The Second Son Joins the Family Tree, Exaggerated Acting

They say minds think alike.

With the bond of the mother-child lock, a single glance was enough to know what the other intended to do.

And,

this sneaky, clandestine feeling was indeed a bit thrilling.

Especially for The Second, who had always been fond of such covert behavior.

Despite her upright and righteous appearance in uniform, she harbored some rebellious and extreme hobbies in private.

If not for the constraints of time and circumstance, they wouldn’t have been able to leave the room for at least two hours.

For now, they could only satisfy their cravings slightly.

Cao Cheng conjured a lineage book out of thin air.

"What’s this?" Ren Fanxing was puzzled.

"Drop some blood on it," Cao Cheng said, producing a sharp little knife.

"..."

Cao Cheng didn’t explain further.

Ren Fanxing studied his expression, sensing the gravity in his demeanor, and realized this was no ordinary object.

She lightly drew the knife across her fingertip.

Instantly, several drops of blood welled up.

She didn’t even flinch.

This woman was fearless.

Did she really need to make such a deep cut?

Cao Cheng was about to stop her, but it was too late.

A simple prick would’ve sufficed, yet she went for a full slice...

Whatever.

It wasn’t an artery, so no need to dampen her enthusiasm.

As the blood touched the lineage book, a golden glow shimmered once more.

Ren Fanxing’s eyes widened. "This is...?"

She had suspected this wasn’t just some ordinary trinket, but who could’ve imagined it would glow upon contact with blood?

Was this even possible?

Was this scientific?

Cao Cheng opened the book.

Entry Two: Ren Fanxing (Detailed Information)

Her name was now inscribed.

Alongside it were detailed records.

However, her branch of the family had no other members yet, leaving her name standing alone.

For now, she was listed under the main lineage.

Only when her descendants branched out in the future would sub-lineages appear in the family records.

Cao Cheng explained, "This is a lineage book. I obtained it through special means. It doesn’t just record our family’s information—it can also reflect lifespan and fortune."

Originally, Ren Fanxing wouldn’t have believed in such things—they seemed too abstract.

But,

after her blood merged with the book, she vaguely sensed a change.

Her body felt stronger.

Her mind told her she had gained more years to live.

The sensation was subtle.

...

About ten minutes later.

The two descended the stairs.

Ren Fanxing had tidied her hair and straightened her clothes.

But when it came to acting, she was amateurish at best. The moment they reached the bottom, she slapped Cao Cheng’s back with a loud thwack.

The sound was deafening.

It didn’t hurt.

Just loud.

Ren Fanxing even warned, "Mess with my hair again, and I’ll knock your teeth out."

Just look at this performance.

The classic case of "protesting too much."

All she had to do was keep a straight face—no need for such exaggerated theatrics.

Cao Cheng could only shake his head with a wry smile, playing along. "It’s just because I haven’t seen Second Sister in so long. I missed you. You know what they say—hitting is affection, scolding is love."

"Ghosts with your 'hitting is affection.' Stay away from me," she snorted coldly.

More overacting.

Seriously, sis.

Even if we ignore the taboo nature of our relationship, we’re still family.

A little roughhousing is normal. But this icy demeanor? Doesn’t make sense.

After so long apart, where’s all this sudden hostility coming from?

Anyone could tell something was off.

Cao Cheng didn’t bother arguing further. If they kept it up, even the housekeeper would catch on.

Ren Fanxing’s acting skills…

Cao Cheng was considering finding her a drama coach in the entertainment industry. Otherwise, they’d have problems sooner or later.

...

After escaping to the kitchen,

Cao Cheng spotted The Fourth.

Without hesitation, he kicked her in the rear.

That’s for dropping from 94 to 93.

This kick was worth one point.

The Fourth was stunned. It didn’t hurt much, but the suddenness made her knees buckle, nearly sending her to the floor.

Cao Cheng quickly steadied her, feigning concern. "Fourth, what’s wrong? Fourth, don’t scare me like this! You okay?"

The Fourth smirked in exasperation. "You kick me, then ask if I’m okay?"

"Nonsense. When did I kick you?"

"A dog kicked me."

"Right, a dog—" Cao Cheng didn’t care about the insult.

The Fourth didn’t press the issue in front of Ren’s mother and Tang Xin, merely rolling her eyes and letting it go.

Truthfully,

Cao Cheng could tell she was resentful, even a bit hesitant. That’s why she was acting differently from before.

In the past, would The Fourth have taken this lying down?

She’d have retaliated with a flying kick.

And Cao Cheng would’ve caught her mid-air, pulling her into his arms.

Same old routine.

But now…

The Fourth was pulling back, at least a little.

Ren’s mother spoke up. "Xinxin and I were just talking. With the New Year less than a week away, why don’t you all stay here?"

Cao Cheng nodded. "Sure, if she agrees. I’m a henpecked husband—I listen to my wife."

"..." Ren’s mother chuckled, shaking her head. This kid…

Tang Xin blushed.

The Fourth pouted. What a shameless act.

As long as Tang Xin was fine with it, they’d stay for the holidays.

No need to rush back to the capital either.

This was the busiest time of year for her father and Eldest Sister.

If they returned, it wouldn’t be until after the Lantern Festival.

It might not follow traditional post-wedding customs, but every family had its own habits.

So,

they’d celebrate here, making it lively.

...

After dinner,

Ren’s mother organized a mahjong game.

Now that the kids were older and life was less hectic, she’d picked up a few "bad habits."

And these sisters spoiled her rotten—more than they ever spoiled Cao Cheng.

During the game, Old Cao became the babysitter, chasing after the nearly two-year-old toddler.

The little one was at that hyperactive age, running him ragged.

Meanwhile,

Cao Cheng sat in the living room sipping tea, digesting his meal while reviewing reports.

Most company matters didn’t require his attention—being a hands-off boss was bliss.

But some decisions needed his personal approval.

For instance, Eldest Sister’s luxury project—the "Miracle · Global One" residential tower. The designs were finalized, with over a dozen proposals.

Even by Eldest Sister’s standards, they were all impressive.

Now it was up to Cao Cheng to pick one.

He skimmed through the layouts, landscaping plans—all excellent. Any would work.

The key was the structural design.

With new materials, the architects could think outside the box.

For example, using "heavy steel" meant no visible load-bearing walls or pillars.

This allowed for completely open floor plans—unobstructed views, maximum natural light.

Pure luxury.

Now it was about which design stood out, which concept was most innovative.

Each floor had staggered terraces, with balconies covering over 20% of the unit space.

Some even featured 15-foot-long, 5-foot-deep swimming pools.

The blueprints dazzled Cao Cheng. All were outstanding…

Honestly,

when you let creativity run wild, some truly brilliant ideas emerge.

All the design drafts in Cao Cheng's hands meet the requirements—it’s just a matter of which one appeals to him the most.

Additionally, a few of them are so forward-thinking that even if they were unveiled over a decade later, they could boldly be hailed as sixth-generation residential designs.

In his dreams, there were real estate companies like this, casually tossing out half-baked ideas and shamelessly hyping them up.

"So, which one are we picking?"

Eldest Sister sat nearby and chimed in, "My take is that any of them would work. I’ve reviewed them multiple times, and it’s genuinely hard to decide."

"Hard to decide?"

"Then let’s not decide."

Cao Cheng stood up, reached for a cigarette—then paused. He didn’t light it.

With a child at home now, smoking was strictly an outdoor activity.

So he just held the unlit cigarette between his lips.

Gathering the stack of proposals, he flipped them face-down onto the coffee table. "Shuffle them, pick one at random. Whoever’s design we draw, that’s the one we go with."

Eldest Sister shot him a deadpan look. "Isn’t that a bit… childish?"

Cao Cheng raised an eyebrow. "When you pull a random proposal and open it, the instant you see it, your mind will already have conjured the one you truly wanted to pick. So, the one you draw doesn’t matter—what matters is the one you thought of when you saw it."

"……"

Eldest Sister had no rebuttal. On second thought, it was oddly philosophical.

Cao Cheng smirked. "Also, let’s not waste the rest. Have the design teams revise them. We’re not just building this one project—we’ll be developing luxury residences in Zhonghai, Beijing, Pengcheng, Round-Faced-Bearded City… Each will have a distinct style. Let them flex their creativity, incorporating local traditions and new elements tailored to each location."

Eldest Sister nodded. "Got it. But… Round-Faced-Bearded City? Where’s that?"

"Did I say that?" Cao Cheng frowned.

Eldest Sister insisted, "You did."

"No way."

"Yes, you did."

Cao Cheng couldn’t fathom why he’d said it.

He never labeled specific groups based on appearance—that was a bad habit.

Besides,

by the time Cao Cheng hit his forties or fifties, he’d probably have a round face too, thanks to middle-aged weight gain. Wasn’t that just describing his future self?

Whatever.

Not important.

As long as no one wore white socks.

Patterned socks, though…

Heh heh heh.

The housing matter was settled quickly.

A design was chosen.

This wasn’t just a property—it was the foundation of an elite circle.

Separately, there was another issue: the cosmetics company. Xu Qing’s report.

Recently, transactions in Loren had declined due to fraudulent accounting.

But that wasn’t the main concern.

The real problem was a new organization in Loren, similar to Cao Cheng’s domestic cosmetics club, rallying global competitors and financial groups.

They even boasted about discovering a new element—one that could supposedly replace X-Serum.

Many had quietly joined this alliance, preparing to strike back at Miracle Cosmetics.

The first counterattack had already happened.

According to Xu Qing, international competitors were collectively demanding Miracle Cosmetics reduce its profit share. They wanted the lion’s share—after all, it was their market, their distribution channels, their country. Why should an outsider like Miracle Cosmetics take the bulk?

If the profit split wasn’t adjusted, they threatened to abandon X-Serum and switch to Loren’s alternative.

Clearly,

the new element discovered by Loren’s players had emboldened them.

Hah.

Cao Cheng laughed.

"Renegotiate contracts with them. Increase our share of the remaining profits by another 30%, and add an annual raw material security deposit of 100 million to prevent leaks."

Eldest Sister was stunned.

The Fifth was digging in his heels.