Has the Male Supporting Lead Taken Over Today? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I Want to Protect You

Past mistakes were too heavy, like tombstones growing in his heart, accusing him of his sins day and night. The regret was so deep that every time he looked back, it felt like swallowing a thousand needles.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I said I would protect him well.”

Just as I once wanted to protect you.

Clearly, he was a failure.

The gaze Gu Buwang directed at him held no trust—only the indifference one shows a stranger and the loathing one feels for an enemy.

Gu Buwang sneered. “You think I’ll believe that?”

Wei Yinhe licked his wisdom tooth; the sharp pain helped him shake off about seventy or eighty percent of his drunkenness. “I’m not doing it for you to see. I don’t need your validation.”

Unable to bear that hurtful gaze any longer, Wei Yinhe endured the bitterness in his heart and turned to leave. The night slowly swallowed his figure.

The scent of nicotine drifted through the air. Gu Buwang felt his scalp tingle. Who was it? From start to finish, he hadn’t noticed a single soul standing there.

“Who’s there?”

He rounded the fountain. A man was sitting in the center of the planter. Having been discovered by a junior, a flash of unnaturalness crossed Wei Hujing’s face.

He sat on the stone steps with one leg bent, a half-burned cigarette held between his fingers. His tall, lean frame was thin yet powerful. His handsome face, reflected in the shimmering water, carried a layer of cold, snowy elegance—like a tragic, eerie scholar in a black-canopied boat. Looking at him at midnight was both stunning and bone-chilling.

He was truly bewitching, enough to make one lose their wits. In the dark night, the man’s smile was like a phantom’s. “If I said I was just passing by, would you believe me?”

The closer Gu Buwang got, the stronger the chill became. He looked down and noticed the fountain spray had dampened his pant legs. He leaned over to wipe them. “There is no need for President Wei to explain; you are simply here to have a cigarette.”

“Only,” the youth straightened up, raising cold, indifferent eyes stained with moonlight—the earnestness in them was more moving than any emotion, “I hope President Wei forgets everything that happened here.”

“Is that a requirement as a business partner?”

“No. It is a request.”

“Interesting,” Wei Hujing laughed, his lazy, narrow eyes crinkling like a fox’s. “So, do you plan to tell that little friend?”

Gu Buwang thought of those clear peach-blossom eyes—the person who liked The Little Prince, a soul so pure. Should he tell him? But to push Wei Yinhe away, he had already done enough hateful things. What would the boy think? Would he find him disgusting?

A sharp sting came from his palm. Gu Buwang loosened his clenched fist. “I will try to warn him. Whether he believes it or not is his business.”

Wei Hujing flicked his cigarette ash, piercing through his disguise. “Liar.”

Gu Buwang looked up sharply, freezing under that piercing gaze. Due to Wei Yinhe, Wei Hujing had meddled in the events of that year and knew some of the truth. Although Gu Jue was rotten to the core, his son was actually quite loyal.

“You will definitely make the little friend stay away from my nephew, because you’re afraid he’ll become the second Gu Buwang, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Young people all make mistakes, but the mistake Wei Yinhe made was one Gu Buwang would never forgive.

Wei Hujing sat on the stone steps under the shade of the trees, his figure as thin as a shadow. “I heard Xiao Wei has been getting close to you. As his Little Uncle, I’m quite worried about his safety.”

It was both concern and a warning. No matter how eccentric he was, he didn’t want Wei Yinhe entangled with the son of a dark underworld cult. After all, Wei Yinhe was the only precious gem of the Wei family; he shouldn’t die because of involvement in underworld disputes.

Gu Buwang clenched his fists, his thoughts unknown. After a long while, he lowered his eyes and pulled his lips into a smirk. “I understand. I will keep my distance from him.”

In their world, looking out for oneself was the greatest protection for others.

—Wei Yinhe, I won’t bother you. Stop caring whether I live or die.

—After all, in this world I want to destroy, you are the only person I want to spare.

On his way back, Wei Yinhe ran into Su Chengguang.

He had dyed his hair back to black today. Without the multi-colored “parrot” hair, Wei Yinhe’s looks had returned to their peak. Deep eyes, sharp features—he exuded an air of nobility as he walked, more dazzling than the celebrities invited to the banquet.

“What are you doing here?” He suddenly became nervous. Did he hear anything?

“I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time.”

This sentence dissolved his worry and showed Su Chengguang’s attentiveness toward him as a lackey. Su Chengguang leaned against the wall. His hair was quite coarse; the brushed-up bangs had fallen down, covering half his eyes and making him look soft and harmless.

A piece of Wei Yinhe’s heart collapsed instantly. He reached out, wanting to ruffle the boy’s fluffy hair. However, his well-defined hand landed on the shoulder instead. He could miss even standing right in front of him? Has his astigmatism gotten that bad?

A trace of suspicion crossed his mind. He took a few steps back to observe the boy up and down. “Have you grown taller?”

The results of the recent frenzied fattening were remarkable. Su Chengguang raised his chin proudly. “I’m 180cm now. When I catch up to you later, you’ll have to call me ‘Big Brother’.”

“Are you on steroids?” Wei Yinhe expressed total disbelief. “Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

The “vitality” was a bit thin due to the host’s emotions. Whatever was said in the garden had clearly caused a significant drop in the quality of Su Chengguang’s food.

Su Chengguang held a bag between them. “I had the kitchen make ginger-snap cookies. They’re sweet and crunchy; you’ll definitely like them.”

Wei Yinhe gave an “Ooh.” “How did you know I like ginger-snap cookies?”

“You said it once.” He had always had a good memory, a skill trained from childhood by buying soy sauce, detergent, and flour for his mother.

No one can resist the feeling of being valued. Wei Yinhe’s eyes crinkled. “Thanks. I feel much better.”

He caught the boy’s sideways glance; those round, beautiful peach-blossom eyes reflected his own expression. He saw a face with downcast brows, looking a bit fierce. Wei Yinhe was dazed—so that was the expression he was wearing right now. He reached up and rubbed his face.

“Are you in a bad mood?”

“Yeah,” Wei Yinhe lowered his hand and yawned broadly, tears almost flying out. He spoke in a half-joking tone, “On my birthday, someone didn’t even give me a gift or a ‘Happy Birthday.’ I’m so sad my heart is breaking.”

Su Chengguang stopped walking. He reached up to his neck and unhooked a piece of Snow Jade.

“Here, this is for you.”

The jade swayed on its string, like a spotlight stone that had sucked in enough moonlight, emitting a pure, white radiance.

“This is?” Wei Yinhe’s gaze was instantly captured. After taking it, he felt it—a smooth, delicate texture that was on par with the mutton-fat jade string on his own hand. “Is this nephrite?”

As he asked, he was already nimbly hanging it around his own collarbone.

“I’m not sure about the material. This jade has protected me since I was a child. Now, it’s yours.” The Great Deceiver, Su Chengguang: I’m starting to believe my own lies.

Actually, Su Chengguang was confused too. This jade had been “blessed” and clashed with his own energy, so he had never worn it. It was probably a gift from some rich relative, left to gather dust in his primary school textbooks for years; even his mother didn’t remember it.

Through his shirt, the Snow Jade seemed to carry its owner’s warmth, transmitting it bit by bit into his heart. Wei Yinhe knew very well that any jade rumored to “protect a life” was worth more than gold. He felt the weight of the gift. Did Su Chengguang just give me a family heirloom?

Whatever Wei Yinhe was imagining, his rebellious eyes were sparkling. “Chengguang.”

“Yeah?”

“I will protect you from now on, too.”

Su Chengguang understood intuitively.

—Your jade protects me, I protect you. Really… he was too easy to fool.

For Su Chengguang, the “food” being willing to get close to him meant he could get full even while lying down. He was so happy he could wake up laughing. Wei Yinhe, having made his promise, clenched his fists and waited to be admired—but all he could hear was his own heartbeat.

The two faced each other. Wei Yinhe wanted to grab the boy’s shoulders, but remembering how the boy would retreat three steps whenever he got close, his outstretched hand felt as if it weighed ten thousand pounds, merely sliding down the fabric of his shoulder.

Before he could speak, a chill invaded. Cold light leaped from the water, and a damp cold gripped the hem of his clothes from behind. Gu Buwang was standing behind them, his expression hidden in the shadows and unreadable. His tight jawline betrayed his mood.

Wei Yinhe stared into the background for a long time. Is there some peerless beauty back there?

Su Chengguang, not understanding the situation, wanted to turn around but was suddenly seized by his right arm and led forward with great force.

“Let’s go. The mosquitoes are getting thick here.”

“Ah?”

Wei Yinhe thought he was too slow and didn’t let go. Staring at the back of Wei Yinhe’s head, Su Chengguang took a quick peek back. The garden was empty, with only a few moths circling the lamps. Perhaps there was too much tree sap here; otherwise, why did he smell such a bitter scent in the air?

One wanted food. One wanted to make amends.

They became more familiar and closer bit by bit, yet both felt it was moving too slowly.

The banquet was mostly over. Wei Yinhe was used to being wild and didn’t want to go back yet. “Want to play more tonight? We could go to KTV.”

Su Chengguang thought for a moment and checked the time on his phone. “Forget it. Don’t you have a curfew?”

Wei Yinhe froze. “Oh, right.”

His expression looked so much like a “silly roe deer” that Su Chengguang’s shoulders shook. He had to hold it in; he couldn’t laugh. “Let’s not go. There’s class tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll walk you home.”

Thus, Wei Yinhe canceled the private room he had booked long ago and happily stood up He Wuhai and the others.

They became more familiar and closer bit by bit, yet both felt it was moving too slowly.