When did they become so close

Most water-splashing festivals take place around June or July.

But in the Cao Family,

the water-splashing festival happens in early September.

Right now, in fact...

In the blink of an eye, the entire coffee table, sofa, and floor were soaked with water.

Damn it.

Have you ever seen someone use foot-washing water to splash around?

It might not stink,

but isn’t it disgusting?

And she’s supposed to be a goddess?

Ugh!

If not for Third Sister Ren Yushang stepping in, things would’ve spiraled out of control.

Cao Cheng barely fought back—after all, a real man doesn’t pick fights with women.

So, Young Master Cao was the victim here.

After the "joyful" water-splashing festival, Cao Cheng went to take a shower.

In the living room, Ren Yushang was cleaning up, wiping down the floor, coffee table, and sofa...

Ren Yuege watched her diligent third sister, lost in thought.

How had she never noticed before how... domestic Third Sister was?

Back at the Ren family mansion, they had maids for cleaning, chefs for cooking, and even dedicated gardeners for the yard.

The sisters hardly ever had to lift a finger.

Plus, as the youngest in practice, Ren Yuege was often pampered, which made her overlook the little details of daily life.

Only now,

after leaving the Ren estate, did Ren Yuege realize... she was practically useless at everything!

She used to think she was amazing.

She could play the piano,

and at a high level too.

But in everyday life? A total airhead.

She couldn’t even wash vegetables properly, clueless about everything, barely knowing rice from wheat.

Watching Third Sister clean up now,

she wondered...

Should she play some piano to liven things up?

...

Third Sister Ren Yushang finished wiping up the water and tapped Ren Yuege’s forehead lightly, scolding, "Honestly, you’re like a child."

Ren Yuege grinned sheepishly. "I got carried away. That bratty little brother just knows how to push my buttons."

Ren Yushang rolled her eyes. "Who’s bullying who here? He didn’t splash a single drop on you."

"But he annoys me!"

"Then why doesn’t he annoy me?"

"Uh..."

A soul-crushing question.

In modern terms, it’d be called gaslighting.

But here, it left Ren Yuege speechless.

Ren Yushang added, "Do you even act like an older sister?"

Ren Yuege muttered, "It’s my first time, okay? I don’t know how. Fine, fine, stop lecturing me. I’ll apologize to him later."

Ren Yushang softened. "Don’t feel too awkward. Apologizing just shows your attitude. He’s not mad—his temper’s better than you’d think."

Ren Yuege considered it. True.

That bratty brother might rile her up, but every time she pinched his ears or waist, Cao Cheng never retaliated.

Looking back, he’d been letting her win.

Otherwise, with his skills, how could she ever stand a chance?

They all knew Cao Cheng was no pushover.

Soon,

Cao Cheng emerged from the shower, his physique as striking as ever.

Ren Yushang shot Ren Yuege a look—Go on, apologize.

With that silent nudge, Third Sister headed to her room to grab clothes for her own shower.

In the southern summer, daily showers were a must; otherwise, sleep was impossible.

After drying his hair,

Cao Cheng spotted Ren Yuege on the sofa, and their eyes met.

With a haughty tilt of his head, Cao Cheng scoffed, "Hmph!"

"..."

Ren Yuege smirked, seeing her chance. "Come here," she said softly.

"What?" Cao Cheng raised a brow.

"Just come here~~" The little brat still hesitated.

Cao Cheng walked over.

Ren Yuege tugged his hand, pulling him down beside her.

Up close, the warm scent of his shower and his freshly cleaned skin made her cheeks flush. "About earlier... sorry," she mumbled.

"Oho~ Well, well!" Cao Cheng teased. "You’re actually apologizing? Color me shocked!"

(▼ヘ▼#)

That tone was downright punchable.

Ren Yuege instinctively reached for his ear.

Cao Cheng pointed at her hand. "Is this how you apologize?"

Ren Yuege sighed and lowered her hand.

Cao Cheng smirked. "That’s more like it. Now, show some sincerity."

Leaning back on the sofa, he propped his legs on the coffee table and gestured. "Massage them."

"!!"

Ren Yuege stared at his smug face, itching to bite him.

After three seconds of deliberation,

she gave in. Her delicate hands rested on his thighs, feeling the firm muscle beneath. She kneaded lightly.

"Harder. Did you skip lunch?"

"!!"

Gritting her teeth, Ren Yuege dug in with force.

"Oh, oh—yeah, that’s good. Perfect pressure. You’ve got talent, kid. These hands were made for massaging. From now on, you’re on permanent massage duty."

Ren Yuege huffed. "In your dreams. One-time deal. Never again."

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Weren’t you the one who wanted to be the big sister? Shouldn’t sisters take care of their little brothers? After a long day out, shouldn’t you ease his aches?"

Ren Yuege snorted. "Such nonsense."

Cao Cheng grinned but didn’t push further.

The little brat needed time to learn.

No rushing.

A few minutes later, Ren Yuege’s fingers ached worse than after two hours of piano practice.

She pulled back. "Happy now?"

Cao Cheng shook his head. "Pressure was mediocre, missed all the right spots, didn’t loosen any tension. Two stars, would not recommend."

Ren Yuege glared. "I don’t know how!"

"Then let me teach you. Here, give me your leg—"

A professional touch made all the difference.

At first, Ren Yuege was still a bit shy, but within seconds, the exhaustion from a day of walking and hiking melted away.

Cao Cheng’s hands worked like magic—light yet precise, every press hitting the mark.

"Mmm~~"

Ren Yuege’s soft moan escaped.

Her face burned, and she peeked at Cao Cheng. Seeing his unchanged expression, she relaxed and let herself enjoy the relief.

Positive emotions steadily rose.

No sudden spikes,

just +1

+1

+1

+1...

Unstoppable.

And as the emotions stacked, the increments grew—+2, +2, +2...

+3, +3...

Little by little,

in just minutes, the positivity hit 100!

Cao Cheng had found another goldmine.

If he ever pissed off too many people, he could always become a blind masseur—guaranteed emotional returns.

This system was such a troll. Zero instructions, everything trial and error?

...

A master-tier traditional Chinese doctor would be a top expert in the real world.

Paired with combat-trained precision, understanding meridians and pressure points made bone-setting and massage child’s play.

Ren Yushang stepped out of the shower, steam trailing her. That post-shower warmth was oddly comforting.

She froze at the sight before her.

On the sofa, Fourth Sister Ren Yuege had her legs draped over Cao Cheng’s lap as he massaged them.

What the—?

Since when were they this close?

Ren Yushang was puzzled.