Chapter 343: Just Bros

The two of them sat down in the courtyard. This *siheyuan*, a neighbor to the Forbidden City, was steeped in an imperial aura, which lent a considerable air of majesty to a big shot like Aunt Luo. But while this old woman was stern and unsmiling with others, she was quite gentle with Su Ran. After all, there were no ulterior motives in their relationship. He wasn’t after her for favors, and she wasn’t after his money. It was completely pure, which made their interactions extremely relaxed. They didn’t need to be guarded with their words; they were simply two equals having a chat.

Every day, she had to face people trying to cozy up to her, wanting to call her their mother or grandmother, promising to take care of her in her old age. But behind her back, they were probably just wishing the old woman would hurry up and die so they could get their hands on her money. So, meeting a genuine friend like Su Ran, someone she could simply talk with, left Aunt Luo feeling perfectly content.

“…I heard Reba say you’re an orphan. But you just mentioned an Uncle Qin, so what’s that about?” Aunt Luo personally brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for Su Ran, finding a casual way to start a conversation. It wasn’t that she was genuinely curious about his life story. It was just a chat, a chance to speak freely and make small talk.

Su Ran lightly tapped the table—a gesture of thanks for the tea—and said, “Reba really told you I’m an orphan?”

“She did.”

“The Uncle Qin I mentioned is a supported elder in our village, and I also have an uncle. She completely forgot and still called me an orphan!”

Su Ran gritted his teeth, indignant. ‘How dare she call me an orphan? When I see her at the Shangri-La tonight, I’ll spank her until she can’t sit down.’

“So, do you have a girlfriend?”

“What is this, an interrogation?”

“Just making conversation.”

“Well, do you? Is she the daughter of some rich family?”

Aunt Luo didn’t mention Reba; the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. After all, for someone of his true status, who would take a celebrity as a serious girlfriend? The circles at the top of the food chain just played with female celebrities; they didn’t get emotionally involved. Take someone like Wang Siming, for example. To put it nicely, he was “finding girlfriends,” but in reality, he was just fooling around with women. For the role of a *real* girlfriend, those internet starlets simply didn’t qualify. This was due to an uncomfortable but very real fact—the young men at the top of the food chain preferred “pure” women. If they were looking for a girl to have a serious, heartfelt relationship with, she would have to be a virgin. This was what they called “returning to true nature.”

Unlike ordinary people, the young men at the top of the food chain held all the power of choice. Countless girls, virgins and non-virgins alike, were lining up for a chance to be their girlfriend. Naturally, they were going to pick the “highest quality” option available.

“I’m asking you a question. Which family is the girl from?”

“Yours, how about that? You’re being way too nosy.”

The main reason for his deflection was that Su Ran couldn’t immediately decide which family’s daughter to name. ‘The Xiao Family? Or the Liu Family? Or the Xie Family, or the Shan Family?’ So, he just decided not to answer.

“I’m only asking for your own good. If you don’t have a girlfriend, I can introduce you to someone. Right here in the Imperial Capital, I know plenty of girls from good, well-connected families. A handsome and talented young man like Young Master Su—they would absolutely adore you.”

“A daughter from an official’s family?”

“That’s right. I could introduce you to one, and afterward, you could do whatever you want in this country and no one would dare mess with you.”

“No, thanks…” Su Ran shook his head. “I can’t afford to get involved with the daughter of an official.”

‘Isn’t that just asking for trouble?’ he thought. ‘Dating the daughter of a high-ranking official… let’s just say the higher her father’s rank, the tighter the leash. So what if I’m a Divine Rich? In the face of true power, you still have to yield. If she falls for you, your life won’t be easy, and you can forget about playing around. And if you dare cheat on her, her father will make your life a living hell.’

“I just want to be a normal guy. I can’t handle the daughters of high officials,” Su Ran said, turning the tables. “But enough about me. What about you? Have you found a companion for yourself?”

“Me?” Aunt Luo chuckled. “I’m an old woman, perfectly happy and free on my own. Why would I need a companion?”

“Don’t say that. It’d be nice to have someone to chat with. How about I introduce you to someone? Your husband passed away, right? Well, the Uncle Qin I just mentioned, his wife passed away too. You two would make a great match.”

“Ah Wei, show our guest out.”

“Hahaha…”

“Honestly, what kind of person are you? Coming here to tease an old woman like me. Have you no shame?”

Aunt Luo chided him with a laugh as she got up and walked toward the dining room. Su Ran followed, still teasing, “I’m just trying to make sure you’re not so lonely! Hey, speak of the devil, Uncle Qin is calling me right now. Why don’t you two have a quick chat? You never know, sparks might fly, right?”

Aunt Luo ignored him completely and strode into the dining room. Su Ran answered the phone and sat down. “Hello, Uncle Qin? What’s up?”

Beside him, Aunt Luo signaled the chef to begin serving. She then retrieved a bottle of Romanée-Conti from the wine cabinet. Su Ran was taken aback. ‘She’s really pulling out the good stuff.’ Then, Uncle Qin’s anxious voice came through the phone: “Xiaosu, I’ve lost the pocket watch Shumin gave me! I don’t know where it is, I can’t find it anywhere!”

“Don’t panic, don’t panic. Just take another good look around. If you still can’t find it, I’ll ask Wenwen to come help you. The important thing is not to panic…”

Su Ran didn’t even consider asking the other villagers for help. It was the same old story: the Village Guardian was not well-liked. People would call on you when they needed you, but they wouldn’t even save you a seat at the table during a meal, let alone help you look for something. However, Wenwen and Uncle Qin got along pretty well because of Su Ran, so she held no prejudice against the old man. And Uncle Qin did indeed own a pocket watch. It was a gift from his wife, Luo Shumin, which she had given him before he left to fight in the war in Vietnam. The gift carried a subtle, hidden meaning. In Chinese, “watch” (, *biǎo*) sounds like the word for “don’t” (, *bié*). It was her way of saying: “Don’t go. Stay.”

“…Just look for it first, and if you still can’t find it, give me another call. Okay, yes. Don’t get too worked up. Bye.”

After hanging up, he saw that Aunt Luo had already poured a glass of red wine and was holding it up. Su Ran clinked his glass against hers. Aunt Luo smiled and asked what “matter of national importance” he had just been dealing with. Su Ran replied, “Nothing that serious. It’s just that Uncle Qin, the man I mentioned, lost the gift his late wife gave him. Anyway, Aunt Luo, thank you for opening the Romanée-Conti. This toast is to you.”