Some things were left unsaid.
Even when Cao Cheng and Tang Xin were together, they always seemed inseparable.
Yet their relationship remained undefined.
And who was Second Sister?
A veteran of criminal investigations.
Her eyes were sharp.
Especially when she had a few drinks with Tang Xin—how could Tang Xin’s alcohol tolerance ever match hers?
After a few glasses, Tang Xin would get a little tipsy, her usual composure slipping.
So when Tang Xin talked about Cao Cheng, the warmth in her eyes… was enough to melt even Second Sister’s icy demeanor.
Anyone with eyes could see Tang Xin had feelings for Cao Cheng.
Did Second Sister miss it?
Not a chance.
Then, from Tang Xin’s own lips, Second Sister learned they were planning a trip to Hong Kong after New Year’s.
This felt like trouble!
……
Faced with Fifth Brother’s explanation, Second Sister couldn’t bring herself to fully believe him.
She hesitated for a couple of seconds.
Lowering her voice, she said, “The Tang family… is no small matter!”
Cao Cheng rolled his eyes. “Cut the nonsense. I’ve been to Tang Xin’s place—just a regular three-bedroom apartment. Tiny.”
Tang Xin might have looked elegant and refined, carrying herself like a queen in public.
Her background might have been the Tang family.
But her home wasn’t some mansion or villa—just an ordinary little three-bedroom, albeit well-decorated and in a nice area.
Compared to the Ren family’s lavish estate, it couldn’t even match the size of their kitchen.
Smack!
Second Sister smacked him in annoyance. “You know what I mean. I’m not talking about the house—I’m talking about the family behind her.”
Cao Cheng chuckled. “How many years has it been since the founding of this country? ‘Family’? If we’re talking families, ours counts too—the Ren family!! In a few years, when I get married, it’ll be the ‘Cao Cheng Family’ on the rich list!”
Damn, you really have a big mouth.
Second Sister gritted her teeth. “I’m not joking. I’m just warning you—if you two really get together, there might be obstacles. Be mentally prepared.”
Cao Cheng nodded. “I get that. But we’re not together.”
Second Sister’s expression shifted slightly—whether from relief or something else, it was hard to tell.
Cao Cheng smirked. “So, do you support us being together?”
Second Sister’s gaze flickered.
“I… of course I do.”
She quickly added, “She’s my best friend, and you’re Fifth Brother. Even if you’re not much of a person…”
“Hey hey hey, it’s New Year’s—can’t you say something nice? What do you mean ‘not much of a person’?”
Second Sister ignored him and continued, “But you do have some skills.”
Cao Cheng snorted. “Rare praise from you. Fine, what case are you stuck on? Since you’re buttering me up, I’ll help you crack it. Even though I know you’re just flattering me, I’ll take it!”
Second Sister laughed in exasperation.
She actually burst out laughing, shoving him. “Get lost.”
Cao Cheng stumbled into The Fourth.
The Fourth yelped, “Ahhh—help! Help me…”
“……”
“……”
Chaos ensued, and predictably, The Fourth got scolded.
With Ren's Mother and Second Sister teaming up, The Fourth shrank like a quail.
But The Fourth was wronged.
This little brat had definitely done it on purpose—not only bumping into her but also pinching her…
Infuriating.
Hiss.
It still hurt.
Cao Cheng had absolutely done it on purpose. When he was whispering with Second Sister earlier, The Fourth had probably gotten jealous and sneakily pinched his waist—not just a pinch, but a twist!
Since when did Cao Cheng ever take a loss?
At the first opportunity, he pinched her back.
Right on the butt.
So springy!
The Fourth shot him a glare, rubbing the spot surreptitiously and sucking in a sharp breath. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “You little brat, just you wait.”
Cao Cheng ignored her completely, turning back to Second Sister. “You wanna come to Hong Kong with us? The three of us could go together. It’s for business, but afterward we can shop—isn’t that your favorite thing?”
“I have work,” Second Sister said gloomily.
Cao Cheng feigned sympathy. “Want me to bring you anything back?”
“Dresses. Limited editions. The kind no one else has. The more, the better,” Second Sister said without hesitation.
Cao Cheng raised a brow. “See? Just say it outright. All that beating around the bush—you just wanted me to buy you stuff.”
He held out a hand. “Money.”
“……”
Second Sister glared. “As if I’d stiff you. Pay me back when you return—just give me the receipts for reimbursement.”
Cao Cheng shrugged. “Besides dresses, anything else?”
“Nope.”
Second Sister had a girly side.
Even though she wore pants and long sleeves at work—mostly jeans—and rarely wore dresses at home (except for nightgowns), most of her shopping was dress-centric, often in soft pastels.
Cao Cheng had always wanted to see Second Sister in a dress.
But she only bought them, hardly ever wearing them.
Or maybe she wore them secretly in her room…
Kind of weird.
……
After the New Year’s Eve show, Ren's Mother and Old Cao left.
Cao Cheng lit incense and bathed.
New year, new luck.
Time to draw for immortality!
Abracadabra…
It had been a while since he’d drawn a Divine Treasure Chest. Since the system upgraded, he’d mostly gotten Gold and Diamond chests.
The rewards were decent—most of his skills had reached the “Basic Proficiency” level.
Lately, the most useful skill was probably his (Basic) Hacking Technique!
His inventory was stocked too—tea leaves, spiritual spring water, even emergency medicine and strength-boosting pills.
Only the [Longevity Tea] was scarce.
Including what he’d used, he had fewer than a hundred packets left.
Clearly, this stuff was precious.
Better stock up.
For himself.
He could spare a packet or two for Old Cao and Ren's Mother.
One packet was enough to outlive every old man playing chess in the park—that was plenty.
Besides,
Old Cao and Ren's Mother weren’t that old yet. No need to rush.
Cao Cheng himself had only had a few sips!
Best to save it.
If he never got anything better for immortality, he’d have to rely on [Longevity Tea]. No point wasting it.
……
Ding~
Congratulations, Host, for witnessing a miracle! You’ve drawn a Divine Treasure Chest and obtained a Blessed Paradise!
“Nice, nice.”
“New year, new luck indeed. Taking a break really changes your fortune—finally, not another escape item.”
Cao Cheng was thrilled.
He didn’t know what this “Blessed Paradise” was yet.
But the name alone sounded epic.
Was it some immortal cultivation thing?
His first three Divine Chests had given him revival, teleportation, and movement techniques—this fourth one might finally change his fate.
2008, I love you~~~
A moment later.
“What the hell?!”
Cao Cheng cursed.
What kind of garbage was this?
The “Blessed Paradise” was literally just a cave?
A space barely big enough for ten people… a hole!
Sure, the air inside felt refreshing, like it might help with cultivation.
But…
According to the description, this “Blessed Paradise” was a pocket dimension created by some ancient immortal sage—a hiding place where not even a Celestial Emperor could find you if danger arose.
This thing can save lives.
Dodge at the critical moment, and even if the world explodes, you'll be fine.
"So it's still an escape-type item, huh?"
Cao Cheng was speechless.
Not that the item was bad, but it just felt a bit... insulting.
As if the great hero, Young Master Cao, was utterly useless except for running away.
This isn't an Emotional Energy Accumulator System.
It's a damn rat system, isn't it?
One revival card, one teleportation skill, one movement technique, and now there's an additional...
Hole!
A damn rat's hole!
I might as well have just drawn from the regular gold or diamond treasure chests.
Damn it.
Never pulling from the god-tier ones again...
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
