Come on, show it

"Bro Cheng, who's after you this time?" Lingling chuckled as she drove.

Every time she saw Cao Cheng, he was always up to something.

Lately, during her phone calls with Ren Yuege, they’d talked a lot about him, and she felt like she already knew him pretty well.

She suspected he had… ADHD.

"What kind of question is that?"

Cao Cheng rolled his eyes. "People call me 'Honest and Charming Young Gentleman'—it’s a perfect fit. Why would anyone chase me? Everyone respects me, okay?"

Lingling’s face was plastered with an "I don’t buy a word of that" look.

But out of kindness, she played along and didn’t call him out.

"So, what’s going on then?" Lingling asked.

Cao Cheng sighed. "Ah, you wouldn’t believe it. I just won several rounds of chess in a row, crushed those old uncles so badly they practically bowed to me. They wouldn’t let me leave, begging me to teach them some secret moves. You know… I’m just decent at chess, that’s all."

"Pfft—" Lingling giggled.

That "just decent" was such a classic understatement.

When Cao Cheng said he was "just decent" at something, it usually meant he was amazing.

Take cooking, for example.

The first time she saw him at home, she didn’t notice his cooking skills—just his impressive knife work.

But later, she got a taste of it.

A few days ago, he’d cooked at her place, and she nearly bit her tongue off.

It was so good.

And yet, he called it "just decent."

Piano? Also "just decent."

So, his chess skills had to be top-notch.

Cao Cheng waved it off. "Anyway, forget about that—it’s just a small thing. When are you leaving?"

"My train’s the day after tomorrow!" Lingling pouted slightly, an inexplicable hint of reluctance flashing through her.

"That’s good. I bet you’re sick of being stuck at home this summer, huh?" Cao Cheng said.

In the past, she probably would’ve been.

Back then, she’d sometimes take on performances during long breaks to gain more stage experience.

But not this time.

Lingling shook her head, then nodded. "Bro Cheng, are you really not going to enroll in the academy? I mean, it’s not like you’re busy."

It was an invitation.

Cao Cheng could tell.

A century’s worth of experience wasn’t for nothing.

"Do you want me to go?"

"…"

Lingling’s face flushed, and she quickly looked away, her grip on the wheel wobbling slightly.

Like she’d been caught red-handed, embarrassed.

The emotional feedback was clear—a small critical hit.

One step closer to the next ten-draw.

Positive emotions rarely triggered a critical hit like this.

Proof that the girl’s heart wasn’t at ease.

Cao Cheng grinned.

See?

Girls these days were still mostly sweet and innocent.

If this were fifteen years later?

No way she’d blush. She’d probably just say, "Bro Cheng, you’re so bad… I love it!"

With a laugh, he said, "Honestly, my heart’s not in it. Music’s just a hobby for me. I’ve dabbled in too many things to specialize in one field. I don’t love piano as deeply as you do."

"So,"

"I won’t lock myself into just one career."

He’d laid it all out.

Lingling felt a pang of disappointment—whether it was because he’d changed the subject or because he’d refused to go to her school, she wasn’t sure.

Another wave of negative emotions.

Ah, youth.

Emotions swung so easily—sunny one moment, stormy the next. Perfect for farming.

Unlike old folks, whose emotions were too steady. Push them too hard, and you’d worry they might drop dead from anger.

"But…"

Cao Cheng reached over and ruffled her hair. "If you ever have questions about piano, I can give you private lessons. And if you need me, just call—I’ll fly straight to Beijing to see you."

"Mhm!" Lingling hummed, her eyes glued to the road, not daring to meet his gaze.

Inside the car,

an atmosphere called "love" lingered, refusing to fade.

Back at home,

the old lady was delighted. At her age, she loved having more young people around, especially ones she liked.

And Cao Cheng was easy to like—he didn’t act like a guest, treating her like family.

With his thick skin, he had the old lady—er, ahem—the elderly woman laughing nonstop.

After lunch, he stuck around, teaching the girl piano in the afternoon. One word: Classy!

Dinner was at home too.

He even shared a drink with the old lady. Turns out, she could hold her liquor—three shots of baijiu, and her face didn’t even flush.

Cao Cheng downed half a jin without blinking.

After dark, Lingling drove him back to the residential complex, right to his doorstep.

"Bro Cheng, goodnight!"

"Goodnight, drive safe." Cao Cheng waved. "Text me when you get back."

"Got it, Bro Cheng!"

Watching the car disappear,

Cao Cheng didn’t linger outside. Even though this was prime time for the neighborhood gossip squad, he’d already farmed enough emotional points.

Time to head in, shower, and change.

Ten-draw time.

This one would push him past a hundred draws—guaranteed diamond.

Cao Cheng was curious. What was a diamond chest, anyway?

All this mystery…

If he could pull a skill, that’d be great. He wanted to know what came after "Grandmaster." "Mythic" or something?

This was the modern world, after all. Anything too fantastical would feel out of place.

Brimming with questions, he went home, showered, and rinsed off the alcohol.

...

Ding.

Message: "Bro Cheng, I’m home!"

Fresh out of the shower, Cao Cheng replied: "Got it. Rest early, goodnight Lingling."

"Goodnight Bro Cheng."

See?

A century of experience taught him that emotions should flow naturally, like water—smooth and effortless.

No excessive flirting.

No forced ambiguity.

Serene and refined.

Classy.

(Also, he was too busy thinking about the draws to chat. Otherwise, he’d have kept her up all night.)

Flick.

He lit a lighter, ready to burn three cigarettes as incense. A century of superstition had left Cao Cheng obsessed with rituals.

"I’ve begged Buddha for thousands of years…"

Suddenly,

his phone on the table erupted with the ringtone.

The flame died.

Three unlit cigarettes dangled from his lips.

Damn it.

Cao Cheng frowned. Who was calling at this hour?

Caller ID: Little Four.

Ren Yuege?

He took a deep breath.

"Hello?" Still holding the cigarettes in his mouth, he answered.

The three sticks bobbed like erratic musical notes, as if foretelling something ominous.

Cao Cheng almost didn’t want to do the draws anymore.

This felt like a bad sign.

"Stinky little brother, what are you up to?"

"Sweet little sister, I just got out of the shower," Cao Cheng replied.

Ren Yuege huffed. "I’m your big sister, you stinky little brother."

"Heh." Cao Cheng snorted. "Drop the 'stinky,' and maybe I’ll consider calling you 'sis.'"

Ren Yuege pouted, changing the subject. "Just letting you know, stinky little brother—we’re leaving tomorrow morning."

"Leaving? For where?" A bad feeling crept up on him.

"Sanjiang City. Where else? If I were going somewhere else, would I even tell you?"

"Why are you coming again?"

She’d been gone for thirty-five days.

Sure, he’d missed her.

But missing her was enough.

Did they really need to meet?

Wouldn’t it be better to leave some blank space in life?

"I’m visiting my teacher, okay? You think I’m coming for you?"

"Heh…"

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much. If it wasn’t for me, why bother explaining?"

Sigh.

Being this handsome is a crime.

Being this likable? A burden.

"Fine, I’ll air out the bedding tomorrow so you won’t complain about the dampness," Cao Cheng said.

Ren Yuege smiled in satisfaction. "Now you’re being sensible. Alright, see you tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow, loser."

Click. Just like that, she hung up.

Cao Cheng tossed his phone aside.

Then, after a moment’s thought, picked it back up—and powered it off.

No disturbances allowed.

"Wait…"

Did she just say, "We’re leaving tomorrow"?

We?

Who else?

Another "sister"?

The second sister?

Whatever.

I’ll figure it out tomorrow.

Time to draw the lottery.

The cigarette butt in his mouth was already soggy. Damn thing’s gonna be useless if it gets any damper.

Flick!

He lit three cigarettes and balanced them on the ashtray.

Then, palms pressed together,

raised them above his head,

muttering under his breath…

"Give me something good."

"That diamond treasure chest with a 1% drop rate after a hundred pulls—don’t screw me over now. These past few months haven’t been easy."

"Come on."

"Show me!!!"