Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

Chapter 46: Chapter 37: Just Like First Love

Linxi Village.

A heat wave swept over the lush green fields, blowing past the fishpond to the small farmhouse courtyard under the shade of bamboo trees.

In the middle of the courtyard, Su Ran was arranging a waterscape in a stone basin.

He’d felt the courtyard was lacking a certain liveliness, so he bought a few goldfish for it.

Of course, waterscaping was a refined hobby—another way of saying he was bored and had nothing better to do.

So, he grabbed a hoe and headed to the mountain behind his house to find some moss, interestingly shaped rocks, aquatic plants, and so on.

BEEP BEEP BEEP...

It was a call from his cousin, Zhou Bailin. "Hey, Su Ran, my family’s packing. We’re heading to Guizhou tomorrow to help Grandpa inter his master’s ashes. We’re going to do some sightseeing, too. Want to come?"

Su Ran replied, "You guys have important things to do. I’ll pass."

Zhou Bailin said, "Alright. In that case, can you ask that little fairy, Xie Yiren, where in Guizhou one can buy authentic Weining ham?"

Since the whole family was traveling to Guizhou, they naturally wanted to bring back some local specialties.

Xie Yiren belonged to a minority ethnic group from a small tribe in the Miaojiang region of Guizhou.

"I’ll ask her for you. Talk to you later."

When Xie Yiren received Su Ran’s call, she was buying a pack of sanitary pads at the supermarket near her school’s gate. Then, she spotted a rotating hot dog grill.

She was rooted to the spot.

One after another...

"Mmm~ So yummy~"

You’ll never understand the world of a foodie.

How could someone so petite eat and hold so much? The real question was how she never gained any weight—it all seemed to go to her chest.

She ate with great satisfaction, and the faint outline of Phoenix scales appeared on her neck, just above her T-shirt’s collar.

"Hey~ Su Ran? Jinyu isn’t here with me. It’s so hot~ Phew, phew~"

"I’m not looking for Jinyu. I’m calling for you."

"For me? Hiss—cough, cough, cough!"

"What’s wrong?"

"I’m... cough, cough... choking."

"..."

"So, what did you need?"

"My cousin’s family is traveling to Guizhou, and they wanted to know where to get authentic Weining ham."

"Zhang’s Weining Ham is super delicious! *Slurp*," she said, practically drooling. "Trust me, you’ll be hooked after one bite."

"Okay, thanks. Send me the exact address."

"Wait..."

"What is it?"

"Um... it’s just... that day I got drunk... what happened to my clothes? They just vanished."

"Did that happen?"

Hearing his response, Xie Yiren seemed relieved. "Oh, it’s nothing. I was just talking nonsense. Bye!"

"Alright."

After hanging up, Su Ran savored the memory of the "very big and round" scene from that day.

She had taken off her own clothes; it had nothing to do with him. It was just a white lie to save a girl the embarrassment.

A moment later, Su Ran forwarded the address to Zhou Bailin.

He reached out again, training the small goldfish by swirling the water with his Finger Technique Fragrance.

In ancient times, there was Xu Xian and his snake, Luo Shiyi and his caterpillar, and Ning Caichen and his female ghost. Today, there was Su Ran and his little goldfish.

What a travesty.

Was this something a human should be doing?

Huh?

Suddenly.

Life is full of surprises.

As Su Ran’s swirling grew faster and faster, a shimmering card rose from the vortex and hovered in the air.

He opened his system to capture it.

’Congratulations! You have obtained a "Mushroom House Game" card.’

Category: Management/Strategy

Description:

The hustle and bustle of city life brings pressure and anxiety, leaving one utterly exhausted.

Don’t you wish you could escape the clamor and, just like the stars on screen, open your very own Mushroom House amidst fields of flowers? A place to gather with friends, relax, and explore the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Well, come on down! This cozy, relaxing game, "Mushroom House," can make that dream a reality!

Check in to the Mushroom House and enjoy the good times of country living!

Game Features:

Courtyard Design: Enjoy a high degree of freedom in DIY courtyard design. Mix and match to create your perfect little yard!

●Fun Match-3: Enjoy fun levels, cool power-ups, and explosive elemental combos.

●Rich Storyline: We’ve got the stories if you’ve got the time. Listen to the heartfelt tales behind every character!

●Personalized Outfits: Change into gorgeous clothes, design your own look, and choose from hundreds of styles. You’re sure to find one that’s your vibe!

●Exciting Events: Participate in quests and events for rich rewards and build your own exclusive flower-filled courtyard!

Game Rules:

The Mushroom House experience game offers a high degree of freedom. Players are to discover quests on their own.

For each quest completed, you will receive a corresponding Gold Coin reward.

(Note: Gold Coins can be used to purchase goods in the Mushroom House shop or be withdrawn as cash. 1 Gold Coin = 10,000 yuan.)

A "Mushroom House Shop" icon had appeared on the system interface in his mind.

Game Duration: 3 days.

’Do you wish to start the Mushroom House Game?’

’A pretty interesting life-sim game.’

"Yes."

In an instant, visible only to Su Ran’s eyes, a cute, cartoonish sign appeared at the entrance of his wicker fence. It read: [Mushroom House]

Midsummer, rice paddies, the Mushroom House.

DING DING DING! (The notification sound for a Mushroom House daily mini-quest.)

Su Ran glanced around. Multiple exclamation points were flashing, indicating quests.

Chicken Coop: Current Poultry Hunger 2/10 (Severe Hunger)

Rose-bush Fence: Requires pruning and shaping.

Vegetable Patch: Eggplants and cucumbers require fertilizer.

Septic Tank: Almost full. Go get ’em, Septic Tank Boy!

Su Ran looked over the list of daily mini-quests. They were all minor details he hadn’t paid much attention to before.

Su Ran felt the need to clarify: he had cleaned the septic tank last week. Genuinely.

’Who’s been dumping crap in my septic tank?’

’So infuriating!’

’But it still has to be cleaned.’

’Fine. It’s not like I haven’t been Septic Tank Boy before.’

Su Ran put on a mask, grabbed his "weapon," and started with the septic tank.

’DING! Septic tank cleaning complete. Reward: 5 Gold Coins.’

"BLEGH—this smell is way too ’fresh’—BLEGH—"

Next up: the poultry.

’DING! Poultry Satiety: 10/10. Reward: 1 Gold Coin.’

"Eat up."

Su Ran stroked an old hen, a gentle, spring-like smile on his face.

The old hen’s beak trembled as it pecked at the grain. Just last week, her partner had seen that very same "last meal smile" on Su Ran’s face right before it ended up under the knife.

A moment later...

CLUCK CLUCK...

A lone chicken feather drifted slowly to the ground.

He boiled some water to scald it, then tossed the bird aside to deal with that evening.

Next quest...

Fertilizing the vegetables.

’Vegetable fertilization complete. Reward: 1 Gold Coin.’

Next quest...

Pruning and shaping the rose-bush fence.

Su Ran took his shears and began trimming the overgrown shoots, trying to give the bushes some shape.

BEEP BEEP BEEP. His phone rang, and for a second, Su Ran was distracted.

"Whoops."

He’d snipped a huge divot into the bush.

’Oh well, guess it’ll have to do.’

System is grading...

’DING! Rose-bush fence pruning is excessively ugly. Quest failed. No Gold Coin reward.’

"..."

Daily mini-quest summary: 7 Gold Coins.

Seventy thousand yuan. Not bad at all.

That was a lot more than a cleaning lady made.

More importantly, he was beautifying his own home.

Su Ran picked up his phone to see who had called and made him butcher the rose bush.

When he saw the caller ID, Su Ran felt a sudden urge not to answer.

[Ning Wenwen]

Sigh...

He answered.

"Hey, Wenwen."

"Su Ran!!"

"It’s ’big brother’ to you."

"Big Brother Su Ran."

"What is it?"

"Didn’t we agree? I told you I’d pick you up from the airport when you came back! Why didn’t you tell me you were here? If I hadn’t run into Liao Renhao this morning, I still wouldn’t have known! Hmph!"

Liao Renhao was one of Su Ran’s high school classmates. He had run into him on the street that morning and they’d chatted for a few minutes.

’The main reason was that Su Ran didn’t want to hang out with Ning Wenwen. She was a cute, delicate girl who cried at the drop of a hat. What fun was there in that?’

"The airport’s too far. It’s dangerous for a young girl to go by herself. I was fine coming back on my own, but thanks for the offer."

"Worried I’d be in danger?"

"...Of course. I’m your big brother, after all."

"Alright then, Big Brother Su Ran... look straight ahead. Over here."

"What?"

Su Ran looked straight ahead.

On the path between the rice paddies...

Dressed in a youthful and energetic JK schoolgirl uniform stood Ning Wenwen. She usually wore her hair up in a bun, but today, she had finally let her long, straight, black hair down. It flowed over her shoulders, a perfect match for her outfit, accentuating her fair and rosy skin.

The whole scene was picturesque; she looked exactly like a girl who had stepped right out of a Japanese manga.

Ning Wenwen broke into a sweet smile and waved at Su Ran, who was still standing by the courtyard gate with his shears.

"Su Ran~"

Her sweet voice called out to him softly.

A gentle breeze stirred her long, black hair. She smiled gracefully, raising a hand to gently tuck away a windblown strand.

She was a girl who seemed shy, yet innocent; cute, yet full of spirit.

The very image of a first love.

’DING! The first guest of the Mushroom House has arrived.’