Cao Cheng had a good night's sleep.
10 AM.
Another new day in the life of a rich second-generation heir.
Bliss!
With the New Year approaching, everyone seemed busy.
Big Sis—well, she never took a day off. She was sick.
Not in a derogatory way.
The more you got to know her, the more you realized she had issues.
Whether it was depression or not remained to be seen—that required a proper diagnosis.
But one thing was certain: kids from single-parent households weren’t exactly normal.
Including Cao Cheng himself—he was just too handsome, wealthy, and energetic.
Sigh.
That’s how things were these days. Who could claim to be truly healthy in mind, body, and soul?
In a few years, it’d get worse—the entire livestreaming industry would be sick.
Whatever.
As long as it wasn’t fatal, it was fine.
…
Cao Cheng didn’t bother with the entertainment company’s affairs either.
He left them to Fourth Sis to handle.
People, after all,
Had to learn and grow.
Look at Third Sis—her company was thriving, smooth sailing without a hitch.
As twins, Fourth Sis couldn’t possibly lag behind Third Sis, could she?
By delegating power to her, Cao Cheng showed his utmost trust.
The next two days,
Cao Cheng didn’t see Second Sis.
She claimed to be busy.
But Young Master Cao suspected she just didn’t dare come back.
Who knew?
In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and Cao Cheng ran into Wang Haodong again.
Wang Haodong and his father came over to deliver gifts.
Just like last year.
After exchanging pleasantries, Old Wang followed his usual script—first belittling his own "useless son," then praising Cao Cheng, and finally gushing about how blessed Mother Ren was.
Lucky words—never got old, no matter how many times you heard them.
The moment Wang Haodong stepped in, his eyes darted around, sneakily searching for Third Sis.
Then,
He sidled up to Cao Cheng. "Hey, kid, where’s Yu Shang? Heh heh heh…"
Instead of answering, Cao Cheng feigned surprise. "Wait, your front teeth—they don’t match the color of the others. Did they fade?"
[Ding~ Negative emotions +2002!]
This little punk.
Bringing up his sore spot right off the bat?
Wang Haodong scowled, waving a hand. "Never mind that. Where’s Yu Shang?"
"Not home."
"Where’d she go?"
"No idea."
"How could you not know?"
"Why should I?"
"Hey, kid, you trying to pick a fight? Believe it or not—"
Mid-threat, Wang Haodong suddenly remembered the butler’s warning when he arrived.
Right, right.
Can’t make an enemy of the little brother-in-law.
Damn it.
Even though this kid pissed him off at first sight,
He’d just have to endure it.
Wang Haodong took a deep breath and forced a grin. "Kid—no, bro, do me a favor?"
"No."
"??"
Wang Haodong was speechless. "I haven’t even said what it is yet."
"Not doing any favors."
"What the— Kid, don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you keep being this difficult, I won’t hold back. Do you even know where you are? This is Zhonghai—my turf. Got it?" Wang Haodong bared his teeth, trying to look menacing.
Cao Cheng remarked, "Your teeth really did fade. Ever thought about getting them recolored?"
"Argh—!"
Wang Haodong’s liver ached from rage. He clenched his fists and swung at the air a few times.
Hitting Cao Cheng? He wouldn’t dare.
But having no outlet for his anger was pure agony.
Until his father’s voice cut in.
"Wang Haodong, what are you doing?"
"Uh—"
Wang Haodong’s expression instantly cleared. "N-nothing, Dad! Just showing my bro some martial arts moves!"
Old Wang glared. "Behave."
"Y-yes, sir!" Wang Haodong nodded obediently.
Then he pulled Cao Cheng aside,
His face full of misery. "Bro, please. I’m begging you."
"No."
"At least let me finish!"
"Fine. Go ahead." Cao Cheng was merciful.
"You know how I feel about Yu Shang. Just take pity on me—put in a good word. I just want to take her out to eat. Deal?" Wang Haodong grinned, oozing sincerity.
"Why don’t you ask her yourself?"
"She won’t answer my calls, and the security at her company won’t let me in. I’m out of options here."
Cao Cheng shook his head. "This isn’t sustainable."
"Tell me about it." Wang Haodong sighed.
Cao Cheng frowned. "Ever thought about pursuing someone else? You’re not short on cash, and you’re… decent-looking—"
"Hold on, bro, that’s not how you compliment someone." Wang Haodong cut in.
"How about ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’?"
"…Let’s stick with ‘decent-looking.’"
"Fine." Cao Cheng nodded agreeably. "Look, you’re decent-looking enough. Why fixate on one girl? I refuse to believe there isn’t someone prettier than my Third Sis. My Fourth Sis is just as good, no?"
Wang Haodong sighed wistfully. "You don’t get it. Love isn’t about switching targets on a whim. Loyalty matters. Honestly, women aren’t hard to come by for me, but… there’s only one in my heart."
Cao Cheng deadpanned. "Wait, you call that loyalty? Did your Chinese teacher define it that way?"
Wang Haodong pondered, then declared, "Spiritually, it’s loyalty."
"…"
Cao Cheng chuckled. "The real issue is, my Third Sis doesn’t like you. She prefers guys like me—"
"What?"
"—Slightly more handsome, taller, more talented. Can’t help it. Born this way." Cao Cheng shrugged.
Wang Haodong gnashed his discolored teeth.
"Bro, I’m just asking you to help me set up a meal. Can you give me a straight answer?"
"No."
"Damn it, you little— You’ve been yapping at me this whole time—"
"Calm down. Don’t rush."
Cao Cheng raised a hand. "When it comes to chasing girls, I’ve got some insights. First, you need to figure out why a girl likes—or doesn’t like—you. Makes sense?"
Wang Haodong raised a brow. "Fair point. So why doesn’t your Third Sis like me?"
"Oh, so you do know she doesn’t like you?"
"Obviously." Wang Haodong puffed his chest.
…What was there to be proud of?
Wang Haodong’s face fell. "But I don’t know why, or how to fix it. So I’m just wearing her down. My butler says, ‘Persistence wears down resistance.’ Sounds legit."
Your butler’s got experience, huh.
Cao Cheng smirked. "There’s some truth to it, but not much. That tactic works on average girls. But is my Third Sis average?"
Wang Haodong shook his head firmly. "Nope. That’s why I’m into her."
Cao Cheng clapped. "Exactly. Because she’s extraordinary, you’re just… ordinary."
"???" Wang Haodong was at a loss for words.
The logic was flawless.
Damn—
Cao Cheng straightened. "So you’ve got to change, Ah-Wang."
"Makes sense— Wait, what’d you call me?"
"Ah-Wang. Feels friendlier."
"Good, good. Friendly’s good. Keep going, bro. You’re making a lot of sense."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
