Chapter 36 - The Supporting Villain Is Raising a Cub Online

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"Tan Jiji! Are You Starting to Grow Teeth?!"

 

 

From the time Tan Qing joined the filming crew to his return home, only about twenty days had passed, but the room had undergone a drastic transformation.

 

The once bare hardwood floors were now covered with thick carpeting, and all the hard surfaces—corners of cabinets and door frames—had been cushioned with soft padding.

 

The ebony coffee table and sofa that once occupied the center of the living room had vanished, as had the glass wine cabinet and its collection of red wines.

 

In their place stood a miniature children's castle, surrounded by a circular track designed for a baby stroller.

 

At that moment, little Tan Jiji sat in an electric toy train, zooming around the castle's track while clapping his chubby hands.

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Having just driven back from the hospital, He Mingyu was still holding Tan Qing's change of clothes.

 

The nanny, who had been watching over Tan Jiji, saw the two return and quickly stepped forward to take the bags from He Mingyu.

 

But before she could reach them, He Mingyu gently waved her off. "No need, I'll handle it."

 

Tan Qing, observing the baby track with curiosity, immediately turned his sharp gaze toward them and, with high expectations, demanded, "Make sure to layer my bed with extra down mattresses, the softest kind."

 

The nanny: "..."

 

She glanced at Tan Qing and then cautiously at He Mingyu.

 

To her surprise, He Mingyu was unexpectedly calm and even agreed, "Got it."

 

The nanny: "..."

 

In her mind, the nanny gave a serious nod, mentally readjusting the hierarchy of the household members.

 

After He Mingyu went to the bedroom to prepare Tan Qing's bed himself, Tan Qing took a quick look around the living room, tiptoed to the side of the track, and deftly grabbed little Tan Jiji by the scruff of his neck, lifting the increasingly round child out of the toy train.

 

He placed the child on the nearby carpet and threatened him, "Stay still. Don't move!"

 

The nanny instinctively reached out to intervene, but Tan Jiji, plump and clueless, already lay on the carpet obediently, lifting his little head and stretching out his chubby legs without making a fuss.

 

The nanny: "..."

 

Once again, the nanny had to reconsider the household's power dynamic.

 

Tan Qing, sitting across from the immobile Tan Jiji, couldn't resist patting his smooth, bare bottom.

 

Tan Jiji, innocent as ever, widened his big eyes and waved his chubby, lotus-like arms at Tan Qing in a gesture of friendliness.

 

Receiving the baby's friendly greeting, Tan Qing playfully pinched his bare little bottom.

 

Immediately, two tiny finger marks appeared on the soft skin.

 

Poor little Tan Jiji, with his tender skin, was pinched so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.

 

But instead of crying, the determined little boy blinked away the tears, sniffling as he suppressed them, too happy to see his dad to let the pain get in the way.

 

Still, with a pout, he looked to Tan Qing for a hug.

 

Ever since the little one and Tan Qing had found their way into He Mingyu's life, Tan Jiji's imported formula and toys had been secured—far better than the discounted milk and dollar-store toys of the past.

 

After nearly a month of all-around pampering, the already chubby, soft little boy had grown into an even rounder, whiter ball of fluff.

 

Especially now.

 

In an attempt to get closer to Tan Qing, who was sitting a short distance away, little Tan Jiji summoned all his strength, crawling along the carpet with hands and feet moving as if he were swimming through water.

 

Every time he inched forward a little, Tan Qing would quietly scoot himself back by two inches.

 

And so, for nearly ten minutes, little Tan Jiji paddled like a tiny turtle, but instead of getting closer to his dad, he found himself even further away.

 

Confusion filled his big, round eyes.

 

He paused his tiny paddling arms, lifted his head with effort, and softly called out, "Pa… pa."

 

Tan Qing, sitting cross-legged, pulled out a White Rabbit milk candy he had swindled from a young nurse at the hospital earlier that morning.

 

Peeling off the wrapper, he waved it temptingly in front of Tan Jiji's nose, letting him catch a whiff.

 

Then, he took a bite of the candy, leaving only half.

 

With shameless confidence, Tan Qing rewrapped the remaining half in the paper, placed it beside him, and said to Tan Jiji, "Alright, if you can get over here, I'll give you the rest."

 

Tan Jiji gazed longingly at the half-eaten candy, mustering all his strength once more. His chubby cheeks puffed up with determination as he resumed his crawl on the carpet.

 

Seeing this, the nanny rushed over.

 

Worriedly, she glanced at the struggling baby and gently advised Tan Qing, "Sir, babies usually sit at five months and crawl at six. Your son is only a little over three months—you shouldn't rush him like this..."

 

Tan Qing, propping his chin on his hand, glanced at the little one and sighed, "It's fine, right? Look at him—he's so chubby, after ten minutes he still hasn't moved an inch."

 

The nanny: "..."

 

Perhaps her words had some effect because Tan Qing halfheartedly stretched out his foot, blocking Tan Jiji's path. Then, with a casual nudge, he flipped the little one over onto his back.

 

The nanny: "..."

 

At nearly fifty years old, the nanny couldn't help but look at Tan Jiji with unspeakable sympathy, too wary to step away for fear that Tan Qing might come up with some new, strange way of playing with him.

 

Luckily, Tan Qing seemed to run out of ideas. He reached down and scooped the overturned Tan Jiji off the carpet, bouncing him lightly in his arms. "Wow, you're so heavy now! I could sell you to the butcher for fifteen pounds—enough to buy two limited-edition game skins!"

 

The nanny: "..."

 

And so, Tan Jiji, who was now apparently as valuable as two game skins, finally found himself nestled in his little dad's arms.

 

Smelling the familiar scent of his dad, the little one lit up with joy, flailing his arms and legs excitedly and babbling non-stop.

 

As he laughed, his tiny gums were visible, and there, on the lower gumline, was the faintest hint of white—a sign that his first teeth might be coming in.

 

Tan Qing made a surprised sound, finally finding something to be excited about. "Tan Jiji! Are you starting to grow teeth?!"

 

After a long silence, the nanny finally found her chance to speak. She walked over with a smile and said, "Sir, that's just the baby's teeth pushing against his gums. His baby teeth won't really start coming in until around April."

 

"Is that so…"

 

Tan Qing looked a little disappointed. "So, it'll still be more than a month."

 

The nanny thought for a moment and added, "Well, not necessarily. Your child seems to be growing faster than others, and he's quite smart too. Some babies do start teething as early as three months."

 

Tan Qing sighed in disappointment. "Don't comfort me like that. With Tan Jiji's IQ, he probably couldn't even catch a rabbit if he tried."

 

Fortunately, he's got a steady supply of food. Otherwise, with how clueless he is, he'd starve out there.

 

The nanny: "..."

 

Finally, the nanny gave up on any further discussion with Tan Qing regarding little Tan Jiji.

 

She couldn't understand how, as He Mingyu's only son—pampered by both his father and a small dad who even had He Mingyu making his bed—this child could possibly end up needing to chase rabbits for food.

 

Just as the conversation reached an awkward dead end, He Mingyu finally emerged from the bedroom, closing the door behind him as he approached them.

 

Tan Qing, with Tan Jiji sitting round and chubby in his arms, both looked up at He Mingyu from where they sat on the carpet.

 

After nearly a month of pampering, little Tan Jiji, ever the crowd-pleaser, flashed a big smile at his dad, calling out softly, "Pa… pa."

 

Tan Qing's eyes twinkled mischievously, and, following Tan Jiji's lead, he sweetly called out, "Daddy*~"

 

[T/N: As stated before, that word can literally be translated to "godfather" and interpreted in some situations as "sugar daddy". From now on I'll use both interchangeably, depending on the tone and intention expressed by the character.]

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu sighed, bent down, and lifted the little one out of Tan Qing's arms.

 

He extended his hand to Tan Qing, his expression calm, even accepting the new title with surprising ease. "What do you want?"

 

Tan Qing, disappointed that his attempt to fluster He Mingyu failed, took his hand and let He Mingyu pull him up, calling out again with a grin, "Daddy?"

 

He Mingyu handed Tan Jiji to the nanny to be fed, then turned back and calmly helped Tan Qing straighten the wrinkled clothes he'd bunched up while sitting on the carpet.

 

Tan Qing pouted, still unwilling to give up, and added, "Daddy, do you want to fuck your baby?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

It seemed He Mingyu had grown used to Tan Qing's antics. He paused only for a second before giving Tan Qing a blank look. "Not yet. Let's wait until he's fully grown."

 

Tan Qing edged closer to He Mingyu, blinking innocently. "No, no! I'm fully grown already! Want to try?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu's lips pressed into a tight line, and his gaze, sharp and predatory, swept over Tan Qing from head to toe. Swallowing the words that almost escaped his mouth, he simply repeated, "Let's wait."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Tonight, once again, his happy ending seemed to be out of reach.

 

Tan Qing sighed in disappointment.

 

At that moment, the nanny emerged from the kitchen with the little one holding a light-blue baby bottle. Tan Qing reached out to take Tan Jiji from her arms, casually asking, "Jiji, is He Mingyu the biggest jerk in the world?"

 

Tan Jiji, Tan Qing's most loyal supporter, didn't need to understand to offer his unwavering agreement. He immediately loosened his grip on the bottle, wrapped his arms around his small dad's neck, and eagerly nodded.

 

Satisfied at last, Tan Qing popped the bottle back into Tan Jiji's hands and carried him toward the nursery.

 

He Mingyu blinked, momentarily taken aback, then asked instinctively, "Are you sleeping with the baby tonight?"

 

Yawning, Tan Qing replied, "Yes, I'm planning to use Tan Jiji to keep my feet warm."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

After hesitating for a few seconds, He Mingyu took two steps forward, catching up to Tan Qing. "Tomorrow is the 60th birthday of Shengjing Entertainment's former chairman, Rong Sheng's father. If you have time, would you come with me?"

 

Tan Qing, always fond of lively events, obediently raised his face. "I don't need to bring a gift, right?"

 

He Mingyu, immediately noticing Tan Qing's stunningly beautiful eyes, replied, "No, I'll handle everything."

 

Tan Qing nodded decisively. "Then let's leave early tomorrow!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

After a brief pause, He Mingyu added, "After the banquet tomorrow, I'd like to take you to meet my parents. Would that be alright?"

 

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