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Editor: Casey

The situation was quite awkward.

At least, Tan Mingjin thought so.

The three of them sat around a table with Shi Qing and Cheng Yunling on one side and Tan Mingjin on the other.

He watched as the young man in front of him kept his hand on Cheng Yunling’s shoulder like they had a very affectionate relationship.

“Don’t worry Uncle, we’re fine.”

Shi Qing turned to the girl sitting next to him with a tender look in his eyes. “Yunling was only a little frightened. She’s feeling much better now with me by her side.”

Cheng Yunling was silent for a few seconds. Then her instincts as an actress and her gratitude to Shi Qing for saving her life allowed her to react quickly.

After the events of this afternoon, Cheng Yunling was mostly convinced that it wasn’t Shi Qing who had drugged her.

After all, the disgusted looks he shot her and his petty actions didn’t seem to be fake.

Rather, it was the way he pretended to like her right now that was fake.

Although she didn’t know why he was doing this, Shi Qing really did save her life earlier, so she immediately returned a gaze filled with twice the affection.

She was no slouch when it came to acting.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

The little Shi Qing sitting on his counterpart’s shoulder: “…”

He froze for a full two seconds before reacting. The disgust on his white and chubby little face only deepened. With a hand on his waist, little Shi Qing pointed at Cheng Yunling with renewed spite.

“Pei pei pei!”

Tan Mingjin: “…”

He sent a complicated glance in little Shi Qing’s direction. “I’m glad you two are okay. Shi Qing, about you and Miss Cheng…”

Shi Qing immediately cut in, “Yunling and I are fine.”

Little Shi Qing：“Pei pei pei pei!”

Shi Qing：”I just came to visit the set today, and I also bought her some delicious food.”

Little Shi Qing：“Pei pei pei!”

Shi Qing continued to look at Cheng Yunling with lovey-dovey eyes. “It’s a good thing I came. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

Cheng Yunling: “…”

That line…

Even idol dramas aren’t that cringey.

But considering this person saved her life, she decided to put up with this act as a favour (even though she didn’t know where he was going with this).

She tried her best to smile at the youth. “Yes, if it wasn’t for you… Thank goodness you were here.”

Little Shi Qing: “…”

Little Shi Qing: “Pei pei pei……Bleh!”

Shi Qing smugly tilted his chin up a bit. He looked at Tan Mingjin: “Uncle, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Tan Mingjin, who was staring at little Shi Qing dry vomiting to the point of asphyxiation: “…”

If the hospital hadn’t given him a clear bill of health, both physically and mentally…

Looking at this vivid miniature Shi Qing, Tan Mingjin would have wondered if he was dreaming.

But that was the problem.

He wasn’t dreaming. What he saw in front of him was real.

Tan Mingjin was able to build an empire of successful businesses, so he definitely could be calm under pressure. After quickly analyzing the current situation, he suppressed his thoughts and smiled naturally at Cheng Yunling.

“Apologies Miss Cheng, but I would like to spend some time alone with Shi Qing.”

“Ah, okay.”

When Cheng Yunling got up, the youth at her side followed suit: “I’ll see you out.”

Saying that, he turned to look at Tan Mingjin with a broad smile, “Uncle, you don’t mind me seeing Yunling out, do you?”

Tan Mingjin looked at the little Shi Qing who was still trying to spit on Cheng Yunling: “…”

He smiled faintly, “I don’t.”

After the two left, Tan Mingjin picked up the coffee on the table and took a slow, slow sip.

Outside, the youth who had been pretending to be affectionate immediately let go of Cheng Yunling’s hand and retreated eight feet away from her.

Cheng Yunling: “…Young Master Shi, what are you doing?”

Shi Qing dusted himself off like he had touched something dirty. “I saved you today, and you’d better not forget it! You have to repay the debt you owe me.”

Cheng Yunling had lowered her guard when he stepped back. She suddenly tensed again.

Could her speculations have been wrong?

Did Shi Qing intend to ask her to give her body in return?

She was mulling over how to refuse when she heard the clear and condescending order of the youth in front of her.

“In the future, if you see my uncle, stay away from him.”

Cheng Yunling: “…Huh?”

Shi Qing: “What do you mean ‘huh’?! Didn’t you hear what I said?! Don’t delude yourself into thinking that my uncle has feelings for you. If it wasn’t for me being there too, do you really think he would care about you?”

Cheng Yunling: “…Huh?”

Shi Qing snorted coldly, “Anyway, don’t get ahead of yourself. My uncle wouldn’t lower himself to be with the likes of you.”

“And even if he did, so what? He’s under the impression that I’m interested in you, and he’s not the type to steal other people’s women. You’re completely out of luck. Even if you’re interested in him, he’s definitely going to try and avoid you.”

Cheng Yunling: “…Oh, I see.”

She tried and tried, but in the end she couldn’t help but ask: “Sorry, I just have one question. You…did you pursue me before just to keep your uncle away from me?”

The youth looked the girl in front of him up and down. He gave a cold snort of disdain, “Why else would I have done that?”

“Would a young master like me really be interested in someone as plain and flat as you? Heh, what a joke.”

Cheng Yunling: “…”

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Then the drugs…”

“I told you already that it wasn’t me.”

Shi Qing snorted coldly and looked her over again. His expression was the definition of disdain. “Me, drug you? Between the two of us, I think I’m the one who should be worried about being drugged.”

Cheng Yunling: “…”

Cheng Yunling: “But you chased after me.”

The youth was full of righteousness. “Of course I chased after you, you ran away! It was your fault for leaving so suspiciously after I went to the bathroom. Who knows what you were up to while I was gone.”

Cheng Yunling: “……”

So she was scared out of her wits back then, but the truth turned out to be a paper tiger?

Ding! Cheng Yunling’s animosity value: 80

She did not doubt the veracity of Shi Qing’s words.

After all, his words were practically dripping with disdain.

Her view of Shi Qing changed from ‘a shameless rich kid who drugged her after being rejected’ to ‘a rich kid who acted like he was still a elementary school student that didn’t like her but still pursued her just to make his uncle avoid her’.

That’s an immense shift, wouldn’t you say?

And most importantly…

Who’re you calling plain and flat, dammit?!?!

****

When Shi Qing returned from sending off (chasing away) Cheng Yunling, Tan Mingjin was looking at his phone. He naturally placed it on the table after noticing Shi Qing’s return.

“What were you doing?” The youth asked very casually.

Tan Mingjin looked up with a smirk in his eyes. As expected, this kid reverted to his true self after outsiders like Cheng Yunling had left. “You’re curious?”

“Hmph, who would be curious about something like that.” Shi Qing said as he sat down. His posture practically screamed, ‘I’m not curious at all, I’m just asking off-handedly’.

“I only asked because you stopped looking at your phone when you noticed me coming in.”

The laughter in Tan Mingjin’s eyes deepened.

He looked at the little guy on Shi Qing’s shoulder.

Little Shi Qing was currently on his tippy toes, straining his pale and slender neck to try and sneak a peek at the phone on the table. His doe-like eyes were filled with curiosity.

Tan Mingjin looked at Shi Qing, who was staring at the cup of coffee in his hands, slowly stirring it like he was desperately trying to appear like he wasn’t curious. He reached out with and put his phone back in his pocket.

Little Shi Qing immediately became anxious.

He was babbling with displeasure, puffing out his little face in anger and glaring at Tan Mingjin.

It seemed like the little guy didn’t know how to speak, so he could only babble and stomp his feet to express his anger. He looked like he wanted to fly over and snatch Tan Mingjin’s phone from him.

Then Tan Mingjin turned to Shi Qing. The youth didn’t show anything on his face. His eyes were fixed on his cup. But he stirred his coffee faster and faster until there were afterimages of his hand.

This child is really…

Ever since this little guy appeared, all the problems Tan Mingjin had communicating with Shi Qing before vanished. Shi Qing might be reluctant to reveal his true self in front of his uncle, but little Shi Qing had no such compunctions.

Tan Mingjin felt like he had awakened his ‘child-rearing’ talent. He relaxed and just handed his phone over to Shi Qing.

“See for yourself if you want.”

The young man put down his spoon. “Who said I wanted to see? Why would I want to see your phone.” He said, as his hand eagerly reached for the device. After tapping a few times, he discovered that Tan Mingjin was just chatting with someone about work.

Shi Qing’s expression grew more and more twisted.

“Hmph. Work, work, work. I just knew you would be thinking about that.”

“Whew!”

The little Shi Qing on his shoulder, however, heaved a sigh of relief, as if some great worry had been lifted from his shoulders. He settled down contentedly and wiggled his little feet, babbling and reaching out to Tan Mingjin for a hug again.

His anger and huffiness from before were nowhere to be seen.

This little guy really was a manifestation of Shi Qing’s inner self. Just like Shi Qing, he could change his face faster than anyone.

Tan Mingjin: “Who did you think I was chatting with?”

Shi Qing leaned back and pursed his lips. “Who else could it be? That little aunt you found for me, of course. She doesn’t mind that you’re towing around luggage or not having any children of her own. What’s more, she’s the eldest miss of a rich family and her looks aren’t bad. What a good match you two seem to be.”

Shi Qing’s tone seemed off. If Tan Mingjin had heard him speak like this in the past, he would’ve frowned and thought Shi Qing was an ungrateful white-eyed wolf.

But now…

Tan Mingjin looked at the little guy sitting on the youth’s shoulder.

Little Shi Qing was no longer swinging his feet or asking for a hug. He lowered his head dejectedly and used his little hands to wipe at his eyes. His face was already becoming blotchy and flushed. The little guy looked up at Tan Mingjin, occasionally letting out a few pitiful sobs.

The man’s heart softened at once.

Was this child really so afraid of him starting a family?

He thought of the surveillance footage he had just pulled up. Shi Qing had clearly pulled away from Cheng Yunling as soon as they left his sight. His disdain really didn’t seem to be faked.

But if he didn’t like her, why did he act like he did?

Tan Mingjin finally recalled what Shi Qing has always said to him.

Did this child believe that he had a thing for Cheng Yunling?

Did he resort to that method because he was afraid of Cheng Yunling taking his uncle away from him?

Not a muscle moved on Tan Mingjin’s face, but he had already come to his own conclusions.

For the first time, he suspected that he had somewhat neglected Shi Qing in the past ten years.

The man got up and approached the two Shi Qings, who both tensed.

Tan Mingjin sighed and gently embraced the youth who was only a head shorter than himself.

The man’s long, slender hands fell gently on his back, patting it in a comforting fashion.

“Shi Qing, Uncle isn’t getting married.”

The body he was holding stiffened, before quickly softening.

The youth stammered, “R-really? You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Tan Mingjin’s heart melted more and more. He slowly let go of the youth, meeting his eyes and nodding, “Really, I won’t.”

“You can rest assured.”

He smiled as he looked at little Shi Qing, who was overjoyed and happily running around Shi Qing’s shoulder. He was so excited that his little face turned red.

Tan Mingjin’s eyes took on a hint of tenderness.

“I’ve made mistakes in the past.”

“Uncle promises to be like a good father to you from now on. In my heart, you’re like my own child.”

The little Shi Qing happily running around and squealing froze.

He turned his head slowly, revealing a pale and chubby face full of disbelief. He looked at Tan Mingjin with tears gathering in his eyes.

Tan Mingjin: “?”

Looking very wronged, little Shi Qing’s mouth dropped open.

He started to wail.

As he cried, little Shi Qing used his tiny fists to punch in Tan Mingjin’s direction, despite not being able to reach him. This only infuriated him more until he was throwing a right fit.

Within five seconds, he was crying so hard his body shuddered when he took in a breath.

Even after all this, he didn’t forget to puff up as much as he could to appear bigger. In between sobs, the little guy waved his fists and spat in Tan Mingjin’s direction.

“Pei!”

Tan Mingjin: “?”