Chapter 4

Zeng Bo’s attempts to sow discord were indeed hateful, but Father He knew in his heart that the root cause was still his own remarriage, which failed to provide his son with a sense of security.

He sighed deeply and spoke in a low voice, “The company’s project encountered problems recently. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had time to eat. I originally planned to sit down with you and have a good talk, but I didn’t expect someone to take advantage of the situation.”

He Dongchen quieted down, waiting for Father He to continue.

“Dongchen, let me be honest with you. At my age, I’m not looking for romantic love, just someone who understands and cares for me. Secretary Yan comes from an ordinary background. She was married years ago but divorced because she couldn’t have children. I’ve investigated thoroughly, so you can rest assured…”

He Dongchen raised his eyebrows slightly, pretending to be annoyed. “Then why didn’t you explain earlier?”

Father He couldn’t hide his disappointment. “I thought there would be some trust between us after all these years…”

“Sorry, Dad,” He Dongchen said earnestly. This apology should be for the original owner of this body.

After speaking, he added awkwardly, “Let’s pick a day after you’re done with your work.”

Father He hadn’t recovered from the surprise of the apology when he suddenly heard that and was stunned. When he finally reacted, he was overjoyed and quickly asked, “Son, do you really mean it?”

He Dongchen replied arrogantly, “Of course, it’s best to choose a weekend or a holiday; Otherwise, I won’t have time.”

“Good, good, good!” Father He became excited and agreed wholeheartedly.

The father and son reconciled, truly sacrificing Zeng Bo to save a family.

In a good mood, Father He transferred a considerable amount of pocket money to his son.

When He Dongchen saw the bank notification, he smiled. Who would ever complain about having too much money?

***

Zeng Bo was hospitalized after the beating, and Father Zeng was furious. Although he didn’t like the son born to his ex-wife, he was still his own flesh and blood! He marched with determination to confront Father He, intending to exact a hefty price from the He family.

Father He initially had a decent attitude, but after hanging up and then picking up a new call, his demeanor completely changed.

Father He sneered, “Your boy might need some reflection; it’s good for him to lie quietly in the hospital.”

After speaking, he had someone send over the newly collected evidence. Zeng Bo was young and inexperienced; he did bad things without covering his tracks, like their chat records.

Father Zeng received the evidence and his face turned dark. He stormed into the hospital room and roared at the bedridden Zeng Bo. “You brat, did you have nothing better to do than spout that nonsense!?”

This matter, if downplayed, was Zeng Bo being concerned for a friend and offering a kind reminder; if blown up, it was Zeng Bo with ulterior motives, sowing discord. He Dongchen’s running away from home caused quite a stir, making a big joke out of the situation. Father He was definitely holding a grudge; He Dongchen was his son, running away was just a tantrum. But Zeng Bo, an outsider, was meddling unnecessarily! Who else would he hit?

Zeng Bo initially wanted to argue, but the evidence was thrown in his face. Realizing the game was up, he decided to own his actions and shouted back at his father, “Isn’t this exactly what you did to me? I was kindly sharing my experience with a friend!”

In truth, Zeng Bo couldn’t stand He Dongchen’s good fortune. Both had lost their mothers at a young age. Father Zeng had remarried early, and his younger son was only 2 years younger than Zeng Bo. Meanwhile, Father He had waited so many years to remarry, and his new wife couldn’t even have children.

Zeng Bo was insanely jealous when he found out. So, under the guise of good intentions, he added fuel to the fire. He Dongchen had almost been fooled by him, but he suddenly wised up!

Father Zeng looked at his eldest son, full of resentment, and left the room in frustration.

Knowing the reason He Dongchen had beaten Zeng Bo, the Zeng family felt too ashamed to ask for compensation and hoped for the He family’s forgiveness.

Father He indeed couldn’t be bothered to argue with a kid.

With his son’s approval, Father He was full of energy. He swiftly resolved the company issues and then chose a day. But before choosing the date, he needed to arrange a meeting between the two families. It wouldn’t do for relatives to not recognize each other, causing a family rift.

He Dongchen knew he would have dinner with the Yan family relatives and agreed good-naturedly, which delighted Father He enough to send him more money.

***

The next day happened to be the weekend, and He Dongchen flew back to Beijing.

On the plane, he stared at the person in the seat next to him, Yuan Jin.

Today, Yuan Jin was dressed casually in a white dress adorned with daisies. The skirt, with its layered design, revealed her slender, fair legs, and she wore a simple pair of white shoes.

Her hair was styled in a cute bun, and she wore light makeup that accentuated her delicate features, making her look both elegant and vibrant.

Most importantly, Yuan Jin finally took off those black-framed glasses, transforming from a bookworm into a lively and charming young girl.

Feeling uncomfortable under He Dongchen’s gaze, Yuan Jin squirmed. Anyone would feel uneasy being stared at by a handsome and smiling guy! Annoyed and embarrassed, she greeted him in a muffled voice, “What a coincidence.”

He Dongchen smiled gently, “It really is a coincidence. I didn’t expect you to be Aunt Yan’s relative.”

When Father He booked the tickets, he mentioned that a female relative from Haishi would be traveling with him.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Yuan Jin. What a small world!

Yuan Jin finally caught on, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You’re the one who ran away…” The rest of her words trailed off.

A few days ago, she had heard that her aunt was getting remarried. Later, she learned that the son of her aunt’s fiancé disapproved and had a huge fight before running away from home.

She never imagined that the rebellious boy who ran away was actually He Dongchen.

Suddenly, Yuan Jin no longer worried about her aunt.

The two flew to Beijing together. As the host, He Dongchen naturally had to take her home and treat her well.

***

“I’ll stay at a hotel!”

“How can I let my desk mate stay at a hotel?” He Dongchen gently guided her onto the car. Behind them, Assistant Chen diligently carried two pieces of luggage, trying his best to smile.

Yuan Jin couldn’t argue with him and had to inform her family. The Yan family felt relieved knowing Yuan Jin and He Dongchen were classmates and had a good relationship.

At the He family estate, Father He knew his son was coming home and had returned early from the company. He sat on the sofa in the hall, occasionally glancing at the door while handling documents.

“Dad, I’m back!” He Dongchen cheerfully stepped into the house, not forgetting to beckon Yuan Jin, who was following closely behind.

Father He looked up. After not seeing his son for more than half a month, he seemed even more handsome!

At that moment, the old father saw no one else. After the warm greetings between father and son, He Dongchen introduced Yuan Jin, “This is Aunt Yan’s niece, my desk mate, and she’s a top student.”

Feeling a bit shy, Yuan Jin greeted him.

Earlier, she had heard that her aunt was marrying a wealthy man. Today, she realized that he was a wealthy man living in a mansion. As they came in, Yuan Jin estimated that this estate was bigger than her school.

Father He, with a friendly demeanor, looked at the well-behaved and elegant Yuan Jin and said cheerfully, “Good child. Since you’re Dongchen’s classmate, I’ll leave you in Dongchen’s care.”

“No problem,” He Dongchen readily agreed, taking Yuan Jin upstairs to put away her luggage. The three of them had lunch together at noon. After Father He took a nap, he returned to work, while He Dongchen showed Yuan Jin around the house.

“When I was little, I was tempted by the fish in this lake. I reached out to catch them but ended up falling into the water and had a fever for 2 days. Afterward, my Dad punished me for being disobedient by making me go fishing. I was young and mischievous back then, so I couldn’t sit still. After being forced to sit there and fish for a few days, I didn’t want to see any fish for a long time.”

They walked to a small lake where several plump carp swam around, looking quite carefree.

Yuan Jin imagined a young He Dongchen sitting by the lake, scratching his head in frustration, and couldn’t help but laugh, feeling much more at ease.

***

In the evening, a car took them to a hotel.

Father He and a beautiful woman in her thirties stood at the door of a private room, smiling brightly.

“Auntie!” Yuan Jin’s eyes lit up as she quickly walked over, her skirt creating a graceful arc in the air.

Yan Xue saw her niece and smiled as she looked her up and down, patting her shoulder. “Your parents are inside the private room. Go on in.”

Then she turned to He Dongchen, politely but distantly saying, “Xiao Jin must have been a bother to you.”

In their stepmother-stepson relationship, maintaining a polite distance was best.

He Dongchen smiled and replied courteously, “Xiao Jin is my friend, it’s no trouble.”

Father He stood by, feeling gratified. He didn’t ask for much, just a peaceful meal together.

At six o’clock sharp, both families were present. The He family was just the father and son, while the Yan family came in full force, aiming to show their strength in numbers. Even Yuan Jin, who was studying in Haishi, was called in for support.

Compared to the wealthy He family, the Yan family was more academic, mostly working in education—university professors, high school teachers, tutoring center owners, and education bureau employees. Yan Xue was the exception, working as a secretary.

With some thick-skinned effort, they could claim to be a scholarly family.

He Dongchen surveyed the group, thinking to himself that the whole family had academic genes.

The Yan family were all intellectuals. The most troublesome person, He Dongchen, behaved well throughout, making the atmosphere quite harmonious. They even set a date for the wedding, planning to hold it at the end of the year.

The next day, He Dongchen and Yuan Jin returned to Haishi.

Father He wanted He Dongchen to transfer back to Beijing for school, but he refused.

“I’ve made many friends there and just want to experience an ordinary life,” He Dongchen said confidently.

Father He had no choice but to watch him leave.

***

Back in Haishi, life settled down. The only difference was that Yuan Jin, who was usually absorbed in her studies, suddenly offered to tutor He Dongchen.

Yuan Jin thought that if she treated He Dongchen better, he would be too embarrassed to cause trouble for her aunt in the future.

He Dongchen smiled meaningfully, “Sure, let’s do tutoring.”

The two of them spent time together, and on weekends they would meet at the library. Over time, rumors started circulating that they were dating.

One time during gym class, He Dongchen went to the equipment room to get a basketball. Lin Zhiyuan, the aloof male lead, suddenly appeared and coldly warned him, “Don’t interfere with Yuan Jin’s studies.”

His expression was that of a good student looking down on a bad student, full of superiority.

He Dongchen spun a basketball on his finger, amused, and said, “Aren’t you entangled with Xue Qingqing? Why are you now concerned about Yuan Jin?”

Since He Dongchen, the supporting male, wasn’t involved, Xue Qingqing was still chasing after Lin Zhiyuan. In the original storyline, by this point, Lin Zhiyuan would have been jealous and angry, starting to respond to Xue Qingqing.

Now, instead of flirting with Xue Qingqing, Lin Zhiyuan was interfering in Yuan Jin’s affairs. This only showed how crucial the role of the supporting male was. A worthy competitor would elevate the target’s appeal.

For instance, an ordinary vase would see its hidden value skyrocket if a tasteful millionaire pursued it.

Similarly, an ordinary girl would become much more attractive if she had a handsome and wealthy suitor.

From a certain perspective, much of the female lead’s charm was due to the efforts of the supporting male.

In the original story, the supporting male, though he fought, drank, and was unambitious, had good looks and the title of the He family’s heir, making him a formidable competitor that stirred others to fight for it harder.