The Supporting Male Character Just Wants to Be a Tool Man

with a cheerful mood.

Shen QingShu curled his lips, propped his chin in his hand, and fell into thought.
At this point, the protagonist shou hadn’t shown up yet, which meant the story hadn’t really started.
All he needed to do was wait until the story began, avoid seeking death in front of the protagonist, and everything should be fine.

Anyway, he was just a tool man who existed to promote the development of the plot.
He just should fulfill his early mission and do his best to move the story forward.
By the time Han Cheng and the protagonist shou met face to face and went off into the sunset, he’d give them a warm blessing and exit the scene gracefully.
That should be okay, right?

That’s what a tool man was for, wasn’t it?

So he didn’t need to worry too much.

With that figured out, he looked carefully at the menu and ordered a few things he wanted to eat.

When Han Cheng came out of the shower, breakfast was ready.

He wiped his hair and sat down to eat with Shen QingShu.

They didn’t know each other very well, so they didn’t bother with awkward small talk.
After eating, they left the hotel together.

“Do you want me to give you a ride?” Han Cheng asked politely.

Shen QingShu recalled that the original owner arrived by taxi.
He was too lazy to bother, so he agreed.
“All right.”

Han Cheng’s car was in the underground lot.
It was a cool off-road SUV.
Shen QingShu’s eyes lit up when he saw it, thinking it was pretty nice.

“Is it okay if I drive?” he asked.
“I haven’t driven in a long time.”

“Bullshit, we just drove together last night.”

Shen QingShu was speechless.
“I’m talking about an actual car! A four-wheeled, free-running, gasoline-powered car!”

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“That describes you, too.
You don’t have four wheels but you run pretty well, and I fill you full of fuel.”

Shen QingShu: …

“Which do you think is better, you or the car?” Han Cheng touched his shoulder and said deliberately.

Shen QingShu thought he was being shameless and turned around to pinch him.
“You tell me which is better! Aren’t you the driver? Shouldn’t you be the one to decide? Why ask me!”

Han Cheng laughed and held Shen QingShu’s hands while he was fooling around, thinking his temper was like a little sports car.
“Then you’re good, you’re excellent, how could this car be better than you?”

Shen QingShu stomped on his foot.
“Keys.”

Han Cheng had no choice but to hand them over.
“You really want to drive? Do you even have a license?”

“Don’t look down on other people.” Shen QingShu gave him a sidelong glance.

“Then drive carefully.
I’ll evaluate your skills.” 

“And then I can be the driver?” Shen QingShu looked excited.

Han Cheng turned his head towards the vehicle.
“You said, a four-wheel, free-running, gasoline-powered car.”

” ”

“I can fill you with fuel, too.” Shen QingShu protested.

“That won’t be necessary.
You’d better keep it for yourself.”

Shen QingShu felt a bit dissatisfied and slightly puffed out his cheeks.
He walked over to the car and opened the door.

When sitting in the driver’s seat, Shen QingShu suddenly realized that he didn’t seem to know the route?

How would he get home from here?

Anyway, he didn’t panic.
He entered the address into the navigation, fastened his seat belt, and asked Han Cheng, “Ready?”

Han Cheng nodded.

“Let’s get going.”

The instant Shen QingShu stepped on the accelerator, the car went into reverse.

It turned out that Shen QingShu had overestimated his driving skills.
By the time he stopped the car, Han Cheng was slumped on the passenger side and almost threw up in his own car.

He’d never once been carsick since becoming an adult.
Today, in his own car, he was so dizzy he wanted to vomit.
What the fck was this!

“I think you’d better get rides from other people in the future.
Whether you’re the car or you just ride in one, either way, you definitely cannot be the driver.” Han Cheng patted Shen QingShu on the shoulder.

Shen QingShu looked over at him, saw he was ready to vomit, and felt ashamed.
Reluctant to believe it, he asked, “Am I really that bad at driving?”

“It’s not a problem for you.
Other people drive for money, but you drive for death!”

“You’re still alive and well.”

“Some people live when they’re already dead.
Some people die but they’re still alive,” Han Cheng pointed to himself.
“Like me, for example.
From now on, I’m afraid I’ll panic and vomit whenever I see this car.
I won’t be able to get in this car for a long time.”

Shen QingShu: …

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“It’s not that bad.”

“Listen to ge.
When you sit in the car, enjoy the ride and think to yourself: Ah, what a good car this is! How can I get the same effect when I drive?”

Shen QingShu thought there was a double entendre somewhere, although he had no evidence.

“I guess it’s because I haven’t driven in a long time.
Next time I definitely won’t be at this level.”

“There’s going to be a next time?” Han Cheng was surprised.
“Next time I won’t be in the car!”

“Then I’ll find someone else.
I’ll drive for free.
Someone will always be willing to go for a test drive.”

Han Cheng heard him say that, thought of something, and said, “There’s something I need to tell you in advance.”

 

—

The author has something to say:

QingQing: ? ? ?

 

TL Notes:

I’m still figuring out a posting schedule and will let you know when I have a better handle on things.
This author is very dense in terms of dialogue and wordplay.
Whenever I feel  confused, I know the ML is quoting song lyrics again…  o(≧∇≦o)

 

Why ask for a bicycle too – 还要什么自行车 – What kind of bike do you want – Don’t be too greedy, don’t ask for this or that, be happy with what you have.
Originates from a comedy sketch by Zhao Benshan (赵本山) called “Selling a Cane” (卖拐)

restless and ready for action – 蠢蠢欲动 – ready to start wriggling — ready to make trouble; be eager for action; be restless and about to make trouble; gird one’s loins

repeated horizontal jumps – 反复横跳 – jumping rapidly from left to right.
Originated as a way for shounen heroes to exercise their reaction speed and power (and put out small fires).
In online slang it now means someone who’s barely capable of walking

timid little bird – 小鸟依人 – as a little bird rests upon a man — a timid and lovable little woman – describing the petite and cute look of a girl or child

Laozi – 老子 – father / daddy / “I, your father” (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly) – An extremely arrogant way to refer to oneself

pengornis spreading its wings – 大鹏展翅 – dà péng zhǎn chì – “A great peng spreads its wings”.
Describes a very powerful posture or action.
A peng is a giant bird from Chinese mythology, while a pengornis is a type of large fossil bird named after the mythical creature.
“Pengornis” is frequently referenced in You’ve Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale, which is hilarious if you can find it.
Alternatively: great peng, great roc, etc.

chrysanthemum broken, wounded ground, your smile turned yellow – 菊花残，满地伤，你的笑容要泛黄 – Lyrics from a song called “Chrysanthemum Terrace” (菊花台) by the massively popular Taiwanese singer Jay Chou (周杰伦 / Zhōu Jiélún) Wordplay alert: chrysanthemum is slang for anus, yellow also means pornographic

hard mouth – 嘴硬 – reluctant to admit a mistake, tough talk – There’s also a common saying, “dead ducks still have a hard mouth”, which means they’re extremely stubborn

I fill you full of fuel – 我给你加油 – wǒ gěi/jǐ nǐ jiāyóu – I give you fuel/oil/lubricant, I cheer for you, I fuel you up, I give you gas, etc.

Other people drive for money, but you drive for death – 别人开车要钱，你开车要命 – drive for death, drive like hell, etc.
This seems to be an Internet meme for extremely dangerous driving maneuvers, but I couldn’t find a source

Some people live when they’re already dead… – 有些人活着，但他已经死了，有些人死了，但他还没有死透 – This time Han Cheng quotes the famous poem “Some People” (有的人) by Zang Kejia (臧克家), written in 1949.
Translation is adapted from a version found on a Weibo blog posted by kmcgeary