"Oh my! Xiao Su, you really didn’t have to bring such expensive gifts! You’re making me feel embarrassed."
Su Yang smiled faintly. "Uncle Song, it’s only right. You know how close Anquan and I are. I caused you plenty of trouble when I was a kid, always coming over to your place."
"Come on, don’t say that—but this case of Moutai isn’t cheap, and these cigarettes… they’re really too much."
Su Yang clasped Song Haihua’s slightly rough hands and chuckled. "Ah, it’s nothing, Uncle Song. Just a small token."
"Yeah, Dad, just accept it. My bro Yang is a big shot now—this stuff is nothing to him."
Song Anquan pointed out the window. "See that Rolls-Royce parked outside? That’s my man’s ride." He said it with the same pride as if the car were his own.
"What? A Rolls-Royce?" Hearing this, a man in his thirties sitting on the sofa stood up and looked outside.
However, since Su Yang’s car was parked at the far end, partially blocked by other vehicles, it wasn’t visible from inside.
Song Anquan grinned. "Think I’m lying? Go out and see for yourself."
Su Yang shot him a glance, signaling him to tone it down.
"No, no, no need." The man glanced at Su Yang, nodded with a smile, and sat back down. There was no point lying about something like this—the car was right outside, ready to be seen anytime.
Inside, Song Haihua’s mind was reeling. He knew exactly what a Rolls-Royce meant.
Trying to stay composed, he turned to Song Anquan and called out, "Anquan, hurry up, make some tea for Xiao Su."
"On it!"
Just then, a middle-aged woman in a red apron walked in from the backyard, smiling warmly. "No need for tea—dinner’s almost ready!"
"Auntie Zhang!" Su Yang stood up and greeted her.
The woman, Auntie Zhang, was Song Anquan’s mother, Zhang Lanfang.
"Oh my, is that… Su Yang?"
"That’s me." Su Yang nodded with a smile.
"Goodness, I almost didn’t recognize you! It’s been, what, seven or eight years? Look at you now—so tall and handsome!"
Zhang Lanfang beamed as she looked Su Yang up and down.
Song Haihua chuckled helplessly. "Don’t scare the poor boy. Alright, everyone, let’s head next door for dinner!"
"Alright!"
The others in the room also stood up.
Only then did Song Haihua realize he hadn’t introduced everyone to Su Yang.
He smacked his forehead and laughed. "Ah, my memory! Xiao Su, let me introduce you."
He gestured to the man in his thirties. "This is Anquan’s cousin, Song Da. I think this is your first time meeting?"
Su Yang nodded. "Yeah, first time. Nice to meet you, Brother Song."
"Ah, likewise! I’m Song Da." Song Da rubbed his slightly sweaty palms before stepping forward to shake Su Yang’s hand.
Song Haihua continued, satisfied. "And this is Anquan’s cousin, Chen Qi."
Su Yang’s gaze shifted to the girl beside Song Da. Truthfully, he had noticed her the moment he walked in.
She was the youngest and prettiest in the room—impossible to miss. It was just one of those things guys naturally noticed, an instinctive radar for beauty.
Su Yang gave a polite nod. "Chen Qi, nice to meet you."
"Hello, Brother Su." Chen Qi replied softly, a hint of shyness in her voice.
She looked about twenty, delicate and sweet-faced, with refined features and flawless skin, giving off a gentle, fragile aura.
Su Yang had been pleasantly surprised earlier—he hadn’t expected to run into such a beauty here.
Seizing the moment, he silently called out to his system in his mind.
—System, scan.
[Chen Qi, Age: 19]
[Height: 162cm]
[Weight: 48kg]
[Appearance: 83]
[Figure: 80]
[Relationships: 2, Single]
[Experience: 0]
[Traits: Introverted, Shy]
—Damn! Just two points short!
—What a shame!
Keeping his expression neutral, Su Yang shook Chen Qi’s hand before greeting the two middle-aged men—one was Song Anquan’s uncle, Zhao Pengcheng, and the other was Chen Qi’s father, Chen Zhaoguo.
Soon, the group of nine moved from the main living room to the adjacent dining area.
This room was smaller, with a large wooden round table at the center and about a dozen plastic chairs around it.
Two more middle-aged women from the backyard were helping bring dishes to the table.
Song Haihua turned to Su Yang. "Xiao Su, take a seat! Make yourself at home!"
Su Yang smiled. "No rush, Uncle Song. Let me help with the dishes."
He turned to leave, but Song Haihua quickly grabbed his arm. "Oh, come on! We can’t have you doing that—there are plenty of hands already. Just sit and relax!"
"Yeah, Xiao Su, just sit back and enjoy the meal," Zhao Pengcheng chimed in with a laugh.
Su Yang relented with a chuckle. "Alright, alright. Then you all sit too."
"Good, good. Oh, Xiao Su, you drink, right?"
"I do."
"Perfect! Then I’ll go grab my best liquor—today’s a special occasion!"
Hearing this, Zhao Pengcheng laughed. "I knew you were hiding the good stuff! Hah! Only when Anquan’s about to get married do you finally bring it out."
His words were a playful jab—everyone knew Song Haihua wasn’t opening it just for the wedding. Even then, he’d probably have waited for the actual ceremony.
The fact that he was bringing it out now? That was purely out of respect for Su Yang.
Song Haihua grinned without explaining and headed to the next room.
Moments later, he returned with two bottles of aged Liuliang liquor, dust-covered as if they’d been stored for years.
By then, Song Anquan, Song Da, Chen Qi, and the others had finished setting the table, and everyone gathered inside.
The room buzzed with lively chatter.
The table was laden with over a dozen dishes—steamed fish, braised pork, twice-cooked pork, minced pork with corn, shredded pork with green peppers, and more—all home-cooked classics, fragrant and appetizing.
Once everyone was present, Song Haihua announced, "Alright, everyone, take your seats! Let’s eat!"
"Cheers!"
They all settled in.
As they did, Song Haihua turned to Su Yang. "Xiao Su, it’s just simple home cooking—hope you don’t mind. Anquan didn’t give us much notice, or we’d have prepared something fancier."
Su Yang waved it off. "You’re too kind, Uncle Song. These dishes are perfect—all my favorites."
"Haha, glad to hear it! Here, let’s pour." He stood and filled Su Yang’s glass.
Song Anquan, seated to Su Yang’s right, grinned. "Bro, this is my dad’s prized liquor—aged for years. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even get a taste."
......
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
