After a Real Person Plays the Protagonist of an Anguish Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 33.1

Chapter 33.1: Housewife Final Chapter

On the way back, Shen Mingzheng was like a wandering ghost. His mind was still blank, at a total loss, and he didn’t even know what he was doing.

He just walked and walked, while Shen Shuowen’s words echoed in his head like a demonic chant, haunting him relentlessly.

Shen Shanyu, following behind him, cried non-stop. He ran up to grab Shen Mingzheng, but Shen Mingzheng gave no reaction.

They walked for over ten kilometers. Shen Shanyu’s legs gave out; he knelt on the ground, watching Shen Mingzheng continue forward, watching his retreating back gradually vanish. The fear of being abandoned caused him to scream “Daddy” hoarsely, but he received no response.

Eventually, Shen Shanyu was picked up by a driver and put into a car, but Shen Mingzheng seemed to have lost his soul. He kept walking forward, feeling nothing but endless exhaustion and a sense of fading away, as if he himself were about to disappear.

Upon returning to the Shen residence, he went into his room and collapsed into sleep. He felt too tired, too exhausted.

For several days in a row, he stayed in his room without eating or drinking, as if he had completely lost the ability to function. It was only because the servants poured nutritional fluids into his mouth that he didn’t starve or die of thirst.

A servant came out of the room shaking her head. Another servant helping with the care immediately stepped forward to ask, “How is he? How is he?”

“Still the same. The blow was too great; it feels like his soul was left outside,” the servant said.

It was no secret in the household why Shen Mingzheng was like this. Shen Shanyu had been sent away. On the day that child was taken, he cried so loudly that they couldn’t bear to listen, though they didn’t feel much sympathy given they had seen everything the child had done.

“With a blow like this, he won’t recover for three to five years,” a servant remarked.

The servant clicked her tongue and shook her head. “A perfectly good life ruined by his own doing.”

“Hmph, even if he lived his life properly, that child wasn’t his. Imagine raising someone else’s kid for so many years,” the servant added.

While that was logically true, for some reason, saying it aloud brought a sense of absurdity that made both servants cover their mouths and let out a somewhat wicked laugh.

When the police arrested He Chenguang, he was at home packing his belongings. He had stuffed all his valuables into a suitcase. Shen Shanyu had returned to his side, but the child did nothing but cry and cry.

The noise made He Chenguang’s head throb. Seeing the child about to faint from sobbing, he had no choice but to hold him in his arms and coax him. “Shanyu, didn’t you like me the most? Now that I’ve become your mother, what’s so bad about that?”

Shen Shanyu struggled like a live fish. “No! I don’t want it! I don’t want you! I want my Daddy and Mommy!”

The Shen Shanyu who had been sent away was terrified and insecure. He seemed to know he was leaving his “Daddy and Mommy” forever. His small body was filled with panic, and now that He Chenguang had truly become his mother, he really couldn’t accept it.

He Chenguang’s eyes were bloodshot as he held Shen Shanyu tightly. His past fantasies were shattered; he had originally planned that after marrying into the Shen family, he and Shen Shanyu could legitimately be mother and son. But now…

They had become mother and son for real. “I am your mother.”

The feeling of being rejected by his own child was indescribable, but at the moment, he couldn’t care about much else. He grabbed Shen Shanyu and headed for the exit.

In fact, he had long had a faint premonition. Tang Yiqing had delayed returning Zhou Mo to him for so long, and now he had truly sent Shen Shanyu back.

If it were just the drugging, there might have been a slim chance of survival, but now that Shen Shanyu had been returned, the Shen family would not forgive him.

But just as he opened the door while pulling the wailing Shen Shanyu, he froze. The police were right at the door.

“Mr. He, you are suspected of involvement in the poisoning case and the infant-switching case from four years ago. You are under arrest.”

The luggage in his hand dropped to the floor. He Chenguang’s face turned gray. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he had expected this outcome.

He Chenguang looked at Shen Shanyu beside him, tears falling. What would happen to the child…?

The news of He Chenguang’s arrest reached Shen Shuowen immediately. During this period, he mostly worked from home, only going to the company when absolutely necessary—and right now, he was at the company.

He had investigated the evidence himself. The police moved quickly. He Chenguang being arrested at this time was within his expectations.

He took out his phone, wanting to tell Tang Yiqing the news, but then he paused. Instead, he opened another app and pulled up the home security cameras.

He saw Tang Yiqing in the kitchen. On the counter were dishes already prepared, along with a phone stand, though the phone was no longer on it; he must have just finished a livestream and was tidying up.

After a short while, the figure of a man entered the frame, causing Shen Shuowen’s hand to tighten. Recently, he had been working from home almost exclusively, only coming to the office for matters he couldn’t handle remotely.

“President Shen, it’s time for the meeting,” the secretary came in to remind him.

Shen Shuowen hummed an “En” and walked out of the office. The secretary held her breath slightly; why did President Shen’s aura feel so low lately? Whenever he came to the office, it was very gloomy.

In the conference room, Shen Shuowen sat at the head of the table. His laptop had become a stand for his phone; he listened to reports from various departments while watching the phone screen.

Suddenly, he waved his hand at a department manager who was reporting, then stood up to leave. “Pause for a moment, I need to make a call.”

At home, Tang Yiqing was tidying up the scraps on the cutting board. Shen Zeqi slowly moved up from behind and helped him clean. “Your popularity is so high, Yiqing. You’re practically a top-tier influencer now.”

Tang Yiqing’s smile was a bit shy. Ever since his confrontation with He Chenguang, he had become famous overnight. Now, his daily livestream viewers numbered at least 40,000 to 50,000.

He was very efficient with kitchen work now and finished tidying in no time, then picked up the dish he had just made. “Do you want to eat some?”

Shen Zeqi looked at him, his gaze flickering for a moment before he moved closer. Tang Yiqing paused, seemingly wanting to step back, but Shen Zeqi didn’t do anything out of line. Instead, he rested his head on Tang Yiqing’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of his pheromones. “Yiqing… I suddenly have no strength. Release a little pheromones for me.”

“Oh… okay…” Tang Yiqing replied, then released his pheromones. The scent of daisies immediately filled the kitchen. “Are you okay? Do you want to go back to your room?”

“No… just let me hold you like this for a while,” Shen Zeqi said softly. He had already wrapped his arms around Tang Yiqing, holding him tightly and closing his eyes.

Right at that moment, a piercing ringtone sounded. Tang Yiqing picked up the phone from the counter; it was Shen Shuowen. Since Shen Zeqi had moved in, whenever Shen Shuowen went to work, he would call at least a dozen times a day.

Tang Yiqing wondered if he was overthinking it, but it seemed like Shen Shuowen’s calls always came right when Shen Zeqi was by his side. Though sometimes that wasn’t the case—it might just be that the calls were simply too frequent.

Tang Yiqing answered, “Shuowen.”

Shen Shuowen asked, “What else should you call me?”

Tang Yiqing glanced at Shen Zeqi, who was still hugging him. With someone else present, he found it hard to say, but lately, Shen Shuowen was very persistent about this title on the phone. He had to say softly, “Hubby, what’s wrong?”

Shen Zeqi’s body shifted, but he didn’t let go. The expression in his eyes dimmed as he listened quietly.

“What are you doing right now?” Shen Shuowen asked.

Tang Yiqing instinctively looked at Shen Zeqi on his shoulder. “Um… I’m releasing pheromones for Zeqi.”

“Oh. And are you finished releasing them?” Shen Shuowen asked.

Tang Yiqing’s face flushed. He moved his body, and this time Shen Zeqi finally let go of him tactfully. “I’m telling you, Brother, you call dozens of times a day to check in. Do you really distrust me that much?”

Shen Shuowen paused for a second, then spoke coldly, “Should I trust you?”

Shen Zeqi thought to himself that he really shouldn’t, but he said, “If you don’t trust me, don’t you trust Yiqing?”

“Those are two different things. Don’t try to drive a wedge between us,” Shen Shuowen said.

Tang Yiqing held the phone between the two of them, feeling a bit helpless for a moment. He walked a few steps away and said to Shen Shuowen, “Alright, Hubby, is there something you called about?”

Only then did Shen Shuowen mention He Chenguang. It wasn’t actually urgent, but he still chose to call at this moment. “He Chenguang has been arrested.”

Tang Yiqing paused for a moment, then replied, “Oh.”

“I just wanted to tell you that,” Shen Shuowen said.

“Okay, I got it,” Tang Yiqing said.

Before hanging up, Shen Shuowen lowered his voice and said, “Don’t let Zeqi get too close to you.”

Tang Yiqing’s heart fluttered for a second as he whispered back, “I know.”

While Tang Yiqing’s side was living a weird yet warm life as a family of four, Shen Mingzheng was not doing so well. He lay in bed every day staring at the ceiling, as if he lacked even a trace of energy to do anything else.

Then one day, he received a phone call and subsequently got out of bed. His hair had grown long and stubble had appeared on his face, but he didn’t groom himself; it was as if nothing was worth his attention anymore.

He walked downstairs. It was currently lunchtime for the Shen family. When they were dining at the table and saw Shen Mingzheng come down, they all paused.

Shen Mingzheng swept a glance over them and walked toward the exit. No one stopped him, and no one came forward to show concern.

Lin Ruizhi looked at him, somewhat hesitant. “Mingzheng, where are you going?”

“Going out for a bit,” Shen Mingzheng said, taking a deep breath. A few tears escaped from the corners of his eyes before he finally walked out the door.

Lin Ruizhi wanted to stand up, but Father Shen waved his hand and said angrily, “Let him go. Let’s see how much more disgrace he can bring upon himself!”

Shen Mingzheng knew his life was ruined by his own hand, but he also knew it was fueled by the person who started it all. Now that He Chenguang was caught, he had the mental energy to go take a look.

Perhaps because he was doing so poorly and his life was so tragic, seeing He Chenguang would actually make the suppressed emotions in his chest feel a bit better. He knew it was meaningless, but he needed to find something to do.

He couldn’t see Tang Yiqing anymore. Ever since that time he lost control and tried to force himself on Tang Yiqing, he hadn’t been able to see him. This was perhaps his retribution.

He couldn’t help but wonder now… if they hadn’t had such a violent conflict then… if he had answered that phone call, if during these four years he had comforted Tang Yiqing even once, would the outcome have been different?

During those four years, he had countless opportunities, but he didn’t grasp or cherish even one of them, finally reaching this current state.

His wife was with someone else, the child wasn’t his, and he had been plotted against by his mistress. It was truly laughable—this life of his that was worthy of nothing but mockery.

He entered the detention center. He Chenguang’s case still had to go through legal procedures. A sentence of seven or eight years in prison was inevitable, and the Shen family would not let him off; they would hire the best lawyers to prosecute him, ensuring the maximum penalty. His prison term would not be shorter than seven years; it would only be longer.

Through the glass partition, Shen Mingzheng saw a dejected He Chenguang. He had long lost his former radiance; his face was exhausted, his eyes were dull, and his face and eyes were swollen as if he had been crying.

When He Chenguang saw him, he only gave a self-mocking smile and didn’t show much emotion.

Shen Mingzheng sat in the chair and asked, “Do you regret it?”

He Chenguang looked at him, his eyes red with sorrow and resentment, yet the corners of his mouth were turned up and he even let out a laugh. “Is there any point in asking if I regret it now? Then I want to ask you—do you regret it, Shen Mingzheng?”

Shen Mingzheng’s hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and his expression grew even darker. “I regret it. Of course I regret it. But so what? You’re the one going to prison now.”

Tears fell from He Chenguang’s eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. He smiled at Shen Mingzheng and said, “Thank you for raising my son for me.”

As the words fell, Shen Mingzheng stood up abruptly. He wanted to punch the partition, but a police officer beside him stopped him.

“You just rot in there!” Shen Mingzheng shrieked. “No matter how much I regret it, I’m still the Third Young Master of the Shen family! What about you? When you get out, just wait to beg for food on the street!”

With that, Shen Mingzheng turned to leave. That feeling of being burned by fire returned, even stronger than before.

It was pointless for him to come, but seeing He Chenguang like this was quite satisfying.

Right at that moment, He Chenguang suddenly called out to him, “Shen Mingzheng!”

Shen Mingzheng turned back and saw He Chenguang’s face, which looked like it was caught between crying and laughing. “You ruined me too, didn’t you?”

“Actually, you fell in love with Tang Yiqing a long time ago, didn’t you?”

Back in school, he and Shen Mingzheng had mutual feelings for each other. All their friends thought they were a match made in heaven, and he thought so too. He believed they would definitely marry after graduation.

But then Tang Yiqing appeared…

At first, Shen Mingzheng’s attitude toward Tang Yiqing was terrible, but the other man seemed impossible to drive away. Gradually… Shen Mingzheng’s attitude toward him softened, and he tacitly allowed him to get close.

“Shen Mingzheng, you fell in love with Tang Yiqing a long time ago. Five years ago, or even earlier, during school… you fell for him then, didn’t you?” He Chenguang said, staring straight at Shen Mingzheng with a sinister smile on his lips.

Shen Mingzheng froze. His feet stopped. A voice in his head told him he should leave right now, leave quickly, but his feet were stuck, refusing to obey.

“What did you tell me at first…? You said Tang Yiqing was so annoying and wouldn’t go away, that he was really bothersome.”

“You asked, ‘Does he really like me this much? I think he’s faking it.'”

“You said you threw the gifts he gave you directly into the trash.”

“And later?” A mocking smile appeared on He Chenguang’s face.

“Later you said, ‘What on earth is Tang Yiqing wearing? That blue outfit doesn’t suit him at all.'”

“You asked, ‘How can someone be so stupid? He didn’t even know to hide when it rained and let himself catch a cold.'”

“You said, ‘Tang Yiqing is okay, just too stupid—he spent half a year’s allowance to buy a gift for you.'”

“…”

The curve of He Chenguang’s mouth widened even more. “Shen Mingzheng, do you think you’ll ever meet another person as stupid as Tang Yiqing in this lifetime?”

Shen Mingzheng’s body swayed for a moment. His face was deathly pale. He was helped out by the police. He closed his eyes tightly as two lines of tears fell.

So he had fallen in love with Tang Yiqing a long time ago. Hahaha. He would never meet someone like that again. He would never meet Tang Yiqing again.

In truth, he had always known. His parents were biased toward his Second Brother and valued his Eldest Brother. He was the one who wasn’t liked.

Their scrutinizing gazes and indifferent faces—he had seen enough of them lately. They weren’t the type of people who would love their children; they would give rewards if your grades were good and acknowledge you if your career was excellent, but if you made a mistake or were foolish, they would be indifferent and discard you.

The Shen family was that cruel. No one truly loved him. And the person who truly loved him had been lost by him and would never come back.

The numbness and avoidance of these past few days suddenly stopped working. Surging emotions hit him like a tide, swallowing him whole.

At this moment, he crouched at the entrance of the police station, holding his head and burying his face. The sounds he made were hard to distinguish as crying or laughing; it was a strange sound. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, as if someone were choking him.

Finally, he couldn’t suppress a roar, as if he had completely lost control of himself. Only by constant screaming could he relieve the suppressed emotions within him.

his lover was gone, his child was gone, he had nothing.

His pheromones went out of control. He was powerless to control them and didn’t want to. Like someone falling off a cliff, if it’s beyond saving, then just fall to the bottom.

At this moment, he believed nothing could be salvaged. Everything was terrible.

The third son of the Shen family was in the news again. This was the second time he had lost control of his pheromones in public and injured people, causing public panic. He was detained by the Control Center.

The internet was filled with condemnation of S-class Alphas. The Shen family had to make a public response. Father Shen bowed and apologized before reporters, claiming that Shen Mingzheng didn’t simply lose control of his pheromones; on the contrary, his pheromones had always been stable. He released Shen Mingzheng’s medical reports over the years, stating the loss of control was due to a massive psychological blow and mental health issues. He said the person had been handed over to the Control Center and would not appear in public again until successfully treated.

While this response didn’t quell the public’s dissatisfaction, it was effective. Most importantly, the Shen family had to give an account to other families with S-class Alphas. Many of these elite families had S-class members, and if their family caused resentment among other clans, it would be troublesome.

The Shen family emphasized the mental health aspect partly out of fear that Shen Mingzheng wouldn’t be able to leave the Control Center. The Control Center was an extremely strict department, unaffected by any outside influence. Shen Mingzheng being forcibly detained was a very troublesome matter.

Everything had settled. For Tang Yiqing, who should have been at the center of the storm, he didn’t feel much. It was as if he were the center point around which everything was swept away, while he remained still.

His life was going well. The system sent him a choice: “All data has reached 100%. Stay or leave?”

Tang Yiqing chose to stay. He couldn’t bear to leave Tang Siwen and Shen Shuowen. He wanted to live out a complete life in this world.

One day, Tang Yiqing received a phone call. After hanging up, he drove to the detention center.

He Chenguang’s case had been decided. He received the maximum penalty: 12 years in prison.

Tang Yiqing didn’t know what He Chenguang was thinking, but the man wanted to see him once. If it were Shen Mingzheng, he wouldn’t see him; he could completely ignore Shen Mingzheng and feel absolutely nothing toward him. But He Chenguang—he had switched his child. That was unforgivable.

Nearly half a year had passed between He Chenguang’s detention and the sentencing. Today was his last day at the detention center; tomorrow he would be transferred to prison.

Before setting out, Tang Yiqing asked for Tang Siwen’s opinion—asking if he wanted to see He Chenguang one last time. After all, he had spent four years with He Chenguang. Any psychological knots should be untied by the boy himself, and Tang Yiqing didn’t want him to have any regrets.

Tang Siwen’s eyes were red. “Mommy… did Uncle He Chenguang… do something very wrong?”

Tang Yiqing nodded. “Do you want to see him?”

After thinking for a long time, Tang Siwen finally nodded. “I want to say a proper goodbye to him.”

Tang Yiqing brought the child with him. He didn’t let Tang Siwen go in with him immediately, fearing He Chenguang might say something extreme that would hurt the boy.

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