Chapter 7 - The Supporting Villain Is Raising a Cub Online

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

He Mingyu frowned, "Watch your Language."

 

On the other end of the line was none other than Ran Anluo's newly assigned agent, Xia Jing.

 

After Ran Anluo's partnership with Tan Qing fell apart, his former agent changed careers, leaving all her artists to be reassigned. Xia Jing, a seasoned and skillful gold-medal agent at Shengjing Entertainment, surprised everyone when she chose Ran Anluo. No one expected this outcome.

 

However, the entertainment industry is all about the results, not the process. As long as the outcome is favorable, no matter how envious others might be, they can only watch from the sidelines.

 

Xia Jing was sitting on her couch, flipping through Ran Anluo's new schedule. She paused when she heard him mention He Mingyu: "Director He Dong? Xiao Luo, why are you asking about him?"

 

Ran Anluo hesitated before responding awkwardly, "Sister Xia, can you help or not?"

 

Xia Jing closed the folder and leaned back on the sofa, crossing her long, straight legs. "Xiao Luo, it's not that I don't want to help, but He Mingyu is not someone just anyone can dig into."

 

Ran Anluo didn't seem ready to give up. He softened his tone, almost pleading, "That's why I'm asking you for help, Sister Xia. Please?"

 

Xia Jing frowned. "Be honest with me, Anluo—are you asking if He Mingyu has children because you like him and want to pursue him, or because you're trying to latch on?"

 

Ran Anluo hesitated before quietly saying, "What if I do like him?"

 

Xia Jing raised an eyebrow, tapping her red-painted nails lightly on the table.

 

"If you truly like him, I wouldn't stop you from trying to approach him. He Mingyu is the youngest son of the He family, has a great reputation, and has never been involved in any scandals... well, except for that one time with Tan Qing."

 

Ran Anluo's expression changed noticeably at the mention of Tan Qing.

 

His fingers clenched tightly on his lap. "...Yeah."

 

Xia Jing, unaware of Ran Anluo's reaction on the other end of the phone, continued, "So, even if you do have feelings for him, now is not the time to make a move. You can't let people think you're trying to steal Tan Qing's man, or worse, that you're settling for his leftovers."

 

Ran Anluo's tone held a trace of bitterness, "But Tan Qing and He Mingyu were just an accident!"

 

Xia Jing nodded. "Exactly, Xiao Luo. You should be thankful for that accident. If not for Tan Qing's reputation collapsing, you wouldn't have had the chance to go solo."

 

Ran Anluo remained silent.

 

His lips pressed into a thin, blood-red line, and after a long pause, he finally said, "I understand. Thank you, Sister Xia."

 

"No need to thank me."

 

Xia Jing chuckled. "I've always thought you had talent. I didn't sign you just to turn you into a pretty decoration."

 

"I'll work hard, Sister Xia."

 

Xia Jing marked a few items on the schedule with her pen and continued, "As for the thing with Director He, I really can't help you. But, Xiao Luo, if you're that eager to know, why don't you ask Film Emperor Ji?"

 

Ran Anluo was taken aback. "Ji Yanxiu?"

 

Xia Jing smiled. "You're already calling him by name? Seems like you're pretty close. You saved his brother's life, and their family's hospital has been working with the He Group for years. I doubt he'd refuse you."

 

Ran Anluo paused, then whispered, "I see… I'll think about it."

 

Xia Jing glanced out at the dark night beyond the window and said meaningfully, "Good. It's always better to have someone backing you, Xiao Luo, than to stumble through it on your own."

 

The call ended.

 

Ran Anluo opened his chat app and scrolled through a list of contacts until he found that familiar icon.

 

Because of their frequent conversations, he had already set a special notification for this contact.

 

Ran Anluo seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally opening the chat window.

 

"Yanxiu, could you do me a favor?"

 

Meanwhile, Tan Qing's night market business was booming.

 

Maybe it was the approaching New Year's season, but he noticed that the young men and women seemed to have more money to spend.

 

Even the elderly customers, who usually haggled with him, were all smiles today and didn't try to bargain.

 

Thankfully, no one was haggling!

 

Especially since the fox fur he had on display tonight was the last of his inventory.

 

Given that he had already plucked all the fur off his "brothers and sisters" from the mountains, Tan Qing decided that once he sold out the remaining stock, he would switch to a new line of work.

 

Although he wasn't quite sure what he'd do next.

 

But, come to think of it…

 

Tomorrow would be a day free of formula expenses—it's a dawn of new beginnings, a day of renewal, a moment of true liberation.

 

Tan Qing's face beamed with joy, his demeanor towards customers bright and cheerful.

 

That already beautiful, delicate face became even more animated and charming, like a moving painting—radiant and captivating.

 

Soon, his backpack was nearly empty, save for a few scattered fox-tail trinkets.

 

Tan Qing reached out to spread them out a little and, shivering from the cold, shook his legs.

 

Just as he was about to start hawking his wares like the stall owner next to him, he noticed two figures emerging from the dark, crowded alley across the way.

 

One large, one small.

 

Most of the goods sold at this night market were cheap, everyday items—nothing high-end. The customers were usually young people looking for something pretty, or older folks trying to snag a deal.

 

Which made the tall and imposing He Mingyu, dressed in a high-end custom suit, stand out like a sore thumb.

 

From afar, he was even more intimidating than the city inspectors.

 

And, to top it off...

 

Perched on He Mingyu's shoulders was the relaxed and carefree little cub.

 

Just then, a young woman standing at Tan Qing's stall, torn between a red and a white trinket, asked him, "Little boss, which one do you think looks better?"

 

Tan Qing, distracted by He Mingyu's route through the market, blurted out absentmindedly, "Definitely the red one—it's been refining for 300 years."

 

The young woman blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

 

Tan Qing immediately backtracked with a sheepish grin, "Oh, I was just kidding! You're so pretty—how about I give you both at a 5% discount?"

 

Flattered by the compliment, the young woman blushed and ended up buying both, paying through her e-wallet. "No need for a discount! You're handsome and charming—best of luck with your business!"

 

Tan Qing, a master of smooth-talking, sent the girl off happily. Then, he lowered his head, expertly pulling up his payment app, and started counting the night's earnings, his delicate fingers tapping swiftly on the screen.

 

With great enthusiasm, he quietly muttered under his breath as he calculated, "Twenty, twenty, eighty..."

 

A cool, deep voice interrupted him. "How much did you make?"

 

Tan Qing, still in high spirits, replied without hesitation, "Three hundred and sixty!"

 

Feeling quite proud of himself, he finished counting and looked up—only to be met by He Mingyu standing across from his stall.

 

On He Mingyu's shoulders sat Tan Jiji, wrapped snugly in a thick floral jacket, with only a pair of bright, curious eyes peeking out.

 

Tan Jiji, gazing directly at Tan Qing, called out in a soft, sweet voice, "Pa, pa!"

 

Before Tan Qing could respond, He Mingyu answered with a low, "Mm."

 

Tan Qing: "???"

 

Since space in the night market was limited, the stall areas were rather small.

 

And so—

 

Standing closer now, Tan Qing realized that He Mingyu was quite a bit taller than him.

 

It seriously hurt his pride as the so-called "Fox Ancestor."

 

Tan Qing, his nose red from the cold, frowned in displeasure. "Move, move, move! You're blocking my customers."

 

But it was already close to closing time, and the peak of the night market's bustle had passed.

 

He Mingyu glanced around, then back at Tan Qing. "There's no one."

 

Tan Qing huffed, "Well, no one will come if you keep standing there!"

 

He Mingyu didn't reply.

 

The outskirts of the capital were freezing at night. A heavy snowstorm had passed recently, and now, with the thaw setting in, the cold seemed to seep up from the ground, even through thick-soled winter boots.

 

In the dim, yellowish glow of the lights, there wasn't even a single moth in sight—

 

But it was easy to make out the soft blush on Tan Qing's face.

 

His nose was red from the cold, and his cheeks were tinged with pink.

 

His eyes, slightly reddened.

 

And his lips, a deep crimson.

 

He Mingyu felt a sudden thirst. He averted his gaze and asked, "Is this your new side hustle?"

 

Tan Qing pulled his head further into his coat, trying to disappear into its warmth, and retorted, "Nope! This is officially my main gig now."

 

He Mingyu frowned. "Watch your language."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tan Qing sighed, "Oh great lord, mighty tycoon, esteemed boss—could you please step aside and let me finish selling the rest? It's rare to have such good business today!"

 

He Mingyu's gaze fell on the modest sign at the stall.

 

Twenty yuan each.

 

With a glance, he saw there were about ten or so left.

 

Then, to his annoyance, He Mingyu realized his eyes kept wandering back to Tan Qing.

 

—Tan Qing bending down to arrange his goods.

 

—Tan Qing stomping his feet to keep warm.

 

—Tan Qing sneezing.

 

The corners of his eyes grew even redder, as if he'd been wronged.

 

He Mingyu took out his wallet, pulled out five red bills*, and handed them to Tan Qing. "You're selling them for twenty yuan each. There are seventeen items left. The rest..."

 

[T/N: A red bill actually amounts to 100 yuan. It literally translates to "red grandpa mao". The term "毛爺爺" (Mao Yéyé) refers to the image of Chairman Mao Zedong that appears on the Chinese currency, making it a playful way to refer to money. All chinese bills have the same image printed on them, with the sole difference being their color.]

 

Tan Qing swiftly pocketed the money, his face breaking into a bright, beaming smile. "The rest is a tip, right? I knew you rich folks love giving tips!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu sighed, exasperated. "Look at you—what makes you think you deserve a tip?"

 

Tan Qing gave it some serious thought, then tentatively replied, "Because I'm braving the freezing cold, sticking to my job, dedicated and professional, serving the people?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Unable to take it anymore, He Mingyu turned his back. "Fine, pack up. Tan Jiji's being fussy and refusing to sleep—you come and calm him down."

 

Only then did Tan Qing remember he had to tell Tan Jiji a bedtime story every night.

 

He'd seen it on a children's educational channel, which claimed that storytelling was great for kids' cognitive development and fostering well-rounded growth.

 

But despite patiently telling stories for over twenty days, Tan Jiji still hadn't grown a tail.

 

No more of this nonsense.

 

Humans, he concluded, were all liars.

 

With that thought in mind, Tan Qing glanced at the remaining fox fur trinkets in his bag. Ultimately, under the irresistible influence of He Mingyu's money, he decided to stick it out for just one more day.

 

Quickly zipping up his bag, he stood and ran after He Mingyu. "Wait for me, wait for me!"

 

Author's Note: Mini Theater:

Tan Qing: I can't do this street vending anymore! I need to switch careers! What should I do?! [nervous leg shaking]

He Mingyu: How about becoming my little lover?

Rong Sheng: Why not be my lover instead?

Ji Yanxiu: How about learning to do some acting with me?

Ran Anluo: ??? Why do I feel like I just lost out on something?!

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