After Su Yang took over the driving, things moved much faster.
Although the traffic was heavy, it wasn't at a standstill—just slow crawling.
This kind of stop-and-go traffic was tricky and really tested a driver's skill. Hong Ran had been jerky and hesitant earlier; several times she wanted to change lanes but didn't dare when she saw cars coming up in the rearview mirror.
Honestly, it came down to her lack of skill and poor judgment of distance.
In this kind of traffic, changing lanes required decisiveness—of course, only when there was enough space.
But Su Yang handled it easily. He waited for the right moment, turned the wheel, and swiftly moved into the leftmost lane.
Then he stepped on the gas to speed past the slow car ahead, and immediately cut back into the middle lane.
Whenever there was a safe gap, he overtook. After a few quick maneuvers, they finally made it to the intersection.
"You really have a knack for this," Hong Ran said with a laugh. "If I were driving, it'd probably take another ten minutes."
"It's all about practice. Drive more and you'll get better, but you've got to stay safe. If you're not sure, it's better to just follow the traffic."
The light turned green, and Su Yang hit the gas, shooting ahead first. But with the heavy traffic ahead, he had to brake almost immediately.
After following the navigation through more than twenty minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic, the three of them finally made it to Zhongshan East First Road on the Bund.
The restaurant Qin Su had booked was nearby. At this hour, the streets were packed with people and buzzing with energy.
Su Yang pulled into the private parking lot next to the restaurant, and the three got out of the car.
It was a Western restaurant, very popular in Shanghai—and very expensive, around four thousand yuan per person.
It was six in the evening, peak dining time, but the place wasn't too crowded. First, because of the high prices, and second, because the restaurant limited the number of diners each day.
Qin Su had managed to book a table here partly because of her connections. As the heiress of a wealthy Shanghai family, reserving a spot was easy for her.
The three walked in, and a waiter immediately came over.
After Qin Su exchanged a few words, the waiter smiled and led them to a table by the window.
Soft background music was playing in the restaurant. The atmosphere was lovely—sitting by the window, enjoying fine food with a view of the nearby Huangpu River, it was incredibly pleasant.
They took their seats: Qin Su and Hong Ran sat together, with Su Yang across from them.
The waiter placed three menus on the table. "Here are the menus for you."
"Thanks," Qin Su replied, then looked at Su Yang. "What do you want to eat?"
"I'll eat pretty much anything. You two order."
"Alright, Sister Hong and I will handle it."
The two of them flipped through the menus for a few minutes and, with the waiter's recommendations, ordered some signature dishes and drinks. The waiter took the menus back, gave a slight nod, and walked away.
As they waited, Su Yang propped his chin on his hand and gazed out the window, thoughts of Pan Ning and Zhuang Mengli suddenly popping into his head.
Hong Ran noticed him staring off into space and laughed. "What are you thinking about? Why so quiet?"
"Nothing much. I always get sleepy around mealtime, and this background music isn't helping."
"Most people get sleepy after eating, not before. Are you special?"
"Maybe I'm just built different."
"Now that Susu's matter is settled, are you heading back to Haicheng?"
Su Yang picked up his water glass and took a sip. "No rush. I'll be staying in Shanghai for the next few days. I'm planning to check out some apartments the day after tomorrow."
"Looking at apartments?" Hong Ran blinked in surprise.
Qin Su chimed in, "Yeah, he told me he wants to buy a place in Shanghai."
"So, do you plan to live here permanently?" Hong Ran asked.
Su Yang shook his head. "Not exactly. But I'll probably be coming here often from now on, so I figured buying a place would be convenient—somewhere to crash when I'm in town."
Hong Ran narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Are you that rich?"
"Not really," Su Yang replied with a grin.
"Not really? This is Shanghai, you know. Who just casually buys a house here like that?"
"And since you're not planning to stay long-term, renting a place or even staying in hotels would be cheaper. But you choose to buy?"
Qin Su laughed, covering her mouth. "Not only that—he wants to buy a top-tier luxury apartment by the river in Lujiazui."
"Ah?!" Hong Ran turned to look at both of them in shock.
Su Yang took another sip of water. Hong Ran pressed on. "Su Su, what exactly do you do for a living? Are you some kind of rich second generation like Susu?"
"I'm not a rich second generation," Qin Su said quickly.
"If you're not, then am I?" Hong Ran pointed at herself.
"Come on, I just don't like that label."
"Fine, fine. What about you?" Hong Ran turned to Su Yang.
Su Yang smiled. "I'm not one either."
"Then where does your money come from?"
"Hey, Ranran, you're not a rich second generation either, but you're pretty well off, right?"
"I'm older than you—I started working earlier, so I've saved up some."
"I'm only two years younger than you, same situation."
"Then what do you do for a living?" Hong Ran asked curiously.
Su Yang looked at both of them. "I'm actually like you—I started my own business. I own a media company, a Western restaurant, a coffee shop, and a racetrack."
"You own a racetrack?!" Hong Ran was astonished again.
"Mm-hmm. It's not a big one—I took it over with a few friends."
"Damn, you're amazing! You've got your hands in so many different industries." Hong Ran gave him a thumbs-up.
"Honestly, a lot of it was just seizing opportunities."
"You're twenty-five, right?"
Su Yang nodded. "Pretty much. I'll be twenty-five next month."
"See? You're not even twenty-five yet, and you already own all these businesses. You're handsome, talented, and accomplished at a young age—that describes you perfectly."
Qin Su raised her hand. "Exactly. I've said the same thing before."
"Alright, stop, stop," Su Yang said, waving his hands helplessly. "You're making me blush."
"Haha, isn't it worth bragging about when you're this impressive?"
"Let's change the subject," Su Yang said with a laugh.
"Fine, fine. So, you want to buy a penthouse, right?"
"Yeah, Susu recommended a few places to me. I'll go check them out."
"When are you planning to go?"
"I have some other things to do tomorrow and the day after. I'll go after that."
"Alright, if you need anything, just ask Susu. She knows this area well," Hong Ran said.
"Sure. I'll ask Susu to take me around."
Qin Su looked at Su Yang and smiled. "No trouble at all. You can come to me for anything."
When she said that, Hong Ran immediately let out a cough. "Ahem."
"What's wrong?" Qin Su turned to her.
"Your phrasing could easily be misinterpreted."
"Misinterpreted?" Qin Su silently replayed her own words in her head. "You can come to me for anything..."
After reflecting, she blushed and stomped her feet shyly. "Oh, Sister Hong, you're reading too much into it again!"
Hong Ran froze, her mouth wide open in disbelief: "Hey? Who was driving? It wasn't me who said it, why are you blaming me?"
"Is that what I meant?"
"Who knows what you meant~"
Su Yang watched the two bickering and couldn't help but laugh as well.
[Ding, detected that the host is in a relaxed mood, enjoying the current conversation atmosphere. Rewarding 3 million.]
The dishes were soon all served. Considering they would be driving later and also drinking in the evening, none of them ordered alcohol, only some specialty beverages.
The three of them ate and chatted. Hong Ran forked a piece of steak and put it in her mouth: "Su Su, after you buy the house, what are you planning to do?"
Su Yang thought for a moment and said, "I'm planning to go to Europe."
"To Europe?" the other two asked in unison.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with going to Europe?"
"No, nothing. It's just that your itinerary is quite sudden. I thought you would be heading back to Haicheng after buying the house."
"Can't help it. A friend is over there. I need to go catch up."
"Alright. Anyway, no matter what, we're already friends. Stay in touch," Hong Ran smiled.
"Absolutely."
As the three chatted, a delicious and hearty meal soon came to an end. While Su Yang was in the restroom, he paid the bill in advance. Then he returned to the table and said, "Let's go, everyone."
"Okay, I'll go settle the bill." Qin Su picked up her bag and headed to the front counter.
Su Yang called out, "No need, I've already paid."
"What? You... how did you sneakily pay? I said it was my treat!" Qin Su shot Su Yang a reproachful look.
Su Yang explained, "How could I let two beautiful ladies pay when dining with me? Don't overthink it. Let's go."
"Oh, you really are something! You fought to pay for the noodles yesterday, and now today's dinner too. You're making me too embarrassed to ask you out to eat again."
Hong Ran chimed in with a smile, "Then next time you treat him to a meal, just pay in advance."
"Exactly. There will be plenty of chances."
"Alright then. For the KTV later, I'll settle the bill in advance."
"Okay, I won't fight you on that one."
"Then let's go. I'll book it in the car."
"Sure."
The three walked out of the restaurant. Su Yang took out a cigarette and lit it, while the two girls got into the car first and started researching which KTV to go to.
Qin Su scrolled through the app and said, "Sister Hong, you know the KTV scene here. Recommend a good one."

for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?

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…

g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!

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.”