Some things happen naturally, without any deliberate effort.
All those damn vows and absurd promises simply don’t exist.
Just like that, their relationship was established.
It seemed to lack the extravagance of romantic gestures,
and the intensity of overwhelming passion.
They simply came together, plain and uncomplicated.
Honestly, the serenity of "the highest virtue is like water" felt just fine.
Elegant—
Perhaps it had something to do with Young Master Cao’s state of mind, given his experience of "two lifetimes."
In most matters, he had indeed matured considerably.
His planning and actions had become far more seasoned.
His interactions with others carried more depth and calculation.
And when it came to wooing women, he was much more composed!
No longer as brash and noisy as he had been in his student days.
No initiative—
No rejection!
No…
Well, occasionally, he could flip through Buddhist scriptures.
……
She hadn’t woken yet.
Curled up beside him, her leg draped over Young Master Cao.
As he pondered the situation and how to take responsibility moving forward,
his hands remained busy.
Before long, a soft moan came from beside him.
Tang Xin opened her eyes.
The two locked gazes.
Tang Xin was slightly shy but still poised, smiling sweetly: "Hubby~~!"
That voice alone sent shivers down his spine.
Damn it.
You’re asking for trouble.
Cao Cheng flipped over and pinned her down.
Tang Xin yelped, "No, no, no~~~~"
……
……
The next three days,
they stayed holed up indoors, not stepping outside.
No one knew what they were up to.
During that time, they also acquired three diamond treasure chests.
One per session!
The emotional energy came pouring in—this thing was truly efficient…
Meanwhile, the market continued its steady decline, unaffected by their absence.
Though the drop was slow, it was unrelenting.
From around 5500, it had dipped to approximately 5050 over those three days!
A 500-point swing in the index sent small-time investors on an emotional rollercoaster—up and down, hearts racing with excitement.
……
The next day was the weekend.
Finally, the two ventured outside.
After being watered, flowers bloom brighter.
However,
aside from Tang Xin looking even more radiant, there were no visible changes.
They carried on as usual—holding arms at social events, walking side by side otherwise, like a boss and his secretary.
To outsiders, it was impossible to tell whether they were together or not.
Weekend shopping.
Now fully recovered, Tang Xin dragged Cao Cheng around to buy all sorts of things, especially gifts for his four elder sisters.
This was a shift in mindset.
Even though they’d agreed to keep things private for now, she couldn’t help slipping into the role of "wife," naturally wanting to win over her future sisters-in-law.
Preparing for the future!
Gifts now would soften them up later—once the truth came out, how could they oppose her when they’d already accepted so much?
As for why they weren’t going public yet,
it wasn’t Young Master Cao’s decision.
She had insisted.
Perhaps, as Second Sister had hinted, she had reservations about her own family.
The timing just wasn’t right.
So,
this shopping spree also included gifts for her close friends, while she deliberately avoided buying anything for Cao Cheng—afraid of raising suspicions.
……
That weekend,
stock discussion boards, forums, and offline meetups were buzzing.
But the mood was far from cheerful.
The three consecutive days of "red" had everyone anxious about what Monday might bring.
Especially with the "Green Post" still pinned at the top.
Few were even cursing anymore—instead, people gathered there to discuss, piling up replies in the thread.
It seemed everyone was hoping "Stock God Ao Tian" would say something.
Belief or disbelief aside,
insults or not,
at least Stock God Ao Tian was more relatable than the so-called experts.
Those experts spouted jargon, dumping piles of data like they were writing a thesis—sounding impressive but saying nothing.
Meanwhile, Stock God Ao Tian?
Most of the time, just a few sentences, easy for anyone to understand. The most complex thing so far had been those vacation photos.
A bit artsy, sure,
but not that hard to decipher, right?
"Stock God, it’s the weekend—say something."
"Make another post, Stock God! What’s your take on next week?"
"Up or down, doesn’t matter—just point us in a direction."
"……"
Their desperation was understandable.
What they wanted wasn’t necessarily the right answer—just some peace of mind.
For those who didn’t believe Cao Cheng, if he said "down," they’d feel reassured.
For those who did, if his words aligned with their own thoughts, they’d relax too.
Either way, it was an outlet for their nerves.
These gamblers had it rough.
So,
after much clamoring,
Stock God Ao Tian finally posted again—right after a new policy announcement on Saturday.
Post title: 《……》
Content:
"Been traveling lately—made so much money I didn’t know where to spend it, so here I am!"
Nice.
Opening with a jab to rile people up.
Then: "Between sightseeing, I’ve been sparring with trolls to pass the time, so I haven’t paid much attention to the market. Not like it matters—everything I touch turns to gold anyway."
Another taunt.
"Everything worth saying has already been said!"
"So there’s nothing left to add. The title says it all—speechless."
"Market aside, some of you like me, some don’t. Envy, jealousy, hatred, disgust, annoyance… all kinds of emotions, but I’m grateful to each of you."
"We’ve been through almost a year together. Whatever happens, there’s some camaraderie here. I just hope you all stay safe and find your own spring blossoms."
"So let’s not talk about the market."
"Let’s talk about life."
"Recently, I watched a few decent movies. Figured I’d recommend them—give you all something to do over the weekend besides staring at charts. A little relaxation is necessary."
"Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Rest up, then fight another day. Victory will come eventually."
"The Shawshank Redemption—solid choice!"
"Papillon’s good too."
"And Then There Were None—my top pick. Give it a watch."
"Take care, everyone. Till we meet again."
……
Tang Xin, massaging Cao Cheng’s shoulders as he posted, mostly understood his intent.
But some parts still puzzled her.
"When did you have time to watch movies lately?" she asked softly.
"Watched them before," Cao Cheng pulled her close, grinning, hands wandering.
Tang Xin swatted him lightly. "Stop it. Explain—what’s the meaning behind these movies? Feels like you’re up to no good."
Cao Cheng laughed. "You’re wrong. This is the most well-intentioned post I’ve ever made. I’m in a good mood, so I’m throwing out one last piece of advice—call it easing my conscience."
Tang Xin could relate. She’d been in high spirits these past few days too.
And she’d developed quite the appetite…
Twenty-some years wasted.
"The Shawshank… Papillon… And Then There Were None? What’s that last one? Never heard of it—is it famous?"
Cao Cheng smirked. "It’s also called: None Shall Escape!"
"……"
Tang Xin suddenly understood.
Looking back—
Shawshank was about breaking free.
Papillon—another escape.
And Then There Were None? Still a tale of entrapment.
All three films revolved around the same core theme: getting the hell out.
No wonder…
At this moment, Tang Xin finally understood.
The entire post had one core message: Run!
Whether you could comprehend it or not was up to fate!
Indeed.
This post was probably the most well-intentioned one yet. Compared to his previous antics, Cao Cheng had truly "turned over a new leaf."
And it was all thanks to her.
Tang Xin smiled beautifully.
"Honey~~~~"
Her voice sent a shiver down his spine, and Cao Cheng immediately stood up. "Damn—let's bounce!"
"Hehehe..."
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
transmigrates into the role of a villainous rich second-generation kid in an urban fantasy novel, and gets bound to a god-tier choice system. Right at the start, he catches the female lead stealing exam papers! This triggers the villain's choice options! [Choice 1: Pretend you didn't see anything] [Choice 2: Loudly call her out, drawing everyone's attention] [Choice 3: ...] And thus, a twisted villain is born. To avoid getting killed by the protagonist, he has no choice but to take down all the protagonists first. Jiang Che: Nobody understands being twisted better than me!
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
