After a Real Person Plays the Protagonist of an Anguish Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Housewife 26

Tang Yiqing lied, saying he was taking Zhou Mo out to play, but the car drove further and further away from the city center. He was going to get a paternity test.

He couldn’t wait a single moment longer and hurriedly searched for a testing agency.

At the same time, he worried about being discovered. Shen Zeqi had said he had informants at home. At the time, Tang thought it was a joke, but when Shen Shuowen returned, he had known He Chenguang was in the house without even seeing him, which was proof enough.

He truly felt that there were no secrets in this house; everyone seemed to be in harmony on the surface but divided at heart—otherwise, why would they speak of informants at home?

Along the way, to prevent anyone from following him, Tang Yiqing observed his surroundings frequently, terrified of being spotted by an acquaintance.

He wasn’t 100% certain yet. What if? What if there was a mistake? If that happened, would people think he had lost his mind?

Far from the city center, in a direction almost opposite to the Shen family estate, Tang Yiqing found an agency.

To his frustration, the staff told him it would take 8–10 days.

Tang Yiqing requested an expedited service, but even that took five days. This was his first experience with a paternity test; he hadn’t expected it to be so slow. However, he didn’t want to switch agencies now to avoid causing any suspicion.

On the way back, Tang Yiqing still couldn’t release the anxiety in his heart. Until the results came out, his heart would remain in his throat.

He took Zhou Mo to eat out and let the little guy play in a children’s playground inside a mall for a while before returning home.

Zhou Mo was happy; he had been very excited at the playground. But now, on the way back, he became quiet again.

The car was silent. Tang Yiqing glanced at Zhou Mo in the passenger seat, who was currently somewhat somber. Seeing Zhou Mo’s happy face at the playground had improved Tang’s mood slightly.

“Momo, what’s wrong? You seem unhappy?” Tang Yiqing asked.

Zhou Mo kept his head down, silently picking at his fingers. “Uncle Yiqing, am I going home in a few days…?”

Tang Yiqing’s eyes reddened. He steadied himself. “No. You can stay by my side for as long as you want. For a lifetime, even.”

He didn’t care about anything else anymore. Whether or not Zhou Mo was biologically related to him, he didn’t want to let go.

The sky was dark by the time the car drove back into the Shen estate. Tang Yiqing led Zhou Mo upstairs. As they passed Shen Shanyu’s room, the door flew open immediately—it was as if the boy had been pressing his ear to the door waiting for movement.

Shen Shanyu watched longingly as Tang Yiqing led Zhou Mo past his door. His eyes were red and filled with tears as he looked pitifully at Tang Yiqing, yet Tang Yiqing never spared him a single glance from beginning to end.

“Mommy…”

Shen Shanyu called out softly. Tang Yiqing paused at the sound of “Mommy.” His eyes and nose stung with bitterness, and his heart ached, but he could not respond.

He knew that a large part of Shen Shanyu’s current behavior was due to outside influence. He Chenguang’s words were right: in a family where the father holds absolute power and the final say, some children naturally seek advantage and avoid harm. Under the father’s influence, they follow suit—led by the father, they join in bullying the mother.

Shen Shanyu had developed such a twisted personality in this environment. He disliked his mother yet relied on her. Perhaps Shen Shanyu did love him a little…

However, Tang Yiqing could not forgive him. Aside from the plot—where he followed the script for everyone else—he had given his only true heart to this child.

He was powerless to salvage this outcome. Regarding the boy whose hand he was currently holding—if Zhou Mo was his real child, how could he ever compensate him? During these stolen years, Shen Shanyu had taken his place.

Tang Yiqing let out a long sigh, opened his door, and finally closed it behind them.

The Shen household seemed to return to its usual quiet. Those who needed to work worked; those who needed medical attention sought it. Tang Yiqing gave Zhou Mo a bath, and the two played in the bathroom for a while.

Tang Yiqing felt more and more that Zhou Mo was an angel. Such a good baby should not have to return to He Chenguang to suffer.

He read Zhou Mo a bedtime story. The boy listened intently and fell asleep shortly after. Tang Yiqing looked at his sleeping face and stroked his hair; raising a good child brought a great sense of achievement.

Just then, there was a knock on his door. Tang Yiqing got out of bed to open it.

To his surprise, it was Shen Mingzheng. He almost never took the initiative to knock, to the point where Tang had nearly forgotten that the man had made an overture of goodwill regarding He Chenguang earlier that day.

Tang Yiqing said nothing, silently watching the man. He was still wearing his work suit, meaning he hadn’t even returned to his own room after finishing work before coming here.

Shen Mingzheng froze for a moment upon seeing Tang Yiqing’s expressionless face. He had originally intended to say whatever was on his mind, but his lips parted and no words came out. He even started to feel nervous.

The current Tang Yiqing made his heart race with panic. It was as if he no longer loved him…

He didn’t know if that was the right way to describe it. Previously, he hadn’t thought Tang Yiqing liked him all that much—after all, he had used a scheme to marry in.

But now, it was a very distinct feeling: Tang Yiqing truly had no feelings left for him.

He, who had always looked down from above, now felt the roles had swapped. He was certain that if he maintained his previous attitude, Tang Yiqing would shut the door without hesitation.

For the first time, Shen Mingzheng felt anxiety—an unprecedented feeling. His face was a bit stiff, but he forced a jagged smile. “That… I think I should move back in to stay with you…”

Tang Yiqing looked at him coldly, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. Shen Mingzheng felt uncomfortable under that gaze. He straightened his back. “What? Didn’t you always want me to come back and stay before?”

“Before was before,” Tang Yiqing said coldly. “Now, no.”

With that, Tang Yiqing closed the door without hesitation.

Satisfactory Level +1

This was likely the first time Shen Mingzheng had been snubbed by him. Tang Yiqing lay on the bed. He had more or less figured out the pattern of the system’s “Satisfactory Level”: if the plot became satisfying, the level would increase. For instance, slapping the mistress or ignoring the ungrateful son would increase it.

So it could work like this… it was a bit different from what Tang Yiqing had initially thought, but it made sense.

Chasing the wife, fighting back—these all increased the satisfaction level. Although it was a tragic novel, a “satisfying” tragedy doesn’t just torment the protagonist forever.

Tang Yiqing suddenly seemed to realize the key.

Just as he was lost in thought and getting drowsy, there was another knock on the door. It was very soft. A flame of anger rose in Tang Yiqing’s heart; he assumed it was Shen Mingzheng again. But then his phone pinged. He picked it up to see a message from Shen Shuowen: “Open the door.”

Tang Yiqing gathered himself and opened the door.

The moment Shen Shuowen entered, he pulled Tang Yiqing into his arms, bowing his head to sniff the scent on him. Tang Yiqing didn’t resist; he curled into the embrace. The red wine pheromones allowed him to relax and eased his anxious nerves.

Shen Shuowen lifted Tang’s chin, seeing his reddened eyes—moist like a pitiful puppy. “What’s wrong? Unhappy?”

Tang Yiqing’s heart was heavy. Seeing Shen Shuowen made him feel an inexplicable sense of grievance, making him want to shrink into the embrace that provided him with so much security.

Seeing that Tang Yiqing didn’t want to speak, Shen Shuowen didn’t press. He led him to sit by the bed and glanced at the sleeping child. He keenly sensed that this wasn’t just about Tang wanting to vent his anger, because Tang wasn’t that kind of person. “Why keep this child by your side?”

Tang Yiqing squeezed closer into his arms. They both needed each other’s pheromones, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. “I feel bad for him.”

Shen Shuowen understood. That was the real Tang Yiqing.

Days passed. Four days until the results, three days, two days, one day…

The results should be out today. Tang Yiqing was incredibly anxious.

He checked his phone messages repeatedly, waiting for the agency to send the report.

Instead of the report, he received a news notification. The headline was striking:

“Husband of Famous Influencer Exposed; Identity Revealed as Third Son of Shen Group; True Face Finally Seen.”

Tang Yiqing clicked on it and saw a detailed report. It claimed they had known each other since childhood—from childhood sweethearts to marriage—and lived a sweet life. The husband’s influencer company was allegedly created specifically to spoil his wife.

After reading it, Tang Yiqing’s hand tightened around his phone. He knew He Chenguang must have done this. This was his last chance; he was going for broke because he saw no hope of marrying into the family otherwise, so he staged this drama.

He probably thought that since he and Shen Mingzheng were divorced, exposing this would force the Shen family to let him in due to public pressure.

Tang Yiqing shook his head. He was still too naive.

Even though this was a tragic novel world, it still revolved around the protagonist, Tang Yiqing. No one wants to be the protagonist being tormented, but that’s how these worlds are: after the protagonist suffers enough, they are “worthy” of the male lead’s love, and eventually, they end up together.

So no matter how many schemes He Chenguang used, Shen Mingzheng would never choose to be with him. It was destined. And did he really think the Shen family would let themselves be manipulated?

As long as Mother Shen (Lin Ruizhi) was there, she would never let He Chenguang through the door. This Omega, whom she looked down upon, would never become a daughter-in-law of the Shen family. Her pride and nobility wouldn’t allow the Shen family to be schemed against by an Omega who had been a mistress.

Tang Yiqing opened a short-video app. Sure enough, it was flooded with posts about He Chenguang. Marketing accounts and major influencers were posting videos using He Chenguang as a hot topic; it was trending and on the hot search list.

Did He Chenguang think he would hide like a turtle to protect the Shen family’s interests? He was wrong.

Tang had already figured out the “satisfaction point” strategy. Now was a great chance to increase it. He had no need to apologize to the Shen family members who valued reputation; this was ultimately only Shen Mingzheng’s fault.

Tang Yiqing checked the time and held up his phone. He looked at himself in the camera before starting the livestream and took a deep breath. He had never experienced such a high-intensity counterattack and couldn’t help but feel nervous.

His personality was naturally gentle, and he usually avoided conflict. Fortunately, he didn’t have a habit of running away. He was clear-headed, rational, and emotionally stable; he would handle this step-by-step with logic.

He started the livestream. He hadn’t streamed much lately, so the viewer count wasn’t huge—about a thousand.

He greeted the netizens with a gentle smile, then walked slowly into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, taking a large gulp to suppress his nerves.

“Wife, why haven’t you been streaming lately? You’re posting fewer videos too.”

“Fragrant wife, nuzzle nuzzle.”

“Mommy! Fragrant Mommy!”

“Mommy’s house is so big!”

“…”

Previously, Tang Yiqing always streamed from the kitchen. This was the first time fans saw part of the first-floor hall.

Currently, it was time for kindergarten to let out.

Shen Shanyu had been listless for days. He wasn’t excited when he entered the house anymore; previously, he would let everyone know he was back.

At this moment, Shen Shanyu entered Tang Yiqing’s frame.

“That kid! He looks so familiar! Isn’t he that famous influencer’s kid?”

“Is Wife close with that influencer? Why is his kid here?”

“Is this the influencer’s house?”

“…”

Tang Yiqing looked at the speculating comments on the screen. He turned the camera back toward Shen Shanyu. “That is my child.”

The moment he spoke, the comments exploded. Tang Yiqing moved the camera away. “I didn’t want to expose my child to the internet, but I feel there is a misunderstanding. Seeing the online discourse today, I think I should explain. This is my son.”

Tang Yiqing turned and went upstairs, passing through the rooms on the second floor. When he reached Shen Shanyu’s room, he opened the door and let the camera sweep the area. “Look, this is my son’s room.”

In just a few minutes, the livestream viewership spiked to 50,000 and was still rising.

Tang Yiqing took the camera into his own room, took a photo album from a drawer, and went back downstairs. He sat on the sofa in the living room and flipped through the album page by page.

It documented Shen Shanyu’s growth since he was a baby, and even included his wedding photos with Shen Mingzheng. Although the wedding had been hasty, it had all the necessary components.

He pointed to the man in the photo. “This is my husband.”

He stated the fact calmly. “But we are already divorced—about a week ago.”

“The Shen family treats me very well and has kept me living here.”

These few sentences sent the internet into a frenzy. Before the livestream even ended, every major platform and hot search list was marked with the word “Explosive.”

“Fastest Reversal in History!”

“Holy crap! So that He influencer is a mistress!!! Not only is he a mistress, but he claimed the original wife’s child as his own. The original wife is so pitiful!!”

“Disgusting. A pair of dogs!!”

“This is insane!!! The mistress shamelessly posted the original wife’s kid and said it was his own son!! So arrogant!”

“The b!tch and the dog go together forever!”

“The original wife has such class. He’s the real Mommy!!! He must have been forced into a corner to come out and clarify.”

“So angry!! This pair of dogs is bullying him too much!! I support the original wife!!”

“The previous press releases were sent by He, right? He wanted to take the spot!! Drop dead!”

The number of viewers in Tang Yiqing’s livestream skyrocketed. Just then, he saw a notification pop up—it was from the testing agency!

He said goodbye and hurriedly ended the stream. The public discourse had nothing to do with him; that was for the wrongdoers to worry about.

Tang Yiqing’s fingers were trembling. He tapped the screen and saw the report. The staff member said, “That is your child.”

Tang Yiqing’s fingers gripping the phone turned white. He lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. Too many emotions—that breath was finally released…

Zhou Mo was his child. His…

Just then, Zhou Mo returned. He had been sent to a different kindergarten from Shen Shanyu, one further away. He ran up to Tang Yiqing. “Uncle Yiqing, I’m back.”

Tang Yiqing pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice incredibly soft. “Call me Mommy.”

“Tang Yiqing! Do you have any idea what a stupid thing you’ve done!” Shen Mingzheng strode in. His hair was slightly messy, clearly having rushed back. “Look at the news right now!”

Tang Yiqing held Zhou Mo quietly. After a long while, he released the child and looked at Shen Mingzheng. He suddenly felt a surge of disgust and walked toward him step by step.

Shen Mingzheng froze. Looking at Tang Yiqing’s state, he couldn’t help but swallow hard. Something was wrong. The look in Tang’s eyes was as if he were looking at a repulsive creature… how could he have such a look?

“You come here to question me?” Tang Yiqing’s face was pale, his voice trembling slightly. “Then why don’t you go question He Chenguang? Why did you agree when he filmed videos with Shen Shanyu? When the internet misunderstood that it was his child, why didn’t you make him clarify? When he said you were a couple, did you deny it?”

Tang Yiqing’s voice was light, as if he were trying his best to restrain his emotions, but every word was crystal clear.

Shen Mingzheng froze, momentarily speechless. “I just meant you were too impulsive. I will naturally handle him, but because of your actions, the public opinion has a huge impact on the company and the Shen family…”

“Then why was he so bold as to release those press releases?” Tang Yiqing stepped forward. His body was tense, shaking with the strain.

His personality was usually very gentle. This was the first time he realized that when approaching and questioning someone during a conflict, his body would uncontrollably tremble and his hands and feet would go cold. Fortunately, he could remain calm; his rational brain combined his words into a resonant interrogation.

Shen Mingzheng lost his voice again. As Tang Yiqing approached, he actually took a step back. Tang Yiqing continued, his voice still light. “Then, when you were lying in He Chenguang’s bed… did you ever think this day would come? When you filmed videos with him, when you allowed Shen Shanyu to be closer to him than to me, did you ever think of this day?”

Shen Mingzheng was stunned. He hadn’t expected Tang Yiqing to expose the issue so nakedly, as if he didn’t care at all if they could reconcile.

That feeling of anxiety surged again, along with the anger that had been bottled up for days. His internal organs felt as if they were on fire.

Shen Mingzheng’s face went from pale to flushed and back again, like being roasted by fire and then dropped into an ice cellar. Under the influence of panic and fear, his voice was hoarse. “I was wrong about the past. I will compensate you… tell me what compensation you want, and I will satisfy you…”

Tang Yiqing’s eyes suddenly reddened, as if he could no longer hold back. Tears fell like broken pearls. He raised his hand and struck Shen Mingzheng across the face. A solid slap that left his hand stinging.

“Look at the ‘good work’ you’ve done! You beast!” Tang Yiqing sobbed.

Shen Mingzheng was stunned. He dazedly covered his face. Why the sudden slap? This was the first time Tang Yiqing had ever struck him!

“Be… beast? You…” Shen Mingzheng was truly dazed, his voice getting weaker. “What is wrong with you…”

Tang Yiqing turned and ran back to pull Zhou Mo into his arms. For a moment, it was so quiet it felt like time had stopped.

He stroked Zhou Mo’s face, from eyebrows to eyes to lips, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Soon, however, his movements paused. Tears blurred his vision. He looked at Zhou Mo for a moment, then wiped his tears away and looked at him seriously.

Something seemed wrong. Why didn’t Zhou Mo look like Shen Mingzheng at all…?

Satisfactory Level +6

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