CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47 THE BOOTLICKER NEVER RETURNS

As he watched the atmosphere in the livestream right itself, those with ulterior motives could only grit their teeth at Xia Liang in frustration.

Seeing that Zhang Peng was still on the line but had fallen silent, Xia Liang took a sip of water before finally asking, "So, did you understand, Brother Zhang Peng?"

Hearing Xia Liang’s question, the now-named Zhang Peng snapped back to his senses, though he was still hesitant. "I understood, but what should I do?"

[Break up!]

[Break up! Why would you keep a woman like that?]

[Exactly, break up! Are you going to stick around until she cheats on you?]

[A woman like that isn’t worth it! If you need a girlfriend, I’m single! Get with me! I promise I’ll never ask you for bubble tea!]

Zhang Peng clearly saw these bullet comments, but his heart was still a tangled mess. Xia Liang, naturally seeing that he couldn’t let go, sighed helplessly.

"Sigh..."

At that moment, the conflicted Zhang Peng seemed to grasp a lifeline. "Anchor, what do you think I should do?"

"Huh? Me?" Xia Liang chuckled.

"Yes! I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll listen to you," Zhang Peng said, his voice full of urgency.

Hearing his earnest tone, Xia Liang fell silent for a long moment before he spoke again. "I can only offer a suggestion. Putting today aside, think about whether she’s ever done anything like this before. Love has to be mutual. You can’t move some people with what you call a ’sincere heart’. Only you know if a pair of shoes fits. If they hurt, don’t force yourself to wear them. Just find a new pair that’s suitable."

After he spoke, Xia Liang said no more, knowing Zhang Peng needed time to think. A long while later, Zhang Peng murmured as if to himself, "I understand now. This isn’t the love I want. I get it."

As he spoke, memories of his time with his girlfriend flooded his mind.

Even though they were dating, she had never once featured him on her Moments. His, on the other hand, were filled with pictures of her. He had even asked her why she never posted about him, but her excuse was that her family didn’t allow her to date.

He did everything to make her happy. Whenever they argued, regardless of who was right or wrong, he was always the one to apologize. He had so carefully maintained their relationship.

"Thank you, Anchor. Thank you. I’ve decided to break up."

Xia Liang let out a sigh of relief. "As long as you’ve thought it through. In that case, let me be the first to wish you a happy breakup."

With Zhang Peng’s decision, the entire livestream erupted in joy once more.

[He finally decided! I thought he was going to cave!]

[This is so satisfying! Wishing Brother Zhang Peng a happy breakup!]

[That’s right! Bro, I’m from Magic Capital too. After you break up, I’ll have my girlfriend introduce you to a nice girl!]

[Exactly! If that doesn’t work out, I’ll introduce you to my cousin!]

[Hey, person above me, what about me?]

[Happy breakup, wishing you joy~ You’ll find someone better~]

Reading the bullet comments, Zhang Peng’s previously heavy mood lightened considerably. "Alright, thank you to all the Online Friends and the Anchor for your guidance. I’m off to break up with her now."

"Go on, then. Go for it."

[Hurry, go!]

[Don’t you dare hesitate!]

[You can do it, brother! Go for it!]

[Congrats to the Anchor for successfully breaking up another couple!]

[The Break-up Maniac! A well-earned reputation!]

Amidst Xia Liang’s words and the flood of comments, Zhang Peng hung up. At the same time, a voice sounded in Xia Liang’s head.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the task. Rewards issued: 50 Work Points and one 5,000,000 Global Shopping Card. Both have been sent to your backpack.]

After completing a hidden task, Xia Liang was still left wanting more. He blinked, staring at the screen, fantasizing about two more people launching rockets to trigger another hidden task.

Unfortunately, no one did. It wasn’t until two in the morning that Xia Liang finally ended the stream.

「The next morning.」

Xia Liang was once again awoken by a ringing phone.

"Who’s being so inconsiderate this early?" Xia Liang muttered, annoyed at being disturbed. But when he saw the caller ID, he quickly answered the phone.

He said fawningly, "Queen Mother! What’s up?"

"Son! I had your third aunt find a girl for you. Let me tell you, she’s a real beauty! Why don’t you go meet her tomorrow?"

His mother’s voice on the other end of the line made Xia Liang’s head throb as he rubbed his forehead. The last time she set him up, it had been a total embarrassment.

"Mom, I told you! You don’t need to introduce me to anyone! The last one was a disaster, wasn’t it?"

"Hey, watch your tone! You’ve been graduated from university for a year and still haven’t brought a single girlfriend home to meet me! I was kind enough to have your third aunt find someone for you, and you..."

Listening to her endless nagging, Xia Liang felt completely helpless. He was extremely averse to blind dates. Every time his mother called, Yang Ying would make herself scarce. This led Mother Xia to believe that Xia Liang didn’t have a girlfriend, which was why she arranged blind dates for him—no fewer than ten a year.

Yang Ying had gotten angry with him about this many times, but whenever Xia Liang asked her to clear up the misunderstanding with his mother, she would refuse.

In many of the blind dates Xia Liang went on, the women treated themselves like merchandise with a clear price tag. The requirements were always the same: have a car, have a house... the only thing missing was a "parents must be deceased" clause.

Of course, that wasn’t even the worst of it. Xia Liang once met a particularly bizarre one: a divorcee with a child. Her family wasn’t well-off, and she only earned 3,000 a month herself. From the moment they met, she was all about material demands.

Xia Liang tactfully expressed that he had no intention of marrying her. The next day, he appeared on her Moments feed with the caption: "So what if he’s a top graduate from Qingyun University? A degree doesn’t equal cultural refinement, and cultural refinement doesn’t equate to intellectual depth."

Her condescending, superior attitude completely baffled Xia Liang.

It wasn’t until after he and Yang Ying broke up that Xia Liang finally understood. It was because there were fewer women than men, and the disparity was huge. That made them fearless, believing they could marry whomever they wanted, no matter what. On top of that, there was a whole legion of male bootlickers constantly pandering to them, inflating their sense of superiority more and more.

He had to admit, that described the old him perfectly.

That was why Xia Liang had decided to turn over a new leaf and stop being a bootlicker. Of course, he knew his parents meant well.

It’s just going through the motions, anyway, Xia Liang consoled himself.

"Alright, Mom, I get it," he said with a sigh of resignation.

Hearing Xia Liang agree, Mother Xia finally stopped her nagging. "Then remember to go tomorrow. I’ll send you the time and place in a bit."

She hung up. Not even thirty seconds later, his WeChat chimed.

Whole Family Joy: "Yunni Cafe, 11:00 AM. Remember to dress sharp, don’t look sloppy."

Twelfth Yi: "I know, Mom. I’ll dress to impress tomorrow."

Whole Family Joy: [Smiling Emoji]

He closed the chat window with a sense of resignation. Staring at his screen, he felt like he was forgetting something.