She could tell that this was the young master doting on her.

Lin Zhi busied herself with fetching water and tending to Cao Cheng, helping him tidy up. She even removed his outer coat.

Muttering to herself, she said, "The young master smells surprisingly nice?"

"Why isn’t there much of a liquor scent on him?"

Lin Zhi was puzzled.

When her father came home after drinking, it was like he’d brought the entire bar back with him—the overwhelming stench of alcohol hit her like a wave, nearly knocking her out. No wonder her mother found it so unbearable.

But on Young Master Cao…

Sniff sniff

Huh?

Sniff sniff again

Hmm?

It actually smells pleasant.

Did he drink fake liquor?

How come there’s no alcohol smell?

Earlier, when he first came back, there had been a faint trace, but now it was almost entirely gone.

Did he secretly switch drinks?

Impossible.

Lin Zhi had been by his side the entire time during dinner, counting every glass he drank. After all, as a girl from Shandong Province, she was no stranger to alcohol—she’d grown up around it.

Today, he’d downed at least three pounds of baijiu, minimum.

He’d drunk half the leadership team under the table, and the other half were barely holding on.

There was no way he could’ve switched drinks. The leaders had been lining up to toast him, each with a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, pouring to the brim…

How could it have been fake?

But still…

It really did smell nice—a kind of indescribable, fresh woody scent. Not like cologne, but something naturally soothing and refreshing.

"Does it smell good?"

"Mhm, it does… Huh?!"

Lin Zhi jerked her head up to find Cao Cheng staring right at her, eyes wide open.

Whoosh—

She bolted upright.

"Young—Young Master, I—uh… I’ll go get you fresh water for your feet!" Clutching the basin, she turned and fled.

Cao Cheng smirked.

He had the aura of a protagonist blessed by fate.

Drunk? Impossible.

What kind of constitution was this?!

Even if he’d been slightly tipsy earlier, it would’ve worn off in no time.

The reason he’d pretended to be drunk?

Simple—it was deliberate. The main goal was to casually "leak" a few variety show concepts he had in hand.

Some negotiations worked that way.

If you actively sought someone out, they might try to lowball you.

But if you "accidentally" let something slip, then played coy and denied it afterward? That’s when people would realize it was something valuable, and they’d be willing to pay a premium to snatch it up.

Of course,

Cao Cheng could produce countless variety shows that didn’t exist in this version of Earth—after all, many details were different here.

Just by introducing a few fresh concepts, he’d have swarms of people clamoring to work with him.

But at the end of the day, Hunan TV was still the highest-rated provincial broadcaster.

Some collaborations here would attract a larger fanbase.

Which meant more emotional energy points.

To put it bluntly, if The Voice had debuted on Hunan TV instead of the previous network, it would’ve generated at least 20% more emotional energy.

And that was a conservative estimate.

You could criticize Hunan TV for many things, but not for being incompetent.

Otherwise, how could it have maintained its undisputed No. 1 spot for so many years?

By a landslide, no less.

So,

This little drinking session served three purposes:

First, it was a chance for everyone to bond—a classic case of "releasing grudges over wine." A good round of drinks could smooth over any lingering tensions.

Second, it was about deepening collaborations.

And third… he’d wanted to test Lin Zhi a little.

People, after all, were hard to read.

Even though Cao Cheng had hacks like the "Mother-Child Lock" that could reveal "loyalty levels," confirming that Lin Zhi wasn’t a mole and was unlikely to betray him…

Well…

Not being a traitor didn’t automatically mean she had a good personality.

Those were two different things.

Take Old Three and Old Four, for example.

Was there much difference between 93 and 94?

Barely any, right?

But Old Three was gentle and considerate.

Meanwhile, Old Four? Absolute menace.

So,

By observing how she behaved when she thought he was defenseless in his "drunken" state, he could get a rough sense of her character.

Of course,

This was just a minor side experiment, not the main focus.

If he’d really wanted to see how she acted in private, he could’ve just hacked into her phone or computer.

But Cao Cheng wasn’t that kind of person, so he’d never spied on her.

This little personality check was just an incidental thing, not the primary goal.

"Young Master, time for a foot soak."

Wow.

The way she said it sounded straight out of a commercial.

Looking at the basin at his feet, Cao Cheng chuckled but didn’t refuse.

He dipped his feet in.

Leaned back.

Ahhh.

Pure bliss.

Lin Zhi was still flustered. "So you weren’t drunk, Young Master."

"Couldn’t be bothered to keep drinking with them. Just pretended." Cao Cheng replied.

"…"

Lin Zhi pouted. Well, she’d almost fallen for it.

And his acting had been scarily convincing.

Also,

His alcohol tolerance was downright terrifying.

Three and a half pounds of baijiu, at the very least, and he wasn’t even buzzed?

What kind of freakish metabolism was this?

Some people would need their stomachs pumped after three pounds!

Lin Zhi couldn’t even fathom what level of alcohol immunity this was. The scariest part? This clearly wasn’t his limit—there was no telling how much he could actually handle.

Truthfully, even Cao Cheng didn’t know.

His alcohol tolerance used to be average.

Very average.

But after getting his system? Well, could you really judge a cheat-enabled man by normal standards?

Of course not.

This didn’t just apply to alcohol.

Even in ahem nighttime athletic activities, Cao Cheng had yet to hit his limit. Such were the perks of a maxed-out physique.

His body had reached its peak—every stat at 100.

Unfortunately,

He still hadn’t found a way to break through further.

The system offered no guidance.

He’d probably have to wait for the next upgrade.

But the requirements for that? No clue.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Trash system.

Tomorrow, during his thrice-daily self-reflection, he’d make sure to thoroughly critique this useless system.

"Did you notice anything during tonight’s drinking session?" Cao Cheng asked, reclining on the sofa, eyes half-lidded.

Lin Zhi stood before him like a well-behaved student, hands clasped in front of her. "Notice anything? N-no? The food was a bit spicy, though."

"…"

Cao Cheng laughed in exasperation. "All you care about is eating, huh? Should I craft a ‘foodie’ persona for you? Starting now, I’m planning to make you a star. You know what this industry is like—even if you haven’t stepped into it yet, you must’ve heard things while studying at Beijing Dance Academy, right?"

Plenty of artists had emerged from BDA, including a reigning diva.

So,

This wasn’t just some ordinary dance school—it was practically on par with the Central Academy of Drama.

People there would’ve inevitably picked up industry gossip through casual conversations.

Lin Zhi nodded. "Yes, I’ve heard things."

"Then you should know—in this circle, it’s not the good, the bad, or even the evil you need to fear most. It’s the stupid."

Cao Cheng paused. "Every industry is like this. Throughout history, there’ve always been good and bad people. But the first to fall? Always the fools."

"So in the future, observe more, speak less. Pay attention, think critically."

"Even with Miracle Media and me backing you—even if we shield you from 90% of the trouble—if you land yourself in hot water because of your own stupidity, the company won’t be able to save you."

Lin Zhi nodded obediently. "Understood, Young Master."

Then,

Cao Cheng began explaining the dynamics of the evening.

On the surface, everyone had been merry and united, clinking glasses without issue.

But among the leaders, the divisions had been clear.

As a rising artist, Lin Zhi didn’t need to pick sides—but she did need to recognize who was aligned with whom, and who couldn’t stand each other.

If you really can't figure it out, then say less and do less to avoid accidentally getting dragged into some competition and becoming the first fool to fall.

As for tonight's variety show collaboration, the new faction has the upper hand. After all, since the new faction came into power, they've been easing tensions with Young Master Cao, which laid the groundwork for their previous collaborations.

And now, this deeper partnership.

So,

The new faction's leadership is dominant, but as for Young Master Cao, he mustn't take sides. He needs to understand the underlying dynamics—playing dumb when possible.

If he can't pretend ignorance, then he shouldn't meddle in this mess either.

There's no time for that.

This is from Young Master Cao's perspective. For Lin Zhi, however, she needs to be even more cautious.

Of course,

Cao Cheng was only using this to teach her a few things. In the future, having Young Master Cao's presence in the industry would indeed shield her from many troubles.

But among peers, some artists are clueless, even foolish, and would actively cause trouble for her.

Out of jealousy or envy.

At that point, she'd have to face it herself.

......

As they talked,

Cao Cheng pointed at the foot basin.

Lin Zhi caught on immediately.

With quick wit, she stepped forward, knelt down, and helped wash his feet.

See?

This girl is sharp.

A single hint is all she needs.

As Cao Cheng spoke, she kept washing.

By the time he finished speaking, she was done too.

Cao Cheng said, "I won’t let you wash my feet for nothing. These words—I wouldn’t tell just anyone. Only because you’re one of our own."

Lin Zhi understood perfectly.

Touched,

She scrubbed a little harder.

Cao Cheng added, "But don’t be too afraid. Like I said, you’re one of ours. Hardly anyone would dare mess with you. If someone starts trouble with you first, hit back. I can handle most of it. But if you’re the one starting trouble..."

He paused,

Then chuckled. "I’d still back you up. But after I deal with them, I’d deal with you too. Washing feet would be the least of it."

"Got it, Young Master. I won’t cause any trouble," Lin Zhi quickly assured him.

She could tell—this was his way of spoiling her.

No matter what, he’d stand by her.

But the punishment afterward? Just washing feet or the like.

How is that not spoiling?

......

After washing and drying his feet,

Cao Cheng knew.

With just one word from him, she wouldn’t have to go to the guest room tonight.

But Cao Cheng didn’t call for her. There was no rush.

Tomorrow, Fourth Sister would arrive.

Fourth Sister hadn’t mentioned it, but Cao Cheng had gotten word in advance.

And Young Master Cao knew Fourth Sister too well—she’d probably barge in unannounced tomorrow morning to catch them in the act.

Hah.

Nice try.

......

That night, Lin Zhi barely slept. Tossing and turning, she wondered if she wasn’t good enough. Deep down, she’d been hoping for something.

But alas,

Nothing happened all night.

She only fell into a deep sleep in the early hours.

Then, she was jolted awake in the morning.

A loud bang echoed—

Seemingly from the next room. Lin Zhi had no idea what was happening, fearing something had happened to Young Master Cao.

In a panic, she rushed out barefoot.

The moment she stepped out—

She saw Ren Yuege standing at Young Master Cao’s door.

Ren Yuege turned to look at her, expressionless, neither pleased nor displeased.

Then came Young Master Cao’s shout: "Are you insane? Scaring me like this first thing in the morning... You ruined my dream. You owe me."

"Fine, I’ll pay you back," Fourth Sister said, stepping inside and slamming the bedroom door shut behind her.

Lin Zhi was left utterly confused.

What just happened?

That was... Fourth Sister!

Or Third Sister?

Probably Fourth Sister—Third Sister was gentler, right?

Why did Fourth Sister show up so suddenly?

Thank goodness!

Lin Zhi suddenly realized how lucky she was that nothing had happened between her and Young Master Cao last night. Otherwise, this morning would’ve been beyond awkward.