Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

"Su Ran... Su Ran, wait for me! Don’t walk so fast... Ah... Oof..."

Wenwen hurried out of the shop and saw Su Ran walking away quickly, so she ran to catch up. The snowy ground was slippery, and she plopped right down on her butt in the snow.

Su Ran glanced back, scanned a code to pay for a roasted sweet potato, then walked back over. "Get up."

"You’re always like this. You just up and leave without a second glance."

"Last time you took me home, I told you to go on, and you just turned and left. You didn’t even look back once."

"And that time I saw you off at the station! You said you were going in and just went, without a single glance back at me. It was a scorching hot day, and I kept looking back every few steps, but you never turned your head."

"And the time before that..."

Ning Wenwen sat on the ground, ticking off Su Ran’s ’crimes’ on her fingers.

Su Ran squatted in front of her, reached out, and pinched her cheek. "You just rattled off more than ten of my crimes in one breath. You must really hold a grudge against me."

"Ow..." Ning Wenwen pulled away from his evil clutches and poked her reddened cheek. With a fearless look, she said, "You really do have a lot of bad habits. And you’re stubborn as a mule. You don’t even try to change. It makes me anxious for you."

Su Ran smiled and asked, "So I have that many bad habits, do I?"

Ning Wenwen nodded. "Mhm, a lot."

"Alright, I’ll try to work on some of those bad habits. Now get up."

"Give me a hand. I can’t get up."

Ning Wenwen stretched out her hand into the snowy night. The orange glow of the streetlights made her small, delicate hand look long and fair.

"I’m not getting up unless you pull me."

"Fine, I’ll pull you up. Don’t want you getting frostbite on your butt from sitting in the snow."

Su Ran took her cool little hands, pulled her to her feet, and brushed the snowflakes off her down jacket.

"Watch where you’re going from now on. Here, I bought you a roasted sweet potato."

"I was just getting hungry." Wenwen didn’t hesitate, breaking the sweet potato open and taking a bite. It was so hot she stuck her tongue out. "Hot, hot, hot!"

Su Ran grabbed a clump of snow from a tree branch and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Keep it in your mouth. Not so hot now, is it?"

"SPIT! SPIT! SPIT! You’re messing with me! You’re so dead!"

Ning Wenwen grabbed a handful of snow herself and chased after Su Ran, trying to stuff it in his mouth.

Late at night, on the windswept, snowy streets of Anyang, their laughter warmed the entire cold winter.

At a certain point, she stopped in her tracks, standing perfectly still.

"Why’d you stop walking?"

"My butt hurts from when I fell. I can’t walk anymore."

"Then I’ll call a cab to take you home."

"B-but we’re almost at my door. Why would we call a cab?"

"...So what do you want, then?"

"I... I... Give me a piggyback ride. If you won’t, then just forget it."

"...Sigh. Fine. Hop on. I’ll carry you."

"Hee hee hee."

Wenwen’s face immediately broke into a smile. She rushed forward and jumped onto Su Ran’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Su Ran adjusted her weight and started walking along the sidewalk toward her home with her on his back.

"This sweet potato is so good. Here, have a taste."

Ning Wenwen held the sweet potato to his lips. Su Ran took a bite and nodded. "Not bad. Let me have another." He opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite, finishing two-thirds of what was left. Wenwen was aghast. "You ate the rest of it! You owe me, hmph!"

Being with some people is just so easy and comfortable, completely carefree and relaxed.

At the entrance to her apartment complex, Su Ran tried to put her down, but Wenwen just hugged him tighter. "Not until we get to the elevator."

"I don’t know what to do with you." A complete sucker for his ’little sister,’ Su Ran indulged her.

At the door to her building, Ning Wenwen still refused to get down. Su Ran said, "Ning Wenwen, you’re pushing it. Get down now."

Ning Wenwen said, "We’re already at the building door. Take the elevator up to my apartment door, and then I’ll get down. I don’t care, I’m not getting down."

Su Ran said, "Hah. Fine. This is the last time."

He indulged her.

The elevator went up. When they reached her apartment, Wenwen kept her promise and got down. She opened the door, stepped inside, and said, "You’re already here at my front door. Aren’t you going to come in for a bit? My mom would say I have no manners if I didn’t invite you in."

"If I come in for a bit, is it going to turn into, ’Oh, since you’re here, you might as well not leave! Just stay the night!’?"

"Well, that’s an option. We have a couch."

"No, thanks. You should get some sleep."

"Wait, are you heading back to Jiangning soon?"

"Tomorrow."

"Oh... Well, come meet me at school tomorrow at noon and treat me to lunch. It’s settled then. Bye-bye!"

With that, she shut the door.

Su Ran stretched his arms, went downstairs, and hailed a cab back to Linxi Village.

Before he got back, Su Ran had already used a smart home app on his phone to turn on the floor heating, ventilation system, and other appliances in the house. The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by a wave of warmth.

He stripped off his clothes and sauntered into the bathroom, sinking into the warm water of the tub. Outside the window, the snow was a pristine white, but inside the house, it was as warm as spring.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Wenwen: [(Photo of a cut finger)]

Su Ran: [What happened?]

Wenwen: [You ate my sweet potato, so I was still a little hungry. I went to peel an apple and cut my hand. It hurts so much. This is all your fault.]

Su Ran: [Do you have a band-aid?]

Wenwen: [No.]

Su Ran: [Check the kitchen for spiderwebs. If you find one, take it down and wrap it around the cut.]

Wenwen: [A folk remedy?]

Su Ran: [That’s what I did when I was a kid.]

Wenwen: [I don’t want a spiderweb.]

Su Ran: [Then just go to sleep. By the time we’re done talking, the cut will have healed on its own.]

Su Ran smiled. In his heart, he was very fond of Wenwen as a little sister.

Su Ran was usually very busy at this time of night.

BEEP BEEP BEEP...

The "Bunkmates" group chat.

Liu Jinyu: [Su Ran, New Year’s Day is in a little over ten days. Want to come with me to Chongqing to celebrate?]

Su Ran: [I can’t make it. You and your family have a great time :) ]

Liu Jinyu was thinking that Su Ran would be alone for New Year’s and didn’t want her ’little brother’ to be lonely. Su Ran, on the other hand, felt like an outsider and simply didn’t want to intrude on a family’s New Year’s celebration, though he appreciated the thought.

Liu Jinyu replied with an [OK]. She and Su Ran had a tacit understanding, so she wasn’t angry. Their relationship was more than just friends; they often had heart-to-heart talks and were true confidants. She understood his reservations and didn’t press the issue.

Aina: [In that case, why not come visit my Great Western Regions for New Year’s?]

Su Ran: [Too far. Not going.]

Xie Yiren: [My Miaojiang is way cooler than your Great Western Regions. Come to Miaojiang instead.]

Su Ran: [I heard the Miao Clan is really hospitable—they line the path from the village entrance to your host’s door with alcohol. I think I’ll pass.]

Xie Yiren: [Coward.]

Su Ran: [😂] That’s enough alcohol to kill a man. I have to be a coward in this case. ’But I did promise Xie Yiren I’d help with that road, so I should probably go check it out.’ [Alright! I’ll go to Miaojiang. Just promise you won’t put a hex on me, okay?]

Xie Yiren: [Don’t worry. The village chief would get mad if he found out.]

A moment later.

Xiao Wanqing, who had been silent, sent him a private message: [Are you not coming to Shanghai anymore?]

Su Ran: [Of course I am. You all had things to do before, and I was busy too. I’ll come to Shanghai before New Year’s Day.]

Xiao Wanqing: [I’ll be waiting for you!]

Su Ran: [Waiting for me to do what?]

Xiao Wanqing: [The doctor said my condition is getting worse. I’m waiting for you to come cuddle me!]

Su Ran: [Pfft~]

He chatted for a little while longer. BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Shan Weizi also sent a message: [Come to Lingzhou the day after tomorrow. My grandfather agreed to do the wood carving for you.]

Su Ran: [OK.]

Shan Weizi: [I’ll wait for you at the Lingzhou High-speed Railway Station at 10 AM the day after tomorrow.]

Su Ran: [Okay.]

...

「The next day at noon.」

Su Ran met Wenwen at the school gate and took her to a Korean barbecue restaurant. He was in charge of grilling; she was in charge of eating.

The girl had a huge appetite—not for vegetables, but for meat. Wenwen loved meat and had the kind of enviable figure that never seemed to put on weight.

「After the meal.」

Wenwen didn’t go back to school for her afternoon break. Instead, she had Su Ran take her to a bubble tea shop. After ordering two drinks, she took out a copy of the *Huanggang Real Exam Questions* and asked Su Ran to explain functions to her.

Su Ran scribbled on a piece of scratch paper, explaining patiently. Wenwen was bad at math, so Su Ran didn’t mind repeating himself over and over until she finally understood.

Su Ran glanced at his watch and capped his pen. "Let’s stop here for now. If there’s anything else you don’t understand, I can video call you after school to explain it. You still have 40 minutes. You should rest for a bit so you don’t doze off in class this afternoon... Okay, stop staring at the problems. Get some sleep."

"Sigh..." Frustrated at her own perceived slowness, Wenwen flopped her head down on the exam papers and looked up at Su Ran. "Su Ran, New Year’s Day is almost here. You should come celebrate with my family."

Su Ran shook his head. "I can’t, I’m going traveling."

Wenwen just said, "Oh," and didn’t say anything else. ’After all, Su Ran has always been by my side!’

A little while later, Wenwen fell asleep, her head resting on the exam papers.

The afternoon sun streamed in, and the warm breeze from the heater rustled the papers. The girl slept soundly, because the person next to her made her feel safe.

She slept right up until it was time to go back to class. Su Ran woke her, and they walked across the street to the entrance of Anyang School.

"Bye-bye."

Wenwen waved and turned to walk toward the school gate. After about ten yards, she glanced back and saw Su Ran still standing in the same spot. She ran back to him. "Why didn’t you leave?"

"Didn’t you complain last night about how heartless I am? How I always just leave without looking back? This time, I’ll watch you go before I leave. That way you won’t have anything to add to your little list of my crimes."

"Heh." Wenwen smiled. "Okay, okay, I won’t add it to my list. You can go now."

"Then pay attention in class and don’t daydream. I’m heading out."

Su Ran got into a car and drove away as Wenwen watched.

...

「Jiangning.」

The next morning, Su Ran went to the university for a class. Afterward, his classmates started discussing the upcoming New Year’s Day holiday and suggested they should all get together for a meal.

As class president, Su Ran thought it was a great idea. His classmates laughed, because their class president always got animated whenever the topics of parties, food, fun, or travel came up.

Su Ran smiled. ’I’m a Divine Rich, after all. This life is for eating and having fun. I’m going to spend the rest of my days enjoying life to the absolute fullest, so that at the moment of my death, I can look back and leave behind a single sentence: It was all worth it!’

This was the way of the Divine Rich.

"How about this..." Su Ran propped his chin on his hand, thinking. "Everyone’s curious about my house, right? Today is Friday. We have a major-related class next Thursday afternoon. After that’s over, why don’t we all go to my place? I’ll cook for everyone myself. Since everyone will be getting ready to go home for the holiday on Friday, we can do it Thursday. What do you think?"

"Yes! We finally get to go to the class president’s mansion! I heard you live in a townhouse. I’m so jealous."

Su Ran: ???

’A townhouse?’

’What the hell?’

Su Ran lived in a villa on a private island in the middle of Jiangning Lake.

"It’s settled, then! Think about what you want to eat and let me know in the group chat. I’ll buy all the ingredients ahead of time and cook for you."

"Okay! Class president, you’re so nice. Your girlfriend is so lucky."

Everyone in the class knew Su Ran’s girlfriend was at Demon Dance. When classmates had asked him if he had a girlfriend, he had simply said yes. There was no need to hide something like that. He had one, so he said he had one. If he didn’t, he would have said he didn’t.

’Although... having a girlfriend didn’t seem to stop other girls from falling for him.’

"You all go ahead and discuss. And please, don’t get me any New Year’s gifts. I mean it."

"Pfft, as if! Heh heh..."

"Let’s go." Su Ran motioned for Cao Wo to follow him. They left the campus, and Cao Wo got behind the wheel of Su Ran’s Aston Martin to drive him to the high-speed rail station.

Cao Wo had his driver’s license. The other two, Zeng Cao and Wang Dachui, were currently trying to get theirs, purely for the sake of getting their hands on the steering wheel of a luxury car.

So, this time, Su Ran indulged Cao Wo’s request and let him drive him to the high-speed rail station.

「In the car.」

Su Ran asked, "I haven’t seen you around with that upperclassman you got into a fight over. What happened?"

Cao Wo replied, "We broke up. She couldn’t even moan right in bed. What’s the point of keeping her around?"

Su Ran said, "Yeah, that is a real buzzkill."

「At the high-speed rail station.」

"After this, take it straight to TOP Auto Detailing for some maintenance. They know it’s my car."

"OK, no problem."

VROOOM—

Cao Wo gave him an OK sign, then drove the Martin off to get its maintenance, showing off the whole way.

Su Ran boarded the high-speed train to Lingzhou...