The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Juan knelt on the ground, her small, frail body curled up and trembling uncontrollably.

Yet, no one sympathized with her.

Lin Xiumei, finally regaining her senses, disregarded her dignity and rushed forward, grabbing He Juan and demanding, “Was it you who switched the children!? Was it!?”

He Juan shook her head repeatedly. “It wasn’t me; it really wasn’t me.”

He Zhenglan took a few steps forward and restrained the emotionally agitated Lin Xiumei.

He had thoroughly investigated the child-switching incident and confirmed that it was due to the hospital’s negligence. Otherwise, the hospital wouldn’t have admitted their mistake so readily.

However, the question of how He Juan discovered that the children had been switched remained a mystery known only to her.

He Dongchen instructed the system to place a truth talisman on He Juan.

He Juan shuddered violently and began to sob uncontrollably. “I had no choice, I really had no choice. Back then, He Gou said that if I gave birth to a daughter, he would sell the child. When the nurse told me it was a girl, I wanted to jump off a building with my baby in my arms. But after one night’s sleep, I woke up to find a boy next to me… I was terrified, and I didn’t dare say anything.”

At that time, He Juan was so scared that she didn’t dare say a word.

When He Gou found out that she had given birth to a son, he miraculously began to improve. He cradled the boy in his arms, beaming with joy, and promised to be a good father.

On one hand was the prospect of a happy life with a reformed husband because of their son; on the other, the fear of her daughter being sold off and her husband continuing his reckless ways. After much internal struggle, He Juan chose the former. She secretly investigated where her daughter had gone, found out the family she was with, and learned her name. Then, she took her son and He Gou back to the countryside. It wasn’t until He Dongchen was accepted into a high school in the city that the family moved to the city to work.

During a parent-teacher meeting, He Juan accidentally saw her biological daughter, He Sijia, and decided to quit her job to work in the school cafeteria, just to catch a glimpse of her child every day.

He Juan, sobbing uncontrollably, finished speaking. Her entire being was filled with fear as she lay on the ground, trying to escape reality, too scared even to look up at her daughter.

“So, you knew all along that Dongchen wasn’t your son!” Lin Xiumei was furious. “How could you let someone else’s child suffer on your behalf! Has your conscience been eaten by dogs? Why didn’t you just let He Gou beat you to death! My son would have been better off growing up in an orphanage than with a bitter and cruel woman like you!”

Lin Xiumei raised her foot, intending to kick He Juan, but He Zhenglan quickly pulled her into his arms.

The scene descended into chaos.

No one had expected such a shocking revelation!

As expected, pitiful people must have something hateful about them! Although He Juan hadn’t stolen the child, she knew the truth but kept silent, allowing the situation to continue. She knew that He Dongchen wasn’t her son, yet she shamelessly enjoyed his protection.

Of course, she didn’t feel the pain since he wasn’t her child!

The host was at a loss, unsure of how to proceed.

***

He Sijia stood alone, on the verge of collapse. How could this be happening?

In the audience, Sima Yongqing frowned deeply, about to instruct the director to end the recording, when suddenly, he saw He Dongchen step forward to help He Juan up.

The audience was equally confused. He Juan knew the truth but didn’t report it, such cruelty! He Dongchen must hate her to the core, right? So why was he helping her up?

“Dongchen? What are you doing?” Lin Xiumei asked in disbelief.

He Zhenglan was equally puzzled.

Everyone’s eyes were on He Dongchen.

They watched as he gently helped He Juan up, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and said softly, “My mother is innocent. Don’t blame her.”

What the…!

Everyone was stunned, their jaws dropping.

He Juan looked up at the son she had raised, overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down her face.

He Dongchen continued to smile warmly. “The real culprit here is He Gou. My mother had no choice. How could she reclaim her biological daughter only to have her sold off by He Gou? Such selfless maternal love; she endured the pain of separation to protect her daughter. Now that they’ve reunited in this vast sea of people, it’s a happy ending.”

What the…!

What kind of logic was this?

Their worldviews were about to be shattered!

Lin Xiumei suddenly raised her voice. “Dongchen, what nonsense are you talking about! This woman watched you get beaten every day! And yet you still protect her! She’s innocent, but what about you? Aren’t you pitiful? And what about me, the one whose child was taken away? Am I not pitiful?”

He Zhenglan’s mind was now filled with He Gou’s voice; ‘I beat your son while you pamper my daughter,’ along with He Juan’s, ‘I watched your son get beaten, and you still took care of my whole family.’

He felt dizzy. What kind of terrible things had I done in a past life to deserve it?

He Dongchen replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “My mother didn’t actively do anything wrong, so of course she’s innocent. Just like how He Sijia didn’t do anything, yet received everything, and you all say she’s innocent too.”

“How can that be the same!” Lin Xiumei’s eyebrows shot up. “Sijia didn’t know anything, but this woman knew everything! She knew you weren’t her son, yet she could still watch you suffer. Maybe when you rushed to protect her, she was secretly pleased!”

He Dongchen countered, “But now He Sijia knows everything, doesn’t she? She knows I’m the real son of the He family, yet she still occupies everything that belongs to the He family, watching as you all protect her. Maybe she’s secretly pleased too.”

At this point, everyone realized that He Dongchen wasn’t out of his mind; he was intentionally being sarcastic, using He Juan to shut down He Sijia.

The audience breathed a sigh of relief and settled back into their seats.

If He Dongchen had really lost his mind and forgiven He Juan, with both families living happily ever after, they would have been spitting blood!

He Sijia, who had gradually faded into the background, once again became the center of conflict.

Her mind was in a complete mess, and she had no idea what to say or do. She stood there, clutching her skirt, her vision blurred with tears.

He Zhenglan glanced at Sima Yongqing in the audience, then closed his eyes and slowly spoke. “Dongchen, I know you resent us for not sending Sijia away, but she’s my daughter. Feelings built over more than 10 years can’t just disappear.”

He Dongchen smiled. “Exactly. My feelings for my Mother over more than 10 years won’t just disappear either.”

“Stop twisting things around!” He Zhenglan could no longer hold back.

He Dongchen retorted, “I’ll say the same to you.”

The audience exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.

The situation was now clear, the He family wanted the two children to get along and for He Dongchen, the one who had suffered the most, to let go of his resentment and accept He Sijia.

But He Dongchen, the clever one, wasn’t pushing back forcefully; instead, he used the same reasoning to pressure the He couple, forcing them to let go of their grudges and accept He Juan.

This was truly the drama of the year!

The audience could barely restrain themselves from applauding.

Now, it was just a matter of seeing who could swallow their pride.

If the He couple accepted He Juan, then the stage He Dongchen had set up would collapse.

But how could He Zhenglan and Lin Xiumei swallow their pride?

He Gou had brutally beaten their son while He Juan coldly watched, and they had foolishly pampered He Gou and He Juan’s daughter for 18 years! Now, they were supposed to continue supporting He Juan, watching as both their son and daughter grew close to her, and eventually take care of her in her old age?

No way!

Even the most gullible people wouldn’t stand for such injustice!

He Zhenglan and Lin Xiumei were people of status; how could they allow themselves to be taken advantage of like this?

***

He Zhenglan was filled with helplessness and regret. What had possessed him to agree to be on this show, only to end up in such a humiliating situation?

Cut ties with his son? Impossible; that was his son!

Accept He Juan? Even more impossible! He couldn’t swallow this bitterness!

There was only one option left…

He Zhenglan quickly glanced at the audience, then looked at the trembling He Sijia. Resolutely, he said, “Sijia, you’re an adult now. It’s time for you to move out.”

He Sijia froze, covering her mouth as she broke into sobs.

“No! She’s the daughter you raised with your own hands! She’s innocent,” He Juan screamed frantically, her face wild with desperation. She clutched He Dongchen’s arm tightly, pleading, “Dongchen, please persuade them not to drive Sijia out. She’s just a girl. What will she do in the future? Please, I’m begging you. Sijia is innocent. She didn’t know anything.”

He Dongchen smiled and gently pried He Juan’s hands off, speaking slowly, “Everyone is innocent, but I’m just supposed to be the unlucky one?”

“And besides, is He Sijia really innocent? Does she not know why this show even exists?”

The production team, who had become background noise, was suddenly thrust back into the spotlight!

The audience finally remembered! That’s right, this was a shady show, designed to suppress the true heir, He Dongchen, just to rehabilitate the image of the fake heiress, He Sijia!

The host stood on stage, looking extremely embarrassed.

He Dongchen shook the host’s cue card in his hand, reading out each item one by one. While it might not have seemed deliberate when separated, when combined, it was clear that the production team was relentlessly criticizing and suppressing He Dongchen while whitewashing and glorifying He Sijia.

After finishing, He Dongchen turned to He Zhenglan with a faint smile, “Mr. He, you really went to great lengths to clear the name of your adopted daughter by suppressing your own son.”

“It wasn’t me!” He Zhenglan denied, clearly agitated.

“Oh? Then who was it? Who would go to such great lengths to bribe the production team and make every effort to whitewash He Sijia?” He Dongchen fixed his gaze on He Sijia and asked, “Do you know?”

He Sijia instinctively turned away, glancing towards Sima Yongqing in the audience.

He Dongchen raised an eyebrow and looked directly at Sima Yongqing for the first time.

In the backstage area, the director’s heart sank with a sense of dread!

“Quick! Go on stage and stop He Dongchen! Don’t let him continue!” The director screamed, his face contorted with panic. They couldn’t afford for Sima Yongqing to be exposed!

Two staff members hesitated for a moment but then rushed onto the stage.

Zheng Dongdong, who had been secretly filming, hid her phone and hurriedly tried to lift the red carpet on the floor. The two staff members slipped and tumbled together.

“Ah! My teeth!”

The scream immediately drew attention from all directions.

Zheng Dongdong, holding the carpet, shouted, “They don’t want He Dongchen to speak!”

Outraged by the injustice, the audience erupted in anger, cursing the unscrupulous production team!

The audience in the front row even stood up, blocking the stage to prevent the staff from causing further disruption.

Zheng Dongdong, with tears in her eyes, shouted at the stage, “He Dongchen! If you have any grievances, just say them!”

“Exactly! Speak out!”

“We will support you!”

The audience responded passionately, their fervor evident in their voices.