The eighth day since the top-ranked "Fourth Sister" arrived.
I’m sick of her!
Early in the morning, the two sisters were about to leave.
Just like last time, they only stayed for a week—probably because they still had things to attend to back home.
There was a hint of reluctance.
And another invitation was extended.
Similar to last time.
Ren Yuege complained, muttering, "Honestly, what’s the point of you staying here alone? Why not come to Zhonghai with us? My mom hasn’t met you yet. Last time we had dinner, she kept saying she wanted to see you."
Though Ren Yushang didn’t voice her complaints as openly, she nodded in agreement, confirming it was true.
But Young Master Cao shook his head with a smile. "Who says I have nothing to do? I’m busy."
"Busy with what? Playing chess and mahjong again after we leave?" Ren Yuege frowned, casting a slightly resentful glance at Cao Cheng.
Nonsense.
Cao Cheng had way more options now—why would he waste time on mahjong or chess?
Wouldn’t it be better to work at a medical spa as a masseur?
Call me: Top-tier Massage Therapist.
"Here."
"A little gift for you. It’s not worth much, but it’s a token of my heart—I made it myself."
Cao Cheng handed her a small gift box.
"What is it?"
"Open it when you get back. Have a safe trip."
Before they left, there was a warm, sibling-like hug.
Physical closeness had almost become a habit—after all, he gave her massages every day.
As Ren Yuege often said, Cao Cheng was her personal TCM specialist, so a daily massage was essential for good sleep.
Still reluctant.
But eventually, they left.
He waved as the taillights of their car faded into the distance.
...
Inside the car.
The driver was at the wheel.
The two sisters sat in the back of the business vehicle.
A somewhat heavy silence lingered.
Both were reluctant to part.
Until Ren Yuege casually opened the gift box.
The box itself was laughable—clearly not new, probably dug out from some forgotten corner, dusted off, and reused.
It felt half-hearted.
If this were given to anyone else, they’d probably toss it aside in disgust.
Ren Yuege grumbled, "That little brat really couldn’t be bothered, huh? Couldn’t even get a new box? Would it kill him? If it weren’t for the fact that he made it himself, and that he’s like a brother to me, I’d have thrown this box out without even looking inside."
Ren Yushang stifled a laugh.
She knew the fourth sister was just putting on a tough front.
Maybe talking like this helped ease the sadness of parting.
"Huh?"
"What’s this?"
"A wood carving?"
"Wow..."
Ren Yuege opened the small box, froze for a second, and then was utterly stunned.
She picked up the small figurine.
It wasn’t big—just the size of a palm.
But it was exquisitely detailed. The facial expression was lifelike, and the figure wore ancient-style robes, beautifully rendered.
The craftsmanship was incredible—even the folds of the skirt seemed to flutter in a breeze.
The tassels and accessories on the clothing looked almost alive.
And especially... the face.
One glance was enough to recognize who it was.
Those eyes—
Damn, this is perfection!
"Is this me?"
"It’s you."
"It’s so accurate! How did he manage to carve twins so distinctly that you can tell who’s who at a glance?"
"He made it himself."
Ren Yuege was floored. That little brat seemed to be good at everything!
And not just good—exceptionally skilled.
Ren Yuege: "He knows woodworking too?"
Third Sister Ren Yushang replied softly, "He dabbles."
"..."
Ren Yuege shot her a look. "You’ve gotten worse!"
"Hahaha." Ren Yushang burst out laughing, probably imagining Cao Cheng’s smug face when he said "I dabble."
Ren Yuege snorted. "Why didn’t you laugh like this at his place? You’re such a closet goofball."
"You’re the goofball." Ren Yushang giggled and poked her sister’s waist.
Ren Yuege squirmed away. "Ah! Stop! If you keep messing around, I’ll tell that little brat how fake you are."
"Hmph!" Ren Yushang stopped immediately.
Then,
They divided the gifts.
Just as Cao Cheng had said—not expensive, but full of heart.
They had spent almost every moment with Cao Cheng these past few days, yet they had no idea when he’d found the time to carve these.
Probably while hiding in his room.
It must have taken serious effort.
This wasn’t something whipped up in an hour—it required real dedication.
They’d owned plenty of handmade items before—Su embroidery, handwoven carpets, custom-tailored clothes... They knew true craftsmanship was the real luxury.
Top-tier handmade goods were priceless.
Sometimes, they were impossible to buy, no matter how much money you had.
Time-consuming. Labor-intensive.
Compared to the gifts they’d given him, Cao Cheng’s present was far more "valuable."
In a way, it was beyond price.
Because what they’d bought for him, anyone could buy.
But these carvings? One of a kind.
This gift had struck right at their hearts.
Plus, it was a handheld piece—something they could fiddle with endlessly, growing more polished and beautiful over time.
"Why only two?"
"He should’ve carved a family portrait. Imagine how stunning that’d look displayed at home."
Ren Yuege mused aloud.
Ren Yushang rolled her eyes. "He put real thought into this. He’s never met Eldest Sister, Second Sister, or Mom—how could he carve something this detailed without reference? Don’t be ungrateful."
"I’m not ungrateful! I just think it’s a shame."
"A shame? They’ll meet eventually. Then we’ll have the full family set."
The sisters cherished the idea of "family" deeply.
So they began imagining the day when a complete family portrait carving would exist—including one of that little brat, Cao Cheng.
Something to look at whenever they missed home.
...
Mid-September.
Cao Cheng found himself drowning in an ocean of online flame wars.
After the sisters left, his "income" took a nosedive—unavoidable, really.
It wasn’t like he could actually become a masseur, right?
Massaging rich, overweight women?
If they were at least attractive, fine—but how many of those existed?
And the ones who were? Usually greasy.
No way was he massaging men either.
So,
After the sisters left, Cao Cheng turned his attention to the stock market, the Dafa Forum, and various local online boards and subforums.
In no time,
The internet’s amateur investors became aware of an outrageously arrogant newcomer.
Self-proclaimed: Stock God Aotian.
He looked down on everyone, acting like he was the hottest thing since sliced bread—pissing off countless seasoned investors.
And the flame wars? Back and forth.
Victory or defeat depended entirely on that day’s market performance.
For example:
Today,
The index broke past the eternally stagnant 1600s, surging to 1700! A 1.86% rise!
Stock God Aotian went wild—replying to every critic, mocking them into silence.
Then came the weekend—two days of rest.
Monday: Another 0.69% rise. More gloating.
Tuesday: Up 0.13%—opponents began counterattacking.
Wednesday: Down 0.16%—all his enemies emerged to trash-talk Stock God Aotian.
Thursday: Up 0.49%—Aotian fired back.
Friday: Major drop.
Another weekend passed.
Monday: Still in the red.
Tuesday, still in the red.
Three consecutive days of losses, yet all the retail investors were thrilled, directing their attacks at Cao Cheng as negative sentiment skyrocketed.
Cao Cheng was amused but also baffled by their mentality. The market’s down—aren’t you losing money? Why so happy?
What a bunch of fools!
This is a sickness—it needs treatment!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
