Cao Gongzi: I Won't Let Go of Any One

“What’s wrong with your leg?”

After dinner,

The Fourth stood up, limping slightly.

The Third asked curiously.

“Nothing, just a cramp… uh, earlier.” She had been about to say she’d been stepped on by a dog, but that would’ve implied the two of them had been play-fighting under the table.

If overheard, it might cause misunderstandings.

So she quickly changed her tone.

“You okay? Want me to massage it for you? Cramps can be serious or minor.” Cao Cheng offered with an innocent, kind expression, stepping forward to support her.

The Fourth narrowed her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Fake nice.”

Cao Cheng whispered back, “You stepped on me first.”

“That was an accident!”

“So was mine.”

“You fu—”

The two bickered quietly as they moved to the backyard.

Once alone, The Fourth immediately turned feral, throwing punches and kicks. “You trying to kill me?! You almost flattened my foot!”

“It’s not that bad,” Cao Cheng chuckled.

“Look, it’s all red!”

She pulled her foot out of her slipper and lifted it slightly.

Sure enough, the top of her foot was flushed.

A minor scrape.

Just some friction.

A quick blow of air would fix it.

Since Cao Cheng had caused the injury, it was only right that he be the one to blow on it.

After applying some ointment,

The cooling effect instantly numbed the pain.

The bruise balm from the cultivation world was truly miraculous.

Once treated, The Fourth punched Cao Cheng’s shoulder again. “Couldn’t you have gone easy on me? I’m your elder sister, you little brat.”

“Cousin.”

“I’ll show you ‘cousin’—”

She tackled him, raining down playful blows.

As she loomed over him, baring her teeth in mock fury, Cao Cheng laughed and pinned her down.

Face to face.

Just centimeters apart.

Close enough to feel each other’s breath.

A flicker of panic flashed in The Fourth’s eyes. “Wh-what are you doing?”

Cao Cheng opened his mouth, but the teasing remark on his tongue died unspoken.

Never mind.

Second Sister’s situation wasn’t fully resolved yet—no need to complicate things further.

He knew exactly where The Fourth stood.

Given the current dynamic, if he pushed just a little, he could probably get away with a small indulgence.

But…

Forget it.

“Get up. Someone might come.” He patted her hip lightly, signaling her to move.

Hearing that, The Fourth scrambled off him in a fluster and plopped onto a nearby chair, visibly rattled.

Ten seconds passed.

No one came.

She glanced around, then back at Cao Cheng. “Who? Where?”

“I said might. I can’t predict the future. I don’t have super hearing.” He shrugged.

The Fourth’s fists clenched again.

She sprang up, ready to pounce once more.

Truthfully, she’d already braced herself for what might’ve happened earlier.

“Die!!” She launched herself at him.

Cao Cheng barely caught her in time.

The Fourth was always reckless like this.

If not for his reflexes, she’d have ended up with broken bones long ago.

Click—

The backyard door opened.

Second Sister strode out, her long legs carrying her gracefully.

Her first sight? The two of them tangled together. A frosty glint flashed in her eyes.

“Uh—”

Hearing the noise, The Fourth looked up and froze at Second Sister’s icy expression.

Instinctive fear kicked in. She immediately turned docile, swatting Cao Cheng’s hand away and standing up straight.

“Second Sister.”

“Mn.”

Second Sister nodded. “Eldest Sister wants you both for fruit.”

“R-right! I’ll go.” The Fourth fled like her life depended on it.

Cao Cheng stood to follow.

Second Sister stopped him. “Wait. I… want to talk.”

“Here?” He gestured around.

The backyard was empty.

The pool shimmered under the lights, its surface rippling like liquid spirit energy.

The setting was beautiful.

But anyone could walk in at any moment.

As for talking indoors? Second Sister worried they’d end up somewhere less… conversational.

“Here. Just for a bit.”

“Alright.”

Cao Cheng obliged.

The tea chairs in the backyard were firm, but the backrests were comfortable enough.

They sat across from each other.

Cao Cheng pulled out a packet of tea leaves and started boiling water.

“Tea after a meal helps digestion.”

Ren Fanxing ignored the small talk and cut straight to the point. “You and The Fourth?”

“Nothing.” Cao Cheng shook his head.

She eyed him skeptically. “Then what was that earlier?”

“I tricked her. She jumped at me, and I caught her.” He kept it factual.

Ren Fanxing didn’t press further about The Fourth. Instead, she pivoted. “Today, Tang Xin and I…”

“Don’t.” Cao Cheng interrupted.

She shook her head. “I know you two have an understanding—no outsiders mentioned. But some things need to be said. Otherwise, they fester.”

“……”

Cao Cheng mulled it over for a few seconds, hands still busy with the tea. Finally, he nodded. “Go on.”

“Tang Xin and I talked for hours. I learned a lot I didn’t know before. Now, I just want to know… how do you view relationships?”

Her question carried layers.

What she really wanted to ask was how he saw her—or how he planned to treat her in the future.

Cao Cheng answered softly, “I won’t let go of anyone.”

“You’re too greedy.”

The water hissed as it heated.

Cao Cheng leaned back, adopting a tactical recline. “Greed is wanting what you can’t have, clinging to what you can’t hold. I don’t think I’m greedy.”

“Then what is this?”

“Well,”

He paused. “Maybe it’s my upbringing.”

“Your upbringing?” Ren Fanxing frowned. She’d never heard of any tragic backstory for him.

Sure, he’d lost his mother young, but his father, while eccentric, was still around.

Compared to the four sisters—who, aside from wealth, had nothing—his life hardly seemed pitiable.

Cao Cheng sighed dramatically. “You know, growing up without a mother, I never experienced maternal love. So… I’ve always preferred older women.”

“……”

Ren Fanxing rolled her eyes.

Now he brings up age?

His emotional intelligence was truly something.

If this weren’t a serious conversation, she’d have punched him twice already.

What kind of logic is "I lacked maternal love, so I like older women"?

That instantly aged her by twenty years.

Cao Cheng continued mournfully, “People crave what they lack. One isn’t enough—I need several to feel secure. If that’s greed, then fine, I’m greedy.”

“Heh.”

Ren Fanxing laughed coldly.

Oh, she got it now.

Cao Cheng was just begging for a beating.

She’d actually thought he was opening up about his past, only for him to veer into shamelessness.

“But—”

Seeing her temper flare, Cao Cheng quickly backtracked.

He was genuinely scared.

The water was boiling.

If she lost it and threw scalding water in his face, even his life-saving trump cards might not save him from disfigurement.

“The real reason is… I once had a dream.”

“Like Dong Yong’s dream of the yellow millet.”

“Wait.”

Ren Fanxing held up a hand. “Wasn’t Dong Yong the one with the Seven Fairies? The ‘yellow millet dream’ was someone else’s story.”

"No," Cao Cheng shook his head seriously. "It couldn’t have been the Seven Fairies. Based on the timeline, they were trapped in the Peach Orchard by Sun Wukong at the time—frozen in place for six months while the Monkey King devoured twenty tons of peaches. And since a day in heaven equals a century on earth, Dong Yong would’ve long since kicked the bucket."

"???"

Ren Fanxing’s mind short-circuited.

Cao Cheng waved it off. "Never mind, the point is—I had a dream. A long, drawn-out dream…"

"It felt like an entire lifetime. When I woke up, I realized how shackled my real life had been by rules and expectations."

"That’s when I understood what I truly wanted in this life."

"So as long as everyone’s happy, why care about outside noise or other people’s judgments?"

Across the table, Cao Cheng reached out and took her hand.

His gaze deepened.

His voice turned low and magnetic. "I’m no good at sweet talk. All I know is—I won’t let go of your hand."

"Follow your heart."

"Is that so wrong?"

Ren Fanxing’s body tingled.

This wasn’t some flowery confession.

But that look in his eyes made it impossible to refuse.

As for the dream he mentioned?

Just an excuse!

Yet, somehow, it struck a chord.

Everyone had their secrets—she was no exception.

Out in the world, she was the fearless squad leader, a living terror to criminals.

At home, she was the dreaded "ghost-repeller" in the eyes of The Third and The Fourth.

But who knew that deep down, she was still just a girl who loved quirky little things?

Maybe she hadn’t always liked them. Or maybe years of repression had twisted her tastes.

She, too, feared constraints.

Feared the whispers and stares of others.

Like now, with this mess involving Cao Cheng. These past few days, she’d been talking more than usual—so unlike her usual composed self.

Less sharp. Less in control.

Because she was terrified of exposure. Of being scorned, ruined.

Especially by her family.

What if they couldn’t understand? What if they looked at her with disgust? She wouldn’t know how to face them.

In short—

Overthinking had left her paralyzed.

……

Glug-glug—

The sound of boiling water being poured into tea snapped her out of her silence.

She glanced up at Cao Cheng.

No denying it—the guy had charm.

No wonder Tang Xin was smitten with his looks.

Ugh.

Whatever.

One step at a time.

What’s done was done. No fixing it now.

The only "fix" was pretending nothing happened. Acting like everything was the same as before.

Keeping her distance.

That had been her plan this morning.

When she’d called Tang Xin, she’d steeled herself for the worst—a shattered friendship, her mother finding out, either her or Cao Cheng getting kicked out of the house.

But Tang Xin’s unexpected tolerance had kindled a sliver of hope.

When she’d returned home earlier and saw Cao Cheng, she couldn’t face him.

Then he came upstairs to talk, and for the first time, she’d wanted to lay everything out.

But instead—

Words failed her. His mouth had sealed hers.

And worse… she’d kissed him back.

So much for talking.

Screw it.

If the jar’s already broken, why not smash it properly?

Just keep it hidden. As long as no one else finds out.