Chapter 4#
World 1: The Tragic Supporting Male Lead Changes the Script Online#
Qin Qing shuttled among the many diners carrying bottles of liquor.
996 quickly darted onto a dining table and stole a grilled fish.
“Eh? Where did my grilled fish go? It was just here!” A diner shouted in surprise and suspicion.
“It’s here! You’re really something, gnawing a fish completely clean, not a shred of meat left.” His companion kicked out a complete fish skeleton from under the table with his toe.
The diner looked at the fish skeleton, feeling very confused, while 996 had already wiped its oily little mouth clean and caught up with Qin Qing.
“Why didn’t you provoke that bald guy just now? You messed up the plot!” It accused angrily.
“How is the script written?” Qin Qing communicated with 996 with his mind while delivering liquor to guests.
996 didn’t realize it was being tricked into talking. Looking at the smart brain, it said: “The script says you have to refuse to drink with the bald man.”
“So I did it.”
Qin Qing quickly grabbed the wrist of a diner who knocked over a wine glass, raised the other’s arm, his tone carrying a trace of worry: “Lift your hand, be careful not to dirty your clothes.”
996, who was completely ignored, was fuming with anger but helpless. Qin Qing indeed acted according to the script, but the effect was completely different!
“No! You didn’t provoke that bald guy, you made him sympathize with you instead!” 996 felt it had caught Qin Qing’s mistake, and its tone became nasty.
“Does the script stipulate my lines?”
Qin Qing let go of the diner’s wrist and apologized in a low voice: “Sorry, I don’t seem to have helped you.”
The diner was a young man in his early twenties. He had never seen a man as handsome as Qin Qing, full of elegant ancient charm and gentle aura. For a moment, his cheeks turned red, and he couldn’t speak smoothly, only waving his hands hurriedly, “No no no, it’s okay. I knocked over the wine glass myself, it was my fault to begin with.”
“Damn, what are you shy about! You’re a straight guy!” His companions jeered from the side.
The young man became even more shy, glanced at Qin Qing quickly, and then lowered his head.
996 shook its head and said: “No lines, only plot points. How can the fate arranged by the Heavenly Dao be specific about what to say! He can only give a rough fate line.”
Qin Qing laughed softly, his voice mellow like wine. This answer was within his expectations.
The young man thought Qin Qing was laughing at him, quickly raised his head, looked at the other party, and his two ears also turned red. This person’s voice sounded terribly good, and he looked so good when he smiled…
His brothers teased even more.
Qin Qing bowed and said: “Please wait a moment, I’ll be back soon.”
Two minutes later, Qin Qing came back with a bottle of dry cleaning fluid and a pack of wet wipes. Holding the young man’s wrist gently with one hand and pinching a wet wipe soaked in dry cleaning fluid with the other, he carefully and earnestly cleaned the oil stains on the young man’s sleeve.
A face close at hand appeared exceptionally handsome and gentle because of concentration, surrounded by a faint fragrance…
Unknowingly, the people at the whole table quieted down.
The young man whose wrist was held by Qin Qing felt his heart pounding wildly, his gaze fixed on Qin Qing, unable to look away.
How could there be such a good person in the world…
“Done, it’s as clean as when you came, right?” Qin Qing let go of the young man’s wrist, straightened up, and smiled slightly.
A gentle, beautiful smile, like a quietly blooming flower in the noisy night market.
The young man held his quietly burning wrist and nodded blankly: “Right.”
The few people who were jeering also slowly blushed, belatedly captivated by Qin Qing’s charm.
Qin Qing seemed completely unaware of everyone’s strangeness, or rather, he was already used to the feelings surging towards him in secret. He quickly tidied up the table with tissues, left a sentence “Please enjoy your meal”, and turned to leave.
The few young men who were originally playing and laughing happily were now gazing at his back reluctantly.
996 chased Qin Qing all over the venue, stealing a few skewers along the way.
“Act well next time, don’t mess up the plot again!” It exhorted sternly, and then swallowed a skewer of roasted lamb in one go.
A gleam flashed across Qin Qing’s eyes, and he probed further: “So there was nothing wrong with my approach just now, right? Can I get these 10 points?”
996 looked down at the red checkmark in the task list and said reluctantly: “You can get these 10 points, but your approach is definitely wrong, you should—”
“Hello, may I ask if you are interested in the entertainment industry?” A middle-aged man walked over and interrupted 996.
Qin Qing turned to look at the other party.
The middle-aged man handed out a business card.
“You are an agent?” Qin Qing studied the business card in his hand. When he lowered his eyes, two rows of thick eyelashes covered down like fans.
The middle-aged man stared at this extremely handsome face, his heart burning.
“Strictly speaking, I am the top agent in the industry. You can see my name and photo by searching casually on the Internet. I have been observing you for a long time. I found that you have a unique attraction. Although you are a bit old, I can guarantee that once you appear on the screen, everyone will be fascinated by you! Follow me, you can immediately change your current embarrassing situation, and you can earn money that others can’t earn in a lifetime in a short time. Your mother and sister can get the best life.”
The man released the bait step by step.
For Qin Qing at this moment, this business card was equivalent to a road leading to a brilliant future. If he took this road, his bumpy fate would usher in earth-shaking changes.
However, just as Qin Qing wanted to open his mouth to answer the other party, 996 scratched his ankle hard and ordered: “Don’t agree to him!”
“Sorry, can you let me consider it?” Qin Qing didn’t intend to agree immediately. Too delicious bait is often poisonous.
The middle-aged man tried to persuade him a few more times, seeing Qin Qing unmoved, he left with regret.
“If I agreed to him, my life would be greatly improved immediately, do you know this?” Qin Qing lowered his eyes and asked.
“You can’t agree. The script has a plan for your career. You can’t be a star.” 996 shook its head.
“Everything about me is planned by the script? Do I have no freedom at all?” Qin Qing played with the business card in his hand, with a smile of unclear meaning on his face.
“Not really. You will have a better job than being a star in the future. When not following the plot, you can do whatever you want. We are messengers spreading love and peace, we won’t harm you.” 996 vowed solemnly.
“I understand.” Qin Qing smiled and nodded, then stuffed the business card into his trouser pocket.
996 looked at the smart brain, its tone urgent: “Meow, the next plot point is coming. Go to the toilet and wash your face immediately, slack off, and come out after ten minutes.”
Qin Qing did as told.
He supported himself on the washbasin with both hands, panting heavily for a while. His stomach felt like it was filled with steel needles, and every peristalsis brought severe pain.
Raven-black hair scattered down, covering his pale face, a drop of cold sweat sliding down the tip of his high nose…
Standing in the toilet for ten minutes, what is the meaning of such a plot?
Two female guests who suddenly appeared interrupted Qin Qing’s thoughts. They stood in front of the washbasin at the other end, talking while washing their hands.
“Zhou Linlin is really not a thing! As soon as she came back, she wanted to drive away Zhou Yurou. Zhou Yurou is her second uncle’s daughter anyway, her cousin. What’s wrong with raising her in her house?”
“Zhou Linlin was brought up by her grandparents, uneducated. How would she know any worldly wisdom.”
“Heard she used to live in the rural Northeast?”
“Yes, her grandparents are from there.”
“Laughing my head off, as soon as she opens her mouth, it’s a mouthful of corn flavor!”
“She doesn’t even know how to put on makeup!”
“Her clothes are so tacky!”
“If Yurou hadn’t taught her how to dress up hand in hand, she wouldn’t even look human!”
“If Yurou hadn’t taken her around to socialize, who would play with her! She is against Yurou everywhere, an ingrate!”
“Yurou can really endure. If it were me, I would slap her to death!”
“Who told Yurou to live in her house? She has to endure even if she doesn’t want to.”
“What’s wrong with living in her house? She was only taken back by the Zhou family when she was twenty-two, but Yurou was raised in the Zhou family since childhood. Truth be told, the Zhou family’s eldest uncle definitely has deeper feelings for Yurou than for her, his biological daughter! What is she arrogant about!”
“Exactly! Which time she bullied Yurou did the Zhou family’s eldest uncle not side with Yurou? Zhou Linlin really has no self-knowledge!”
“A bitch!”
“Haha…”
The two female diners walked away laughing and cursing.
Qin Qing then raised his pale face dripping with cold sweat and looked thoughtfully at their backs. Staying in the toilet for ten minutes was to listen to this conversation, right?
Zhou Linlin, Zhou Yurou, are they characters in the plot?
“Alright, you can go out and sell liquor. The third plot point is coming.” 996’s urging indirectly confirmed Qin Qing’s guess.
So a few minutes later, Qin Qing, carrying a few bottles of beer, met Zhou Linlin and Zhou Yurou from the conversation.
Zhou Yurou lived up to her name, looking gentle and lovely, touching, and dressed with taste.
Zhou Linlin had a thin and narrow face, high cheekbones, and tough features, but she had trimmed two thin curved eyebrows, wore heavy makeup, had long straight black hair, and wore a lace dress.
Overall, Zhou Linlin’s dress was fashionable, but it completely mismatched her looks and temperament.
Associating that such dressing was taught by Zhou Yurou, Qin Qing gave Zhou Yurou a meaningful look, then put down the beer and said gently: “Please enjoy.”
“Little brother, our Linlin has been looking at you for a long time. Will you have a drink with her?” Zhou Yurou suddenly smiled and said.
996 immediately hugged Qin Qing’s ankle with its chubby paws: “Refuse her! Be decisive!” In the original plot, having overheard the two women’s conversation, Qin Qing was disgusted with Zhou Linlin, so naturally, he couldn’t drink with her.
Qin Qing did as told: “Sorry, I can’t drink.”
Zhou Linlin, who looked up at him with expectation, saw the bright light in her eyes dim instantly. Her companions hurriedly covered their lips, snickering.
So embarrassing! Even the liquor selling boy looked down on Zhou Linlin, this bumpkin.
Zhou Yurou blinked and continued to smile: “Then can you have a drink with me?” After speaking, she shyly handed over a glass of wine.
996 hurriedly ordered: “Drink it, don’t hesitate!” In the original plot, Qin Qing had a good impression of Zhou Yurou and drank this glass of wine.
Refusing Zhou Linlin but not refusing Zhou Yurou, this action would certainly trigger a conflict between the two, not to mention that their relationship was already disharmonious. Qin Qing knew 996’s intention and knew Zhou Yurou did it on purpose, but he still picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
996 hurriedly looked at Zhou Linlin, and then turned to look at the bald man from before.
Zhou Linlin’s performance was exactly as written in the script, her face gloomy and eyes burning with fire. However, the bald man didn’t look at Qin Qing at all. Instead, he grabbed the car keys and shouted: “Let’s go, let’s go, my daughter is crying and calling for daddy on the phone!”
After listening to Qin Qing’s words, he immediately called his wife back. His daughter really hadn’t slept, crying and clamoring to wait for daddy to come home.
Sigh, little cotton-padded jacket…
The bald man left cleanly with a group of brothers.
996: “…”
Meow the kitty! The script isn’t written like this! Big brother, you saw Qin Qing didn’t drink with you but drank with a woman instead, felt you lost face, got angry to death, ran over to cause trouble, and then the alcohol went to your head and you used a knife. Why didn’t you act according to the script!
996 really wanted to chase after and drag the bald man back. The most important tool man ran away! Who will cut Qin Qing’s tendons?
996 looked at Zhou Linlin with burning eyes. This big sister has a fiery temper! She can do it!
A loud bang confirmed 996’s judgment.
Zhou Linlin smashed the wine glass in her hand heavily on the table, her tone cold: “Do you look down on me?”
Coming from the countryside to this bustling city, what stung her most was the contempt of others.
Qin Qing silently picked up Zhou Linlin’s wine glass and poured all the remaining wine on the ground.
His action was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. Zhou Yurou curled her lips imperceptibly. Her followers stared wide-eyed, pretending to be surprised, but their pupils flickered with gloating light.
This little brother is too bad, bullying Zhou Linlin like this as soon as they met!
996 clapped its paws: “Qin Qing, you are really something!”
In a happy mood, it jumped on the table, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed a roasted chicken wing.
Zhou Linlin was so angry that she lost her reason. She snatched the wine glass from Qin Qing’s hand, threw it hard on the ground, and asked viciously: “Do you fucking know who I am?”
A crisp snap attracted the attention of the surrounding diners. Brother Jiang ran over quickly wanting to help Qin Qing out of the siege. Seeing Zhou Linlin’s face, he immediately wailed secretly. Oh mother, how could it be the female tyrant of the Zhou family?
The Zhou family was a top wealthy family in Hai City. This eldest miss of the Zhou family grew up in the countryside and was spoiled too much by her grandparents. She had a very bad temper. Whoever provoked her would lose a layer of skin! She never reasoned with people; she only pestered unreasonably.
Done for, Qin Qing is probably in for it today!
Brother Jiang didn’t dare to go over again, only watching from afar. The few young people who blushed at Qin Qing before had stood up at this moment, looking at this side covetously. Once the situation got out of control, they would definitely rush up to help Qin Qing.
The gold medal agent also walked over, ready to offer help in times of need.
Qin Qing, whom everyone was worried about, spoke in a voice still so low and gentle: “You are allergic, didn’t you know?”
“Wh, what?” Zhou Linlin, this volcano waiting to erupt, suddenly misfired.
“Your wrist is red.” Qin Qing reminded softly.
Zhou Linlin looked down and found that her arm indeed had many bright red patches, but these patches were hidden in the lace sleeves and were not conspicuous. She felt a little itchy just now and thought it was a mosquito bite, so she didn’t care.
“Drinking while allergic, this won’t do.” Qin Qing shook his head and sighed lightly.
“Ah, I, I didn’t notice, I didn’t know.” Zhou Linlin, who had the face of a female tyrant just now, was now flustered like a child who made a mistake.
She looked at the broken wine glass scattered at her feet, and then looked at Qin Qing’s still gentle and tolerant handsome face, becoming even more at a loss.
“So-so-sorry!”
Zhou Linlin understood. Qin Qing didn’t drink with her because he was worried about aggravating her condition. He poured the wine in the glass for the same reason. There was no looking down, nor any deliberate provocation.
Zhou Linlin, who had never received care since her grandparents passed away, received a silent warmth from a stranger.
She stared at Qin Qing blankly for a long while, then bent down and apologized with extreme guilt, her cheeks and ears turning red.
“I’m really sorry.”
996, who fully expected Zhou Linlin to beat Qin Qing up: “…”
Just this? Just this? Zhou Linlin, you are the vicious female supporting character! Where is your viciousness?
“It’s okay.” Qin Qing waved his hand with a smile, his tone gentle: “I drank this glass of wine, you guys don’t drink anymore. Girls should drink less outside, it’s not safe. It would be better to find a female designated driver when going back. I have business cards here.”
Qin Qing took out a stack of business cards from his trouser pocket, selected one for a female designated driver, and handed it to Zhou Linlin.
These were small things necessary for liquor promoters, which could help customers at any time.
“Go home early.” Qin Qing’s low and soft voice was full of concern and also carried a trace of helplessness.
Zhou Linlin, as if being taken care of by an elder brother, took the business card with both hands, her heart warm. She raised her head and looked at Qin Qing intently, as if to remember this person in her heart.
Zhou Yurou, who was waiting to see a joke, clenched her fist secretly, in a very bad mood. Her followers, like Zhou Linlin, all blushed and looked at Qin Qing shyly.
Qin Qing waved his hand and left with a smile.
Although Zhou Linlin was reluctant, she didn’t dare to ask him to stay. It was embarrassing enough just now, she didn’t want to leave a bad impression on this person.
Zhou Yurou shouted loudly at this time: “Handsome, can our Linlin add your WeChat?”
Zhou Linlin’s eyes lit up.
Qin Qing turned back.
Zhou Yurou pointed to the parking lot not far away and continued: “Our Linlin is the eldest miss of the Zhou family. Her pocket money for a month is more than your salary for a year. See that bright red sports car? That’s Linlin’s. If you are interested, she can lend it to you to drive.”
Zhou Linlin nodded hurriedly, her eyes full of expectation. She was really willing to share her good things with Qin Qing.
But she didn’t know that if Qin Qing was really a person living at the bottom of society, living a precarious and poor life, what kind of greed would rise in his heart after hearing these words.
Would a person who approaches and even pleases others because of greed be a good person? How would he treat Zhou Linlin?
The answer is self-evident. He would deceive, use, and finally betray easily for more benefits.
In just these few short sentences, Qin Qing had already seen through Zhou Yurou’s intention. She was looking for a “suitable” friend for Zhou Linlin, and this friend was destined to bring harm to Zhou Linlin.
Qin Qing pursed his lips and smiled, refusing gently: “No, how can a person like me be worthy of making friends with Miss Zhou.”
Zhou Yurou gritted her teeth in anger. Was this man playing hard to get or what?
Zhou Linlin said anxiously: “What worthy or not! I don’t care about these things when making friends! There is no distinction between high and low in professions, and people are the same! I am no different from you!” She came from the countryside, she knew too well the taste of being looked down upon.
Qin Qing smiled sincerely. This simple little girl won his heart.
He walked back slowly, lowered his eyes to look at Zhou Linlin, and when the other party was blushing and at a loss, he took out his mobile phone and said with a smile: “Then let’s add WeChat.”
Zhou Linlin almost jumped up happily, hurriedly took out her mobile phone and added Qin Qing’s WeChat.
Zhou Yurou sneered secretly: Sure enough, playing hard to get. This man has a way with women! In the future, I can contact him secretly and give him some benefits to ruin Zhou Linlin.
In the surging undercurrents, 996 was desperate. Meow the kitty, the plot really collapsed! Two people who were originally mortal enemies became friends, then who will trigger the bloody event? Who will cut Qin Qing’s hand?
After adding WeChat, Qin Qing instructed Zhou Linlin to go home early and not forget to see a doctor, then turned and left.
Zhou Linlin stared blankly at his back, and then lost all interest.
She turned around and said coldly: “Disperse, I’m going back.” Treating this group of plastic sisters, her attitude had always been arrogant, because weakness would only make her an object of oppression.
Now she had no one to protect her. Her grandparents who loved her most were long gone, she could only face this lonely world alone.
Zhou Linlin lowered her slightly red and teary eyes and walked forward on her own. Zhou Yurou chased after her, wanting to get Qin Qing’s WeChat ID from her.
Several little followers did not hide their admiration at all, chasing Zhou Linlin and shouting: “Linlin, Linlin, push that big handsome guy’s WeChat to us too?”
Zhou Linlin was fully 178 cm tall. Annoyed by the questions, she strode forward with her long legs. Zhou Yurou was only a little over 1.6 meters tall and could only chase behind with a group of followers.
Looking at the two groups of people who were supposed to have a bloody conflict but were now dispersing, 996 was full of confusion.
“Done for, the plot collapsed! Qin Qing, you messed it up!” It pounced and scratched Qin Qing’s leg with its claws.
Qin Qing avoided the chubby cat’s attack and asked: “Did I get the points for the three plot points?”
“Got them, but because you didn’t use the correct way, the fourth plot point was directly messed up by you! Do you know the butterfly effect? Your little butterfly wings fanned away all the subsequent plots!”
996 roared in exasperation.
“What is the fourth plot point?” Qin Qing walked back to the shop, put down the tray, poured a glass of warm water and drank it slowly.
“The fourth plot point is a gang fight!” 996 leaked the plot without thinking.
“Gang fight?” Qin Qing’s eyes flashed slightly.
996 hurriedly covered its mouth, its green eyes blinking guiltily. Done for, let it slip!
“I am a supporting male lead, and the fate of a supporting male lead is always very bumpy, so in that gang fight, I will get hurt, right?” Qin Qing probed.
“So what if you get hurt? This is your fate! If you want to go back alive to see the person you care about, you can’t resist fate!” 996 immediately put aside its guilt and said righteously.
Qin Qing turned back to look at Zhou Linlin and Zhou Yurou who were slowly walking away, indescribable emotions surging in his eyes.
Just then, Zhou Yurou, who was trotting all the way, accidentally bumped into a drunkard. The drunkard grabbed Zhou Yurou and asked her to apologize, but Zhou Yurou slapped the other party hard and pushed him into the stinking ditch beside.
The ditch was full of rancid oil stains, making the drunkard extremely wretched.
The drunkard’s friends hurriedly went down to fish him out, and finally had a conflict with Zhou Yurou and her followers. The two groups of people went from cursing and tearing at each other to flipping tables and fighting.
Seeing this scene, the anxious 996 was stunned, and then let out an excited cry: “Meow, the plot didn’t collapse! What should happen will still happen! Is this the unchangeable fate, meow?”
Qin Qing put down the water glass, his eyes dark, whispering word by word: “Unchangeable, fate?”