Deeply Affectionate Male Supporting Character Topped the Protagonist 40

Chapter 40: Forced Tattooing

Xi Leng slept until noon.

The moment he saw the time, he felt a sense of unreality, like he was still in a dream. He ran a hand through his hair, quickly changed into summer clothes, and instinctively reached for the hair tie on his wrist—

But the cheap old hair tie was gone.

His movements paused. He found a new one from the drawer. The new hair tie was too tight, he could only loosely wrap it twice, a few unruly curls falling freely around his face.

He went downstairs. The two guests who stayed the night were gone; Rong Xingyi, who had gone to bed early, had seen them off. At this moment, the 15-year-old boy was busy in the kitchen.

This was how one developed self-sufficiency. If Xi Leng ignored him, he would learn to take care of himself.

Rong Xingyi looked up briefly while working: “Right, Min Zhi-gege came over earlier…”

Xi Leng stopped abruptly.

Rong Xingyi, oblivious, continued: “I told him you weren’t up yet, so he left, didn’t say what he wanted.”

Xi Leng took out his phone and checked. Min Zhi hadn’t replied to his messages, so did he want to talk to him in person?

“I promise I didn’t let it slip in front of Min Zhi-gege, I didn’t expose you as a fake fan.” Rong Xingyi continued, still feeling slightly apprehensive, rubbing his chest. “I was so nervous, thankfully he didn’t ask anything.”

Xi Leng remained silent.

He himself had already been interrogated last night, and even… perhaps… something that could be considered… tortured?

Rong Xingyi’s eyes were sharp, suddenly asking: “Why is your lip chapped?”

Xi Leng uncomfortably touched his lips, replying vaguely with a “nothing,” then walked over, pointing at the things on the table, and asked him: “Don’t you hate fresh pineapple?”

Rong Xingyi said matter-of-factly: “But this is from Min Zhi-gege!”

“So that’s your excuse for secretly drinking pineapple beer last night?”

“…” Rong Xingyi was silent for a moment, feeling guilty, then said righteously, “And this isn’t pineapple, it’s a Smooth Cayenne!”

Xi Leng asked: “What’s the difference?”

“Do you even need to ask? We couldn’t afford Smooth Cayennes before, this is my first time eating it.”

Rong Xingyi showed him the sticky plastic container. Min Zhi had bought pre-cut imported Smooth Cayennes last night. Rong Xingyi pointed at the label, exclaiming, “This box cost fifty yuan.”

Xi Leng blinked slowly, calmly looking at him, then asked: “Then the taste, what’s the difference in taste?”

“Smooth Cayenne seems sweeter, not as spicy.” Rong Xingyi couldn’t help but lick his finger. “It’s very good with yogurt.”

“Here, for you.”

Xi Leng looked down to see a cup of plain yogurt with diced Smooth Cayenne.

Prepared by his didi.

Xi Leng ate slowly and methodically, but Rong Xingyi soon urged him anxiously: “What’s wrong, you don’t like it?”

Xi Leng remained unhurried: “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Rong Xingyi was impatient, practically wanting his brother to finish the breakfast he prepared in a few bites and lick the plate clean: “I need to wash the dishes, eat faster! And the toast I made, it’ll get soggy if you don’t eat it soon!”

Xi Leng couldn’t help but smile.

The two brothers had fruit yogurt and toast for brunch, simply filling their stomachs.

Xi Leng spent the whole afternoon doing chores and packing. His flight was at noon tomorrow, and he wouldn’t be back for three days.

In the evening, Xi Leng, remembering his guardianship responsibilities, planned to ask Rong Xingyi if he wanted to stay with their mother for a few days, or he could stay home and house-sit.

However, Rong Xingyi wasn’t watching TV in the living room, he had gone back to his room early. He held his phone tightly in both hands, staring intently at the screen.

【Yusen-gege, I want to ask you about that audition! Just send a self-introduction and a rehearsal video to apply? So many people around the world will apply, will they even look at someone without an agency? How high are their standards for singing, dancing, and rapping?】

He hadn’t received a reply from Qiao Yusen yet.

In just ten minutes, Rong Xingyi became restless, pacing back and forth in his room several times, finally sitting down at the desk, nervously biting his lip.

Buzz, buzz.

Qiao Yusen replied!

Yusen-gege: 【I heard the program team will consider everything, as long as you’re good at something, you have a chance. If you’re good at everything, why would you need to audition? You could just debut directly… As for the other things, I’m not sure, Min Zhi’s manager mentioned it casually. They want to invite Min Zhi to be a vocal mentor, but he hasn’t agreed yet. But he definitely knows more than I do, why don’t you ask him?】

He sent a long reply. Reading it line by line, Rong Xingyi’s emotions were like a roller coaster, breaking out in a cold sweat from nervousness.

Ask Min Zhi?

Absolutely not!

Min Zhi and his ge were filming “Unlimited Escape Room” tomorrow, asking Min Zhi would be equivalent to revealing this secret to Xi Leng.

But Min Zhi actually didn’t agree to be a vocal mentor? Why not? Even if he didn’t join the audition, just seeing Min Zhi teach people how to sing on TV would make him incredibly happy…

Rong Xingyi was conflicted.

And the person at the center of this tangled mess suddenly opened the door behind him, calling out: “Xiao Yi.”

Rong Xingyi dropped his phone in fright, putting on a brave face, and snapping: “Why didn’t you knock!?”

The startled kitten bristled again.

Xi Leng, pretending not to see it, stated the facts: “I knocked, but you didn’t hear.”

“Oh, I was playing a game.” Rong Xingyi relaxed slightly. “Are you leaving for filming tomorrow?”

“Mm-hmm, my flight is at noon, I’ll be back the day after tomorrow at the earliest.” Xi Leng said. “Do you want to stay with Mom for a few days, or stay here and house-sit? And don’t even think about hanging out with those unsavory people.”

“There are no unsavory…”

Xi Leng interrupted him, his expression serious: “Rong Xingyi.”

Rong Xingyi’s scalp tightened: “…What?”

“If you do anything reckless behind my back…” Xi Leng said slowly, seeing that his didi was already extremely tense, “I can forgive you once, but only once.”

“So, think carefully.”

“You’re not a child anymore, you have to be responsible for your own life.”

Rong Xingyi: “…”

Xi Leng closed the door after his lecture and left.

Rong Xingyi sat on the bed, hugging his knees, still pondering those words at bedtime.

The phone by his bed vibrated a few times. He checked it, excited and apprehensive.

It wasn’t Yusen-gege.

It was a few friends he met outside of school, bombarding him with messages in the group chat. He hadn’t been hanging out with them recently because his motorcycle key was confiscated and also because it was too hot in August.

【@Shinichi Look at my new Honda】
【！！！！Holy shit!!??】
【Long-ge is awesome】
【@Shinichi @Shinichi @Shinichi Where are you?】
【@Shinichi When are you free? I’ll let you try it】
【@ALong Baba, we’re all your sons, why can’t you treat us equally??】

Long-ge, the group leader and big brother of their small group, had bought a new, stylish motorcycle. A dream bike for enthusiasts, a high-performance model suitable for racing.

His friends were practically green with envy, but the person tagged by the boss hadn’t responded yet, so they kept tagging him, urging him to see it.

But they didn’t know that Rong Xingyi, who used Conan Edogawa as his profile picture and nickname, was staring at the screen, opening and closing the dazzling photos of the motorcycle repeatedly.

He bit his fingernails a few times before finally regaining control of his unruly fingers.

Xi Leng’s words echoed in his ears: “If you do anything reckless behind my back… I can forgive you once, but only once.”

Rong Xingyi gritted his teeth and decisively typed two letters.

Shinichi: 【NO】

The group chat exploded again.

【? Then what are you doing tomorrow?】
【What the hell are you busy with? Busier than racing??】
【We can never get you to hang out, makes you seem like a big star with such airs】
【Tutoring again?】
【I’d rather believe he’s my grandson than believe Rong Xingyi is going to tutoring】

Shinichi: 【I’m not going to tutoring】
Shinichi: 【I’m going to dance practice】

His friends:
【…………】
【？？？？？？】

Xi Leng once again learned about Rong Xingyi skipping class from his bespectacled friend, thankfully the tutoring classes weren’t expensive, he told his stepmother not to sign Rong Xingyi up anymore, saving them some money.

Transferring Rong Xingyi to another school was also put on the agenda, he just hadn’t told him yet.

Xi Leng looked at his phone screen.

Bespectacled friend: 【He skipped class, but he refused to tell me where he’s going today!!】
Bespectacled friend: 【Heehee, our teacher happened to be busy and let us study on our own, I’m following him now… (Cool guy emoji.jpg)】

Xi Leng replied to the diligent bespectacled friend first.

Leng: 【Thank you, you don’t need to keep an eye on him for me anymore】
Leng: 【Don’t follow him, he might find out, I know what to do】

Xi Leng was worried that this naive child would be beaten up by Rong Xingyi.

There was no reply for a long time, until Xi Leng sent a red packet, and the bespectacled friend, flattered, declined, saying that he had already been discovered, and the two of them were now having milk tea together, quite peacefully.

He just didn’t say where Rong Xingyi went.

The two kids’ relationship seemed to be better than he thought.

Xi Leng shook his head helplessly, preparing to leave for the airport.

It wasn’t until now that he received a message from Min Zhi.

Zhengzhu (Idol): 【I might not be able to make it to the recording with you guys】

[Translator’s note: Zhengzhu  is slang used by fans to refer to the celebrity or artist they admire, ‘the idol’ or ‘the main person’. Fans often use this term when discussing their idol’s actions or sharing information about them online.]

Xi Leng wasn’t sure why Min Zhi specifically reported this, he hadn’t even asked about those previous comments.

Perhaps because of the last recording, Min Zhi thought he had waited a long time?

Xi Leng replied uncertainly: 【Okay, then take care of your business, no rush】

“Take care of what business? Who said I was busy?”

Zhu Minglang frowned and urged: “Hurry up, or you’ll miss your flight.”

Min Zhi didn’t respond, silently packing his things.

Zhu Minglang’s small eyes narrowed, his suspicious gaze fixed on Min Zhi: “What’s wrong with you?”

Min Zhi paused, looking up: “Let me show you a chat history, help me analyze it?”

“Sure.” Zhu Minglang said enthusiastically, looking at his boss’s phone screen, hitting the nail on the head from an outsider’s perspective, “Hm? Had a fight?”

“…Why do you say that?” Min Zhi’s hand covered Xi Leng’s nickname on the screen, not letting him see it.

“Haven’t you ever had a fight with a friend? Oh, sorry, I forgot, you barely have any friends. Just people unilaterally tolerating you, that doesn’t count.” Zhu Minglang’s words were annoying, but undeniable.

Min Zhi, his brows furrowed, nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

Zhu Minglang, full of confidence, began his analysis: “When friends fight, one of them has to apologize first. But look, saying things like ‘it’s okay’ and ‘I still like’, shows that he still remembers! He remembers it clearly!”

“It’s just that he’s being polite, pretending it’s okay, still acting like before on the surface. But essentially, you can’t go back to how things were. Unless, you take the initiative to make amends, apologize, then maybe it can be salvaged…”

“We’re not really friends, he’s my fan.” Min Zhi frowned. “It’s Xi Leng. He likes me very much.”

Zhu Minglang suddenly realized, then frowned again.

“Although he’s not very enthusiastic, his temper seems much better than yours.” Zhu Minglang scratched his head in confusion, retracting his earlier assumption of a fight between the two. It was more likely a one-sided offense by Min Zhi. He asked, “What did you do to him?”

Min Zhi’s lips moved calmly, uttering two words: “Forced kiss.”

Zhu Minglang: “…”
Zhu Minglang: “？？？”

The round and plump manager, like a stone statue in the wind, slowly crumbled.

When faced with an unacceptable reality, humans often distorted logic and altered memories, just to adapt, to prevent a mental breakdown.

So, with a flicker of false hope, he tentatively asked: “…Forced tattooing?”

“No.” Min Zhi’s face remained unchanged. “But you could say it was forced tattooing on his mouth.”

“…” Zhu Minglang was silent for a long time, wanting to touch Min Zhi’s forehead but not daring to, only asking with an unfocused gaze, “Boss… what’s wrong with you? Are you crazy?? Or am I crazy???”

“Perhaps I am, crazy.” Min Zhi’s tone was surprisingly calm. “But I’m very calm, very clear-headed.”

“I just wanted to kiss him.”

“It felt great, I don’t regret it.”

“I even want to do other things…”

“Stop! Stop, stop, stop!!” Zhu Minglang covered his ears, hurriedly stepping on the gas pedal. “STOP! STOP——!”