"Auntie, you don't dislike me being the announcer, do you?" Tang Fengqin asked cautiously.

"Your aunt won't decide your fate. Just live the way you like."

Tang Fengqin gave a soft "hmm," a blush spreading across her face; she was already dreaming. Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. What a wonderful age, the most beautiful time of a young girl's life, when anything is possible. She figured Tang Fengqin's dreams would be beautiful tonight.

Wang Lei's program was scheduled very early on. Qin Xiaoyu realized that it wasn't a last-minute replacement for an actor with diarrhea; it was clearly arranged for Wang Lei. Wang Lei, the head of the troupe, was really going all out for her daughter-in-law.

He sang Zhang Mingmin's "Walking on the Country Road" from last year's Spring Festival Gala. Wang Lei was also the lead singer in the band, so this was a piece of cake for him.

He sat on a rockery, flicked his fingers, and the guitar music flowed like water, drawing applause from the audience. Wang Lei was putting in extra effort today, showing off his skills before finally producing a steady sound.

With Commander Wang's talent, there was no way it could go wrong; the performance was a resounding success. Qin Xiaoyu noticed that Tang Fengqin clapped the most enthusiastically, her eyes shining, her hands even turning red from clapping.

Qin Xiaoyu didn't sit with the Tang family; instead, she went to the other side.

She gave the professor's family four tickets, though the seats were a bit out of the way, near the side entrance. But these tickets were extremely hard to come by, and getting them for free was already a good thing, so they didn't dare complain.

When Ding Xiaojie saw Qin Xiaoyu coming over, she kept thanking her.

Qin Xiaoyu left a seat near the aisle and sat down. Ding Xiaojie sat between her and the professor, with two children sitting between them.

To be honest, the Tang family has really good genes. The professor's older brother has a son and a daughter, both of whom are already in university. They are both handsome and refined. He greeted Qin Xiaoyu in a low voice.

"Big brother, haven't you gone back to see your aunt recently?" This was Qin Xiaoyu's purpose in finding them today; there were still some scores to settle.

"Oh dear, look at my sports car, I'm so busy every day, he..." Ding Xiaojie originally wanted to say something to make excuses, but she couldn't continue when she saw the professor.

Qin Xiaoyu silently finished her sentence in his mind: He was on winter vacation and was so bored he was practically rolling on the floor.

That's true. Teachers have a lot of vacation time each year, so it's really hard to find an excuse for not having time to go home and see their elderly mothers.

Moreover, as far as Qin Xiaoyu knew, they had even skipped New Year's greetings this year, seemingly trying to distance themselves from their family.

But everyone else can make a clear distinction, only they can't. Qin Xiaoyu was the first to object.

"I'll go back and check on things in a couple of days. I've had a cold for a while now, and I'm worried about infecting my wife." The professor, being cultured, managed to come up with a good excuse after much deliberation.

"Have you heard about Auntie's recent situation?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, seeing that he wasn't mentioning Auntie and instead trying to steer the conversation towards her.

"I haven't heard that. Is he in poor health?" Ding Xiaojie asked curiously.

"She's paralyzed in bed." Qin Xiaoyu's words startled the couple. They quickly exchanged a glance, and Ding Xiaojie shifted her body back, leaning against the professor and distancing herself from Qin Xiaoyu.

It is a truth that people only come together when they are on the same side or share common interests.

"I'm getting old, there's nothing I can do. Luckily, my sister-in-law doesn't work, so she can take care of me." The sister-in-law Ding Xiaojie was referring to was her cousin's wife.

"My sister-in-law is not here either; she moved out."

"What?" Ding Xiaojie's voice was a bit loud, causing the people in the front row to turn around and protest. They all temporarily shut their mouths and watched the show.

The stage was bustling with activity when a group of children ran up, each wearing a bull's head. Qin Xiaoyu chuckled to herself. This choreography is creative! Is it really appropriate to watch bull heads during the New Year? Could they add horse faces later?

Everyone's attention was drawn to the program, but Professor and Ding Xiaojie were on pins and needles. They realized that this was a trap.

"Brother, I hope you can take over taking care of Auntie."

“Well, it’s inconvenient for us both to work,” Ding Xiaojie immediately replied.

“Sometimes it’s not about convenience. For example, older brother, if you hadn’t gone to university, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you about these things now. But since your aunt let you go to university, you have to bear the consequences, right?”

“Xiaoyu, that’s not how it works. Your older brother got into university because he was capable of doing it himself, not because anyone made him go.” Ding Xiaojie’s words immediately revealed that she knew nothing about her professor brother impersonating someone else to get into university.

"No, sister-in-law, other people get into university through entrance exams, but my brother's university was arranged by his mother." Qin Xiaoyu looked at her professor brother meaningfully. The theater was too dark, and she was sure he was sweating profusely.

"What do you mean by that?" Ding Xiaojie had already sensed something unusual and pressed for an answer.

"It's nothing. I'll figure something out, just give me some time." The professor just wanted Qin Xiaoyu to leave as soon as possible.

“I know you’re busy, but I’ve thought of a solution for you. One is to hire a caregiver to look after your mother, and you can pay for it. The other is to bring her to live with us. You choose.”

"Then let's find a nanny." The professor made his choice quickly; he absolutely didn't want to live with his aunt.

"Okay, then hurry up." Qin Xiaoyu didn't want to waste words with someone like that, so she got up and walked out through the side door.

Outside the side door is a long corridor that leads to the brightly lit lobby.

Qin Xiaoyu walked to the French windows and stared blankly at the dark night.

"Xiaoyu, tell me what happened! You must be hiding something from me!" Ding Xiaojie chased after her.

"Sister-in-law, do you really want to know?"

"I want to! This man, sigh, just tell me!"

"I think you'd better ask your older brother; he'll tell you."

"Stop joking! He didn't tell me a single truth. I must have been blind to have chosen such a scoundrel. I thought university professors would be good, but I never expected him to be such a good-for-nothing, incompetent, and a complete liar. If I hadn't been spending money to pull strings, would he have been able to become a professor?" Ding Xiaojie was furious.

Qin Xiaoyu secretly felt relieved. That's right, if he had the ability, he would have gone to university on his own.

She recounted how her aunt had secretly switched Tang Long's father's college admission with that of a professor, leaving Ding Xiaojie completely dumbfounded.

"I really did fall for it," she said sadly, biting her lip.

“These things shouldn’t be brought up by an outsider like me, but he went too far. Since he accepted the old lady’s favor back then, he should at least take care of her in her old age. Even if she was wrong, he also has his own part to bear the consequences of. He was already nineteen years old at the time, what didn’t he understand?” Qin Xiaoyu finally spoke her mind, and it felt good to hear it.

"Xiaoyu, don't worry, I support your idea. Make him give his mother the money for her retirement! Let me tell you, this bastard of a man, while I'm always away driving, he's hooking up with female students. Last time I almost caught him at home. He doesn't bring his salary home, I don't know which vixen he's spending it on, now he has to cough it all up!" Ding Xiaojie said angrily. Qin Xiaoyu imagined a revenge drama, it seems she provoked a new Xiaojie.