Editor: Casey

If you had to use a metaphor to describe Tan Mingjin’s inner feelings right now, it would probably be something like jumping higher and higher up before crashing down on the ground, unable to go on.

And everything he went through was because of the woman smiling at him, Cheng Yunling.

The man didn’t know what had happened between Shi Qing and Cheng Yunling in this short period of time. He only knew that all of little Shi Qing’s attention was on Cheng Yunling at the moment.

But the little guy was no longer spitting at her, or particularly disdainful or angry either.

Just now, Shi Qing even invited Cheng Yunling and her boyfriend to sit with them, strangely saying that they should all catch up after meeting by chance.

A smile bloomed on the little guy’s face like a flower as he stuck his tiny waist out and vigorously waggled his eyebrows at Cheng Yunling.

Waggling! His! Eyebrows! Vigorously!

Tan Mingjin had never been treated with such enthusiasm by little Shi Qing before. He felt very complicated about this.

When he looked at Cheng Yunling, he noticed how she would glance at Shi Qing ever so often too. The two of them outright stared at each other under his eyes.

Even though Tan Mingjin knew that Cheng Yunling had a boyfriend now and that Shi Qing used to really dislike her, the man was still unhappy that Cheng Yunling had taken all of Shi Qing’s attention off him.

But he was a decent person. Although Tan Mingjin wasn’t happy, he didn’t bear any ill will towards Cheng Yunling.

He just didn’t like her, that’s all.

“Hehe……haha. President Tan, Young Master Shi, what a coincidence.”

Cheng Yunling was under tremendous pressure at the moment.

She already considered Shi Qing very difficult to deal with, but she didn’t expect Tan Mingjin to be even more intimidating.

One look from him made her entire body stiffen.

There was a constant feeling of being targeted by a fierce beast, and it was the kind of beast that didn’t seem to like her very much.

While Cheng Yunling trembled incessantly, she bemoaned her situation in her mind.

Technically, she’s only met Tan Mingjin once. When Shi Qing was video calling his uncle, she was just present in the background.

But why was President Tan directing such an unfriendly look her way?? It was like she had stolen his wife or done something equally unforgivable.

Although Shi Qing would always look at her in an unpleasant manner, Cheng Yunling could tell he was just an elementary school chicken after spending more time with him.

Elementary school chickens expressed their disdain through their expressions. You could basically just ignore them.

Tan Mingjin was a different beast altogether.

He was a bonafide first-generation rich person who built up his fortune through blood, sweat, and tears.

Of course Cheng Yunling would be afraid when he’s looking at her with such cold eyes.

Tan Mingjin naturally sensed Cheng Yunling’s fear of him. When he glanced at Shi Qing, who was smugly looking at Cheng Yunling, the frown on his face couldn’t help but deepen.

“It really is quite a coincidence.” The man’s deep voice radiated calm, “Is this Miss Cheng’s boyfriend?”

Cheng Yunling hastily replied, “Yes, this is my boyfriend.”

Seeing that she readily admitted it, Tan Mingjin’s mood improved. The cold look in his eyes thawed slightly.

Noticing that the atmosphere had warmed a bit, Cheng Yunling breathed a sigh of relief.

This uncle and nephew pair both had strange tempers. Why did they react so strangely when she hadn’t even done anything?

Her thought process went like this: Cheng Yunling has a boyfriend = Shi Qing wouldn’t harbour strange suspicions towards her anymore.

Then the slightly relaxed Tan Mingjin turned to look at Shi Qing.

He immediately noticed how Shi Qing’s eyes never moved from Cheng Yunling’s body, and that little Shi Qing, who was on his shoulder, was cutely jumping up and down in excitement.

There was no trace of the obedient youth he had just been talking with who fed him fruit. Right now, Shi Qing didn’t even seem to register that there was still a Tan Mingjin sitting opposite him.

Tan Mingjin: “……”

He had purposely taken Shi Qing to eat alone today.

But now, all of Shi Qing’s attention was stolen by Cheng Yunling.

If his past self was here, that Tan Mingjin would have felt sour about it, but he would’ve just left things as they were.

But after Shi Qing had spoken softly to him, fed him fruit, and asked to be fed by him, Tan Mingjin really didn’t want to let an outsider spoil their atmosphere.

There was a great amount of grievance piled up inside him, but Tan Mingjin revealed none of his displeasure to the youth on the outside.

Shi Qing was so well-behaved. Naturally, he couldn’t have done anything wrong.

How could he possibly express his displeasure towards Shi Qing?

If he really did feel displeasure, it would of course be directed at the outsider, Cheng Yunling.

Cheng Yunling, who felt the atmosphere becoming oppressive and saw Tan Mingjin’s unkind eyes: “……”

She felt that something wasn’t right here, ah.

“Um…..”

Cheng Yunling slowly got up and took her boyfriend’s hand in a bid to retreat. “We were actually just about done here. We’ll be leaving first, President Tan, Young Master Shi. Let’s talk more next time.”

Seeing that she was leaving, the man’s stern eyes eased up a bit.

But then, he noticed that Shi Qing’s gaze kept following Cheng Yunling.

No.

To be precise, it was lingering on Cheng Yunling’s hand that was holding her boyfriend’s.

The man casually flicked his long, slender hand to the side, wrinkling his brow and telling himself, “This isn’t a big deal. Cheng Yunling will be leaving soon.”

When they leave, he would thoroughly question Shi Qing about his relationship with Cheng Yunling. Why did they get along one second and become enemies in the next?

At least, that’s what Tan Mingjin would’ve done, had the quietly sitting Shi Qing beside him not suddenly spoke with the bearing of an overbearing young master.

“Wait a minute.”

The young man slowly got up and raised his chin at Cheng Yunling, like he was doing her a favour by addressing her.

“Wait, I have something to ask you.”

The man’s long, slender right hand that used to be tapping the table clenched violently.

Even though he knew it was wrong of him to do so, the strong jealousy that spilled out of his heart made him unable to control his anger towards Cheng Yunling.

As a result, the malice and anger Cheng Yunling received from Tan Mingjin, the biggest boss of the Tan Group, became even denser.

At this moment, in Cheng Yunling’s eyes, Tan Mingjin was like a male lion that had been provoked.

Although he didn’t roar loudly and charge, the aura emanating from his body and the look in his eyes made her fearful from the bottom of her heart.

It was as if this lion would pounce and rip out her throat any second now.

Cheng Yunling, who genuinely felt that she had done nothing to deserve this: “……”

She really didn’t provoke this President Tan, ah!!!

She’s innocent!!

Luckily, Shi Qing had already walked up to her just then. He also noticed Tan Mingjin’s unkind gaze towards her.

The youth looked at his uncle and then at Cheng Yunling. He asked straightforwardly and loudly, “Uncle, what are you doing? Why do you have such a scary look on your face?”

Tan Mingjin instantly hid all of his harshness away. He looked at Shi Qing as well as little Shi Qing, who was clutching his larger counterpart’s arm and seemingly babbling at Tan Mingjin. His gaze softened.

The furious lion’s hackles seemed to settle down. Although his voice was still a bit hoarse, there was nothing but softness within. “It’s nothing. Don’t delay Miss Cheng too long. Come back soon.”

Cheng Yunling sensed that a great crisis had been averted. She let out a sigh of relief.

Although Shi Qing made people want to stay away from him or beat him up, she would take someone like him over a deadly and usually hidden expert like President Tan any day.

System: Ding! Cheng Yunling’s animosity value: 65

Shi Qing: Why is there still 65 left. I’ve worked so hard to present her with delicacies these days, ah. Shouldn’t someone who’s forced to restrain their appetite like her be super grateful to me?

System: …But, she has to lose weight after gaining it, ah……

Shi Qing: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Women.

He stopped talking to the system and looked directly at Tan Mingjin.

“I just have a few words to say to her. It won’t take that long.” The youth had his customary smirk on his face as he raised his chin at Cheng Yunling.

“Let’s go. What are you still standing there for.”

“Oh, ok.”

Between a fierce beast that seemed ready to silently kill her at any moment, and a fat rabbit that squeaked and squeaked everyday, of course, Cheng Yunling chose the rabbit.

She busily followed behind Young Master Shi, giving her boyfriend a wink.

Sweetie, President Tan means you no harm, so just put up with it for now.

Her boyfriend: “……”

He was also in the entertainment industry, so of course he roughly knew who Tan Mingjin was.

At this moment, he felt very uncomfortable sitting next to the man.

After a moment of awkward silence, he glanced at Tan Mingjin, who was next to him with silent, downcast eyes. Suddenly, the man seemed to think of something that brought a faint smile to his face. The boyfriend was about to get an ulcer from how embarrassed he felt.

The boyfriend thought about it and decided to find a topic to break the ice.

He saw Young Master Shi’s attitude towards his uncle Tan Mingjin just now. To put it nicely, he was a bit childish. In less polite words, he was an unfilial brat.

The boyfriend also had a little nephew who had been spoiled rotten. The kid walked around like he owned the place every day in a very similar vein to Young Master Shi’s arrogant demeanor earlier.

Maybe they could have something in common to talk about if he brought it up.

With this in mind, he coughed dryly and slightly nervously: “Is the young master usually like this?”

Tan Mingjin was just recalling the way little Shi Qing rolled around on Shi Qing’s shoulder while he was talking like he was looking for a hug. His smile deepened.

“Yeah, he’s always this well-behaved and cute.”

Cheng Yunling’s boyfriend: “???”

Well-behaved????

Cute???

Young Master Shi?!!!

Her boyfriend: “……”

Sure enough, kids become little tyrants because they can do no wrong in the eyes of the adults around them.

Luckily, he and Yunling were not so blind.

Do you want to see awesome fanart of Shi Qing from the mermaid arc or the current one? Join the CG Discord and search ‘Shi Qing’ in the fanart channel!