The shift from resenting Su Shang for not liking him to being grateful for it sometimes took only a few seconds.
The others showed no reaction whatsoever, since none of them were Su Shang’s boyfriend or fiancé.
Li Qingshu, however, felt a twinge of guilt. After all, the marriage alliance with the Shen Family had been her idea back in the day.
“I’m Su Shang’s mom at the very least—I provided all the financial and material support for him to grow up,” she pep-talked herself in her mind.
She wasn’t even dreaming of getting fair mother-in-law treatment from Su Shang’s boyfriend. As long as he didn’t come after her, she’d count her blessings!
After that, Luo Shang stopped chatting with the System about those horrifying matters—at least, horrifying from their perspective. Instead, he eagerly tuned in as the System dished out the juicy scandals on the elite families surrounding them.
[Take a look at the one up front, the woman in the fishtail dress talking to your mom,] the System said.
Luo Shang’s gaze shifted accordingly. [Oh, yeah, I see her. She looks kinda familiar—hey, that’s Aunt Li.]
Li Qingshu: ??
The woman chatting with her was Li Fubo, her best friend since childhood. Had something happened with her?
[Her husband was keeping five mistresses behind her back—men and women alike,] the System revealed.
[Ohhh!]
Gossiping about someone he actually knew really fired Luo Shang up. [Man, that’s pretty sad for her.]
Li Qingshu stared at her best friend’s dopey, round face across from her, fury rising in her chest. Unlike Li Qingshu, who had forged a path as a cutthroat businesswoman, her friend had opted for the full-time housewife life after marriage.
And this was how she got treated? Her husband was utterly shameless!
How should I tip her off later… Thank goodness for my son, or Li Fubo would still be totally in the dark, Li Qingshu thought with a sigh.
Once I’ve done her this solid, I’ll have her send Su Shang a lavish gift—call it a present for the kid.
[Actually, no. She’s not the pitiful one,] the System went on.
Li Qingshu: ?
What the hell was this ghost System babbling about? How was her best friend not pitiful?
[Her husband has no clue that all those mistresses are her slaves. Every single one of their hookups was orchestrated by her.]
Li Qingshu: Huh???? What????
[Truth is, she gets around way more than he does. But as a stay-at-home wife, she can’t match his wallet, so they worked out a deal: he foots the bill for “his” mistresses. She knew he was the cheating type anyway—even without her setups, he’d stray sooner or later. Might as well hand him her own people. Clean, safe, no risks.]
[Plus, he’s only got one body. He can only visit one slave at a time. While he’s off with her, the rest get together for their own fun. Sacrifice one to keep the others safe and satisfied. And since he never sticks to just one on his rounds, they rotate who takes the hit.]
[Once he’s old and washed up, can’t make money anymore, she’ll blow the lid off. She knew about the affairs all along and will use them as leverage. Then she and her slaves split his fortune and live it up.]
Luo Shang: [Whoa, Aunt Li’s a real player! You can’t judge a book by its cover!]
[Exactly. But wait, there’s more…] the System said.
Li Qingshu: ……
Li Qingshu’s face had gone completely slack, numb with shock.
She couldn’t even bring herself to look at her best friend’s cheerful round cheeks anymore. It was too much.
She’d always pictured her friend as this outdated housewife, blissfully ignorant, hoodwinked by her sleazy husband until the mistresses finally showed up to rub it in her face.
Never in a million years did she imagine her friend was the puppet master pulling all the strings.
Not a single hint of it in all these years. Li Qingshu hadn’t suspected a thing!
Suddenly, she doubted her own people-reading skills.
She let Li Fubo pat her hand and snap her out of it.
[Oh, and get this: your mom’s bestie has been crushing on her hard. She’s always had a thing for powerhouse women like your mom. Hits just the right spot for her,] the System added.
[Damn, that’s some spicy stuff,] Luo Shang said with a whistle.
The gossip itself was tame—he’d witnessed far wilder tales in the Reincarnation Space.
What made it electric was that it involved his mom, Li Qingshu!
Li Qingshu yanked her hand free from Li Fubo’s grasp, flashed a brittle smile, edged away, and mumbled that she wasn’t feeling well and needed a break.
Su Tiancheng, who had been glued to his phone until then, pocketed it in a flash. He strode over, playing the role of social buffer for Li Qingshu—though really, he was just wedging himself between the two women.
He had to defend his wife’s innocence. Hadn’t he heard that woman was quite the player? His wife might be shrewd in business, but when it came to romance, she was still very pure! They’d been best friends for so many years—what if that woman actually succeeded? That was his wife, after all!
To think Aunt Li was that kind of person… Su Bingyao truly had no place commenting on a senior’s love life, but he couldn’t help putting some distance between himself and that direction.
Shen Changqing could only think how fortunate it was that his family had no ties to this pervert.
Right then, Luo Shang’s voice rang out again.
[Why is Mom sticking her nose in again? Is she unwell? There was never anything like this before. Wasn’t she full of energy just earlier, hopping on a plane to jet off and close some business deal?]
[Or maybe she was terrified of you. For any normal plane, that would’ve been a 99% crash-and-burn scenario,] the system shot back.
If anything, in its eyes, Li Qingshu still standing there chatting with others after that near-death ordeal made her a true heroine!
Li Qingshu wasn’t like those twisted companions of yours in the Reincarnation Space—one second clawing their way back from the brink of death, the next charging ahead at the next mission without missing a beat…
[Fair point, but without her making the introduction, I can’t count on Dad. He’s got some social anxiety, and he’s no silver-tongued devil,] Luo Shang mused.
[Most importantly, in the original plot, it wasn’t Dad who made the intro—it was Mom. If she’s trying to bow out now, then I’ll have to…]
Before Luo Shang could come up with a plan, Li Qingshu caved in fast.
“…No, actually, I’ll be fine after a short rest. It’s really not a big deal,” she said, her voice weak but resolute.
“Today is Su Mingyao’s big day. I can’t miss this banquet—I’ve been preparing for it for ages.”
I really won’t miss it, so please just let me off the hook!
Li Qingshu wanted no part of whatever “solution” Luo Shang might dream up next—they were bound to be unhinged. Better for her to play it smart and bow out gracefully on her own terms, sparing herself further agony.
The mere thought of that airborne catastrophe still sent chills down her spine.
She’d made the excuse for Su Mingyao’s sake, but in truth, she was only holding on for Su Shang.
Everyone in the know bowed their heads silently, studiously avoiding Li Qingshu’s direction.
“You really need to take better care of yourself. Those endless business trips are already too much, and Old Su…” Li Fubo said with heartfelt concern.
Thanks a lot—if only you’d keep your distance… Li Qingshu still eyed her longtime best friend with lingering dread, wondering how she’d never truly seen her before after all these years.
“It’s on me. I’ll keep a closer eye on her from now on,” Su Tiancheng said, stepping forward to shield Li Qingshu from Li Fubo’s view.
[Fine, it’s no biggie. Let’s keep going, System.]
With Li Qingshu hanging in there, Luo Shang promptly ordered the system to resume the gossip feed.
Can’t we just stop…? the others thought to themselves.
They’d only wanted a glimpse of what these people were like on the surface—not their dirty little secrets. It was seriously messing with their perceptions.
Su Tiancheng felt mortified. He’d been forced to eavesdrop on the messy web of love and grudges his long-dead father had woven in his pursuit of Su Tiancheng’s mom back in the day.
Shen Changqing wanted no more of it. He’d picked up on some unwanted sparks flying between his cousin and his younger cousin back home.
Su Bingyao tried putting himself in their shoes and decided he wouldn’t want to learn that his buddy of over a decade secretly got off on being an M—calling others “Master” and boasting the stamina to service five guys at once.
Su Mingyao wanted it even less. Someone who’d chased him in his last life, only to end up as a close friend, had actually gone to Thailand for a full sex change years back. A few years ago, that person had been a woman.
Only Luo Shang was getting pure delight out of the dirt, declaring,
[System, I gotta say, you’re only pulling your weight in moments like this.]
He’d always despised these self-aware, motor-mouthed systems. Give him a dumb one that just spat out quests and stats, no opinions or chattiness required.
[My real job is easing players’ mental strain across all those spaces—keeping you lot from going off the deep end into full psycho territory,] the system explained.
It served as a sounding board for players without friends, statistically slashing the odds of a meltdown. Sure, veterans like Luo Shang with solid Reincarnation Space connections didn’t need it, but it was standard issue for all players. It wasn’t out here volunteering…
[That’s it? Just snag a psychic buddy—plenty of mind powers floating around in the Reincarnation Space,] Luo Shang replied. [Heck, a brainless system could handle all your other features. Shame I haven’t managed to wipe your personality yet.]
“That’s bound to your player qualifications—so you finally admit the previous system was driven off by your tormenting, huh?” the System said.
“No,” Luo Shang replied. “I told you, I’ve never succeeded. Anyway, I now acknowledge that you’re somewhat useful.”
The System, you’re too useful! Everyone except Luo Shang thought so.
