Eldest Sister: Healing or Distressing

The third and fourth sisters returned home in the evening.

Young Master Cao once again transformed into a masseur—what could he do? After all, they were all working for him.

After a long, exhausting day, both physically and mentally drained,

Young Master Cao felt obliged to do something for them when they got home.

Otherwise, he’d be a downright scoundrel…

He brewed them a cup of tea—Ningxiang tea.

Lit some incense—dragon’s breath incense.

And served the pot of ginseng soup he’d just finished simmering.

One sip, and all their troubles melted away.

That night, they were destined for a deep, restful sleep, waking up refreshed the next day, ready to tackle work with renewed energy—full speed ahead!!!

Young people.

Should work harder.

Folks overseas juggle two jobs—how can we afford to rest? Clearly, we’re not grinding hard enough.

We should learn from the beacon of hard work.

Time to hustle!!!

Luckily, they weren’t actually that tired. The company was already running smoothly, and their roles mostly involved steering the ship and keeping an eye on things.

There weren’t many tasks that truly required their hands-on effort.

Otherwise,

Wouldn’t the managers Young Master Cao hired be a waste of money?

…

Knock knock knock—

11 p.m.

Everyone else was already deep in slumber.

But the eldest sister was still working.

The light in her room remained on.

The sudden knocking startled her.

She opened the door to find

Cao Cheng leaning casually against the doorframe like some smooth operator, an unlit cigarette dangling from his fingers.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze teasing.

The eldest sister was stunned.

What kind of late-night nonsense was this?

[Ding~ Negative emotions detected…]

“What do you want?”

“I went to Wanxiang Tower today.”

“…”

One sentence, and the mood plummeted.

The eldest sister was sharp—she didn’t need him to elaborate to understand what Young Master Cao was implying.

Wanxiang Tower…

That’s where Shen Xinran’s studio was located.

But then it hit her—that couldn’t be right. He’d been at home watching TV at the time. Unless…

“You followed me?” Her expression darkened, all traces of warmth vanishing.

It was as if someone had uncovered her deepest secret, and she couldn’t suppress the fury bubbling up inside her.

Cao Cheng sidestepped the question. “Shen Xinran’s skills are decent, but at best, her hypnosis can only help stabilize your emotions. If you want a real cure, you’ll need someone more professional. Otherwise, over time, it’ll just make things worse.”

“…”

The eldest sister’s eyes flickered. She glanced around before grabbing Cao Cheng and yanking him into her bedroom.

Bang—

The door shut.

But the sound was muted.

She disliked loud noises, so the entire room was soundproofed—even the door had transparent rubber padding to soften any slamming.

“Who else knows about this?” Her face was expressionless, but her mind was anything but calm.

Cao Cheng shook his head. “I haven’t told Mom yet.”

The eldest sister exhaled in relief, then frowned at him. “What do you want?”

“You think I’m here to blackmail you?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Do I seem like that kind of person?”

“I didn’t think so before, but now… I’m not so sure.” She didn’t mince words, her tone icy and blunt.

It made sense.

Having kept her condition hidden for years, only to have it exposed—and possibly used against her—of course she’d be upset.

Her illness hadn’t developed overnight.

It likely started years ago—maybe even in school, under all that pressure.

As the eldest sister, she had to set an example in everything she did…

But back then, she was still figuring herself out, far from the poised image she later adopted to emulate their mother.

Then came the company, and the pressure only grew worse.

Her condition worsened with it.

She probably never even went to the hospital—too scared, too trapped.

Then Shen Xinran came along, offering a small outlet.

Some things are like that—you can’t tell your family, but a stranger? That’s different.

…

So,

When faced with the eldest sister’s sudden shift in attitude and outburst of negativity, Cao Cheng didn’t take offense at being misunderstood.

After all, he had been teasing her on purpose.

Her reaction was only natural.

Cao Cheng reached into his pocket (or rather, his storage space) and pulled out a small vial.

He handed it to her.

“What’s this?” She frowned.

“The cure for all your problems.”

Cao Cheng smirked. “Life’s been a rollercoaster for me—one moment broke, the next rolling in cash… But during one of those highs, I met someone incredible. He gave me this treasure. Just one dose—doesn’t matter if your depression’s mild or severe. One pill, and you’re fixed.”

The eldest sister, Ren Chenxi, took the porcelain vial skeptically.

It was smaller than her palm.

But the vial felt cool to the touch, its texture refined—clearly high-quality craftsmanship.

As for what was inside…

“What kind of medicine is this?”

“Don’t ask. If you trust me, take it. If not… keep struggling on your own.” Cao Cheng grinned.

That infuriating grin.

The eldest sister’s brows knitted into a deep frown. Her eyes darted—down at the vial, up at him, down again, up again…

An internal battle raged within her.

"Alright, good night to you."

It wasn’t Young Master Cao’s fault for not explaining clearly.

Mainly because it was impossible to explain.

What kind of miracle cure could there possibly be for this kind of illness?

On the market, you either had SSRIs, SNRIs, or NAS…

How could he possibly tell her that this was just some street-stall concoction from the cultivation world?

In the world of "Shrouding the Heavens," it was merely a first-tier Soul Nourishing Pill, primarily used to nourish the spirit and repair damaged souls.

This thing could even heal the soul—indirectly fixing the emotional imbalances within it.

So…

Emotional issues would naturally be resolved in a single dose.

For ordinary people, it was practically invincible.

But its name wasn’t "Soul Nourishing Pill." Instead, it was called: "Tranquil Heart Cleansing Elixir!"

Effect: Clears inner distractions, dissolves emotional turmoil, and purifies the mind and spirit.

Primarily used to resist the karmic demons that arise during cultivation breakthroughs.

One pill… and no psychological ailment would remain.

It had been obtained from a golden treasure chest.

Young Master Cao had tossed it into a corner—he didn’t cultivate, so it was useless to him. Occasionally, he’d pop one like candy.

He still had a whole pile of them.

……

Young Master Cao left.

Leaving Big Sister Ren Chenxi standing there, lost in thought.

Her emotions were anything but calm.

Mainly because the truth was out—she couldn’t hide it anymore.

And then there was this pill in her hand…

That unreliable Fifth Brother might have a loose tongue, but he really did have some extraordinary things in his possession.

She couldn’t help but believe it.

Looking back on their long acquaintance, deep down, she was more inclined to trust him.

Her earlier attitude had just been a knee-jerk reaction.

It wasn’t like she had no conscience.

Fifth Brother had helped their family countless times. Without him, the past two years would’ve been much harder.

So…

She didn’t really believe Fifth Brother would harm her.

Once she calmed down, Big Sister turned her attention to the porcelain bottle.

It was exquisitely crafted.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t even porcelain—it seemed to be some kind of jade?

A jade bottle!

A white jade vial!

Whatever.

Regardless, it was clearly something valuable.

Big Sister knew quality when she saw it.

Pop—

She flipped the cap open, and instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Her eyes widened in shock.

She inhaled deeply.

Her mind immediately felt clearer. Earlier, she’d been drowsy while reviewing documents, but now she was back at peak alertness.

Even more refreshed than after hypnosis.

It worked!

Big Sister instantly knew—this medicine was genuinely effective for her.

She tipped the bottle.

Out rolled a faintly red pill, inscribed with strange, indecipherable runes. It looked anything but ordinary.

The medicinal aroma grew even stronger, deeper.

"Such a unique fragrance."

"This…"

Big Sister felt like she’d never smelled anything like it in her life.

Not necessarily the best, but certainly the most distinctive.

Her spirit seemed to undergo some kind of purification in that instant.

Her body even felt three pounds lighter.

……

Finally.

Big Sister decided to give it a try.

She swallowed the pill.

Sweet, slightly bitter, with an oddly pleasant medicinal taste.

And then…

Her vision went black.

She collapsed onto the bed.

Huh…

Cao Cheng was puzzled for a moment before realizing—this pill was meant for cultivators. Big Sister’s body was already depleted.

Sure, it healed the soul.

But her soul couldn’t handle it.

So…

Naturally, her body’s defense mechanism kicked in, plunging her into deep slumber.

While she slept, the healing would take place.

……

Cao Cheng hadn’t gone far, so he sensed what had happened.

He slipped back in through the window.

Checked her pulse briefly.

Confirmed she was fine, then relaxed.

Looking at the unconscious Big Sister, Cao Cheng smirked…

Of course, he didn’t do anything—he wasn’t that kind of scumbag. What kind of creep would take advantage like that?

Besides, their relationship wasn’t at that stage yet.

If this had been Second Sister, or Third or Fourth… well, Cao Cheng might’ve indulged a little.

But Big Sister? Nah.

He didn’t even touch her—just checked her pulse and left once he confirmed she was okay.

She had a carpet, and the room had central air conditioning. She wouldn’t catch a cold sleeping like this.

……

The night passed without incident.

By the next morning…

Normally, Big Sister would’ve overslept—her alarm hadn’t gone off, and her internal clock failed her.

She woke up close to 9 a.m., completely disoriented.

Sitting up, she realized she’d spent the night on the carpet.

Her thoughts were fragmented, as if chunks of memory were missing.

But it wasn’t amnesia—she could recall most things.

Naturally, she remembered last night… when Fifth Brother had given her that pill.

The jade bottle lay empty beside her.

She’d taken the pill.

That bastard Fifth Brother poisoned me!

That was her first thought.

But soon…

Ren Chenxi felt something strange—her emotions were off.

"This…"

"I’m… better?"

"Am I… healed?"

Only she could truly gauge her own emotions.

Before, it had felt like a thick cloud of gloom shrouded her mind, casting a shadow over her life.

There were other sensations too…

But now.

She felt different.

The world was the same world.

The room was the same room.

But she...

suddenly felt like everything had gotten better, even the alarm clock seemed cuter.

The messy pile of unsorted documents on the desk no longer felt like a burden.

Those files had already been checked over five times.

There was no need to go through them again.

She couldn't understand why she used to obsessively double-check everything, constantly afraid of making mistakes...

"This medicine Lao Wu gave me..."

"What exactly is it?"