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..."
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."
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
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!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
