The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

After returning from Zhuoye Xingchen’s house last night, Hai Ku began searching for an outfit to wear to the anime convention.

He had never attended an anime convention before and lacked knowledge in this area. To make sure he could go with confidence, Hai Ku even called out the system for help.

Lan Bai crossed his arms and looked at Hai Ku, who was browsing Taobao, with a conflicted expression. If he wasn’t mistaken, Hai Ku actually looked excited?

“What do you think about me wearing a cheongsam? My shoulders are a bit broader than a girl’s, so I can fill it out. I think I’d look really good in it.” Just looking at the pictures, Hai Ku was already eager to try it.

The phone he handed over displayed a cheongsam with a deep blue base color, embroidered with golden patterns that were difficult to decipher. Just from the image, it exuded the refined elegance of a noble lady. The fabric also appeared to be of decent quality in the enlarged picture, though it was uncertain how it would look in person.

Lan Bai stared at the cheongsam in silence for a while before looking at Hai Ku with a deep gaze. “This cheongsam is form-fitting. Are you planning to let everyone see your ‘big treasure’?”

Hai Ku was stunned for a moment before realizing what he meant, instantly feeling embarrassed. He rubbed his nose and let out an awkward laugh. “Haha… I almost forgot about that. Right, weren’t you an NPC in the game before? The female outfits in that game were so beautiful. Help me pick one that suits me, something that won’t make it obvious that I have a male physique. I don’t want to pad my chest.”

He directly handed his phone to Lan Bai and even tried to convince him. “If my fans accept the idea of me wearing women’s clothing, then we can finish this mission much faster.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Don’t forget why we came to this world. Isn’t it to make sure Haiku Shilan stays in the country obediently? It’s not like he actually wants to go abroad.” Throwing Lan Bai a determined look, Hai Ku started flattering him. “Your taste is so good; your sense of fashion is impeccable; you’ll definitely pick out the perfect dress for me!”

Lan Bai felt a slight stir in his heart. Although he still looked disgusted on the surface, the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his true thoughts.

Opening the Taobao search bar, Lan Bai began analyzing carefully. “With your current body shape, there are actually a lot of outfits you can wear. The key is to cover the chest and hip areas since those are the most obvious differences from a girl’s body.”

Hai Ku nodded along as he listened. Under Lan Bai’s meticulous selection, they chose a mid-length lace dress with ruffled edges.

The dress was made of chiffon, with layered lace on the upper body that cleverly concealed the absence of a bust. The hollowed-out ruffled sleeves covered his slightly broad shoulders, while the high-waisted design accentuated a slim waist. The skirt extended just above the ankles, leaving no exposed legs. It perfectly highlighted the right features while concealing others.

At 1.7 meters tall, Hai Ku wouldn’t look short in this long dress. Considering how much walking would be involved at the convention, pairing it with simple white sneakers would make him appear completely like a “girl.”

“As for the wig, I think a medium-length one should be fine. It’ll definitely be hot that day, and long hair would be stifling.” After picking the dress, Hai Ku personally selected a wig that matched the outfit. Only after receiving Lan Bai’s approval did he place the order.

With everything arranged, Hai Ku felt he should start laying some groundwork.

The next day, when he went live, Hai Ku subtly hinted at his plans to attend the convention.

Since he had never revealed his face during his streams, many fans were incredibly curious about his real appearance. Moreover, plenty of them were planning to attend the convention as well. The moment he mentioned it, the comment section exploded with excitement.

After finishing his usual stream, Hai Ku leisurely logged off.

Lately, his follower count had increased significantly, with many being new fans who were particularly active in the beginning. Hai Ku hadn’t turned off private messages, so he had received all kinds of confessions. However, he only looked at them and never replied.

He felt that replying to one while ignoring another would be unfair, so he chose to read but not respond.

***

Ever since Mu Xiaoya scolded him, she had been silent. Hai Ku thought she would quiet down for a while, but unexpectedly, early the next morning, Zhuoye Xingchen sent him screenshots of Mu Xiaoya exposing her own alternate account.

[Zhuoye Xingchen: What should we do? If your alternate account gets discovered… [Screenshot] [Screenshot]]

[[Yaran Tianxin: Great Gaming God, I wasn’t lying to you yesterday. Look, this is Haiku Shilan’s alternate account. His Photoshop skills are seriously amazing. And look at all the men confessing to him in the comments; he hasn’t replied to a single one. If his fans find out, it’ll be chaos. You should stay away from him.]]

The second screenshot clearly displayed Hai Ku’s alternate account username.

At this point, it was unclear whether Mu Xiaoya did it out of jealousy or simply to warn Zhuoye Xingchen. But one thing was certain; Hai Ku needed to act fast. Otherwise, before he could reveal it himself, the pictures from his alternate account would already be circulating everywhere.

[Haiku Shilan: It’s fine. I was planning to reveal it myself anyway. I just don’t want her to be the one to do it. The dress is already bought. I’ll find a time to stream in it.]

[Zhuoye Xingchen: Why is she doing this? Isn’t she supposed to be your best friend?]

[Haiku Shilan: Maybe because she can’t outshine me. After all, once I step out in a dress and wave my hand, the line of handsome guys will stretch all the way to the restroom~]

Mu Xiaoya had always despised cross-dressing. In the original plot, she had even benefited from Haiku Shilan, as he had carried her in the game for 6 months. So when she later shifted her attention to the male lead, she exposed Haiku Shilan’s cross-dressing secret.

However, the development of the storyline had already changed, so it was possible that some events would happen earlier than expected.

Mu Xiaoya probably thought that since Haiku Shilan had the chance to stream with Zhuoye Xingchen, then she naturally had a chance too.

Perhaps Haiku Shilan would be kicked out, and she would take his place instead.

Honestly, this kind of mentality had a strong resemblance to early cliché web novels; her thinking was far too simplistic.

Even though Hai Ku hadn’t said a word about it, the female lead still found out that he was going to the anime convention.

It had been a long time since Mu Xiaoya had seen Haiku Shilan. She actually felt a bit conflicted about it. The last time she rejected him had been 3 years ago. She only remembered that Haiku Shilan had looked quite good; exactly her type, but unfortunately, his interests were just too strange.

After Haiku Shilan graduated, they had kept in touch through WeChat and phone calls. Over the past 3 years, Mu Xiaoya’s memory of his appearance had become blurry.

She wanted to attend the anime convention mainly because Zhuoye Xingchen was performing there. Since they had at least chatted once, she figured that if she went, she might even get his contact information. Holding onto this hope, Mu Xiaoya bought a ticket for the event.

She found out that Haiku Shilan was also going completely by chance; she had discovered it while “stalking” his Weibo.

Normally, she never contacted him when she had nothing to do. She had even just argued with him a few days ago, so she was torn about whether to go with him.

But when she thought about it, Haiku Shilan was still the one who was more familiar with Zhuoye Xingchen. If she followed him, her chances of meeting Zhuoye Xingchen would be much higher.

With that in mind, Mu Xiaoya reached out to Hai Ku once again.

***

The anime convention would last for 2 days, and Hai Ku had already booked a hotel. It was a double room, and he would be sharing it with Zhuoye Xingchen. This time, his backpack was filled entirely with women’s clothing. However, since it was their first meeting, he had to make a stunning impression, so he planned to wear the dress that Lan Bai had picked out for him.

That dress was more on the casual side, which might not completely match the usual aesthetic of an anime convention, but since he was arriving a day early, it was actually just right.

Inside his backpack, he had also packed two cosplay dresses he had rented; both with a fairy-tale theme. One was a Snow White dress, and the other was a modified version of Little Red Riding Hood’s outfit. Both had a slightly everyday feel to them, without heavy props or overly elaborate makeup.

While he was on the way, after finishing his preparations, he finally noticed a message from Mu Xiaoya.

Her tone was still as arrogant as ever, as if she assumed Hai Ku was madly in love with her.

[Mu Xiaoya: Hey… I saw you’re going to the anime convention too? I just happen to be going as well. How about we meet at the entrance? I have a lot of stuff to carry. When are you heading out? I’ll probably arrive at the hotel a little after 8:00.]

Hai Ku hesitated for a moment, his finger hovering over the delete button, when the driver’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.

“Miss, a lot of people are heading to that XXX place today. I’ve already made several trips. Is there some kind of event going on? I see all of you carrying backpacks.”

“Ahem…” Lowering his voice slightly, Hai Ku chuckled. “Yeah, there’s an anime convention happening there for the next 2 days. A lot of people are going.”

Haiku Shilan didn’t smoke or drink. Since he occasionally role-played different personalities during his game streams, he had learned to do a bit of voice acting. Although he couldn’t produce a high-pitched, childlike voice, he could pull off a mature, sultry one perfectly.

“I see, no wonder. But you’re so pretty; why aren’t you going with someone? Crowded places like that are the easiest spots for perverts to show up. You should be careful.”

“Thanks, driver~” Hai Ku grinned even more brightly.

Since Zhuoye Xingchen was a guest performer, he had already arrived the day before to familiarize himself with the venue. When Hai Ku was almost there, he finally sent Zhuoye Xingchen a message, casually mentioning that Mu Xiaoya was planning to go with him.

[Zhuoye Xingchen: !!!!!! She actually has the nerve to ask you to take her?]

[Haiku Shilan: It’s fine. Didn’t I tell you? She can’t out-flirt me.]

[Zhuoye Xingchen: …Alright. I’ll wait for you at the entrance at 10:30?]

[Haiku Shilan: Yeah, I’m almost there. Let’s see if you can recognize me.]

[Zhuoye Xingchen: Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just wearing women’s clothes, not getting plastic surgery. How could I not recognize you?]

Hai Ku didn’t respond; he simply smiled and typed rapidly, [Just wait and see. I’m about to arrive. I’ll call you in a bit.]

After sending that, he switched over to message Mu Xiaoya.

[Haiku Shilan: I’ll be at the entrance in about 10 minutes. Zhuoye Xingchen is coming to pick me up. If you want to go together, wait for me there.]

After sending that message, Hai Ku didn’t reply anymore. He estimated that he had about 10 minutes left before reaching his destination and wanted to let his eyes rest for a bit.

Mu Xiaoya had arrived earlier than Hai Ku. When she saw the message he had sent her, she was so angry that she nearly ground her teeth to dust.

She was a girl, yet she had never received such good treatment. Why did Haiku Shilan deserve it?

He had effortlessly latched onto Zhuoye Xingchen’s thigh and soared straight to the top, while she remained stuck at the bottom of the pit, unable to climb up no matter how hard she tried.

After fuming for a while, she finally caught onto the key point; Zhuoye Xingchen would be coming out soon. Letting go of her frustration, she put down her luggage, took out her compact powder, and quickly touched up her makeup.

***

The weather today was overcast, with thick clouds covering the sky, but it wasn’t particularly gloomy. In fact, it was quite a pleasant day.

Mu Xiaoya was wearing a pink dress with two buns tied on her head, giving her a bit of a Lolita-style look.

She had already recorded a few short videos earlier, and by the time her phone was almost out of battery, she received Hai Ku’s message. With no other choice, she pulled out her power bank and started charging her phone.

Sitting on her suitcase, Mu Xiaoya scanned the passing crowds, trying to spot Hai Ku among them.

The driver pulled up across from the venue and stopped the car.

“Miss, is it okay to stop here? There’s too many people at the entrance, and I might have trouble maneuvering the car. If you get out here, you can just walk across the street.”

“That’s fine.” Mu Xiaoya nodded, got out of the car, grabbed her suitcase, and then paid the fare. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re welcome. Have fun!” The driver’s mood improved when he saw a pretty girl.

Hai Ku quickly sent a message to Zhuoye Xingchen before putting his phone away and crossing the street.

Before he even reached them, Hai Ku spotted Zhuoye Xingchen from a distance; along with Mu Xiaoya standing beside him.

Pulling his small suitcase behind him, Hai Ku curled his lips into a smile. It seemed like everyone was finally here.

“Master…” Mu Xiaoya batted her eyes playfully, her cheeks slightly flushed. If she hadn’t looked carefully, she wouldn’t have recognized that the masked man in front of her was Zhuoye Xingchen. Luckily, she had spent the entire night studying the pictures of him that had been posted from the convention.

People always said that pictures and real-life appearances could differ, especially since convention pictures were often heavily edited. However, Mu Xiaoya felt that Zhuoye Xingchen looked even more handsome in person; exactly like the image she had envisioned in her mind.

Her cheeks reddened as she lowered her head, putting on a shy, demure expression. “I’m Yaran Tianxin~ Do you remember me?”

Zhuoye Xingchen: “…”

Already feeling irritated and unsure how to respond, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from nearby.

“Hi~ How are you all~?”

The first thing his eyes landed on was a pair of white sneakers. Upon hearing that voice, Zhuoye Xingchen felt like he had found his savior. He turned his head excitedly, but the words he had been about to say got stuck in his throat; he couldn’t get a single syllable out.

His eyes widened in shock as he opened his mouth slightly, his mind going completely blank. The voice was unmistakably familiar, but… who’s this beautiful woman?

Mu Xiaoya was also stunned. She had no idea who the woman standing in front of them was.