The villain turns into the infatuated second male lead

“Ling Su.” Xia Wanshi knocked on the door, her voice as sweet as sugar drifting in from outside.

Yin Zhiyi collected his thoughts and skillfully cleared his browser’s search history before opening the door. He looked down at the elegantly dressed beauty waving at him, and said softly, “Good morning, Wanshi. Are you heading to an interview?”

“Yes!” She nodded like a pecking chicken and pointed to the neatly arranged breakfast in the living room, smiling brightly, “I prepared breakfast. Please take care of Qiu Yiyuan for me.”

“Sure, good luck with your interview.” He glanced at Qiu Yiyuan, who was peeling an egg at the dining table, his voice gentle and as clear as melting snow.

“If this doesn’t go well, I’ll probably have to follow my mom’s arrangements and go back home for a while.” She pouted, grabbed her bag, and headed to the entrance.

He hadn’t expected Xia Wanshi’s mother to be so efficient. He had just sent out a message, and the next moment, her mother was already urging her to return home quickly after graduation.

As for whether she would suspect him of tattling, he wasn’t worried at all.

In Ling Su’s memories, Xia Wanshi’s parents had asked her to intern at their family business even before she graduated. However, her interest lay in piano, so she had always found excuses to decline. Her mother would still try to persuade her every now and then, but this time she was being a bit more forceful.

With the sound of the door closing, only Yin Zhiyi and Qiu Yiyuan were left in the small living room. Yin Zhiyi’s gaze fell on the slow-moving protagonist, just as he was about to say something, his phone rang.

That was fast?
Listening to the sound of the door closing behind him, Qiu Yiyuan’s expression softened. The egg he was peeling was so broken that no matter how he tried to clean it, there were still bits of shell stuck to it.

Yin Zhiyi wasn’t gone for long. When he returned, Qiu Yiyuan was already struggling with a second egg.

“Ling Su?” He paused in his egg-shell-cleaning and looked at the person who had gone out early and come back. Out of politeness, he greeted him.

Yin Zhiyi, who had been wondering what to call his newfound ‘brother,’ was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the shy person from the previous night to act so nonchalantly today. Was it because he had been too tense last night?

Yin Zhiyi casually placed the crutch next to his chair and sat down beside him, smiling slightly, “Do you know how to use it?”

For someone who had never been lame, knowing how to use a crutch wasn’t a given. With Ling Su’s gentle and meticulous personality, even facing a rival, he would take full responsibility.

Yin Zhiyi, having nothing else to do, didn’t mind explaining some precautions, after all, it was just a matter of moving his lips.

Feeling the sudden weight beside him, Qiu Yiyuan turned to see the crutch Yin Zhiyi had brought. He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and said softly, “Actually, I can walk a bit without it.”

“Seeing that you don’t seem to like people getting too close, I was worried you might accidentally fall, so I had someone bring this over.” Yin Zhiyi half-laughed, not making a big deal out of bringing the crutch for him. He took the egg with bits of shell from his hand, rinsed it clean with warm water, and said softly, “If you don’t know how to use it, I can teach you.”

Qiu Yiyuan’s usually calm eyes wavered slightly as he watched Ling Su’s natural movements. Suppressing the strange feelings that arose, he recalled the self-reflections from the previous night. His sharp eyebrows regained their composure, and he said, “Thank you.”

“Stand up first, I’ll adjust the handle for you.” Yin Zhiyi didn’t feel any annoyance towards his ‘brother.’ Apart from the trouble Qiu Yiyuan had caused him, there were no other feelings. He helped adjust the crutch according to Ling Su’s memories, finding it novel and teaching earnestly.

Playing the role of another person with someone else’s memories and body in front of ‘family’ felt peculiar. He could sense Qiu Yiyuan’s subtle special attention towards him. As a foster brother, it was impossible for them to peacefully share breakfast together.

Qiu Yiyuan hesitated briefly but then let Yin Zhiyi guide him. He focused on observing Ling Su, from his refined and gentle features to his approachable demeanor and those hands, calloused from working in a clinic. He realized that even standing up straight, Ling Su was slightly taller than him.

He was unsure of the reason behind Ling Su’s attentiveness. If it were just a chance encounter, there would be no need to go this far. Or maybe he had never experienced unconditional care outside of his parents, which made him suspicious?

After a simple tutorial, he had grasped the basics. Yin Zhiyi watched as he walked a short distance with the crutch, then sipped his milk.

Qiu Yiyuan sighed in relief after walking that short distance, finding it as strenuous as his usual intense exercises.

He carefully set the crutch aside and turned to the smooth egg, suddenly realizing it had been touched by Ling Su, making him feel a bit conflicted.

“…You can peel another one if it’s not clean enough, just rinse it with warm water,” Yin Zhiyi suggested thoughtfully, remembering that he seemed to have a cleanliness obsession and didn’t like physical contact with others or having his food touched.

“No need.” Qiu Yiyuan resumed his usual indifference, calmly eating the egg.

The feeling that had just surfaced was different from his usual aversion to food touched by others, but even Qiu Yiyuan couldn’t quite understand it. It was a peculiar feeling similar yet different from when he saw Xia Wanshi.

She had prepared a simple breakfast, and they didn’t take long to finish. Yin Zhiyi, remembering Ling Su’s proficiency in housework, decided to clean up as part of his role-playing.

Qiu Yiyuan was about to help with the crutch when he noticed he had already cleaned everything. His gaze shifted between the crutch and Ling Su, a hint of curiosity in his deep eyes. “Are you this nice to everyone?”

“Not really.” Yin Zhiyi replied while washing his hands at the sink.

“Then why are you so nice to me?” Qiu Yiyuan’s cold face showed no extra expression, making it hard to read.

Yin Zhiyi hadn’t expected such a direct question. He turned to look at Qiu Yiyuan’s near-perfect face and answered with a helpless smile, “I thought we were friends.”

The casual response hit Qiu Yiyuan hard, leaving him stunned. After a moment, he felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment.

Wearing casual clothes, Yin Zhiyi’s smile was friendly and approachable, his eyes pure and clean. Their gazes met, and his gentle demeanor was like the moonlight from the previous night.

Qiu Yiyuan’s eyes flickered, and after a long breath, he turned away, replying earnestly, “Yes… friends.”

Friends didn’t hold much weight for him. He had many friends from similar backgrounds since childhood, but they all seemed different from Ling Su. Despite their short acquaintance, sometimes emotions couldn’t be measured by the length of time.

Qiu Yiyuan couldn’t discern if the feeling was pleasant or unpleasant. Before, he only thought of repaying the two for their help if he managed to reclaim his family business. Beyond that, he hadn’t thought deeply about their relationship.

But now, he suddenly felt that becoming closer with Ling Su wasn’t a bad idea.

When Xia Wanshi returned to the rental house, feeling dejected from another unsuccessful interview, she saw Qiu Yiyuan and Ling Su discussing dinner. They decided to order takeout, and she blinked, feeling relieved.

It seemed like the two were getting along well in her absence.

Such harmonious days continued for a few more days. Qiu Yiyuan’s injuries improved significantly, and aside from needing the crutch, most of his superficial wounds had healed.

Yin Zhiyi wasn’t in a hurry to impress the protagonist, maintaining Ling Su’s refined persona. Since that day, Qiu Yiyuan stopped suspecting his intentions and their interactions became more relaxed and natural.

As for Xia Wanshi, her interviews continued to be unsuccessful. Yin Zhiyi remembered from the system’s storyline that despite her talent, she faced repeated setbacks due to her parents’ intervention, hoping she’d return to the family business.

Xia Wanshi, seemingly unwilling to give up, focused on her interviews despite her parents’ urging. Her passion for music didn’t align with the corporate world, leading to numerous failures and altering the original plot of deepening the romantic relationship between the protagonists.

Yin Zhiyi took all of Ling Su’s accumulated leave.

Since clearing things up with Qiu Yiyuan, he spent most of his time alone in his room, possibly catching up on outside news. Even his phone was Xia Wanshi’s discarded spare.

“System, since I’ll be traveling to other worlds after completing tasks in this one, can you transmit information about those worlds to me in advance?” He asked, lips curved in a smile, holding a thick book, the afternoon sun casting a gentle glow in the room.

[Insufficient permissions.]

The pale blue screen displayed this message before disappearing. No matter what other questions he asked, there was no response. He had tried asking about points, lotteries, and system shops after reading some isekai novels, but the response was always the same: insufficient permissions.

When Qiu Yiyuan opened the door, he saw Ling Su reading a book on the sofa, sunlight streaming in and giving him a hazy glow. His black hair, reaching just over his ears, swayed slightly in the breeze. His fair, elegant face was serene and focused, his refined profile too pleasing to the eye, leaving even someone as worldly as him momentarily stunned.
——————————
https://ko-fi.com/quarinnah