Too superficial, isn't it

The Fourth had no idea what the aunties were thinking and casually invited, "Want to go out for a stroll later?"

"No!" Cao Cheng replied with his eyes closed, enjoying himself.

What a lunatic. Isn’t it freezing outside?

Damp and bone-chilling cold—stepping out is like facing a magical attack.

I practice martial arts, not immortal cultivation. I can’t just radiate qi to form a protective barrier.

Winter’s too cold, summer’s too hot—give me a break!

"You’ve never been to Zhonghai before. Let me show you around."

"No."

"Ever heard of the Old City God Temple? It’s super lively."

"No!"

"Why are you so lazy? Fine, how about we go buy some clothes? You didn’t bring much with you."

"No!"

"..."

Slap!

The Fourth was getting impatient. Was he really going to embarrass her like this?

Hmph, this young lady isn’t here to serve you. If not for the fact that you’re… well, my little brother, I’d have kicked you out with one swift move.

"Fine, just lie there like a corpse. I’m going to practice the piano. I was going to keep you company, but since you can’t appreciate it, don’t blame me." The Fourth stormed off in a huff.

Who are you trying to fool?

Not a single trace of negative emotion in your feedback—this is how you act angry?

Way too superficial.

Not even a shred of sincerity.

Cao Cheng was annoyed too. Now that they were closer, her immunity had clearly improved.

These days, it was hard for him to break through her defenses.

As for The Third, forget about it—her tolerance for him was even higher, and she was genuinely kind. Cao Cheng couldn’t even bring himself to mess with her.

And the Eldest Sister? They weren’t that familiar, but she seemed just as unshakable.

So,

in this household, only the Second Sister was worth his time.

Too bad she never came home.

Damn it.

This trip was clearly a loss.

Back in Sanjiang, at least he had Aunt Wang as a fallback.

"Young Master, have some fruit." An auntie brought over an exquisite fruit platter.

Cao Cheng opened his eyes.

His sharp, penetrating gaze swept over her—then lit up.

Another auntie~

Most importantly, they had plenty of emotional reactions. Just now, his random musings had already triggered negative feedback, meaning there was potential to exploit.

The only downside? The emotional value was too low.

Grinding them for a whole day wouldn’t compare to calling Second Sister "beauty" to her face.

"Young Master, just call me if you need anything. My surname is Zhang."

"Got it. You can go, Aunt Zhang." Cao Cheng nodded politely, his gaze softening.

But the auntie was terrified.

That look just now—it was terrifying.

For a split second, Aunt Zhang felt like she’d been completely exposed, as if all her thoughts and secrets were laid bare before the young master.

Not even the four young misses had ever made her feel this way, nor had President Ren possessed such a piercing stare.

Scary, scary!!

Aunt Zhang scurried back to the kitchen and whispered to her colleague tidying up.

One thing was clear: this young master was not to be trifled with!

...

The melodious sound of piano music? Nonexistent.

The soundproofing in the music room was excellent.

Two hours passed without a single note escaping.

So,

The Fourth was definitely putting on an act. She wasn’t practicing at all—she was probably in there watching movies or playing games.

Projecting his own habits, Cao Cheng knew all the tricks for slacking off.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Grandma. Yeah, I made it. Zhonghai’s alright, a bit warmer than back home. Want to come stay for a while? C’mon, don’t be polite with me!"

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lingling, your big bro’s here. I was busy yesterday—you know how it is with so many people in her family. Meeting everyone, introductions, exhausted me so much I crashed early. Just woke up and thought of you right away..."

"There’s still time after New Year’s. You can come to Zhonghai first, have some fun, then head to the capital for school. I’ll take you around..."

"Ever heard of the Old City God Temple? It’s super lively!"

"I’ll also take you shopping. Honestly, you’re pretty, but your fashion sense is mid. Leave it to me—I’ll design for you. Just relax and be my little princess."

"Alright, got it. Wait, hand the phone to Grandma. I need to talk to her."

"Hey, Grandma, I’m filing a complaint."

"Yep, Ren Yuege’s slacking off."

"I saw it with my own eyes. She said she was going to practice, but two hours in, not a single sound. Guaranteed she’s sneaking around playing games..."

"She won’t listen to me, either. Pulls the ‘older sister’ card and even likes to hit me. You know how she is."

"And this is her turf. I’m outmatched."

"Grandma, you gotta help me. As your personal disciple, she’s got an opportunity most piano students would kill for—and she’s wasting it. You’ve gotta lecture her."

"I’m not stirring the pot, Grandma. She’s just being ridiculous."

"Alright, I’ll have her call you later. Make sure you give her an earful. Better yet, give her a spanking. Can’t reach her? No problem—I’m here. Delegate the disciplinary rights to me. She won’t dare defy you."

"Even if she’s the Monkey King, she can’t escape your palm, right?"

Heh heh heh...

He hung up, satisfied.

After some thought, Cao Cheng decided he couldn’t just laze around anymore.

Too much idle time really could make you sick.

So...

He got up.

He went out for a walk, called an auntie over to set up the fingerprint lock, and added his own print.

Now he could come and go as he pleased.

Didn’t take the car, either.

Yesterday, he’d noticed a lake in this upscale residential area, with a grove of bamboo behind it.

Gentleman’s bamboo!

He plucked a few slender bamboo branches, brought them home, and tied them together with string. Cao Cheng was a craftsman—his bundled bamboo twigs actually looked quite elegant.

...

At lunchtime,

The Fourth came downstairs.

None of the other sisters were back. Were they really that busy?

Or were they avoiding him?

Just wait.

Once he got familiar, he’d track each of them down.

"Here." As soon as he saw Ren Yuege, Cao Cheng handed her his phone.

"What’s this for?" she asked, confused.

"Your teacher called. She said to call her back after you finished practicing."

"Oh!"

Ren Yuege didn’t overthink it, though she did wonder why she had to use his phone instead of her own.

Regardless,

she didn’t dwell on it and took the phone.

Soon, she was on the line with the old lady.

Ren Yuege stepped aside.

"Hello, Teacher. You wanted me?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"No, I—who told you that? I did practice! I practice every… huh?"

Ren Yuege turned her head sharply, narrowing her eyes at Cao Cheng.

[Ding~ Negative emotion...]

Cao Cheng was leisurely brewing tea.

Calm and composed, not even glancing her way.

Sitting upright, utterly unbothered.

Sip—

Ahh.

Good tea.

This Ningxiang tea—never gets old.

The longevity tea, though, was in short supply. Cao Cheng barely drank it himself.

He’d save some for The Third and The Fourth later.

Those who treated him well would get the same in return.

The Eldest and Second Sisters? Forget it.

As for Aunt Ren… he’d wait and see.