Chapter 31 - 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 Smells Delicious.

 

 

To prove to He Mingyu that he would behave himself once on set, Tan Qing was obedient from the night before all the way until they left the next morning.

 

He even took the initiative to wake up the little one in the nursery.

 

With utmost affection, he told him a fairy tale—one that wasn't bloody at all.

 

Truly, he was the epitome of an outstanding parent.

 

After finishing the story, Tan Qing yawned and asked the teary-eyed Tan Jiji on the bed, "Little one, don't you think I'm the best dad in the whole world?"

 

The poor little guy hiccupped between sobs, rubbing his eyes as he cried, "Waaah... hick... paa... hick... paa..."

 

Sitting at the foot of the bed, He Mingyu could no longer bear it. He reached over to tuck Tan Jiji snugly into his little blanket and softly coaxed, "Jiji, be good. Let's not mind your silly dad, okay? Time to sleep now."

 

Having survived under Tan Qing's laissez-faire parenting style, Tan Jiji was an obedient and sensible child. He threw a quick, reproachful glance at his "silly dad" before quietly drifting back to sleep.

 

It was a peaceful night.

 

The next morning was bright and clear.

 

Tan Qing, still groggy, lugged his small suitcase into the living room, just in time to bump into He Mingyu, who had already freshened up and returned from his morning run.

 

As Tan Qing rubbed his sleepy eyes, he gave He Mingyu a once-over, scrunching his nose in confusion.

 

"The early bird gets the worm," as they say, but it baffled Tan Qing that instead of spending the morning in more "fun" activities, He Mingyu chose to go for a run.

 

He Mingyu stood unfazed under Tan Qing's gaze and asked, "Have you checked Weibo?"

 

Tan Qing shook his head, pouting, "Nope. My phone died last night while I was playing games, and I lost all my points. So tragic."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

After a moment of silence, He Mingyu pulled out his own phone, opened Weibo, and placed it in front of Tan Qing.

 

The top trending post had already changed from last night's story of Ran Anluo's heroic rescue to a more provocative headline:

 

"Ran Anluo's Rescue: Heroism or Conspiracy?"

 

Clicking into the trending topic revealed a 20-minute-long video.

 

Tan Qing quickly skimmed through it and, in a tone as if commenting on an idiot, clicked his tongue. "Wow, if you're going to cause trouble, at least hide the evidence properly. Is Ran Anluo brainless?"

 

He Mingyu glanced at Tan Qing, his expression unreadable.

 

It seemed genuine—Tan Qing really hadn't seen this video before.

 

If so, the person who sent the video to He Mingyu wasn't likely Tan Qing.

 

He placed his phone back on the table and helped straighten out Tan Qing's messy clothes. "If this car accident was truly staged, Ran Anluo might be looking at attempted murder charges."

 

Tan Qing, who didn't have much of a grasp on the gravity of such situations, pondered for a moment before asking, "So, will he be thrown in jail?"

 

He Mingyu, fully accustomed to Tan Qing's jumpy thought process, replied, "Without concrete evidence, at most he'll be asked to cooperate with the investigation."

 

Tan Qing lazily stretched, "Alright then, good luck to him."

 

The last major scandal in the entertainment industry had been the rumors between Tan Qing and He Mingyu. After that, the following two months had been relatively calm.

 

Ran Anluo's bombshell news finally provided something sensational to grab the audience's attention.

 

It was like a captivating drama.

 

One morning, he was a hotshot actor at the peak of his career; the next morning, he became a hero for saving a life.

 

But just one more day passed, and the hero seemed poised to become a criminal.

 

The plot was fluid, full of climaxes and surprises—irresistibly entertaining.

 

The audience couldn't get enough.

 

However, Ran Anluo's die-hard fans were suffering.

 

Since his solo career took off after splitting from his former partnership with Tan Qing, Ran Anluo's popularity and resources had skyrocketed.

 

Because of this, his fanbase thrived in the fandom world, bold and confident in their praise for their idol.

 

But with Ran Anluo's sudden fall from grace, the fans' earlier praises quickly became jokes.

 

"Our Luoluo can't be compared to that trash Tan Qing! Luoluo risked his life to save someone, while Tan Qing just hops from bed to bed, hahaha!"

 

"Thank goodness that scumbag finally let go of our brother. Trash, sl*."

 

[T/N: "sl" is likely shorthand for "stay losing," a slang phrase used online to insult or mock someone, implying that they consistently fail or are inferior. It is often used in a derogatory or dismissive tone.]

 

"Aaaah, Luoluo was in so much danger saving someone, hope he didn't get hurt, waah! No wonder he seemed a little off lately."

 

But when the video surfaced, the once glowing comment section was immediately filled with mockery from gossip-hungry netizens.

 

"Oh, so this guy hiding behind a tree for 20 minutes is your Luoluo? Not bad, he's a pro at waiting to pounce on the occasion."

 

"Sure, Tan Qing might've gotten into He Mingyu's bed, but your brother's into attempted murder! What a dream team, hahaha!"

 

"This video is terrifying. He was just waiting for something bad to happen to that kid, right?"

 

"My family does business with the Ji family, and let me tell you, that kid looks like the Ji family's young master. Get ready for a major scandal."

 

"These idiot brain-dead fans, wtmxs*. Let me ask you this—if that kid wasn't Ji Yanxiu's little brother, would your idol even bother to step in?!"

 

[T/N: "wtmxs" is an abbreviation commonly seen in Chinese online slang, standing for "我他妈笑死," which translates to "I'm dying of laughter" or "This is so funny."]

 

The netizens and Ran Anluo's fans were locked in a heated battle.

 

The topic's heat kept rising, and public attention on the matter grew.

 

But none of this interested Tan Qing in the slightest.

 

To be precise, he had no interest in anything that normal humans found engaging.

 

After all, he wasn't human.

 

In the past, making money and playing games was his number one goal in life.

 

Now, he had to add one more: seriously nurturing his soul, which was more tattered than an old rag.

 

The main way to do that was—by feeding off men.

 

So, Tan Qing figured he definitely needed to build up more "supplies."

 

The new drama had a relatively high investment for a web series, so the filming conditions were quite good.

 

Other than the first few days of basic green-screen shooting at a large film city on the outskirts of J City, the rest of the scenes were to be shot at a professional film base in another city.

 

Since the green-screen scenes would only take a few days, the director had notified all key actors to join the set today, with filming starting tomorrow.

 

Coincidentally, the news about Ran Anluo hitting the headlines today had completely stirred up the media.

 

By the time He Mingyu's driver dropped Tan Qing off at the film city, a crowd of reporters eager for interviews had already gathered around.

 

It was quite a spectacle.

 

Tan Qing found himself blocked from entering, surrounded by long lenses and flashes.

 

"Hello, as Ran Anluo's former teammate, do you know what's going on?"

 

"Ran Anluo is suspected of attempting to murder Film Emperor Ji's younger brother, and in this drama, they're playing the male leads together. Mr. Tan, do you think filming can proceed as normal?"

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tan Qing curiously glanced at the entertainment reporter, then pondered for a moment and replied, "Probably, yeah. If they don't film, they'd lose money, right?"

 

Reporters: "..."

 

Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from outside the crowd.

 

And then—

 

Ji Yanxiu, struggling to move forward with the help of bodyguards and security, nodded and chimed in, "Exactly. If we don't film, won't we lose money? I can't afford that right now."

 

Reporters: "..."

 

Finally reaching Tan Qing's side, Ji Yanxiu pulled him out from the reporters' circle and behind him.

 

With a gentle smile, he addressed the reporters, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me directly. Though, I won't answer them."

 

Reporters: "..."

 

However, gossip reporters are never ones to give up easily. They continued to surround Ji Yanxiu and Tan Qing for nearly an hour.

 

It wasn't until the director, with a face as dark as iron, personally came out to fetch them and angrily threatened to report the media for obstructing the crew's work that the reporters finally dispersed.

 

Director Cheng Ye, who was already sixty-one, still looked vibrant and full of energy.

 

Once they met, he sincerely apologized to Ji Yanxiu and Tan Qing, "I just heard from my assistant that you were stuck at the gate. I'm sorry I arrived late. Please don't take it personally."

 

This director, known for his period dramas, had won several awards and was highly respected in the industry. The entertainment reporters had to give him some face.

 

Ji Yanxiu smiled at Director Cheng and said, "No worries at all. This matter was caused by me. By the way, has Ran Anluo joined the crew yet?"

 

Director Cheng shook his head, "Not yet. But I just got a call saying the police have cleared him of suspicion. He should be arriving soon."

 

Tan Qing, who had been sipping on the tea Director Cheng made as an apology in a rather improper posture, tilted his head when he heard this: "Cleared of suspicion?"

 

After all the drama today, Director Cheng didn't mind Tan Qing's abrupt question. He explained, "Yes, Ran Anluo's defense lawyer told the police that he was waiting for someone, and because the sun was too harsh, he stood behind the tree—not to hide."

 

Ji Yanxiu frowned in thought and asked, "Have they re-investigated the driver?"

 

Director Cheng sighed, "The driver is dead."

 

Ji Yanxiu was taken aback, "Dead?"

 

Director Cheng's voice carried a note of helplessness, "Yes. Yanxiu, I know what you're thinking… but the timeline doesn't match. The driver died of a stroke and was cremated five days ago."

 

No evidence was left behind.

 

All that was left were the living, putting on their best performances.

 

Ji Yanxiu said nothing.

 

Director Cheng poured him another cup of tea, about to speak again, when a commotion erupted outside.

 

The entertainment reporters who had just been sent away had gathered once more outside the set, their cameras and long lenses aimed at a newly arrived car.

 

Old Cheng slammed his hand on the table in frustration and stormed toward the window.

 

Tan Qing nudged Ji Yanxiu. Seeing that Ji wasn't moving, he stood up to join Director Cheng at the window.

 

Three luxury cars had pulled up at the entrance.

 

The one in the middle, with its dark blue shell, was a color Tan Qing particularly liked.

 

The doors of the first and last cars opened, and men dressed in black stepped out to respectfully open the middle car's door.

 

Judging by the excitement of the reporters outside, Tan Qing figured that the person arriving had to be none other than Ran Anluo, currently the center of the media storm.

 

A pair of shiny leather shoes hit the ground.

 

But the first person to step out wasn't Ran Anluo.

 

Tan Qing's eyes narrowed. The man seemed oddly familiar.

 

The gentleman who stepped out moved aside with grace.

 

And then, Ran Anluo emerged from the car.

 

The hours of police interrogation didn't seem to have left any trace of anxiety or shadow on Ran Anluo's face.

 

With a soft smile, he began to speak, his tone calm and reassuring: "Please, everyone, don't worry. And to my fans, rest assured, the police have already cleared me of suspicion. There will be an official report soon."

 

As he spoke, Ran Anluo's eyes reddened.

 

His voice grew slightly hoarse, yet there was a note of quiet determination: "I understand the impact of this incident is huge, and many people have criticized and insulted me... But no matter what was said, I still want to thank everyone."

 

Ran Anluo wiped the corner of his eyes and said firmly, "Although I didn't expect things to turn out this way... if something like this were to happen again, I would still step forward. I hope more people in society will be brave enough to do the right thing. Let's work together."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

This speech was so emotional that it sent chills down Tan Qing's spine. He almost dropped his teacup from the goosebumps that popped up all over.

 

Just as he was about to walk away from the window to calm down with some tea, he noticed the man standing beside Ran Anluo had lifted his head, gazing directly upstairs at them.

 

The man's eyes weren't the typical brown of most Asians but a deep, dark green.

 

Tan Qing pondered for a moment and finally remembered where he had seen him recently.

 

Wasn't he the foreigner from the VIP area on the third floor of that bar?

 

What was his name again?

 

Yan, Jian, Bai?

 

Such a tongue-twister of a name.

 

As soon as Tan Qing locked eyes with Yan Jianbai, the man smiled back at him, revealing two sharp fangs.

 

Those fangs were much sharper than a regular person's, enough to capture Tan Qing's attention.

 

Ears perked up, Tan Qing easily caught the entertainment reporters' questions outside, even through the thick glass.

 

Only then did he realize that Ran Anluo wasn't the reporters' main curiosity.

 

It was actually Yan Jianbai, standing beside him with an innocent, baby-faced expression.

 

"Mr. Yan, are you planning to settle down in the country now that you've returned?"

 

"Can you tell us about your relationship with Mr. Ran, since you personally brought him here today?"

 

Yan Jianbai squinted and smiled. "Anluo and I are good friends. I just happened to be free today to give him a ride. Please don't overthink it. We'd be troubled if you did."

 

"And may we ask—"

 

Yan Jianbai gently pushed aside the microphone being thrust at him and gestured toward Ran Anluo. "Today, Anluo is the star of the show. Please, don't steal his spotlight."

 

Yan Jianbai seemed to have no intention of lingering. After dropping Ran Anluo off, he prepared to leave.

 

Just before getting into the car, he turned around to glance one last time at Tan Qing by the window.

 

Tan Qing, expressionless, tilted his head slightly.

 

The three cars drove off one by one.

 

The entertainment reporters swarmed around Ran Anluo, his manager, and assistant as they rushed into the film set from outside the studio.

 

At some point, Ji Yanxiu had stood up from the sofa and walked over. Seeing Tan Qing deep in thought while looking at the now-empty space below, he couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

 

Snapping out of his daze, Tan Qing rubbed his chin and grinned mischievously. "I was just wondering! Do you think you and Ran Anluo might go from being a lovey-dovey pair of partners to sworn enemies? You know, like a rom-com where love turns to hate and then back to a twisted love-hate relationship!"

 

Ji Yanxiu chuckled, "Without solid evidence, there's nothing I can do to him."

 

Tan Qing nodded, giving him an insincere, exaggerated compliment, "Wow, you're so amazing and smart!"

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

Ji Yanxiu reached out and tousled Tan Qing's hair gently, saying, "Come on, it's time for the customary pre-filming blessing ritual."

 

Tan Qing hummed in agreement, taking a step to follow Ji Yanxiu.

 

After two steps, he paused and glanced back at where the three cars had been parked moments ago.

 

It wasn't his imagination after all.

 

Though faint, there was indeed a lingering aura of malevolent energy in the air.

 

It felt like the kind of energy left behind by something that had just gorged itself on human blood, unable to conceal its satisfaction and pride.

 

Hmm.

 

All in all...

 

He smells delicious.

 

Author's Note: Mini-Theater

Tan Qingqing: Oh my, look at what I found! Such a big monster!

Tan Qingqing: Great, looks like my next meal is here >3<

Tan Qingqing: Burp!

Yan Jianbai: (Offers Tan Qing a digestive tablet)

He Mingyu: (Standing outside with the receipt for the digestive tablets, utterly confused)

  

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