The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

Jiang Shiguang was extremely agitated, fearing that he would be forcibly neutered. He kept barking non-stop in the room, causing other pets to respond in kind.

For a moment, the hospital was in an uproar, with many clients bringing their pets in to inquire about the situation.

He Dongchen hadn’t expected that his moment of malicious amusement would lead to such a situation. He looked at the eager Tao Tao, touched his nose, and said, “Actually, whether or not to neuter depends on the dog’s wishes. Many dogs develop depression after neutering, refuse to eat, or even run away from home, so it can be counterproductive.”

Tao Tao, upon hearing that, glanced at the irritable Xiao Ha, and her expression wavered.

Jiang Shiguang knew this was a crucial moment to preserve his dignity. Using all his acting skills, he looked deeply at Tao Tao, even forcing out two tears.

Staring at him like that, Tao Tao suddenly felt guilty. It did seem a bit excessive to castrate Xiao Ha just to satisfy her own desires.

She blinked and hoarsely said, “Then we won’t do it.”

Both Jiang Shiguang and He Dongchen breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

Tao Tao completed the paperwork and reluctantly led Jiang Shiguang out of the hospital. These days, she had been coming here every day, and the news had long spread throughout the hospital. Most people thought that childhood sweethearts with over 20 years of affection couldn’t just end like that. Dr. He would definitely reconcile with Tao Tao.

Only Jiang Shiguang, the dog, was clear-headed amidst the confusion!

***

After leaving the hospital, Jiang Shiguang, full of energy, suddenly bit his own leash when Tao Tao was buying a drink and paying with her phone. With a swift motion, he ran away.

When Tao Tao realized what was happening, she urgently shouted from behind, “Xiao Ha! Come back!!!”

“Hey, you haven’t paid yet!” The cashier stopped Tao Tao, who was trying to give chase.

Such a delay meant that by the time Tao Tao finished paying, Jiang Shiguang had already disappeared without a trace. She stood on the busy street with a drink in her hand, looking around in confusion.

After regaining his freedom, Jiang Shiguang ran wildly, every hair on his body filled with joy! During the past week at the hospital, he hadn’t only listened to gossip but had also worked hard to adapt to a dog’s vision, especially the varying intensities of light. Thus, finding his way back was relatively easy. Once he confirmed the direction of his home, he ran relentlessly.

As long as he got home, everything would be safe!

“Hey, Dr. He, is that Xiao Ha?” On the second floor of the pet hospital, a young nurse pointed outside in surprise.

He Dongchen came closer and, indeed, saw in the night that a Husky was running with its own leash in its mouth, with no sign of Tao Tao behind.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. Did the CEO run away?

He didn’t pay much attention. In the original plot, Jiang Shiguang had also run away a few times, only to end up back by Tao Tao’s side through a series of coincidences.

Until the final time, when he was hit by a car while saving Tao Tao, leading to his death despite rescue efforts. Tao Tao cried uncontrollably, the world darkened for her. The original owner had been there to comfort her, but a few days later, Tao Tao was smiling as she brought Jiang Shiguang home, showing no sign of sadness at all.

Only the original owner remained silent.

After recalling that, He Dongchen noticed that Jiang Shiguang’s figure had disappeared, blending into the bright and colorful night.

The young nurse, looking worried, asked, “Should we call Miss Tao?”

“Do as you like.” He Dongchen replied curtly and continued with his work; he was on duty today.

The young nurse was puzzled. Wasn’t Tao Tao supposed to be a childhood sweetheart? Why the indifference? Had they really fallen out?

“Oh, and Dr. He, you have a package. It was misplaced before, but I just found it,” the nurse said, quickly taking out a small package from her pocket, about the size of a phone.

“Just leave it there,” He Dongchen nodded.

“Okay.” The young nurse placed the package down and left the office quietly.

Once He Dongchen finished his tasks, he opened the package. Inside was a pure white handkerchief with a cluster of green bamboo embroidered in the corner. It was clearly handmade, not machine-embroidered.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. He had thought that Wen Hanxiao might have taken Tao Tao’s words to mean that he was a scoundrel who had fallen out with his childhood sweetheart and wanted nothing to do with him. He didn’t expect the handkerchief to have been sent, though it had been forgotten by the front desk.

He put down the handkerchief, took out his phone, and opened Wen Hanxiao’s WeChat. The profile picture showed a cute cartoon girl hugging an orange cat.

He Dongchen: [I just received the handkerchief.]

After waiting for a while without receiving a reply, He Dongchen set his phone aside and continued working.

During this time, Tao Tao called for help, saying that Little Ha had gone missing. He Dongchen, sounding very indifferent, said he was busy with work and hung up.

When it was time to get off work, his mother called; “Dongchen, the Tao family has been flattering me these past couple of days. Can you give me a definite answer, will there be any possibility with Tao Tao?”

“No possibility.” He Dongchen answered immediately without thinking, while returning the call and packing up to leave. Before he left, he put the handkerchief into the pocket of his trench coat.

“Really no possibility? Don’t be stubborn. If you regret it later like the Tao family, I won’t be able to save face.” Mother He hesitated. The Tao family had been overly enthusiastic recently, which was quite satisfying for her. She wanted to be sure her son wasn’t being too hasty and wouldn’t later regret his decision.

Feeling refreshed after her talk, she immediately called her son to clarify his stance, so if she had to refuse outright, she wouldn’t have to backtrack and face the awkwardness of reversing her decision.

“Really no possibility. Please feel free to refuse,” He Dongchen said earnestly.

***

“Dr. He, Dr. He! Xiao Ha is back!” A young nurse came rushing in, looking anxious.

He Dongchen, hearing that, said a few words and hung up, then followed the nurse to the examination room, asking, “What’s the situation?”

“The person who brought him said Xiao Ha somehow got stuck in a stinky ditch…”

He Dongchen’s lips twitched. The CEO stuck in a stinky ditch?

When he arrived, he saw the Husky, looking disheveled, lying on the operating table. One of his injured hind legs was bandaged and hanging from the wall, with the area wide open.

Two staff members were carefully giving him a bath, avoiding the injured leg as much as possible.

“It stinks,” one of them complained, grimacing.

Jiang Shiguang, with his ears drooping, felt utterly miserable, especially when he saw the smiling He Dongchen approaching. The whole dog was in distress!

He turned his head away in despair.

“Don’t move. It’s difficult to clean like this,” one person said, forcing his head back.

Jiang Shiguang’s eyes filled with tears. Life as a dog is tough!!!

Today, he had finally managed to escape the hospital and Tao Tao, sprinting all the way back home. He was just a few streets away from his destination when a group of kids, who were not doing their homework, ran wildly through the square.

He had no choice but to avoid them and ended up falling into a stinky ditch, where he got stuck!

He had been surrounded and laughed at by those kids all night.

It wasn’t until the moon was high in the sky that a man managed to get him out and take him to the hospital.

Unfortunately, it was the same hospital as before!

He didn’t want to see He Dongchen again! Even less did he want to fall back into Tao Tao’s clutches! What if these two decided to catch him and neuter him again?

Jiang Shiguang’s face was filled with despair.

He Dongchen chuckled softly. After they finished cleaning his fur, he approached to check Jiang Shiguang’s wound. It was still the same hind leg, repeatedly injured and now beginning to inflame.

He clicked his tongue and swiftly began treating the wound.

Jiang Shiguang, with his leg being handled, laid his head on the table, devoid of worldly desires.

***

By the time he finished, Tao Tao had arrived and was arguing with the man who had brought Jiang Shiguang to the hospital.

“This is my dog. He went missing today,” Tao Tao reiterated.

“If you say it’s yours, then it’s yours. But I heard from others that this dog was picked up on the streets by you before. Since that’s the case, I also picked him up from the streets, so he’s mine now,” the man said confidently.

Tao Tao hesitated for a moment. Yes, she had picked him up, so the dog was hers. Now that the man had picked him up, the dog was his. It made sense.

Seeing that she was convinced, the man was secretly pleased. He was in the pet business and had found a Husky in a stinky ditch. Since the dog was in good condition, it would be a huge profit whether sold or used for breeding.

Jiang Shiguang, pushed out and hearing their conversation, shifted his eyes slightly, contemplating whether to go with the man. It seemed better than living under Tao Tao’s control. However, his pride wouldn’t allow it.

He Dongchen glanced at him casually and noticed the hesitation in his eyes. He cleared his throat and reminded him, “This person is probably in the dog business.”

Jiang Shiguang was stunned and looked up at He Dongchen in confusion.

He Dongchen’s lips parted slightly, “For breeding, for example.”

Jiang Shiguang: “!!!”

He sprang from the bed and leaped to Tao Tao’s side, furiously wagging his tail around her, making it impossible for anyone to pull him away.

Seeing that, Tao Tao, who had been swayed, instantly regained her confidence and spoke to the man, “See? Xiao Ha likes me more. He’s my dog.”

The man, unwilling to accept defeat, said, “Well, I picked him up and even brought him all this way, which cost me work hours.”

Tao Tao, who had been working for a few years with a good salary and some savings, waved her hand decisively, “How much for the taxi fare and lost work time? I’ll transfer it to you. I’ll cover the hospital expenses later.”

Knowing that many people were watching, the man decided to ask for a large sum: “5,000.”

Jiang Shiguang couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 5,000 for 2 hours! If you calculate it based on an 8-hour workday and 22 workdays a month, his monthly salary would be over 40,000, and his annual salary would exceed 5 million.

Even the CEO was envious.

Everyone was speechless. Tao Tao took out 500 yuan from her bag immediately, “Take it or leave it.”

Perhaps due to the scornful gazes from everyone, the man considered the pros and cons for a while and, begrudgingly, took the 500 yuan and left in defeat.

Afterward, He Dongchen arranged Jiang Shiguang’s bed and went home. Tao Tao watched his indifferent back, feeling extremely hurt. She had spent the whole night searching for the dog, and he hadn’t even asked about her well-being or expressed concern.

Seeing her in this state and recalling how she had paid earlier, Jiang Shiguang sighed deeply, “Men never look back once they leave.”

However, his heartfelt words sounded to Tao Tao like Xiao Ha barking twice.

Snapping back to reality, Tao Tao forced a smile and, patting his head, asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll get you something to eat.”

Jiang Shiguang, thoroughly disinterested in speaking, buried his head in his body. He had no desire for dog food.