Oops, what are you doing...

Young Master Cao had left.

The family's real estate company would soon send someone to handle the transition.

From now on, others would take care of the remaining matters.

Inside the car.

Tang Xin held Young Master Cao's hand, comforting him.

She could sense his reluctance as he departed.

Young Master Cao was, after all, a reserved person—yes, very reserved.

His true emotions were deeply hidden, while his outward demeanor was all pretense.

At heart, Young Master Cao was nostalgic, unable to let go of everything from his hometown.

Sitting in the car, he looked back at the gate of the old cotton mill compound, which soon disappeared from view.

Yet, Young Master Cao kept turning his head, finally letting out a quiet sigh.

Ah...

Fortunately, Tang Xin was by his side, offering warmth and easing his melancholy.

Tang Xin understood—this departure was likely the last time they would see the old cotton mill. By the next visit, it would probably be demolished.

Or perhaps replaced by towering buildings, forming a new small commercial district.

But no matter how modern or luxurious, it would never carry the same old charm.

Those were the memories of childhood.

"We can always come back and visit when we have time," Tang Xin said softly.

"We can even hold a wedding banquet here when we get married."

"No need, it's too much trouble," Young Master Cao replied with a smile. "We'll have one in Beijing and another in Zhonghai—that’s already exhausting enough. We’d be better off planning where to go for our honeymoon."

Was he truly reluctant?

Not really.

With a century’s worth of experience, he’d seen it all.

What disappointed him was that, during his years away, Aunt Wang had grown careless.

She hadn’t even noticed the dried fish and cured meat hanging outside his house had gone missing.

Now, those very items were in the trunk of the car, destined for Zhonghai—a taste of home.

And let’s be honest, things always tasted better when they belonged to someone else.

Yet, even after Young Master Cao had left, Aunt Wang still hadn’t realized the theft. He was almost disappointed not to witness her furious outburst.

Oh well.

She had his number—she’d probably call later to curse him out.

He’d wait.

Her reaction would tell him exactly when she discovered the missing goods.

"Honeymoon!" Tang Xin asked. "Should we go to Europe?"

"No," Young Master Cao shook his head. "Let’s explore our own country’s beautiful landscapes. Safer."

And by "safer," he meant it literally.

Young Master Cao wasn’t afraid for himself, but he worried about Tang Xin.

At home in China, her safety wasn’t a concern—he didn’t have to lift a finger.

But abroad? That was a different story.

Did anyone really think Barnacle Capital would just swallow their losses?

They’d be itching for revenge.

For now, they’d lost the upper hand in the daily chemicals industry, forced to retreat and cede most profits to Young Master Cao under the pressure of Xyuan Hydraulics.

But that didn’t mean they’d back down in other areas.

They were biding their time.

After a century of reflection, Young Master Cao knew exactly how these capitalists operated.

……

……

"My fish!"

"The cured meat…"

"We’ve got a thief! A damn thief!"

"Call a neighborhood meeting!"

The next morning, Aunt Wang’s shrieks echoed through the entire Jiangbei community, stirring up chaos.

The other women were outraged.

How dare someone steal from the heart of Jiangbei?

It was like robbing a police station!

Panic spread quickly.

The cotton mill compound had never lost so much as a needle—yet now, hundreds of dollars’ worth of cured fish and meat were gone.

A real master thief had struck.

After an inspection, it turned out no other households had lost anything—only the goods Aunt Wang had hung outside Young Master Cao’s house were missing.

All that remained was one fish, one sausage, and a single slice of cured meat.

The thief had left just enough—proof of some twisted honor among thieves.

Aunt Wang, however, was livid. All that effort, gone overnight.

Then, one of the sharp-eyed women in the group voiced a suspicion:

"Did Little Cao take them?"

"..."

"..."

The crowd fell silent.

Even Aunt Wang had a sudden realization.

She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Young Master Cao’s number.

Ring, ring, ring—

The call connected quickly.

Young Master Cao had just woken up and was having breakfast.

He’d already arrived in Zhonghai but hadn’t taken Tang Xin home yet—they were staying at the Peace Hotel.

"You little brat! You stole my cured fish and meat!" Aunt Wang cut straight to the chase, no pleasantries.

"Aunt Wang, that’s uncalled for. Swearing at me first thing in the morning? And let’s be clear—educated people don’t 'steal.' Besides, I took what was hanging on my balcony. What’s it got to do with you?"

So it was him.

Aunt Wang was fuming.

The others, however, sighed in relief.

Better a prank than an actual thief.

At least they wouldn’t have to guard against burglars during the New Year.

"That was mine!" Aunt Wang roared.

Young Master Cao’s voice dripped with mock innocence over the phone:

"It was on my balcony. No name tag on it."

"You—!"

"Ah, Aunt Wang," Young Master Cao sighed. "I hate to say it, but you’re just too stingy. Even if it was yours, what’s the harm in me having some? You made so much—could you even finish it all? You should’ve shared willingly. Where’s your conscience?"

"..."

Aunt Wang was speechless.

That line sounded familiar—probably from some TV drama.

"I have no conscience?" she snapped. "I cleaned your dump of a house for free, didn’t I? And this is how you repay me?"

"Now, now, Aunt Wang. Letting you clean my place was a sign of trust. Do you know how many people would kill for the trust of a future billionaire? A few fish in exchange? Fair deal."

The crowd nodded along.

Aunt Wang laughed in fury. "So I should thank you?"

"No need for thanks. The cured meat covers it. I’ll come back for more next year."

"Over my dead body! Next time I see you, I’ll break your legs!"

Aunt Wang hung up in a huff.

The others quickly tried to calm her.

"Come on, Aunt Wang, it’s not a big deal. Young Master Cao’s close to you—just think of it as him treating your place like home."

"Yeah, I’d give him cured meat too if he’d take it!"

"Exactly, exactly…"

"Exactly my foot!" Aunt Wang stomped, pointing around. "That was a thousand yuan worth!"

"Don’t bring money into it. He’s helping us with the relocation, isn’t he?"

"Old Wang, the kid’s alright. He just doesn’t see you as an outsider."

One old bachelor chuckled. "Hey, if you don’t see me as an outsider either, feel free to take my cured meat. We can even get married tomorrow."

The crowd burst into laughter.

Aunt Wang kicked at him. "Get lost! Look at yourself in the mirror—you think I’d settle for you? Pah!"

Amid the teasing and laughter, the tension dissolved.

As long as it wasn’t a real thief, no harm done.

Everyone knew Young Master Cao wasn’t short on money—he’d taken Aunt Wang’s goods either out of affection or just to mess with her.

After all, back when he still lived in Sanjiang, wasn’t his daily hobby outsmarting Aunt Wang?

The two of them were like characters in a TV drama, and those who knew them loved watching their antics.

Unfortunately,

as Young Master Cao soared to new heights, the small pond of the cotton mill could no longer contain such a formidable figure. After he left, it always felt like something was missing.

Now it was clear.

The laughter was gone.

The chaos and commotion had vanished.

A peaceful life was far less interesting than the lively days they once had.

……

Zhonghai.

Cao Cheng put down his phone, thoroughly satisfied.

Over the past few days in Sanjiang, he had harvested quite a bit of emotional energy. Unsurprisingly, the top contributor was none other than Aunt Wang.

On Young Master Cao’s path to growth, Aunt Wang had always been his staunchest supporter.

Even though her status was relatively low, and the emotional energy she provided was minimal,

still, credit had to be given where it was due.

Once Little Wang graduated, he’d find him a good job at a local company, so he could take care of Aunt Wang in her old age.

Beside him, Tang Xin remained silent.

To this day, she still couldn’t figure out whether her man and Aunt Wang had a good relationship or a bad one.

But one thing was clear—her man was practically public enemy number one in Sanjiang.

Before leaving, he’d even swiped some salted fish and cured meat from the locals.

If word got out… his fans would probably be shocked.

……

After breakfast at the hotel,

Cao Cheng took Tang Xin to pay another visit.

This wasn’t Tang Xin’s first time at the Ren household. As Ren Fanxing’s close friend, she’d been there many times before.

But this year,

it was her first visit as the "daughter-in-law-to-be."

Naturally, she was a little nervous.

Sitting in the car as they entered the neighborhood, Tang Xin hastily touched up her makeup.

Not that she needed it—she was naturally beautiful.

But she wanted to present her best self, so she applied a bit of lip gloss.

Just to freshen up her look.

Once done, she turned to Young Master Cao. "How do I look?"

The lip gloss was a premium product from Miracle Cosmetics, infused with herbal extracts.

It looked good, nourished the lips,

and even tasted nice.

Cao Cheng leaned in…

Mainly because he was a bit hungry, and a little lip gloss would tide him over until lunch.

A moment later,

Tang Xin pushed him away, scowling. They were almost at the doorstep, and she grumbled, "You jerk, I just reapplied my lip gloss."

With that, she huffily started reapplying it.

She should’ve known better than to ask him.

So annoying.

This was the first time Tang Xin had ever scolded him.

Even during the whole Ren Fanxing situation, she hadn’t lashed out at him—not even a glare. But now she was outright cursing…

It showed just how nervous she was.

Cao Cheng chuckled. "It’s not like it’s your first time here."

Tang Xin shot him a sidelong glare. "Ugh, get away from me."

Cao Cheng grinned. "Relax. It’s not like they don’t know you. You’re just here in a different role now. Besides, I’ve already talked to them. Ren's mother has accepted it, and as for my dad—just ignore him."

"Besides,"

"look at how comfortable I was when I met your dad and the grand dame—er, I mean, my esteemed father-in-law and mother-in-law."

In ancient terms,

a father-in-law was called "Mount Tai,"

and a mother-in-law, "the Waters of Tai."

Tang Xin dabbed on more lip gloss while shooting him a look. "Yeah, because you’ve got the thickest skin. Pfft."

She was clearly still annoyed, venting her frustration.

Was Cao Cheng going to indulge her?

Not a chance.

He lunged at her. "Let me check if this lip gloss has expired."

"Hey—what are you doing?!"