I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 48

“You… you were waiting for me this whole time?”

Shen Xi heard his own strained voice break the silence. His throat felt tight, and his heart was beating faster and faster. He didn’t dare look at her, so he averted his gaze and instead lowered his eyes to the floor.

Ah Luo glanced at his flustered appearance and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

Thank goodness the livestream camera turned off at ten at night. Otherwise, if the viewers had seen him like this, they’d definitely be laughing at how bashful this little puppy was.

“No, I was just too hungry to fall asleep,” she said lightly, as if it were nothing.

The young man’s heart thundered in his chest. Hearing the casual tone in her voice, he wasn’t quite sure what to believe. Was she really just hungry, or had she actually been waiting for him to come back?

Shen Xi couldn’t help but lean towards the second possibility. However, he then remembered how little she’d eaten earlier that evening, and truly began to wonder if he was overthinking it. He stood there in the doorway, tangled up in hesitation.

After a long moment, her sleepy voice, lazy and soft, floated over to him. “You’re not coming in?”

The tips of Shen Xi’s ears turned bright red. He lowered his head and stepped inside. He sneaked a quick glance at her and hesitated for a moment before asking, “Sister, if you’re hungry, do you want something to eat?”

Ah Luo let out a light laugh. “I already ate. Did you forget I brought a bunch of snacks?”

Shen Xi nodded a beat too late. His mind was a complete blank. One moment he was thinking about what she’d said in the game, and the next he was realising they’d be sharing a bed soon. He could feel the blood boiling in his veins. In a hurry, he grabbed his pyjamas and blurted out, “I’m going to shower!”

Ah Luo watched the young man practically flee and chuckled silently.

Ah, boys his age—they were all so full of fire, and so easily tempted.

She lay back down in bed, still with a smile on her face. With the faint sound of running water in the distance, she finally let herself drift off into sleep, free of any lingering worries.

Shen Xi stepped into the bathroom. Halfway through his shower, something finally clicked in his head. If Xin Luo had already eaten, then what she said about being too hungry to sleep didn’t make sense at all.

Crap.

He cursed under his breath. The cold shower had helped cool him off a little, but now the heat was back in full force.

The gesture of waiting for someone to come home was an inherently warm gesture. Only someone who truly cared, someone truly close to you, would do such a thing. When it was done by from someone of the opposite gender, who wasn’t related by blood to you, it was also naturally tinged with a subtle hint of romantic affection.

If she had admitted it outright, he might’ve been able to handle it. However, the fact that she denied it so casually made the realisation hit him even harder. Shen Xi’s already fragile defences were instantly on the verge of collapse.

The young man raised a hand to cover his eyes and tipped his head back. His fair, lean body was hazy in the mist, and beneath his damp black hair, his white jade-like ears were flushed red to the point they almost seemed to bleed.

Forget it. Since she liked him that much, and even came on this show for him, then he… might as well meet her halfway.

Before stepping out of the bathroom, Shen Xi mentally braced himself again and again. Eventually, he mustered enough courage to walk out the door.

He had played out countless scenarios in his mind for how he might face Xin Luo. However, when his eyes landed on the bed, all he saw was a woman sleeping soundly with her eyes closed.

Her usually misty peach blossom eyes were shut, which softened her allure considerably. She was lying on her side, with her hands tucked under her face. A faint blush tinged her snow-white cheeks, which made her look unexpectedly sweet.

By day she was like a seductive enchantress, but by night she seemed more like a pure, innocent little girl.

Which one was the real her? Shen Xi couldn’t tell. Everyone outside said Xin Luo liked Zhou Jiayin, but she herself had told him, directly, that the one she liked was him.

The young man stood by the bed for a long time, but in the end, he didn’t climb in.

He found a thin blanket and curled his 1.85 metre frame into the tiny 1.5-metre long sofa. He tossed and turned until deep into the night, before he finally drifted off from sheer exhaustion.

When Ah Luo woke up the next morning, this was the scene she saw.

The tall young man was pitifully curled up on the small sofa. His face was buried in the cushions, and his hair was an absolute mess. His long legs had nowhere to go, so one bent, and the other hung off the edge of the sofa. The blanket was wrapped around him in a complete mess. The whole scene looked like some kind of avant-garde art piece.

He was wearing a two-piece pyjama set, and his T-shirt had ridden up during the night, revealing a slender, flexible waist. She could faintly make out neat abs and a perfectly defined V-line.

Ah Luo stared for a good thirty seconds before snapping out of it. Once she did, she put on an amused look on her face.

She tiptoed over to the sofa, pulled out her phone, opened the camera, and, without hesitation, snapped a photo of the young man in all his sorry glory.

[I opened the livestream immediately after I woke up. It’s totally worth it. I was rewarded with this surprise hahahahahaha.]

[I never thought Xin Luo had this kind of mischievous side. I always thought she was too stunning and seductive—but seeing this, she suddenly feels so down-to-earth.]

[Lingshen, wake up!!! You’re about to lose all your dignity!!!]

The livestream had resumed once daylight broke. It wasn’t peak time yet, but there were still plenty of viewers, and everyone burst out laughing when they saw the scene.

After snapping the photo, Ah Luo went off to wash up. When she came back out, the young man was awake. He sat dazedly on the sofa. He looked at her with sleepy eyes.

“You’re up?”

“Mmm…” His hair was still a mess, and he only gave a silly little grunt of acknowledgement.

Ah Luo couldn’t hold back a laugh. She walked over and reached out to ruffle his hair. Her voice was soft as she said, “Why didn’t you sleep in the bed last night?”

The young man blinked a few times. Then suddenly, his whole body jolted as his sleepy eyes cleared in an instant. His fair, handsome face lit up in a fierce blush.

Red-faced and flustered, he stammered, “I—I saw you were already asleep… so I didn’t want to wake you.”

“So that’s how it is. Alright, then.”

Ah Luo didn’t keep teasing him. He really wasn’t good at being teased. His face would flush at the drop of a hat, which made her feel like some wicked woman deliberately trying to seduce a good, upstanding young man.

Not long after, Shen Xi had finished getting ready, and the two of them headed downstairs together.

The director was already waiting in the living room. When they got down, they saw Zhou Jiayin and Wen Yuxin were there, as were the model and the athlete. Lu Tao and Yan Jiaqi hadn’t come down yet.

Everyone waited quite a while before Lu Tao and Yan Jiaqi finally came down at a snail’s pace, both looking a little sour.

Once everyone had arrived, the director announced the rules.

“In a moment we’re going to play a game. It’s a quick-fire Q&A designed to test couples’ understanding of each other. The two couples with the highest scores will get three full meals provided for the entire day. The other two will receive no reward and will have to fend for themselves in the kitchen. The last-place couple will face a punishment.”

[But Xin Luo knows how to cook. This doesn’t pose any threat to her at all, does it?]

[They’re playing this kind of game on the first day? They’ve barely spent any time together. What kind of ‘understanding of each other’ can they possibly have?]

[I watched all four couples yesterday. Lu Tao and Yan Jiaqi have this super awkward vibe. They look more like enemies than lovers, and they’re not really that entertaining. Zhou Jiayin and Wen Yuxin probably knew each other before, since they interact pretty naturally. As for the model and the athlete, I won’t even go there—they’re the perfect example of ‘incompatible values, can’t date.’ The sweetest, surprisingly, are the pair I didn’t expect to like: Xin Luo and Shen Xi. Every little move between them gives me heart-fluttering feels. A flirty big sister and a soft, adorable puppy boy? I’m so here for it. I’m really looking forward to how they do today.]

“Looks like no one has any objections, so let’s get started.” The director clapped his hands and picked up his script. “Since everyone hasn’t known each other that long, the questions will be pretty easy. There’s no need to be nervous.”

The first pair to take the challenge was Zhou Jiayin’s group. Just like the director said, the questions were simple questions, such as ‘What food did your partner like?’ ‘What was their favourite colour?’ ‘Hobbies?’

The questions went both ways, which meant both parties needed a decent understanding of each other to score high.

There were ten questions total—five for each person. Zhou Jiayin got four right. Wen Yuxin also got four. Together, they scored eight points.

Next up was Lu Tao’s group. Surprisingly, despite their obvious awkwardness, Lu Tao and Yan Jiaqi got all ten questions correct and earned a perfect score.

Next up was Lu Tao’s group. Surprisingly, despite their obvious awkwardness, Lu Tao and Yan Jiaqi got all ten questions correct and earned a perfect score.

[Something’s fishy with Lu Tao’s group. Yan Jiaqi actually knew Lu Tao likes collecting plants?]

[Now that two groups already have high scores, the pressure’s on for the remaining two.]

Sure enough, the model and athlete group didn’t look too happy when they saw the scores.

The third group to go was Ah Luo and Shen Xi. Before the game started, the young man leaned in and whispered nervously, “Sister, what if we don’t do well?”

Ah Luo replied, “You’re losing confidence before we even begin?”

Shen Xi made a pained face. Could he admit he didn’t have even a shred of confidence from the start?

He’d been shoved onto this show without any prep, and he’d never paid attention to Xin Luo before. Moreover, from what he’d observed, she didn’t quite match the rumours. He was worried—if he couldn’t answer the questions, she’d definitely be disappointed, right?

Ah Luo reassured him by saying, “Don’t worry. I know how to cook.”

The young man still frowned. He was clearly still troubled.

The game began. The first questions were for the woman.

“What flavour does Shen Xi like?”

“Sweet—and a little spicy.”

“When did Shen Xi become a professional player?”

“June 12, 2018. He signed with Galaxy Club.”

“…Why is Shen Xi’s gamer tag ‘Lingdian’—’Zero’?”

“Back then, he was still in school and could only play games at home. He’d always play until midnight—zero o’clock—before going to bed.”

“What’s Shen Xi’s favourite colour?”

“Black. He thinks it hides dirt and grime well.”

“Shen Xi’s favourite champion character ‘Abyss Warden.’ Is that right or wrong?”

“Nope. He once said he likes ‘Scythe of Sin’ the most. Even though that champion has been nerfed and he can’t really use it anymore, it’s still his favourite.”

The director closed the script. He looked surprised. He said, “Congratulations. Xin Luo answered all five questions correctly and scored five points.”

It wasn’t just the director. Everyone else looked astonished too. The only one who seemed completely calm was Shen Xi himself. He sat up straight while trying hard to suppress the smile tugging at his lips. His heart was dancing with joy as he thought, ‘She really likes me!’

[Holy crap, even I couldn’t answer some of those questions! Like that favourite champion one—everyone knows Lingshen is famous for his national-rank Abyss Warden! He actually likes Scythe of Sin better? That’s a trash-tier champion from several seasons ago! Unreal. Goddess is totally in love with Lingshen.]

[Xin Luo is either incredibly committed to her job, or there’s a script. No way she knows Shen Xi this well otherwise.]

[Let’s not jump the gun—remember yesterday? Tons of Xin Luo-Zhou Jiayin shippers already bailed after just one episode.]

After Ah Luo finished answering, it was Shen Xi’s turn. Given how perfectly she had understood him, everyone was eager to see how he’d do.

“Does Xin Luo prefer sweet or savoury?”

Shen Xi recalled the two dishes from yesterday and cautiously answered, “Sweet?”

“Wrong,” the director said flatly. “Next question. What’s Xin Luo’s favourite colour?”

The young man was flustered after getting one question wrong, so he hesitantly answered, “R-Red?”

The director shook his head. “Wrong. She likes white.”

The young man’s whole face fell. He peeked anxiously to the side and caught a glimpse of Ah Luo’s smiling expression—then quickly turned his head away.

[Hahahahaha, now he’s scared! That expression is exactly how my kids look like when they’ve done something wrong. They always look so guilty!]

[I kind of feel bad for this little puppy… He’s totally being dominated by Big Sis Xin Luo.]

“What university did Xin Luo graduate from?”

“Uh… Capital Film Academy?”

“Wrong. It was the Central Academy of Drama.”

“Was Xin Luo’s first leading role Peerless Grace?”

“Yes?”

“Wrong again. It was Beauty Unrivalled. Last question…”

Before the director could finish, the young man slapped a hand over his face and slumped sideways. Since he and Ah Luo were sitting on the same couch, he fell straight onto her shoulder. He buried his head there and said in a muffled voice, “Huhuhu… please stop asking… If you keep going, Sister’s going to get mad at me…”

[He’s panicking, he’s so panicking, hahahahaha!]

[I’m dying laughing—Shen Xi: Please, stop saying ‘wrong.’ Sister’s smile is terrifying wuwuwu.]

However, the director was both merciless and unmoved. “Rules are rules. Final question: Has Xin Luo ever been in a relationship?”

Through the gap between his fingers, Shen Xi suddenly felt a soft hand threading gently through his hair, tenderly stroking his head.

The gesture was incredibly gentle, and yet for some reason, a chill ran down the back of his neck.

He sat up awkwardly, and the tips of his ears, hidden beneath his hair, quietly flushed red. He pressed his lips together, then murmured, “…Yes?”

[It’s over, it’s so over—I swear Lingshen’s doomed. He just handed over all five points! These were questions anyone who even slightly paid attention to our goddess could’ve answered, okay!?]

[This is what they mean when they say, “It’s not godlike enemies you should fear—it’s pig-like teammates.”]

[HAHAHAHAHA! The look in our goddess’s eyes! I’m just sitting here waiting for Shen Xi to get punished!]