Today, I will uphold justice at the expense of kinship. All must die

The elegant lady personally brought over a plate of fruit.

The tense standoff between the father-in-law and son-in-law finally eased up a little.

The elegant lady noticed it too.

She asked in surprise, "What's going on with you two...?"

Cao Cheng pointed at his father-in-law. "Mom, Old Tai Shan is trying to harm me."

"..."

Old Tai Shan's face darkened. Sure enough, this brat was up to no good—playing the victim first?

Mother-in-law shot Old Tai Shan a glance.

Old Tai Shan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't listen to this little bastard's nonsense. He's the one scheming something."

"Me scheming?" Cao Cheng feigned shock. "Between the two of us, who’s really the one up to no good?"

"You." Old Tai Shan glared.

"Wow, now you're testing my patience..." Cao Cheng was indignant. What had he even done?

Mother-in-law ignored their bickering, setting the fruit down. "Enough, both of you. Have some fruit."

Cao Cheng swiftly grabbed a slice of orange and grinned. "Sweet."

"Bootlicker," Old Tai Shan scoffed.

Cao Cheng laughed in disbelief. Was this never going to end?

Just wait.

His eyes glinted mischievously as he picked up another slice and handed it to Old Tai Shan. "Here, Tai Shan, since you think I’m flattering, why don’t you try it yourself? See if it’s sweet or not."

Old Tai Shan glanced at the orange slice—of course it was sweet. These were premium imports, rigorously inspected before reaching him. There was no way they’d be unripe or spoiled.

He took it and popped it into his mouth.

The elegant lady immediately realized something was wrong and opened her mouth to warn him—

But it was too late.

The slice of lemon had already entered his mouth.

She had seen it clearly: Cao Cheng had picked up an orange, but the moment Old Tai Shan took it, it had transformed into a lemon.

Old Tai Shan hadn’t even looked before biting down.

And then—

"Pfft—!"

"Gah—!"

The lemon exploded in his mouth, sending him into convulsions. His entire body trembled violently, his head shaking like a rattle drum.

Lemon pulp and juice sprayed everywhere.

The elegant lady was torn between laughter and exasperation, smacking Cao Cheng lightly. This kid was truly wicked—daring to prank his own father-in-law.

And this was the first time she had ever seen Old Tai Shan in such a state.

In all their years together, Old Tai Shan had always been a dignified official. Neither subordinates nor friends would dare mess with him.

In her memory, he had never suffered such a sour defeat—literally.

Cao Cheng cleared his throat. "Mother-in-law, I just remembered something urgent at home. I should head back now."

With that, he stood up to leave.

"Get back here, you little brat!" Old Tai Shan roared, his face flushed red.

"Seriously, I forgot to take in the laundry."

"Get. Back. Here."

"...Fine." Cao Cheng suppressed a smirk and sat back down.

Old Tai Shan jabbed a finger at him, glaring at the elegant lady. "Cut this brat a lemon. If he doesn’t eat the whole thing today, he’s not leaving this house alive."

......

......

Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

Cao Cheng returned to Zhonghai.

Half a month had gone by since Old Tai Shan’s outburst.

If not for the elegant lady stepping in, Cao Cheng would’ve definitely been forced to eat that lemon.

Still, you had to admit—the way his father-in-law flailed from the sourness was oddly poetic. His reaction had been explosive.

Unfortunately,

a joke like this could only be pulled once in a while. Any more would be outright disrespectful.

Even pranks needed limits. It was only because they were close, almost like father and son, that Cao Cheng dared to mess with him like this.

But after returning home, Cao Cheng decided to treat Old Cao to the same "refreshing" experience.

He nearly got beaten to death for it.

In the end, Ren's mother had to intervene, saving him just as Old Cao was on the verge of tears.

At first, Old Cao had been genuinely moved when his son peeled an orange and fed it to him. It felt like a gesture of filial piety—a son caring for his aging father.

He’d once read an article about parent birds feeding their chicks, embodying the love of nurturing.

And when the parent birds grew old and weak, the chicks would return the favor—a symbol of gratitude.

It was a touching concept.

For a brief moment, Old Cao had thought, "This kid has really grown up. He even peels fruit for me now."

Such a dutiful son.

All his years of raising him hadn’t been in vain.

But then—

The moment he bit down, the lemon burst in his mouth.

Pure murder flashed in Old Cao’s eyes.

Filial piety? More like filial betrayal.

Today, justice would be served.

No survivors.

Chaos ensued.

Ren's mother eventually grabbed Cao Cheng by the ear, scolding him through suppressed laughter. "Apologize to your father right now. This is beyond ridiculous."

With her mediation, the matter was settled.

But Old Cao knew—Ren's mother was still favoring Cao Cheng. A light ear-pulling was all the punishment he got?

That lemon had been so sour, his teeth still felt numb...

In any case,

Cao Cheng had narrowly escaped disaster once again.

And he’d harvested an abundance of sour satisfaction.

......

One afternoon,

Cao Cheng was watching TV at home while Little Six and Little Cao napped beside him.

The background noise from the TV acted as white noise—as long as it wasn’t too loud, it wouldn’t disturb their nap.

But the sound couldn’t stop either, or they might wake up.

At noon, Third Sister returned home.

Seeing Cao Cheng's situation, she tiptoed over after changing into slippers.

Cao Cheng quickly waved her closer.

Then he took Third Sister's hand and placed it over Little Six's belly.

Little Six had a habit—she could only sleep with something weighing on her.

Earlier, Cao Cheng had been watching TV while coaxing her to sleep, and she’d finally dozed off.

But now, his hand couldn’t be moved away.

Otherwise, she’d wake up easily.

Cao Cheng whispered in a hushed tone, "I need to pee. Can’t hold it anymore."

Third Sister pressed her lips together, suppressing a laugh, and mouthed, "Go ahead, go ahead."

She then took Cao Cheng’s spot on the couch, resting her hand on Little Six’s tummy, glancing at Little Cao sleeping soundly beside her.

A tender smile curled at the corners of Third Sister’s lips, her eyes sparkling softly.

Seeing how adorable the children at home were, she felt a faint longing for one of her own.

But...

...

Soon enough.

Cao Cheng returned, looking much more at ease.

Despite his high cultivation level, he wasn’t immortal—still bound by mortal needs like food, drink, and the occasional urgent bathroom break.

Third Sister had been resting a lot lately.

Her company had long stabilized, with investments secured and operations running smoothly under the watch of hired managers.

Now it felt more like maintaining the status quo.

Plus, she’d taken up cultivation techniques, so she made time to come home and relax.

These days, she only worked half-days.

Many high-profile finance seminars and lectures? She skipped them entirely.

Third Sister had always been naturally serene. Though she resembled Ren's mother more than the eldest sister, she lacked the latter’s assertive edge.

Business, fame—none of it mattered much to her.

Elegant as an orchid.

...

Cao Cheng settled back on the sofa.

Noticing no one was paying attention, he stealthily slipped an arm around Third Sister’s waist, pulling her close as they watched Go Fighting on TV.

The show’s second season was its peak—at least in his dreams.

Here on Blue Star, it was just the beginning. Barring surprises, the program would keep running for years.

Third Sister didn’t resist his gesture. Instead, she shifted slightly, nestling more comfortably against him.

And so, they spent the afternoon in peaceful companionship, absorbed in the show.

Some things didn’t need saying—understanding lingered unspoken between them.

Putting it into words would only spoil the moment.

Ever since her name was added to the family registry, Third Sister had come to terms with many things.

Whether it was the registry’s mystical influence or her own realization, she couldn’t say. But after that night—

Her birthday night.

A little wine.

Liquid courage.

And an excuse.

The next day, the Mother-Child Lock’s compatibility score had soared to 97, far exceeding the 95-point threshold for binding.

Afterward, Third Sister asked no questions.

As if nothing had happened.

No mention of Tang Xin.

No curiosity about Second Sister.

...

Two hours later, the little ones stirred awake.

Laughter and chatter filled the room again.

Little Six played with her nephew—no, wait, her younger nephew. The barely three-year age gap sometimes blurred the lines.

The Fourth returned home too.

Kicking off her shoes, she flopped onto the couch with zero regard for posture.

Grumbling, "You guys have it so easy, huh? Sitting around at home while I’m slaving at the office? Especially you, you little brat."

Half-sprawled on the sofa, she jabbed at Cao Cheng’s waist with her silk-clad foot.

Relentless poking.

Cao Cheng caught her ankle with a sigh, massaging her calf as he defended himself, "I’ve been busy too, okay? Taking care of two kids all day. Ask Third Sister—I put them down for naps at noon and stayed put until she got back. If not for her, my bladder would’ve exploded."

The Fourth rolled her eyes.

Then, changing the subject, "Oh, right. Hunan TV sent an invite today. Next January, their new variety show Longing for Cuisine—the one you pitched—wants Little Zifeng as a regular."

It made sense for The Fourth to consult Cao Cheng.

He’d been the one to bring child stars Little Zifeng and Little Jinmai into their company. Any career decisions for them ultimately required his approval.

Young Master Cao was essentially their head broker, the final decision-maker.

Little Zifeng had built quite a name.

From Aftershock with Pao’er years ago, to TV dramas—especially palace-themed ones where she played young princesses—and last year’s Detective Chinatown, her star had risen steadily.

Hunan TV was banking on her popularity, while also currying favor with Cao Cheng.

The show offered Miracle Media a fixed slot.

"Sounds good," Cao Cheng nodded, kneading The Fourth’s sore calves—high heels were brutal after a full day.

"Little Zifeng’s ready to stand on her own. She’s outpacing Little Jinmai in fame now. But don’t neglect Jinmai either—keep pushing those modern family drama roles for her to hone her skills."

"The girls are in high school now. Time to focus more on their craft."

Not that academics didn’t matter, but art school entrance exams weren’t that demanding.

With these two's grades, as long as they perform steadily and don't mess up, even if they aren't the absolute top, they won't be too far behind.

They're genuine academic achievers.

Cao Cheng didn’t just let them grow wild—he put in real effort and gave them the best resources.

Both of them look much better than they did in the dream.

Little Jinmai no longer has dark circles under her eyes.

Little Zifeng has shot up in height and isn’t stubby-legged anymore.

Everything just clicks now.