Chapter 301 - 152: Beginning with the Body, Loyal to Love

Chapter 301: Chapter 152: Beginning with the Body, Loyal to Love

At a red light, Su Ran glanced at the Beautiful and Seductive Young Lady in the rearview mirror and said, as a token of his devotion, "Sister Piaopiao, my reverence for you is as constant as the sun and moon. Aside from respect, all I have is more respect. My feelings haven’t been tainted in the slightest."

Liu Piaopiao brought a delicate hand to her lips and chuckled. "Su Ran, I finally understand why that silly girl Weizi is so head over heels for you. You’ve got a silver tongue; you know how to sweet-talk a woman."

"Everything I say is true. I’m not just sweet-talking you. Every word comes from the bottom of my heart."

"Right, right. And that innocent, good-boy look of yours."

"Sister Piaopiao, I’m not actually that obedient. I can be very bad."

"Then show me your ’bad guy’ face."

Su Ran: (???)

PFFT—

Liu Piaopiao clutched her slender waist and burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, Su Ran, you’re going to be the death of me! That’s not a ’bad’ face, that’s just plain creepy! If you look at Weizi with that expression later, she’ll run you through with her sword. It’s so lewd! Look, the light’s green."

Su Ran started the Panamera. On the bus in the adjacent lane, a few white-collar workers just off from work watched as the Beautiful and Seductive Young Lady in the Panamera was teased by a pretty boy until she was giggling nonstop. One moment she’d give a thumbs-up, the next she’d tap him lightly with her elegant foot. The envious perverts on the bus could only clutch the hard handrails and stroke them.

In the car, Liu Piaopiao told Su Ran to stop talking, threatening to kick him again if he said another word. Every time he opened his mouth, he made her laugh so hard that she worried about getting crow’s feet. Women care about their looks and don’t want wrinkles. In truth, she didn’t have any. She was only 36, the same age as Liu Yifei. Moreover, as a woman from Spirit Sword Mountain who grew up absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, her skin was flawless. After marriage, she became financially independent and never had to worry about the trivialities of daily life. Her days were spent dressing up, shopping till she dropped, and having fun however she pleased. How could she not look young?

When Liu Piaopiao and Shan Weizi walked outside together, one in a hanfu and the other in a qipao, people often thought they were sisters.

Shan Zhentian often said he was raising two daughters, both of whom needed to be coaxed and placated.

Su Ran felt his fate was the same as Shan Zhentian’s—he was also responsible for placating this mother-daughter duo.

’Misery loves company.’

’I’ll definitely have to grab a couple of drinks with Shan Zhentian tonight and vent a little.’

"...By the way, Sister Piaopiao, you said Weizi was busy. What’s she busy with?"

"She found a handsome guy and is planning to dump you."

"She wouldn’t dare!"

"Hahaha, just kidding. Tonight at West Lake, there’s a performance with a ’Dreaming of the Tang Dynasty’ theme. Weizi was invited to perform on stage. You’ve come at the perfect time. We have a show to watch tonight."

"Sister Piaopiao, your daughter is such a talented woman. It feels like she can do anything, and she’s an expert at all of it. She’s amazing."

"Of course. She inherited my superior genes. If you two get married, your son will be even smarter."

"Actually, I’m the child-free type."

SMACK—

A long leg was once again thrust in his face.

"Are you tired of living, you bastard?"

Liu Piaopiao was both annoyed and amused. Su Ran was just too much of a tease.

The Panamera made its way to the West Lake venue for the ’Dreaming of the Tang Dynasty’ event. As soon as Shan Weizi saw Su Ran arrive, she wanted to run over but restrained herself, remembering to act like a proper lady. Instead, she walked over slowly, took his hand, and said, "You’re here."

Shan Weizi was wearing a light green hanfu with a down jacket draped over it.

Su Ran asked, "Is this your costume for the performance today?"

Shan Weizi replied, "No, this is just what I wore to get here. I’ll change into my performance costume right before the show."

Su Ran: "What are you performing?"

Shan Weizi: "I’m dancing Yang Yuhuan’s Feathered Robe Dance."

Hearing this, Su Ran’s eyes lit up. "You really are a talented woman. Wasn’t that dance lost to time? Is your version an adaptation?"

"Parts of it are my own adaptation, and for other parts, I asked a good friend of mine, Tong Sisi, to choreograph them for me."

"I’m looking forward to your performance."

"I’m going to do my makeup then. You and Mom should go home and eat first. You can come back to watch me perform later."

"I’m really looking forward to it. Break a leg."

Watching Shan Weizi leave, Su Ran gazed at her back and said, "Sister Piaopiao, I’ve realized I’ve hit the jackpot."

"You’re only just realizing that now? Let’s go. Time to go home and eat. We’ll leave the car here and walk."

"Okay."

Su Ran picked up the mountain of luxury bags Liu Piaopiao had bought and followed her, walking home along the shore of West Lake.

Su Ran was actually very fond of Shan Weizi’s family. Every one of them treated him so well, and they were all incredibly interesting. Most importantly, it felt like home. They truly treated him as one of their own.

"Su Ran, it must be boring for you all by yourself in Jiangning. Look, our Spirit Sword Mountain is such a large Sect..."

"Hold on! Your Spirit Sword Mountain is a large Sect, are you sure? With only 43 people, you call that a large Sect?"

"Don’t interrupt!"

"..."

"...Shan Weizi will have to inherit it in the future. And our Wu School, which is also huge, needs someone to lead it. Right now, her father is the chairman of the Wu School Painting association, and Shan Weizi will take over later. Why don’t you just marry into our family?"

"It’s not easy being a live-in son-in-law. You get pushed around. I’m not doing it."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"That’s not it, Sister Piaopiao. Weizi and I are just dating right now. Isn’t it too early to be talking about marrying into the family? We’re both only 18. The legal age for marriage is 22. I still have four years to go. It’s way too early."

"What do you mean, too early? Worst case, we just pay the fine for having a baby. Are we short on that little bit of money?"

"That’s not the point, Sister Piaopiao. Weizi and I are only 18. Why are you rushing us to have a baby? If you like kids so much, and you’re still young—only 36—why don’t you have one yourself for fun?"

"What the— I’m talking about you, and you’re telling your mother-in-law to have a baby? You’ve got a death wish, don’t you? Stop right there! Su Ran, don’t you run! When I get my hands on you, I’ll throw you in West Lake and drown you!"

Just then, a Mercedes S600 pulled up beside Liu Piaopiao. Shan Zhentian got out and grabbed his panting wife. "You’re a grown woman! Brawling with your son-in-law on the street like a little girl. How improper is that?"

Liu Piaopiao shook his hand off. "What do you mean, ’grown woman’? I’m only 36. I’m not old like you. And what do you mean, ’improper’? Explain yourself! I’m young, I’m energetic, and I like to have fun. What’s wrong with that?"

"Sigh... I just wish you’d be a bit more dignified." Shan Zhentian sighed. He was an old-fashioned man by nature, and his wife was far too energetic. He wished she would be more calm and ladylike, but it was a lost cause. Seeing Su Ran walk over, Shan Zhentian asked, "What were you two playing at?"

Su Ran explained, "Uncle Shan, Sister Piaopiao said she wants to hold a baby. I told her that since she’s so young, if she really wants one, she could have another with you. The two-child policy is in effect now, right?"

"Really?" Shan Zhentian’s face lit up with a pleasant surprise. "Piaopiao, you’ve come around? You really want to have another one?"

BAM! BAM! Liu Piaopiao threw two quick punches, one for each of them.

"No! I’m a grown woman, what’s this talk about having more babies?"

"No, no, no, you just said you were very young! You’re only 36, you can still have one."

Shan Zhentian had always wanted a second child, but Liu Piaopiao refused, saying she would never give birth again in this lifetime because it was too painful.

"Shan Zhentian, if you say one more word about having kids, I’ll throw you into West Lake! And you, Su Ran! You dare to tease me too? You’ve got a death wish, huh? Get over here. Walk over here yourself and let me pinch you. One... two..."

"Alright, alright, go ahead and pinch." Su Ran walked over, rolled up his sleeve, and let Liu Piaopiao pinch him. Only then did she feel a bit more satisfied.

"Let’s go," Shan Zhentian said. He parked the car on the side and grabbed his briefcase. Su Ran instinctively took it from him, and the three of them walked side-by-side along the shore of West Lake under the setting sun, heading home.

After a few steps, Liu Piaopiao stopped walking.

Shan Zhentian asked, "Let’s go?"

Liu Piaopiao: "I’m too tired to walk."

Shan Zhentian: "You’re wearing a qipao. How am I supposed to give you a piggyback ride?"

Liu Piaopiao: "You can use your suit jacket to cover me."

Shan Zhentian muttered through gritted teeth, "Fine, fine! What did I do to deserve this?!"

Liu Piaopiao: "What did you say?"

Shan Zhentian: "I said I love giving my wife a piggyback ride more than anything."

Su Ran stifled a laugh as he watched Shan Zhentian take off his suit jacket and tie it around her waist. He then squatted down, hoisted Liu Piaopiao onto his back, and continued walking along the shore of West Lake. Nearby, an old man playing the erhu was performing "Ferrying Love."

At this very moment, in this very scene, Su Ran stood behind them, raised a camera, and with a CLICK, froze the image of Shan Zhentian carrying Liu Piaopiao on his back as the sun set in the west.

Shan Zhentian and Liu Piaopiao.

It began with the body, but remained loyal to love.