Chapter 60: Chapter 60: A Middle-Aged Man Who Can Act

Wen Ying felt a little regretful. After all, she was now short one tool for putting up her hair.

After rummaging through a drawer, Wen Ying pulled out a new ballpoint pen. It was the second pen from a pack of three that cost one yuan, and it was identical to the old one, except for being new.

She stuck the ballpoint pen into her casually tied-up hair and prepared to start her stream.

[The stream is live! Fifty thousand people just flooded the room! Doctor Wen is definitely one of Shark’s top streamers!]

"Welcome, fellow patients, to my stream. To save everyone’s time, I’ll get straight to it. I saw the trending topics—the ballpoint pen has successfully accumulated its Merit and ascended. Its son is now taking over the family business. Let’s move on to the main event: call-ins. A consultation costs one thousand."

[Hahahaha! "Taking over the family business!" That’s hilarious! Did the pen get married and have a kid all on its own?]

[I never would’ve guessed Doctor Wen was so funny!]

[To the commenter above, that’s called being down-to-earth! Get it?]

[I’m seriously concerned about the education level here. Are you all dropouts or something? Who with a real future spends their time watching livestreams?]

[Hey, commenter above, are you talking about yourself? By all means, keep it up!]

"I don’t know if my fellow patients are dropouts, but I do know that if you run your mouth for one more second, I guarantee I’ll give *you* a consultation."

[So cool! Doctor Wen is such a badass! I’m suddenly so touched!]

[Doctor Wen spoils her fans so much! I’ll be a fan for life! She’s the only one I need!]

"Let’s start the call-ins."

A middle-aged man with the username "Career Success" appeared on screen. He was around forty, with a handsome face for his age and a full head of hair. Dressed in a suit, he had a trim figure that showed no signs of middle-aged spread.

A fleeting smile touched his lips, giving off the first impression of a sharp, well-put-together man.

"Hello, Doctor Wen. I saw your stream trending and just downloaded the app today. I know you’re a psychologist, and as it happens, I’m currently dealing with some mental health issues. It’s difficult to see a doctor I know personally, so I feel like it must be fate that led me here."

"Patient ’Career Success,’ it wasn’t fate that guided you here; it was your long-standing depression. To everyone else, you’re a success. You have a great career and two lovely daughters at home—the very picture of a man who’s won at life. But only you know the truth is far from it. From holding it all in for so long, your psychological issues have become severe, and your depression has skyrocketed."

A flicker of contempt flashed in the man’s eyes before disappearing.

He sighed. "Doctor Wen, you live up to your reputation as a master. You’ve hit on everything. It’s true, I have a happy family and a successful career, but I have so many thoughts I can’t share with anyone. I’m very lonely, and no one understands that loneliness. They just think I’m bragging. After a while, I lost the desire to even try to talk about it. It’s a painful feeling. Perhaps some people enjoy solitude, and I used to as well, but sometimes I still feel lost and miserable."

[Whoa! How did we end up in a philosophy lecture?]

[A connoisseur of loneliness? But seriously, society expects way too much from men these days! You have to make money to support the family, know how to cook and do chores, be gentle, dote on your wife, and raise the kids! They’re basically asking for a superhero! The pressure on men is immense! It’s normal to be depressed!]

[I totally agree! The other night I saw my neighbor—a dad—just sitting alone in his car in the parking garage, smoking instead of going home. He said it’s the only time and space he gets to himself. It’s heartbreaking!]

[So is this guy going through a hard time too? Doctor Wen, please help him if you can. It’s really tough for men his age!]

Seeing so many empathetic comments in the chat, the man known as "Career Success" felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

’Isn’t this sense of satisfaction and accomplishment exactly what I’ve been chasing all along?’

"You’re all right," he said, "but I love shouldering these responsibilities for the people I love. I’m just afraid I won’t be able to keep it up in the long run. That’s why I wanted to see a psychologist. Thank you, everyone, for your concern."

"Time to pay up, patient." Wen Ying’s words cut off the performance he was trying to continue.

"Oh, sorry. One thousand, was it? I’ll add the funds now."

Two minutes later, a gift worth one thousand appeared on screen. He looked at Wen Ying, his eyes full of anticipation. "Doctor Wen, I’m your patient now. Please, help me with my problem. I won’t blame you, whether you can fix it or not."

[Wow! He’s so sweet! I haven’t seen such a kind-hearted man in a long time!]

[I wish my dad was like him! Too bad my dad only knows how to beat me!]

[My dad’s the same, has a terrible temper. My mom’s the only one who can tame him!]

[Verdict’s in! The commenter above is flexing their parents’ happy marriage! Drag ’em out and execute ’em!]

Wen Ying smiled. "Patient ’Career Success,’ your psychological issues are a bit complex. We’ll need to approach this one step at a time."

"Of course. You’re the professional. I’ll follow your lead."

"Alright, let’s start with the problem you’re facing right now. You’ve been a bit troubled lately. It seems you think your boss is a moron, and you can’t get this idea out of your head. You get a strange sense of satisfaction from watching him work, from watching him assign you tasks."

The expression on "Career Success’s" face shifted slightly, but he quickly composed himself.

No matter how baffled he was, he knew he had to appear nonchalant.

"Doctor Wen, I’m afraid you’ve misread the situation this time. Why would I ever think of my superior like that? He’s the one who gave me my big break. I couldn’t be more grateful, so how could I possibly think such things? Perhaps you could try another reading, Doctor Wen? It doesn’t really matter if you get it right or not. I just wanted a chance to vent."

[Did Doctor Wen really get it wrong? I think this guy is a good person. He seems so refined and gentlemanly, not like someone who would bad-mouth people, right?]

[Could it be something like schizophrenia? A split personality? So he doesn’t even know he’s doing it?]

[Why does what Doctor Wen is saying feel so off the mark this time? Older people generally don’t just start cussing people out like us young folks, do they? Aren’t they all just chilling and living a quiet life?]

[He’s not even mad that Doctor Wen got it wrong. What a good guy. Just admit you made a mistake, Doctor Wen.]

[Why isn’t anyone considering that Doctor Wen is telling the truth and this guy’s reaction is the act? If he’s faking it, what would that imply?]

[Building on the comment above! It would mean this guy is a total hypocrite! A fraud! I can’t wait for Doctor Wen to expose him with a major plot twist! I’m getting pumped just thinking about it!]

"Patient ’Career Success,’ you’re right, you should be grateful to your boss. If not for his patronage, how could you have such a happy family and a successful career?"

"You’re right, Doctor Wen. I’m very grateful to him."

"He’s the one who single-handedly promoted you to your current position as Office Director. You were certainly grateful to him in the past. But what, I wonder, is your way of repaying him now?"

The man was clearly unfazed. He replied at once, "As Office Director, besides my official duties, I help pick up his kids, manage his personal affairs, and even his household. I’m practically his personal assistant, but I’ve never complained. His own children think I’m a better father than he is."

"So is that why you’re trying to take your boss’s place in his own family?"