Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

Chapter 34: Chapter 26: A Beautiful Mind

Of course, Su Ran wouldn’t casually display such a Divine Skill to the four female friends sitting with him.

Otherwise, his tongue and fingers would go numb and cramp up.

Who knew which lucky soul would be blessed enough to experience it.

But enough about that. Back to the matter at hand.

As their host for dinner today, it was only natural for him to take care of them. He chatted and drank with them while peeling shrimp and placing the meat onto their plates, letting them enjoy the bliss that comes from a delicious meal.

Su Ran was a foodie who savored his meals, but they were a whole other level—Foodies 2.0.

They had started out eating with demure, ladylike manners, but by now, all pretense was gone. Who cared about being ladylike? It was time to chow down.

In the luxurious suite, with the beautiful scenery of the Bund as a backdrop and the Oriental Pearl just outside the window, plus having Su Ran, who was so good at taking care of girls, peeling shrimp for them—the four young women were happy beyond words.

Their affection for him was shooting up.

To be honest, the Four Young Actresses had met all sorts of handsome, second-generation rich kids. But take away the money, and there wasn’t much substance to them. They were all just lechers who couldn’t wait to trick a girl into bed the moment they met.

But looking at this Su Ran, he was truly a breath of fresh air at the top of the food chain. Being with him felt so natural. He was the type of rich person who simply enjoyed life, not someone constantly thinking about *that*.

He was wealthy but didn’t flaunt it, quietly enjoying what he considered a proper, refined lifestyle.

Xiao Wanqing was especially astounded when Liu Jinyu mentioned Su Ran’s ’proper way to make instant noodles.’ ’We’re already eating instant noodles, and you’re going to lecture me about health? Just how refined can this person’s life be?’

After meeting Su Ran and observing the details of his life...

When making instant noodles, you first had to steep the noodle block to get rid of any harmful substances on it, as well as the waterproof coating on the inside of the cup.

His shoes were arranged neatly on the shoe rack. Even the high heels they had casually kicked off upon entering had, at some point, been discreetly arranged neatly on the rack by him.

After use, the phone’s charging cable was always coiled into a circle and placed by the TV stand so it wouldn’t get lost. His phone was there too; he hadn’t touched it since coming inside because his friends were over, and it would be rude to keep staring at a screen.

At the dinner table, the moment anyone’s plate filled up with crab shells, he would replace it with a clean one.

There was even a pack of gum placed by the table, so they could have a piece or two after the meal to freshen their breath.

And many other small details...

A refined life is often reflected in the details.

Xiao Wanqing was truly impressed.

After spending two days with him, she found she actually quite liked Su Ran’s way of life, but she knew she could never emulate it.

He handled these small details so naturally, unlike certain people who deliberately faked a "refined life," making a show of it in a very affected and deliberate way, acting as if they were ethereal beings above worldly matters.

Su Ran himself never considered this to be some so-called "refined life." To him, it was just his normal, everyday routine—completely down-to-earth.

Not only that, but what Xiao Wanqing liked most about Su Ran was his gentle temperament and impeccable manners.

But then, when he got on stage... Last night at TAXX Bar, when he put on his headphones and started mixing the epic EDM track "PDD’s Primordial Power," he was incredibly charismatic.

The man who lived so elegantly in his daily life instantly transformed into a high-energy DJ on stage, leading the entire crowd into a frenzy.

That contrast, that impact—what girl could possibly resist?

Aina asked, "Wanqing, why are you staring at Su Ran?"

"Huh?" Xiao Wanqing snapped back to reality and cleared her throat. "COUGH, COUGH." She raised her glass and clinked it against Su Ran’s. "Su Ran, I think your parents must have done an amazing job raising you to be such an outstanding young man."

"Exactly, I agree," Liu Jinyu nodded.

"Mm..." He took a sip of red wine, set the glass down, and offered a faint smile. "My parents were very good to me. It’s just that... they passed away two years ago."

The four girls’ expressions froze in shock. Xiao Wanqing, in particular, was filled with guilt for having brought up the subject.

Their knowledge of Su Ran was superficial; they knew nothing about his family. Liu Jinyu didn’t know either. Now, hearing that his parents were gone, she was at a loss for words. She wanted to reach out and comfortingly touch his face, but her hands were covered in oil from the food.

They finally understood why Su Ran had such a zen, go-with-the-flow personality.

After losing both parents, a blow like that would naturally cause a young man’s entire worldview to change dramatically.

Many things that Su Ran once cared about, was interested in, or held a passionate love for had gradually lost their color.

Before he became a Divine Rich after his college entrance exams, he had studied hard for his future, living his life in a way that would let his parents know, in the great beyond, that he was doing well.

After becoming a Divine Rich, Su Ran felt that the System might have been a gift from his late parents. Perhaps they had worried about him suffering in this Asura world and had sent it as a blessing for their son, hoping he wouldn’t be bullied in a world where humans could be more vicious than demons.

By now, the System and Su Ran were one. He had never intended to use it to become some incredible Divine Rich; he just wanted to live the life he’d always envisioned, only better.

After all, he was living for his parents to see.

"Don’t look at me with such pity. I’m not an orphan." Su Ran gave a bright smile. "I still have family. I have my uncle."

This uncle was Su Ran’s last remaining tie to the world. If he were gone too, Su Ran would truly be like a piece of driftwood in this Asura world.

If that happened, what would be the point of all the money and fame in the world?

To Su Ran, money wasn’t everything. A person like him was, in fact, very lonely deep down. He placed a much higher value on emotional connections.

"My uncle is right here in Shanghai. If I can find Stephen Chow in the next couple of days, I’ll have him prepare a full, authentic Imperial Cuisine feast. I’ll invite the four of you, along with my uncle, aunt, Uncle Zhou, and my cousin to enjoy it."

Su Ran had never actually met his cousin, Zhou Bailin. After all, one lived in Ninghai and the other in Shanghai, so their paths had never crossed.

"Sigh... Seriously, stop looking at me like that. You’re making it seem like I’m some tragic figure. Come on, let’s toast."

The four women snapped out of it, raised their glasses to clink with Su Ran’s, and drained their drinks in one go.

"Kiddo, I really admire you."

"Admire me for what?"

"Your way of life is what I aspire to. Living the life you want and letting the rest go to hell. You’re not impulsive, you’re grounded, you love life, you have no ill will, and you look at the world with kindness every day. I truly, sincerely admire you. I’m downing this glass."

Liu Jinyu gulped down her drink in one go, turning the empty glass upside down.

Su Ran continued peeling a shrimp as he spoke from the heart. "Honestly, my life is pretty boring. In the past, aside from studying, all I did was play guitar and sing in my band. Music is a wonderful thing, heh..."

Su Ran shook his head with a soft chuckle and a sigh. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but he felt willing to open up a little more.

"Because my parents are gone, I’ve been living on my own since high school. I have to be strict with myself and make sure I don’t go down the wrong path. Even if I can’t contribute to the country, at the very least I shouldn’t cause any trouble, right? It’s not the ’refined life’ you’re talking about."

They nodded, their admiration for Su Ran’s strong moral compass growing even deeper.

’Controlling yourself’ sounded simple, but it was anything but. They couldn’t even stick to a diet, let alone imagine being an orphan living alone. Especially during the rebellious teenage years of fifteen or sixteen—how many orphans in that situation managed to stay on the right path?

Some dropped out of school and became delinquents, loitering in the streets, smoking, and playing cards.

Some left their villages and were never heard from again.

Others ended up being featured on true-crime shows.

It was a difficult path for any of them. After all, being that age without any parental guidance was a terrifying prospect.

Su Ran finished peeling the shrimp and placed it on Jinyu’s plate. He picked up another one for Aina and continued speaking. "Loving life is essential. I believe the world is what we make of it, depending on the lens through which we view it. It’s like a social media algorithm—whatever you choose to watch, it feeds you more of the same. Your perception of the world, your values, they all gradually and subconsciously change based on the content being pushed to you..."

"For example, if you choose to focus on the world’s deceit and treachery, then you’ll start seeing gold diggers everywhere, crime and violence everywhere, a ’money is king’ mentality everywhere. Eventually, you start to believe that’s what the world is really like, and that you’re surrounded by gold diggers, murderers, and villains..."

"But if you choose to look at the world with a positive, sunny disposition, you’ll see sunshine everywhere. You’ll see people working hard to make their country a better place. You’ll see couples willing to stick together through thick and thin, even without material wealth. You’ll see kind, helpful people everywhere, and you’ll see beautiful, wonderful young women like all of you."

A beautiful mind.

The System wouldn’t choose the wrong host. With a moral compass like that, he deserved to be a Divine Rich.

The four young women were in awe of his heartfelt speech. His values were so upright.

Liu Jinyu nodded. "That’s absolutely right. Whether you’re rich or not, you have to have a strong moral compass. I’m really starting to like you more and more. Come on, everyone, let’s toast to Su Ran."

"Cheers!"

They found themselves getting along better and better, and with one glass of wine following another, a tipsy flush began to appear on all five of their faces.

Xiao Wanqing poured another glass, swirled the wine inside, and asked, "Su Ran, so... is all your money from your parents’ inheritance?"

"No..."