Kid, do you think I'm funny

The day after "Fourth Sister" made it to the top three on the charts.

Annoying her!

After the massage, I slept well.

Ren Yushang no longer struggled with adjusting to a new bed.

Before 8 a.m., everyone was already awake.

When she saw Cao Cheng, Ren Yuege asked curiously, "Why are you drenched in sweat every morning? Are you that out of shape?"

"I’ve been practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Martial arts."

"Yeah, right."

She knew Cao Cheng had some skills, but "martial arts" was pushing it.

Who the hell practices martial arts in their bedroom?

Take Second Sister, for example.

She’s a beast in combat, and the family even has a dedicated training hall—complete with an octagon cage—taking up an entire underground parking lot.

Meanwhile, Cao Cheng’s bedroom is, at best, 20 square meters, crammed with a bed and a wardrobe. How much space does he even have to move?

"Don’t believe me? Fine. Good morning, Third Sister."

"Good morning, little brother." Ren Yushang’s gaze flickered slightly, as if remembering something.

Ren Yuege protested, "What about me?"

"Good morning, Fourth Sister."

"Brat, call me ‘jie’ (older sister)!"

Another round of bickering ensued.

After freshening up, they headed out at 8 a.m.

Breakfast first, then hitting the streets.

With two drop-dead gorgeous twins by his side, not showing off would be a waste—like wearing fine clothes at night.

And today happened to be Saturday, with crowds everywhere.

Looks like today would be another fruitful day.

The young master is out.

Make way!

...

The twins changed into long skirts, white socks, and sneakers.

A simple outfit, but their aura was unreal.

How to describe it?

Like flawless manga girls stepping into reality.

And being twins? It gave off a "die happy if I could have them" vibe.

But just as the trio stepped out of the building,

they ran into a tryhard.

Short, ear-length hair with long bangs. When he spotted Cao Cheng, he tilted his head and blew his bangs aside, thinking he looked cool.

These days, so many guys think blowing their bangs makes them stylish.

A man who’s never blown his bangs has no soul!

"Wang Haodong? What are you doing in Sanjiang City?" Ren Yuege frowned, clearly displeased.

Wang Haodong?

Cao Cheng narrowed his eyes. The name… rang a bell.

Was this the mysterious guy from the car yesterday?

Most likely.

The top-ranked "big brother" on the charts.

Time to play the gracious host.

Wang Haodong flicked his head, sending his bangs swaying, and smirked—thinking he was hot stuff.

"Because Yushang is in Sanjiang, so here I am!"

Cao Cheng barely held back a laugh. That line sounded straight out of a cheesy 2006 idol drama like Meteor Garden. Is this how rich kids flexed back then?

Ten years later, they wouldn’t act like this… Well, maybe not. Even Wang Sicong played the simp.

But hey,

all for love. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Ren Yushang said sternly, "Wang Haodong, can you stop following me? I’ve told you—we’re not happening. We’re not compatible."

Wang Haodong lifted his chin, oozing greasy charm (but still thinking he was handsome): "How do you know if we don’t try? Feelings can grow! Love takes courage! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!"

Ren Yushang sighed. "Stop wasting your time on me. It’s impossible."

"Yushang, you know what I like about you? You’re blunt. Most women either suck up to me or look down on me. But you? You reject me outright—no fakeness, no disdain. I love that!"

"..."

Cao Cheng turned away, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

The dialogue itself wasn’t terrible, but that expression? Pure Dao Ming Si wannabe, thinking he’s the shit.

Damn.

This was comedy gold.

But it fit the era—peak non-mainstream cringe.

Wang Haodong’s eyes narrowed as he side-eyed Cao Cheng. "Kid, am I funny to you?"

Cao Cheng shook his head. "Sorry, I’m trained to keep a straight face. I won’t laugh… unless I can’t help it."

"Pfft—!" Ren Yuege burst out laughing—on purpose.

Ren Yushang stayed quiet, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"..."

Wang Haodong gritted his teeth. "Kid, you’ve got guts. You’ve officially pissed me off."

Before Cao Cheng could respond, Ren Yuege snapped, "Wang, are you threatening my brother?"

Wang Haodong scoffed. "Brother? That kind of brother? Don’t play dumb. Your mom married some guy who brought along his son, right? How long will that last?"

He smirked arrogantly. "You think the Ren family would go to war with the Wangs over some stepbrother?"

Now the dialogue turned soap-opera levels of ridiculous.

Straight to "family warfare" over this?

Only a brainless rich kid would escalate like that.

Ren Yushang’s expression darkened. "Wang Haodong, regardless of what you think, I acknowledge him as my brother. Our family does too. As for ‘war’—that’s not your call. Think before you speak, or you’ll just embarrass yourself further."

Wang Haodong panicked. "Yushang, don’t be mad. I didn’t mean it like that. I just—"

"Whatever you say doesn’t matter. Like I told you—we’re not compatible. Go back to Zhonghai."

With that, Ren Yushang took Cao Cheng’s arm and walked off, flanked by the twins.

Cao Cheng glanced back and flashed a silent, shit-eating grin.

That smile made Wang Haodong’s blood pressure spike. You little bastard, I’ll end you!

Negative energy harvested.

Today’s off to a great start.

"Young Master!" His personal steward hurried over.

Wang Haodong, still fuming, pointed at the trio. "Send the bodyguards. Beat that kid to death."

The steward forced a smile. "Young Master, please calm down."

He wasn’t stupid. Picking a fight over a stepchild? Bad for business.

The Wangs and Rens were partners. Starting a feud over this? Not worth it.

"Who’s the master here? You or me?" Wang Haodong glared.

The steward lowered his voice. "You are, of course. But if you act on this, even if you kill him, it’ll only make the Ren sisters hate you more. There’s no upside."

"No upside? I’m about to explode from anger—can’t you see? I just want to vent!" He jabbed a finger at his own chest.

The steward shook his head. "Young Master is in excellent health. You’ll be fine."

"Damn it, get lost!" Wang Haodong kicked the steward aside.

The steward scrambled back, rubbing his butt. "Young Master, perhaps consider another approach?"

"Like what?"

The steward adopted a sage-like tone. "However you slice it, that kid is now part of the Ren family. The sisters acknowledge him. That makes him your future brother-in-law. What kind of man picks fights with his in-laws? Shouldn’t you be building bridges instead? This is the art of strategy, Young Master."

"Even if you don’t get along, just ignore him. There’s no logic in making an enemy out of him. It’s bad for your prospects!"

"Young Master, you can't just look at his ordinary status—you have to consider his place in the heart of the Ren family's eldest daughter. The fact that the third and fourth young ladies came to Sanjiang on their own and are even willing to stay in this rundown place speaks volumes, Young Master."

"Young Master, think about it—doesn't that make sense, Young Master!"

The repeated "Young Master" made Wang Haodong's head spin.

But...

Wang Haodong blinked.

It did make sense.

Wang Haodong stared blankly at the butler. "What did you eat last night?"

"What do you mean?" The butler was confused.

Wang Haodong asked curiously, "How did you suddenly get so smart overnight?"

"..."

The butler forced an awkward smile. Damn it, did I really get smarter? I just didn’t dare show it before—otherwise, I wouldn’t have fit in with you, Young Master.

If I were actually stupid, would the boss have assigned me as your personal butler, assistant, and secretary? Young Master!

Wang Haodong reached out his hand. "Give me some of that smart-making stuff too."

Young Master, are you an idiot?

There’s no such thing!

The butler sighed and nodded. "I’ll bring it to you later when we get back."

Damn it.

What should I give him? How about Maltesers?

The Young Master’s never had them before—he wouldn’t recognize them. I could probably trick him. Just say they’re... immortal pills? Intelligence-boosting ones!

The Young Master would probably believe it.

Brilliant!