Everyday Romance After Becoming a Billionaire

From all sides, voices chanted, "Weizi, Weizi, Weizi..." closing in on them.

’Holy crap! What’s going on?’

Su Ran whipped his head around, eyes wide as he stared at the girl beside him, cringing so hard he could have dug a hole with his toes.

He started to speak, then hesitated. "Zi... what... Wei?" He was already trying to deny the answer in his mind.

"That’s right! My name is Ziwei. Xia Ziwei. The Xia Ziwei from the West Lake Shore."

Shan Weizi was so mortified her lips were practically sealed shut. She blew a puff of air at her bangs. ’Me, Shan Weizi, experiencing social death? This is impossible. I wish I could just Flash back to my bedroom and hide under the covers. This is terrifying.’

She turned to Liu Piaopiao with a strained giggle. "Hello, Ma’am. My name is Ziwei. You’ve got the wrong person. Goodbye."

With that, she turned to ’abandon’ Su Ran to take the heat, planning her own escape.

She headed toward Shan Zhentian, but seeing him blocking her path, Shan Weizi shot him a look that seemed to say, ’Dad, your wife is giving me a hard time. You’re not going to do the same, are you?’

Shan Zhentian nodded, took a small step back, and made a gesture as if to send her off respectfully.

Liu Piaopiao watched this unfold, thinking, ’You stubborn little girl. Aren’t you usually so tough? When I asked what your relationship with Su Ran was, you refused to say a thing, instead swearing up and down, "If I know Su Ran or have anything to do with him, may I jump to my death, choke on my food, or get hit by a car!"’

’Heh heh heh... Look at you eating your words now.’

Liu Piaopiao, in her high heels peeking from under her qipao, descended the stairs step by step. "Hey, you, uh, Xia Ziwei from the West Lake Shore. How could you be such a coward and abandon your ’Er Kang’ to escape all by yourself?"

Shan Weizi pretended not to hear and kept walking. If she could just get around the corner of the wall, the awkwardness would end.

Su Ran walked up to Liu Piaopiao and said, "Sister Piaopiao, is she really your daughter or not?"

Su Ran was the most clueless one there. He had never met Shan Weizi before. Was this girl telling the truth when she said her name was ’Xia Ziwei’, or was it a joke? Su Ran didn’t have a God’s-eye view of the situation; he was completely baffled.

Liu Piaopiao sighed dramatically. "Didn’t she just say she’s not my daughter? How would I dare claim her? Ah, I raised her for nothing."

Su Ran understood now. That ’online friend’ was her daughter, Shan Weizi. ’Holy hell, what are the odds?’

Hiss...

’I’ve been her online confidant for over a month?’

’And I was just talking to her about my "rumored girlfriend" at Louwailou Restaurant?’

’It was her the whole time?’

Su Ran was dumbfounded. ’It can’t be such a coincidence.’

Shan Zhentian finally spoke up. "Alright, Weizi, stop fooling around and come back. You brought Su Ran home with you, so what is there to be embarrassed about? Hurry up and come back."

Everyone watched as Shan Weizi’s retreating figure sighed, turned around, walked back to Liu Piaopiao, and muttered, "Mom."

Su Ran looked at the mother-daughter duo and wanted to slap himself. They were clearly carved from the same ’goddess’ mold—one a younger version, the other a mature version. How had he not noticed they were practically identical?

’A mother-daughter pair of beauties. Very nice.’

Su Ran plastered on a smile. "Well... uh... since your daughter is back, I’ll be taking my leave."

Liu Piaopiao said, "Hey, Su Ran, what’s the rush? Don’t be in such a hurry to leave."

"My flight might be delayed. Next time, next time."

Su Ran kept trying to excuse himself. Just a moment ago in the courtyard, he had thumped his chest and declared, ’I don’t know your daughter!’ And now, not long after, he’d brought her home? Every second he stayed would only deepen the misunderstanding.

Liu Piaopiao called out, "Stop! Didn’t you say you wanted a painting? I’ll have the old master paint one for you right now."

Su Ran continued to refuse. "No, no, it’s alright. I haven’t even accomplished my task. How could I have the nerve to ask for a painting? Excuse me, please let me pass."

Shan Zhentian once again took a step back and made a gesture as if to send him off.

Liu Piaopiao chuckled. ’These two are really something, both trying to get past Shan Zhentian.’ She smiled and added, "What do you mean you didn’t accomplish it? You’ve already completed the mission."

"No, no, no, I didn’t. I haven’t. Goodbye."

"Hehehe... The thing you like, the thing the old master loves most... Well, isn’t that his granddaughter right there? How is that not complete?"

"This..."

Su Ran froze.

The old master also froze. ’Good heavens, is this young man some kind of contrarian? I was just spouting nonsense, and he actually brought back something he likes that I also love most—my granddaughter for a painting?’

’What a ruthless man!’

Su Ran took a deep breath, paused, and turned to explain, "Sister Piaopiao, you’ve misunderstood. I have a girlfriend. I really have nothing to do with your daughter. Right, Shan Weizi?"

Shan Weizi nodded vigorously. "Mhm, mhm, yes, yes, yes! Su Ran and I have absolutely no relationship. Su Ran, hurry up and call your girlfriend. Then everyone will understand."

"Good point."

Su Ran pulled out his phone, dialed Liu Jinyu, and, in a classic humblebrag, put the call on speaker.

Shan Weizi shot Liu Piaopiao a look that said, ’See? How can you still misunderstand now? Hmph!’

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... The call connected.

"Hello? Ranran, what are you up to? What’s up, calling me all of a sudden?"

"Who am I to you?"

"You’re my Ranran."

"Stop joking around. I’m serious."

"I’m serious too, Ranran. What else would it be?"

"I’m talking about ’boyfriend’!"

"You’re my little brother."

PFFT— Su Ran was slain.

Liu Piaopiao laughed.

Su Ran was mortified.

"Sigh... Bye. Hanging up."

"Okay, Ranran! Miss me, okay?~"

"Sigh..."

’When I get back, I’m so spanking her,’ he thought as he hung up.

Shan Weizi asked, "She didn’t play along?"

Su Ran sighed. "I’m fried."

Liu Piaopiao said, "Alright, the call has been made. The truth is out. Now, would you two please explain your relationship?"

It wasn’t that Liu Piaopiao was dead-set on forcing them to be a couple; she just felt that with all the evidence right in front of them, why be so secretive?

’And they’re Gen Z? Is this it? They’re dating like they were born in the ’60s.’

’Our relationship is...’

They spoke at the same time.

Shan Weizi: "Friends."

Su Ran: "Online friends."

They looked at each other, then spoke in unison again.

Shan Weizi: "Online friends."

Su Ran: "Strangers."

Shan Weizi: "Sigh..."

Liu Piaopiao chuckled. "What’s this? Your relationship is getting more distant by the second? Are you going to say you don’t know each other next?"

Shan Weizi scratched her head. "Mom, we’re really just regular friends."

"Sigh, let me explain," Su Ran said, stepping forward. "Sister Piaopiao, it’s like this. Your daughter writes a sappy ro— Mmph mmph mmph..."

’Oh, come on!’

Before Su Ran could finish, Shan Weizi lunged forward and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don’t mention the novel! If you do, it’ll be my second social death, you hear me? I’m begging you."

No one knew Shan Weizi wrote novels. It was a private hobby. If her family found out she’d written a sappy romance novel called *Senior, You Come Down First*, did he have any idea how horrifying that would be?

First, the entire family would immediately pull out their phones and search for the novel online.

Then, they would all join her reader group and start enthusiastically greeting the other fans.

Then, the family would post on their social media, bragging, ’Our Weizi wrote a novel! Everyone should go check it out when you have time!’

Finally, the whole world would know. Whenever her family ran into an acquaintance, they would boast, ’My Weizi can even write novels!’

’Oh my god.’

Just thinking about this terrifying chain of events made Shan Weizi break out in an embarrassed sweat.

"Seriously, don’t mention it. I’m begging you."

Shan Weizi pleaded with her eyes as she looked at Su Ran.

Su Ran: "..."

Liu Piaopiao watched the ’intimate’ pair, clicking her tongue. "TSK TSK TSK... Look at you two now. If you said you didn’t know each other, not even a ghost would believe it! Shan Weizi, don’t try to argue. Let me ask you first: the online friend you talk to every day, the one who makes you get that sappy grin on your face... is it Su Ran?"

"I admit it’s Su Ran! But what’s this about a sappy grin?!"

"Look, you’re making that kind of face right now."

Shan Zhentian and Shan Changqing: "I think she is!"

PFFT—

Shan Weizi nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Liu Piaopiao: "Let me ask you again. You said you were having dinner with a friend earlier. Was that Su Ran?"

"I admit it was Su Ran! But our relationship isn’t what you think!"

"And what relationship do I think it is?"

"You know what you’re thinking."

"Fine, fine. Stubborn as a mule, aren’t you? In that case, let me ask you: in the *Hundred Years Phoenix Painting* you made, which direction is the Phoenix on the branch looking?"

Shan Weizi answered frankly, "It’s inspired by *The Peacock Flies Southeast*, so it’s looking southeast, of course. How is that a big deal?"

Liu Piaopiao: "Then why don’t you ask Su Ran where he’s from?"

Shan Weizi: "Su Ran, where are you from?"

Su Ran: "Don’t ask, don’t ask."

Shan Weizi: "Tell me! You have to make it clear! If you don’t, I won’t be able to rest!"

Su Ran: "Do you really have to do this?"

Shan Weizi: "I do!"

Su Ran sighed and said, "I’m from Ninghai, Jiangning, Anyang."

Shan Weizi: "See? What’s the big deal?"

Liu Piaopiao didn’t waste words with her, directly pulling up ’Wicked Maps’ and setting a route from [West Lake — Anyang]. Guo Degang’s voice announced: [To go to Anyang, please proceed southeast for 1314.520 kilometers!]

PFFT—

’Is that mileage number cursed or something?’

Liu Piaopiao delivered the final blow: "I remember you painted that picture right here. And this place is exactly 1314.520 kilometers from Su Ran’s hometown. Tsk tsk tsk... Shan Weizi, you’re so cheesy.~"

Shan Weizi was K.O.’d. In a last-ditch struggle, she argued:

"Mom, you’re just nitpicking now. It’s a painting, how can you apply it to reality? The mileage is just a coincidence."

"And is the direction its head is facing that important? Yes! The artistic concept of my painting is ’The Peacock Flies Southeast.’ The Phoenix stands on a branch, gazing southeast, like a woman waiting foolishly for her prince charming."

"In that painting, even with a hundred birds looking up at her, the Phoenix hasn’t flown away. She will only fly away when her prince charming appears!"

Her words were firm and decisive, ringing with conviction!

Hearing this, Su Ran thought, ’Holy crap.’ Back then, he’d thought it was a shame the painting was ruined, so he had reimagined it. He had actually painted the Phoenix flying away!

Moreover, Su Ran had brought that painting with him, planning to return it to the Shan Family.

He had left it behind when they were having tea at her house earlier and was only just remembering it now.

Now, seeing something hidden behind Sister Piaopiao, he guessed it must be that very painting.

Su Ran quickly tugged on Shan Weizi’s arm. ’She’s digging her own grave!’

"Su Ran, why are you pulling me? Why can’t I explain? Don’t stop me, I need to make this clear! So I won’t be misunderstood!"

Su Ran: ’Sigh...’

Liu Piaopiao chuckled. "So, if the Phoenix has spread its wings and flown, then you’ll admit it, is that right?"

"Yes! If she flew, I’ll admit to anything you say!"

Shan Weizi thought, ’A painting can’t fly. I don’t believe it.’

At the same time, she shot Su Ran a look.

"Su Ran, we’ve won this round!"

Su Ran: "Not necessarily."