Pretending To Be A Boss

The real melodrama was yet to come.

Qi Yuan thought she had fixed the couple's underlying problems, made their bodies healthy, and with a child, they would live even happier lives.

Even if she didn't like this kind of preferential treatment in her heart, it wasn't something she couldn't accept.

But human behavior... it's really strange.

The adoptive father had another woman outside, coming home very late every night.

Qi Yuan was the first to notice, as the dialogue between the man and woman exposed everything on the panel's data, current candor levels, and the current needs analysis.

Later, when the man wasn't paying attention, Qi Yuan followed him to the place where he kept his secret lover.

She was a woman ten years younger than the adoptive mother, not particularly beautiful, but youthful.

Even from afar, Qi Yuan could easily capture the sickeningly sweet and vulgar love talk between the adoptive father and the woman.

If these words were told to the adoptive mother, she would most likely scold the adoptive father for being an unscrupulous old man, yet still be pleased.

No one stays young forever.

That's why sentiment becomes particularly significant.

Sometimes Qi Yuan wondered if men became less patient with age.

Because the adoptive father held a decent position in society and was quite wealthy, his attitude toward the young woman was straightforward. Apart from the secrecy of their meeting locations, the adoptive father's attitude seemed to be about quick satisfaction.

Qi Yuan was sure that when the adoptive parents were young, their courtship wasn't like this.

So this isn't love, it's just lust.

Qi Yuan didn't expose the adoptive father.

She only thought of many things from the Pyramid Era.

Back then, people at the bottom also treated themselves as commodities.

The beginning of Tang Xian's adventure was a girl treating herself as a commodity, delivering herself for a group event.

So humanity... if given a depraved environment, they would likely indulge in depravity more than anyone else.

Thinking of Song Que, it became even harder for Qi Yuan to understand.

People like Song Que are rare among thousands.

But people like the adoptive father? They're a majority among thousands.

They just lack a chance for depravity.

Just like Tang Xian's former friend Luo.

If there were truly a multiple-choice question in this world, and if reputation and moral values really meant something.

Then exchanging reputation and moral values for wealth would be worth it for almost everyone, wouldn't it? As long as the price was high enough, right?

In fact, hasn't human society always been like this?

In youth, earning dignity with money; when money is enough, buying dignity with money.

The difference is some manage to buy it back, others don't.

...

...

The affair was eventually exposed.

Half a year later, one night, Qi Yuan heard the adoptive mother scream hysterically.

What does it feel like for an observer to watch a family ethical drama?

If it were Qi Yuan, she would probably feel nothing, merely analyzing everything as data.

But Qi Yuan was different, when she heard the adoptive parents arguing about divorce, she felt inexplicably sad.

Although the baby who hadn't weaned yet had taken away some of the love that should have been hers, deep down, Qi Yuan still wanted this family to be well.

That night, Qi Yuan heard the adoptive parents having a huge fight, but the next day, they made up as if nothing had happened.

At least they appeared this way in front of Qi Yuan and the baby.

Qi Yuan knew the truth, the adoptive father promised never to cheat again and to cut all ties with the woman.

After much persuasion, the adoptive mother agreed to continue living together.

After all... with a nursing infant, who would want them if they got divorced?

Both had their own concerns, and out of a sense of responsibility, it seemed this broken family was pieced back together.

Just, towards Qi Yuan, their attitude became more indifferent.

Qi Yuan felt she probably wouldn't stay long, and soon, she would have to leave this place.

Leave behind the adoptive parents who no longer loved her, at least on the surface.

But the true cause of the event was that the adoptive father cheated again.

This time, the adoptive mother finally realized that humans rarely fear committing crimes, they only fear being caught.

It's like people knowing full well that if you walk by the river often, your shoes will get wet, knowing that those who drown are those who can swim... yet people still have confidence in their own abilities and luck.

In the end, Qi Yuan left this household and didn't stay to watch from the gallery as the couple went through their melodramatic lawsuit.

...

...

In the following days, Qi Yuan stayed with Li Xiaoyu.

Li Xiaoyu cared for Qi Yuan's daily life while also raising two children.

"Do you and Tang Xian quarrel?"

"Do you prefer Tang Jian or Tang Nianyu?"

"You know Tang Xian won't age, at least very slowly; aren't you worried that one day... you'll grow old and unattractive while he remains the same?"

"Your character is clearly strong, so why are you so submissive in front of Tang Xian?"

"Can I continue to stay here?"

Qi Yuan had many questions, some that Li Xiaoyu couldn't answer; sometimes Li Xiaoyu was left somewhat speechless by Qi Yuan's inquiries.

Like the topic of Tang Xian aging slowly while she was just an ordinary person.

When asked, there's a hint of fear inside.

But Li Xiaoyu was no longer the Li Xiaoyu she used to be; she could very straightforwardly perceive one thing—