Inside the private room.
"What is this? It's so raw, it doesn't taste good. Guilan, won't eating this give us a stomachache?"
Old Master Tang used the chopsticks in his hand to poke the medium-well steak he had just taken a bite of. With a gentle press, a lot of myoglobin oozed out from the meat.
Tang's Mother: "..."
"I really want to stuff a flatbread right into your mouth. This is a medium-well steak, what do you mean 'so raw'? A mountain pig really can't appreciate fine bran, can it!" Tang's Mother glared at Old Master Tang.
Old Master Tang shrank his neck, not daring to retort. The little old man just muttered to himself, poking it again with his chopsticks. After confirming there was no problem, he picked it up, put it in his mouth, and started chewing again.
Hmm... the taste was actually pretty good, but it just looked too raw.
Chew, chew, chew...
Compared to the boorish Old Master Tang picking up steak with chopsticks over there, Tang's Mother seemed much more elegant. At least she was using a knife and fork, even if she wasn't very skilled with them.
But she still tried her best to maintain her elegance.
It was just that for some reason, looking at her old man right now made her a bit furious. It couldn't be because Old Master Tang was eating his steak much faster with chopsticks, could it?
Ugh, these things were so hard to use, chopsticks would be much better.
Tang's Mother's resentment +1 +1 +1...
If she had known, she wouldn't have put on airs earlier. Now look, she couldn't use chopsticks either. It smelled delicious, but it was so exhausting to eat. Sigh...
Silently, the indignant Tang's Mother kicked Old Master Tang, who was happily eating his steak with chopsticks beside her.
Old Master Tang: "???"
Guilan, why did you kick me? I didn't do anything!
Forming a sharp contrast with the couple was Tang Yuyao, sitting opposite them, wearing gloves and gnawing on a tomahawk steak. She couldn't understand why these two old folks were putting on such an act, one with chopsticks and the other with a fork.
It was much more practical to just use gloves. In the time they spent fussing, she could have finished tearing it apart with her bare hands.
That's right, not only was Tang Yuyao completely lacking in elegance, she was even more unrestrained than her parents. She just did whatever was comfortable and didn't mind at all.
Tap, tap, tap. Not far away, the little boy came running back from the dessert area in a panic, looking completely disheveled.
"This is bad, this is bad, Grandma! I know why Auntie can't win Uncle-in-law's heart. Uncle-in-law likes dogs!"
"Pfft!"
"Cough, cough... your mo..."
Hearing this, Tang Yuyao nearly choked to death. She spat out the steak she had just put in her mouth, and along with it, swallowed back the curse word she was about to say.
You little bastard, who are you saying can't win whose heart?
Huh?
Do you believe I can send you flying? Do you know what the mafia is?
Tang Yuyao's anger +1 +1 +1...
The little boy's shocking words instantly silenced the three of them. Old Master Tang, who was gnawing on his steak, and Tang's Mother, who was clumsily cutting hers with a fork, both stopped and looked at their little grandson in bewilderment.
What on earth?
A giant question mark materialized above the couple's heads.
Wasn't he going to get desserts? How did this suddenly involve his Uncle-in-law?
The little boy in question felt the murderous aura coming from the side. It was not only intense but incredibly pure. He shuddered all over and hurriedly ran toward his grandmother, hiding behind her back.
Only after hiding well and gaining enough of a sense of security did he dare to seek out the source of the murderous aura.
He saw.
His usually amiable leftover-spinster aunt was now smiling like a demon, looking as if she wanted to eat a child.
"Xiaobao, come here. Come to Auntie." Tang Yuyao wore an incredibly gentle smile on her face as she waved at the little boy hiding behind her mother.
The little boy shook his head like a rattle drum. He wouldn't go over even if beaten to death, because if he did go over, he would actually be beaten to death.
"Get over here, you brat! I promise I won't beat you to death today!!!"
Seeing that he wasn't taking the bait, Tang Yuyao completely dropped the act. She instantly entered fury form, turning into a red power mode, ready to do it the hard way. She figured she'd give him a ten-hit combo first and see.
Otherwise, it would be hard to ease the hatred in her heart!
The little boy clung tightly to Tang's Mother. "Grandma, save me! Auntie's defenses are broken because she can't win Uncle-in-law's heart, and now she wants to kill me! I'm one of your few good grandsons..."
Tang's Mother: "..."
After taking two smacks to the buttocks, the matter was finally considered settled. Only then did the little boy have the chance to explain what he had just seen.
Old Master Tang had already finished a piece of steak and was wiping his mouth. "Xiaobao, are you saying you got bullied by a dog?"
The little boy: "..."
"Grandpa, that's not the point. Besides, that dog was super fat. It only barely beat me because of its weight advantage. Otherwise, I would have given it a one-two punch and shown it the number one fist of the Blue Sky Kindergarten Senior Class!"
The little boy looked incredibly arrogant, trying to regain his pride. As for Blue Sky Kindergarten, it was the full name of the kindergarten he attended. It didn't recruit publicly, but it never lacked students.
If he let them know that he was knocked flying by a dog and almost cried, they would probably call him a loser...
But the problem was that he really couldn't be blamed! That dog was just too fat and incredibly strong. Who knows what it grew up eating, but it was even stockier than he was.
"That's fine then. I thought you were like your dad when he was little, getting bullied by dogs and chased all over the place," Old Master Tang began to reminisce.
The little boy: "..."
Grandpa, stop talking, please. For the sake of me calling you Grandpa.
The little boy made up his mind. If there was a chance later, he definitely had to find that dog that bumped into him and get his revenge to wipe away his shame. He wanted a one-on-one duel!!!
"Shoo, shoo, shoo, don't interrupt. What dog? Go eat your food." Seeing her old man talking about her little grandson and her son like that, Tang's Mother got a bit displeased. She grabbed a freshly served steamed white bun and stuffed it into Old Master Tang's mouth.
Now the world was quiet.
Old Master Tang: "..."
"Xiaobao, tell Grandma, besides what you just saw, is there anything else you need to add? For example... were there any other pretty older sisters around?"
Tang's Mother asked.
Beside them, Tang Yuyao, who had been preparing to secretly beat her little nephew to death, suddenly had a clear look in her eyes upon hearing her mother's words.
Mom, you really are my biological mother!
Tang's Mother delivered a fatal blow, hitting right at the core of the issue.
The little boy had just babbled a whole bunch of stuff, but actually, there was only one useful piece of information: Ye Cheng was also here. And then... then there was nothing else.
What they needed to confirm now was whether there were any other young girls here. Otherwise, it would be bad if things ended up in a situation like the one at the hospital later.
Their eldest daughter had become so useless; they had never seen anyone so cowardly. Sigh...
She only had the power to fight when there was no one else around to interfere. Any other time, forget about it. Opportunities were rare, so they had to seize this chance!
The older generation's eyes were indeed too sharp. Tang Yuyao, who was eavesdropping with perked ears on the side, was thrilled. As expected, her mother's side was more reliable!
"It seems... it seems there wasn't a pretty sister, eh, just two middle-aged uncles." The little boy began to recall the scene in the hospital, and the image of a super beautiful rich young lady appeared in his mind.
Then... came the young lady's disgusted and cold voice. With a crack, his spirit shattered completely.
"Although I don't hate oranges, I don't like the oranges you gave me, and I don't like you either. Give up on this idea..." The young lady's incredibly cold voice echoed in the hospital room.
Boo hoo hoo... he wasn't sad at all!!!
Tang Yuyao's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly stood up: "Ahem, Mom, I'm going to the restroom."
After saying that, she headed straight toward the dessert area where the little boy had run over from earlier.
Tang's Mother: "..."
This eldest daughter... could she really not wait at all? Wasn't she being a bit too anxious? This... sigh.
Seeing that his fierce, seemingly man-eating, older leftover-woman aunt had left, the little boy finally dared to let go of his grandmother's clothes and popped his little head out.
"Grandma, did Auntie go over to find Uncle-in-law?"
"Probably... not. Didn't your aunt just say she was going to the restroom?" Tang's Mother spouted nonsense with a straight face.
Even a five-year-old kid like him could tell, which showed that Tang Yuyao's intentions couldn't be any more obvious!
She truly couldn't hide anything in her heart.
"Oh, then I'll go take a look." The little boy said, about to follow behind to see what was going on.
Tang's Mother: "..."
Silently, Tang's Mother spoke up: "Xiaobao, Grandma won't protect you later, okay."
The little boy: "..."
The little boy, who had already skipped quite a distance away, began to back up like a car parking in reverse. He very obediently returned to his seat, blinked his mung-bean-sized eyes, and looked perfectly innocent.
"Grandma, this cake is really delicious!" A wise man submits to circumstances. The expression on the little boy's face even became a bit more handsome. Right now, it was probably his butt taking control away from his brain to avoid a spanking.
Tang's Mother: "..."
Old Master Tang, who had been eavesdropping on the side for a long time, saw that the situation had stabilized and finally spoke up: "The boy this girl has her eye on is here?"
"Then what are you afraid of? Bring him over for a look."
The little boy nodded vigorously: "Exactly, exactly, they have to meet the parents sooner or later anyway."
"Look at your head, eat your bun. If you speak again, you can go sleep in the next bed by yourself tonight!" Tang's Mother glared at Old Master Tang who had just spoken.
Silently, Old Master Tang retracted his statement, took a bite of his bun, and indicated that it was really delicious...
Dessert area.
Tang Yuyao put on an act, holding a plate in her hand and a pair of tongs, as if she were picking out desserts. In reality, her gaze never even fell on the dessert section; she just kept scanning the people around her.
Where is he, where is he? Where is that brat!
Tang Yuyao had almost trained a pair of piercing golden eyes, staring without even blinking.
"Hmm?"
Soon, a crowd gathered together in front of the dessert area caught Tang Yuyao's attention. Holding her plate, she walked toward the crowd.
This was a private restaurant. The people who came here to eat, especially on the top floor, were all prominent figures, the kind who ranked high in Sea City. Now, so many of them had gathered here all at once.
If there wasn't something unusual going on, Tang Yuyao wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death. Her intuition told her that a certain someone was right here!
Click, clack, click. The crisp sound of high heels gradually approached. Relying on her exaggerated height advantage and the boost from her heels, Tang Yuyao stood on the periphery and saw the situation inside clearly!
There were two center points in the central area. One was centered around Ye Cheng and Da Huang, surrounded by people looking at the novelty; the other was centered around Shen Ming and Lin Tianxiong, surrounded by respectful socialites chatting and networking...
Tang Yuyao also saw the truth behind what their family's annoying little brat had just said: "Uncle-in-law likes dogs but doesn't like you, Auntie!"
Ye Cheng and Da Huang were eating happily on the side, stuffing their faces energetically. One man and one dog both had comically bulging bellies, looking like representatives of being slightly pregnant. Next to them were waiters and a manager replenishing the food.
Not to mention the waiters who liked to watch the fun, even the restaurant manager enjoyed it. He kicked away the waiter who was delivering the cake and personally came to restock the food.
This was the front line for gossip; it was a rare opportunity!
While Ye Cheng and Da Huang were eating happily, Lin Tianxiong and Shen Ming were also having a great chat. The two talked so much they forgot everything else, and a group of bosses surrounded them, echoing their words and learning from their experience...
It looked exactly like an exaggerated high-society banquet for the top tier of the wealthy, centered right around the dessert area.
The herd effect quickly formed. More and more people heard the news and joined in, and some had already started discussing business...
Tang Yuyao: "..."
What are these people... doing?
Weren't they just eating? How did it turn into a banquet?
What made Tang Yuyao lose her composure the most was that even though these people were so engrossed in their discussions, they still didn't forget to leave a space for Ye Cheng and Da Huang to eat. It was... it was just absurd!
Such an unspoken understanding.
Tang Yuyao's mouth twitched. Keeping her footsteps light, she stealthily crept into the crowd.
Silent walk plus ghost jump!
Suddenly, Ye Cheng, who was still eating his mille-crepe cake, felt a tap on his shoulder. Before he could turn his head, he was dragged out, his mouth covered.
Ye Cheng: "???"
Da Huang was enjoying his meal immensely. He looked up, and his big brother was gone!
Da Huang: "???"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
