Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Correct Way to Make Instant Noodles

Su Ran returned to his RV to boil some water. The young woman stared at the instant noodles in the trash can. Looked like she was going to go hungry tonight.

A girl’s appetite is inversely proportional to how good-looking her male companion is. The more handsome the guy, the less she eats.

Soon, Su Ran came back out with a kettle of hot water. He gave the table a shake and found it wasn’t very steady. With a firm push, he drove the table legs into the grass until it was stable, then set the kettle down. "There, that should do it. Be careful, it’s hot."

"Thank you."

The young woman was touched by his thoughtful gesture.

She tore open the seasoning packets, ready to make her noodles, only to find Su Ran watching her like a supervisor overseeing a job.

"What’s wrong?"

She didn’t understand his expression. ’Is he going to charge me for the hot water?’

Su Ran asked in confusion, "Is that how you make instant noodles?"

She replied, just as puzzled, "Isn’t this how they’re made?"

"The correct way to prepare instant noodles is to first add hot water and let it sit for thirty seconds. Then you drain the water to get rid of the preservatives on the noodles and the wax coating on the inside of the cup. All that stuff is bad for you. *Then* you add the seasoning and more hot water. It’s much healthier and more nutritious that way!"

Su Ran explained the proper noodle-making procedure with a completely straight face.

The young woman blinked her large, sparkling eyes, completely dumbfounded. ’I’m resorting to instant noodles, and you’re lecturing me about nutrition?’

’Have I been making noodles the wrong way for over a decade?’

’Does anyone really take making instant noodles this seriously?’

She had been about to ignore his advice and stick to her usual method, but Su Ran didn’t leave. He just kept staring at her, his expression making it seem like he would confiscate the hot water if she didn’t follow his instructions.

She was utterly exasperated.

"So, let it sit for thirty seconds and then drain it, right? Fine, I’ll do it your way."

In the end, she gave in. She had no choice—the hot water was his, and she was afraid he’d take it back. She really didn’t want to resort to crushing the block and eating it dry.

After that, she watched as a satisfied Su Ran went over to his cooking station to work on his own dinner.

"..."

For some strange reason, it felt like she was being taken care of by him.

’How strange.’

Once her noodles were steeping, the young woman walked over, her curiosity piqued.

"What are you steaming? It smells amazing."

"King crab."

"???"

Su Ran lifted the lid of the steamer. A savory, delicious aroma instantly filled the air. As the steam cleared, she saw it was true—a massive king crab!

*GASP!*

The young woman gasped. She’d never seen anyone bring a king crab on a camping trip!

Su Ran had always wanted to try king crab, and now that he had the money, he decided to buy one.

He heated some oil, and with a sharp SIZZLE, poured it over a mixture of minced garlic and chili. The heat instantly released the king crab’s aroma, triggering the young woman’s taste buds. She couldn’t stop herself from gulping.

*GULP.*

’Oh...’

The young woman clapped a hand over her mouth, her face instantly flushing red. She was mortified. ’I can’t believe I gulped so loudly.’

Su Ran just smiled faintly. He placed the large platter of king crab on the table, and the young woman, taking the hint, picked up her cup of noodles.

"Thanks again for the hot water. I’ll let you eat. Bye."

"It was just some water, no need to keep thanking me. Here, try some. See what you think of my cooking."

Su Ran offered her a pair of disposable chopsticks.

"Well, maybe just one piece."

The young woman set down her noodles and broke apart the chopsticks. She picked up a small crab leg and, in a perfect display of ladylike grace, took a tiny, delicate bite.

"It’s delicious."

"It’s my first time cooking king crab, so I was worried I’d mess it up. Don’t be shy. This thing weighs over six pounds, and there’s no way I can eat it all myself."

As she ate, the young woman asked, "If you’re eating this by yourself, why did you buy such a big one?"

"They didn’t have any smaller ones. I even asked the store if they’d sell me half, but they refused, the nerve of them."

The young woman let out a snort of laughter, amused by his sudden humor.

"Who sells half a crab?"

"I’ve never bought one before, so how was I supposed to know? The owner almost chased me out with a broom, said I was just there to cause trouble."

"Hehe, well, what else would you call it?"

The young woman didn’t believe a word he said, assuming it was all just a joke. ’After all, a guy who camps in an RV and eats king crab couldn’t possibly be that clueless, right?’

She suddenly thought of something, put down her chopsticks, and said earnestly, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Liu Jinyu."

"I’m Su Ran," he said casually. "Judging by your accent, you’re not from around here, are you?"

"My mom’s from Ninghai. I actually went to kindergarten here before my family moved to Chongqing. I came back for summer vacation to spend a few days with my grandma. I thought it would be fun to camp at Jiuxi Lake today, but... well..." She sighed. "I was such an airhead. I brought an electric wok, and then I had to bother you for hot water."

"It’s no problem. We’re all campers out here, we should help each other. Don’t worry about it. So, where do you go to school?"

Liu Jinyu said proudly, "The Shanghai Dance School."

"Oh... Don’t just talk. Eat some crab."

Liu Jinyu: ???

’The Shanghai Dance Academy, and all he said was "oh"?’

It wasn’t like Su Ran was a dance student, so he wasn’t particularly impressed.

Now, if Liu Jinyu had said she went to Tsinghua or Peking University, Su Ran would have been green with envy.

"What about you? Where do you go to school?"

"I just graduated high school."

"Huh?"

Liu Jinyu’s eyes lit up. ’So he’s a younger guy, huh?’

"Which university did you get into?"

"Ninghai University."

"Not bad. You’re quite the scholar."

"You’re too kind. I just got lucky. Don’t be so formal, go on and eat."

Liu Jinyu ate three crab legs before putting down her chopsticks. ’He was just being polite by offering me some king crab,’ she thought. ’I can’t be shameless and just keep mooching off him.’

"Su Ran, thank you for the king crab. I should get back now."

"Alright. If you need more hot water, just come on over."

"Okay, bye."

Liu Jinyu carried her instant noodles back to her campsite, while Su Ran went back to eating his king crab, his composure completely unshaken by the presence of a beautiful girl.

To be fair, Liu Jinyu was gorgeous, with the perfect proportions one would expect from a dance student.

But it wasn’t as if Su Ran had never seen a beautiful woman before; he wasn’t the type to let his imagination run wild at the first sight of one.

Back when he had a regular singing gig at a bar, he’d seen more than his fair share of stunning women with amazing figures. It was no exaggeration to say that plenty of girls had bluntly asked to be his girlfriend back then.

But Su Ran had flatly rejected every single one of them.

There was no other reason for it; he was simply terrified of catching an incurable disease.

Su Ran was the self-disciplined type.

Resisting all that temptation while singing in a bar, especially during his teenage years when his hormones were raging, required more than ordinary self-discipline. It was practically asceticism!

Of course, Su Ran wasn’t actually an ascetic. It was just that after seeing so many beautiful women, he had come to understand that a pretty face is no match for an interesting soul.

Su Ran wasn’t a player, nor did he know any "game" for picking up girls.

And often, having no game is the deadliest game of all.

Just then, Su Ran took a bite of a crab leg, and the flavor seemed to register directly with his system, apparently triggering some kind of reward.

’Ding! You have obtained a "Goddess Authority" Skill by tasting king crab. Would you like to use it?’

’Life is full of surprises,’ he thought. ’I ate a king crab and didn’t even get a Skill Card.’

’What the hell is Goddess Authority?’

Su Ran had no idea, but figured he’d give it a shot and confirmed its use.

’Please enter the name of a female.’

Su Ran glanced over at Liu Jinyu’s departing figure. ’She definitely counts as a goddess, the real deal.’

So, he typed her two-word name, Liu Jinyu, into the system.

’Ding! Liu Jinyu Authority report is as follows:’

Name: Liu Jinyu

Age: 19

Height: 170

Birthday: August 25

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Hobbies: Shopping, traveling, watching movies

School: Shanghai Dance Academy

Weight: 50kg

Measurements: 88, 68, 94

Appearance: 96

Overall Score: 95

’I get it now. It’s a skill to help me avoid trouble.’

Although Su Ran led a clean personal life, in this day and age, having a system like this was a real blessing.

To be frank, Su Ran, like many men, had a thing for virgins.

It was just that now, with the "Goddess Authority," he could know in advance and avoid being taken for a fool.

Just then, as Liu Jinyu was walking, she suddenly felt a sense of unease. Her woman’s intuition was screaming that someone had just pried into her secrets.