"Come with me to visit my teacher later."
"Why should I? I don’t even know your teacher."
"But you're my little brother."
"So?"
"So I should introduce you to her. My teacher is like family to me."
"..."
As Ren Yuege explained, Cao Cheng gradually understood that this "teacher" wasn’t the conventional kind.
She wasn’t just a school instructor.
Ren Yuege had been her disciple since childhood—twenty years now.
The elderly woman was once a professor and dean at the Beijing Conservatory of Music, a master of instrumental performance.
Now retired, she still held an honorary professor position, occasionally traveling to Beijing or other music conservatories to teach.
But most of the time, she stayed in Sanjiang City.
This was her hometown.
Of course,
Cao Cheng wasn’t too concerned about the teacher. What really mattered was whether Aunt Wang would be at the neighborhood gate when they left.
That was the key.
Unfortunately…
When they stepped out, the sun was blazing, not yet setting, and the neighborhood "intelligence squad" wasn’t on duty.
The gossip squad only worked mornings and evenings.
It was just past two in the afternoon—the hottest part of the day!
No sign of Aunt Wang.
Cao Cheng was deeply disappointed.
His attention drifted back to his "fourth sister’s" teacher.
Sitting in the passenger seat, he feigned interest. "So… your teacher is pretty famous in the industry?"
"Of course!"
Ren Yuege kept her eyes on the road as she drove. "You wouldn’t know, little troublemaker, since you’re not in the circle. My teacher has seniority, experience, and incredible skill. She masters instruments from all over the world. Do you even know music?"
"I don’t."
Cao Cheng shook his head.
But inwardly, he was surprised.
He had just unlocked "Piano Grandmaster" in his system.
As expected,
I’m truly the chosen one—another chance to show off.
But he couldn’t force it. Playing piano was about bringing joy.
Cao Cheng could hardly imagine how mesmerizing his grandmaster-level performance would be.
Probably enough to earn him plenty of "positive emotions."
But,
Positive emotions didn’t reward as much as negative ones.
That was a problem.
Still,
If this teacher was as renowned as Ren Yuege claimed, her status alone might yield decent emotional feedback.
The only worry was whether the old lady could handle it.
"How old is your teacher?"
"Just past seventy."
Ren Yuege added, "Don’t let her age fool you—she’s still at the top of her game."
Cao Cheng asked, "Is she in good health?"
"Obviously." Ren Yuege nodded, then frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. "Wait, what are you getting at, you little rascal?"
"Nothing. Just showing concern for an elder. She’s your teacher, so she’s half mine too. What’s wrong with caring?" Cao Cheng maintained an innocent expression.
But Ren Yuege was already on guard.
This troublemaker was definitely scheming!
Especially when he looked this harmless and naive—it always meant trouble.
Ren Yuege had a sharp eye for people.
Back home, she was the sly one, but since arriving in Sanjiang, Cao Cheng had outplayed her more than once.
---
Soon,
The car pulled into an older residential complex.
A former institutional compound.
The teacher lived in her family’s ancestral home—a two-story house with a courtyard. Grapevines draped over a wooden trellis, clusters of nearly ripe fruit hanging overhead.
Beneath it stood large, old-fashioned water vats, some with fish swimming inside.
The yard was dotted with vegetable patches, the scent of fresh green onions filling the air.
Everything radiated tranquility and charm.
Clearly, the old woman cherished peace.
Cao Cheng surveyed the scene and thought: Well, that’s about to change.
The two carried bags of gifts—some brought by Ren Yuege from Zhonghai, others bought along the way. Nutritious supplements and premium Chinese herbs.
"Teacher, I’m here to see you!"
The gate was open, so the old woman hadn’t noticed their arrival.
Until Ren Yuege called out.
A warm, grandmotherly voice responded.
"Yuege, you’re here!"
From the kitchen emerged a silver-haired woman in simple clothing, her demeanor gentle and kind.
This lady…
Cao Cheng studied her. No doubt, she must have been a stunning beauty in her youth.
Even now, time hadn’t dulled her grace.
Her elegance came from her poise, refinement, and bone structure—not just superficial beauty.
"Teacher!"
"Oh, you didn’t have to bring all this." The old woman smiled warmly, then turned to Cao Cheng.
Ren Yuege introduced him. "This is my little brother."
"You have a brother?" The teacher looked puzzled. "Did I forget something in my old age?"
"No, Teacher, you’re not old at all." Ren Yuege chuckled. "My mom remarried."
No need to elaborate further.
The teacher understood immediately and grinned. "Ah, so you finally got your wish! Didn’t you always want a little brother?"
"Not like this," Ren Yuege shot Cao Cheng a glance. "I wanted a sweet one. This rascal is nothing but trouble."
"..."
Cao Cheng’s lips twitched. "Shouldn’t you say that behind my back? Isn’t it a bit rude to say it to my face?"
The old woman laughed.
Ren Yuege huffed. "You are a troublemaker. I’ll say it however I like."
Cao Cheng shook his head in defeat.
The teacher could tell—despite the complaints, her student clearly had a soft spot for this brother. Otherwise, she wouldn’t tease him so freely.
"The young man has spirit."
"Thank you, Teacher. I’m Cao Cheng."
The old woman gestured warmly. "Sit, sit. Make yourself at home!"
She turned back to Ren Yuege. "I prepared dishes since I knew you were coming. Stay for dinner."
"Of course, Teacher." Ren Yuege accepted without hesitation.
Just then,
Footsteps pattered from upstairs.
"Senior Sister Yuege!"
A girl in a white sundress, wearing slippers, hurried down the steps.
"Lingling, you’re home too?" Ren Yuege brightened.
Lingling beamed. "Grandma said you were visiting today, so I stayed in. Hehe!"
The two immediately launched into chatter.
Cao Cheng suddenly felt like an outsider. Maybe he shouldn’t have come.
But since he was here… Well, no—that wasn’t the right way to think.
As the chosen one, shouldn’t he embrace the moment?
Better to focus on how to harvest some emotional points.
Though eager for those points, Cao Cheng wasn’t socially inept. The atmosphere was warm, and no villains had popped up to mock him.
Young Master Cao wouldn’t recklessly offend people for no reason.
Who knew how many points he’d gain? But he’d definitely make things awkward.
As always:
If the payoff was too small, it wasn’t worth acting like a lunatic.
If it guaranteed 10,000 points? He’d drop his pants and take a dump on the spot.
Who cared about awkwardness?
He could always apologize and clean it up later!
While lost in thought,
Ren Yuege nudged him. "What’s with the daze? Let’s go upstairs."
"Huh?"
Cao Cheng glanced at Lingling, then at Ren Yuege: "You two are having a girl talk. Would it be appropriate for me to join?"
"Don't overthink it. Sis just wants you to see her skills."
"What skills?"
"Piano!"
(°Д°): Isn't this walking right into the line of fire?
"Let's go!"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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)
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?
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.
