Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 29

Song Cheng remained unmoved, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips as she gazed at Liu Tianhong.

Seeing this, Liu Tianhong’s hand, resting on his knee, began to rub nervously. After a moment of tense silence, he gritted his teeth and said, “Five percent.”

Song Cheng didn’t know how much money five percent represented, but Liu Zimang did.

The Liu Family had few self-operated businesses, relying primarily on investments. Her great-uncle possessed remarkable foresight, doubling the value of every penny he invested, with some investments even multiplying a hundredfold. As a result, the Liu Family’s annual dividend income from investments alone exceeded a hundred million yuan. Combined with their self-operated businesses, Song Cheng’s annual share remained substantial.

Noticing Liu Zimang’s subtle expression, Song Cheng immediately understood that five percent was a significant sum. Seizing the opportunity, she said, “Deal.”

For Ziman’s sake, Song Cheng couldn’t truly abandon the Liu Family. After all, they had wronged Ziman.

Let this money serve as compensation for the pain they had caused her.

Hearing this, Liu Tianhong’s joy instantly overshadowed his heartache, his face beaming with delight. “Thank you, thank you!” He rose from the sofa. “Then I won’t bother you any longer. Farewell!”

Wu Guifang turned her head at his words, offering a polite invitation. “It’s almost lunchtime. Stay and have a meal before you leave!”

“No need, no need,” Liu Tianhong said, glancing at his granddaughter sitting beside Song Cheng. “We’ll trouble you again next time.”

He needed to return and gather everyone immediately; the meal could wait.

“I’ll visit the Liu Family twice a week,” Song Cheng said casually, offering Liu Tianhong a reassurance. “Let’s set the times for Wednesday and Friday afternoons.”

Standing beside Liu Tianhong, Liu Zitong’s brow furrowed instantly, ready to protest, but Liu Tianhong silenced her with a sharp look.

Song Cheng noticed this exchange and remarked softly, “Don’t feel you’re getting the short end of the stick. The Xu Clan has the same arrangement.”

Hearing this, the knot in Liu Tianhong’s heart dissolved instantly. “Then we’ll trouble you,” he said, turning to leave.

Outside, Liu Zitong could no longer contain herself. “Grandfather, why did you concede? Giving up five percent of our profits for just two weekly training sessions is a terrible deal!”

Liu Tianhong replied firmly, “What do you know? The fact that Song Cheng possesses Internal Energy makes that five percent worth it.”

The Five Great Ancient Martial Families had suffered greatly from the loss of their ancestral techniques. Otherwise, North Ridge wouldn’t have had the chance to flaunt their superiority.

Even if North Ridge’s traditions remained intact, what good was their vaunted Internal Energy when it paled in comparison to Song Cheng’s mastery?

So the money was well spent.

Inside, the aroma of the lavish dishes wafted from the kitchen, drawing Song Cheng closer.

After taking a few steps, she turned back and took Liu Zimang’s hand, leading her to the dining table. “Sister Feng and my mom are both excellent cooks. They’ve prepared some hearty dishes today, so we’re in for a treat.”

Sensing Liu Zimang’s nervousness, Song Cheng set out the tableware while saying, “Don’t be so tense. This is your second home now.” She leaned closer, whispering in Liu Zimang’s ear, “They’re both huge fans of yours.”

The ticklish sensation in her ear momentarily overshadowed Liu Zimang’s anxiety, allowing her to relax slightly. “Should I sign autographs for them later?”

Song Cheng nodded immediately. “That would be great.”

“I’m home!” Song Yu’s voice boomed through the house before he even entered. Having finished signing contracts nearby, he didn’t hesitate to return home for dinner.

His sudden arrival startled Liu Zimang.

Song Cheng immediately put down her chopsticks and turned to face Song Yu, who was striding toward them. “You’re back, so what? Why are you shouting like that?”

Only then did Song Yu notice the other person beside her. Curiosity piqued, he quickened his pace. When he realized it was Liu Zimang, his jaw dropped, his eyes darting between her and Song Cheng. “This… this is…”

Wu Guifang, who had just brought out the last dish, set down the plate and immediately flicked Song Yu on the forehead. “What’s with the overreaction? Don’t scare Ziman.”

Song Yu rubbed his head, speechless.

Having her idol sitting right next to her at the dinner table, Wu Guifang was visibly thrilled.

Song Cheng, who had been eagerly waiting, urged everyone, “What are you all staring at? Let’s eat.” Noticing Liu Zimang hadn’t touched her food, she immediately put down her chopsticks and used the serving chopsticks to pile food into Liu Zimang’s bowl.

Only when the bowl was overflowing did she stop. Under the astonished gazes of the others, she calmly declared, “Eat up, we’re all family here.”

Wu Guifang: “……”

Song Yu: “……”

Could she mean “family” the way I’m thinking?

His breathing quickened at the thought. He grabbed the glass of water beside him and drained it in one gulp.

I must be overthinking this. How could the nation’s goddess be into girls? Especially my nominal sister.

Does that mean I’m now the nation’s goddess’s brother?

As he lifted his cup for another sip, Song Yu realized it was empty. He awkwardly set the cup back down and self-consciously picked up some food with his chopsticks.

Suddenly, he put down his chopsticks and looked at Song Cheng. “I need to tell you something.”

Song Cheng didn’t stop eating, but her attention shifted to Song Yu, signaling him to continue.

“I went to negotiate a deal today. Their initial offer was way too low—we couldn’t accept it. Since it was a major contract, I thought I’d try to negotiate further. But as soon as I arrived, before I could even speak, they agreed to my original price.”

Song Cheng’s hand, holding her chopsticks, froze momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Hey, aren’t you even curious why?” Song Yu pressed, growing impatient.

After swallowing her mouthful of food, Song Cheng replied, “Just tell me. Who pulled strings behind the scenes? Or did you owe someone a favor?”

Song Yu scoffed. “Talking to you is so boring.” He took the water Sister Feng offered and took a sip before continuing, “There’s always a reason for the unexpected. I made an excuse to have someone investigate. Turns out the furniture company is connected to the Zhang Family.”

“The Zhang Family who hosted that banquet last time?” Song Cheng asked.

Song Yu nodded. “In all of S City, who else but the Zhang Family has that kind of influence?”

Wu Guifang and Song Tianfu, having listened intently, turned to Song Cheng, eager to hear her thoughts.

Even Liu Zimang glanced over.

“If the Zhang Family wants to curry favor, let them,” Song Cheng said dismissively. She had known someone would make a move the moment Liu Tianhong approached her. Sure enough, here they were.

Debts of gratitude make negotiations easier. The Zhang Family had mastered this principle.

But gratitude was one thing; she wasn’t about to work for free just because of some trivial favor.

Setting down her chopsticks, she looked up at Song Yu. “How extensive are the Zhang Family’s holdings? What’s their approximate annual revenue?”

“They’re doing alright. Their operations extend beyond S City, even into other provinces. As for their annual revenue…” Song Yu shook his head. “I’m not really sure. A rough estimate would be several hundred million yuan?”

Song Cheng’s eyes lit up at the figure. Why bother selling health supplements? Wouldn’t it be better to just sit back and collect dividends every year?

Seeing through her thoughts, Shen Gu immediately stood up, his voice trembling with excitement. “You can’t just give up! Getting a share of the profits is nice, but you’ll have no say in how things are run. If you start your own company, you can do whatever you want and keep all the profits. There’s no comparison, no comparison at all!”

Earlier, when he had cast a divination for himself, the hexagram had indicated a turning point in his financial luck this year.

Born without any innate financial fortune, he had always struggled to hold onto any wealth he managed to acquire. To break this karmic cycle, he needed guidance from a transcendent master whose destiny lay beyond the Three Realms.

After searching for most of his life, just as he was about to resign himself to fate, Song Cheng appeared.

From another dimension, occupying a body that had already lived and died, her future was impossible to discern—wasn’t this proof of her transcendence beyond the Three Realms?

His intuition told him that partnering with Song Cheng in business would shatter his cursed financial destiny. This lifelong affliction had been his greatest pain, and now that he finally saw a glimmer of hope, how could he possibly let it slip away?

Song Cheng relaxed her brow only after confirming that Shen Gu’s spittle wasn’t spraying onto the table. “Why the rush? If you can figure this out, how could I not?”

Song Yu seized on the key point. While he couldn’t immediately address one aspect, he felt he could help with the other. “What kind of business are you planning?”

“Health supplements.”

Liu Zimang was so startled by those words that she choked on her food. Ignoring propriety, she abruptly stood up and retreated to a corner, coughing softly.

Seeing this, Song Cheng also left the table and hurried to her side. “Are you alright?”

Tears welled up in Liu Zimang’s eyes, but she waved her hand. “I’m, cough, fine.”

“Did she choke?” Wu Guifang immediately rose. “Sister Feng, bring Ziman a glass of water.”

After drinking two glasses of water, Liu Zimang finally felt better.

“It’s not just her who nearly choked—I almost did too,” Song Yu muttered under his breath, turning to Shen Gu in confusion. “What are you thinking? What’s so great about health supplements?”

“What’s wrong with health supplements?” Shen Gu scoffed, rising from the table and pacing dramatically. “Let me tell you, our health supplements are nothing like the ones on the market. Ever heard of a Pill Formula? Well, our products are made using ancient Pill Formulas! The effects will leave those other supplements in the dust.”

Song Tianfu stood up excitedly and approached Shen Gu. “Are you talking about the Pill Formulas from those ancient texts? How does Chengz know about them? Could she have…”

“Dad,” Song Cheng interrupted quickly. She didn’t want Liu Zimang to learn about her origins just yet.

What if I scare her away?

Song Tianfu immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, exchanging meaningful glances with Shen Gu.

Liu Zimang had followed Song Cheng back to the dining table, hesitating before leaning closer. “Are the effects of that Pill Formula really that remarkable?”

“Of course they are,” Song Cheng replied. “The ingredients are measured in ounces or even pounds. To put it in your terms: it’s concentrated essence.” Noticing the curiosity in Liu Zimang’s eyes, Song Cheng patted the back of her hand. “If you’re interested, we can talk about it later. Let’s eat first.”

At her reminder, everyone returned to the table.

Having just glimpsed the gateway to a new world, Song Tianfu took only a few bites before setting down his chopsticks and dragging Shen Gu to the backyard to discuss the Pill Formula in detail.

Song Cheng and Wu Guifang exchanged helpless glances.

Three days later, after finishing her classes, Song Cheng went upstairs to Liu Zimang’s office.

“You’re here?” Liu Zimang waved her over, placing a lipstick endorsement contract she liked in front of her. “Take a look and see what you think.”

Song Cheng picked it up, glanced at it briefly, and put it back down. “Whatever you decide is fine. I have no objections.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Liu Zimang stood up and came behind her, leaning down to wrap her arms around Song Cheng’s neck from behind. “I’ve been SL’s brand ambassador for two years now, and it’s been great. They happened to be interested in you this time, so I thought I’d take the deal for you.”

Song Cheng reached up to hold Liu Zimang’s hand. “I trust you completely. From now on, you can make these decisions for me without asking.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you off?” Liu Zimang teased, her lips curving into a smile and her eyes crinkling.

Song Cheng played with her hand, using her other hand to poke Liu Zimang’s palm. “Only if you’re willing to let me go.”

The words had barely left her lips when Liu Zimang snatched her hand back, huffed softly, and turned away. “Do you think I can’t survive without you?”

Song Cheng looked bewildered. That’s not what I meant at all!

Ring-ring-ring…

Her phone rang at an inconvenient moment. Glancing at the screen, she saw an unfamiliar number and was about to reject the call. But then she remembered the Zhang Family’s recent attempts to curry favor with Song Yu and changed her mind, swiping to answer.

“Is this Master Song? I’m Zhang Qucheng. I’m not sure if you remember me.”

She hummed in acknowledgment. “Get straight to the point. I need to visit the Liu Family later.”

“I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Could you spare some time?”

“I’ll be free after four o’clock. Text me the address.”

Song Cheng hung up and glanced at the time on her phone screen, immediately getting up. She was about to leave when she caught Liu Zimang’s resentful glare and quickly turned back. “Given our relationship, you wouldn’t actually sell me out, would you?”

Seeing that Liu Zimang was still unconvinced, she added, “If it were you, I’d let you sell me out.”

Liu Zimang turned her head away. “We’ll be busy in two days. Yu X got us a variety show. If you have other plans, you should check with her to avoid scheduling conflicts.”

Without hesitation, Song Cheng replied, “Alright.” She paused at the door. “I’ve given the five percent from the Liu Family to Song Yu. He’ll arrange for a lawyer to transfer it to your name.”

Liu Zimang immediately turned her head, her face etched with surprise. She wanted to say something, but Song Cheng had already vanished.

Had I gone too far?

Ever since they became a couple, Song Cheng had been either studying or holed up at home, completely forgetting about her. Liu Zimang had called Song Cheng several times, trying to arrange dates, but each time Song Cheng had refused, claiming she was “too busy.”

This made Liu Zimang suspect that Song Cheng was growing tired of her.

But if Song Cheng was truly tired of her, would she so casually hand over millions of yuan annually without even blinking?

Song Cheng, already in the car, had no idea about Liu Zimang’s inner turmoil. She arrived at the Liu Family compound, familiar with the route, and found the courtyard packed with people—roughly thirty individuals.

She began to understand why the Liu Family, despite their wealth, chose to live in a traditional courtyard rather than a villa.

She strolled over to Liu Tianhong and stood with her hands clasped behind her back. “Let’s begin. Show me the techniques you’ve been practicing.”

After observing one demonstration, Song Cheng grasped the Liu Family’s fighting style. She glanced around for a tree branch but, finding none, simply snapped one off a nearby tree.

“Someone step forward and spar with me,” Song Cheng said, walking to the center of the courtyard. As she approached, the Liu Family disciples instinctively scattered.

Everyone was eager to try, but no one dared move without Liu Zitong’s signal.

Just as Liu Zhongyuan was about to step forward, Liu Zitong preempted him. She snatched the wooden staff from her junior brother and launched an attack at Song Cheng.

As she had done with the Xu Clan, Song Cheng parried Liu Zitong’s strikes while offering pointers.

The more studious disciples even pulled out notebooks and pens to record every detail, afraid of missing anything.

Even Liu Tianhong, watching from under the eaves, couldn’t suppress his own eagerness to spar, despite knowing he was no match for Song Cheng. He could see how much his granddaughter had improved under her guidance.

After nearly twenty minutes of sparring, Song Cheng walked calmly to a chair under the eaves and sat down without breaking a sweat. Liu Zitong, who had taken several hits, gasped for breath as she wiped beads of sweat from her forehead.

Sensing the many eyes on her, Song Cheng shifted her posture. “Did everyone see clearly? If you did, practice the techniques I just demonstrated.”

The moment she finished speaking, the disciples sprang into action.

Liu Tianhong watched the energized disciples with satisfaction. He moved a chair to sit three feet away from Song Cheng.

Song Cheng didn’t mind. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, pondering how to maximize her coaching efficiency.

Ziman’s words today had reminded her that the current arrangement—Liu Family today, Xu Clan tomorrow—was too cumbersome. If she could consolidate the sessions, she could save considerable time.

She still needed to observe the Zhang Family’s techniques. If there were points of overlap, her plan could become reality.

Liu Tianhong, completely unaware of her intentions, simply assumed she was contemplating how to refine their techniques.

Having been paid, Song Cheng continued coaching the sparring groups, offering pointers and adjustments. When she noticed the time, she immediately announced her departure.

Liu Tianhong tried to persuade her to stay for dinner, but she declined.

After meeting Zhang Qucheng, she needed to return home to continue researching how to use the Pill Formula to create medicinal elixirs and practice the Tranquil Mind Manual.

She was already close to mastering the elixir creation process; at her current pace, success seemed likely within three days. As for the Tranquil Mind Manual, she had reached the first layer. While its effects were subtle, it did help stabilize her emotions.

Arriving at the private dining establishment Zhang Qucheng had mentioned, she was led to a private room by a server.

Upon entering, she realized that Zhang Qucheng wasn’t the only Zhang Family member present—Zhang Heng was also there.

Both men immediately rose to their feet upon seeing her, warmly inviting her to take a seat.

After sitting down, she cut straight to the point: “Let’s get straight to the point. I have other arrangements.”

Zhang Qucheng glanced at Zhang Heng, and with his permission, slowly said, “The Zhang Family would also like to request your guidance in refining our martial techniques.” He produced a prepared contract. “This is the draft agreement. If you agree, you’ll receive four percent of the Zhang Family’s annual profits.”

With this four percent stake, Song Cheng would be bound to the Zhang Family. Even if they faced future troubles, she wouldn’t be able to simply abandon them.

Song Cheng skimmed the contract, noting that its terms were similar to the Liu Family’s agreement. She picked up the pen beside her and swiftly signed her name.

Watching the signed contract land on the table, Zhang Heng and Zhang Qucheng both breathed a sigh of relief.

“I won’t stay for the meal. I’ll come to the Zhang Family tomorrow afternoon,” Song Cheng said, rising to leave. Pausing at the door, she added, “There might be a surprise.”