The male supporting character was actually myself.

Wen Menglong lost his parents at a young age and lived with his older sister Wen Mengjiao, who was three years older than him.

A few years ago, his older sister married her brother-in-law and then raised her younger brother until he came of age. Wen Menglong loved reading medical books and aspired to become a famous doctor so that he could heal the sick and save lives. Therefore, he did not have much ambition to pass the imperial examinations.

My brother-in-law is a constable in the Linzhou prefecture. He is a straightforward, generous, and unpretentious man, and he treats his brother-in-law very well.

Therefore, Wen Menglong is currently in the most carefree period of his life in the original story. He has just come of age, has dreams and no burdens. Even this trip was arranged by his sister Wen Mengjiao, who saw that he was working too hard studying medical books all day. She took advantage of the Qingming Festival to pay for his travel expenses so that he could go out and relax.

The carefree young Wen Menglong, in high spirits, disembarked and boarded Liuhua Island, excitedly following the crowd towards the winding valley filled with vibrant colors.

Jiang Chen stepped ashore from a secluded spot. The mermaid's ethereal beauty in the water transformed into a magnificent long robe, over which he wore a dark blue gauze overlay. A jade pendant in the shape of waves, of excellent quality, was tied around his waist. He held a paper fan, and his long, black hair was half-tied with a ribbon. With his handsome face, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes, he looked every bit the elegant young nobleman.

Along the way, many women who were out for a spring outing cast admiring glances at him.

"Host, I'm over here!" From the crowd not far away, the fluffy little dumpling bounced up and down to point the way to its host. "Hurry up and come over! Before the female lead notices him, let's strike first!"

The round, fluffy little white cat, like a velvet ball, bounced around, standing out among the crowds strolling and admiring the flowers.

Jiang Chen easily identified Wen Menglong, who was outstanding in appearance but dressed plainly.

Even a beautiful woman needs an excuse to strike up a conversation with a handsome man, such as accidentally bumping into him or dropping something for someone to pick up. Naturally, a handsome man also needs an opportunity to strike up a conversation with another handsome man.

With a furrowed brow, a mischievous idea suddenly came to him. He flicked his right fingertip and the valuable jade pendant at his waist disappeared, then reappeared at the edge of a flower field not far from Wen Menglong.

Amidst a riot of colorful wildflowers, a wave-shaped jade pendant adorned with bright red agate and light gold threads stands out.

The jade pendant was enchanted, so others couldn't see it. Only Wen Menglong spotted the valuable and exquisite jade pendant in the flower bushes at a glance and quickly picked it up to examine it closely.

The jade pendant felt soft and cool to the touch, clearly indicating it was not a cheap item.

"The owner must be very anxious about losing such a valuable item, right?" Upon seeing this, Wen Menglong, the good young man who returned the lost item, quickly looked up at the crowd of passersby, thinking to himself that the person who could wear such an item must be dressed in extraordinary clothes.

In addition, the jade pendant is so exquisite that it cannot be allowed to be claimed by anyone just by looking at its appearance!

"Who lost their jade pendant?" Thinking of this, he clutched the wave-shaped jade pendant in his hand, revealing the agate and light gold tassels, and asked loudly, "Has anyone lost their jade pendant?"

Passersby all looked down at their waists, and finding nothing missing, they slipped past.

"Ah, I was just looking for it! It's my jade pendant. Thank you, sir, please give it back to me!" A burly man, tempted by the sight of the exposed agate stone, which was of excellent quality and quite valuable, stepped forward with a smile and said, "It's mine!"

Wen Menglong looked him up and down in his coarse cloth robe, somewhat disbelieving, and asked, "May I ask what your lost jade pendant looks like? What is its color and material?"

Originally intending to bluff his way out and make some extra money, the other party paused for a moment and said vaguely, "What else could a jade pendant look like? It's... high-quality Hetian jade!"

"Could you please describe it more clearly, brother? What color and pattern?"

"Hey, young man, what do you mean by this?" Seeing that he was outnumbered and looked like a weak scholar, the other man stepped forward and said in a forceful tone, "You found something and don't want to return it, huh? Look at my empty waist, I was only wearing this jade pendant! Give it back to me now!"

Wen Menglong remained polite and waved his hand, saying, "Brother, please calm down. If it were something you lost, you could certainly describe it in more detail. People come and go on Liuhua Island, and what I find might not be the same piece you lost. To avoid mistaking it for its rightful owner, please describe the appearance of the jade pendant so I can determine if it is yours."

"I think you're planning to pocket it, aren't you?"

The burly man stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and threatened him menacingly, "Give it back to me now! Otherwise, I'll drag you to the authorities and have you charged with embezzling property!"

On a busy street, the two's antics quickly attracted a crowd.

Wen Menglong was practically lifted up by the other party, but he still tightly gripped the jade pendant and raised his hand high to argue, "Since you say you've lost your jade pendant, why don't you describe its specific shape, color, and texture? If you describe it correctly, it proves it's yours, and I will naturally return it to you!"

"Wow, this young man is really lucky! Look at that agate bead, it's bright, smooth, and of excellent quality. A jade pendant made with this kind of agate bead must be priceless!"

"The gold thread knot is so exquisite; it must belong to a wealthy family."

"Hmm, this burly man isn't dressed very well, so it's probably not his!"

"Don't judge a book by its cover. Maybe it's someone's family heirloom?"

"You can't even describe what your family heirloom looks like? You're so poor you're wearing coarse cloth clothes, yet you still dare to wear it when you're traveling?"

…………

The crowd mostly criticized the burly man for being unreasonable.

Enraged and greedy, the other party refused to give up and forcefully pulled the young man down, trying to pry open his right hand and snatch the jade pendant. Wen Menglong struggled and cried for help.

"Host, are you testing the male lead's character?" The little white cat asked curiously, perched on its host's shoulder. "Why put on such a show?"

Seeing the situation escalating, Jiang Chen nodded in satisfaction as Wen Menglong remained steadfast in his principles and refused to yield, replying softly, "The script only describes how handsome the male lead is, how he suffers and endures all sorts of hardships while falling in love, but it doesn't specifically describe his character."

I need to at least see if he's worth helping, and then find an opportunity to get to know him, so it doesn't seem abrupt.

"My host is indeed fair, just, and meticulous!" The fluffy dumpling spared no effort in praising him.

After watching for a while and seeing that Wen Menglong was at a disadvantage and no one in the crowd was helping him, Jiang Chen appeared, squeezed into the crowd, and shouted, "I lost the jade pendant. What kind of bandits are you trying to steal it from me?"

Chapter Five: A Dream of Yellow Millet

As Wen Menglong struggled, and seeing that he was no match for the other party and that his jade pendant was about to be forcibly taken away, he was filled with anxiety when he suddenly heard a rather magnetic voice. He hurriedly stood on tiptoe and shouted, "Excuse me, young master who lost your jade pendant, could you please describe what your lost jade pendant looked like and what color it was?"

"What I lost was a jade pendant carved from mutton-fat white jade in the shape of ocean waves. The character '晨' (chen, meaning morning) was engraved in the concave part of the churning waves, which is my name."

Jiang Chen answered unhurriedly, stepping forward and casually placing his left hand on the burly man's shoulder, patting him on the shoulder. "Brother, do you want to go to the yamen to confront and be interrogated in the main hall?"

The burly man felt a chill run down his spine, and in a daze, he released his grip, slowly turned around, glanced at the situation, and said with a forced smile, "I made a mistake. I'll go look for my lost jade pendant elsewhere..."

After saying that, he slunk away without looking back, still feeling terrified as he ran, as if that guy could take his life at any moment.

He's clearly a pretty boy, so why does he give off such a scary vibe?

Wen Menglong straightened his clothes before bowing to thank the other party for helping him out. He then loosened his tightly clenched hands, revealing a white jade pendant shaped like a wave. After carefully examining it, he confirmed that it was indeed engraved with the character "Chen" (晨). He happily presented it with both hands, saying, "Finally, it can be returned to its rightful owner. Please keep it."

"Thank you for your honesty and courage in returning the lost item to its rightful owner. My name is Jiang Chen. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"My name is Wen Menglong. Brother Jiang, you should take good care of such a valuable item."

Jiang Chen took the jade pendant, pointed to the torn seam on his clothes at the waist, and said with a light smile, "Look, it was originally tied here, but something snagged it and it came undone so I didn't even realize I'd lost the pendant. If I hadn't overheard Brother Wen arguing with the villain, I wouldn't have noticed."

The two handsome young men, who were of similar age and traveling alone, quickly struck up a conversation.

Wen Menglong saw that he was dressed in fine clothes and spoke with a free and easy manner, and was not a rich young man who thought he was superior to others, so he was willing to befriend him; Jiang Chen came for him and went with the flow, and soon they agreed to travel to Liuhua Island together because they were like-minded.

"Although it's great to go on a spring outing on Liuhua Island during the Qingming Festival, I've heard that the scenery here is at its best when the pomegranate flowers are in bloom!" Wen Menglong was delighted to meet a like-minded young man and explained as they walked towards the valley together, "That's where Liuhua Island got its name. It's said that the mountains and fields are covered with bright red pomegranate flowers at that time, making it a breathtaking sight!"

Do you see the Guanyin Temple on that mountaintop?

My sister said that burning incense there is the most effective way to pray for a child! Brother Jiang, are you married? Should we go and burn some incense to pray for a son?

Jiang Chen, holding a paper fan, followed beside him, squinting at him. He shook his head and smiled, "I am unmarried, so naturally I don't need to burn incense to pray for a child. Pomegranate Flower Island... Pomegranates have many seeds, I didn't know there was such a profound meaning behind it."

"Judging from Brother Jiang's demeanor and attire, his family background is definitely extraordinary. Why are you still unmarried at the age of 18?"

The little white cat twitched its lips and muttered softly, "I didn't realize this guy was so gossipy! Host, so far Wen Menglong seems to be honest and kind, not the kind of stupid good-natured person. How do you plan to save him?"

"Our script hasn't been updated and there's nothing unusual, so he's probably still in the female lead's clutches and will be found sooner or later!"

"I am destined to marry late, and since I haven't met the right person yet, I can't just marry anyone." Jiang Chen then changed the subject and asked, "Brother Wen, have you found someone you like?"

Wen Menglong blushed and waved his hand, laughing, "I haven't met a suitable girl either. That's why my sister kept telling me to go to the Matchmaker Temple in the Western Hills to burn incense and pray for a match made in heaven. Since Brother Jiang is also single, why don't we go together?"

“West Mountain is a bit far, and it’s already past noon, so we probably won’t make it. We should find an inn to stay in first and go burn incense early tomorrow morning.” Jiang Chen pointed to the bustling village halfway up the mountain in the distance and said, “There are a lot of tourists going on spring outings. If we don’t book an inn first, we’re afraid there won’t be any rooms available if we go too late.”

"Brother Jiang is absolutely right!" Wen Menglong, belatedly realizing the truth, suddenly understood and hurriedly followed the other party up the mountainside to book an inn before deciding where to go for fun.

He was, after all, a bookish man who lacked physical exercise, and by the time he reached the halfway point up the mountain, he was already panting heavily. Jiang Chen could only walk and stop occasionally while waiting for him. Fortunately, there weren't too many people seeking lodging, and they quickly booked a room at an inn, then sat on the second floor to drink tea and rest.

"Since Brother Wen's purpose in coming here is to seek a marriage partner, and we are destined to meet, how about I use my family's secret technique to calculate your marriage prospects?" After a cup of hot tea, Jiang Chen began to set a trap for the other party.

These days, talk of ghosts and gods is rampant, and many experts don't shy away from it. People with magical powers often appear in the streets, so it's normal for a new friend to know some witchcraft. Wen Menglong didn't suspect anything and readily agreed.

"This technique is called 'A Dream of Yellow Millet.' Drinking this tea will allow you to glimpse a bit of the future." Jiang Chen reached out and drew a rune above the other person's teacup, then made a gesture of invitation.

Wen Menglong picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Clang!" He had barely put down his teacup when, under the opponent's magical control, he collapsed onto the table and fell fast asleep.

The little white cat was startled, its fur standing on end as it meowed, "Host, what did you do to him?"

"I used a little magic to let him see the original plot in advance. Maybe Wen Menglong has masochistic tendencies and is willing to suffer all kinds of hardships for the sake of a beauty? We can't make decisions for him casually, it's better to let him choose for himself."

Jiang Chen leisurely sipped his tea, gazing out from the second floor at the beautiful mountain scenery.

"Am I... dreaming?" At the same time, Wen Menglong had entered a dream world shrouded in mist. For the first time in his life, he clearly knew that he was dreaming, and this feeling was a bit strange.

Then he saw two graceful mermaids float ashore from the sea and transform into two beautiful girls. The one in the lead looked around curiously as if searching for something, while the other became a maidservant and followed beside her.

Before long, Wen Menglong saw himself!

The mermaid, in her true form, deliberately tossed an earring at her feet, then pretended to search for it. Soon, "she" herself presented the earring, and the other person expressed gratitude and turned to leave...

The scene then shifts, and he finds himself on a small boat, preparing to return to Linzhou Prefecture, when he sees two mermaids, disguised as women, performing magic to create waves and light rain. They then pretend to be soaked and call for a boatman, to which he agrees to give them a ride...

Two women stole government silver and used their magic to transform a dilapidated courtyard into a magnificent mansion. On the day of their wedding, she was implicated in the theft of government silver and subjected to torture. Only with the help of her sister and brother-in-law was she spared from being exiled to a border region...

A moment later, Wen Menglong woke up from his dream, drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

"Brother Jiang! My dream just now was terrifying!" He patted his chest, as if he could still feel the pain of the chains piercing his collarbone, and tried to steady his trembling voice as he asked, "Are there really mermaid demons in this world? I have no grudge against them, why would they harm me to this extent?"

I'm just an ordinary person. My biggest dream is to marry a virtuous, gentle, and beautiful woman, start a family, and not have to be a burden on my sister and brother-in-law's family anymore.

Then, study medical books diligently to learn medical skills, become a renowned doctor to heal the sick and save lives, have a warm home and lovely children—can't such a simple dream be realized? Why must your family be destroyed and your life ruined by two thieving monsters?

My sister and brother-in-law have already raised me with great difficulty; how could I have the face to burden them with my child for another decade? If I were truly forced into an unjust and immoral situation as depicted in my dream, I would rather not marry any celestial beauty!

Chapter Six: Save the Children

Jiang Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Wen Menglong was a reasonable and sensible person, not a hopeless lecher who would be blinded by lust at the sight of a beautiful woman and only think about eloping with her.

"Forgive my bluntness, but this is a calamity in your destiny." He sighed, feigning a worried expression, and shook his head. "To be honest, before this dream of wealth and power began, I never imagined that Brother Wen would be so tragically afflicted by a spirit. However..."

The terrifying dream was still vivid in Wen Menglong's mind, and he was filled with lingering fear. When he heard Jiang change the subject, he hurriedly asked, "Brother Jiang, since you know the art of cursing, can you help me get rid of it? In the dream, the 'I' was unaware that I was being deceived by the beauty of the demons. In the end, two demons caused a flood that drowned countless people. The death toll was too tragic!"

Even after death, they didn't let me go, turning me into a small fish and causing natural disasters that killed so many people. It seems a god-like figure sacrificed themselves to save all living beings, while 'I' remained oblivious and even reconciled with that demon. It's terrifying to think about!

"Since Brother Wen is unwilling to be cursed by demons, why not try entering his dream again?" Jiang Chen poured him another cup of hot tea, drew a talisman on the top of the cup, and the other man picked it up, drank it down, and continued to sleep on the table.

The little white cat curiously rubbed his head and whispered, "Host, what kind of dream did you create for him this time?"

“In the last dream, I used my magic to briefly go through the original plot for him. This time, I’m helping him build a completely new life. If he doesn’t like it, I can change it again. There’s bound to be one that he’ll be satisfied with.”

"Meow~ My host has worked so hard, this is truly... the mermaid taking revenge, and the sea god helping to repay a debt of gratitude!"

"The biggest mistake the female lead, Lian Yunshang, made was that she simply imposed her own ideas on others. When she saw that someone was handsome and fell in love with him, she wanted to repay his kindness by offering herself to him, creating all sorts of coincidences to make him unable to resist her beauty."

From beginning to end, she never asked whether what she did was what the other person needed or wanted.

It was all just for his own show-off. He didn't even ask Wen Menglong's soul if he wanted to be resurrected in this mutually destructive way.