"However..."
Ren Fanxing still wanted to explain.
But Tang Xin didn’t give her the chance.
It was unclear whether Tang Xin’s train of thought had been influenced by Young Master Cao.
Tang Xin spoke up: "Then why are you at work today? Doesn’t it hurt?"
"..."
In an instant.
Ren Fanxing’s face flushed bright red.
She nearly hung up the phone right then.
After a long pause, she stammered, "I—I used medicine. It stopped hurting after that."
Tang Xin finally got angry.
"Why didn’t you give it to me back then?"
"Uh—"
For some reason, Ren Fanxing felt a faint sense of pride bubbling up inside her upon hearing this.
At least Fifth Brother treated her well.
Wait—
Ren Fanxing froze for a second.
She was puzzled. Tang Xin didn’t seem angry about her own actions, but rather because Cao Cheng hadn’t given her the ‘medicine’ to ease the pain before?
That didn’t make logical sense.
"Maybe… back then, the medicine didn’t exist yet," Ren Fanxing explained. "He said it was really rare, that he didn’t have much, and he’d only gotten it recently."
She wasn’t sure if Tang Xin would accept this explanation.
Then, Tang Xin’s voice came through, laced with amusement: "Defending him already? Seems like last night was quite satisfying."
As an ‘experienced woman,’
Tang Xin had been through it all before—her words and demeanor were things a rookie like Ren Fanxing couldn’t handle.
Despite Tang Xin’s age, she was still new to this.
She was no match.
A single sentence left Ren Fanxing speechless.
Her mind involuntarily replayed memories.
As she reminisced, her legs crossed beneath the desk.
...
Tang Xin teased Ren Fanxing for a while.
Finally, Ren Fanxing couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you… angry?"
"If I got angry over this, I’d have died from rage long ago," Tang Xin snorted.
Ren Fanxing was stunned. "What do you mean? Does he have other women outside?"
"What do you think?" Tang Xin shot back.
"I don’t know."
Ren Fanxing claimed ignorance, but in her heart, she was almost certain—Fifth Brother definitely had others.
And from the sound of it, Tang Xin had known for a while.
Yet she didn’t care.
Ren Fanxing asked, "Why aren’t you angry?"
Tang Xin fell silent for a moment before murmuring, "I chose this man myself. If it’s a mistake, I’ll bear the consequences. Besides, I don’t see it as a huge problem. Maybe it’s because I grew up seeing families like this."
"From a young age, I knew I’d never have control over my own life."
"Even though I’m a girl and don’t have to shoulder the family’s burdens, just because I’m a Tang, I have to live within the rules. No overstepping."
"An arranged marriage was always my inevitable fate."
"Luckily, my mother protected me. I had a bit more choice—but even then, the options were limited."
"The best outcome I ever imagined was spending my life with someone I didn’t despise."
"I never thought I’d get to be with someone I actually loved."
"Maybe that’s why I don’t care what he does. He promised me he’d never bring up the others in front of me or flaunt them. That’s enough for me."
"Including this situation with you—if you hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t have told me either."
"But I don’t think he’s hiding it deliberately. He just keeps his word. As long as I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. And I’ll always be the most important."
"..."
Hearing Tang Xin’s words,
Ren Fanxing stayed silent for a long time. Something felt wrong.
This mindset wasn’t right.
It definitely didn’t align with the Ren family’s values.
Of course,
Ren Fanxing also knew many so-called ‘upper-class’ people were very open about these things.
After all, at its core, it was just a matter of morality.
And morality was about self-restraint, not controlling others.
So,
to put it bluntly, morality couldn’t even constrain ordinary people. It was just a personal scale.
On one side of the scale was gold, on the other, power.
It tipped too easily.
Let alone how those who held wealth and power viewed such matters.
It wasn’t that they didn’t care.
Rather, because they cared, there were rules in place.
People couldn’t control themselves, but rules could.
So,
this was just an unspoken understanding.
As long as things didn’t go too far, as long as it didn’t become a national scandal, no one would dig too deep.
Like many privileged third-generation heirs.
Those who couldn’t inherit power—men and women alike—often lived wildly, knowing they’d never carry the family’s banner.
The only rule was: don’t cause a major scandal.
Stay low-key, and you could do whatever you wanted.
But if it blew up, the family wouldn’t protect you. They might even sacrifice you.
That was just how the game was played.
...
Ren Fanxing had heard about this before.
She and Tang Xin were close friends. When they used to drink and have fun together, Tang Xin would occasionally let slip some truths.
But now that it involved her directly, Ren Fanxing found it harder to accept.
She still felt guilty.
So,
after hearing Tang Xin’s words and realizing she wasn’t being blamed,
Ren Fanxing, amid her guilt, actually felt a subtle urge to defer to Tang Xin.
Like Tang Xin truly had the grace of a ‘first wife.’
Though she didn’t even notice this shift in herself.
Ren Fanxing whispered, "I’m sorry."
"Between us, there’s no need for apologies."
"You know, I’m already luckier than most."
Tang Xin chuckled. "He managed to win over my parents, gave me this freedom—I couldn’t be happier."
"So, if he’s happy, I’m happy."
"If he wants to play, let him play."
"..."
Ren Fanxing couldn’t help but say, "Aren’t you afraid he’ll grow tired of the old for the new?"
"He won’t." Tang Xin was firm.
"You can’t be sure." Ren Fanxing shook her head. "In my line of work, I’ve seen too many couples who started loving and ended up killing each other. Some even died. There are too many cases like that."
Tang Xin shook her head. "You still don’t understand."
"Then explain it to me."
Tang Xin didn’t drag it out. She countered directly: "Do you think he has secrets?"
"Secrets?" Ren Fanxing didn’t immediately grasp what she meant.
"Like… tea, perfume, cosmetics formulas..."
Ren Fanxing instantly understood, letting out a soft "Oh."
Tang Xin smiled. "See? This man has more secrets than we can imagine. He just keeps his mouth shut. I can’t get anything out of him."
"But even so, I get to enjoy the benefits unconditionally. He thinks of me without me having to ask."
"Sometimes it’s not about what he says, but what he does."
"I can feel his care and affection."
"And the most important thing..."
"Do you know how much money he’s entrusted to me?"
Ren Fanxing shook her head. "How much?"
Tang Xin grinned. "One hundred thirty-eight billion… euros."
"...How much?"
Ren Fanxing was stunned.
Her second sister was a bit clueless, sure.
She had zero sense when it came to money—but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand what over ten billion euros represented.
Ren Fanxing muttered, "What’s the net worth of the richest person on our side right now? Excluding him."
Tang Xin replied, "Close to sixty billion."
Ren Fanxing gasped, "So he’s hundreds of billions ahead of the second richest?"
Tang Xin: "At the current exchange rate, after deducting management fees, handling charges, telegraphic fees, intermediary bank costs, and so on, converting it back to RMB would be around 120 billion."
"Double?"
"More than that."
Tang Xin continued, "And that’s just what I’m handling. He’s got his own reserves too—including shares in the groups ranked fourth, sixth, eleventh, eighteenth, twenty-first on the current rich list..."
"Plus some investments..."
As Tang Xin spoke, Ren Fanxing’s mind went blank.
She knew Young Master Cao was raking it in.
But this much?
In just a few years?
What Ren Fanxing didn’t know was that Cao Cheng had ridden two massive waves of financial booms—and was still riding them.
The current economic climate was also favorable.
If things dragged on a few more years, when the so-called "Mao Yi War" broke out, Young Master Cao wouldn’t dare play so recklessly.
No wonder the finance world bred tycoons so easily.
With foresight like a cheat code, making money was a given.
And this was all done quietly. If he’d gone all out, he could’ve surpassed some old-money conglomerates in no time.
Even now, the numbers were staggering.
Tang Xin couldn’t even calculate Young Master Cao’s total assets.
Many were shell companies—
set up for smoother transactions and capital flow.
Of course,
Young Master Cao invested far more.
Plenty of his ventures were money pits for now, with no immediate returns. He was buying time, betting on the future.
...
Tang Xin wasn’t saying all this to hype up Young Master Cao.
Her point was—
Tang Xin said, "I’m certain he wouldn’t, because he trusted me enough to hand over this much capital without even checking the books. If he has that kind of faith in me, why should I doubt him?"
"The way he treats me—I may not care much about money, but it speaks volumes."
"Don’t you think?"
Ren Fanxing exhaled sharply. "Yeah!"
She had to admit Tang Xin was right—and perceptive.
Truth was, only those who truly understood the rules of the game and the hierarchies knew: everything in this world boiled down to profit.
Every. Single. Thing. Without exception.
And "profit" wasn’t just money—it encompassed other things too.
Even "reputation" was a form of profit.
Take scholars in ancient times. Seeking fame? Just a means to secure their future, their prospects, their political careers.
Even after gaining fame and wealth, planning for the family’s legacy? Still profit.
"Of course,"
"The main point is..." Tang Xin’s tone took on a mischievous edge, a smirk in her voice.
"What?" Ren Fanxing frowned.
"You’ll find out soon. You’re just starting out—he’s going easy on you. Back when it was my turn, I didn’t leave the house for three days. Nearly died."
"..."
Ren Fanxing instantly got it.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
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)
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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.
