The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

After a simple lunch break, He Dongchen and Fang Nanxing headed to the fishing pond they had chosen. The scorching sun was directly overhead, unbearably hot with no breeze. Both of them were drenched in sweat. He Dongchen had no makeup on and could wipe his face freely, but Fang Nanxing had to carefully dab her face with tissues to avoid smearing her makeup.

“It’ll be cooler once we get into the water,” Fang Nanxing comforted herself.

When they arrived, most of the water had been drained from the pond, leaving just a small puddle in the middle. Due to the heat, a few fish had turned belly up, and many others were struggling, their dorsal fins visible above the water. It was evident there were many fish, and they were quite large.

He Dongchen put on his thick, suffocating waders and stepped into the pond. The mud was deep, reaching his calves, and had a strong suction, making it hard to move.

“Be careful, take it slow, no rush,” He Dongchen advised Fang Nanxing, who was getting into the water beside him. He then pushed a large plastic basin for holding the fish toward the center of the pond where the fish were.

After just a few steps, a fish, thrashing blindly, swam right into him, hitting his calf. The 5 or 6-pound fish had quite a bit of force.

He Dongchen bent down, clasped the fish’s head with both hands, and tossed it into the plastic basin. The first catch was in!

Behind him, Fang Nanxing, who had just adjusted to the muddy pond, cheered, “Brother Dongchen, you’re amazing!”

In response, He Dongchen quickly caught another fish and threw it into the basin. He added some water to the basin to keep the fish from dying of thirst.

Soon, Fang Nanxing moved to the center and caught a fish weighing over 2 pounds. Its tail had a bit of red, making it especially beautiful, and the camera gave it a close-up.

Besides the two of them, there were also two cameramen, carrying heavy cameras, moving effortlessly through the mud while getting splashed with mud by the jumping fish.

The joy of catching fish was a harvest, a healing experience, watching the fishers struggle clumsily in the water and mud.

He Dongchen’s swift, precise actions earned applause from the villagers watching from the shore.

Fang Nanxing’s movements were more awkward. The fish were too big, and her hands struggled to hold them. Despite her best efforts, two drops of mud splashed onto her meticulously applied makeup.

She sighed and decided to let go of her concern for appearance. Who cares about looking good? Catching fish was the priority!

Each fathead fish she caught brought immense joy.

Once Fang Nanxing let go of her inhibitions, she moved quickly, catching fish one after another. Mud spots on her face and clothes increased visibly.

The manager on the shore felt a heart attack coming. Sister, do you remember you’re a female celebrity? Look at Film Emperor He over there, he’s a hundred times cleaner than you!

He Dongchen, busy catching fish, glanced over casually and saw a mud-covered person, “???”

He froze for a moment, his actions halted. The big fish escaped, splashing water on his face, leaving a streak of mud.

The system floated mid-air, watching with great interest. It had never seen the boss so disheveled.

Sensing its glee, He Dongchen squinted slightly. The system immediately became obedient, sweetly saying, [Boss, there’s an anti-dust aura in the mall. Wearing it guarantees staying clean and fresh. Would you like one?]

“No need,” He Dongchen replied, lowering his head to continue catching fish.

Being too clean was too conspicuous; it was better not to be too flashy on camera.

***

With their combined efforts, the plastic basin was soon more than half full. Any more fish would jump out, so they had to pause and unload, carrying the fish to the shore.

In the center where there was still water, they could push the basin. But at the edges, the mud made it hard to move, especially for Fang Nanxing, who was too exhausted to even lift her legs. After struggling for a while, He Dongchen finally lifted the plastic basin and, to everyone’s astonishment, carried it to the shore.

Fang Nanxing rested her hands on her knees, breathing in small gasps. “Brother Dongchen, you’re really strong!”

He Dongchen had already jumped ashore and reached back to her with his hand. “Come up and rest for a bit. We have enough time, no need to push ourselves.”

Fang Nanxing looked at his slightly red hand and her first thought was; Will people criticize this online?

But then she realized she was being too cautious and handed her hand over.

With a strong pull, He Dongchen helped her up. Their hands naturally parted as he signaled to the production team for a break.

Their managers and assistants rushed forward, offering water, towels, umbrellas, and fans. The other staff also sought shade to rest. The heat was unbearable. A villager, seizing the opportunity, brought watermelons to sell, priced reasonably.

Seeing this, He Dongchen asked his manager to buy watermelons for everyone to cool off.

Fang Nanxing’s manager took a slice of watermelon and whispered, “Keep up your image, Sister. Standing next to Film Emperor He, you look like a mud person. It’s quite jarring.”

Fang Nanxing, feeling much better after a bite of watermelon, looked at herself, then at He Dongchen, who only had a few mud spots. She felt a moment of frustration. “Is it because my legs are shorter and I’m closer to the water?”

Her manager spread her hands, “No, it’s because your fish-catching skills are lacking. We can see clearly from the shore. Film Emperor He never misses, often catching one in each hand. I initially worried that your competitive nature wouldn’t suit this laid-back variety show, but now it seems perfect with Film Emperor He leading the way.”

Fang Nanxing’s persona was that of a top student, so she aimed to excel in everything. Consequently, she often faced criticism for trying too hard and being too serious.

“Get more camera time, but remember to keep your distance,” the manager instructed seriously.

Fang Nanxing, munching on watermelon, nodded repeatedly. She reluctantly put down the watermelon rind and let her assistant help touch up her makeup.

20 minutes later, after their break, the two continued fishing. Before getting back into the pond, they first weighed the previous catch; 10 fish, totaling 75 pounds.

The pond’s price was 1,500 yuan, so currently, the price per pound of fish was 20 yuan.

“Keep up the good work!”

***

The two resumed their fishing task. Meanwhile, Bei Er, who was fully committed to being a “lazy fish,” was also being closely watched by Jiang Wei and had no choice but to fish reluctantly.

Jiang Wei had chosen a good pond, filled with many fish weighing over 10 pounds. When one of them collided with Bei Er, who was unprepared, she was knocked down into the pond, splashing everywhere and turning into a muddy mess.

She ended up with a mouthful of mud, feeling hopeless and tempted to give up by lying in the water as a “lazy fish.” However, she suddenly felt a cold sensation on her back; water had seeped into her waders.

It felt like a small fish had slipped inside, wriggling around.

Her face turned pale, and with a scream, she quickly climbed out of the water, scrambling up the shore and hopping around wildly as she removed her waders.

Her assistant hurried over to help.

Jiang Wei, standing in the pond with his hands behind his back, shook his head repeatedly. “Girls these days are so delicate.”

The other two teams were making progress as well. One team, hoping to get a big haul from a small pond, had chosen a tiny pond. However, they couldn’t find the drainage outlet, and the pump was broken. To increase the difficulty, the production team made them dig their own drainage channel.

Two people who had never used a hoe before started digging clumsily. One of them, a minor celebrity, swung the hoe with too much force and ended up falling backwards into the pond, causing a commotion.

The guests suffered, but the director was pleased. This was exactly what made for interesting viewing.

***

As time passed, the sun set, casting a fiery glow across the sky. Villagers, having enjoyed the spectacle, began to head home in small groups to prepare for dinner. Only the children remained by the pond, reluctant to leave despite the adults’ repeated calls.

“You little rascal! Can’t you hear its time for dinner? Every time, I have to come and get you!” An aunt hurried over, dragging a muddy child away.

Fang Nanxing watched the scene nostalgically, tears welling up in her eyes. When she was young, her mother had done the same, bringing her home for dinner. Unfortunately, her mother had passed away a few years ago. No amount of money could bring her back.

“Nanxing, the water’s getting cold, come up,” He Dongchen called from the shore. The setting sun obscured his expression, but his tall, upright figure with broad shoulders and narrow hips was outlined by the golden light, giving him a somewhat alluring appearance.

“Coming!”

Fang Nanxing blinked, forcing back her tears. The deceased should rest in peace. She didn’t want to exploit her mother’s memory for sympathy.