Girl's Confession: Bro, I Like You~~

"About this cosmetics line, how do you plan to promote it next?" Eldest Sister seemed very concerned about the matter.

It made sense.

After all, Ren's Hall was a legacy brand.

Even though it had been spun off from the Ren Group, it wasn’t exactly a case of "letting profits flow to outsiders."

When it came to the cosmetics industry, Eldest Sister had some understanding.

She knew all too well the tricks of the trade—how domestic and international brands would suppress you. The stronger you became, the fiercer the attacks and suppression would be.

Cao Cheng was in front of the tea tray, rinsing several purple clay teapots back and forth with hot water.

They hadn’t been used in a while.

They needed to be "awakened."

Pour boiling water inside and out a few times, then steep a pot of tea for twenty minutes—that would do the trick.

As he poured the water, Cao Cheng chuckled. "Eldest Sister, have you tried the Diamond Collection?"

Eldest Sister nodded.

Cao Cheng pressed, "How was the effect?"

Eldest Sister gave a wry smile. "I know what you’re getting at. In terms of results, it’s genuinely the best I’ve ever used. Whether it’s the skin-feel or the post-use effects, no other brand comes close."

"But Fifth Brother…"

"You have to understand—a great product doesn’t always mean great sales."

"Many of our domestic brands are affordable, and their effects aren’t necessarily worse than those of international luxury brands."

"Yet they still can’t command high prices, and even at such low costs, few people buy them. Do you know why?"

Cao Cheng tilted his head, adopting a listening posture. "All ears! Please enlighten me, Eldest Sister."

Since recovering from her illness, Eldest Sister had become more talkative.

There was also a newfound assertiveness in her personality—something that hadn’t been there before.

Eldest Sister explained, "So-called 'lack of brand heritage'—take foreign brands like Lancôme and L’Oréal, for example. They’ve been around for decades, even a century."

"History is one thing, but the key is their long-term global brand influence."

"They have immense recognition."

"To put it bluntly, it’s about cultural accumulation and storytelling—how well they’ve shaped consumer perceptions."

"Add to that their massive advertising budgets. Many big brands invest heavily, sometimes up to half their profits, just on marketing."

"Packaging design…"

"Consumer psychology…"

"Herd mentality…"

To the average person, this explanation would make sense.

But for someone like Young Master Cao, it all sounded rather conventional.

Nothing groundbreaking.

Still, Eldest Sister had a point.

If they really wanted to succeed, they should first launch a widespread, low-cost campaign to build brand reputation before introducing a premium line. That way, consumers would be more receptive.

In other words,

start with a "bronze-tier" product, then move up to silver, gold, and eventually diamond.

Under normal circumstances, this would be the safer approach.

Meanwhile, Cao Cheng had already steeped a pot of tea.

All the purple clay teapots were ready to use again.

He was in high spirits.

Cao Cheng looked up, amused. "Finished? Eldest Sister, no offense, but you all could’ve at least taken care of my teapots while I was away. Look at these poor things—they’ve gone bone-dry."

"..."

A vein pulsed on Eldest Sister’s forehead.

She was getting irritated.

Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "Were you even listening to me?"

"Of course, of course." Cao Cheng smiled. "Eldest Sister, I know you’re anxious, but you really shouldn’t be."

Eldest Sister was speechless. "You’re still joking around?"

"Talking about poverty during the New Year is bad luck. We should talk about prosperity instead. Eldest Sister, I understand your concerns, but you don’t grasp my vision."

Eldest Sister nodded. "Then enlighten me."

"Trade secret." Cao Cheng shook his head.

"..."

Cao Cheng grinned. "But you’ll see soon enough. No need to rush."

Eldest Sister stared at him intently.

Cao Cheng posed a question: "Here’s something to consider—the current global leader in cosmetics took over a century to reach the top, and they haven’t even solidified their position yet. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Eldest Sister was puzzled.

"Because their products are mediocre."

Cao Cheng scoffed. "If their products were even slightly better, would they need to play this game of 'last man standing'? Would it take them a hundred years to become number one?"

"Their strategy boils down to two things: throwing money at promotions and ads, and buying out competitors—over and over again. Once they’ve acquired everyone, they’re suddenly the best."

"How much do they actually invest in R&D?"

"They don’t rely on innovation—they rely on brand managers and marketing."

"Dig deeper, and you’ll see they thrived because of our country’s century of weakness and the blind worship of foreign brands."

"Otherwise, would they have made it this far?"

"So,"

"it’s not that I look down on them—it’s just that if their products were any good, they wouldn’t need these tactics."

Cao Cheng pointed to the blue-packaged Miracle Gift Set on the TV stand:

"This product of mine is in a league of its own."

"All I need to do now is make sure the world knows how superior it is. Consumers vote with their wallets—once they try it, they’ll flock to buy it."

"Or rather,"

"once they’ve used my product, they’ll be hooked. They won’t switch to other brands—unless they want their skin to suffer."

"..."

Eldest Sister saw through it.

The kid was bragging.

Still, he had a point. In terms of product quality alone, it was indeed unmatched.

If given the choice, she and her sisters would pick Miracle’s products over any luxury brand.

They no longer needed big names to flaunt status—they cared about results.

But…

Did the average consumer prioritize results?

Obviously not.

From a Maslow’s hierarchy perspective, many newly wealthy Chinese consumers weren’t buying for efficacy—they were buying for the brand.

These were people who had just escaped financial struggle and now sought higher needs—esteem, status, the urge to show off.

Luxury cars, designer goods, international labels—these fulfilled their psychological cravings.

So,

product performance wasn’t the main factor.

If the brand name wasn’t prestigious enough, they wouldn’t buy it.

Still,

Eldest Sister didn’t want to keep playing the pessimist.

Now that she knew Fifth Brother had a plan, she wasn’t as worried.

With his intelligence, he wouldn’t recklessly mess things up.

After a moment of thought, she asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Cao Cheng replied, "On my flight back, the flight attendant was quite pretty."

"??" Eldest Sister rolled her eyes.

Was this abrupt topic shift necessary?

Cao Cheng continued, "Pretty, yes, but not very observant. I kept stretching my neck and shoulders, and she didn’t even offer a massage. No wonder she’s stuck as a flight attendant for life."

"..."

Eldest Sister laughed.

She understood now.

Only,

Before Eldest Sister could lend a hand, a loud shout came from nearby.

"Leave it to me!"

The Fourth charged over with the speed of a thunderbolt—so fast you couldn’t even cover your ears—and began kneading Cao Cheng’s shoulders with a vengeance.

"Ow ow ow—damn it, easy, easy! Are you crazy?" Cao Cheng yelped.

The Fourth smirked in satisfaction, increasing the pressure even more.

Ahhh, bliss~~~

Cao Cheng alternated between groaning in pleasure and barking orders, urging The Fourth to put her all into it.

Eldest Sister shook her head lightly and didn’t linger, heading back inside to help their mother with dinner.

Only after Eldest Sister had left did The Fourth finally huff through gritted teeth, "You already have Tang Xin, so why are you messing around with Lingling?"

"Jealous?" Cao Cheng shot back.

"Bullshit!" The Fourth spat. "I just don’t want Lingling getting fooled by you. She’s my junior, after all—I can’t just stand by and watch her throw herself into trouble."

It sounded reasonable.

But…

She was totally jealous.

Cao Cheng could tell.

With a chuckle, he said, "You’ve got it wrong. We’re just like siblings—plus, I’m kind of her mentor."

"Better be true." The Fourth snorted but didn’t press further.

However.

Standing behind him, she missed the faint trace of helplessness in Cao Cheng’s eyes.

During his recent trip to the capital, Lingling had accompanied him the entire time.

Their relationship had grown… close.

How close?

Well.

Let’s just say they had breakfast together every morning.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Lingling had to return home—her flight to Sanjiang was already booked.

Before leaving,

the girl suddenly blurted out, "Ge~~ I like you!"

Her words tumbled out in a rush, flushed with shyness.

Cao Cheng accepted her feelings.

Well, at least in his heart, he did.

He was a man, after all.

Prone to the mistakes all men make.

But he didn’t hide the truth from her, telling her outright that he already had a girlfriend.

Lingling was heartbroken.

Young and impulsive, she seemed on the verge of saying, "I don’t care."

But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Because she was too kind.

No matter how strong her feelings were, she would never wreck someone else’s relationship.

That just wasn’t right.

Her morals, her personality—everything about her forbade it.

Instead,

Lingling pulled out a sheet of music—an original piano composition.

It was something she’d created after years of Cao Cheng’s guidance, a testament to her growth.

Titled Moonlight in Dreams!

A piece about love—or perhaps unrequited love… The melody was soft, tender, yet brimming with hidden passion and longing.

This song was her gift to Cao Cheng.

Its meaning needed no explanation.

Cao Cheng, being somewhat versed in piano, recognized its brilliance at a glance.

It captured a young girl’s emotions perfectly.

Technically masterful.

Emotionally profound.

She had surpassed her teacher.

Just half a step away from becoming a true virtuoso.

So young, yet so remarkable!

Holding the sheet, Cao Cheng remarked, "This piece is worth at least three Beijing apartments."

"……" Lingling gave him a wounded look.

Here she was, pouring her heart out, and this guy was talking about market value?

But Cao Cheng wasn’t one to take without giving.

He pulled out an Enlightenment Pill.

"But this thing? It’s worth three piano virtuosos." He held the pill to her lips.

He’d never wanted to force her growth.

That’s why he’d held onto this treasure for so long.

But now, with her so close to greatness—

And after her confession, even if it hadn’t quite worked out…

In his heart, he’d already accepted her kindness, her love.

So he didn’t hesitate to give her this rare pill, looted from a diamond treasure chest.