In the world, the most important thing is to show up. "Brother Doudou" changes face, the wonderful family.

Ye Cheng was wrong—dead wrong.

The quilt Du Wanyi had promised to give him wasn’t the young mistress’s at all. What was even more infuriating was that Ye Cheng realized he’d been tricked because Du Wanyi had never actually said the room he woke up in belonged to the young mistress.

She had exploited his subconscious assumption—that the place he woke up in must be the young mistress’s bed—only for it to turn out to be some old geezer’s.

No wonder! He’d been wondering why the bed didn’t carry the young mistress’s sweet fragrance. For a moment, he thought his sense of smell had failed him. Turned out, it wasn’t her bed at all.

Damn it!!!

At that moment, Ye Cheng and the young mistress reached a rare agreement. In Ye Cheng’s eyes, Du Wanyi had now become an inherently wicked married woman—how dare she deceive him for so long?!

The real victim, though, was Shen Ming, who suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of danger. He glanced at his wife in shock, then at Ye Cheng with disbelief.

Ye Cheng: "..."

Not me, I didn’t, don’t slander me! I’m from Great Sea City, not that city. I don’t have any weird preferences—thinking about it is bad enough, and even thinking is a crime!

"Why aren’t you two saying anything? Come here, DouDou, sit down and get acquainted. This is Xiao Chengcheng—my little brother. Isn’t he just so pretty?"

Du Wanyi patted the empty spot beside her, proudly introducing Ye Cheng. But… the atmosphere felt oddly awkward. To an outsider, it might look like Du Wanyi had brought home a young lover.

Shen Ming sized Ye Cheng up and couldn’t help but feel startled—this guy looked like some kind of incubus!

Even someone as worldly as Shen Ming couldn’t help but marvel at Ye Cheng’s appearance at first glance. Of course, looks alone were a superficial measure.

Just because someone fit a certain mold didn’t necessarily mean they were irresistibly charming. It wasn’t that simple.

First impressions were based on facial features, then overall presence. Just those two glances could determine a lot. Ye Cheng’s facial and body lines were flawlessly smooth, reaching celebrity-level perfection.

The Shen family owned an entertainment company, and many famous stars had come from it. Shen Ming had seen plenty, but someone as unnaturally good-looking as Ye Cheng was a first.

Is this guy a professional gigolo or something?

The thought popped into Shen Ming’s head unbidden. With looks like that, it’d almost be a waste if Ye Cheng wasn’t living off someone. If nothing else, he could easily become a star under their company.

With Ye Cheng’s face, fame would come in minutes. Singing, dancing, rap, music, basketball… he’d probably pick it all up lightning-fast.

Before Shen Ming could speak, Ye Cheng stood up, grabbed his hands, and shook them enthusiastically.

"Hey there, Brother DouDou! Long time no see—I mean, heard so much about you!"

Shen Ming: "..."

"Any chance my name isn’t actually DouDou?" Shen Ming sighed, correcting the address with visible exasperation. Being called "Xiao Mingming" was bad enough, but now "Brother DouDou"?

Kids these days, seriously…

Ye Cheng didn’t let go of Shen Ming’s hands. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and shot a questioning look at Du Wanyi, who was leisurely sipping her iced tea.

"Oh, fine. This old geezer’s name is Xiao Mingming," Du Wanyi reluctantly clarified, pouting. Why couldn’t he just be called DouDou? It sounded so much cuter!

With the mystery solved, Ye Cheng’s confusion vanished, replaced by renewed enthusiasm as he pumped Shen Ming’s hand up and down.

"Brother Mingming! Heard so much about you!" Ye Cheng declared with an expression of pure innocence, his gaze as firm as—well, you know.

Shen Ming: "..."

Am I the only sane person in this house?

Shen Ming was starting to question reality, but he still managed a polite handshake and a smile. "You must be Hanhan’s friend. My wife mentioned you before."

The two exchanged pleasantries, eventually moving into the room. Surprisingly, the conversation flowed smoothly.

Aside from the absurd "Brother Mingming" bit at the start, everything else was tolerable—especially since Ye Cheng spoke with remarkable eloquence, clearly sharp-minded.

His looks weren’t just good; they were too good. After a brief chat, Shen Ming rated him a solid 90/100. Excellent first impression.

Shen Ming sat down without ceremony, pouring himself a cup from the teapot on the table and taking a sip.

Huh?

This taste… something’s off.

Since when did they have this kind of tea at home?

It was Shen Ming’s first time trying it, and he was pleasantly surprised. Without hesitation, he poured himself another cup.

"Wanyi, what kind of tea is this? It’s really good," he remarked before taking another sip.

Du Wanyi blinked. "This one."

She lifted the empty, oversized bottle of iced tea from under the table, waving it in front of Shen Ming. The bold words "ICED TEA" dominated the label.

Shen Ming: "???"

No wonder it tasted unfamiliar yet weirdly nostalgic. But… if you’re just drinking soda, why go through the whole tea ceremony setup? And in the tea room, no less!

The silence was deafening. What really shattered Shen Ming’s composure was the realization that, despite years of tea-drinking, he hadn’t recognized the "sugary water" in his cup—and had even praised it.

Suddenly, he recalled his wife’s frequent, irreverent remarks: "All that ‘tea cultivates the mind’ nonsense is a scam. Taste is what matters." He’d been skeptical before.

Now, he had to admit there was some truth to it.

"Where’s Hanhan?" Shen Ming poured himself another cup, downed it, and turned to his wife.

Du Wanyi shook her head. "Dunno. Sip, sip… I just woke up, sip, sip… Oh no, my bugs!!"

Mid-shake, her eyes widened in horror as if struck by a sudden memory. With a shriek, she bolted out of the room.

Thud, thud, thud—her frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Moments later, the entire mansion was filled with the sound of a woman wailing like a slaughtered pig.

"NOOOOO!!!"

"Wahhh—my Little Black, my Little White, my Little Yellow, my Big Black, my—"

"Gone, it's all gone! Wuwuwu... You vicious woman! Wuwuwu... They were just children—how could you be so cruel?! Wuwuwu... I'll fight you!!!"

"Thud!"

A heavy thump echoed as something—or someone—hit the floor, abruptly cutting off Madam Du's wailing.

Du Wanyi (EXTREMELY FURIOUS) — OUT!!!

With Madam Du dealt with, the mansion fell into an eerie silence. Shen Ming sighed and shook his head.

"Don’t mind her. Hanhan’s mother has always been like this, though she’s gotten worse over the years. Maybe all those beatings from Hanhan scrambled her brains."

Ye Cheng: "..."

Damn, this family is brutally honest. How… abstract.

Weren’t high-society types supposed to be refined? Why does this whole household feel like a circus? The only one who seems remotely normal here is Shen Ming.

This family would fall apart without Shen Ming.

With Madam Du out of the picture, Ye Cheng and Shen Ming chatted idly.

"Ye Cheng—that’s a good name. Sounds like an honest, dependable young man. So, Xiao Cheng… are you and Hanhan… that kind of relationship?"

After learning Ye Cheng’s name, Shen Ming patted his shoulder nostalgically before slipping in the "advertisement"—probing about his daughter’s connection to Ye Cheng.

Ye Cheng nodded without hesitation. "Yeah."

Shen Ming’s eyes widened in shock. Though he’d braced himself, hearing Ye Cheng confirm it outright was still startling. His daughter had finally made a friend… but how did it escalate to boyfriend so fast?

Wasn’t that a bit of a leap?

"We’re steadfast comrades-in-arms—more like boss and subordinate," Ye Cheng added, as if his previous statement hadn’t been complete.

Shen Ming: "???"

Shen Ming finally understood—there weren’t two normal people in this house. He was the only sane one. Ye Cheng’s thought process was… unconventional. You’d need serious mental gymnastics to keep up.

Their conversation continued until the sound of dragging footsteps echoed from the hallway, cutting them off.

There stood the young miss, hauling the already-OUT Madam Du down the corridor before stopping at the doorway, her icy gaze locked onto someone inside the room.

"Brother Doudou, the young miss seems really pissed at you. What’s the plan? Run for it? I’ll cover you." Ye Cheng slithered over to Shen Ming’s side, whispering with the furtiveness of a back-alley schemer, oozing "loyalty."

Shen Ming: "..."

Or maybe… she’s here for you?

BANG!

Madam Du was unceremoniously dumped on the floor like trash. Then, the young miss raised her radish (?) and delivered a solid whack to Madam Du’s "brilliant cranium," ensuring she "slept" even more soundly.

No napping allowed for Madam.

After this, the young miss kicked the unconscious, "born-evil obasan" aside and leveled her gaze squarely at Ye Cheng.

Ye Cheng: "..."

Slowly, Ye Cheng inched away—once, twice—before ditching the act entirely and ducking behind "Brother Doudou," deadpanning:

"Brother Doudou, that look in her eyes… seems like she wants you to step up. Go on, take one for the team."

Shen Ming: "..."

You little brat, acting this shameless at your age? Bullying an old man like me—where’s your conscience?

Kidding, Brother Doudou! Of course I’m shameless. Ye Cheng’s motto? "All talk of loyalty," "bully the weak," "fear the strong," "boss and lackey," "sister-in-law is really—" Pure, unfiltered survival tactics.

"Come out."

Shen Qinghan narrowed her eyes, her voice frigid enough to freeze hell over.

"Hanhan, Xiao Cheng is a guest. You can’t just—" Shen Ming took a deep breath, his tone gentle and reasonable.

"Shut up." The young miss’s glare could’ve shattered ice.

"You’ll never get him to listen like this. Here, let Dad help!"

In a flash, Shen Ming shed his "refined scoundrel" persona and morphed into a suit-clad enforcer, grabbing Ye Cheng in a headlock to drag him toward the "guillotine" for a taste of divine retribution.

Ye Cheng: "???"

[That’s 8-9k words for now. One more chapter later—gotta plot things out. Tiny gifts welcome, mwah!]