Tang Xin: We Are Good Sisters

The arrival of the new daughter-in-law for the New Year was a big deal for the family.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, Ren's mother warmly took Tang Xin's hand and led her inside.

Just as Young Master Cao had said, they were already familiar with each other—it was just a matter of adjusting to a new dynamic. Soon enough, everyone’s relaxed attitude put Tang Xin at ease.

However,

The sisters couldn’t hide certain emotions in their eyes, and the system quietly gathered data on them.

Young Master Cao, sharp-eyed and highly perceptive, noticed it all.

Even though none of them openly showed anything, he could tell—they had missed him dearly during his absence.

Absolutely.

Especially the second sister, Ren Fanxing. She had glanced at him when he entered, but after that, she avoided meeting his eyes. This sense of… well, forbidden tension—

This subtle behavior wasn’t because she didn’t miss him. On the contrary, it was precisely because she had been thinking about him that she didn’t dare to show it.

That’s what guilt looked like.

Now, take The Fourth.

The moment Cao Cheng returned, The Fourth practically pounced on him, throwing punches and kicks—an affectionate, if violent, welcome.

Young Master Cao ended up pinning her down on the sofa.

If they hadn’t been in front of everyone, he would’ve given her a proper "massage."

Of course,

Ren's mother shot them a glare and scolded, "You crazy girl, what are you doing?"

With so many people around, and the new daughter-in-law just arriving, roughhousing between siblings—no matter how close—was completely inappropriate.

Is this proper? Is this proper? Is this proper?

After Young Master Cao let go, The Fourth pouted and complained, "Mom, he deserved it."

Everyone turned to Cao Cheng.

He shrugged. "I have no idea what she’s talking about."

"You’re lying!"

The Fourth huffed. "When I was in charge of the media company, I wanted to invest in Bald Xu’s Lost in Thailand. He refused and insisted on dumping money into a bunch of cartoons—some bear, some sheep, some wolf…"

"I was the one in charge! He promised not to interfere, but when it came to investments, he just had to butt in."

"Especially with Lost in Thailand."

"It’s part of a franchise, and I knew it would be a hit this year. I told him that."

"But then he ran off to Beijing, then Sanjiang, and when I called him, he ignored me every time."

"He was dodging me on purpose."

"…"

She went on and on.

Eventually, everyone understood the situation—and they all agreed that Young Master Cao was in the wrong.

He had promised The Fourth, then gone back on his word.

And it wasn’t like she was making reckless investments. Lost in Thailand had been a box office success since its release.

Even if they didn’t follow entertainment news closely, they all knew how popular the movie was.

No wonder The Fourth was furious.

And those cartoons…

Domestic animated films weren’t exactly profitable.

The Fourth also pointed out that Young Master Cao had refused to invest in Lost in Thailand and even limited its screenings out of spite—because some artists under the Zhonghai label had clashed with him before.

During The Voice competition, they had ganged up to suppress Miracle Media.

Now, he was holding a grudge and refusing to collaborate.

But business shouldn’t be driven by personal grudges.

Besides, the other party had come seeking investment to mend relations.

A franchise like this wouldn’t have trouble finding backers otherwise.

In short,

Young Master Cao’s decisions had clashed with The Fourth’s management strategy.

And the worst part? He avoided her calls.

With her temper, The Fourth couldn’t let it slide.

…

The Third stepped in, pulling Young Master Cao and The Fourth apart to mediate.

"Alright, alright, it’s just one investment. Fifth Brother must have his reasons. Talk it out with him later."

The Third doted on Young Master Cao.

Even now, she took his side.

The Fourth jabbed a finger at her. "You keep spoiling him, and one day, he’ll turn into a spoiled brat."

Ren's mother patted Tang Xin’s hand and smiled. "This family is always noisy. The siblings have always been like this."

Tang Xin smiled back. "Fanxing told me about them. I really envy how close they are. In my family, we barely see each other unless there’s a reason."

Ren's mother said gently, "From now on, this is your home too. And these are all your sisters."

"Thank you, Mom." Tang Xin didn’t hesitate to address her as such.

Maybe spending so much time with Young Master Cao had thickened her skin.

Ren's mother had even prepared gifts for the new daughter-in-law—an exquisite jade bracelet as both a welcoming present and a token for the first "Mom."

…

But the matter wasn’t over.

Soon, The Fourth found another chance to grab Young Master Cao’s ear.

He smacked her hand away. "Let go! Can’t you give me some face?"

"Tch."

The Fourth rubbed her stinging hand, glaring. "You were the one who interfered with my management. And it’s not like I was being reckless—I evaluated Lost in Thailand’s script and fan reception. There was no way it would flop."

"And now, do you know how much it’s grossed? Over a billion! And that’s without an extended release."

"It might even hit 1.3 billion. Do you have any idea what that means?"

"It just smashed Let the Bullets Fly’s record by 300 million."

"This was a golden opportunity—profitable and prestigious."

No one could blame her for being upset.

If she had never considered investing, the movie’s success would’ve just been something to envy.

But she had been ready to back it—negotiations were nearly finalized.

Then Young Master Cao shut it down.

Now, seeing it rake in billions, how could she not be furious?

A feast snatched right from her lips.

"Is 1.3 billion that impressive?" Cao Cheng retorted.

"Of course! It’s the highest-grossing domestic film ever!" The Fourth insisted.

Young Master Cao shook his head. "Some money isn’t worth earning."

"Otherwise, your conscience will pay the price."

He said it with complete seriousness.

"??" The Fourth was baffled.

This time, Young Master Cao wasn’t joking.

He didn’t hold back, sharing what he knew—drawing from later reports and analysis.

The truth was, this film had "harmed" many people—not because of its content, but because its success as a comedy masked the real-life horrors of its setting.

After the movie went viral, it became free advertising for a certain country.

Tourist numbers skyrocketed from hundreds of thousands to millions.

And in the following decade, hundreds of thousands of people went missing there.

No wonder the country’s prime minister later personally thanked Bald Xu…

Of course,

Blaming a movie for this wasn’t fair.

It was just a comedy—how could anyone predict the aftermath?

But,

Since Young Master Cao knew in advance, he couldn’t in good conscience support it, no matter how profitable.

He had plenty of ways to earn money and emotional points—no need to sell his soul for petty gains.

In a way, he was protecting The Fourth.

Otherwise, years later, she’d be haunted by guilt.

…

When Cao Cheng finished explaining his concerns, The Fourth fell silent.

She hadn’t expected him to think so far ahead.

To see so deeply.

But…

She frowned. "Is that country really that dangerous?"

"It’s worse than I described," Cao Cheng said.

The Fourth said nothing more.

Cao Cheng ruffled her hair. "Alright, stop overthinking it. I was just voicing a concern, not stating a fact."

Hearing this, The Fourth finally relaxed, though she still frowned. "But what if it is true?"

"If it is, someone will handle it. It's not something our entertainment company needs to worry about." Cao Cheng didn’t elaborate further.

The overseas security company he had established was precisely for such contingencies.

Not that he fancied himself a saint.

But there were two benefits to this: first, he could help some of his compatriots, and second, he could harvest the positive emotions from rescues—along with the negative emotions from killings.

How could Cao Cheng let such opportunities slip?

These people were nothing but prime emotional livestock to him.

...

From that day until the Spring Festival, Tang Xin stayed at the Ren family mansion.

The only downside?

She didn’t get to room with Young Master Cao, instead sharing a room with Second Sister.

The two were practically inseparable.

Cao Cheng couldn’t help but wonder—wasn’t this usually the busiest time of the year for her workplace? How did she get such a long break?

In previous years, the end of the year had always been one of Second Sister’s most hectic periods.

But this time, she casually dropped the bombshell: she’d killed someone and was on mandatory leave.

That left Young Master Cao speechless—and a little concerned.

Upon questioning, he learned that a few days prior, during an operation to apprehend a fugitive based on intel, they’d stumbled upon a drug lord, leading to a shootout.

Perhaps because Second Sister was in a foul mood, her aim had been lethally precise—every shot a headshot.

This wasn’t a video game.

Anyone who’d killed in real life knew...

In reality, aiming for the head was never the optimal choice during a firefight—targeting the torso was far more practical.

The mission was ultimately successful.

There had been no procedural violations.

But because the drug lord had been headshot, the case now had unresolved questions, prompting Ren Fanxing’s temporary suspension to avoid interfering with the investigation. She was also ordered to undergo psychological counseling.

Since 2003, Zhonghai had implemented regulations requiring officers involved in fatal shootings to receive professional psychological support within 48 hours.

In recent years, such mental health services had expanded nationwide, reflecting a growing emphasis on psychological well-being.

...

The topic came up during dinner.

At the mention of killing, Ren's mother frowned, her face etched with worry. "Our family has businesses. Must you insist on such a dangerous job? This time, you were the one pulling the trigger—what if next time, it’s someone else aiming at you?"

"I never said much before because I thought it was your passion."

"But you’ve pursued this passion for years. You’re already thirty—how much longer can you keep this up?"

"Either transfer to a desk job or resign and help with the family business."

...

It was the Lunar New Year, so Ren's mother kept her words measured.

Otherwise, she might’ve bluntly said: This time, you killed someone—what if next time, someone kills you?

Bullets, after all, didn’t discriminate.

No matter how skilled you were, a single shot could end everything.

Ren Fanxing rolled her eyes. "I’m not thirty yet, Mom. Must you exaggerate?"

Ren's mother shot her a sidelong glance. "You’re twenty-nine. After this New Year, you’ll be thirty—what’s the difference?"

"..."

Cao Cheng nodded. "True!"

Ren Fanxing glared. "True??"

"I mean, resigning is the right call. It’s too dangerous. I’m with Mom on this," Cao Cheng quickly clarified.

Tang Xin chimed in, "I agree too."

A classic case of the wife following the husband’s lead.

Ren Fanxing’s expression turned icy as she side-eyed Tang Xin. "You used to support my career."

Tang Xin smiled. "That was then. Now we’re sisters. I don’t want anything happening to you—even a scratch would break someone’s heart."

"..."

Others might not have caught the subtext.

But Ren Fanxing knew.

The "sisters" Tang Xin referred to weren’t just friends.