left the mansion and left only pre-installed cameras behind. From then on, the time and place belonged entirely to the cast members.
As soon as the crew left, everyone busied themselves. After arriving in a new place, their first priority was getting acquainted with the environment. The male and female leads paired off and went upstairs. The actor and singer duo explored the mansion curiously, while the model and athlete couple likely retreated to their room.
The mansion was enormous and spanned three floors. The second floor had two bedrooms, while the third floor had two more. Ah Luo was assigned the master bedroom on the right side of the third floor.
Just as she started climbing the stairs, a shadow loomed over her. A cheerful, youthful voice called out beside her ear, “Sister, let me help you with that.”
A pair of pale, slender hands reached for her suitcase. A smile lit up Shen Xi’s face. The tall, long-legged teenager, easily picked up the suitcase and climbed two steps with each stride.
[This little brother is such a gentleman. He’s so sweet and polite!]
Ah Luo looked at his retreating figure and instinctively blurted out, “Hey, isn’t your right hand injured—?”
Shen Xi paused mid-step and turned around. Surprise flashed in his eyes, and he asked, “How did you know, Sister?”
It wasn’t exactly a secret, but the specifics weren’t widely known. Most people were only aware that he had retired from professional e-sports due to an injury. The exact location of the injury, however, was never publicly revealed.
Not only did Xin Luo know he was injured, but she also pinpointed his right hand. This was rather unusual.
Facing his puzzled expression, Ah Luo blinked and replied softly, “Um… since we’re going to be in the show together, I did a bit of research beforehand.”
Shen Xi seemed convinced. With a smile, he responded, “Sister, you’re so professional.”
Then, he explained, “The injury isn’t severe. I can’t handle the intensity of professional training anymore, but it doesn’t affect my daily life.”
Ah Luo studied his expression and found that he indeed showed no discomfort. Because of this, she finally relaxed.
[You have to admit, Xin Luo is super professional. She even researched something this small! No wonder she’s such a great actress. Remember her role as the bewitching consort? People said her emotions felt so real, but I think it was just a breakthrough in her acting. Look at how indifferent she is to Film Emperor Zhou now. Clearly, there’s nothing personal going on there.]
[But isn’t it weird? If she researched Shen Xi in advance, does that mean she knew they’d be paired up?]
[Why do I find this kind of sweet? We didn’t even know about Shen Xi’s injury, but Xin Luo does. She must’ve really looked into him!]
The two continued upstairs. On the second floor, they ran into Zhou Jiayin and Wen Yuxin, who were organising their things together in a harmonious atmosphere.
Both sides exchanged polite nods but remained cold towards each other.
Seeing this, Shen Xi kept quiet until they reached the third floor. Suddenly, he leaned closer and asked softly, “Sister, can I ask you something?”
His voice, which was usually bright and energetic like a bubbling spring, now carried a husky, magnetic undertone as he lowered it. It sounded unexpectedly mature, all of a sudden.
The subtle shift in his tone made Ah Luo’s ears tingle. She instinctively tilted her head slightly away and replied in a low voice, “What’s your question?”
“Why did you decide to join this variety show, Sister?”
Ah Luo blinked and countered, “Why do you ask?”
“I heard a lot of people say you joined because of Film Emperor Zhou,” Shen Xi said. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he continued, “Is that true?”
[He actually asked it! Shen Xi is so bold!]
This wasn’t a baseless question. There had been similar speculation online.
When the production crew first teased the line-up, which revealed both Xin Luo and Zhou Jiayin’s names, it immediately sparked heated discussions among netizens.
CP fans of their characters from the drama rejoiced and eagerly anticipated the reunion of the ‘bewitching consort’ and the ‘tyrant.’ However, others dug deeper and speculated that Xin Luo had agreed to participate in this variety show because of Zhou Jiayin.
There was a belief that when a person liked someone else, their emotion would inevitably spill out through their eyes, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.
With Xin Luo’s level of acting, she couldn’t completely mask her feelings. Many came to believe that she might genuinely have a thing for Zhou Jiayin.
“But… seeing them today, it feels like everyone might’ve misunderstood,” Shen Xi suddenly remarked before she could answer. “From what I saw, you don’t seem to like him at all.”
Ah Luo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, stared into his eyes, and said seriously, “Actually, I really am here for someone I like.”
[OMG! New trending topic incoming!]
[So it’s true! Xin Luo must really like Zhou Jiayin, right? It has to be!]
[But she seems so indifferent to him. Could she really like him?]
Shen Xi froze momentarily, then smiled. “You’re really good at acting, Sister. You almost had me fooled.”
Judging by his expression, Ah Luo knew he didn’t believe her. She didn’t bother to explain further. Instead, she opened the door to their room and gestured for him to enter.
“Come in. This is our room.”
Her fair and delicate hand looked like a finely crafted work of art. Her skin was as white as snow, and her slender fingers gleamed like peeled scallions. The contrast of her crimson nail polish against her pale skin made her hand very eye-catching.
Shen Xi’s gaze lingered on her hand, and it took him a moment to snap out of it. He exhaled softly as he did.
Indeed, her reputation as a ‘human masterpiece’ wasn’t exaggerated. Every part of her was flawless, even her hands. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
As a former professional gamer, Shen Xi had a little-known quirk: he was a hand enthusiast. He particularly admired elegant, well-proportioned hands. However, because he rarely encountered hands that met his standards, this obsession had gone unnoticed by others.
That was until now. Seeing her hands made him feel like he’d just discovered the hand of his dreams!
The two entered the room. The bedroom was spacious and featured a massive king-sized bed, a full-length window, and a terrace covered in lush vines.
Other amenities included a wardrobe, dressing table, and sofa. Altogether, it was a very comfortable setup.
Ah Luo’s eyes fell on the bed, and after staring for a few seconds, she turned to Shen Xi.
Somehow, the teenager understood her unspoken thoughts and scratched his head. While frowning, he suggested, “Sister, how about we act as a quarrelsome couple? You can take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Ah Luo glanced at the small sofa, which was barely 1.5 metres long, then looked back at him. She said, “The sofa’s too small for you.”
Shen Xi hesitated. “Then what should we do? I didn’t know we’d have to share a bed…”
“This is a cohabitation show, and we’re supposed to be lovers. Of course, we’ll have to share the bed,” Ah Luo decisively concluded. “Let’s be professional. The bed’s big enough, and I’ll still be able to sleep well. Let’s just do it!”
The teenager was silent for a moment before sighing sincerely, “Sister, you’re really professional.”
[Wow, I didn’t realise Xin Luo was this dedicated. I might’ve misjudged her before…]
[Same! Her professionalism is next-level. No wonder she’s an award-winning actress.]