Chapter 25 - 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.

Fashionable Outfits Make Foxes Stand out Even More.

 

 

Shopping for clothes was fine, Tan Qing thought.

 

Though he couldn't live out his wish of flirting with beautiful people for the moment, getting some stylish clothes was just as important.

 

After all…

 

Fashionable outfits make foxes stand out even more.

 

And better yet, he didn't have to pay for it himself.

 

After quickly finishing his mental calculations, Tan Qing cheerfully hopped into Rong Sheng's sports car, sniffing the air. "Hey, no perfume smell this time?"

 

Rong Sheng drove out of the underground garage. "Had no choice. I washed the car in case I ran into another 'dog nose' like you."

 

Tan Qing shot him a glare. "You're the dog nose."

 

Rong Sheng burst into laughter. "Alright, alright! I'm the dog, and my specialty is sniffing out little foxes like you, full of sly charm."

 

Fox?

 

Sitting in the passenger seat, Tan Qing felt his fur stand on end.

 

He eyed Rong Sheng's neck, which was exposed above his sweater, warily considering where he might sink his teeth in. "How do you know I'm a fox?"

 

Rong Sheng turned his head, his flirtatious eyes lingering on Tan Qing for a long moment before he laughed. "If you're not a fox, who is? Even after having kids, you still can't sit still and just want to play all day."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Relieved, Tan Qing let out a long breath.

 

That scared him.

 

Who taught humans to use metaphors so accurately?

 

Rong Sheng was currently his biggest and best "golden thigh"—rich, handsome, and he may even take him out for some fun in the near future.

 

Until the next sugar mama comes along, the last thing he wanted to do was bite the hand that feeds him.

 

Making a face at Rong Sheng, Tan Qing obediently tucked away his metaphorical fox tail and settled into his seat, sucking on his lollipop seriously.

 

By the time Rong Sheng's car pulled up to the shopping mall, Tan Qing had already finished that orange-flavored lollipop.

 

With utmost sincerity, he clasped the lollipop's leftover white stick in both hands and offered it to Rong Sheng. "Here, consider this our token of affection."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng remained silent for a long while before taking the little white stick and tucking it into his pocket. "Thanks. This is the first time I've seen a 'token of affection' like this."

 

Tan Qing blinked, a little displeased. "Aren't you going to give me something in return?"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng looked again at the tiny stick—something not even trash collectors would bother with—and smirked. "You little rascal, learning to trick your big brother now, huh? Alright, what do you want?"

 

Finally satisfied, Tan Qing pointed a delicate finger at the McDonald's sign and grinned. "Nine drumsticks symbolize the deepest love. Mwah."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng couldn't fathom why Tan Qing, a celebrity idol, loved fast food so much—especially fried chicken, which he devoured in alarming quantities.

 

Ever since Rong Sheng became the CEO of Shengjing Entertainment—or rather, ever since he became old enough to start mingling in elite social circles—he hadn't encountered anyone so obsessed with fried chicken.

 

With an expression frozen in discomfort, Rong Sheng stood stiffly among a group of parents with kids, waiting in line, ordering, and then awkwardly carrying a paper bag full of steaming chicken drumsticks out of the fast food joint.

 

The moment he stepped outside, he spotted Tan Qing, wearing a cap, leisurely chatting with a trendy-looking girl in front of the mall's display boards.

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Walking closer, Rong Sheng stopped at a spot where he could overhear their conversation.

 

"You think I look like Tan Qing? Haha, a few of my friends have said the same thing."

 

"No, no, I can't possibly be him. But I do know some juicy gossip about him! Gosh, he's so bad!"

 

"Yes, yes! My name's Liu Dazhuang, I'm from the mountains. Came to the big city to see the world."

 

"Uh-huh, you're so stylish! We should hang out sometime!"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

By the time Rong Sheng walked over, the two had already exchanged WeChat contacts and made plans to see a new movie together.

 

As Tan Qing slipped his phone into his pocket, he lifted his face, beaming expectantly at Rong Sheng. It was the look of someone eagerly awaiting their drumsticks.

 

Rong Sheng handed him the paper bag. "Aren't you Liu Dazhuang? I bought this for Tan Qing."

 

Tan Qing counted the drumsticks through the bag and licked his lips. "Doesn't matter! Liu Dazhuang can transform into Tan Qing with a magic spell—just like LaLaFairy*!"

 

[T/N: "拉拉巴小魔仙" (LaLaBa XiaoMoXian) is a reference to a magical transformation, from a children's show.]

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

With a complex expression, Rong Sheng sighed. "Since I'm your boss, take my advice: even when you're not working, stop watching cartoons on the kids' channel."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Fine.

 

If that's what it took, he'd stop.

 

After all, he was about to start working again soon.

 

Carefully folding the bag of his "rations," Tan Qing followed Rong Sheng into the mall.

 

Rong Sheng was quite picky about clothes, usually shopping exclusively at high-end luxury brands.

 

Over time, after frequent visits and his naturally flirtatious nature, he had become quite familiar with the staff at his favorite stores.

 

So when Rong Sheng took Tan Qing shopping for clothes this time, it was only natural that he brought him to one of his regular spots.

 

As luck would have it, it was the weekend, and the shop owner was in.

 

She was young, polished, and professional, with sleek black hair tied into a ponytail, her light-colored semi-formal suit accentuating her well-proportioned figure.

 

Seeing Rong Sheng and Tan Qing enter, she greeted them with a smile, walking up to Rong Sheng with a playful, slightly reproachful tone, "Mr. Rong, it's been a while since we've seen you."

 

Rong Sheng instinctively opened his mouth to reply, but then remembered that Tan Qing was right beside him, so he stayed quiet.

 

The shop owner's gaze finally lingered on Tan Qing for a few seconds before she gave a professional, 45-degree smile. "Mr. Rong, is this your friend?"

 

Tan Qing sniffed the scent of the woman's perfume, then shot Rong Sheng a sly, knowing look.

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng pressed down on Tan Qing, who was just about to spread some gossip, and smiled at the woman. "I brought him here to pick out some clothes. Go ahead and choose for him. Winter and spring collections, grab several outfits."

 

Tan Qing's wide eyes darted between the two of them, and he grinned as he asked the shop owner, "Since Rong Sheng is paying, can we get a discount?"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

The shop owner's gaze flickered over Rong Sheng before she nodded shyly at Tan Qing. "Of course, Mr. Rong is a VIP here."

 

Tan Qing stretched out his words. "Ohhhh…"

 

The woman brewed tea for them, swiftly measured Tan Qing's size, and then personally went to fetch clothes for him.

 

Tan Qing sipped the tea in front of him and then turned to Rong Sheng with a mischievous look in his eyes.

 

Rong Sheng had already started to regret bringing Tan Qing here the moment they stepped into the store.

 

Especially now, he glanced at Tan Qing. "What are you doing?"

 

Tan Qing set down his cup, pointed toward the fitting room, and gestured with his hands. "Look, that fitting room is thiiiis big!"

 

Rong Sheng scowled. "What? You want me to go in there and change clothes with you?"

 

Tan Qing tilted his head and leaned in closer to Rong Sheng, whispering, "No! But since you're buying me clothes, if you hurry up, I'll wait for you!"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Rong Sheng was momentarily confused. "Hurry up with what?"

 

"You know, that!"

 

With a knowing expression, Tan Qing offered a suggestion. "You know, that dry wood and fire thing*!"

 

[T/N: The phrase "乾柴烈火" (gān chái liè huǒ) literally means "dry wood and a raging fire." It is a metaphor commonly used in Chinese to describe a situation where something ignites rapidly and intensely, particularly in the context of passion, desire, or sexual chemistry. The idea is that when dry wood meets a fierce fire, it quickly bursts into flames—just like an intense attraction or passionate encounter between people. So Tan Qing, here, is playfully hinting at a quick and intense 'physical encounter'.]

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Taking a deep breath, Rong Sheng looked into Tan Qing's innocent, bright eyes, gritted his teeth, and downed the entire cup of water in front of him.

 

Then, he slammed the paper cup onto the table. "First of all, I'm not that fast; second, I'm not short of money to rent a room; and third…"

 

If you keep this up…

 

I swear I'll strangle you.

 

Tan Qing blinked innocently, his wide eyes fluttering. Rong Sheng swallowed the rest of his sentence.

 

The shop owner returned with the clothes she had picked out.

 

Seeing that Rong Sheng's cup was empty, she poured him another drink, asking sweetly, "Mr. Rong, are you thirsty? Should I bring you something else?"

 

Rong Sheng waved his hand. "No, just hurry and take him to try on the clothes, before he drives me nuts."

 

The shop owner chuckled softly and said to Tan Qing, "Sir, please follow me this way."

 

By the time Tan Qing finished trying on the clothes, he had managed to subtly dig out all the juicy details of Rong Sheng and the shop owner's romantic history.

 

So, when Rong Sheng and Tan Qing finally left the store, Rong Sheng quickly noticed a change in Tan Qing's gaze—it was no longer the same look he gave a "golden thigh," but one filled with admiration and awe.

 

Genuine, heartfelt admiration.

 

As if Tan Qing was a devoted fan seeing a holy Mary Sue figure in all their glory.

 

Rong Sheng felt a chill run down his spine. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

 

Tan Qing, full of sincere respect, said, "Mr. Rong, your technique is incredible. I'd like to learn all seventy-six methods of seducing women from you."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Tan Qing thought for a moment, then added, "But I'll start learning tomorrow. Tonight, I need to stop by the convenience store and buy a notebook to take notes."

 

Only through hard work…

 

Can a fox make progress.

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

After making this decision, Tan Qing suddenly remembered something else.

 

Glancing around, he asked Rong Sheng, "By the way, did you buy that little duck toy from this mall for Tan JiJi?"

 

Finally coming out of his daze, Rong Sheng thought for a moment, a bitter smile on his face as he recalled his life choices. "Yeah, the toy store is upstairs."

 

Tan Qing immediately blamed the little cub with a laugh, "Oh, that little duck's quality was terrible! Tan JiJi already broke it. I'll go buy him a new one. Do you remember which store it was?"

 

Struggling to survive this conversation, Rong Sheng didn't think twice. "It's easy to find. Let's go—it's on the way."

 

The two of them took the elevator up to the toy store.

 

Unlike the clothing section, the toy store was much livelier.

 

Aside from the toys for sale, there were many play areas that charged by the hour, designed specifically for children.

 

Rong Sheng approached the salesperson and asked, "Do you still have those squeaky little duck toys for toddlers?"

 

The salesperson shook their head apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir, we've sold out."

 

Rong Sheng was stunned. "Sold out? What about the other stores in the city? Can you transfer one over?"

 

The salesperson looked even more apologetic. "Sir, I'm very sorry. All the little duck toys in J City have sold out today."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Having held in his frustration all day, Rong Sheng finally snapped. "Are you kidding me? Who the hell buys that many duck toys? Are they starting a duck farm or something?!"

 

Salesperson: "..."

 

The round-faced salesperson looked deeply embarrassed, pointing behind Tan Qing. "Um… it's that gentleman who ordered all the squeaky yellow ducks. Maybe you could… talk to him?"

 

Tan Qing, who had been fiddling with a rattle drum near the front of the store, turned around with Rong Sheng when he heard this.

 

Just five meters away.

 

He Mingyu stood with Lin Yu behind him, holding Tan JiJi in his arms.

 

Tan JiJi was clutching a box of duck toys larger than he was.

 

In a split second.

 

The silly little Tan JiJi seemed to recognize Rong Sheng.

 

With wide, round eyes that looked just like Tan Qing's, the little cub studied Rong Sheng for a moment.

 

Then, he lowered his head and carefully picked out the biggest, most beautiful duck from his box.

 

Holding the toy in both hands, he shyly but earnestly offered it to Rong Sheng, his soft, sweet voice bubbling with joy as he exclaimed, "Pa, pa!"

 

Author's note: Mini theater

He Mingyu: I, Boss Bear, will buy every single yellow duck in J City for my cub today!

Tan JiJi: And then give the biggest one to gentle Daddy Rong (very shy face).

He Mingyu: …

Tan Qing: Hahaha, perfect! Once you give it to Rong Sheng, that duck will be mine!

      

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