Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Finger Technique Fragrance

The RV exited the Jiuxi Town toll booth. Guided by a hilariously unhelpful GPS voice pack, it rumbled along a bumpy, rural mud road. Many out-of-town tourists had stopped their own RVs at the edge of the mud, not daring to go any further.

Su Ran knew the main paved road to Jiuxi Lake was currently closed for expansion, leaving this old mud track as the only option. That was why he had specifically rented this high-clearance RV. The rental shop owner had assured him this vehicle could handle the road to Jiuxi Lake, no problem at all.

A fellow countryman wouldn’t lie to another countryman from China, after all.

As the RV navigated the pitted, uneven mud road, winding through mountains and over ridges, Su Ran spotted a few backpackers hiking in twos and threes. Most of them were from out of town; locals knew of a shortcut that would save five kilometers. Su Ran didn’t bother to tell them, though. ’The shortcut isn’t as scenic as this road,’ he thought. ’Let them enjoy an extra five kilometers of the beautiful landscape.’

Su Ran gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his gaze fixed forward as the RV swayed and lurched ahead.

Suddenly, a flash of light reflected into his eyes. He tilted his head slightly to avoid it, then squinted. There, in the middle of the mountain road ahead, was a spinning card.

’I can’t believe I’m seeing one even on this muddy, rotten road,’ he thought. ’Life is full of surprises.’

He tapped the gas, and the RV surged forward, capturing the card directly.

’Ding! The Skill Card game has officially begun. Collect enough Skill Card fragments to acquire the corresponding Skill.’

Su Ran looked at the road ahead again and was a little stunned. The winding mountain path was now scattered with card fragments. Not only that, but there were also speed boosts and obstacles.

This was pretty ridiculous.

The monotonous afternoon drive had been making Su Ran drowsy, but this instantly perked him up.

’This system is pretty interesting,’ he mused. ’Setting up little games to keep me awake.’

’Game countdown: 3, 2, 1—’

Su Ran could have sworn he heard the iconic "Go!" from the start of a QQ Speed race.

He slammed on the gas. The Michelin tires dug into the ground, and with a VROOOM, mud splattered everywhere as the RV shot forward.

’Watch out! Virtual obstacle.’

Su Ran yanked the wheel to the left.

’Ding! Card Fragment x1’

’Ding! Speed boost activated.’

’Ding! Card Fragment x2’

A backpacker stared wide-eyed at the RV up ahead, turning to his companion in utter bewilderment. "Have you ever played QQ Speed?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Doesn’t that RV look like it’s in a game of QQ Speed?!"

"Who threw a tomato at my face?"

By now, Su Ran was having the time of his life. He’d played QQ Speed before, and he had to admit, this felt exactly like playing the real game. To enhance the experience, the system had even rendered everything outside his window in a cutesy, chibi-like art style.

Total immersion.

’Ding! Drift zone triggered.’

"VROOOOM—"

At an S-curve on the mud road ahead, the RV executed a perfect, snake-like drift around the bend, stunning the onlookers.

’DING DING DING DING...’ went the sound of collecting card fragments.

’Ding! Reached the finish line!’

The RV came to a steady stop on the shore of Jiuxi Lake, now covered from top to bottom in mud.

"Phew..."

Su Ran let out a breath. He never knew playing QQ Speed for real could be so much fun.

’Total Card Fragments: 12. Exchanged for the corresponding Skill: Finger Technique Fragrance.’

Note: This Skill increases the host’s finger dexterity, enabling steady, precise, and fast high-frequency movements.

Example: The swift flexibility required for playing musical instruments.

It provides a bonus to all manual crafts.

’Too bad I didn’t bring my guitar,’ Su Ran thought. ’Otherwise, I could have tested the power of Finger Technique Fragrance.’

He got out of the RV and stretched, gazing out at the vast Jiuxi Lake. A few people were scattered around, some setting up tents, others taking pictures.

He carried a bucket to the lakeshore to get water for washing the RV and suddenly noticed his fingers felt unusually nimble.

Su Ran quickly pulled his hands back, his face flushing. He gave a tactical cough and carried the bucket back to the RV.

’Still, these high-frequency fingers are pretty useful,’ he noted. ’Washing the RV is going much faster.’

On the shore of Jiuxi Lake, where the water and sky merged into one, stood an RV, a man, and a bucket. In a pristine place like this, which felt forgotten by the world, even washing a vehicle was an enjoyable experience.

After washing the RV, he made a cup of coffee, put on his headphones, and sat by the shore. Listening to soft music while soaking in the beauty of nature was a truly wonderful feeling.

The sun set over Jiuxi Lake, and the evening glow cast an orange hue over the sparkling water and everything around it. Su Ran didn’t take a single picture. It was enough to have been there. Photos would just sit in an album, unseen, taking up memory.

Tourists began to leave one after another. Those who remained were planning to camp out to watch the sunset and sunrise. Because the main road was closed, there weren’t many people—only about five or six families.

Su Ran started preparing his own dinner. The great thing about traveling in an RV was that you could bring everything with you. He was a domestic sort of man and had packed everything he might need for the trip, not overlooking a single detail.

"Ah... I’m going to lose my mind..."

Just then, a pretty young lady sitting outside a nearby tent was freaking out. She had been planning to make dinner, but after pulling her cooking equipment out of her bag, she realized she had carelessly brought an induction cooker.

Her stomach was GROWLING; she was seriously hungry.

She looked around. The people at the other tents were all using their pots to stew food. There wasn’t a spare one for her to borrow.

The young lady turned to look at the RV. After a moment’s hesitation, she picked up her instant noodles and walked over. She saw two pots on an outdoor gas stove—one stewing, one simmering. The aroma was incredibly enticing.

She could hear the sound of a video game coming from inside. The young lady KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKED on the RV door.

"Excu—" The young lady had barely gotten the word out when a super handsome guy stepped out of the vehicle. His eyes were especially clear and beautiful.

"Can I help you?"

The young lady snapped back to reality. Seeing such a handsome man, she instinctively became a little more demure. She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered a polite smile. "Excuse me, do you have a kettle? I forgot to bring a pot, and I was hoping I could get some hot water from you to make my instant noodles."

As soon as she finished speaking, the young lady felt a pang of shame. She realized the instant noodles in her hand were no ordinary portion. The handsome guy, in turn, first took in her lovely figure before his eyes landed on the package in her hand: ’Uni-President Seafood Flavor Extra-Large Bowl - One Bowl Equals Two.’

Phew...

The young lady took a deep breath, forcing herself to appear calm.

Su Ran smiled. "My kettle is pretty small. I don’t think one potful will be enough for your super-sized instant noodles. How about I boil some water for you in my large wok?"

’A large wok?’

’This guy’s tone... he sounds shocked by my appetite!’

’Is my appetite really that terrifying?’

The young lady felt like she was dying of social embarrassment on the spot.

"No, no, no, actually... I-I have a small appetite. It’s because... because..." Her mind raced. "It’s because they were sold out of the small bowls in Jiuxi Town, so I had to buy this extra-large one."

With that, to prove she had an appetite as delicate as Lin Daiyu’s, she broke off two-thirds of the noodle block and threw it in the trash. "See? This little bit is enough to fill me up. Can I use your kettle now?"

"Of course. I’ll go boil some water for you."

"Thaaanks~"