C2 I Can't be a Brainless Male Supporting Role!

"The main system has given it a perfect score, and you're still not happy?" Chiang Chen asked nonchalantly as he drove. "I assure you, I'll always give my all to complete the mission."

Xiaobai scratched his little head and blinked his deep blue eyes, the last flicker of doubt vanishing as he exclaimed with excitement, "Go for it, Host! Our time is short and the mission is critical. Once we've nailed the male supporting role in this realm, we're off to the next. Let's aim for a flawless execution every time!"

"Du Xinyu, you..." Su Li's face contorted with rage as he struggled to contain his fury, shooting her a glare. Tired of being the subject of gossip, he shoved his way through the onlookers and strode away.

Two weeks earlier, Su Li had been studying in the library when the charming and adorable Du Xinyu struck up a conversation with him, even posing a few philosophical questions. Her beauty and charisma had him falling hard and fast.

They exchanged numbers and enjoyed nightly chats that stretched into the wee hours, falling asleep with their phones in hand and sweet smiles on their faces.

Su Li believed he had found true love and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the relationship. He was aware that Du Xinyu had a wealthy boyfriend, but she claimed to be nothing more than a plaything trapped in a gilded cage, devoid of love and true joy. He was her real love, her fountain of happiness. She was ready to defy Chu Jiangchen for him, which led to their breakup today.

As he sat on the bus, stewing over Chu Jiangchen's words, Su Li's anger boiled over. She had been plotting all along! She had sought him out only after learning about his background from Chu Jiangchen. She was looking for a stepping stone, using him to escape Chu Jiangchen, who knew all her secrets, and leveraging the disparity between Chu Jiangchen's and his own circumstances to highlight her so-called noble quest for true love.

Had Chu Jiangchen not carelessly spilled so much, Su Li might still be lost in his touched feelings, even willing to continue improving his life with the money she siphoned from Chu Jiangchen. Once back in the Su family fold, he would never let Du Xinyu, who had stood by him in the name of true love, face hardship again.

She really played her cards well!

Luckily, I saw right through her scheme.

Su Li's gaze darkened as he thought about his personal history being fodder for Chu Jiangchen and the others' gossip, filling him with rage.

Money, power—I, Su Li, will seize them both. Then I'll make those who scorned and despised me rue the day they were born!

"Did you hear? Du Xinyu is just a firewood girl from a backwater ravine! Always acting so high and mighty, but it turns out her entrance to the school was just bought and paid for!"

"Poor infatuated Chu Jiangchen. Tall, handsome, from a wealthy family with top grades, and he ends up choosing such a lowly girl for his goddess?"

"He used to treat her like a precious gem, but once Du Xinyu got involved with Su Li, she dumped him just like that!"

"Rumor has it she walked away with millions in cash. Even after dumping Chu Jiangchen, she's got plenty to burn through."

"Su Li is the Su family's illegitimate son! If he's recognized, he'll be way richer than Chu Jiangchen!"

"Chu Jiangchen is such a tragic figure. He was plucked from a village, had a fortune spent on his upbringing for four years, and just when he's become handsome and refined, he's kicked to the curb..."

By the next morning, the gossip had flown through the entire school.

Chu Jiangchen had taken a leave from class, letting the scandal brew and piling on the public pressure for Du Xinyu and Su Li.

Being the male lead, Su Li's protagonist aura was certainly not lacking compared to Du Xinyu's. He's no fool—how could he not realize he'd been played?

So now, he's seething, with no intention of reaching out to Du Xinyu;

As for Du Xinyu, she's more concerned about saving face. She must be terrified of the finger-pointing, and without those elite tutors, she can't keep up with her coursework. It won't be long before she's unable to bounce back at school.

With both the male and female leads sidelined, it's the perfect time for the best male supporting role to make his move!

Chiang Chen had no intention of sticking to the script after his transmigration, living out a constrained and stifled life as a side character.

To flip the script and succeed against all odds, he knew he had to meticulously study the screenplay.

"You're doing great, Host! You're so dedicated to analyzing your role. You're sure to ace the mission!" Xiaobai perched on the large, plush bed, nodding approvingly as he squinted his eyes and began to purr softly.

Mission: Assist Su Li in returning to the Su family and clear any obstacles. Reward: A one-time use C-grade item.

Out of the blue, the system issued new directives. Xiaobai, in a languid stretch, took the time to clarify: "Host, use your charisma to persuade the Su family's sole heiress, Su Ziqing, to welcome her half-brother, Su Li."

"Another mission already?" Chiang Chen's lips curled into a smile as he rose from the bed and casually grabbed a piece of clothing. "Let's go check out the love-struck, venomous supporting actress I'm up against."

Su Ziqing, the sole daughter of the Su family.

In the narrative, she's portrayed as the Su family's assertive and gifted eldest daughter. Yet, whenever she encounters the protagonist, she's instantly downgraded to the role of a spiteful antagonist.

She persistently concocts dim-witted and ineffective schemes to oust Su Li from the Su family, only to have them effortlessly thwarted by the cunning male lead, who also manages to embarrass her in the process.

Repeated failures lead to her being scorned by her patriarchal father and stripped of her inheritance rights to the Su family's fortune; even the portion of the estate left by her deceased mother, once under her control, is cunningly usurped by Su Li.

Ultimately, she finds herself isolated and ensnared by Du Xinyu's machinations, landing in jail for attempted murder.

The main couple enjoys a love story for the ages;

Meanwhile, Chu Jiangchen and Su Ziqing are mere expendable side characters, their trajectory from a promising start to a dismal end, inadvertently paving the way for the main characters' triumph.

And as for Su Ziqing, she's saddled with a ludicrous character trait in the story: she's completely love-obsessed!

She was hopelessly enamored with Chu Jiangchen, a year her junior, hanging on his every word without a hint of skepticism.

Whenever Chu Jiangchen made an appearance, Su Ziqing's IQ seemed to plummet into the negatives, rivaling her past fervent adoration for Du Xinyu.

In line with the original storyline, the noble Chu Jiangchen gracefully stepped aside to honor the "pure and noble" love between the main characters.

He even honored Du Xinyu's request to leverage his sway over Su Ziqing, convincing her to give Su Li a chance.

Sure enough, the system's mission was a crucial plot point.

"Looks like it's my turn to step into the spotlight as the male supporting role!" Chiang Chen had barely parked when a staff member approached with a respectful bow, saying, "Young Master Chu, right this way, please. The young lady of the house is awaiting your arrival."

Entering the living room, the first thing that caught his eye was the familiar sight of those pale, slender legs.

Su Ziqing, clad in a deep red miniskirt, made her complexion appear as smooth as alabaster.

Her long black hair fell loosely around her, a lazy departure from her usual sharp, businesswoman demeanor.

Her delicate features were framed by slightly upturned, peach blossom eyes that now shimmered with a demure and seductive charm, the mark of a sophisticated yet enchanting woman.

Chiang Chen marveled internally at the sheer magnetism of the female lead's aura.

To have such a stunning beauty at one's side and not cherish her, opting instead to fawn over a deceitful charmer, was beyond him.

"Chen, no classes today?" Su Ziqing's gaze was unabashedly affectionate, bold and a touch ostentatious. Her voice was soft, tinged with a whisper of wistfulness, "You're usually so wrapped up with your Xiner, it's a surprise to see you here on your own accord."

Chiang Chen took a seat across from her, replying with a smile, "You're teasing, Ms. Ziqing. I've made it clear where Du Xinyu and I stand; there's no relationship between us anymore."

"Really?" Su Ziqing's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "You've drawn the line? What happened between you two?"

"Just trivial matters," Chiang Chen dismissed with a wave of his hand, deftly steering the conversation, "I'm here today to discuss something significant regarding your future, Ms. Ziqing. Are you interested in hearing about it?"