The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

Everything here was so new to Lin Xiaomu. She followed Hai Ku cautiously the entire way.

The office had a minimalist yet luxurious style, completely different from every place in the ranch. The marble floors felt distinct under her feet compared to the ground at the ranch.

Looking at her face reflected on the floor, Lin Xiaomu experienced a moment of confusion.

Unlike the ranch she had lived at before, everything here was so new, things she had never encountered before.

Lin Xiaomu felt like a countrywoman who knew nothing, everything in sight seemed novel to her.

Hai Ku had deliberately brought her to see things that she couldn’t see on the farm.

Sometimes, the more new things one encounters, the less they fixate on the trivial matters around them.

“Xiaomu, this fertilizer factory has great prospects. Their fertilizer quality is excellent, so I plan to collaborate with them long-term.” After showing Lin Xiaomu around, Hai Ku’s real intention was to broaden her horizons, so she wouldn’t become fixated on one trivial thing.

There were countless good men in the world, and the worst thing was to treat one crooked tree as the whole forest.

In the beginning, he had some other thoughts, but as time passed, Lin Xiaomu began to feel that her experiences were too limited.

She had always thought the world she could see was the entire world, but what she couldn’t see was covered by her own narrow perspective.

After stepping out into the world, Lin Xiaomu finally understood what it meant to have the vision of an ant.

“Boss, this place is pretty good.” A different feeling began to arise in her heart. She felt that her actions today had been foolish, and she was deeply ashamed.

She hadn’t expected the realization to come so quickly, and Hai Ku was somewhat surprised. He had thought it would take longer for Lin Xiaomu to understand just how rich and colorful the world outside the ranch was.

But some people were just the type to have sudden insights; maybe the female lead was one of those types.

A sense of achievement suddenly welled up in Hai Ku. He felt as though he had unexpectedly become a life mentor.

“I brought you out today to expose you to other things. As a girl, how could you possibly meet other men if you’re always on the ranch?” Hai Ku, suddenly feeling like a matchmaker, pointed to the employee pictures on the work board. “Look, there are quite a few good-looking people here. Even if you don’t like any of them, there are still others.”

“Boss…” Lin Xiaomu felt even more guilty.

Neither her parents nor her master had cared so much about her marriage, but she hadn’t expected the boss to consider her so thoughtfully…

The feeling of being cared for overwhelmed her, making Lin Xiaomu’s heart ache with emotion.

Seeing that the situation was going well, Hai Ku pressed on. “Taking you out isn’t just for sightseeing. I think you should take on other responsibilities. I’m thinking, from now on, you’ll handle the fertilizer procurement. You can start by learning from me.”

Hai Ku’s decision had its own reasoning. The female lead had been managing the back courtyard garden for many years, and with the unique abilities of this world, her knowledge of plants was certainly superior to his own.

The saying ‘having one more friend means one less enemy’ applied here. Rather than spending his energy on this woman, it was better to make her his partner.

Hai Ku had a greater interest in tormenting the male lead. He was curious to see how far the man could go without the support of the female lead.

What should have been a grand world had, due to the limited perspectives of the main characters, turned into a domestic drama set in a farm.

Now that the female lead had been taken out of the ranch in advance, Hai Ku couldn’t deny the sense of accomplishment he felt.

After this incident, Hai Ku made a point of taking Lin Xiaomu with him whenever he went out, wanting her to be exposed to more things outside.

The dazzling world still had a great attraction for Lin Xiaomu. Every place she touched was something she had never seen before.

This feeling of novelty was like a whirlpool, drawing her in completely.

It must be said, Lin Xiaomu’s learning ability was still quite impressive. She was practically a model student, and in this aspect, Hai Ku began to notice the faint traces of the female lead in her.

***

In just one month, Lin Xiaomu’s mind had absorbed quite a bit of new knowledge.

Her former mind, which had been solely focused on romance, was now replaced by a thirst for learning. As she encountered more things, Lin Xiaomu increasingly felt how narrow her previous perspective had been. Her heart had been consumed only by thoughts of winning over the Crown Prince, with no room for anything else.

At least, now that she had realized this early, it could be considered timely damage control.

She felt that the current version of herself had been completely transformed, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes.

After a month, standing before Zhang Daniu again, Lin Xiaomu had a proud look on her face. “Oh, Daniu, haven’t you finished cleaning the pig dung after a whole month?”

The person who had once seemed to shine in her eyes now felt as insignificant as the pig dung she had cleaned before.

She had truly been blind before, which was why she had fallen for someone like him.

Zhang Daniu, who had been running to the pigpen every day, had long since gotten used to the smell inside and didn’t notice any strange odor on himself. It had been a whole month since he last saw Lin Xiaomu, and he had no idea what had happened to her during this short period.

He still thought she was the same easy-to-please girl, so Zhang Daniu used his usual tactics.

Having not seen any other women for a month, Lin Xiaomu, who once seemed to have only three parts beauty in his eyes, now appeared to him as if she were a goddess.

He swallowed nervously, his face pale and weak, fully embodying the image of a sickly, handsome man. “Xiaomu, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you these past few days. To see you, I’ve worked so hard this past month. No woman has ever moved my heart like you do. You’re the only one for me.”

Lin Xiaomu had a smile on her face. Hearing these words, she still blushed, but she no longer felt moved.

The flush on her face couldn’t deceive anyone, and the soft pink hue made Zhang Daniu think he had already succeeded.

He reached out his hand, looking at Lin Xiaomu with affection, trying to touch her cheek.

But just as his hand was about to make contact, Lin Xiaomu quickly took a step back. This sudden movement caught Zhang Daniu off guard. “Xiaomu…”

The smile on his face turned awkward, but he still tried to maintain his image. Zhang Daniu was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.

“Daniu, I recently watched a palace drama, and I thought it was pretty good. Do you want to watch it too?” Lin Xiaomu’s expression was completely natural as she casually held her bag in one hand, using the other to brush her hair back. In Zhang Daniu’s eyes, she looked somewhat seductive.

He thought her current demeanor was a form of teasing, so he kept his composure and replied, “I’m a man. Why would I watch a palace drama? Aren’t those just for girls?”

With a sly glint in her eyes, Lin Xiaomu smiled. “This palace drama is actually very interesting. It’s about a maid who works in the garden and is reborn. Then, step by step, she becomes the Empress. Isn’t it inspiring to see a maid rise from serving in the garden to becoming the mistress of the harem?”

“How could that be possible? A maid is a maid. No matter how many times she’s reborn, she can’t change her nature. How could someone completely transform into another person just by coming back to life?” Furrowing his brows, Zhang Daniu was getting impatient. He had already wasted a lot of time on this woman. If he didn’t succeed in the next few days, he’d need to move on to someone else.

Zhang Daniu’s attitude was so dismissive and natural. The way she used to look at him was full of affection, never thinking about the hidden meaning behind her words.

Now that she could see through it all, Lin Xiaomu felt she should even thank him.

“Exactly, no matter how many times a maid is reborn, she is still just a maid, always thinking of herself as one. How could she ever achieve anything great?” Lin Xiaomu sighed, her gaze turning indifferent. “I have things to do. I’m leaving now.”

“Hey, wait.” Zhang Daniu, sensing that Lin Xiaomu had changed too much, couldn’t help but think wildly. “Has something happened recently? Xiaomu, if you’re upset, you can tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

It was just too off. Although Lin Xiaomu still blushed when he spoke sweet words, her attitude was completely different now. Something must have happened that he didn’t know about.

Seeing that Lin Xiaomu was about to ignore him, Zhang Daniu gritted his teeth and grabbed her hand, his eyes filled with deep affection. “Xiaomu, let me be honest with you. I’ve liked you for a long time, but because I don’t have much money and can’t give you a good life, I’ve held back until now. But I don’t know what happened to you recently. Your attitude just now really scared me. I feel like I’m going to lose you.”

Lin Xiaomu just stared at him.

Zhang Daniu felt a chill in his spine, but since he had already said so much, he couldn’t stop now.

“I’m really afraid of losing you. My feelings for you are sincere. Will you go out with me?” The earnest look on his face almost made Lin Xiaomu laugh, but he kept going. “I don’t have much right now, but I’ll work hard to give you a good life. Can we work together for a better future?”

He was almost moved by his own words, as Zhang Daniu had successfully deceived himself.

After patiently waiting for him to finish his nonsense, Lin Xiaomu finally shook off his hand, a smile growing on her face. “Why should I wait for you? My life is fine as it is, I don’t need your efforts.”

Zhang Daniu’s face changed.

His grotesque expression didn’t scare Lin Xiaomu at all.

At that moment, Lin Xiaomu spoke again, “I say, Your Highness, Crown Prince, have you used these lines to deceive many girls?”

“Xiaomu, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand?” Lin Xiaomu’s smile grew even more devious. “Hengxin Juluo, Crown Prince Hongyi, do you remember me if I address you like this?”

“Who are you?” Zhang Daniu’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. “Could it be that you’re…”

His heart raced. Zhang Daniu had always believed he was the chosen one, and that only he could reach this place, that this opportunity had come to make him rise to the top again.

But now, he was unsure.

Seeing that his words were about to repeat, Lin Xiaomu quickly interrupted him. “Alright, Your Highness, don’t guess anymore. I’m just a lowly maid from the back courtyard. You definitely don’t remember me, but I didn’t come here today to rekindle any past servant-master relationship. I came to tell you that I’ve moved on from my old world. You should also hurry and get rid of the pig dung smell on you. I’ll leave now.”

With a sense of relief, Lin Xiaomu spoke her mind. As for the person she had once loved, she couldn’t be too harsh, but once the words had been said, there was no reason to hold on any longer.

She had been blind before, unable to see where true love and self-respect lay. Now she knew; the one who had always cared for her, her boss, was her true love!

This time, she wouldn’t be so foolish. If her boss confessed to her, she would definitely agree right away.