You're so great, so noble

The situation wasn’t too complicated.

The other party was also a boss, surnamed Jin.

According to Old Cao, this guy had long coveted Ren's Mother’s beauty—he’d had a crush on her for years and had pursued her relentlessly.

Later, when Old Master Ren passed away, the Ren family seemed on the verge of decline, having lost their pillar of support.

This Boss Jin scurried around, trying to win Ren's Mother over with favors during her most vulnerable moment, hoping to finally claim the beauty as his own.

At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.

Unfortunately,

Ren's Mother’s heart belonged to someone else. That person had left countless tears in her heart, leaving no room for anyone else.

Boss Jin refused to give up, continuing his pursuit.

This went on for over a decade or two, until he eventually went abroad and got married.

But Ren's Mother remained his eternal white moonlight.

This time, Boss Jin returned to the country for two reasons: to visit graves and to see if there was still a chance with Ren's Mother—since he was now divorced.

Then came the shocking news: Ren's Mother had actually married some country bumpkin loser.

How could he tolerate this?

Does he even have a local residency permit?

Damn it.

Boss Jin’s words were harsh.

But his skin wasn’t as thick as Old Cao’s. And who was Old Cao? He immediately clapped back at him.

Boss Jin, furious and humiliated, lashed out in a fit of rage, even insulting Ren's Mother—basically calling her blind for picking trash, and worse, trash with a little trashy burden in tow.

Boss Jin could attack Cao Cheng all he wanted.

But insulting Ren's Mother? That was crossing the line.

And so, a fight broke out…

…

Young Master Cao frowned. “What do you mean ‘attacking me is fine’? That ‘little trashy burden’ was referring to me, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t get hung up on the details,” Old Cao waved magnanimously.

“…”

Young Master Cao scoffed in amusement. “Fine, fine. You’ve got a wife now, so you forget your son. But let me remind you—from what you’ve said, this Boss Jin sounds like a villain. Watch out for a sneak attack.”

According to Old Cao, Boss Jin was a pudgy, balding man who reeked of nouveau riche.

He was in real estate.

Had “seen the world” abroad.

And since returning, he’d been acting all high and mighty, even looking down on his once-beloved white moonlight. Rumor had it he was even planning to start some kind of dance troupe.

A guy like that? Definitely shady.

At least, that’s how Old Cao painted him.

But how much of Old Cao’s words could be trusted?

Young Master Cao was skeptical.

“Relax, I’ll beat him up every time I see him,” Old Cao boasted.

“You’d better watch yourself.”

Cao Cheng shook his head and didn’t press further.

Fighting? No big deal.

These days, which kid hadn’t grown up scrapping?

Which adult hadn’t thrown a punch or two?

Unlike decades later, when people would hesitate to fight, worrying if they could afford the consequences.

…

Soon,

Ren's Mother returned, bringing high-end ingredients—lobster and abalone.

Seeing Old Cao bragging, she rolled her eyes hard. “Carry these inside, and get me a coffee while you’re at it.”

Once Old Cao grumbled his way off,

Ren's Mother turned to Cao Cheng with gentle concern. “How have you been lately, dear?”

“Pretty good, Mom. Just busy and a little tired.”

“You should take better care of yourself.”

“I’m resting now, aren’t I? Finally got a day off. By the way, Mom, how’d he hurt his leg? He said it was from heroically saving you—true?” Young Master Cao asked curiously.

Ren's Mother instinctively rolled her eyes again, then burst out laughing. “Him? A hero? Please. He got into a fight over jealousy, then tripped and hurt his leg. Just a slight sprain—healed in a few days. But no, he had to milk it, insisting on using a crutch.”

Ha.

Called it. The crutch part, at least.

But the story had some… discrepancies.

Ren's Mother didn’t hide anything. “An old friend of mine—runs a company overseas now—came back to visit family graves. He invited me to dinner, and your dad tagged along. I never expected the scene that followed. Your dad even made me feed him…”

Young Master Cao grimaced. “Seriously?”

Ren's Mother chuckled, ruffling his hair. “You have no idea how much your dad loves to act spoiled. And he’s so possessive.”

“That friend did have a crush on me back in the day. But what can I say? Your mom’s always been a looker, right?”

Alright.

Now it made sense.

Like father, like mother—she had a touch of vanity too, just like Old Cao.

In this household, it seemed Young Master Cao was the only honest, straightforward soul left.

Ugh.

What kind of family is this?

Cao Cheng nodded vigorously. “Absolutely, Mom. You’re still stunning. Radiant, even.”

“Hahaha—this kid, always spouting the truth.” Ren's Mother beamed.

She continued, “But that Uncle Jin only pursued me back in our student days. He actually knew your dad too—they had some minor clashes back then. They just hadn’t seen each other in years.”

“Anyway, so much time has passed. He has his family, I have mine. It was just a casual meetup—he wanted my take on the domestic financial and real estate markets.”

“But your dad got jealous, started provoking him, mocking his looks and hairstyle.”

“Finally pushed him too far, and they ended up fighting.”

Hearing this, Cao Cheng feigned outrage. “Old Cao’s gone too far! How could he embarrass you like that in public? Doesn’t he know basic social etiquette?”

Ren's Mother nodded, then shook her head. “It’s just his way of showing he cares. I don’t blame him.”

“…”

Cao Cheng side-eyed her.

Sure, sure.

I’ll scold Old Cao for you.

And you repay me with a mouthful of dog food? How noble of you.

Now I’m stuck in the middle, looking like the bad guy?

Ren's Mother went on, “Luckily, the waiters stepped in before it got physical. But your dad tripped, sprained his ankle… and his phone just happened to slip from his hand. By sheer coincidence, it knocked out Old Jin’s front tooth.”

“…”

Now Cao Cheng understood.

Old Cao’s version of events was pure fiction—though the gist was sort of accurate.

“Happened to slip”?

Yeah, right.

Old Cao was sneaky like that.

Maybe Ren's Mother saw through it too, but she wouldn’t say it outright.

She was protecting her husband—can’t fault her for that.

…

Meanwhile,

Boss Jin—sporting a fashionable comb-over and a gap-toothed grin—was waiting for his dental implant to arrive.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got…

That was definitely on purpose.

That old bastard Cao really thinks I won’t retaliate?

Just wait.

You just wait.

Since when has Boss Jin ever taken a loss lying down?

Damn it.

Back in school, you bullied me.

And now you’re still at it?

What was the point of me going abroad then?

If this were overseas, I’d have emptied a clip into you.

Ever heard of the bald guy on the rooftop?

That’s me.

Even the toughest thugs call me “sir.”

If I don’t knock your teeth out this time, I swear I’m never setting foot in America again.

Boss Jin pulled out his phone and dialed a local contact: "Hey, Old Dog, get me a few guys. Yeah, teach some guy a lesson—no arms, no legs, just knock out two front teeth. How much?"

"What’s his status? Nothing special. Just some pretty boy... an old pretty boy."

"No bodyguards around."

"I’ll handle tracking him. Just an ordinary guy. All I want is two teeth."

"How much? What, fifty grand? Since when is the rate this high?"

"Fine, I’ll send twenty upfront..."

...

Old Dog hung up and dialed another number.

"Yang Laojiu, rough someone up for me. Two teeth, twenty grand. You get ten first."

...

Yang Laojiu called over his nephews.

"Kuang Long, Meng Hu, got a job."

"Beat up some guy, knock out two teeth. Five grand each!"

"Relax, Uncle. Easy money."