Chapter 26 - 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.

Lin Yu felt He Was Already Doomed.

 

 

Lin Yu, following behind He Mingyu, suddenly understood something profound.

 

The line between life and death was, in reality, only the distance of one Tan JiJi.

 

Like right now, it felt as though fate had grabbed him by the throat, leaving him struggling to breathe.

 

Lin Yu lowered his head and desperately searched for a crack in the shiny marble floor of the toy store to disappear into, but finding none, he could only raise his head in despair and quietly observe his boss.

 

And that's when he noticed.

 

Although his boss hadn't said anything directly, his molars were clenched tightly, so much so that the veins in his neck were visibly strained with anger.

 

Looking at his face…

 

It's over.

 

It was even darker than the time the company lost a two-billion-yuan contract.

 

Years of professional experience kicked in, and Lin Yu quickly assessed the situation from a professional secretary's point of view, analyzing his boss's expression and the current circumstances.

 

He came to a conclusion.

 

Not only had he accidentally witnessed a potentially intimate scene of his future boss's wife and his good friend shopping together…

 

He had also witnessed his boss's own son offering a toy duck to his stepfather in an unparalleled act of affection.

 

And what's worse…

 

He Mingyu was right there.

 

Brilliant.

 

Lin Yu felt he was already doomed.

 

Out of pure survival instinct, he took a step back.

 

But his desire for his paycheck forced him to step forward again.

 

After thinking long and hard, he finally came up with something that might salvage his boss's dignity. He quickly spoke up, "Mr. Rong, what a coincidence! Did you and Mr. Tan happen to run into each other at the mall?"

 

"Run into each other, my foot."

 

Rong Sheng shattered Lin Yu's fragile hope with one sentence, raising his chin towards Tan Qing. "It's getting colder today, right? I noticed Tan Qing only had a few clothes to wear, looking all pitiful, so I specifically brought him here to buy some."

 

Lin Yu: "..."

 

Lin Yu couldn't even muster his usual professional smile.

 

With no other options left, he placed his last hope in Tan Qing, eagerly saying, "Mr. Tan, the boss was just telling me to send over a set of duck toys for you. Who knew we'd bump into you here?"

 

Tan Qing, still distracted by the little rattle drum nearby, gave Lin Yu a half-hearted smile, "Oh, right. Good afternoon, Secretary Lin."

 

Rong Sheng was much more cooperative, adding, "By the way, Tan Qing said the duck toy I bought for Tan JiJi broke, so I was taking him here to buy another one."

 

He took a couple of steps forward, bending down to take the toy duck that Tan JiJi was offering him with both hands.

 

Before he could even touch it, He Mingyu startled him with his cold stare, "What the hell are you looking at me like that for?"

 

He Mingyu's face remained emotionless as he pulled Tan JiJi closer into his arms, saying indifferently, "Oh? So Tan Qing told you it was Tan Jiji who broke the toy you gave him?"

 

Tan Qing: "???"

 

Tan Qing abruptly turned away from the rattle drum.

 

He was just about to explain when Rong Sheng beat him to it. "Yeah. But come on, Old He, the kid is still young. It's just a toy duck, no need to get so worked up about it."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tan Qing felt like stuffing a mouthful of fox fur into Rong Sheng's mouth.

 

As expected.

 

He Mingyu's lips curled into a mocking smile as he glanced at Rong Sheng. "Then you really don't know him. Some people, you see, secretly enjoy playing with it themselves, but they're too embarrassed to admit it… Just like those who say they're going to work but end up shopping instead, always so dishonest."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Rong Sheng blinked, finally putting two and two together.

 

He clapped his hands and turned to Tan Qing. "Qingqing, don't tell me you actually like that duck toy?"

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Though Tan Qing was often shameless, even he knew it wasn't a great look for an adult to be fighting over toys with a child.

 

He pursed his lips awkwardly, unwillingly casting another glance at the duck toy, and stubbornly said, "No."

 

Rong Sheng chuckled at his reaction. "You're not fooling anyone—you really do like it, don't you?"

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

He shot a fierce glare at Rong Sheng.

 

Rong Sheng, clearly delighted by the reaction, completely ignored He Mingyu's death stare and walked back over to Tan JiJi, flashing the little cub a charming smile. "Little darling, Papa loves the duck you gave him. But guess what? Your other daddy loves it too. How about we both give this duck to him, okay?"

 

Tan JiJi's eyes sparkled as he stared at Rong Sheng for a long time, then followed his gaze to look at Tan Qing standing nearby.

 

The little cub pouted his soft pink lips, running his chubby little fingers reluctantly over the duck toy.

 

Finally, as if mustering all his courage, he closed his eyes, gently offering the duck to Rong Sheng with both hands.

 

Rong Sheng reached out, smiling as he said, "Alright then, I'll take it."

 

Little Tan JiJi, tense with nervousness, sniffled and cautiously opened his eyes just a tiny bit, his long lashes curling like Tan Qing's as he watched the duck toy leave his hands.

 

And land in Tan Qing's.

 

Rong Sheng passed the toy to him with a flourish. "See? Your brother's being so good to you."

 

After waiting so long, the coveted toy duck was finally in Tan Qing's hands—and it was even better than the first one.

 

Tan Qing, delighted, squeezed the duck several times, making it squeak "quack, quack, quack," before sincerely thanking Rong Sheng, "This is great! Mr. Rong, you're the most generous. Love you for ten thousand years."

 

Meanwhile, He Mingyu, who had spent money and lost the duck, but still hadn't reaped any benefits: "..."

 

And Lin Yu, who was now teetering on the edge of suffocating from all the awkwardness, trying to hide his desire to vanish on the spot: "..."

 

Fearing that his boss might actually die of rage right here, Lin Yu bravely turned toward Tan Qing. "Um... Mr. Tan, the boss actually got you an even better set..."

 

However, before he could finish, He Mingyu cut him off.

 

If Lin Yu hadn't noticed He Mingyu trembling with anger from the side, the calmness in He Mingyu's voice could have easily fooled him into thinking everything was normal.

 

He Mingyu turned to Rong Sheng and said, "Thanks for taking him shopping for clothes today. How much did it cost? I'll transfer the money to you."

 

Rong Sheng clicked his tongue in disbelief, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. "Come on, we've been brothers for years. What's a few pieces of clothing worth? Why nitpick over something like that?"

 

He Mingyu gave the bags in the others' hands a quick glance, then pulled out his phone and transferred the money to Rong Sheng without another word.

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tan Qing snuck a glance at the amount He Mingyu had transferred to Rong Sheng and couldn't help feeling aggrieved, realizing that he'd once again brushed past a fortune. He turned his head and asked Rong Sheng, "Were these clothes really that expensive?"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

The truth is—

 

Yes, they were.

 

Fearing that Tan Qing might start selling the new clothes online as second-hand items, Rong Sheng quickly said, "Relax, they weren't that pricey. Just wear them."

 

Tan Qing let out a sigh of relief, then had a sudden thought and brightly suggested, "Great! How about we split He Mingyu's dirty money?"

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu, determined to stay calm, shot a look at Tan Qing and slowly said, "You don't need to rely on Rong Sheng. As Tan Jiji's other father, from today onward, all your living and work-related expenses will naturally be covered by me."

 

A giant pie fell from the sky, wrapping Tan Qing in happiness.

 

Tan Qing blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

 

He Mingyu nodded, his tone cold yet dripping with wealth, "That apartment is too small now. I have a standalone villa in the city center. I already sent someone to clean it this morning. It's close to Shengjing Entertainment, so your commute will be much more convenient."

 

He paused for a moment and added, "I'll give you a supplementary card. You can use it for monthly expenses, and you can spend as much as you need."

 

Tan Qing: "???"

 

He Mingyu thought for a moment before continuing, "After you finish shooting your current web drama, if you have any other work plans, I can invest in them for you. However, I'd prefer if you take a closer look at the parenting course I signed you up for earlier."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Rong Sheng: "..."

 

Standing nearby, Rong Sheng was silent for a while before finally asking, "You read the lab reports?"

 

He Mingyu nodded.

 

His expression remained as dark as ever, but he still addressed Rong Sheng. "Thanks again. I've already sent people to investigate the Ji family's hospital. If things remain unclear, I'll take it up with Ji Yanxiu's father directly."

 

Rong Sheng nodded, "It's about time. Their hospital is the best private one in J City. If such an error occurred, suing them could ruin their lab."

 

He Mingyu grabbed little Tan Jiji's hand as the child reached up to touch his face, and then he bent down to play a finger hooking game with him for a while. "I'm not interested in compensation," He Mingyu said, "but I am interested in finding out what caused the mistake. We'll wait and see."

 

Amid the lively atmosphere of the toy store, a brief silence fell over the four of them standing at the entrance.

 

Rong Sheng stood in place for a moment before lifting his head and softly asking He Mingyu, "Have you decided to take Tan Jiji back?"

 

He Mingyu replied, "Of course."

 

Rong Sheng's lips curved slightly, as though he wanted to smile but couldn't. "Are you sure you've thought this through? His other parent isn't a woman. From now on, you'll..."

 

"The pillars that have supported the He family for forty years are all gone," He Mingyu said coldly, his lips barely twitching. "They're still hoping to get something from me—who would dare point fingers at me?"

 

Rong Sheng finally smiled openly.

 

He sighed and said slowly, "Yes, you and I are different... I just wonder when the old man at my house will finally go underground."

 

After the strange conversation between the two, Tan Qing, filled with curiosity, finally pulled out the little rattle drum he'd been eyeing from the toy shelf.

 

With a little duck in one hand and the rattle drum in the other, he waved it in front of He Mingyu and asked tentatively, "So, can I get this rattle drum too?"

 

Tan Jiji, having never seen a rattle drum before, reached out eagerly to grab it.

 

He Mingyu had no choice but to lean forward and, with a hint of helplessness, said, "Sure, if you like it, go ahead and buy it."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Following his animal instincts, Tan Qing shook the rattle drum and suddenly grew cautious. "You're not planning to win me and the kid over just to sell us both off later, are you?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Rong Sheng chuckled, instinctively reaching out to pat Tan Qing's shoulder, only to stop halfway and pull his hand back. "Don't worry. The first test results were wrong. Old He will take responsibility for both of you."

 

Tan Qing, upon hearing this, gave He Mingyu a long, withering look, as if assessing an idiot. "Sigh! How could they mess that up? I've always wondered which side of the family Tan Jiji inherited his stupidity from."

 

Even after thinking it over, he still felt thoroughly unimpressed.

 

With a dismissive wave, he generously said, "Forget it, you don't need to take responsibility for me. Just take your kid and let me live my life! I'm worried staying around you will lower my IQ."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

It was rare for He Mingyu to be in the wrong like this, so he could only muster his patience and helplessly say, "I was wrong this time. It won't happen again. It's getting late—how about we go home?"

 

"No."

 

Tan Qing rejected He Mingyu with firm indifference. "I'm going to work and make money. We agreed that I'd fend for myself."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

"Haha—"

 

Rong Sheng, who had been quietly watching from the side, was laughing so hard he could barely stand up straight.

 

After struggling to stop laughing, he adjusted his suit and returned to his usual dashing self. "Alright, Tan Qing does have work today. I was just about to take him there after shopping, but now… why don't you take over?"

 

He Mingyu was about to respond when Lin Yu, who had been doing his best to stay invisible, suddenly stepped forward.

 

Standing next to He Mingyu, Lin Yu pointed to his phone screen. "Boss, we should leave here soon."

 

He Mingyu glanced at the screen for a few seconds. "What's going on?"

 

Lin Yu explained, "Netizens just dug up a photo that Ji Yanxiu posted on Weibo last time. The person eating with him in the picture was Mr. Tan, and now both he and Ji Yanxiu are about to join the same project."

 

"It's already trending at number one, and they're saying…"

 

"Saying what?"

 

"Saying that Tan Qing and Ji Yanxiu are involved in an improper PY relationship."

 

[T/N: "Py交易" (PY transaction/relationship) is an internet slang term that originally referred to a "friend transaction." However, it is now commonly used to mean "backdoor deal," implying some shady or under-the-table dealings. The phrase "屁眼交易" (butthole transaction) metaphorically suggests that something illicit or unethical is happening behind the scenes.]

 

Author's note: Mini Theater

Tan Qingqing: Aww! Let me see which little genius has already picked my next wall to climb*!

Ji Yanxiu: (seriously building a wall with a shovel)

Tan Qingqing: Is the wall finished yet? I want to climb it as soon as it's done.

Ji Yanxiu: Come on! I'm ready to catch you on the other side.

He Mingyu: ...Heh.

 

[T/N: "Climb a wall" (砌墙) serves as a playful metaphor for shifting romantic interests or exploring new relationships.]

       

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