The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

(T/N: Salted Fish = A euphemism for people so lazy they wouldn’t even lift a finger. // Lies down to win = does nothing but still achieves success.)

***

On the highway, a black nanny van was moving forward. The bougainvillea in the green belts on both sides kept receding.

Inside the car, several people sat quietly, even breathing lightly. From time to time, they glanced at the young man in the back seat who had his eyes closed, resting.

Countless times, they sighed, “Emperor He is so handsome!”

A simple white shirt, black pants, soft eyebrows, a calm demeanor, the whole person exuding the charm of a mature man, elegant and gentlemanly.

As everyone knew, Film Emperor He had debuted as a child star, joining the crew at the age of 6. He had played roles from heavenly sons to protagonists. Now, at just 30 years old, he had won all the domestic awards, from Best Supporting Actor to Best Leading Actor. Last year, a film he co-directed even won Best Picture, achieving both fame and fortune.

While others were struggling and seeking opportunities, Film Emperor He had already reached the pinnacle, feeling lonely at the top.

Now, Emperor He was semi-retired, starting to work behind the scenes, only taking roles in scripts that truly interested him or to repay favors.

This time, they were going to the countryside to participate in a variety show to repay a favor to a TV station.

His manager, Brother Liu, looking at the script in his hand, muttered to himself, “Pastoral scenery? They won’t make our Emperor He farm, right?”

While complaining, a voice suddenly came from the back seat, low and a bit lazy, “Where are we?”

Brother Liu turned his head and saw He Dongchen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, awake at some point. He was unscrewing a bottle of mineral water with his long fingers, leisurely twisting the blue cap open, tilting his head back to drink. His Adam’s apple moved up and down, reflected in the car window.

He Dongchen, having finished drinking, didn’t get an answer and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Brother Liu quickly snapped out of it, looked at his watch, and replied, “We’ll arrive in 20 minutes.”

He Dongchen nodded, said no more, and let the system unfold the task plot.

This time, he had become a successful actor, and he was the female lead’s first benefactor.

[Previous small world: “After Picking Up a Dog, I Reached the Pinnacle of Life”]

[Basic Mission: Get Married and Have Children (Complete)]

[Mission Merit: 23,570]

[Points Gained: 100 + redeemable merit 23,570]

[Current small world: “After Lying Down, I Won”]

[Synopsis: Bei Er became a little celebrity who rose to fame as an internet celebrity, completely changing the original owner’s wild and opportunistic ways, becoming an honest salted fish. Unexpectedly…

In the variety show, because she was laid-back and didn’t flatter anyone, the big actor teamed up with her.

At the company’s annual meeting, because she only cared about eating, she caught the eye of the big boss.

Years later, Bei Er was laden with fame and fortune, standing at the top of the entertainment industry. Facing the host’s interview, she cheekily spread her hands; “At first, I just wanted to quietly be a salted fish.”]

[Basic Mission: Get Married and Have Children (Incomplete)]

[Mission Merit: 0]

Without a doubt, He Dongchen had become the actor in that variety show who insisted on teaming up with the female lead.

The original owner had struggled in the entertainment industry for over a decade and had long seen through the worldly matters. Now, with a prominent status, wherever he went, he was flattered and fawned over. Therefore, when he suddenly saw the laid-back female lead squatting aside yawning amidst a crowd of people vying to talk, she stood out remarkably.

The original owner wanted to quietly finish recording the show, so he signaled to the crew to team him up with the female lead. During the recording, he found that the female lead was indeed very laid-back, different from the rumors, and was gradually attracted to her.

After the variety show ended, the heroine unexpectedly became extremely popular, and the original owner extended an olive branch, inviting her to make movies and appear on shows together.

Unfortunately, the original owner was just a male supporting role. When the male lead appeared with momentum, he gradually faded out of the plot and ended up dying alone.

He Dongchen touched his chin, thinking, “If she wants to stay laid-back, let her. Why not give opportunities to those who are diligent and hardworking?”

***

20 minutes later, the car stopped at a row of three small villas.

As soon as He Dongchen got out of the car, he was enthusiastically surrounded by a group of program staff, who asked about his well-being and escorted him to the middle pastoral villa, treating him like a star among stars.

“Teacher He is here, you must be tired from the journey. Please come in and have a seat,” the director said with a beaming smile, stepping forward a few steps to hold He Dongchen’s hand warmly.

Behind him, several other guests participating in the variety show followed closely, all smiles.

The group noisily entered the villa’s hall.

Upon entering, the director saw Bei Er, who was drowsy in the corner, and his smile froze. What’s wrong with this Bei Er? Ruining the atmosphere…

He stepped aside to block He Dongchen’s view. After they sat down, the others eagerly began to introduce themselves, almost everyone saying, “I grew up watching your shows…”

He Dongchen looked at one of the artists, who was about his age, with a face full of admiration and fell silent. It seemed that becoming famous too early was also a burden.

As the biggest star, He Dongchen only needed to sit quietly, nodding and smiling occasionally, without worrying about awkward silences.

The program had invited eight guests in total, four men and four women, forming four teams to compete. He was the last to arrive. Tonight, they would get to know each other, and the official filming would start early the next morning.

He Dongchen never once paid attention to Bei Er, the laid-back girl in the corner. As a result, Bei Er, as she wished, remained an invisible person from start to finish.

Everyone was practical, vying to impress the actor and reluctant to introduce anyone else who might steal their spotlight.

After a lively dinner, He Dongchen went upstairs to the room arranged by the program team.

The assistant routinely checked the room, and after confirming everything was fine, He Dongchen grabbed his change of clothes and headed to the bathroom to shower.

When he came out, feeling refreshed, Brother Liu had already finished talking with the director and came in to ask, “Of those four newcomers, which one do you prefer?”

These newcomers were just starting to gain attention. Unlike He Dongchen, who had been in the industry for over a decade, they were fresh faces.

As the biggest star, He Dongchen had the privilege of choosing his team partner.

“Choose someone diligent and hardworking,” He Dongchen said casually, drying his hair with a towel. It was the end of May, and the weather was hot and muggy, so letting his hair air-dry felt much cooler.

Brother Liu nodded, his mind racing. Among the four newcomers, there was a recently popular young star, a bold and brash girl group leader with connections, a tall academic achiever, and Bei Er, an internet celebrity who had risen to fame.

Thinking of this, Brother Liu joked, “I thought you might pick Bei Er. She seemed honest and low-key tonight, quite different from the rumors.”

He Dongchen glanced at him, thinking that this manager understood the original owner well.

But there was a saying, ‘The clever are often misled by their own cleverness.’ Smart people believed what they saw over what they heard, so both the original owner and Brother Liu thought Bei Er was different from the rumors and regarded her differently because she didn’t flatter anyone.

He Dongchen replied casually, “Old arms and legs, I can’t be too active anymore. Of course, I’ll choose a young and ambitious one.”

Brother Liu shrugged. Although he said that, everyone knew that if He Dongchen just stood by watching the newbies work during the recording, he would definitely be criticized for acting superior due to his seniority.

Before dawn the next day, the program crew came knocking to start recording.

This variety show, called “Pastoral Scenery,” featured a group of people catching fish and picking snails in the countryside, with a slow and healing pace meant to counteract urban restlessness.

The first episode’s content involved drawing lots to form teams, then choosing fish ponds in the village, draining them, and catching fish to see who could catch the cheapest fish per pound.

He Dongchen wore a white T-shirt, black knee-length shorts, and a brown fisherman’s hat, dressing very casually and fitting the pastoral theme.

Seeing him come downstairs, several guests greeted him warmly. Bei Er, as usual, was laid-back, dozing off on a lazy sofa in the corner, much to the distress of her manager.