Chapter 11 - 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.

"Darling, in such a Rush This Early?"

 

Completely unaware that he was about to be enrolled in a parenting class, Tan Qing had a wonderfully lazy sleep and woke up, groggy, rubbing his eyes as he crawled out of bed. Still half-asleep, he stumbled toward the bathroom, ready to relieve himself.

 

As he pushed open the bathroom door, he came face-to-face with Rong Sheng, who had just finished his own business.

 

The two stood there, facing each other, momentarily stunned, with everything on display.

 

Rong Sheng was frozen for a second before quickly pulling up his pants, teasing with a smirk, "Darling, in such a rush this early?"

 

Tan Qing, however, took his time, watching as Rong Sheng zipped himself up. With a hint of regret, his gaze lingered on the now-sealed zipper, and he remarked, "No need to be shy, it's quite sizable, just... a little crooked."

 

Rong Sheng: "???"

 

At that moment, Rong Sheng realized he had been flirted with.

 

In the entertainment world, flirting and teasing were pretty commonplace.

 

But the tragic part? He found himself reacting to it almost instantly.

 

Rong Sheng sighed internally, chalking it up to pent-up frustrations from the previous night.

 

He glanced at Tan Qing and, with a loaded tone, asked, "So, you like it?"

 

Tan Qing yawned, sidling past Rong Sheng and over to the toilet, answering lazily, "Not sure. I'd have to compare a few more times to say for sure."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

He stared down at the telltale bulge in his pants and then back at Tan Qing.

 

Meanwhile, Tan Qing, utterly unconcerned by Rong Sheng's presence, continued his business without the slightest hint of embarrassment. Half-asleep, he struggled with his zipper for a good while, his pale, slender fingers fumbling before finally succeeding.

 

Relaxing as he relieved himself, his head tilted back slightly, revealing his thin, delicate Adam's apple.

 

Rong Sheng stood frozen, unable to move for quite some time.

 

It wasn't until Tan Qing finished, nonchalantly zipped up, flushed the toilet, and sleepily asked, "What are we having for breakfast?" that Rong Sheng snapped out of his daze.

 

Suddenly, Rong Sheng had the oddest feeling, as if Tan Qing wasn't just an overnight guest by chance but was meant to be living here, right beside him.

 

It stirred something within him, altering his previously firm decision to head straight to work. "The housekeeper should've left some ingredients in the fridge. Let me check."

 

"Oh."

 

Obediently, Tan Qing trailed behind Rong Sheng into the kitchen.

 

Rong Sheng hadn't been to this apartment in a while. Even though the housekeeper cleaned it regularly, the fridge looked like it hadn't been restocked in ages.

 

By the time Rong Sheng pulled out the sixth packet of frozen dumplings, Tan Qing patted his belly with a pitiful look and, with a hopeful glint in his eyes, made a request to the wealthy CEO, "Can we go get KFC?"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng, who had been shipped off abroad for school after elementary school, had no taste for fast food, which he considered the domain of children.

 

But after a moment's hesitation, he handed Tan Qing a fresh grey-blue coat from the wardrobe and smiled slyly, "Sure, but how about a kiss first?"

 

The KFC wasn't busy that morning.

 

Tan Qing pulled out the non-prescription glasses he wore for disguise the previous night, casually walking in with Rong Sheng.

 

But just as they ordered, a curious cashier with a ponytail kept glancing at Tan Qing, eventually asking, "Excuse me, are you Tan Qing?"

 

Tan Qing's eyes, hidden behind the lenses, were glued to the golden fried chicken behind the counter while he licked his lips hungrily.

 

Hearing what she said, he shook his head innocently and nudged Rong Sheng next to him. "I want a big drumstick too."

 

After a brief silence, Rong Sheng tapped the menu. "Add two crispy fried chickens for him."

 

Tan Qing, seizing the opportunity, raised two fingers. "And two spicy wings, a large Coke too, thanks!"

 

Rong Sheng: "…"

 

After paying for the meal, Rong Sheng, now in full CEO mode, glanced at Tan Qing. "Aren't you worried about maintaining your figure? The other artists in the company practically live on salad."

 

Tan Qing gazed longingly at the golden, glistening chicken behind the counter before nonchalantly responding, "I'm not like them."

 

Rong Sheng: "How so?"

 

Tan Qing wiped his mouth and replied without missing a beat, "I'm currently unemployed and haven't had meat in ages."

 

Rong Sheng: "…"

 

Despite her doubts, the cashier handed over the wings and burgers but couldn't resist asking again, "Are you really not Tan Qing?"

 

Tan Qing, abandoning the idea of eating in the store, quickly stuffed everything into a bag, took a big sip from his Coke, and grinned, "My name's Liu Dazhuang, who's this Tan Qing?"

 

Cashier: "…"

 

Rong Sheng: "…"

 

As Tan Qing slipped away with his food, Rong Sheng was left standing at the counter, now the sole focus of the curious cashier.

 

With a tilt of her ponytail, the cashier blinked. "Sir, you're Mr. Rong Sheng from Shengjing Entertainment, right? I've seen your photo in a magazine."

 

After a brief pause, Rong Sheng smoothly pulled out a few red hundred-yuan bills from his wallet, flashing a charming and flamboyant smile. "He's just worried his fans will freak out if they see him eating KFC. He wasn't teasing you. Go buy yourself a new lipstick—Yang Shulin's latest shade would look stunning on you."

 

The cashier blushed, embarrassed. "No, no need... I really like Tan Qing! I-I believe in him!"

 

Rong Sheng raised a brow. "Believe in him?"

 

With conviction, the cashier nodded. "Yes! All those rumors must be fake! And that He Mingyu, as the other person involved, never even spoke out! He's so irresponsible!"

 

Rong Sheng: "…"

 

Feeling a mix of emotions, Rong Sheng returned to the car, where he found Tan Qing had nearly devoured all the chicken wings, drumsticks, and nuggets, leaving only bones. The bones were so clean, not a shred of meat clung to them.

 

At that moment, Tan Qing was neatly placing the last chicken bone back into the paper bag, licking his thumb with satisfaction. His lips glistened with a thin layer of oil, and his tongue, bright and red, slowly traced his lips.

 

Rong Sheng, though his pants weren't too tight, feared they might still betray him by revealing a certain tension. He handed Tan Qing a napkin and casually remarked, "The server back there is one of your fans."

 

As expected, Tan Qing paused in surprise. "I still have fans?"

 

Rong Sheng replied, "Yep, she said she believes in you."

 

Tan Qing, curious, wiped his mouth and turned around. "Believes in what? That I didn't sleep with He Mingyu?"

 

"…"

 

"Well, her belief is about to be shattered."

 

Wiping his hands, Tan Qing, with a resigned expression, said, "It's fine. My beliefs have been shattered too."

 

Like that time he got struck by lightning.

 

He felt that all those years of avoiding indulgences had been for nothing.

 

Especially when he was still an ancient master.

 

So many beautiful men and women wanted to cultivate with him.

 

Alas.

 

He had been so naïve back then.

 

Sensing the conversation veering off track, Rong Sheng quickly redirected it. "So, what do you plan to do next?"

 

This was a valuable question.

 

Tan Qing, having just finished his last chicken wing, pondered for a moment before replying, "I plan to sell alcohol at bars."

 

Rong Sheng: "…Why?"

 

Tan Qing continued munching as he explained, "Based on my observations from last night, not only does selling alcohol get you commissions, but you also get to drink for free."

 

He paused, then added, "And the best part—I realized none of the other bartenders are as good-looking as me. I'm bound to make big money."

 

Rong Sheng, for once, found himself at a loss for words.

 

Tan Qing finished his KFC meal with an air of satisfaction, neatly sealing the bag and pulling out his phone from his pocket.

 

Curious, Rong Sheng asked, "What are you doing?"

 

With a sly smile, Tan Qing dialed a number. "I'm calling the bar manager. I'll be having the job interview today, debuting tomorrow, and by the next day, I'll be their top seller, climbing my way to success."

 

Rong Sheng: "…Who told you this?"

 

Tan Qing eagerly shared, "The bar manager. He said there's this really popular guy who's a hit with all the rich ladies. When one runs out of money, he just finds another."

 

Rong Sheng: "…"

 

Sensing the dangerous road Tan Qing was about to embark on, Rong Sheng asked, "Have you considered doing something else besides selling alcohol?"

 

Tan Qing blinked at him for a moment before saying, with a twinkle in his eyes, "I've also thought about getting a list of wealthy women, ranked by their net worth."

 

Rong Sheng nearly crashed his car into a pillar in Shengjing Entertainment's underground parking lot.

 

Zhao Cong, having just parked nearby, saw Rong Sheng's sleek Jaguar screech to a halt mere inches from a pillar. Recognizing Rong Sheng's car immediately, he hurried over with concern. "Mr. Rong, are you alright? Did you feel unwell… Wait, Tan Qing? What are you doing here?"

 

Tan Qing grinned at Zhao Cong, tossing the bag of chicken bones at him. "What a coincidence. Could you throw this away for me, manager?"

 

Fuming but unable to show it in front of Rong Sheng, Zhao Cong reached for the door to pull Tan Qing out. "You stood up two top executives at last night's dinner, and I haven't even begun to deal with you! Get out of the car!"

 

Rong Sheng ignored Zhao Cong and drove past him, parking the car.

 

After experiencing multiple shocks to his worldview, Rong Sheng quickly adjusted back to normal, motioning to Tan Qing. "Come on, sweetheart, let's head up to my office."

 

Tan Qing, still preoccupied with the uneaten chicken legs he might've missed inside the garbage bag just thrown to Zhao Cong, glanced up and asked, "What for?"

 

Rong Sheng smiled enticingly, "I'm going to help you find a way to get rich without needing any rich women."

 

Tan Qing didn't hesitate for a second and followed him up.

 

Rong Sheng's personal assistant had already prepared coffee and delivered the day's meeting materials to his desk.

 

Rong Sheng skimmed the documents and asked, "Has Xia Jing arrived? Tell her to come up."

 

The assistant clicked her heels over to her desk, made a call, and returned, shaking her head. "Mr. Rong, I just spoke with Manager Xia. She said Ran Anluo wasn't feeling well today, so she's accompanying him to the hospital."

 

Rong Sheng asked casually, "The hospital? Is it serious?"

 

The assistant replied, "It's at the Ji family's private hospital, so it should be well-handled. Do you want me to call for more details?"

 

Author's Note: Mini-Theatre:

Tan Qing: "Aww, you were pretending not to know your son, you jerk."

He Mingyu: "I was wrong."

Tan Qing: "But it's fine, I can find him a new dad."

He Mingyu: "???"

Tan Qing: "KFC is so good, hehe."

Rong Sheng: "Buy, buy, buy!"

Author-chan*: It's tragic. Not only do many people have their eyes on your wife, but some are also eyeing your child. And even worse—some people want to take both off your hands at once! Tsk, tsk, tsk.

He Mingyu: "Are you the devil?"

 

[T/N: Author-chan: "作者菌" (zuòzhě jūn) is a playful and informal way for a writer or author to refer to themselves in Chinese web literature or online fiction. The term "菌" (jūn) means "fungus" or "bacteria" in Chinese, but in internet slang, it's often used humorously to add a cute or self-deprecating tone, similar to how some English speakers might refer to themselves as "yours truly" or "your humble author." In this context, "作者菌" could be translated as "your humble author" or "author-chan" in a playful and lighthearted way, where the writer is interacting with the readers with a bit of charm and humility.]

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