Chapter 41#
World 1: The Tragic Supporting Male Lead Changes the Script Online#
Cold raindrops kept falling on Qin Qing’s pale face, and the low roar in his ears, wrapped in anger, burned this slightly cold night.
“Cang Ming?” Qin Qing called softly with a weak and hoarse voice.
With just this one sound, all anger was extinguished, and all painful suppression turned into a cherished and reluctant embrace.
Qin Qing was gathered into a broad chest, and a big hand covered his head, blocking the continuously falling raindrops.
This embrace was very warm, very safe, and carried the scent of cedar and ebony mixed with citrus and rose.
The gentle breeze of March, the bright sunshine of May… In this cold rainy night, in this moment interwoven with despair and hatred, Qin Qing actually associated it with some bright things.
He struggled slightly a few times and then quieted down.
“Cang Ming?” He called out, somewhat bewildered, somewhat helpless.
“It’s me.” Cang Ming responded hoarsely, hugging the person in his arms tighter with his big hand, and then responded again, “It’s me.”
He, who could be cold to everyone, was helpless only with Qin Qing. Even if fear and anger reached the extreme, at this moment, he could only soften his tone and beg: “Stay.”
“What?” Qin Qing responded with blurred consciousness. Having lost the best opportunity to strike, his heart was completely depressed.
“How can I keep you, Qin Qing?” Cang Ming pressed his hot thin lips against Qin Qing’s cold ear.
He murmured and asked, but it seemed like he was begging, “What Xu Yizhi could do for you, I can do for you. What exactly do you want, Qin Qing? I can give you whatever you want.”
This sentence was so humble that even Qin Qing found it incredible. He looked up at Cang Ming, who was lowering his eyes and gazing deeply at him.
Raindrops slid down Cang Ming’s long eyelashes, fell on Qin Qing’s bloodless face, and then continued to slide down slowly.
When sliding past the corner of his lips, Qin Qing tasted a trace of bitterness. In a trance, he realized that it was not a raindrop, but a tear from Cang Ming.
Would Cang Ming cry?
Qin Qing shook his head, simply unable to believe such a guess.
How could Cang Ming cry?
“Qin Qing, what exactly do you want?” Cang Ming kept asking, his eyes getting darker and darker. More raindrops slid down his eyelashes and sprinkled on Qin Qing’s face.
Qin Qing closed his thin lips tightly, actually daring not taste the flavor of this rain.
“I want Xu Yizhi to come back to life.” He was silent for a long time before speaking hoarsely. This was his only wish, even if the price paid was his own death. Because that person had already exchanged his death for his survival.
“I can’t bring Xu Yizhi back to life.” Strong pain overflowed in Cang Ming’s dark eyes. He paused slightly for a moment, and then said word by word: “But I can become him.”
“What?” Qin Qing was stunned.
“I can wear the clothes he often wears, I can change to his favorite hairstyle, I can learn to smile romantically like him, and I can also learn to speak half-wittily and half-teasingly like him.”
Cang Ming closed his eyes and continued with an extremely difficult voice: “I can become his substitute and stay by your side. Is this okay?”
If not heard with his own ears, Qin Qing would absolutely not dare to believe that such a humble passage, even abandoning himself, would come from the mouth of Cang Ming, who was determined and self-centered.
996 and Qin Zishi, who walked close in the rain, were also stunned. Then one showed a shocked expression of “WTF”, and the other gritted his teeth with a ferocious face.
Qin Qing opened his mouth, actually not knowing how to answer. The rain dripping from Cang Ming’s eyelashes carried a bitter taste and stained the tip of his tongue.
Cang Ming cupped Qin Qing’s cheek and said slowly: “God grows weary of great kingdoms, but never of little flowers.”
This sentence without beginning or end made Qin Qing’s already chaotic thoughts even more chaotic.
He asked with a blank face: “What?”
His eyes wide open and lips slightly parted made him look a bit silly.
Tenderness flowed in Cang Ming’s dark and deep eyes, and love surged.
“This is a poem by Tagore.” He said hoarsely.
Qin Qing asked blankly: “You also read poetry?”
“After meeting you, I learned.” Cang Ming slowly lowered his head, his lips almost touching Qin Qing’s cold nose tip.
“You, what exactly do you mean?” Qin Qing felt his body burning, and the blood flowing in his veins became hot bit by bit. Did he have a fever?
“It means that even the God who controls the universe only loves the flowers blooming before His eyes. You are my flower.”
On this rainy night, Cang Ming finally dug out his hot, rapidly beating, sincere heart and held it in front of Qin Qing with both hands.
“I have always loved you, when you didn’t know.” He hoarsely narrated his secret.
Qin Qing blinked, and then blinked again, “You have a crush on me?”
“Yes.”
“You want to be with me?”
“Yes.”
“Even as a substitute?”
“Yes.”
Asking sentence by sentence, answering sentence by sentence. To keep this person, Cang Ming could hold nothing back. He wiped the rain off Qin Qing’s face, his nose tip touching Qin Qing’s nose tip, and begged: “Stay, stay in this world, stay by my side.”
Qin Qing was stunned for a long time before shaking his head bitterly: “Impossible. Xu Yizhi is gone, and I will cease to exist.”
“You will always be here.” Cang Ming said firmly.
“You don’t know what Xu Yizhi paid for me at all.”
“I know, I can pay more.”
The conversation between the two was interrupted by the sound of Qin Zishi opening an umbrella. This person gritted his teeth and asked: “Qin Qing, you wanted to hit me to death just now?”
Qin Qing turned to look at the other party, stunned for a long time before slowly recognizing this distorted face.
“Qin Zishi?” His body was already weak, and after being drenched in heavy rain, he had a fever at this moment. Cang Ming’s confession consumed too much of his mind.
Cang Ming touched Qin Qing’s hot forehead and said worriedly: “You are sick, I’ll take you home.”
As for the aggressive Qin Zishi who came to punish him, he was directly ignored by him.
Cang Ming waved his hand, and the luxury car hidden in the dark drove over slowly. The door opened, and two bodyguards held two large umbrellas, covering Cang Ming and Qin Qing tightly.
Cang Ming carried Qin Qing into the car, took off the other party’s soaked jacket, wrapped him in the blanket prepared by the bodyguard, and fastened the seat belt.
“You drive Qin Qing’s car back.” He said to a bodyguard.
Qin Qing’s car drove away quickly. Cang Ming took off his wet and cold suit jacket, and then went around to the other side and opened the car door.
Qin Zishi walked over hurriedly, bent down to look at Qin Qing inside the car, whose eyes were half-closed and who was already somewhat delirious from fever.
“You want to kill me? You can try.” He sneered and provoked: “Even the law can’t sanction me, what are you?”
In the dark, Qin Zishi knew that Qin Qing was a lowly, dispensable existence that would always be trampled on. The other party didn’t deserve to stand in front of him at all, let alone fight with him. Even if Cang Ming was here, he had to say the words he had held back for a long time in one breath.
He even felt that even Cang Ming couldn’t do anything to him.
996 braced itself to slip into the car from Cang Ming’s feet and snuggled up to Qin Qing. It knew where Qin Zishi’s confidence came from. No matter how big a predicament this person encountered, he could easily break free without paying any price.
From childhood to adulthood, he got whatever he wanted and whatever he thought of came to him. He could naturally be rampant.
Really annoying, meow. 996 complained in its heart while looking worriedly at Qin Qing’s flushed face.
Cang Ming bent down and sat in the car, gently stroked Qin Qing’s hot face, and then looked straight out of the car.
A pair of ruthless eyes like a beast looked at Qin Zishi as if looking at carrion or even dead objects. The cold sight like a knife carried sudden anger and deep hatred.
Qin Zishi was scared back two steps, and the hand holding the umbrella trembled uncontrollably.
However, Cang Ming did nothing and said nothing, just waved his hand, letting the driver drive the car into the cold rainy night.
996 complained indignantly: “Meow, you are useless! You should teach him a hard lesson!”
After speaking, it realized that it was actually instigating the protagonist gong to deal with the protagonist shou? Meow, is its brain also broken?
Fortunately, Cang Ming could neither hear nor see it, just silently held Qin Qing’s face, letting the other party’s head lean on his shoulder socket.
Halfway, Cang Ming called his family doctor and asked the other party to go to the Qin family to wait first.
Seeing Cang Ming coming back holding his son, the face that never had any expression showed anxiety, worry, and even distress and pity, Qin Huaichuan: “…”
Having a son born too beautiful is also trouble! With wolves in front and tigers behind, he dared not stop any of them!
Qin Huaichuan watched helplessly as Cang Ming carried his son into the bedroom, sent him into the bathroom, adjusted the water temperature, and put him into the bathtub.
“You go out.”
When soaking Qin Qing in hot water and preparing to take off his clothes and pants, Cang Ming spoke coldly.
Qin Huaichuan took a silent breath: “…Okay, President Cang.”
Cang Ming’s dark eyes inadvertently swept over 996 squatting on the toilet lid.
996 trembled and left dejectedly.
Only then did Cang Ming strip Qin Qing naked and constantly wash the other party’s body with the showerhead. The hot water hit the cold skin, causing a slight tremor, followed by more redness floating on Qin Qing’s bewildered and helpless face.
He opened his misty eyes and called blankly: “Cang Ming?”
“It’s me.” Cang Ming half-knelt by the bathtub, rubbing Qin Qing’s cold body with his big hands. The delicate and slippery skin adsorbed his palm like a magnet, arousing not lust, but pity.
When his palm touched the small bud on the shoulder blade, his eyes dimmed slightly, but he pretended not to see anything.
Qin Qing fell softly to the side.
Cang Ming quickly extended his arm and hugged this person into his arms, like holding a bunch of flower branches, afraid of knocking off his petals if heavy, and afraid of losing him forever if light. Finally, he could only pant lightly, suppress, and look at him silently for a long time.
After washing, dressing, carrying the person to bed, letting the family doctor give an injection and feed medicine, Cang Ming found spare time to wash his wet self clean.
Qin Huaichuan brought him a set of pajamas, looked back at his son covered in the quilt who seemed to have fallen asleep, and asked in a low voice: “President Cang, are you sleeping in the guest room tonight?”
“En.” Cang Ming put on the ill-fitting pajamas.
Qin Huaichuan breathed a sigh of relief.
“You sleep first, I’ll wait for Qin Qing’s fever to subside before sleeping.” Cang Ming said again.
Qin Huaichuan had some heart infarction, but felt that Cang Ming wouldn’t be beastly enough to bully a sick person, so he left.
Cang Ming came to the bedside and lifted the thin quilt.
Qin Qing really hadn’t fallen asleep, his slightly wet eyelashes trembling gently, eyeballs moving back and forth under the eyelids. What was he thinking? Was it Xu Yizhi?
Cang Ming sighed heavily, and then climbed onto the bed, hugging the person who couldn’t sleep into his arms.
Qin Qing opened his eyes immediately, trying to struggle.
However, Cang Ming calmed him down with just one sentence, “Sleep, pretend the person holding you is him.”
Who this “he” referred to, both of them knew clearly.
So what Cang Ming said before was not a false promise in passion. As long as he could keep Qin Qing, he was willing to be a shadow-like substitute without self.
The familiar cedar scent and the agarwood of ebony wrapped Qin Qing. This chest was so warm and broad, like a piece of soil enough to take root and survive. All struggles turned into attachment. Even if it was fake, just for this night, deceiving himself was fine.
Qin Qing hugged Cang Ming, buried his face in his warm neck socket, and closed his eyes weakly.
Every breath was full of Xu Yizhi’s scent, as if he was still alive.
Qin Qing slept soundly, but Cang Ming stayed awake all night.
When waking up the next day, Cang Ming had already gone to the company. There was a note on the bedside table, the handwriting bold and vigorous: [I’ll come back to have lunch with you at noon.]
Cang Ming, like a working machine, when had he ever left work to have lunch with anyone?
Qin Qing held this note, complex emotions surging in his eyes.
996 squatted on the bedside table and said regretfully: “Alas, the task of conquering Cang Ming has expired, otherwise we would definitely get the return scroll. Back in the main god space, the main god must have a way to extend your life. But the price you have to pay might be very high. But saying anything now is useless.”
Qin Qing rubbed the note with his fingertips, suddenly feeling an itch on his back.
He was stunned, then showed an expression of disbelief, lifted the quilt, rushed into the bathroom, took off his pajamas, and checked in the mirror.
That slightly unfolded bud was actually blooming furiously at this moment. Petal after petal of pale pink, overflowing with pearly light, layered upon layer, trembling, wantonly spitting fragrance.
Unknown whether it was honey or milk, or the smell emitted by the thickest and sweetest nectar in the world, domineeringly filled this small space, making people uncontrollably associate with the most charming, most beautiful, and most dreamy things.
996 covered its nose, feeling dizzy.
It pointed at the flower on Qin Qing’s back, which was like pearls and jade, shaped like morning dew, and seemed like the dim morning light, and asked in disbelief: “Didn’t you say it would wither when Xu Yizhi died? How did it open?”
Qin Qing stroked this burning and bright flower backhand, some fragmented memories flashing through his mind.
“…Maybe you stand too high. When you break yourself and sprinkle yourself into this rolling red dust, you will find a lot of fun.”
“How do you know I didn’t break myself?”
That was the conversation between Qin Qing and Xu Yizhi when they first met.
Break yourself, break yourself…
No wonder that day in the light column of the Listening to Rain Pavilion, he clearly saw Cang Ming’s face, but couldn’t refuse the other party’s kiss. No wonder their scents were equally clear and mellow, no wonder their embraces were equally warm and safe…
Qin Qing slowly raised his hand and covered his pale face.
“What’s wrong with you?” 996 asked worriedly, “Are you crying?”
Qin Qing shook his head, put down his hand, revealing a face both crying and laughing. Tears flashed in his eyes, but a smile hung on his lips. At this moment, he didn’t know what expression to put on.
996 touched his leg with its paw: “Your flower opened, can you survive?”
“En, I survived.” Qin Qing nodded, his voice extremely hoarse.
996 breathed a long sigh of relief and asked: “Why did your flower open? Did someone else fall in love with you? Is it Cang Ming?” It suddenly widened its eyes.
Meow, if Cang Ming made this flower open, wouldn’t it mean that Cang Ming loved this flower demon to the point of being unable to extricate himself? Lifespan, luck, power, everything shared with Qin Qing, then what kind of bitter male supporting character is Qin Qing!
For a moment, 996 didn’t know whether to be happy or angry, and could only grind its claws irritably.
Qin Qing shook his head: “One person’s love can only make me bloom one flower.”
“But Xu Yizhi is already dead!” 996 was confused.
Qin Qing shook his head, didn’t explain, looked at the furiously blooming flower in the mirror, his mood indescribably complex. Such a truth, even he hadn’t expected at all. It was really too unexpected; he needed time to accept it slowly.
At noon, Cang Ming indeed returned to the Qin family to pick up Qin Qing for lunch outside.
During the meal, Qin Qing kept looking at Cang Ming’s face.
Cang Ming looked up at him, suddenly opened his lips and smiled: “What are you looking at me for?” This smile was actually somewhat romantic.
“Nothing.” Qin Qing immediately withdrew his gaze and ate absent-mindedly.
After the meal, Cang Ming asked the waiter to clean up the table, and finally called the people in the next private room in.
A man in a suit carrying a briefcase walked in the front, followed by a string of old and young, men and women. Excitement and expectation were written on everyone’s face, and faint greed flowed from the bottom of their eyes.
Qin Qing looked at Cang Ming suspiciously.
Cang Ming pointed at the suit man and said: “He is a lawyer, here to announce Xu Yizhi’s will.” Then pointed to the group of old and young, “They are Xu Yizhi’s family, here to hear the will.”
“Why listen here?” Qin Qing vaguely guessed something.
Cang Ming didn’t answer, raising his chin at the suit man.
The suit man immediately took out the will and read it word by word. The group of old and young, men and women changed from excitement and expectation to anger and unwillingness.
Qin Qing was silent for a while, and then slowly spoke: “Xu Yizhi gave all his inheritance to me?”
“Yes, including the shares of Blue Universe.” The suit man nodded.
“We don’t accept it, we want to sue! This will is fake!” A man in his fifties slapped the table angrily.
“I am also a witness to the will. Whether it is true or false, I know best. You are not Xu Yizhi’s direct relatives. If you want to file a lawsuit, I will let Blue Universe’s lawyer team accompany you.” Cang Ming said lightly.
The man fell silent, and the rest showed desperate expressions. Blue Universe’s lawyer team had never lost any lawsuit. It would be useless for them to sue. Maybe after a lawsuit, everyone present would have their property emptied by huge legal fees.
The man looked at the calm-faced Qin Qing and said indignantly: “You and Yizhi were not married? Why do you take all his property? We are all his relatives—”
Before this person finished speaking, Qin Qing shook his head: “I don’t need this inheritance, it has no meaning to me.”
Power and wealth were not as good as a piece of moist and fertile soil to him.
Hearing this sentence, the group of old and young involuntarily showed ecstatic expressions.
Cang Ming’s face turned slightly cold, and then he held Qin Qing’s arms with both hands, turned his body, and made him face himself directly.
“This is what Xu Yizhi gave you, you actually say it has no meaning? He gave you his all, and you give it up just like that?” Dark fire burned in Cang Ming’s dark eyes.
He was angry because Qin Qing’s unintentional denial seemed as if he himself was also denied.
Qin Qing looked carefully and seriously at this handsome face that was almost sharp, and then realized belatedly that today’s Cang Ming didn’t wear a simple and capable black suit, but wore a rather retro and luxurious plaid gray double-breasted suit, with a handkerchief folded into a diamond shape inserted in the jacket pocket, playing the finishing touch. The slightly stiff hair was not combed back as usual, but carefully scratched into a natural and casual look.
He was imitating Xu Yizhi’s dress and style. For Qin Qing, he really tried to turn himself into another person.
Qin Qing’s eyes were occupied by a damp heat, his pale lips opened and closed slightly, and it took a long time before he said hoarsely: “Sorry, I was wrong. I will definitely keep the things he left me well. Don’t be angry, okay?”
He raised his hand and gently stroked Cang Ming’s cold and hard face.
So this face softened instantly, and warm warmth flowed in those dark eyes.
“It doesn’t matter, I was too extreme.” Cang Ming tightened his ten fingers holding Qin Qing’s arm, and then slowly let go.
That group of men and women, old and young, wished they could curse aloud at this moment. Why did Cang Ming force things on someone who didn’t want them? What did this have to do with Cang Ming?
Cang Ming winked at the lawyer, and the lawyer immediately took this group of people away.
Qin Qing was silent for a moment, and said the words he had considered for a long time: “I want to resign.”
Only by staying further away could he slowly adjust his mentality.
Cang Ming was stunned, and then asked: “What are you going to do after resigning?”
“Zhou Linlin asked me to help her manage the company. I want to start a business.” Qin Qing naturally had already found a way out.
Cang Ming looked at him quietly for a while, then nodded: “Okay, I’ll help you with the resignation procedures this afternoon.”
Now it was Qin Qing’s turn to be stunned.
“I thought you would refuse.” He said in surprise.
“If it were Xu Yizhi, he wouldn’t refuse. He is a free man, and he is also willing to give you enough freedom.” Cang Ming said such humble words extremely calmly.
He was really changing, from clothing to temperament, to words and even temper. Over time, would he forget himself and completely lose himself?
But, he is Xu Yizhi, and Xu Yizhi is him.
Qin Qing’s heart was repeatedly tortured by these strange thoughts. Looking at Cang Ming at this moment one more time, he would feel a bit more pain.
“Zhou Linlin made an appointment with me to visit the company this afternoon. I should go, goodbye.” Qin Qing stood up hastily and walked towards the door.
Cang Ming looked at his back, his tone full of loneliness and suppressed pain: “Goodbye, when will we meet again?”
Qin Qing hadn’t thought it through, but subconsciously said: “If I encounter business problems, can I come to you? Can you teach me? Or you can invest some money in us.”
The loneliness and pain in Cang Ming’s eyes instantly turned into unhideable joy.
“Okay, I’ll invest in you. How much do you want?”
“You are very happy?” Qin Qing looked back at him, asking knowingly.
“Of course, this way the connection between us won’t be broken.”
“Then invest a little more.” After saying this, Qin Qing added: “Am I taking advantage and still acting like a good boy?”
Cang Ming, who usually had no expression, actually hooked his thin lips and smiled: “Yes. Just act like a good boy in front of me in the future. This way you are my darling (good boy).”
Such words would never be said by Cang Ming. Even this romantic and affectionate smile would never appear on his cold face.
Qin Qing was stunned again, and said astringently: “This doesn’t sound like something you would say.”
“Xu Yizhi said it. I will become more and more like him, please give me a little more time.” Cang Ming said seriously.
He sat there, clearly wanting to chase after him to retain him, but pressed the table firmly to suppress himself, so he could only look at Qin Qing with pleading eyes.
The sourness and pity in his heart could no longer be suppressed. Qin Qing stepped forward quickly and hugged this man who was willing to discard himself for him tightly.