Chapter 32 - 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.

"Be Good, Sit Tight. Brother's Going to Speed up Now."

 

 

Everyone in the entertainment industry is always busy, and right after the opening ceremony for the film crew, they dove straight into the first day's shooting.

 

Although Ji Yanxiu didn't deliberately target Ran Anluo, the situation had shifted subtly, suddenly the savior turned into someone with ulterior motives.

 

Even though the final results of the investigation were still pending, the atmosphere on set had already grown weird.

 

The most frustrating part was that Ran Anluo constantly approached Ji Yanxiu to talk.

 

"Yanxiu, are you mad at me?"

 

"Yanxiu, do you believe those rumors? Do you think I intentionally waited there, planning everything just to gain favor with you?"

 

"Yanxiu..."

 

After two days of this, by the third day, Ji Yanxiu had reached his limit.

 

Leaning back in his lounge chair, he opened his eyes and said, "Anluo, you saved Ji Chen, so you know about his condition. Neither I nor my parents would ever tolerate anything that could harm him."

 

Ran Anluo's eyes instantly reddened. He clenched his fists, as if deeply insulted, and said, "Yanxiu, are you implying that I did it on purpose?"

 

Exhausted, Ji Yanxiu sighed. "I never said that."

 

Tears welled up in Ran Anluo's eyes, and a single drop rolled down his innocent-looking face. "The police already cleared me, but you still blame me, don't you?"

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

Shaking his head in despair, Ji Yanxiu replied, "I'm tired. Please, go rest too."

 

The conversation hit a deadlock.

 

Seeing that there was no room for reconciliation in Ji Yanxiu's tone, Ran Anluo stomped his foot in frustration and left, looking utterly distraught.

 

Ji Yanxiu remained, gradually drying in the cold wind.

 

Feeling as though he'd just encountered the biggest obstacle of his career, Ji Yanxiu pulled out his phone, intending to relax with a quick game or two.

 

But as soon as he entered the game interface, before he could even choose his character, a slice of watermelon was handed to him.

 

The hand holding the watermelon was slender and pale, but the slice was missing the juiciest part from the middle—clearly, someone had just taken a bite.

 

Ji Yanxiu looked up along the hand to find Tan Qing standing there, munching on another slice of watermelon.

 

Tan Qing took a swift bite, carving the watermelon into a crescent shape, and cheerfully offered, "Bro, want some?"

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

A watermelon without the middle part is incomplete.

 

Ji Yanxiu reasoned with him, "Can't you give me a piece you haven't already taken a bite from?"

 

Tan Qing quickly finished off his own slice and flatly rejected, "You don't get it. I was going to save a piece for you, but Ran Anluo's drama was just too good—I accidentally bit on the wrong one!"

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

The things you have to put up with.

 

With no other options, Ji Yanxiu took the half-eaten watermelon slice and set it aside, filled with sadness as he reopened his game, having missed the chance to select his character.

 

Re-queue. Reload.

 

Tan Qing plopped down on the chair next to him, curiously watching Ji Yanxiu's screen.

 

After Ji Yanxiu selected his character and dove into the game, Tan Qing's head edged closer and closer to the screen, his focus even sharper than Ji Yanxiu's.

 

When the victory screen finally flashed on the phone, Tan Qing's eyes were wide with excitement. "What game is this?!"

 

Ji Yanxiu was a little surprised. "You've never played it before? It's King of Glory."

 

Tan Qing indeed hadn't played it. Ever since he lost all his virtual tokens in a game of Landlord a couple of nights ago, he'd been stuck in a no-game-to-play dilemma, unable to afford in-game purchases.

 

Rubbing his hands eagerly, his eyes sparkling with hope, Tan Qing asked Ji Yanxiu, "Can I play too? Will you carry me?"

 

As a two-time award-winning actor, Ji Yanxiu's schedule was jam-packed with either filming, traveling to sets, or promoting his work. His free time for leisure was rare, and he didn't dare go to bars for fun like Tan Qing.

 

So, gaming became his only refuge.

 

Being an easygoing guy, Ji Yanxiu smiled and said, "Of course. Did you bring your phone? I'll help you download the game and register an account. I'll carry you."

 

"You're such a kind, kind, kind person!" Tan Qing was deeply moved and excitedly pulled out his old, 4GB knockoff phone.

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

Since smartphones had taken over the market, Ji Yanxiu hadn't seen a phone this outdated in ages.

 

No, even before smartphones, back in the era of flip phones, Ji Yanxiu had never used something this slow.

 

To make matters worse, the phone crashed every time a game download failed.

 

It was like the phone's final act of defiance against larger games.

 

After countless crashes...

 

Ji Yanxiu had no choice but to put down the knockoff phone, which was hot enough to fry an egg, and turned to Tan Qing, "It seems like this phone can't handle it. How about I buy you a new one?"

 

Tan Qing's eyes lit up, and he gazed at Ji Yanxiu as though the man were radiating both wealth and handsomeness. "Really?"

 

Just as Ji Yanxiu was about to answer, Tan Qing's phone—placed on the table—began to vibrate violently.

 

It was seriously hot and vibrating with such force that it spun a full 360 degrees. Before Ji Yanxiu could worry it might explode, Tan Qing casually picked it up and dashed to the side.

 

Animals have tougher skin than humans, and Tan Qing didn't seem to notice how hot it was.

 

Finding a secluded spot, he answered the phone with a casual "Hey."

 

It was He Mingyu calling.

 

The man's voice was as cold as ever: "Why was your phone off just now?"

 

Tan Qing's eyes darted around, and in a pitiful voice, he replied, "Ah, He Mingyu, my phone seems to be broken. It took me forever to get it back on."

 

He Mingyu didn't sound surprised in the least. "Want a new phone?"

 

Tan Qing immediately agreed, "Yes, yes!"

 

Preferably one with a 50-megapixel front and rear camera and 568GB of storage!

 

But He Mingyu didn't follow up on the topic. Instead, he changed the subject. "Are you getting used to the set these past few days?"

 

Tan Qing, eager for He Mingyu to buy him a phone, replied half-heartedly, "Yeah, yeah, the director says I've been doing great! Loads of potential!"

 

He Mingyu hummed in response.

 

Sensing an opportunity, Tan Qing hinted enthusiastically, "So, are you going to reward me?"

 

It seemed like He Mingyu chuckled faintly on the other end before he relented, "Alright, is a new phone the reward you want?"

 

Tan Qing, processing He Mingyu's words carefully, probed, "So, you're agreeing, right? I'd like one with a big storage capacity, that way our video calls won't lag anymore."

 

Video calls.

 

He Mingyu paused for a moment, evidently persuaded. "Got it. I'll have Lin Yu bring it to you this afternoon."

 

Tan Qing's mood soared as if he had just received the gaming device of his dreams. Filled with joy, he praised He Mingyu to the sky over the phone before abruptly ending the call with, "Make sure Lin Yu brings it soon! Mwah, bye!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

There was an undeniable feeling of having been taken advantage of.

 

Hanging up the phone, Tan Qing decided to sneak over and watch Ji Yanxiu's next scene.

 

Why? Because the upcoming scene was between Ji Yanxiu and Ran Anluo.

 

Too bad there wasn't any watermelon left to cut.

 

Ji Yanxiu, who was sitting on his chair getting a quick touch-up from his makeup artist, saw Tan Qing wandering over and resumed their earlier conversation. "I have a lot of scenes today, so I might finish late. How about I go with you to buy a phone tomorrow?"

 

Tan Qing sat down beside him and responded earnestly, "Talk about chicken, but don't mention 'ba' to keep it civil between us.*"

 

[T/N: In daily life, the words "chicken" (ji) and "ba" are generally not meant to be used together, as they can become euphemisms for male genitalia and are also common insults. However, "ba" is a modal particle, which means it has a relatively high chance of colliding with "chicken" or other words that sound like "ji." This is especially true when ordering at a restaurant and encountering dishes that include "chicken," which can lead to awkwardness and strange mental images. For example: "Let's go eat fried chicken, ba." "Let's go eat yellow braised chicken, ba." "That restaurant is called 'Freshly Killed Rooster,' ba." Thus, it has been summarized as: "Talk about chicken, but don't mention 'ba' to keep it civil between us." This serves as a reminder to be aware of the disharmony between these two words in everyday conversation.

A phone is said "ShouJi" in Chinese, so when Ji Yanxiu said: "How about I go with you to buy a phone tomorrow?" his sentence ended with "ShouJi, ba", which is why Tan Qing answered that.]

 

The makeup artist's hand slipped, and Ji Yanxiu's left eyebrow suffered the consequences.

 

Ji Yanxiu: "..."

 

The makeup artist, who was part of Ji Yanxiu's team, turned around and shot Tan Qing a glare, hurriedly grabbing a makeup wipe to fix it.

 

Tan Qing shrugged innocently and chuckled, "It's fine, it's fine. I'll have a phone by this afternoon. You've already spent enough on me before, so I'll buy this one myself."

 

Ji Yanxiu didn't think much of it and casually replied, "Alright. Once you've got it set up, I'll gift you a few limited-edition skins."

 

Tan Qing gleefully agreed, already daydreaming about the day he'd become a champion.

 

The web drama "Xuanwu" they were filming was a typical palace drama revolving around a fight for the throne.

 

Ji Yanxiu played the crown prince, the first male lead, and the story followed his difficult path to ascension, including how he won over both the female lead and the second female lead, and eventually gained the favor of the imperial advisor, played by Ran Anluo.

 

In the end, they all united to take down the ultimate villain, the little prince, portrayed by Tan Qing, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.

 

The scriptwriters and director were clearly well-versed in creating content that catered to the current female audience, loading the show with endless ship-worthy pairings.

 

Whether it was shipping the crown prince with the female leads or even the tantalizing dynamic between the crown prince and the imperial advisor, or the love-hate relationship between the crown prince and the little villainous prince, the possibilities were endless.

 

When Lin Yu finally arrived with the phone, Tan Qing was in the middle of shooting his final scene of the day with Ji Yanxiu.

 

But aside from that, He Mingyu had given Lin Yu strict orders to keep a close eye on Tan Qing's behavior over the next few days.

 

The pressure on Lin Yu during his journey was immense.

 

In the script for Xuanwu, the young prince had the quintessential villain's backstory.

 

He grew up in the cold palace with a mother who was cast aside, unloved by his father and ignored by everyone else, including the servants.

 

Yet, despite these hardships, the young prince was cute and charming, which, by some stroke of luck, earned him the crown prince's affection.

 

Thus, from a young age, he learned how to cling to the crown prince, using every trick in the book—cuteness, pleading, anything—to ensure his survival.

 

If it weren't for the fact that, in the end, the young prince personally killed his father and led a coup, no one would have imagined that this seemingly innocent, sweet child was so cold and cunning.

 

Today's scene was one where Ji Yanxiu's crown prince was teaching his beloved young prince, played by Tan Qing, how to ride a horse.

 

At this moment, Tan Qing and Ji Yanxiu were both seated on a tall, majestic horse.

 

Ji Yanxiu's arm was loosely wrapped around Tan Qing's waist from behind, holding the reins in one hand. He leaned in slightly, his face close to Tan Qing's ear, and whispered in a doting tone, "Be good, sit tight. Brother's going to speed up now."

 

Lin Yu: "..."

 

Lin Yu found himself sinking into deep reflections on life.

 

And just at that moment, Lin Yu's phone buzzed with a message from He Mingyu.

 

Boss: "How's he behaving? I gave you the afternoon off, so observe a little more and report back later."

 

Lin Yu: "..."

 

Being a human is so hard... qaq

   

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