Second Sister, Hold Still, Let Me Take a Look for You

Young Master Cao was no match for Second Sister.

He was subdued in minutes.

Second Sister, like the legendary warrior Wu Song, mounted him and rained down a flurry of delicate punches while scolding, "How dare you talk nonsense! How dare you!"

There was a definite hint of flustered anger in her actions.

Once she had vented her frustration,

Second Sister stood up, refreshed and satisfied.

With a slight look of disdain, she said, "Go wash up. You reek."

"I can't stay in this house anymore. I'm running away," Cao Cheng declared dramatically from the floor.

"Hmph, if you don’t want to stay, go find your precious Tang Xin," Second Sister snapped, her irritation flaring up again.

Her mood was clearly off, evident from her tone.

Cao Cheng decided not to provoke her further.

He went upstairs to clean up and change clothes. When he came back down, Second Sister had already polished off half a bottle of liquor.

Yet, her face showed no sign of intoxication.

Impressive tolerance!

...

He sat back down beside her.

Second Sister instinctively tilted her head and sniffed.

Only when she confirmed no other odors lingered did she seem satisfied.

But neither spoke.

The only sound came from the TV, where the drama Lurk was playing.

The show had recently been introduced by the local network, and even as a rerun, its ratings were soaring.

Second Sister muttered, "You two are something else, acting like undercover agents. Playing Lurk with me, huh?"

"..."

Cao Cheng chuckled but didn’t explain.

Second Sister pressed, "Fine, you won’t tell me. But she didn’t say anything either. What’s the deal?"

Truth be told, Second Sister didn’t have many friends.

Close girlfriends were even rarer.

To feel betrayed by one of her few confidantes—whether it was jealousy or not, she couldn’t say.

But her mood had definitely soured.

"Say something."

"What’s there to say? We’re just ordinary friends," Young Master Cao replied shamelessly.

"Ugh… Have some shame. You’re practically marinated in her scent, staying out all night. Do you think I’m some naive girl you can fool?"

Cao Cheng changed the subject. "Second Sister, can I ask you something?"

"Spit it out."

"Is the case you’re handling complicated? You’ve been away for so long," he asked, feigning concern.

Second Sister scoffed and pinched him. "Your topic-changing skills are getting rusty. That was painfully obvious."

Cao Cheng feigned innocence. "What topic change? I’m genuinely worried about you."

"Cut the crap."

Second Sister huffed. "And don’t forget what I told you before. My friend might be great, but her family is complicated. They might not approve of you two, no matter how rich you are."

She added sharply, "Did you two get together during that trip to Hong Kong?"

Typical detective.

Sharp as ever.

Cao Cheng dodged the question. "I met Tang Xin’s father the other day."

"..."

Second Sister’s eyes flickered. "What did he say about you and Tang Xin?"

Cao Cheng explained, "Not bad. He thinks I’m promising—the most impressive young man he’s met in decades. Though, honestly, he hasn’t seen much of the world."

"Then he asked if I wanted to join the system, saying my future achievements would far surpass his."

"But I refused."

"You know my ambitions lie elsewhere."

"..."

Second Sister, ever hands-on, smacked him. "I’m asking seriously."

"I am serious. Ask Tang Xin if you don’t believe me. Her dad really did invite me."

Second Sister frowned. "So… he accepts you as his daughter’s boyfriend?"

"Yep," Cao Cheng confirmed with a smirk.

Second Sister gave him a complicated look before falling silent.

They returned to watching TV,

but the atmosphere between them grew strange.

Distracted, unsettled—something unspoken lingered.

Young Master Cao sensed the negativity radiating from her.

Second Sister stayed quiet,

while the only sounds came from Cao Cheng slurping fruit and crunching apples with rhythmic smacks.

...

After eating his fill,

Cao Cheng wiped his hands with a wet napkin.

"Second, let me ask you something."

"What?" she side-eyed him.

"Have you been to Eldest Sister’s room?"

"What do you mean?" Second Sister frowned.

"Exactly what I said. Have you been to Eldest Sister’s room?"

"Duh."

She looked at him like he was an idiot.

They were a family of four sisters. Of course they’d been in each other’s rooms.

The question made no sense.

Cao Cheng waved a hand. "Not when we were kids. I mean after Eldest Sister took over Mother’s role in the company—so, the last few years. Have you been in her room?"

"..."

The question stumped her.

Thinking back,

Eldest Sister had started helping Mother during her freshman year of college.

Second Sister was still in high school then,

before leaving for the police academy.

Since then, as adults, they’d all respected each other’s privacy.

Even their family gatherings rotated between The Third and The Fourth’s places.

Now that he mentioned it…

Had it really been years since she’d been in Eldest Sister’s room?

Eldest Sister hadn’t been in hers either.

Everyone had secrets—that was normal.

Second Sister certainly had hers, buried deep.

...

She narrowed her eyes. "Why bring this up now?"

Cao Cheng stroked his chin, mimicking a detective’s pose. "You study criminology. You know about behavioral logic—how criminal patterns and actions connect."

"If someone hides a secret in a certain place, they’d guard it fiercely, not letting others near."

"Sound about right?"

Second Sister raised a brow. "Get to the point."

Cao Cheng continued, "Last time I went to Eldest Sister’s room, I knocked, and when I tried to step in, her face changed. She blocked the door like a fortress."

Second Sister rolled her eyes. "That’s it? You think she’s hiding something? Newsflash—she’s a woman. Keeping a man out of her room is normal. Not everyone’s as shameless as you."

Cao Cheng sighed. "We’re having a serious conversation. Must you insult me?"

Second Sister snorted in response.

He pressed on, "Besides, I even joked that she could treat me like Fifth Younger Sister. I wasn’t there to cause trouble. But then—"

"Then what?" Her curiosity piqued.

Cao Cheng leaned in dramatically. "Suddenly, Eldest Sister looked furious—just like you earlier. That kind of anger when someone’s secret is exposed."

Second Sister’s expression darkened.

You little—

Talk about Eldest Sister all you want.

Why drag me into it?

Cao Cheng pointed at Second Sister's expression: "Yes, yes, that's exactly the look you're giving me right now."

What followed, naturally, was a thorough scolding.

Second Sister closed in and gave him a solid beating.

Once she was done, they resumed their conversation.

Second Sister glared at him. "Keep talking. But I’m warning you—think carefully before you speak, or you’ll face the consequences."

Cao Cheng rubbed his sore spots.

"Look, it’s understandable that you’re angry—after all, you love getting angry… Wait, let me finish. But think about it, is Eldest Sister the type to lose her temper easily?"

"Clearly not, right?"

"Eldest Sister’s more of a smiling tiger—no matter how angry she gets… Ow! Why’d you hit me again?"

Second Sister snorted. "Don’t call Eldest Sister a smiling tiger."

"It’s just a straightforward description! The point is, there’s something seriously off here."

Cao Cheng was getting annoyed.

Always resorting to violence.

If you weren’t a woman, I’d have kicked you already.

Cao Cheng continued, "Eldest Sister’s mood shifted too quickly—she couldn’t even control her facial expressions in time. That means she had a deep-seated resistance, maybe even fear, about me entering her room."

Second Sister fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, she looked at Cao Cheng. "What’s your take?"

"I think we need to go in and search. One sweep should do it."

"No." Second Sister flat-out refused.

Cao Cheng tried to persuade her. "I know it’s not right—invading privacy—which is why I haven’t done it myself."

"That’s also why I’m telling you. I won’t go in. Only you. With your skills, I trust you’ll find something, then come out and fill me in. I’ll analyze it."

This time, Second Sister hesitated.

She didn’t outright reject the idea.

In the end, with good intentions, Second Sister was swayed by Young Master Cao’s smooth talk and went in.

There was a passcode lock on the door, but the window was an alternative entry point.

A little risky, but nothing a nimble fighter like Second Sister couldn’t handle.

...

Sneaking in was definitely wrong.

No matter where or who, it’s never a good thing.

So,

Young Master Cao wouldn’t do it.

But if Second Sister insisted, who was he to stop her?

Sigh.

Cao Cheng lit a cigarette in the courtyard garden, mentally condemning Second Sister’s actions.

...

Before long, Second Sister returned.

Her gait was slightly off.

Cao Cheng looked at her eagerly. "Well? Find anything?"

Second Sister shook her head. "Nothing out of place."

Cao Cheng frowned.

That didn’t make sense.

Second Sister then pulled a pill from her pocket and handed it to him. "But I found a bottle of medicine—no label, no name, just a plain white container. I took one out. See if you can tell what it is."

Cao Cheng took it and examined it.

His expression changed drastically.

"Uh…"

Second Sister tensed up. "What is it?"

Cao Cheng shook his head. "I don’t know."

"…" Second Sister’s face darkened.

Are you messing with me?

Cao Cheng’s tone turned serious. "But think about it. My knowledge of traditional medicine is top-tier, and even I can’t identify this. That means it’s either banned or something you can’t get just anywhere."

"Otherwise, why would there be no label?"

"Two possibilities."

"Either it’s a sketchy, unmarked product made privately."

"Or Eldest Sister tore off the label to keep it hidden."

Second Sister nodded after hearing him out. "Makes sense. What now?"

"First, let’s check your leg. You’re limping—did you get hurt?"

"Nah, just twisted my ankle a bit." Second Sister waved it off.

Probably had a little too much to drink earlier and wasn’t careful when she jumped down.

No big deal.

But Cao Cheng, ever the concerned friend, looked horrified. "Don’t move! A sprained ankle is serious. Let me take a look."

"…"