The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

He had no idea what he was so excited about.

When they exited the game, Hai Ku couldn’t help but remind him, “You need to understand that the game enhances appearances by 40%. What you see in the game doesn’t necessarily represent how she looks in the real world.”

In this game’s setting, some companies had developed a beauty-enhancement feature to attract female players to play this puzzle-solving game.

The facts proved that after introducing this feature, female players increased by 30%. This success led to the addition of various features in later stages, such as outfit customization and one-click makeup application, which became an instant favorite for many women.

After the number of female players equaled that of male players, some companies even developed a companion feature, utilizing every possible method to their advantage.

You had to admire the business acumen of this game company; they truly understood the psychological traits of both genders.

However, Lan Bai couldn’t be convinced. His tone was filled with disdain as he said, “How could my goddess possibly use the beauty-enhancement feature? With her straightforward personality, she’d definitely present herself in her most ordinary appearance.”

Hearing that, Hai Ku couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. But the saying ‘a person won’t turn back until they hit a dead end’ wasn’t without merit. He figured that once Lan Bai met her in real life, he would probably give up, so Hai Ku decided not to say more.

After returning to the real world, Hai Ku discovered that the game connection device was merely a simple headset, which, in a way, saved space.

Gradually acclimating to the information from the real world, Hai Ku was surprised to learn that his identity was merely that of a recent university graduate.

After graduating, he directly stayed at the place where he had interned. Just last week, he had officially transitioned to a permanent position. One of his former dorm mates had also stayed on, and the two shared a rental, looking out for each other.

When a teacup-sized rabbit appeared in his palm, Hai Ku genuinely felt that this world was surreal. Even NPCs could enter the real world.

But everything served the plot. If an NPC could fall in love with the female lead, then entering the real world wasn’t something to be surprised about.

Just as he sat up, the door to his room burst open. His roommate entered with a grin. “Hai Ku, are you going to Z University to attend the lecture? I heard Professor So is giving a free talk there.”

“We’ve already graduated from university, and you still want to attend a lecture?” Hai Ku placed the rabbit on the desk and tidied his messy clothes.

His roommate walked over with a cheeky grin and plopped himself down in Hai Ku’s office chair. “Don’t say that. Attending the lecture isn’t just about the lecture. Back in college, we didn’t date properly, and now there aren’t many girls at our workplace. If we don’t take this chance to meet someone at the university, when will we ever get a girlfriend?”

This comment directly revealed his intentions. His roommate genuinely looked like someone eager to get into a relationship.

Hai Ku originally wanted to refuse, but the system immediately reminded him that the female lead was at that university.

Finding one girl in an entire university was a challenging task. Yet, holding the rabbit, Hai Ku inexplicably felt confident.

With male supporting characters around, how could I not encounter the female lead?

Thus, he decided to go.

***

At events like these large-scale lectures, only a few people truly paid attention. To make attendance look good, the lectures were open to the public. If turnout was still insufficient, each class would be asked to send representatives.

By the time they entered, the place was already packed. Finding a spot in a corner, Hai Ku sat down and watched his roommate sneak over to where more girls were gathered.

Hai Ku placed the rabbit on the table, propped his chin on his hand, and looked at the crowded space around him. Deep down, he felt uncertain.

“Hello, is this seat taken?”

He looked up to see a girl with a pure and innocent appearance tilting her head as she asked him. She looked somewhat familiar.

Yet, there was something about her that didn’t quite match the impression he had.

The description of the female lead in the game painted her as pure and adorable. However, with the game’s 40% beauty-enhancement filter, her purity and cuteness transformed into a blend of sultry charm and innocence, exuding an alluring charisma. Her enchanting gaze carried a captivating quality. In short, all the “attribute points” seemed to have been maxed out.

In the real world, her pure and cute demeanor was further amplified because the male lead had already fallen deeply in love with her. The saying ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ applied perfectly here. As long as Bing Jingxue had even a fraction of her in-game appearance, the male lead would perceive her as absolutely stunning.

“Is this seat already taken?” Bing Jingxue frowned slightly, her tone soft and pitiful, as if she were truly upset.

Hai Ku shook his head. “No, it’s not. You can sit.”

Relieved, Bing Jingxue sat down without hesitation.

“Your rabbit is so cute! I caught a rabbit when I played that game before, but now I don’t even know where I left it. Thinking about it, I kind of regret it. Oh, by the way, that game has been really popular lately. I bet you’ve played it too. Look, this one!” Bing Jingxue eagerly pulled up a page on her phone and showed Hai Ku the game’s promotional image.

Hai Ku nodded slightly, unsure why she was so enthusiastic.

With a sigh, Bing Jingxue tilted her head and said, “I’ve never seen you around campus before. You’re not a student here, are you?”

“No, I’ve already graduated.” Hai Ku curved his lips into a faint smile, his heart already beginning to suspect something. He truly felt his luck today was exceptional.

Fortunately, his gamble had paid off. Where male supporting characters gathered, the female lead was bound to appear. With himself and the rabbit, that made two supporting characters, enough to summon the female lead.

Perhaps because they were strangers in the real world, or maybe because this was reality, Bing Jingxue’s demeanor appeared genuinely pure and adorable.

It was completely different from the arrogance and overbearing attitude she displayed in the game. Here, she seemed like a lively and lovable young woman.

“No wonder I haven’t seen you before. If someone as handsome as you were on our campus, you’d definitely be at least a little famous,” she teased, winking playfully. Bing Jingxue had a natural warmth toward good-looking people.

The characters in the game were all quite attractive, but that was due to the beauty-enhancement feature. Without it, who knew what they really looked like?

However, as Bing Jingxue studied Hai Ku’s profile, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

“You…”

“Chirp–” Bing Jingxue’s question was abruptly interrupted. Lan Bai hopped forward, moving closer to Bing Jingxue. The rabbit’s red eyes, now resembling those of an ordinary rabbit, stared intently at her. Who knew what was going through its mind?

Believing herself to be especially favored by small animals, Bing Jingxue gently stroked the rabbit’s back. She dismissed her earlier thoughts; How could the world be so small? There was no way my in-game enemy could be sitting right next to me in real life.

“My name is Ouyang Jingxue. What’s your name?”

“Chirp chirp chirp!” Lan Bai’s little rabbit heart was filled with despair. His instincts told him this was his goddess, yet her face screamed otherwise; This isn’t what my goddess is supposed to look like!

“Your little rabbit is quite lively,” Bing Jingxue remarked awkwardly. People always said rabbits only made sounds when they were frightened; under normal circumstances, they were silent. Yet, this rabbit had chirped three times at her.

Quietly pulling Lan Bai back, Hai Ku patted the rabbit on the head. His unspoken message was clear: ‘Brother, this is your goddess.’

Lan Bai: “…”

“The game you’re playing; I’m playing it too. And, as a matter of coincidence, we even know each other in the game.” Mimicking her head tilt, Hai Ku gave a playful smile. His face, more striking than even the female lead’s, carried a teasing expression. “My game ID is Hai Ku.”

The smile on Bing Jingxue’s face froze. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.

However, Hai Ku had already achieved his goal. Holding the rabbit, he stood up and chuckled softly. “The world is so small. It’s such bad luck to run into you again.”

Bing Jingxue watched as he walked away, her embarrassed smile still plastered on her face. Her tightly clenched fists dug into her palms. Biting her lip, the embarrassment on her face gradually turned to anger. She felt that he had humiliated her once again.

***

When they returned to the dormitory, Lan Bai instantly transformed into his human form.

He had been dealt a massive blow on the way back. He simply couldn’t imagine how his goddess had turned out like this.

“Why do you look almost the same as you do in the game, but my goddess looks like a completely different person?” Lan Bai glared at Hai Ku, utterly unable to accept the truth.

Shrugging helplessly, Hai Ku felt just as innocent. “I only used 5% of the beauty-enhancement filter. That’s the system’s default setting. Your goddess, however, used 40%. Do you know what 40% means? It’s practically a face transplant!”

It had all started with love at first sight because of her looks. Later, feelings had developed, so her appearance didn’t matter as much. But now, with the truth exposed so suddenly, Lan Bai couldn’t handle the shock of his first-love goddess “dying” so quickly.

Not wanting to crush him further, Hai Ku quietly watched as Lan Bai slumped over the computer desk, looking utterly dejected.

“There are so many beautiful girls out there. Why did you have to fall for her?” Hai Ku muttered. If the male lead fell for the female lead, it would make sense; it was essential for the plot. Even if it were a ‘cast iron pot paired with a diamond lid,’ the author could write it convincingly.

But for an NPC to fall in love with the female lead…

Hai Ku realized he had forgotten too much about the storyline and couldn’t help flipping through the chapters again.

This time, he didn’t start from the beginning. Instead, he skipped straight to the ending, the scene where the female lead and male lead left the game and got married in real life.

The game world had lasted 2 years. By then, the female lead had graduated from university, and the male lead had successfully taken over his family’s company, bringing her home to meet his family.

The day before the wedding, the male lead invited all his brothers out for a drink to celebrate his impending marriage.

When all the brothers were drunk, the male lead learned that every single one of them had secretly been in love with Bing Jingxue. However, they all chose to let go because they believed he was the best choice for her.

Hai Ku: …

Was this universally loved female lead some kind of human currency?

“Arghhhhhh!” Lan Bai slammed the table, startling Hai Ku. With a voice full of despair, he shouted, “Hurry up! Log into the game! I’m taking you to clear it!”

Overwhelmed by the blow, Lan Bai no longer wanted to stay there. He just wanted to return to his world.