I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 59

[Entertainment Insider: Today’s gossip.

Everyone’s probably watched that currently super popular living-together reality show, right? The show’s hit pairing—the goddess-tier traffic magnet and her puppy—has new developments. After the show ended, the goddess joined Director Liu’s crew. According to an insider from the set, the puppy also followed her to the crew and is currently making a guest appearance in the drama. It’s said he even paused his livestreaming activities for this.

The puppy comes from a wealthy background—the opportunity this time was arranged by his family—so it’s pretty clear he’s seriously into her. Word is he’s still pursuing her, and the goddess’s attitude seems ambiguous too. There’s a definite vibe of fake becoming real—maybe something good will come of it?]

[Ah Min: Oh my god, is this for real? Weren’t they just acting? How could XL go for it with that kind of age gap?]

[Big Sis is Light: Is the poster telling the truth?! OMG, the couple I ship might actually be real!!!]

[Let’s Go, Star Chasers: This is way too obvious. This post is clearly talking about Xin Luo and Shen Xi. I had a feeling back when I watched the show. Shen Xi is young and has no dating experience—it’s totally believable he’d take it seriously.]

[Meow Meow Loves Luoluo: I watched the show too. Even though the puppy is quite charming, I don’t feel like he and Sister Luo are a good match. Fun for the show, sure, but in real life, guys like that are probably pretty immature, right?]

[Gossip Veteran Auntie: You’re seriously looking down on the puppy? He’s not even complaining about your goddess’s age, that alone is decent of him. Also, who’s to say XL isn’t just playing around? If she really wanted a relationship, would her backer even allow it?]

[What A Big Round Ball: Wait wait wait—what backer? Someone explain!]

[All-Day Smiles: Isn’t this common knowledge? XL signed with Xingchen Entertainment at 18, and all these years, they’ve only ever promoted her. Why? Plus, she’s never had any scandals, never got close to any male celebs, and at 26 still claims she’s never dated? You expect me to believe there’s nothing fishy going on?]

[Sparkly Mascot: I’ve heard that rumour too. Some even say Xingchen Entertainment was founded just for XL. The backer’s got to be truly devoted.]

[Coco from the Luo Fam: Spreading rumours is still illegal, you know. Our goddess is clean as a whistle. Xingchen promotes her because she’s worth it. Have they made anyone else famous in all these years? And as for the ‘backer,’ that’s pure fiction. Hands off our goddess—she’s not interested in anything like that!]

Early that morning, Ah Luo received a message from Sister Pei—a text with a screenshot of the above Weibo post embedded in it.

[Sister Pei: Xin Luo, how could you not tell me something this big? I really don’t get it. You’ve been in the entertainment industry for eight years now. How could you make such a rookie mistake? Do you realise how damaging a romance scandal can be for a female celebrity’s career? I’ve been swamped lately — things are at a critical point on Rong Shan’s side—so you’ll need to be extra careful. Don’t give anyone a chance to catch you out. You’ve worked so hard to get this far; don’t throw it all away overnight.”]

[Sister Pei: And CEO Xu has also heard about it. He’s pretty upset. Try to find a chance to apologise to him.]

Ah Luo glanced at the messages but didn’t respond.

The young man sitting beside her leaned over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Hm?” Ah Luo turned to look at him.

The young man’s long, slender fingers gently tapped the corner of her eye. “Sister, you look upset.”

Ah Luo gave a light smile. “It’s nothing. Just saw a comment from a troll.”

Shen Xi studied her closely. Seeing her mood really didn’t seem too bad, he didn’t press the issue. He just pulled out his phone and said, “If you’re upset, let’s play a game, Sis. I’ll carry you~”

Gaming was Shen Xi’s favourite thing and his biggest strength. For him, any kind of unhappiness could be washed away by the joy of a good game.

Ever since Ah Luo discovered that random ID player, she had occasionally played with him too—usually during breaks in filming, when both of them were resting.

They’d even set up an in-game couple status. Showing off their relationship while sporting the couple badge in the game brought them a little emotional comfort, easing the frustration of not being able to go public in real life.

As the match started, they picked a pair of couple heroes and headed to the bottom lane together. Shen Xi’s gameplay was insanely good, and it didn’t take long for him to dominate the lane, frustrating the enemy’s AD to the point of yelling in the all-chat about how they were showing off their love and how the enemy’s AD wished they’d just die off already.

By the late game, the enemy team realised Shen Xi was the real powerhouse on their side. All five opponents ganged up to try and corner the pair. However, Shen Xi soloed them in a dazzling display of skill—a penta-kill combo with seven ins and outs—barely escaping with a sliver of health and securing a pentakill. The screen lit up with a flood of [666].

Ah Luo happily trailed behind him and collected assists. The opposing players didn’t even try to touch her. Once, the enemy jungler did manage to kill her—and Shen Xi immediately hunted him down five times in a row, until the guy was too scared to even leave base. After that, no one dared to go near Ah Luo again.

It had to be said, gaming really was a lot of fun—especially when you had a skilled teammate carrying you. Who wouldn’t enjoy being a freeloader and coasting to victory?

After they finished a match, the director called Ah Luo back to set to continue filming. Shen Xi didn’t have many scenes, so he spent most of his time off to the side watching. Even so, he didn’t have much left to shoot—just another three to five days and he’d be done.

Once filming was over, Shen Xi wouldn’t be able to stay with the production crew any longer.

As the moment of separation drew closer, the young man grew increasingly clingy, almost as if he were suffering from touch deprivation. He still managed to hold back a little in front of others, but once they were alone, his restraint fell away entirely.

Ah Luo understood. After all, he was a young man in the prime of youth, and this was his first relationship—of course he was going to be a bit clingy.

At night, Shen Xi would sometimes sneak into her room. Most of the time, they’d snuggle up together and play games, or engage in the kind of intimate interactions couples often shared.

But no matter how swept up they got in the moment, Shen Xi always managed to slam the brakes just in time, reining himself in with difficulty.

In the stillness of the room, only the sound of faint, suppressed breathing could be heard. Ah Luo leaned back against the sofa as a fuzzy head nestled against her neck. She lifted a hand and gently stroked the young man’s slightly wavy chestnut hair.

Shen Xi’s hair was fine and soft, like lamb’s wool. It felt wonderful to the touch.

“Lele, how about… you don’t go back tonight?” His breath was hot against her skin, and seeing him like this made Ah Luo’s heart melt in spite of herself.

However, Shen Xi shook his head and raised his head from the crook of her neck. His ears were bright red, and his long lashes were hanging low. A faint flush tinged the corners of his eyes, and a soft sheen of light glimmered in his dark pupils.

“I can’t. I haven’t married you yet. I can’t do that.” His voice was hoarse—gone was his usual clear, youthful tone.

He was too good. Ah Luo’s heart melted into a puddle as she murmured softly, “Things aren’t like that anymore. People don’t place so much importance on it these days.”

But the boy still shook his head, and said earnestly, “But Sister, I don’t know what the future holds. I can’t promise with certainty that we’ll definitely stay together. No one can predict what might happen. I’m afraid that if we do this now, and something unexpected happened later, it would hurt you. Only once you’ve become my wife—only when I can take responsibility for your whole life—will I truly make you mine.”

His gaze was so firm, so sincere, so clear that Ah Luo couldn’t detect the slightest hint of falsehood in it. All she could see was the unreserved sincerity of a teenaged young man.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted the corners of her lips. In the warmth of his gaze, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Alright then. I’ll wait for you to come and marry me.”

That kiss, and that promise—together, they made Shen Xi’s already-red ears flush down to his cheeks. He almost couldn’t stop himself from slapping his own face out of sheer shyness.

He buried his face in her shoulder again, breathing in the scent of her hair, and said huskily, “Sister, when can we go public? I really want the whole world to know you’re my girlfriend.”

“Not yet,” Ah Luo sighed. “Right now is the best time for a female arist like me. The company wouldn’t allow it.”

It wasn’t as though she didn’t want to make their relationship public. It just wasn’t the right time.

Shen Xi’s muffled voice came out pitifully. “I heard your company’s really small and rundown. They’re just treating you like a cash cow. Why don’t you come to my family’s company? I swear, if you do, you’ll get the very best treatment!”

After they’d started dating, Shen Xi had been completely open with her about his background—he hadn’t hidden a thing. His family’s entertainment company was called Brilliant Stars, and just like its name, it had launched countless top-tier celebrities in the domestic entertainment industry. It was a true industry giant.

Although Shen Xi didn’t personally take part in managing the company, he held a sizable amount of shares—so his words weren’t empty talk.

At his suggestion, Ah Luo paused for a moment, then said, “I’ll think about it.”

The day Shen Xi had to leave came quickly. Ah Luo accompanied him all the way to the gates of the filming lot. The boy looked at her with big, reluctant eyes, glancing back with every few steps as he walked away—comically reluctant to part.

Ah Luo was reluctant too. But life wasn’t just about love—she had her career, and the young man did as well.

During his time with the crew, Shen Xi had even skipped livestreaming, to the point where his fans were starting to stir up a fuss.

Not long after she saw him off, Ah Luo received a message on WeChat.

[CEO Xu: Xin Luo, come to Haimingju tonight. Let’s have dinner together.]

Without hesitation, Ah Luo replied, [Okay.]

The city at night was ablaze with neon lights. Ah Luo, wearing a face mask and a hat with her body wrapped up tightly, arrived alone at Haimingju, a high-end private club.

She pushed open the private room door. Inside, there was only one man in a suit—a middle-aged man sitting leisurely on the sofa, head down as he prepared tea with practiced elegance.

“CEO Xu,” Ah Luo said as she walked over and sat down across from him.

Only then did Xu Dongzhou look up and offer her a smile.

He had an unremarkable face, and was slightly overweight, not much different from any other middle-aged man one might see on the street. His only distinguishing trait was his overly kind-looking expression. When he smiled, he gave off the air of a harmless, affable man.

But Ah Luo knew full well—Xu Dongzhou was anything but a good man.

“Xin Luo,” he said. He poured out two cups of tea, placed one in front of himself, and pushed the other towards her. “All these years, I’ve treated you fairly well, haven’t I?”

Ah Luo didn’t take the tea. She just looked at him.

Xu Dongzhou didn’t mind. He simply set the cup down and said unhurriedly, “Our company’s resources have always been prioritised for you. Pei Shuang is such a capable agent, and she’s always been assigned to you alone. You’ve taken whatever projects you wanted—I’ve never forced you into anything. Just last month you wanted a break, and I let you rest properly. And don’t forget, back in the day—”

“CEO Xu,” Ah Luo suddenly cut him off. “There’s no need for pleasantries. If you’ve got something to say, you can say it plainly.”