The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Dongchen’s timing was unfortunate this time. The original owner was driving, and he couldn’t afford to think too much, so he quickly found a place to park.

Unfortunately, it was rush hour, and the traffic was terribly congested. The constant honking of horns from all directions was enough to fray anyone’s nerves.

While stuck on the overpass, He Dongchen had some free time and began to absorb the original owner’s memories.

The original owner came from an ordinary family, had excellent grades, and graduated from a prestigious university. He was now starting his own business in the field of cybersecurity. Although his company was small, it was steadily growing with a promising future.

When the original owner stepped out now, he was already a not-so-small ‘President He,’ a young and talented man. The only thing troubling him was his parents’ constant pressure to get married. The girl he had liked since childhood disappeared after leaving him a note upon her high school graduation, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find any trace of her.

He thought life would continue this way, but one day, the girl who had disappeared, Nian Zhenzhen, reappeared.

She said nothing, and just kept crying. The original owner felt heartbroken and didn’t ask further questions. He took in the homeless Nian Zhenzhen.

The two of them lived under the same roof. Nian Zhenzhen didn’t go out to work; instead, she cooked at home to offset the rent. They lived together like this for 2 months. Just as the original owner was about to confess his feelings, Nian Zhenzhen’s belly started to grow day by day.

The original owner was struck by a thunderbolt. Nian Zhenzhen kept crying, and he assumed she had been wronged by some scumbag, so he didn’t press her for details and only felt more sympathy for her.

The original owner quietly took care of Nian Zhenzhen, all the way until she gave birth, until the child started attending kindergarten, until everyone around them assumed they were a family of three. Even the original owner’s parents believed that the grandson was their biological grandchild, so they doted on him excessively.

The original owner wholeheartedly loved Nian Zhenzhen, treated her child, Nian Nian, as his own, and carefully taught him. When the child was small, he helped change diapers and feed him. As the child grew older, he tutored him with his homework and attended parent-teacher meetings.

Every time Nian Nian called him “Dad,” the original owner’s dissatisfaction would melt away, and he looked forward to the day when Nian Zhenzhen would fully accept him and marry him.

But fate played another joke on him. One day, when the original owner’s company was suddenly attacked by unknown forces and he was swamped with work, a high and mighty man suddenly appeared; his name was Shang Nian.

Recalling Nian Nian’s name, the original owner finally understood. He couldn’t compete with the powerful and influential Shang Nian and could only watch as Shang Nian took Nian Zhenzhen and her child away.

Shortly after, his company went bankrupt, and the original owner transformed from a successful young entrepreneur into a fallen man who had offended a powerful figure, becoming the target of everyone’s ridicule.

After his downfall, the original owner had to endure disdainful looks while working to earn money. At the same time, he constantly worried about Nian Zhenzhen and her child, causing his aging parents even more stress as they fretted over their son.

It was only much later, after Nian Zhenzhen had become Madam Shang, that she appeared again, now exuding wealth and with a face full of guilt. She handed the original owner a check, saying it was to cover the expenses and compensate him for all these years.

The original owner was filled with resentment, feeling that his genuine affection over the years had been wasted. Swallowing his humiliation, he took the money, intending to make a comeback. But as soon as he got the money, it was stolen, and from then on, nothing went right for him.

Every time his life started to improve, it would be knocked back down the next moment. He spent the rest of his life in misery, ending up alone and desolate.

And all of this was merely a punishment handed down by Shang Nian out of jealousy.

***

After reading that, He Dongchen didn’t know what to say. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, listening to the harsh honking outside the window, his face expressionless.

The system finally appeared, releasing the plot mission while sighing, [As expected, the one who grovels ends up with nothing.]

What had the original owner done wrong? He had just mistakenly become a father and then received a “consolation prize” of bankruptcy and a life of misery.

[Previous small world: “The Peacock and the Scholar”]

[Basic Mission: Continue the demon slayer bloodline (Complete)]

[Mission Merit: 13,215,400.]

[Points Gained: 100 + Redeemable Merit 13,215,400.]

[Current World: “The Caged Canary’s Rise to Power.]

(T/N: Canary = slang term for a beautiful woman kept and spoiled by a wealthy man, they usually have less freedom than a normal mistress or affair partner.)

[Synopsis: Nian Zhenzhen was a canary kept by Shang Nian. From the age of 18 to 26, for a full 8 years, she lived in a villa, obediently waiting for Shang Nian’s favor.

Nian Zhenzhen had a secret; she fell in love with Shang Nian at first sight. Though she wasn’t materialistic, she still became the gold digger everyone despised, just to be with him.

Later, Nian Zhenzhen unexpectedly became pregnant and overheard that Shang Nian was planning to marry someone else. For the first time, she disobeyed him and fled the villa in the middle of the night.]

[Basic Mission: An eye for an eye (Incomplete), Be filial to parents (Incomplete).]

[Mission Merit: 0]

[Huh?! So much merit in the last world!?] the system exclaimed.

Over 10 million merit points; hundreds of times more than in the previous world.

He Dongchen was thoughtful. It seemed that after the original owner died in the last world, chaos ensued in the Demon Realm, so after stopping it, the merit points accumulated to such a vast amount.

The system also realized it and spat out, [The big boss should never have given Gao Lang that token! It would’ve kept them in separate worlds!]

He Dongchen was surprised. “Who said I gave that token to help them?”

When Gao Lang went to the Demon Realm, he was already 30, no longer the fresh-faced scholar, while the Peacock Demon could maintain eternal youth and immortality. Watching Gao Lang age day by day, whether the Peacock Demon tried every means to prolong his life or grew distant as their love faded, it would all become an exhausting and heart-wrenching affair.

In the end, it could very well turn into a situation where they loathed each other, and their once passionate love would become a complete joke.

Weren’t they the ones who vowed to love each other until death? Then let them continue to torment each other in the Demon Realm, without end.

The system fell silent. A big boss was indeed a big boss.

Some of the most beautiful love stories end best when they’re cut short.

***

Beep! Beep! Beep —!

The driver in the car next to him kept honking the horn, even rolling down the window to curse while spitting on the ground.

He Dongchen glanced at him, frowned slightly, and as soon as the car in front moved, he quickly followed, distancing himself from the car beside him.

The timing wasn’t great. The original owner had already taken Nian Zhenzhen back home and was planning to confess his feelings.

He Dongchen glanced at the roses and gifts in the back seat and said to the system, “Destroy them.”

[Got it!] the system replied cheerfully.

[Ding dong! Two points were credited.]

After the items disappeared, the traffic that had been jammed for so long finally started moving. He Dongchen got off the overpass and drove home, pondering how to avoid the fate of being an unintentional father. Whoever’s child it was should take care of them.

When he arrived at the parking lot, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID labeled as [Mom,] He Dongchen suddenly had an idea and answered the call with a smile.

“Son, your father and I have just boarded the plane back home!” His mother’s excited voice came through.

He Dongchen smiled gently, “Did you have a good time?”

His parents, not very educated, had managed to put him through school by running a braised meat shop. Now that they were older, they loved to pester him about getting married. The original owner couldn’t take the pressure, so he had convinced them to close the shop and go on a long vacation, hiring an all-around personal guide and assistant to take them everywhere.

Counting the time, they had been gone for more than 2 months, which was precisely when the original owner had picked up the homeless Nian Zhenzhen.

He Dongchen rubbed his chin, waiting until his mother finished telling him all about their travels before leisurely saying, “It’s perfect that you’re coming back. I’ve got something tricky on my hands and don’t know how to deal with it.”

“What is it? Let Mom give you some advice!” His mother’s voice was strong, eager to help her son in need.

He Dongchen smiled, “Mom, come straight to the house near my company after you get off the plane tomorrow. You’ll see then.”

The original owner had purchased a house near the company for convenience, choosing not to live with his parents. He Dongchen found Nian Zhenzhen’s habit of crying incessantly to be overly tiresome. If he were to simply kick her out, she might end up crying at the door for hours. It would be better to let his mother handle the situation.

In the original story, the owner had claimed the child as his own to protect Nian Zhenzhen, even going so far as to forge a marriage certificate to deceive his parents. When asked why the child’s last name was Nian and not He, he explained that since Nian Zhenzhen was the only one left in her family, naming the child after her would ease her worries. The original owner’s parents, being reasonable people, didn’t question it and never suspected that their usually clever and considerate son might be deceiving them.

Now, He Dongchen had no intention of being anyone’s fool.

From a certain perspective, every mother was somewhat selfish and wouldn’t want to see her son become an unintentional father. While Nian Zhenzhen could cry all she wanted in front of him, crying in front of his mother would be futile.

He Dongchen’s mother, not knowing the full story, readily agreed, “Perfect timing! I bought you some things while I was abroad, so I’ll bring them along.”

After hanging up the phone, He Dongchen got out of the car, took the elevator upstairs, and began considering hiring a real estate agent to list the house. He couldn’t bear to stay there any longer.

***

Ding!

The elevator arrived at his floor.

He Dongchen stepped out, walked down the hallway, and stopped in front of a security door. As he was unlocking the door, his neighbor came out to take out the trash and winked at him. “Living with your girlfriend now? She’s quite pretty.”

He Dongchen frowned slightly. Nian Zhenzhen had been living there for a while, so it was likely that someone had seen her coming and going. He shook his head and denied it, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Then who is she?” The neighbor was taken aback.

“I guess you could say she’s a housekeeper,” He Dongchen replied after a moment’s thought, then opened the door and went inside, cutting off the conversation.

The neighbor scratched his head. A housekeeper that young and pretty? Where did he find her?