Chapter 44 - The Supporting Villain Is Raising a Cub Online

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"Children Who Lie Don't Get Chicken Legs."

 

 

The newly dubbed scoundrel, He Mingyu: "..."

 

The two were already lying on the same bed, and since Tan Qing had wrapped himself into a "fox cocoon" with the blanket, he easily rolled right into He Mingyu's arms.

 

From within the cocoon, Tan Qing stretched his neck, gazing expectantly at He Mingyu, who was so close. He smacked his lips, full of anticipation: "So... are we doing it? Let's do it!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

With an expressionless face, He Mingyu picked up the cocooned Tan Qing and placed him back on the pillow on the other side. Then, he calmly turned off the bedside lamp. "You have to be on set tomorrow. It's late. Go to sleep."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Frustrated, Tan Qing flipped over in a huff, turning his back to He Mingyu.

 

Fine, if you don't want to do it, then don't! And if you won't let me suck your blood, so be it! Not like you're the only one I can play with.

 

Tan Qing pouted, touching his pitiful little bird, and slept soundly through the night.

 

He was sleeping so deeply that He Mingyu had to wake him up the next day.

 

It seemed He Mingyu had already finished his morning run. He was dressed in sportswear, looking a bit softer than usual. After the cold air from outside faded, he walked over to Tan Qing's side of the bed, sat down, and patted Tan Qing's butt through the blankets. "Time to get up."

 

Tan Qing immediately pulled the blanket over his head, pretending to be dead.

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He couldn't help but recall a familiar scene—this was just like the morning Tan Qing returned to the film set for the first time.

 

Patting Tan Qing's butt again, He Mingyu decided to use an old trick: "Get up now, and I'll give you 100,000."

 

However, Tan Qing was no longer the impoverished soul he once was, thanks to Sugar Daddy #1, Ji Yanshu.

 

Ji Yanshu had no shortage of money—so much, in fact, that he had nowhere to spend it and delighted in sharing it with friends.

 

Tan Qing loved such simple and unpretentious friendships.

 

So he stubbornly stayed curled up in the blanket, sleepily and defiantly muttering, "Not getting up, not getting up, just not getting up."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu upped the offer. "200,000? Come on, get up. Even your Jiji has had his morning milk. A three-month-old child shouldn't be as hard to wake up as you."

 

Still no response from Tan Qing.

 

After a while, a snorting sound, like that of a wild boar, came from under the blankets—a perfect imitation, both accurate and impressive.

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Out of options, He Mingyu resorted to a threat. "If you don't get up, I'll pull the blanket off."

 

Tan Qing wriggled in the covers, then, surrendering to fate, spread his limbs in a starfish position. "Go ahead, pull it off. I'm not afraid."

 

He Mingyu didn't hesitate. He reached out and yanked the blanket away.

 

But the moment the blanket came off, he froze.

 

He distinctly remembered that Tan Qing had gone to sleep wearing a loose silk robe.

 

But now, with the blanket gone...

 

Tan Qing was lying there completely naked, sprawled on the deep grey sheets, his skin glowing white against the dark fabric.

 

Even after devouring so many fried chickens, Tan Qing's body had gained barely any weight.

 

His thin waist and long, slender legs were entirely exposed, perfectly displayed.

 

He Mingyu tried to convince himself this wasn't right, that he should immediately avert his eyes. But both his willpower and reason snapped, giving way to more base instincts, and his gaze continued upward.

 

Tan Qing's abdomen was equally toned, with no excess fat, except for a faint scar, nearly faded, slanting across his belly—its sleek lines tempting enough to touch.

 

It was a beautiful body, save for one thing—the scar on his right shoulder.

 

It was the first time He Mingyu had noticed it—a prominent, jagged scar across Tan Qing's right shoulder.

 

Unlike the surgical scar on his abdomen, this wound didn't look like it came from a knife or a gun.

 

He Mingyu couldn't identify the weapon that could have caused such a deep and large wound.

 

The scar ran from Tan Qing's right shoulder, crossing the upper part of his clavicle. Even though it had healed, the wound hadn't fully regained its original skin tone. It remained a patch of pink flesh, different from the surrounding pale skin.

 

Frowning, He Mingyu reached out and gently touched the scar. "How did this happen?"

 

Tan Qing, who had been preparing to tease He Mingyu with his nakedness, froze. "You can see it?"

 

He Mingyu remained calm. "I'm not that old yet. I can see just fine."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Suddenly feeling awkward, Tan Qing quickly grabbed his robe from under his hips and hastily slipped it on. "There's nothing to look at. It's ugly."

 

He pulled away from He Mingyu's hand, deftly buttoning up his robe before hopping off the bed. "Alright, alright, I'm up! Can I have a chicken leg for breakfast?"

 

Without missing a beat, He Mingyu caught Tan Qing's wrist and pulled him back, speaking slowly, "Explain where the scar came from, and you can have an extra chicken leg."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Foxes are quite fond of beauty.

 

If it weren't for the fact that no ordinary person had ever seen this scar before, Tan Qing would never have tried to seduce He Mingyu while naked.

 

Could it be that humans evolve after they get rich?

 

Curious, Tan Qing scratched the scar on his shoulder through his clothes and looked up at He Mingyu, proposing a deal. "Five chicken legs, and I'll tell you."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Sighing, He Mingyu said, "No, eating that much in the morning will upset your stomach."

 

Tan Qing immediately responded, "Then I won't say anything."

 

He Mingyu gave in once again. "I'll have your assistant bring them to set for you."

 

Satisfied, Tan Qing nodded and answered seriously, "I was struck by lightning."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He laughed in disbelief. "Why not just say you got caught in the rain?"

 

Tan Qing shook his head earnestly, his big, round eyes looking sincerely at He Mingyu. "I'm serious! It really was lightning! I wouldn't lie to you—liars are little dogs."

 

He Mingyu clearly wasn't interested in letting Tan Qing's nonsense continue any further.

 

Standing up coldly, he said, "Breakfast is oatmeal with milk and a chicken breast sandwich. Wash up and come out to eat."

 

Tan Qing waited for him to finish his sentence, but when no mention of his five chicken legs came, he hurriedly chased after He Mingyu, anxious. "Where are my chicken legs?"

 

He Mingyu glanced at Tan Qing and opened the bedroom door, walking out. "Children who lie don't get chicken legs."

 

Tan Qing: "..."

 

Sigh.

 

He knew it.

 

This human society just doesn't have a place for honest people!

 

Upset about the five chicken legs he almost had but lost, Tan Qing remained silent throughout breakfast, not saying a word to He Mingyu.

 

Especially as it was nearing time to leave.

 

Tan Qing, seemingly struck by an idea, slipped into Tan Jiji's room.

 

Closing the door, he scooped up the little one who had just been fed milk and was dozing off, giving him a thorough cuddle.

 

Tan Jiji, for reasons no one could quite figure out, had the most easygoing temperament. Even when woken up, he didn't cry or fuss; instead, he just gave Tan Qing a silly smile and held out his chubby arms for a hug.

 

Tan Qing pinched the little one's chubby cheeks and patted his round little bottom. With a sigh, he said, "Kiddo, you better stop eating so much, or you won't be able to run when you turn into a fox."

 

Tan Jiji sucked on his fingers and sweetly called out, "Pa."

 

Tan Qing leaned in and playfully bit the baby's chubby cheek. The soft, tender feel of it eased some of his sadness over not getting his chicken legs this morning.

 

He spoke seriously to Tan Jiji, "Little Dad is off to expand his list of sugar mamas now. You stay here with our meal ticket and behave. Keep your tail hidden, okay?"

 

Tan Jiji obediently looked up at Tan Qing, smacking his lips, "Pa, pa!"

 

Tan Qing laid down some ground rules for the little one. "You can ask for money, you can ask for a house, but no wagging your tail around, got it?"

 

Tan Jiji mimicked Tan Qing's movements, excitedly repeating, "Pa, pa, pa!"

 

Pleased, Tan Qing nodded and clapped his hands. "Good. If you slip up, I'll send you to the mountains to work for Uncle Fox."

 

Tan Jiji seemed to understand the threat, his little mouth twitching as he whimpered softly, "Mmm…"

 

Tan Qing raised his eyebrows sternly.

 

Jiji sniffled, and with a sad hiccup, he stopped.

 

Wrapping the little one back up snugly in the blanket, Tan Qing confidently returned to the living room, where he grabbed his luggage for the film set, not sparing He Mingyu even a glance.

 

He Mingyu had already been waiting for a while, watching as Tan Qing busied himself with Jiji.

 

Seeing that Tan Qing still seemed to be ignoring him when he came out, He Mingyu couldn't help but break the silence, trying to start a conversation. "Did the baby fall asleep?"

 

Tan Qing turned his head, huffing, "Hmph, Tan Jiji isn't like you, just lying around and only knowing how to sleep!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

For the first time, He Mingyu found himself at a loss for words.

 

He tried to find another topic of conversation, but realized the only thing he could talk about with Tan Qing was Tan Jiji.

 

Bracing himself, He Mingyu awkwardly asked, "Well... is he hungry?"

 

Tan Qing huffed, squatting down to adjust his small suitcase. "That's why I need to work hard now, so that one day, he can live a life where he can eat as many chicken legs as he wants."

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

Before he could respond, Tan Qing suddenly seemed to remember something, his lips pursing in frustration as he shot a glare at He Mingyu. "Even the extras in the film set who play dead bodies get three chicken legs! And you can't even give me one!"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

In He Mingyu's upbringing, indulgence had never been a part of the equation.

 

Even when raising Tan Jiji for just over three months, there had always been a strict, reasonable schedule—no over-pampering.

 

Except when it came to Tan Qing.

 

Feeling a headache coming on, He Mingyu rubbed his temples, walked over to Tan Qing, and casually picked up his small suitcase. "Is it only chicken legs you want to eat?"

 

The question carried a deeper meaning.

 

Tan Qing understood it in a second, considered for two, and tilted his head on the third. "Can I eat whatever I want?"

 

He Mingyu kept his expression serious. "Not necessarily."

 

Tan Qing cautiously scooted closer to He Mingyu. "How about a family meal bucket first?"

 

He Mingyu: "Sure."

 

Tan Qing continued, "And ten pieces of original recipe chicken?"

 

He Mingyu: "Sure, but you have to add a pound of fruit."

 

Tan Qing made a small noise of dissatisfaction, "Then... how about three roasted chickens?"

 

He Mingyu: "..."

 

He Mingyu's expression darkened.

 

Sensing that he'd pushed his luck, Tan Qing quickly changed his tune, slipping his hands into his pockets and acting obedient. "I'll save the roasted chickens for next time!"

 

He Mingyu placed Tan Qing's luggage into the backseat of the car, then opened the passenger door. "Let's go. I'll drive you to the set."

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