Pretending To Be A Boss

She would not express these tumultuous feelings, as people at the age of seventeen or eighteen are inherently sentimental, and no one at home would understand anyway.

As for Tang Xian? He probably wouldn't understand either, would he?

When Tang Xian was eighteen, he was misunderstood by everyone in the school district, but no one ever saw him protest much.

He just reacted indifferently.

"Oh, so none of you believe me? Fine, I can't be bothered to explain."

And so, he became branded as a cheater.

What does he even care about? I always feel that my relationship with Tang Xian is very distant. Is it because my personality is too eccentric?

Li Xiaoyu was lost in thought for a long time before she noticed Li Zheng had followed her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm familiar with this place. If you're out for a stroll, I can be your guide."

"No need."

Li Zheng, noticing her mood, said, "Why do you seem a bit upset?"

Li Xiaoyu didn't speak, just trudged on in silence, while Li Zheng followed behind.

After walking past a street known for luxury goods, it was clear that shopping was not on her mind as her gaze occasionally fell on the men and women on the street rather than the expensive items in the shop windows.

It was a tricky situation. Having watched Li Xiaoyu grow up and being a bystander, Li Zheng was of course aware of his sister's troubles and worries. But this was not something he could help her with.

He sighed and said,

"Yu, from a very young age, we understood that everything in life is a transaction. When we treat others as commodities, we must also be prepared to see ourselves as commodities."

Li Xiaoyu didn't turn her head or stop walking, maintaining a steady pace.

"Tang Xian is a good guy, really quite good. If it's about being smart, then you're smarter. That eye for talent… I had my doubts about him, but having seen him today, he's indeed someone worth the Li family's support. But in the future, he may become a good friend to us, and that's about it."

Li Xiaoyu still didn't speak.

"However, although I have a good impression of Tang Xian, I still think Song Que is a touch more outstanding. That guy is truly a prodigy, and he could help you more. Okay, this sounds a bit crass, it's more that he could help the Li family more."

"A seven-tiered fortress; our alliance with the Song Family means both sides have a solid foundation. As we move towards the eighth tier, we will always be one step ahead. The contribution of the eighth tier to the progress of human society is evident from the previous levels, so sister, of course I want our lives to include both love and a broader world. But..."

"Annoying, I get it, I'm not thinking of calling off this marriage."

Li Xiaoyu finally spoke.

"Hey, that's good, that's good. Rest assured, if that Song Family kid treats you badly, even at the cost of humanity's interests, I'll help you get even."

Li Xiaoyu said coldly,

"You think you've given Tang Xian enough attention, but you still haven't."

Li Zheng didn't argue, saying,

"Then I need to get to know him better, slowly; let's not rush this. But you need to get over your feelings for him. He's not blind; I don't believe he hasn't noticed your feelings."

Li Xiaoyu flinched.

She stopped walking and turned to look at Li Zheng.

Li Zheng said,

"There's no man in this world who is not kind to women. Not a single one."

Li Xiaoyu understood the meaning of the words. She tried to remain composed, but her complexion was still somewhat pale.

In a world where no man is unkind to women, if a man is not gentle, it's simply because she's not the right person.

Li Xiaoyu remembered what Dong Ran had reported to her.

The first time she met Tang Xian, he mentioned that he had someone he was interested in.

It seemed like a perfunctory remark, but Li Xiaoyu knew Tang Xian wasn't that kind of person.

He mostly spoke the blunt truth.

Li Xiaoyu had checked all of Tang Xian's classmates over the last six school years, and the strangeness was right there.

The person was as if she never existed. Li Xiaoyu had checked those who had transferred schools, suffered accidents, or dropped out midway, and found no girl that matched Tang Xian's description.

After a long walk, Li Zheng looked on with a hint of pain. Li Xiaoyu, with her back to Li Zheng, was actually beginning to regain her composure.

There is nothing irreplaceable in this world. With this thought, Li Xiaoyu suddenly felt more confident.

She said,

"There are still four months left. I hope that our Li family can continue to act according to our own way of thinking."

Li Zheng was taken aback, the Li family's way of thinking?

"Always put the interests of all humanity first?"

"Yes."

Li Zheng didn't understand the logic between the two, since it was precisely this way of thinking that required Li Xiaoyu to marry into the Song Family.

"I'm going back," said Li Xiaoyu as she turned and headed back.

Li Zheng knew his sister was stubborn. Once she decided on something, she rarely changed her mind. She had done quite a few laughable and lamentable things for Tang Xian's sake.

Only now he couldn't figure out what his sister was planning.

...

...

The next day, after a peaceful night's sleep, Tang Xian felt refreshed.

In ancient times, a thousand years ago, there were many who ate meat buns and fried dough sticks for breakfast along with other staple foods. These were ingredients he couldn't get at the thirty-ninth fortress.

Fiddling with food is an interesting affair, and Tang Xian delighted in it.

Li Xiaoyu and Li Zheng stayed in a hotel instead of Bu Jing's house, but Li Xiaoyu came over early in the morning.

As she watched Tang Xian busily preparing food, a calm joy appeared on her face, and she suddenly realized that this man wasn't hard to understand after all.

He is just someone who loves to eat and is willing to spend time on it.

Life needs to be managed. Who to know, who to like, who to get close to, and who to support, all are worth calculating.