Chapter 18 - 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.

"You Could Say We're Fuck Buddies, Hehehe."

 

 

Tan Qing bit into the apple indifferently. "Uncle, you've got it wrong. This is my son."

 

"And besides..."

 

He reached out, plucked Tan Jiji from He Mingyu's arms, and scrutinized him with disdain. "How does he look anything like him? Don't all human babies look the same—dull and clueless?"

 

Uncle Wang: "..."

 

Uncle Wang's mustache twitched, completely at a loss for words.

 

He Mingyu rubbed his temples and handed the baby bottle on the table to Tan Qing. "This is the housekeeper from my parents' place. Just call him Uncle Wang like I do."

 

Then he turned to Uncle Wang. "Uncle Wang, this is Tan Qing, he's..."

 

"He's a friend I used to run with."

 

Tan Qing chimed in cheerfully, flashing a smile. "You could say we're fuck buddies*, hehehe."

 

[T/N: The literal meaning is running buddies, but it can also mean fuck buddies.]

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Sporting dark circles under his eyes, President He slumped tiredly onto the large sofa. "Never mind. Uncle Wang, he used to be an actor, don't take him seriously. What brings you here today?"

 

It was the first time Uncle Wang had seen someone in He Mingyu's house this early in the morning, so he gave Tan Qing another curious glance before looking away.

 

He opened his leather bag, pulling out several carefully wrapped tea cakes. "Madam recently received some century-old Pu'er tea bricks and asked me to bring you a few."

 

He Mingyu took one casually, unwrapped the coarse paper, and sniffed it. "Thanks, Uncle Wang."

 

Uncle Wang zipped up the bag and smiled. "No need to thank me. But there's another reason Madam sent me today."

 

He Mingyu asked, "What is it?"

 

Uncle Wang glanced at Tan Qing before answering.

 

Tan Qing, who had been trying to steal sips of Tan Jiji's freshly made formula, leaving the baby tearful, caught the glance and raised his hand. "Okay, okay, I'll give you two some space. You can chat freely."

 

With quick movements, he picked up the little one and headed into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

 

Only after confirming the door was fully closed did Uncle Wang step closer to He Mingyu. "Young master, Madam wanted me to tell you that the Old Master may not have much time left."

 

He Mingyu froze slightly but didn't seem overly shocked. "The doctor said his condition was stable when winter started. Why so sudden?"

 

Uncle Wang shook his head. "Age is a gift from heaven. When heaven decides it's time, no one can say otherwise."

 

He sighed deeply before continuing, "Madam's message is... since you're the direct great-grandson, if your schedule allows, she hopes you can go back to the old house and stay with him for a few days. Even if it's just for appearances."

 

It was a reasonable request.

 

The He family had flourished for three generations, with many direct and collateral branches.

 

Though the Old Master had long retired, his influence remained, and he couldn't be ignored.

 

He Mingyu thought for a moment. "Understood. I'll go to the office today and handle some work. I'll head over tonight."

 

"Good, good! I'll go tell Madam right away."

 

Uncle Wang nodded in relief, grabbed his bag, and prepared to leave.

 

He Mingyu stood up to see him out.

 

As they reached the entryway, Uncle Wang paused and turned back, giving He Mingyu a slight bow before glancing towards the bedroom. "Young master, there's something I'd like to ask, though I'm not sure if it's appropriate."

 

He Mingyu followed his gaze. "Go ahead."

 

After a moment of hesitation, Uncle Wang lowered his voice. "Mingyu, tell me honestly, is there more between you and that person than just friendship?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

His expression remained calm as he denied, "No, we're just friends. He's staying here with his child for a few days. There's no need to mention this to my mother."

 

Uncle Wang still seemed a bit doubtful, probing further. "That child really is his?"

 

A flicker of frustration crossed He Mingyu's eyes. "Yes."

 

Uncle Wang finally sighed in relief. "That's good. Young master... I may not have much skill, but I've been by the Old Master's side for many years. I've learned a thing or two about reading people."

 

After a brief pause, he continued, "Your friend is quite handsome—his features are more striking than a woman's. In my hometown, we have a saying: men as beautiful as that tend to stir up trouble, and they often enjoy playing with people's hearts. You should be cautious."

 

He Mingyu couldn't help but tease, "Uncle Wang, does your hometown call men like that 'fox spirits'?"

 

Uncle Wang clapped his hands in surprise. "Young master, you know about that?!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Shaking his head, He Mingyu walked back inside and gently knocked on Tan Qing's door. "Come out for breakfast."

 

There was no response from the bedroom.

 

He frowned, knocking twice more. "Tan Qing?"

 

Still no answer.

 

Sighing, He Mingyu turned the handle and opened the door.

 

Inside the room—

 

The large, soft bed dominated the center.

 

Tan Qing and Tan Jiji were sprawled out, arms and legs akimbo, their bellies exposed to the warm air of the room, both lying in identical starfish positions.

 

After a while, perhaps finding the position uncomfortable, Tan Qing rolled over—his foot ending up right next to Tan Jiji's head.

 

Perhaps because of being robbed of half a bottle of milk earlier, little Tan Jiji hadn't eaten enough. In his sleep, he pitifully grabbed Tan Qing's big toe and suckled on it as if it were a bottle.

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu closed his eyes in resignation, walked over, and carefully moved Tan Jiji aside, tucking him in with a small blanket.

 

Then, he moved to the other side of the bed, ready to wake Tan Qing up for a meal.

 

As he bent down, he noticed a scar on Tan Qing's lower abdomen, just above his waistline.

 

Tan Qing's skin was flawlessly pale, like polished jade, smooth and delicate, except for that one scar, like a mark left by a crawling centipede, marring the otherwise perfect harmony.

 

Though the scar had faded to a faint brown, its edges were still clearly discernible.

 

Before he realized it, He Mingyu's hand had already traced the length of the scar.

 

Tan Qing, sensitive as ever, shuddered at the touch, his eyes snapping open as he prepared to curse with the new swear words he'd recently learned. "Hey! Don't you dare... Mm..."

 

He Mingyu's hand continued tracing the scar, from its uppermost point to its end. "Don't use foul language."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tan Qing pressed his lips together, his bright eyes glancing around He Mingyu, and he spread his legs obediently. "Fine, no swearing. But how about you touch a bit lower instead?"

 

He Mingyu chuckled coldly, his fingers lightly grazing the scar.

 

His hands were rougher than Tan Qing's, and the slow, deliberate motion over the uneven surface of the scar sent a shiver through Tan Qing's body. He immediately jerked away, glaring at He Mingyu, flustered. "What are you doing?"

 

He Mingyu's gaze remained on the scar. "How did you get this?"

 

Tan Qing lowered his head, only now recalling the mark left on his body.

 

His thoughts wandered back to the memory, and he grew even more annoyed. "How do you think? It's from an appendectomy, obviously!"

 

Perhaps due to being rudely awakened from his nap, there was a faint note of grievance in Tan Qing's voice.

 

That hint of grievance made He Mingyu's voice soften several notches.

 

He crouched down, moving closer to Tan Qing. "Was it really from an appendectomy, or was it from giving birth?"

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

As a bona fide male nine-tailed fox, Tan Qing always thought it was pretty remarkable that he could give birth.

 

But when this fact was brought up by another man, for some reason, it felt strangely awkward and shameful.

 

Maybe it was because they were both men, making it feel a little... embarrassing?

 

Frustrated, Tan Qing shoved He Mingyu aside and jumped off the bed, heading for the bathroom. "Alright, alright, you're so annoying! I'm going to pee."

 

He Mingyu didn't stop him.

 

The figure walking toward the bathroom had slender, graceful lines, making it hard to imagine him ever having a pregnant belly.

 

And even harder to imagine how, as a top celebrity, he managed to avoid the public eye while giving birth to this child.

 

If this child wasn't his... wouldn't that mean another man got to enjoy those benefits?

 

He Mingyu frowned, then followed him to the bathroom.

 

Tan Qing, in his usual carefree manner, had already pulled down his designer pants halfway, revealing his "little bird."

 

He was just about to kick the door shut when he saw He Mingyu slip inside behind him.

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

The earlier tension He Mingyu had caused had dissipated in an instant.

 

He shot He Mingyu a sharp look. "Wow, are you a pervert?"

 

He Mingyu hadn't expected Tan Qing to undress so quickly, and his gaze involuntarily lingered on the revealed "little bird" for a few seconds before he averted his eyes. "I'll wait outside."

 

But Tan Qing didn't seem to care. He nonchalantly continued, "No worries, after all, we're..."

 

Before he could finish, He Mingyu had already closed the door and stepped out.

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

After finishing his business and washing his hands, Tan Qing emerged from the bathroom, only to find that He Mingyu was no longer in the bedroom.

 

Tan Jiji was still snoring soundly on the bed.

 

Tan Qing wandered out of the bedroom and found He Mingyu in the dining area, skillfully preparing milk formula for the little one.

 

There were two bottles on the table—one powder blue, which belonged to Tan Jiji, and another in a soft pink, full of girlish charm.

 

Huh?

 

There was an extra one?

 

Seeing Tan Qing come out, He Mingyu waved him over. "I've warmed Tan Jiji's milk. Just feed him when he wakes up."

 

Tan Qing absentmindedly fiddled with the things on the table, then rested his chin on his hand as he sat down beside the dining table.

 

He Mingyu paused for a moment, then looked down at Tan Qing. "The ancestral home called just now. I need to go back immediately. I'll be away in the evenings this week. The housekeeper will come by at night—just let her know if you want anything specific to eat."

 

Tan Qing stared longingly at the two bottles. "Got it."

 

He Mingyu continued, "Be good. And stop fighting with the baby over the milk."

 

Tan Qing shot him a look and raised a pinky finger. "I only had one sip!"

 

He Mingyu handed over the light pink bottle. "This one's even richer than Tan Jiji's. Satisfied?"

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Silently, Tan Qing took a sip of the rich, fragrant milk and fell into a pensive silence.

 

Just as He Mingyu reached the door, he suddenly seemed to remember something. "Tan Qing."

 

Tan Qing, deeply contemplating the tragic fate of a fox reduced to drinking baby formula, mumbled, "What?"

 

"Once things are settled at the ancestral home, I'll take Tan Jiji for another paternity test."

 

Although this decision seemed perfectly logical, He Mingyu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, so he emphasized again, "Behave while I'm gone."

 

Another paternity test?

 

Well, that was fine.

 

He Mingyu seemed pretty responsible, after all.

 

But…

 

What if, after selling off the little one, his true nature was exposed? What if they came knocking on his door to arrest him?

 

Tan Qing felt a little worried, but he still patted his chest and promised, with a guilty conscience, "Of course, of course! You go on! I won't cause any trouble!"

 

Yet, the moment He Mingyu stepped out the door—

 

Tan Qing's phone, resting on the table, began to ring.

 

Meanwhile, He Mingyu had just gotten into the car heading to the ancestral home.

 

Tan Qing picked up the phone. "Hello?"

 

A gentle and calm male voice came through from the other side. "May I speak to Mr. Tan Qing? This is Ji Yanxiu."

 

Author's Note: Mini Theater:

He Mingyu: Where's my wife? Why does my wife keep disappearing?

Secretary Lin Yu: I saw Tan Qing running left with Rong Sheng!

Secretary Elena: No, no, no! I saw Tan Qing heading right with Ji Yanxiu!

Tan Jiji: He went to the bar to find some tasty fresh meat! Papa, is fresh meat tasty? When can I have some?

He Mingyu: …

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