Chapter 125 - 99: An Unfinished Dance
Stepping out of the lobby, Su Ran indulged in a rare humblebrag. He took a deep, ’exhausted’ breath and said, "Whew... I finally managed to burn through 130 million this morning. ’Time is money,’ they say. It’s so true. That wasn’t easy."
Xiao Wanqing channeled her inner Lin Daiyu. "Alas... Young Master Su, we are ultimately from two different worlds. I apologize. This humble girl has disturbed your life. I shall now return to my hovel."
"Alright, you head back first. I have things to do this afternoon. I’ll call you."
Su Ran hailed a cab and was about to leave.
’What the hell...’
Xiao Wanqing was absolutely furious. She rushed over, yanked the car door open, and used her hip to shove Su Ran further inside. SLAM. She shut the door and smacked him. "You’re so annoying! It’s a good thing I restrained myself last night. With that look on your face like nothing happened, wouldn’t I be regretting it to death right now?"
The driver: ???
"Driver, to the Maoyue Grand Hotel," Su Ran ordered. Then he turned to her with a smile. "I was just teasing you. I’ll treat you to a big lunch to thank you for ’taking me in’ last night."
"If I’d known, I would’ve left you to sleep on the side of the road. Let some homeless guys have their way with you and see if your ass hurts when you wake up in the morning."
"Sister Wanqing wouldn’t be that cruel, would she?"
"As cruel as you?"
"Me, cruel? I was just teasing you a second ago."
"I..." She started to speak, then froze, suddenly realizing, ’Something’s wrong with me.’ ’Why is it that when Su Ran used to make these kinds of jokes, I’d just laugh them off? But just now, when I saw him joking about getting in the car and leaving, I got really angry. My heart even skipped a beat. Have I lost my sense of humor? Am I actually getting angry?’
This was a dangerous sign.
’It couldn’t be that I...’
Xiao Wanqing had always thought she liked Su Ran. After all, he was such an outstanding guy, and she considered herself a good match. Liking him was perfectly normal.
But... liking was one thing. At this very moment, it dawned on her. Could it be that she had already fallen in love with him? Just because of one night together?
Liking is a feeling; loving is a lifetime of action. Liking is the beginning of love, but it doesn’t have to turn into love. Love is just... love. It can never fade back into simple liking.
"Hey, you’re frowning. Something on your mind?"
"My chest hurts. It’s all your fault."
"..."
Xiao Wanqing rested her chin on her hand, her expression grave. ’If I’ve really fallen in love, this is going to be complicated,’ she thought. ’I was originally planning to single-handedly keep my friends from falling for him, and now look at me. They haven’t fallen yet, but I’m the one who’s completely sunk. How can we ever go back to our old, carefree dynamic when we hang out in the future?’
She glanced at Su Ran. He was still staring at his phone, chuckling as he read a novel.
"..."
That just made her even angrier. As expected, men just enjoy women, while women are left to bear the weight of all the complex relationships.
"Scumbag!"
Su Ran: ???
...
At the Maoyue Grand Hotel, Yasuo had been waiting for a very, very long time. When he saw the taxi pull up, he confirmed that the passenger inside was the man he’d been ’longing for day and night’—Mr. Su.
Mr. Su had left a deep impression on Yasuo. After all, every time he stayed, he would prepay for a week—a sum in the hundreds of thousands.
"Mr. Su, welcome back to the Maoyue Grand Hotel." As Yasuo finished speaking, a tactful front desk receptionist in black stockings presented a bouquet of flowers to the beautiful girl beside Mr. Su. Yasuo prompted her, ’This is Miss Xiao,’ and the receptionist smiled. "Miss Xiao, you’re so beautiful. This bouquet is for the most beautiful girl."
"Thankies." Xiao Wanqing accepted the flowers with a sweet smile and instinctively looped her other arm through Su Ran’s. A little bit of show was necessary; it boosted ’Mr. Su’s’ image, as evidenced by the envious glances from other guests passing by.
As they walked through the hotel and into the elevator, Yasuo gave them an overview of the luncheon. Su Ran nodded. "I’m always at ease when you’re in charge. By the way, did you take care of that other matter I asked you about?"
"Mr. Su, the people are already in the hotel room. Please." Stepping out of the elevator, Yasuo pushed open a door and invited them in.
Inside the room were a beautiful woman named Wang Xiaoxiao and a man in office attire. The man’s name wasn’t worth mentioning, nor was his appearance worth describing.
Wang Xiaoxiao flashed her signature smile. "Hello, Mr. Su. I am Wang Xiaoxiao, the shopping guide manager from the International Finance Center. It’s a pleasure to be of service to you."
Xiao Wanqing hadn’t expected this. She was stunned that the International Finance Center would personally bring clothes to a customer’s door for them to choose from. For the wealthy, one didn’t have to go to the mall to shop; a manager could bring the store to them—the games of the rich, the charm of money-power.
Of course, all of this required one prerequisite: being a VIP member of the International Finance Center, and a VIP whose spending had reached a certain Level to enjoy the ’personal home delivery’ privilege.
"You’re a VIP member at the International Finance Center?" Xiao Wanqing remembered Su Ran never going to the International Finance Center. Every time he came to Shanghai, he just fooled around with her and the other girls.
Wang Xiaoxiao smiled and explained, "Mr. Su is the highest Level member of our International Finance Center. He has a spending record at our centers nationwide and is also the highest-Level VIP of our parent company, the Jiulong Cang Group!"
Hearing this, Yasuo’s eyes lit up, and his gaze toward Su Ran filled with even more reverence. He suppressed his excitement. This Mr. Su had not disappointed him; he was dealing directly with the International Finance Center’s headquarters, the Jiulong Cang Group. ’So awesome!’
Xiao Wanqing was completely floored. She turned her head to look at Su Ran, suddenly feeling that her understanding of him was limited to the crude fact that he was ’hung like a horse,’ and beyond that, she knew nothing.
Su Ran put his arm around Xiao Wanqing’s shoulders. "Don’t be so surprised. I’m still the same Su Ran you know. Come on, let’s go pick out a few outfits that suit you."
Xiao Wanqing took a couple of steps, her hand still holding onto Su Ran’s. "Why are you buying me clothes?" she asked.
Su Ran: "Uh... about your pajamas last night..."
Xiao Wanqing: ...
Su Ran said, "Sister Wang, please help the beautiful young lady next to me pick out a few outfits."
Wang Xiaoxiao hummed in agreement and began selecting clothes.
The other man stepped forward. "Mr. Su, over here we have the latest menswear from several brands at the International Finance Center. I brought them for you as well. Please see if there’s anything you like. Our president said that you can pick whatever you want, and he’ll cover the cost."
"The president of the International Finance Center? Or the president of Jiulong Cang?"
"President Wu!"
"Oh, thank him for me."
Yasuo was filled with awe. He knew the name President Wu well—it was as famous as a clap of thunder. He was the boss of the Jiulong Cang Group from Xiangjiang!
A thought occurred to Su Ran, and he smiled. In truth, he had never shown his true power. Today was just a tiny glimpse.
He truly was the Jiulong Cang Group’s most esteemed VIP.
For no other reason than the ’Mushroom House’!
Everything in the Mushroom House had an origin; it didn’t just appear out of thin air.
For instance, everything in Su Ran’s enormous walk-in closet—all the clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, and so on—came from the International Finance Center!
Of course, the International Finance Center wasn’t just in Shanghai; it was in many cities.
The system’s directive was ’Use the best! Play with the most expensive!’ Therefore, all the items in the Mushroom House from the International Finance Center were the absolute top-tier of the luxury world, with a total value approaching nine figures. When the system made a move, it would never short-change its host.
Of course, simply buying things would only make him a member of the International Finance Center. As for why he became President Wu of Jiulong Cang’s esteemed guest—it was because yesterday morning, Su Ran had chosen ’Stocks’ as the withdrawal method for his ’130 million’ and had bought stock in ’Jiulong Cang’. By the market close in the evening, the system had automatically handled the transaction. The host didn’t need to worry about the details, only enjoy the results.
A massive sum of 130 million was injected into ’Jiulong Cang’ stock. The company then began to generate hype, and bandwagon investors followed suit, triggering a massive surge. By the time the market closed last night, ’Jiulong Cang’ had made a killing.
Naturally, Jiulong Cang took notice of this buyer named ’Su Ran’. A check of their corporate system revealed he was also a major client of their subsidiary, the ’International Finance Center’. A die-hard fan of their own retail chain, a hidden tycoon, and a man who ’brought fortune’ with him—whichever stock he bought, soared. How could they not take him seriously?
The host was in charge of living it up; the system was in charge of keeping things stable.
You play, and it paves the way for you!
"Please give my regards to President Wu."
"President Wu specifically instructed me to mention that if Mr. Su has time, he would like to meet with you in Xiangjiang."
"I’ll visit President Wu when I have the time."
"Su Ran, what do you think? Does this dress look good?"
Over on the other side of the room, Xiao Wanqing, wearing a beautiful dress, did a little twirl, her face radiating pure happiness.
"I’m going to go help Sister Wanqing pick out a dress."
"Please, Mr. Su."
Su Ran walked over and patiently helped Xiao Wanqing choose her dresses. Everyone nearby watched with envy. This was ’the daily life of a couple in love after achieving financial freedom.’ Beyond envy, all they could feel was longing.
The more this went on, the deeper Xiao Wanqing fell.
After they finished picking for her, she started picking for Su Ran. Everyone has a different aesthetic. Liu Jinyu liked to dress Su Ran in a youthful, energetic style, while Xiao Wanqing preferred to give him a more ’noble’ look.
With his golden-ratio proportions, Su Ran was a natural-born model who looked good in anything.
Su Ran’s clothes were a gift from President Wu, a way of thanking a VIP and ’getting to know this mysterious tycoon.’ They were free of charge; the guide wouldn’t dare accept money even if his life depended on it. If he did, he’d be collecting his last paycheck and leaving. This gesture made it impossible for Su Ran not to pay President Wu a visit in Xiangjiang someday. He’d just have to go when he had the chance.
As for the clothes for Xiao Wanqing, those they had to pay for! That was President Wu’s order. It wasn’t because he was stingy, but because if they didn’t charge, Su Ran probably wouldn’t accept a single item. Besides, for a tycoon, buying clothes for his girlfriend was pocket change.
Total: 786,000.
Name: Su Ran
Age: 18
Wealth: 11.98 million
Oops. After buying a yacht, he had fallen from a hundred-millionaire to a ten-millionaire in one go.
It didn’t matter. If he just paid attention, there were cards everywhere. It was just that Su Ran was too busy handling his relationships with women to have a chance to look for them.
"Mr. Su, we’ll be leaving now. If you need anything next time, just contact me. Here is my business card."
Wang Xiaoxiao handed over her card, and she and her male colleague left with the suitcases full of clothes. They went downstairs and got into the International Finance Center’s private car to head back. Once there, she would no doubt tell her colleagues all about finally meeting President Wu’s VIP guest—how young and handsome he was.
In the presidential suite, Xiao Wanqing said, "Su Ran, is this really okay?"
"If it’s not okay, then take it off."
"You..."
"Come on, let’s eat. Yasuo has everything ready."
The meal was served in the presidential suite’s dining room. It was a French feast, complete with a bottle of expensive red wine. Two people eating, served by three staff members. For the first time, Xiao Wanqing truly experienced the extravagant style of the ’wealthy’ Su Ran. Of course, she knew he had arranged all of this especially for her.
"Why did you order a French dinner instead of Chinese?"
"I heard you talking in your sleep last night. You said you wanted to eat French food. I hope this meal doesn’t disappoint."
A girl is most easily moved by such attentiveness. Her eyes reddened slightly as she looked at Su Ran sitting across from her. "Thank you, Su Ran." The more this happened, the more regret she felt in her heart. ’I’m sorry, Jinyu. I’ve fallen in love with him.’
’But he doesn’t belong to me. The dream is sweet, but eventually, you have to wake up... ’
That afternoon, Xiao Wanqing drank a lot. Perhaps the happier she felt, the more she felt a sense of regret. She was drunk. She rose unsteadily to her feet, walked over to Su Ran, and made an inviting gesture. "Su Ran, would you dance with me?"
"Of course." Su Ran stood up.
Yasuo spoke up, "Mr. Su, I can play the piano. May I have the honor of accompanying you two?"
Xiao Wanqing glanced back with a smile, a smile that held glistening tears. "Can you play ’Mariage d’Amour’?"
She said she wanted to dance, but as soon as she stood, she drunkenly fell into Su Ran’s arms, swaying gently to the sound of the piano.
"Why did you choose this song?"
"Because I want to dream."
She put on a smile. "Sigh, I drank too much. I can’t dance anymore. And my chest hurts when I lift my arm."
"Are you okay? I’ll carry you back to the room to rest."
"Mm."
Su Ran picked up Xiao Wanqing and carried her into the bedroom, step by step. Yasuo closed the piano lid and shut the door to the presidential suite.
He placed Xiao Wanqing on the bed and turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.
"What’s wrong?"
"Su Ran, if there’s a chance in the future, I’ll dance a full, proper dance for you."
"There will definitely be a chance."
"Mm."