The manager proceeded to shove Leng Qingqing onto the large bed, his breath reeking of alcohol as he hissed into his ear, "Qingqing, how do you think you managed to get famous so fast? It’s because I’m the biggest entertainment mogul in this metropolis. With just one word, I decide who’s a star and who’s a nobody. Heh heh, Qingqing, don’t you think it’s time you repaid me a little?"
"Repay you with what?" Leng Qingqing asked.
"Repay me with your body, heh heh heh heh!" The manager laughed wickedly, tearing the bathrobe off Leng Qingqing and nearly crawling on top of him.
"That won't do." Leng Qingqing slipped out from under his arms like a greased eel. While the manager was still sprawled on the bed, Leng Qingqing had already slithered onto the floor.
The manager, mistakenly believing Leng Qingqing was simply agile, lunged to grab him. "You want to run?! It won't be that easy! I have men guarding the door!!"
Leng Qingqing nimbly broke free from his grip, ducked into the bathroom, and locked the door behind him.
Crouching behind the door, Leng Qingqing pondered how to deal with the manager. Just then, a tiny water snake surfaced from the bathtub, poking its head out in a panic. "Oh no! I’ve ended up in a human’s house! I must leave at once!"
"Wait a moment!" Leng Qingqing leaned over the toilet, stopping the finger-thin water snake. "Little fellow, where did you come from? Can you lead me out?"
"Eek! You’re a Great Snake Spirit!" The little water snake jumped in fright, saluting Leng Qingqing with its tail before pointing toward the bathtub drain. "I swam up through here. It connects to the sea!"
"......" Leng Qingqing abandoned the idea of escaping with his little compatriot. The water snake flicked its tongue and vanished.
"Open the door! You ungrateful brat!" The manager kicked the bathroom door, making it rattle. Leng Qingqing thought for a moment, and an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
*Clang!!*
The bathroom door was finally kicked open. The manager scanned the exquisitely decorated room. The entire space was paved with pristine white tiles and accented with Ancient Egyptian motifs. Aside from a golden toilet and a white bathtub, there wasn't a soul in sight.
"Damn it! Where did he go?" The manager fumed, leaning against a white jade snake-shaped handle next to the toilet that held the toilet paper. He muttered to himself in a rage, "Did he jump? Impossible, this is the thirteenth floor! Look at that window, wide open... maybe he climbed from the bathroom to the next room to escape!"
"To hell with this!!" The manager washed his hands and forcefully yanked a piece of toilet paper from the mouth of the snake-shaped handle to dry them. Only then did he notice how eccentric this hotel was, installing such a massive white snake decoration. The snake's head was as large as a watermelon, and its mouth was used to hold toilet paper. How such a ridiculous decoration ended up in a presidential suite was beyond him.
"Leng Qingqing, you're dead! At tomorrow's superstar press conference, I'll make sure you're finished! Hahahaha!!! You can hide for a moment, but you can't hide forever!" The manager roared arrogantly.
And so, Leng Qingqing was about to face the first scandal-storm of his life as a snake.
***
Where had Leng Jing been during this past month?
Leng Jing had entered and exited the metropolis several times. Sometimes he helped Han Yu scout for his dream lover, sometimes he returned to the Snow Dragon Kingdom to check in, and sometimes he meddled in the affairs of the martial world. Life felt aimless to him, to the point where he, much like Han Yu, began to entertain the thought of properly pursuing a romance with Leng Qingqing.
Occasionally, he would lie atop the clouds and contemplate life, letting himself drift with the vapor as his thoughts wandered. He sometimes wondered: what exactly did Leng Qingqing mean to him?
In all these years, he had never truly tried living apart from Leng Qingqing. He felt he could be independent, yet in the end, he always returned to his side.
There were many passersby in his life, but only Leng Qingqing had accompanied him to the very end, staying by his side without reservation. They had traversed the Mortal Realm, the Heavenly Realm, and the ends of the earth together, even though there was no true place for them in this world.
Their homeland was the Jade Sea Surging Waves Valley, which had long since vanished into ash. Both he and Leng Qingqing were people without a home.
Leng Qingqing was the last survivor of the annihilated Snake God Clan, and he was a dragon of eternally mysterious origins. From the moment of his birth until now, the only ones in this world who could truly support them were each other.
No suspicion, no sorrow, no betrayal, no resentment, no torment—this was the simple life he shared with Leng Qingqing.
No matter how the Three Realms shifted, everything was but a passing cloud compared to their peaceful days.
He simply wanted to be with Leng Qingqing like this, living out their days.
Leng Jing closed his eyes, letting his body drift leisurely with the light clouds across the azure sky.
However, whether viewed from above or below, he looked exactly like a dragon carcass floating belly-up with four limbs splayed out.
***
As it happened, Leng Qingqing’s press conference took place as scheduled. Leng Qingqing arrived obediently, much to the sneering satisfaction of the manager sitting on the dais.
Once the reporters from the major media outlets had mostly arrived, the manager gave a subtle signal. An ace reporter squeezed out from the crowd, coolly holding a microphone as he approached Leng Qingqing at the front of the stage to begin the offensive:
"Mr. Leng Qingqing, there have been increasing rumors regarding your homosexuality lately. What are your thoughts on this?"
This question struck a sensitive nerve in the entertainment industry. Everyone present held their breath, awaiting Leng Qingqing’s answer.
"Ah?" Leng Qingqing looked puzzled.
The reporter repeated the question.
"Ah?" Leng Qingqing remained confused.
The reporter’s face darkened, and he became more direct. "I am asking you to comment on the rumors of your homosexual involvement with a certain man."
"Ah?"
"Are you intentionally using this method to evade the question? Mr. Leng Qingqing! Please do not act like a prima donna!!" The reporter tried to pressure him with the "diva" label.
"Ah?"
"Don't think this attitude will absolve you of responsibility! Please give everyone the transparent truth!"
"Ah?"
"Do you think saying 'ah' over and over will distract everyone?"
"Ah?"
"Please answer!"
"Ah?"
"Please answer my question directly!! Stop hesitating!! Are you involved with a man?" The reporter was incensed by his attitude, his face turning red and his neck bulging as he nearly jabbed Leng Qingqing with the microphone.
"Ah?" Still the same blank snake.
"Leng Qingqing! You are facing millions of viewers right now! Answer me!! Have you ever slept with a man?!!!!!!!!" The reporter was on the verge of spitting blood.
"I have! I sleep with my son every day!" Leng Qingqing finally spoke clearly.
The scene exploded. Leng Qingqing had a son!!! He had a secret illegitimate child!!!!!
"So you’re saying you’ve actually been living in secret with a certain woman?!!!" The reporter had unearthed something unexpected and screamed with excitement, "Who is she?!!!"
"I’ve never lived with a woman. I only live with my son." Leng Qingqing picked his nose.
"Please answer my question directly!!!! Stop changing the subject!!!"
"Ah?" The blank snake started again.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!" The reporter, known as the vanguard of gossip, finally collapsed in front of the stage, unable to handle Leng Qingqing’s attitude. It seemed he had suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage.
With the bloody lesson of the first reporter, the other reporters planted by the manager didn't dare step forward. Leng Qingqing was simply too terrifying. The once-boisterous press conference fell into a dead silence.
Su Youna was a rookie who had just entered the field of journalism. Because her father was currently hospitalized, she desperately needed money. There had been a high bounty placed by a prominent entertainment mogul for anyone who could dig up dirt on Leng Qingqing. So, despite the precedent of the famous reporter collapsing in a pool of blood, she took a trembling step forward, slowly approaching the mountainously formidable Leng Qingqing.
Yes, though it was only a few meters from the press seats to the stage, she felt as if she were marching fearlessly against hurricanes and floods. It was an incredibly arduous journey. She was nearly crushed, nearly collapsed beside her predecessor’s "corpse"! Just as she was about to surrender before Leng Qingqing, she finally reached the edge of the stage, gritting her teeth through tears.
Trembling, she did her best to hold the microphone to Leng Qingqing’s face. Kneeling on the ground with a shaking voice, she said, "Mr. Leng, my father is gravely ill and needs a large sum of money for treatment. We’ve spent all our savings. If I can’t get the medical fees, the hospital will throw him onto the street... I don't want to watch him die! I beg of you! If you just answer the questions truthfully, I’ll have a chance to get the money to save him! Please!!!"
Leng Qingqing was instantly moved. He opened up immediately. "Alright, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know!"
"Then... who is your girlfriend? Who gave birth to your son? How old is your son now?" Su Youna asked.
"I don't have a girlfriend. My son was born by me... er, I mean, I picked him up from a very far-off place. His name is Xiao Jing. He’s already taller than me now. I don't know where he is at the moment," Leng Qingqing said.
"Ah!! So it’s an adoption!! Then, when you said you sleep with your son every day, did you mean something else?!! What do you do when you’re in bed??" Su Youna struggled to restrain herself so she wouldn't also suffer a brain hemorrhage.
"We..." Just as Leng Qingqing was about to say the final words, Su Youna felt a sense of extreme danger. For a brief second, a hallucination appeared before her eyes—her father stood before her, warning: *Youna! Don't listen!! It will cost you your life!!! Danger! Run!!!*
A massive premonition of dread made her bolt upright and run desperately toward the exit.
As she scrambled out the door, Leng Qingqing uttered two words of devastating power: "We mate."
Thus, via the live broadcast of the press conference, the "Qingqing-gate" scandal erupted with full force. People everywhere speculated: what kind of person was the adopted son and lover of the superstar Leng Qingqing? Finding "Leng Jing" became the primary focus of all media and newspapers. Leng Qingqing was now famous for all the wrong reasons.
***
Three days after the Qingqing-gate incident, Leng Qingqing was finally called into the manager's office.
*Slap!* The manager threw a thick stack of newspapers into Leng Qingqing’s face, then leaned back in his executive chair with a sinister grin. "Leng Qingqing, seen enough? Do you know what it means to be ruined? If you beg me now, there’s still time! However, I want you to come over here and lick my leather shoes!"
"Why should I beg you? I’m not lacking anything," Leng Qingqing said.
"Still stubborn!" The manager narrowed his eyes at him. "Fine, you’ve got guts. I see you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! By the time you want to lick my soles, you won't even be worthy! I don't care about destroying you!" He lit a cigarette, his mouth twisting.
Leng Qingqing silently walked out of the office. He didn't have to work today; they weren't calling him for commercials anymore. He was going to a high-end restaurant to eat noodles. The thought of noodles made him smile.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the entertainment building, a massive crowd of reporters surrounded him, as they had every day recently.
Leng Qingqing walked while picking his nose, not paying them any mind. Just as he was about to descend the steps, a shrill scream came from outside the crowd: "Papa!! Papa Qingqing!!!"
A frail youth wearing a hat to cover his face, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed through the crowd by several people in police uniforms. The youth silently approached the steps, then suddenly fell from the wheelchair, trembling as he used the strength of his hands to crawl up the stairs. Finally, he grabbed Leng Qingqing’s calf and looked up, revealing a beautiful face very similar to Leng Qingqing’s.
With tears streaming down his face, he cried, "Papa! Why won't you admit I’m your biological son!! I’m clearly your own little Jingjing! Didn't you say you loved me?"
"I don't know you," Leng Qingqing scratched his head.
"Papa!!!" The youth wailed heart-wrenchingly. "Why are you lying! Am I, Xiao Jing, not good enough?"
Before Leng Qingqing could argue, a pair of handcuffs snapped onto his wrists. A policeman said coldly, "Leng Qingqing, you are suspected of intentional homicide, illegal confinement, and child abuse, as well as long-term sexual assault of a minor. You are now under arrest. You have the right to remain silent... and..."
The policeman began reading the charges.
"No!! Don't handcuff my Papa!! Papa! I didn't mean it! They forced me to come out!! Papa!" The youth clung to Leng Qingqing’s leg, howling.
"Leng Qingqing! You monster! We just rescued Xiao Jing from that hell!" A middle-aged woman wearing glasses stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation. "We brought Xiao Jing here today specifically to expose your true face!!"
"Ah?" *Did they find out I’m a snake?* Leng Qingqing wondered.
The reporters immediately surrounded the middle-aged woman. She explained forcefully, "I am the chairwoman of the Youth Rescue Association. Three months ago, we received news that Leng Qingqing was secretly torturing his biological son. We conducted an investigation and finally rescued Xiao Jing from Leng Qingqing’s clutches." She looked pityingly at the youth being helped back into his wheelchair before continuing, "Please, everyone, protect Xiao Jing’s privacy—pixelate his face. Xiao Jing is a very pitiful child. He is only fifteen, the illegitimate son of Leng Qingqing and a songstress. After Xiao Jing was born, Leng Qingqing hired someone to assassinate the boy's mother and kept Xiao Jing imprisoned in a basement as a tool for venting his frustrations. Because of Leng Qingqing’s abuse, Xiao Jing’s legs were severely beaten and left untreated, resulting in permanent disability. Furthermore, during the medical examination, we discovered that Xiao Jing has been subjected to long-term sexual assault by Leng Qingqing..."
The real Leng Jing and Han Yu stood outside a shop window, watching the live television broadcast. Han Yu suddenly said, "That youth isn't bad..."
"But he’s clearly a hired actor," Leng Jing remarked.
"...Regardless, I’ve taken a liking to him. His expression is very similar to Qingyue’s back then." Han Yu was somewhat uncontrollably excited.
"Fine. I’ll help you get that youth. In exchange, you must fulfill our agreement: stop following me. From now on, everything regarding the Myriad Phenomena Tower has nothing to do with me."
"Mhm." Han Yu nodded.
***
This was Leng Qingqing’s second time in prison.
Compared to the time he spent in jail with Xiao Jing years ago, the prison of the Industrial Age was much more comfortable. However, Leng Qingqing, staying in a solitary cell, was not lonely. Several little mice would come to chat with him from time to time.
Through a few pieces of bread, Leng Qingqing established a good relationship with the mice. The mice told him that only death row inmates stayed in the cell he was currently in.
The judgment against Leng Qingqing was exactly as the mice had said; it was merely a formality. Amidst the curses of ten thousand people, Leng Qingqing was sentenced to death—by electrocution.
The long corridor outside the cell, painted in green, was the sign leading to the execution chamber.
Leng Qingqing decided to break out of prison.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 清清门 | Qingqing-gate | A scandal named after Leng Qingqing, following the "-gate" suffix convention. |
| 交尾 | Mating | A biological term for animal copulation; used here for comedic effect. |
| 碧海苍涛谷 | Jade Sea Surging Waves Valley | The ancestral home of the characters. |
| 雪龙国 | Snow Dragon Kingdom | A location mentioned in Leng Jing's travels. |
| 青少年拯救协会 | Youth Rescue Association | The organization framing Leng Qingqing. |
| 小净净 | Little Jingjing | The affectionate name used by the impostor. |
| 电刑 | Electrocution | The method of execution in this setting. |
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