Switched Life:I Went Viral on a Family Variety Show
Chapter 152: I am Not Laozi

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: I am Not Laozi

Sang Youming was silent, his face void of any extra expression. Mr. Shen clenched his fist and punched him lightly in the chest.

"What’s the matter? You’ve embarrassed yourself in front of me more than once already, and now you’re pretending to be shy?"

Sang Youming seemed to be hit at a sore spot and snorted sharply through his nose: "It’s fine if it’s just you, but last night I embarrassed myself in front of everyone!"

"Weren’t you drunk? Nobody took it to heart. Besides, it’s not the first time you’ve humiliated yourself on the program. Remember last time? I joined you in making a fool of myself on camera, and even got a divorce threat from my wife because of it." Mr. Shen squeezed Sang Youming’s shoulder and tried to comfort him.

But not only was Sang Youming uncomforted, his breathing grew even heavier. He looked gloomily toward a corner and asked Mr. Shen, "Tell me, is there anyone in this world who treats their old man like their son?"

Mr. Shen followed his gaze and saw Sang Ning stacking hay. He chuckled knowingly. "Oh, seems like you’re holding a grudge against your daughter?"

"Grudge?" Sang Youming turned back abruptly and shot Mr. Shen a warning look. "Don’t talk nonsense now. How dare I hold a grudge against her? My daughter’s like a tyrant, don’t set me up!"

[What secret code are Mr. Shen and Sang Youming using? Why can’t I understand it?]

[Looks like something major happened last night. The program crew is so annoying, always treating us like outsiders. We could have helped smooth out their family drama too, you know!]

[But honestly, I feel like Sang Youming and Sang Ning don’t seem like a normal father and daughter at all. It feels more like Sang Youming is her little brother, with absolutely no fatherly dignity whatsoever.]

[Dignity doesn’t come for free. You’ve got to stand up for yourself first. Just a drunkard, and you think you get to talk about dignity?]

"Old Sang, I think you’re being unreasonable. Isn’t your Sang Ning doing this for your own good, so you’d quit drinking? You’re being a bit ungrateful, don’t you think?

If you’re not satisfied, I can lend you my son, so you can experience first-hand what it’s like to have a kid who doesn’t care at all. My Shen Yi is so cold, I wish he’d care about me, but he doesn’t even bother to glance at me."

Sang Youming let out a cold laugh. "No need to lend me your son. I’ve already got a little ingrate at home."

[Sang Chuan: What does this have to do with me? Why am I getting dragged into this while lying down? Can this get any worse?]

[It’s clearly Shen Yi who’s getting hit while lying down, okay? He’s just a bit quiet and now his own dad’s complaining about him. Being a son really isn’t easy.]

[These dads are so hard to please. If you care, it’s wrong. If you don’t care, it’s wrong. Do they think they’re gods or something?]

Sang Youming tossed aside the hay in his hands, slumping into a seated position, and began pouring his heart out to Mr. Shen.

"I don’t think my Sang Ning sees me as her dad at all. She treats me like her son and she’s so controlling.

Take this quitting drinking thing for example. Can’t she just talk to me properly? No, she has to go all out. I was already drunk yesterday, but she still forced me to drink nearly a liter and a half with her.

Drinking is one thing, but when I started acting drunk and making a fool of myself, she didn’t even stop me. She let me go room to room acting insane. Even if my face is thick, I can’t withstand that kind of humiliation!"

Mr. Shen fell silent for a moment before patting him on the back and speaking with some difficulty. "Brother, you really have zero self-awareness. Be honest with yourself—if Sang Ning talked to you nicely, would you even listen? People as stubborn as you need special measures to make things stick, don’t you?"

[Wait, what’s going on? Did Sang Ning use some kind of drastic measure, like fighting fire with fire, to force Sang Youming to quit drinking yesterday?]

[Probably, judging by Sang Youming’s resentful look, he must’ve suffered quite a bit yesterday.]

Sang Youming couldn’t pinpoint his feelings. He just felt like Sang Ning’s concern for him was about completing a task, without any genuine emotion.

"You wouldn’t understand even if I explained. I just feel like my daughter is missing some warmth, like she doesn’t truly see me as her dad." Sang Youming felt like he was talking to a brick wall and angrily turned his head away.

Mr. Shen chuckled a few times, pursed his lips, and hesitated a bit before speaking. "You’re acting no different from a rebellious kid: parents give them advice and meddle a bit, and they immediately think their parents are no good. I won’t lecture you anymore. Just think about it yourself. If you acted like a proper dad, would Sang Ning have to step in like she’s managing a son instead of a father?"

Mr. Shen decided to stop there. Although he had a decent relationship with Sang Youming, it wasn’t close enough to meddle too much in private family matters.

He genuinely thought Xiao Sang was a straightforward and sincere girl—a good daughter.

If Sang Youming held a grudge against Sang Ning because of her forcing him to quit drinking, he’d probably regret it one day.

[Suddenly, I think it’s tough being both a parent and a child. If the tone of advice isn’t carefully handled, it’s all too easy to breed resentment between family members.]

[It’s not really resentment. It’s just a lack of self-control and pinning the blame on others. Honestly, I think Sang Ning did nothing wrong. Sang Youming should really do some soul-searching. What, just because you’re a parent, you can’t handle even a little feedback from your child?]

[Exactly, exactly. Besides, if Sang Youming really screwed up, no kid would willingly put up with a drunkard dad, right?]

Sang Youming rested his cheek on his hand, looking at Sang Ning and feeling utterly troubled. For the first time, he earnestly started thinking about his future and began interrogating himself.

Does he really want to continue muddling through life like this?

Can he accept being looked down upon by his daughter for the rest of his life?

Maybe becoming an impressive father would change how Sang Ning sees him?

But after pondering for ages, he realized the question was impossible to solve.

Besides drinking, he was good for nothing—his education was poor, his skills were nonexistent, and he failed at everything but embarrassing Sang Ning.

The more he thought, the more despondent he became. Why was he so useless?

Sang Ning noticed someone in the field had been staring at her. Relying on instinct, she locked a gaze in a certain direction and saw Sang Youming sitting there, cheek on hand, looking miserable.

She immediately shouted back, "Dad, everyone is bundling hay and you’re sitting there pretending to be melancholic!"

The sudden verbal and visual blow shook Sang Youming awake instantly.

It was as if his butt had springs; within a second he shot up from the ground. "My head wasn’t feeling well just now, but I’ve rested enough. I’ll start bundling hay now."

He bent down upon finishing his words and began pretending to tidy the hay.

[Haha, Sang Ning is the anti-drama queen, isn’t she? Her dad was emo-ing over his daughter being too tough, and instead of softening, she just gets fiercer and fiercer.]

[Sang Youming truly is a pushover. He was ranting so passionately with Mr. Shen earlier, but when confronts Sang Ning’s wrath, he doesn’t even dare let out a fart.]

[Sang Ning: Call me a tyrant, sure. Say I treat you like my son, fine. But so what? What can you even do about it?]