Chapter 129 (Extra 5): Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

“Ring, ring, ring.”

Yan Tong groggily heard the sound of an unfamiliar alarm clock ringing near his ear.

Though his body was still drowsy, his instincts kicked in, and he immediately opened his eyes, sat up straight, and swiftly got out of bed to dress—his actions smooth and mechanical, like a well-trained robot.

Yan Tong didn’t actually want to get up at the sound of an alarm. He wanted to laze in bed like most people, enjoy a little extra sleep, and only start his day once he was fully energized.

But he couldn’t afford that luxury.

If he slept in, he wouldn’t be able to complete today’s tasks. Failing to meet expectations would anger his mother, and her anger always came with severe consequences.

His sixteen years of life had been both tragic and fortunate.

No matter how others viewed him, Yan Tong believed this to be true.

It was tragic because he was an illegitimate child. His mother had placed all her hopes of marrying into a wealthy family on him.

From a young age, his mother constantly reminded him that they should be living a life of luxury, that she and his father were destined to be together but were torn apart by meddling outsiders. She claimed that as long as he became exceptional, his father would overcome all obstacles to bring them back into his family to enjoy a prosperous life.

And so, he had to work hard—very hard.

His mother saved every penny to invest in his education, enrolling him in every possible class, from etiquette and academics to various extracurricular activities. His childhood was nothing like that of ordinary children. He never played freely, even during holidays or festivals, spending every moment studying instead.

The immense pressure of studying weighed heavily on him, while his mother’s constant complaints added to the burden.

He often wanted to tell her that no matter how outstanding he became, his father, whom he had never even met, likely wouldn’t care about them at all. If his father truly loved his mother, he wouldn’t have ignored them for over a decade.

Being brought back into the family? That was nothing more than his mother’s fantasy.

In the end, however, he kept quiet. His mother had become obsessed, and no amount of reasoning would reach her.

All he could do was obey her temporarily, mechanically completing the tasks she assigned him, waiting until adulthood to take control of his own life.

Such a life was undeniably tragic.

And yet, he was also fortunate.

Compared to children who were abandoned or never even had the chance to be born, at least he had his mother.

Though she was strict and somewhat unhinged, she occasionally showed him warmth, raising him to be healthy and strong. Moreover, he had many kind friends and classmates, and life wasn’t entirely devoid of happiness. Many people had it worse than he did.

Since he was in this world, why not face it with optimism? Life was full of hardships, but complaining would only make things worse.

Whenever he felt unhappy, Yan Tong consoled himself with such thoughts.

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This morning, as usual, Yan Tong woke to the alarm and groggily reached for his clothes to get up.

But when his hand met empty air instead of the neatly prepared clothes he was used to, he immediately felt something was off.

Something wasn’t right.

The alarm tone wasn’t the one he normally used.

And his hand hadn’t touched the clothes he’d laid out the night before.

This…

A sudden clarity hit him as he opened his eyes wide and was startled.

This wasn’t his room!

The unfamiliar surroundings were clearly a single-person apartment. Judging by the furnishings, it seemed like the home of a young office worker. The vivid textures and realistic sights assured him he wasn’t dreaming.

Looking down at the unfamiliar pajamas on his body and his taller, more mature physique, Yan Tong had a sinking realization.

He quickly picked up the phone on the bedside table and brought it to his face.

Sure enough, the reflection on the black screen showed a completely unfamiliar face!

Though he rarely had time for entertainment, he was familiar with terms like “transmigration” and “rebirth” from the internet. Everything about his current situation pointed to one undeniable fact: he had transmigrated.

“What is going on…?”

Yan Tong couldn’t believe it.

Could transmigration really exist? And had it happened to him? He hadn’t done anything unusual—how had he triggered such an event?

His mind was a muddle. He sat on the bed in a daze for a long time before calming himself and beginning to assess the situation.

He examined the room and the phone for clues. Unlike in novels, he didn’t receive the original owner’s memories, so his first priority was to figure out the identity of the body he now inhabited.

Fortunately, the phone was fingerprint-unlocked, allowing him to access it without much trouble. He started piecing together the owner’s identity through text messages, chat records, and memos, and he roughly pieced together the identity and situation of his current body.

The original owner of this body had a name that sounded almost identical to his own, also called Yan Tong.

This Yan Tong was five years older than him, currently 21 years old, and had just started working. He was interning as an art designer at a well-established company.

Thanks to his mother’s rigorous training in art, Yan Tong had a solid foundation in the field. As long as he carefully adapted to the role, he felt confident he could handle the job for now.

Apart from that, the body’s personal life was relatively straightforward.

The original Yan Tong was an orphan with a simple background. He was introverted and somewhat reclusive, with a plain appearance and very few friends.

A simple, clean background, few connections, just starting a job, and working in a field he was already familiar with…

After reviewing the situation, Yan Tong let out a sigh of relief. This identity was manageable.

What’s more, the information he discovered suggested something remarkable:

From the reading history on a novel app in the original owner’s phone, he realized that his previous world seemed to exist here as a novel titled “My Ancestors Left Me a Golden Finger.”

Not only did the novel mention his name, but it also included his mother’s name, along with many familiar cities and landmarks.

Through the book’s plot, Yan Tong learned who his mother had always referred to as his father. He also discovered that he wasn’t actually his mother’s biological child but was adopted as a tool for her schemes to win favor and marry into a wealthy family.

Even more shocking, the legitimate “young master” his mother constantly cursed for taking everything from them actually had an even harder life than he did.

Fortunately, according to the novel, Yan Tong didn’t cooperate with his mother’s schemes. After coming of age, he left her and avoided the devious disputes of the wealthy families.

In the story, he was just a minor background character, mentioned only briefly.

Although he now realized he had been merely a fictional character, Yan Tong didn’t feel angry or frustrated. Instead, he felt a sense of relief. No matter how his earlier life had played out in the book, he now had freedom.

He had a brand-new life.

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Naturally optimistic, Yan Tong adapted quickly to his sudden transmigration and new identity, though the work took a bit more effort.

Luckily, his solid art foundation helped him through the challenges. After three months of trial and error, long nights of studying, and the relatively light workload of an intern, he eventually became proficient.

To avoid future slip-ups, Yan Tong even enrolled in a night school for art design. He genuinely enjoyed the work and wanted to excel at it.

Still, a change of soul inevitably brought subtle differences.

Though his appearance hadn’t changed, a person’s temperament greatly influenced how they looked.

Before transmigrating, his mother had raised him to meet the standards of a wealthy young master. This upbringing imbued him with an innate grace that distinguished him from ordinary people. Such qualities, deeply rooted in his soul, were hard to conceal.

Even though Yan Tong tried to blend in, those around him began noticing the subtle transformation.

Instead of suspecting anything unusual, they assumed he had undergone training in etiquette or posture, which explained the significant change in his demeanor.

His ordinary facial features, complemented by his refined aura, made him appear much more attractive.

Moreover, Yan Tong’s kind and cheerful personality quickly won people over. By the time his internship ended and he became a full-time employee, he was one of the most well-liked members of the company.

Yan Tong was thoroughly content with this new chapter of his life.

He still spent much of his time working and studying, but it felt completely different from the pressure his mother used to impose.

Now, he was pursuing what he genuinely loved, making each day fulfilling and joyful.

But not everything was perfect.

Today, something particularly troublesome happened.

“Sir, thank you for your concern, but I’m really not injured. There’s no need to go to the hospital for a check-up. You didn’t actually hit me—when I dodged, I just fell and got a minor scrape…”

Yan Tong spoke helplessly, looking at the tall man in front of him who insisted on taking him to the hospital. He was almost out of words.

Earlier, the man’s car had nearly hit him while turning a corner due to a blind spot. Fortunately, the car wasn’t moving fast, and Yan Tong had reacted quickly, avoiding the vehicle. He had only stumbled and scraped his skin lightly—nothing serious enough to warrant a hospital visit.

But the car’s owner, overzealous in his sense of responsibility, was blocking his path, adamant about taking him for a check-up.

“Sir, I’m really fine. I still need to get to work. There’s no need to go to the hospital,” Yan Tong emphasized again, exasperated.

Yet the tall and handsome man in front of him refused to back down, his stubbornness bordering on the absurd.

“No. We’re going to the hospital. I’ll help you call in and request leave.”

The man kept a stern expression, his tone formal and businesslike. While being responsible was commendable, he just wouldn’t listen to reason!

Yan Tong was at his wit’s end, completely baffled. “You’re going to help me request leave?”

Did this man know him? Or was he a colleague from the company he hadn’t met before?

“Mm,” the man nodded. “I’m a partner of your company. Your department head has liaised with me before, and I have his number.”

With an air of authority, the man continued in a firm tone, “I hit you, so I must take responsibility. Some injuries aren’t visible on the surface. You need to go to the hospital for a check-up.”

After saying this, he didn’t argue further. Instead, he reached out, scooped Yan Tong up in his arms, and swiftly placed him in the back seat, leaving no room for protest.

And he carried him in a princess carry.

Yan Tong: …

Was there something inherently wrong with this gesture?

The man, calm and composed, reiterated, “Don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility.”

Yan Tong: …

Was there something off about his choice of words?

The situation was starting to feel a bit… strange.

Could this be…

One of those cliché “fake accidents to woo someone” situations he had read about in stories?

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Sandy: it’s finally really over. This has been the most difficult novel for me to translate so far. I wanted to drop it so much but continued due to many readers requesting it. Thank you all for reading.