Chapter 335 - 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, a Lifetime of Bitterness

Chapter 335: Chapter 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, a Lifetime of Bitterness

"Oh..." Shen Qingning thought. ’So he got a good look for free, huh?’

The store manager brought a towel and draped it over Shen Qingning. She quickly went to change her clothes.

The store manager apologized profusely to Su Ran. "It’s fine," Su Ran said. "Since it was an accident, it just means she didn’t zip it up properly."

Shen Qingning was hired. She was so happy that she treated Su Ran to a cup of milk tea to thank him. But because Su Ran had seen her underwear earlier, she was quite shy now, not acting as natural as she had before.

「At the school gate.」

"Bye, Class President! I’ll treat you to lunch tomorrow to thank you again for helping me find such a good job."

"I can’t tomorrow. I have to go to the Imperial Capital."

"You’re traveling again? What are you going to the Imperial Capital for?"

She suddenly became inquisitive. She had never asked about her Class President’s plans before.

"Some old lady invited me to the commencement ceremony for a new series she’s investing in. After that, I’m going to watch a flag-raising ceremony with Reba. That’s about it."

Su Ran was always this straightforward. He answered when asked but would never bring things up on his own.

"Reba?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

’Reality pulled Shen Qingning back down to earth. She sometimes forgot her Class President wasn’t an ordinary person, but she always got a reminder at the most critical moments. He was a man at the top of the food chain, destined to be surrounded by beautiful women—not by a plain, ordinary girl like me.’

"Do you want to go? If you do, I can take you with me to see the flag-raising ceremony."

"I’d better not. I’m starting my internship at the shop tomorrow, and I want to get the hang of things as quickly as possible."

"Alright, then. You should head back to your dorm."

"Mm."

Shen Qingning turned, clutching the strap of her shoulder bag as if she had just made a decision.

"Class President."

Su Ran had just put on his helmet and was about to ride off when he heard Shen Qingning call out from behind him. He turned to see her sweep her long hair aside, lean in, and plant a fleeting kiss on his cheek.

The spring breeze rustled through the treetops. Spring had returned, and everything was beginning to bud.

"Thank you, Class President."

She turned and disappeared through the school gate.

Su Ran raised his hand and looked. Shen Qingning’s Red Dust Line hovered near his fingers, but it wasn’t tied on. This meant his heart hadn’t been moved. He was, by nature, a good person who was happy to help others. He was also the type of guy who was slow to warm up, not some hopeless romantic who fell in love at the drop of a hat.

Of course, if Su Ran were to pull the Red Dust Line close and tie it, he would effectively bind Shen Qingning to him, and she would fall hopelessly and irrevocably in love.

But Su Ran didn’t want to do that. Deep down, he didn’t want to mess with too many girls, especially not good girls.

The road ahead was long, and the future was uncertain. Only time would tell...

When Shen Qingning returned to her dorm, her face was flushed. She couldn’t stop thinking about the moment Su Ran had held her...

How could she have ever imagined that in a situation like that, at a moment like that, her Class President would not only see everything but also hold her?

She didn’t feel like she’d been taken advantage of. Su Ran had been saving the day. If it weren’t for him, everyone in the store would have gotten a free show.

...

「Chuyuan.」

It was time for his daily marathon phone calls.

Five girls, and he had to treat them all equally.

It was actually quite manageable. Luckily, it was a 4+1 situation: one dorm room plus Shan Weizi.

He’d handle the "four little ones" all at once with a group video call. It was always incredibly noisy, a constant stream of chatter like a flock of birds, their mouths firing off like machine guns. But it was fun.

Shan Weizi was different. She was quiet. Recently, though, Su Ran had asked her about the review standards for a fantasy novel like Spirit Sword Mountain. Shan Weizi had just smiled and said, "Give me your manuscript, and then I’ll tell you."

Su Ran refused, afraid the terrible plot would be the death of her.

He really was outlining a fantasy novel. He was just bored, and he wanted to prove he had a talent for writing.

...

「The next day.」

Su Ran set off for the Imperial Capital, a city he had always yearned to see but had never visited.

Being a Divine Rich had another advantage: no matter where he went, he felt right at home. It was simple, really. Having money was just great.

The plane landed in the Imperial Capital at 10 a.m. Su Ran didn’t smell money in the air, but the scent of power and games. In the Imperial Capital, just being rich didn’t mean much. How did that saying go again...?

When money stands up to speak, truth falls silent.

But when power stands up, even money must beat a hasty retreat.

’Imperial Capital, Su Ran has arrived!’

As he walked out of the airport, Su Ran turned on his phone. He had an email from Aunt Luo containing a phone number—it was for his driver.

’Sigh...’

’What are we even doing? An old woman and a young man, both stubborn as mules. Neither of us is willing to be the first to say, "Let me add you on WeChat." We’re just emailing back and forth, not even qualifying as online friends.’

’Fine! We’ll just drag this out. Let’s see who breaks first and asks for the other’s WeChat.’

’It was a childish, unspoken competition.’

Su Ran dialed the number. Soon, a Toyota Alphard pulled up in front of him. The driver was the same assistant he had met before, a man named Ah Wei.

Su Ran wasn’t carrying any luggage, just a backpack, as he got into the car.

Ah Wei glanced at Su Ran in the rearview mirror. "Welcome to the Imperial Capital, Mr. Su. Aunt Luo is already waiting for you at her home."

"At her home? I thought we were going to the commencement banquet."

Ah Wei explained, "The commencement banquet is tonight at the Shangri-La Hotel. This is a private meal. Aunt Luo said she absolutely loved the photo you took, so she invited you to her home to meet."

Adopting a "go with the flow" mentality, Su Ran agreed. ’As long as they aren’t planning on selling me, everything should be fine,’ he thought.

"Oh, right, Brother Ah Wei..."

"No, no, please, Mr. Su, you’re being too kind. Just call me Ah Wei."

"...Ah Wei, if you see a fruit stand, could you please pull over? Since Aunt Luo is inviting me to her home for a meal, I can’t show up empty-handed. I’d like to buy some fruit."