Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

The first rays of dawn pierced the morning mist, shining on the garden estate by West Lake. The warm sun melted the snow on the eaves.

At the main gate, Liu Piaopiao straightened her husband’s suit and watched him drive away. After closing the gate, she brewed a pot of morning tea for the old master—who had been religiously "banging the wall" every day for the last decade—and placed it on the stone table. Then, she walked along the corridor past the rockery and pond, crossed the East Courtyard, and arrived at the small building in the West Courtyard. She pushed open the courtyard gate and, with a sway of her full hips, went upstairs.

BANG~

She pushed open the bedroom door and pursed her lips with a soft "hmph." The room was thick with an intimate scent.

Her eyes traveled from the shoes at the door, to the crimson phoenix robe on the wooden floor, to the dudou by the bedside, and finally, to the canopy bed, where a size 42 foot was resting on a small, size 37 one.

’Honestly, they’re getting more and more brazen.’

Liu Piaopiao wasn’t surprised, though. They were young, in love, and willing.

The main thing was that she really liked the young man, Su Ran, and her daughter was completely devoted to him. That was enough.

If her daughter liked him but the parents didn’t, they would never have let him stay the night.

She just felt the two youngsters were being a bit shameless.

She coughed twice as a warning, but there was no response. So, she began picking up the scattered clothes as she walked.

"It’s so late and you’re still sleeping? You two, get up now!"

With that reminder, she placed the clothes on a chair and left.

A short while later, Shan Weizi lifted the bed canopy. She wrapped herself in a towel, went into the bathroom to rinse off, and then got dressed. She pushed open the window, letting fresh air replace the lingering hormones in the room. After saying a few words to a drowsy Su Ran on the bed, she went downstairs.

Su Ran lay amidst the messy sheets, his head on a pillow that still held her scent. His eyes were fixed on the part of the canopy she had torn in her grip. He savored the memories for a moment before sitting up.

Shan Weizi might look like a delicate, well-bred young lady, but having practiced martial arts since childhood, her body had great stamina. She was a capable woman.

He got up, washed his face, and tidied the bedding. He tossed the wet bedsheet into the washing machine, pressed the quick wash button, and also went downstairs, leaving the small courtyard.

"Su Ran, come join me for morning training!" said the old master from the East Courtyard, as he struck the hard courtyard wall.

"You keep going, Grandpa. I’m all banged out," Su Ran politely declined, rubbing his waist as he headed for the kitchen. The mother-daughter pair, Liu Piaopiao and Shan Weizi, were busy with breakfast. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Not much left. The dough is ready, and we’ll be making crab roe buns and a few side dishes soon. These dried scallops are for the soup at lunch. If you’re free, you could wash them."

Shan Weizi, who was in the middle of wrapping the buns, pointed to the dried goods in a basket. Su Ran said, "Okay," and took them to the sink to wash. "By the way, has Uncle Shan gone to work?"

"His calligraphy association is having its year-end party today. As the president, he went early to help out. Hmm... I was supposed to go too, but since you’re here, I decided not to. I’m staying home to host you. What else would you like to eat for lunch? I can look up the recipe online right now."

The more the mother-in-law looked at her ’son-in-law,’ the more she liked him. Her willingness to learn whatever her ’son-in-law’ wanted to eat made Su Ran feel very good. But since the Shan’s were treating him like one of their own, he didn’t act like a stranger either. "How about this," he said, "I’ve been working on my cooking skills lately. If you don’t mind my food tasting terrible, I’ll be the chef. I can make a few things... Imperial Cuisine, some salt-trade dishes, some hearty rustic fare, things like that..."

In the kitchen that morning, the warm sun shone on their three faces as they began to discuss the menu for lunch.

Su Ran loved good food. Whenever he had free time, exploring culinary arts was a part of his daily life, and he was happy to share his creations with those around him. This trait made him all the more likable. Not only did Shan Weizi feel she hadn’t misjudged him, but her mother, Liu Piaopiao, also felt completely confident in her daughter’s choice. Of course, the foundation for all this was that they were a well-matched pair.

After breakfast, he went grocery shopping with Shan Weizi and came back to cook. These were trivial matters, and while not particularly romantic, they were part of a warm and ordinary routine. When it came to daily life, Su Ran actually preferred this kind of simple tranquility. The Shan Family was also low-key and unpretentious by nature, so Su Ran fit right in with them.

After lunch, they chatted for a while longer. When it was time, Su Ran said a temporary goodbye to Liu Piaopiao and the old master, and Shan Weizi drove him to the airport.

"...You didn’t use anything last night. Is it possible I could get pregnant?"

Finally alone, Shan Weizi brought up their private matters.

"No way."

"So sure?"

"Heh, don’t look at me like that. There’s nothing wrong with me. What I mean is, yesterday was a safe day for you. It’s fine, don’t worry."

"You know that much about my cycle?"

"I calculated it. Am I wrong?"

"Oh."

She nodded. It was, indeed, a safe day.

They chatted more, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the airport. Before getting out of the car, Su Ran said, "Winter break is coming up soon. I’ll come see you then. If you want to come to Jiangning, just give me a call and I’ll book your ticket. Hmm... actually, with a plane ride, we’re pretty close. We can see each other in an hour or two. It’s not really a long-distance relationship."

Some things just had to be said to reassure a girl.

"Mhm..." Shan Weizi nodded and said, "Then when the break starts in a little while, I’ll call you to book my ticket. Take me to see your hometown. I really want to see what kind of magical place could produce you."

"Okay, no problem. I’m off. You head back too, and be careful on the road."

"OK. Send me a WeChat when you land."

Shan Weizi drove off in her Bentley Continental GT.

She was a confident woman—so confident that, except for in bed, she would never cling to Su Ran at a parting and say things like, ’Can’t you leave a little later? Stay with me a bit longer... You’re in such a hurry to leave, you clearly don’t like me...’ She was a very clean and decisive woman. Of course, that was the side she showed to Su Ran. In private, back at home, she was still a young girl who could be struck by lovesickness.