Deeply Affectionate Male Supporting Character Topped the Protagonist 1

Chapter 1: Deeply Affectionate Male Supporting Character

“Whoosh!”

The long arrow cut through the air, aimed at the bullseye.

The rush of air brushed past his ear, lifting a strand of slightly long, curled black hair.

Unlike many others, he drew the bow with his left hand, the bones distinct, slender, and powerful.

The student, having watched for two hours, finally couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked: “Coach, are you left-handed?”

“No.” Xi Leng’s eyes flickered for a moment, but his voice remained calm and steady. “I only shoot with my left hand; my right hand can’t be used for extended periods. An old injury, not a big problem, doesn’t affect daily life.”

His explanation was brief but airtight, and the student was surprised to find that he couldn’t find an opening to continue questioning.

As an archery coach, Xi Leng was dedicated and responsible, but also politely distant: “The lesson ends here. Next time, you have to try more on your own, don’t just watch me demonstrate.”

“Off work, off work! Where are we eating tonight?”

“It’s so stuffy, is it going to rain?”

“Hey, the weather forecast says there’s a thunderstorm tonight, take an umbrella!”

The atmosphere was lively at the end of the workday, colleagues reminding and caring for each other, a harmonious scene.

Xi Leng only quietly brushed past them, his body light. He thought for a moment, carefully placed his hard-won precious Min Zhi photocard into his wallet, slipped it into a plastic bag for waterproofing, then tucked the whole thing into his trouser pocket and covered it with his shirt, so even if it suddenly rained, it wouldn’t be affected much.

This was a birthday gift he’d prepared for his childhood friend, Luo Jiayan. Luo Jiayan had been Min Zhi’s diehard fan since before his debut.

Outside the archery range, the sky was inky dark, layers of heavy, dark clouds like lead-filled black cement.

Rush hour traffic was congested. Two drivers on the roadside had gotten into some kind of conflict and were actually brawling in public, every punch landing, scaring nearby pedestrians away.

It took a while for Xi Leng to snap back to reality, and he immediately quickened his pace to leave, but the haunting auditory hallucinations still caught up to him, buzzing chaotically. The man’s angry shouts and curses accompanied the heavy blows, bang, bang, bang, making his vision black, ears ringing, and a coppery taste rising in his throat.

He gasped, pulling himself out of the hallucinations, the scene before him not the closed apartment building, not his father using him as a punching bag in a rage, but the bustling streets.

He subconsciously touched his throat.

The high collar of his black shirt protected his throat, and beneath the thin layer of fabric, there was a faint, raised scar.

Cold sweat trickled down his pale jaw, dripping onto his fingertips.

The phone in his pocket had been vibrating for who knows how long, and on the screen, a name that instantly calmed his emotions was displayed.

—Jiayan.

Xi Leng steadied his breathing and pressed the answer button. A clear and bright male voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of coquettish complaint: “The busy man finally answers the phone?”

Xi Leng looked at the traffic, remaining silent.

Without needing him to reply, Luo Jiayan chattered like a little sparrow, continuing on his own: “Ah Zhao, are you in the car yet? Just waiting for you. Hurry up, hurry up, I’m waiting for you to blow out the candles and cut the cake together. I’ve guarded the biggest piece, you have to reward me! Come quickly!”

The corners of Xi Leng’s mouth lifted slightly, the dark clouds in his heart dispersed by the familiar voice. Today was Luo Jiayan’s 25th birthday.

They had spent their middle school years in the same school, the same class, and had known each other for more than ten years.

Xi Leng touched the carefully wrapped Min Zhi photocard in his pocket. He was on his way to celebrate Luo Jiayan’s birthday.

Luo Jiayan’s voice was cheerful on the phone.

Outside the call, the lights were beginning to twinkle.

Across the road, a large poster of a celebrity hung on the wall of a shopping mall.

In the bottom right corner of the poster were the large words “Spokesperson: Luo Jiayan”. The boy’s smile was gentle, his almond-shaped eyes clear and bright, sparkling like stars, just like the impression given by the voice on the phone.

Sunny, warm, bright, dazzling, cheerful, pure.

All antonyms of him.

“Ah, okay…I’m coming!” Luo Jiayan had many friends, the phone was noisy, he was overwhelmed, and had to say goodbye to Xi Leng first: “Then I’ll hang up, waiting for you, Ah Zhao.”

Xi Leng didn’t hang up immediately, keeping the warm metal against his ear, supporting him as he stepped into the flow of traffic.

The receiver was still filled with rustling noises, not very clear.

Suddenly, a slightly distant voice said: “Put the cake down! Don’t eat it!”

It was muffled, but he could recognize Luo Jiayan’s voice.

“I bought it, I can’t eat it?” Another man’s indifferent voice, seemingly amused, “Are you going to feed it to your number one simp again, Young Master?”

Another, calmer voice joined in: “That’s right, Jiayan, don’t associate with riffraff.”

Luo Jiayan paused, probably realizing they were talking about Xi Leng. More than anger, there was incomprehension: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Jiayan, a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall, I remember telling you this.”

Unexpectedly, the topic about Xi Leng had just begun.

The calm male voice continued persuasively: “Young Master, you are different.”

“You can choose to lower your standards, but that person, in this lifetime, can’t even reach your starting point. Your personalities, the circles you interact with, your daily habits… In my opinion, breaking it off early is an act of kindness.”

“He’s good to you, but his goodness is cheap, inefficient, and worthless.”

“Moreover, Jiayan, you are a big star now; you need to pay attention to more things…”

Amidst the chaotic chatter and laughter, Luo Jiayan seemed to say something.

Xi Leng strained to pick out his voice.

However—Beep!

A sharp car horn drowned out the muffled voices on the phone, beeping again and again.

Xi Leng pressed his forehead irritably, his mind unsettled, and the chaotic auditory hallucinations returned once more.

Beep, beep, beep! Bang, bang, bang!

The last thing on the phone was Luo Jiayan’s panicked voice: “Damn, I didn’t hang up…”

On the rush-hour streets, vehicles flowed endlessly, coming and going in a hurry.

The tall young man was submerged in the crowd, becoming an insignificant dot.

Thunder rumbled, heavy rain poured down –hua la la– drowning the entire world.

[Translator’s Note: “Hua la la” is an onomatopoeia for heavy rain, similar to “whoosh” or “splash”.]

The sudden downpour threw the peak-hour traffic into chaos, anxious horns and shouts rising and falling.

Holding the disconnected phone, he looked up in a daze.

Salty rainwater fell into his eyes, also a gloomy leaden gray.

Bang!

A muffled sound, the familiar smell of iron filled his nostrils, instantly invading his senses.

Clatter!

The phone slipped from his hand, flew far away, and was crushed into tiny fragments by a speeding car.

The young man’s body traced a beautiful parabola in the air, crashing heavily to the ground, his black hair scattered messily across his face.

Luo Jiayan was extremely anxious: “Ah Zhao, Ah Zhao? Are you still listening? Hello?”

Beep—Beep—Beep—

“Ah Zhao, Ah Zhao…”

Amidst the incessant, mournful calls, Xi Leng’s eyelids trembled slightly, opening a narrow slit.

Luo Jiayan was sobbing uncontrollably, his face streaked with tears, fragile and vulnerable, supported by his friends as he stood by the bed.

It hurts.

But he couldn’t make a sound.

Xi Leng laboriously rolled his eyes, seeing the oxygen mask on his face, with his weak breaths, a thin layer of white mist formed and dissipated.

Like a fleeting montage before death, past memories flashed like fading film frames, dim and dark, overlapping in his mind, replaying like a nightmare.

His mother’s early death, his father’s gambling and domestic violence, even his once inseparable younger brother had cut ties with him.

Yet, a ray of warm light poured in.

Luo Jiayan was the only light in his barren and dark life.

It was probably five years ago that he realized he had feelings for Luo Jiayan that went beyond friendship. Three years ago, he injured his right hand and could no longer paint day and night like before. His already slim hopes of a painting career were completely abandoned.

After that, his world only had Luo Jiayan left.

Luo Jiayan had countless admirers, but unfortunately, he was naturally obtuse in matters of the heart, treating his pursuers as friends. This indirectly gave everyone a sliver of hope, always feeling that as long as they persisted and worked hard, squeezing out all the competitors, sooner or later their turn would come.

They met in their first year of junior high, and by high school, Luo Jiayan had become a fan of the top idol Min Zhi, setting him as his goal. Just as Xi Leng chased the light, he chased the stars in the sky.

Until three years ago, Luo Jiayan successfully entered the entertainment industry, having the opportunity to interact with Min Zhi.

Now, Luo Jiayan was a sought-after popular star.

As for the later story, Xi Leng didn’t know.

Because the heart monitor erupted with a piercing alarm, very similar to a car horn.

Beep, beep, beep—

The doctor shook his head helplessly, saying to the heartbroken Luo Jiayan: “We did our best, please accept our condolences…”

The moment he lost consciousness, suddenly, like a landslide and tsunami, the secrets of this world poured into Xi Leng’s mind in the form of a textual outline!

This world was actually a book.

Luo Jiayan was the beloved protagonist shou of this book. He entered the entertainment circle because of chasing stars, and gradually, his admiration for the protagonist gong, Min Zhi, turned into a secret love. At the end of the story, Luo Jiayan became a top-tier idol alongside Min Zhi, his secret love realized, achieving both career and love success.

As for Xi Leng, he was the most affectionate and tragic, male supporting character, in this book.

After Xi Leng’s accidental death in a car accident, Luo Jiayan learned of his feelings and became despondent for a long time. This, in turn, made the aloof Min Zhi notice him, taking the initiative to descend from his pedestal, and thus their love line officially began.

However, Xi Leng’s feelings became a lingering thorn in Luo Jiayan’s heart, and the deceased Xi Leng became his unforgettable white moonlight. This made the cheerful and brave him sensitive and timid, leading to a push and pull dynamic with Min Zhi. In the end, Luo Jiayan completely let go and had a sweet and happy ending with Min Zhi.

He really didn’t know how he had offended the Creator, Xi Leng thought, to have this outline shoved into his mind before his last breath, unable to live in peace, unable to die in peace either.

He could still feel the intense headache, his consciousness barely sinking into chaos, before being cruelly dragged back out by a hand.

It felt as though all the bones in his body had been broken and then reconstructed. Exhausted, Xi Leng managed to raise a hand, holding his heavy, sweat-drenched forehead.

What kind of cliché novel plot, what a shitty fate!

“No!”

He shouted, then froze.

He seemed to have heard his own voice.

He then heard an unfamiliar female voice: “Ah, you scared me to death! What are you doing!?”

His long eyelashes trembled slightly, Xi Leng opened his eyes, the impenetrable darkness vanished in an instant, replaced by exceptional brightness. His vision blurred for a moment, and he squinted uncomfortably, not quite adjusted.

Standing in front of him was a young girl with a round face, holding a delicate diamond-shaped light stick.

After Luo Jiayan’s debut, it was inconvenient for him to attend fan events, so Xi Leng often went to Min Zhi’s fan meetings and airport pickups in his place, taking firsthand photos for him. Even in his current confused state, he recognized it at a glance.

Top idol Min Zhi’s light stick.

Or rather, the protagonist gong of this world.

The girl looked at him up and down, puzzled, the more she looked the more something seemed wrong, and couldn’t help but ask with concern: “Handsome, are you okay? You look very pale and you’re sweating a lot. Don’t feel bad, Min-shen will be out soon.”

Xi Leng froze.

He turned his body, and behind him was a wider, brighter space, like an airport terminal.

The huge electronic display screen cycled through flight arrival information. He stared blankly for a few seconds, looking around this strange yet familiar space. The electronic clock on the other wall, bright red, displayed a long-lost date and time.

His movements were a bit frantic as he rummaged through his pockets. He saw that there were no stitches on his right hand, no irreparable old injuries, his tendons were intact. Using it felt unfamiliar instead, and he accidentally dropped his phone.

He looked down.

It was a brand-new phone that should have been shattered in the car accident.

On the screen was an unread message.

Jiayan: 【Did you get Min-shen!! [/Starry eyes][/Starry eyes]】

Xi Leng glanced at it and then switched out of the chat, confirming the time on his phone. It was the same as the airport clock, exactly three years ago.

At this moment, earth-shattering screams rolled from behind him, adding fuel to his headache. Xi Leng frowned, holding his aching head low, taking a few steps away from the noisy crowd.

The fans also rushed in the opposite direction, swarming towards the person escorted by security.

“Ahhhhhhhh——”
“Min-shen is out!!”
“Gege, gege!!!”
“Min-shen! Min-shen, look here!”
“Don’t push—Ouch, who stepped on my shoe??”

Xi Leng blankly raised his eyes, the hand supporting his forehead slowly dropping.

The security guards in black were tall and burly; he couldn’t see the man surrounded in the middle, but he could see the excitedly bobbing heads, the fans’ excited shouts pouring into his eardrums wave after wave.

All of it proclaiming a reality.

He had returned to three years ago.