Three days later, Wen Pingping and the others finally returned, and Wen Ran finally met Luo Zhenting.
Luo Zhenting carried an aura of natural authority, but when he smiled, his expression softened. His first look at Wen Ran was gentle and inclusive. He even gave Wen Ran a red envelope, spoke warmly, and chatted with him for a few moments about painting.
Wen Ran, for his part, showed the respect and closeness of a junior toward an elder. When Luo Zhenting talked about painting and art, Wen Ran followed along naturally, responding proactively and chatting with him for a while. Throughout, he was poised and generous, without the slightest awkwardness—very pleasing to see.
Mm. Not bad.
Luo Zhenting was satisfied.
Ju Yaxin noticed it at a glance and smiled as she winked at Wen Ran: See? Everyone likes you.
Wen Ran smiled back and winked just as playfully.
At last, both families sat down properly to discuss the wedding.
But in truth, there wasn’t much to discuss.
As for the house and car, both sets of parents were willing to pay. It mainly depended on where Wen Ran and Luo Xiao wanted to live.
In the end, Luo Xiao felt Wen Ran’s current place was quite nice—he liked it a lot. When Wen Ran heard that, he said he was fine continuing to live there.
As for the wedding, both Wen Ran and Luo Xiao felt it was a hassle. They’d already gotten the marriage license anyway. Wen Ran just wanted to travel everywhere with Luo Xiao and count that as getting married.
When Wen Pingping heard this, she said, “That works too. You two go have fun. When the time comes, record a video and send it back. I’ll put it on a big screen, and we’ll hold a simple thank-you banquet below, invite some relatives and friends.”
Ju Yaxin was modern in her thinking as well and also felt weddings were troublesome—especially since their family knew so many people. Who to invite, who not to invite, how to arrange seating—it was a headache.
And if the media got wind of it, it would be trending again.
So Luo Zhenting said, “Then we’ll also host a thank-you dinner. We’ll just invite close relatives and friends for a simple meal.”
Just like that, the wedding matter was smoothly settled.
Next, Ju Yaxin was about to hand Wen Ran a check.
Just as she was passing it over, Ju Yaxin suddenly thought of something and said, “Wait—no, hold on,” pulling the check back.
She looked at Wen Ran and Luo Xiao, then at Wen Pingping and Luo Zhenting, blinking. “If we’re not having a wedding, then when are you changing how you address us? When do you start calling us Mom and Dad?”
After all, weddings usually include that formal moment of changing how you address the parents.
!
Only then did everyone realize it.
Who knew that Luo Xiao and Wen Ran would speak at the same time—one turning to Wen Pingping, the other to Ju Yaxin and Luo Zhenting. One called “Mom,” the other called “Dad, Mom,” and just like that, they breezed through the whole address-changing ceremony in an instant.
The three elders: “…………”
They had never seen anyone treat such an important wedding ritual so casually.
Wen Pingping took out a bank card from her bag, half amused and half exasperated. “Alright, alright, fine.”
She gestured to Luo Xiao as she spoke. “Take it. This is from Mom. You and Wen Ran use it together.”
“He spends money recklessly. You keep the card.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
Luo Xiao stood up, walked over, and accepted it with both hands.
Hearing Wen Ran call her “Mom,” Ju Yaxin was delighted. She handed the check back over. “Ranran, fill it in big, okay?”
“Don’t worry about not being able to cash it.”
“I’m only afraid you’ll write too small an amount.”
“Thank you, Mom and Dad.”
Wen Ran also reached out with both hands to take it, but then said something wrong: “We won’t spend it recklessly.”
“Oh my!”
“This child!”
Ju Yaxin immediately protested. “Money is meant to be spent! What do you mean ‘recklessly’ or not recklessly? If it’s spent, it’s spent—why is there even a ‘reckless’?”
“How much could you and Luo Xiao possibly spend?”
“You wouldn’t even spend a fraction of what I make in a year.”
“Don’t be frugal!”
“Spend it freely!”
Oh. Oh.
Wen Ran smiled. “Got it.”
After discussing the wedding, changing how they addressed each other, and receiving the money, Wen Ran and Luo Xiao originally planned to keep acting well-behaved in front of the elders for a bit longer. But Ju Yaxin had already linked arms with Wen Pingping and headed out, saying they were going to get a spa treatment. Luo Zhenting also went out with them, planning to visit Luo Feng’s company to talk about work.
The three of them waved at the couple. “Go have fun yourselves.”
“If you’re going far, remember to call.”
Then they left together.
Just like that, Wen Pingping’s luxury apartment was left with only Luo Xiao and Wen Ran.
In Luo Xiao’s hand was the bank card Wen Pingping had given him. On the back of the card was a sticky note with the PIN written on it.
In Wen Ran’s hand was a stamped blank check.
Oh. My. God.
Wen Ran pinched the check, lifted it high with both hands, and lunged into Luo Xiao’s arms. “This went way too smoothly!”
Luo Xiao laughed. He’d been fully prepared to obediently follow his parents’ wishes and hold a proper wedding—but in the end, there was nothing. Just Wen Ran, love, money, and freedom.
He hugged Wen Ran back. “Want to go travel?”
Wen Ran nodded like crazy. Yes, yes! Let’s go!
Go out! Have fun!
Let’s go wild!
Wen Ran kissed the check in his hand, then kissed Luo Xiao face-to-face. He sprang up from the couch, took Luo Xiao’s hand, and led him along. “Let’s go buy travel gear.”
As Luo Xiao followed him out, he reminded him, “Aren’t you going to fill in the check first?”
“Oh, right!”
So two minutes later, in the study, Wen Ran held a pen and lay sprawled over the desk, sticking his butt out as he pondered: How much should I write?
The highest digit on the check was in the billions. Mom Yaxin told him to write big—was he really supposed to write billions?
“How much?” Wen Ran asked Luo Xiao for advice.
Luo Xiao looked at him, reached out his hand, and gestured for the pen. “Want me to fill it in?”
Sure.
Wen Ran handed him the pen and pushed the check over.
Then Wen Ran watched as Luo Xiao set the pen down on the blank space under the billions digit and swiftly wrote a “9.”
Wen Ran: !!
Right after that, in every remaining digit after the billions—except for cents—Luo Xiao filled in all 9s.
That meant Luo Xiao had written a check for “999,999,999.”
One yuan short of one billion.
Wen Ran: !!!
Wen Ran stared in shock, eyes wide, looking at Luo Xiao. “You—!”
You really didn’t hold back at all?!
Luo Xiao, perfectly practiced, filled out the rest of the check, capped the pen, and looked relaxed. “Got it? All future checks should be filled out like this.”
Wen Ran: !!
He completely broke, laughing as he dove into Luo Xiao’s arms. “This is so unreal! This kind of life experience and plotline—it’s way too satisfying!”
Luo Xiao handed the check back to Wen Ran, smiling. “If you’re my wife, of course I’ll make sure it’s satisfying.”
!!
Wen Ran happily planted a big kiss on Luo Xiao, then immediately lowered his head to look at the check, pulled out his phone, and snapped a photo of it.
That very night, without much luggage or preparation at all, Wen Ran and Luo Xiao flew off on two first-class tickets.
What everyone saw was a photo Wen Ran posted on his social feed: he and Luo Xiao squeezed together, their faces filling the frame, each holding a boarding pass. Luo Xiao was smiling; Wen Ran looked lively and radiant.
Caption: Beautiful, free, romantic world—we’re coming! Off we go!!
Wen Pingping, Ju Yaxin, and Luo Zhenting all liked the post, as did their circle of friends led by Shang Ge.
Luo Feng, who had just added them as a contact, saw it too. He commented “Have a safe trip,” then sent Luo Xiao a message:
【I’ll give you a hundred million—just treat it as dating…】
Withdrawn
【I’m transferring you a hundred million as honeymoon travel funds】
In Wen Ran’s various group chats, everyone was buzzing:
【Ranran went traveling with daddy-ge?】
【Looks like it.】
【From his feed, they’ve already flown off.】
【Where to?】
【No idea.】
【So jealous—I suddenly want to get married on impulse too.】
【Forget it. Wen Ran met a rich, tall daddy-ge. We’d only meet short, stingy straight guys.】
…
【Hey, where’s Shang Ge? He’s usually the most active—why is he missing today?】
Shang Ge was busy accompanying Mu Mu drinking and nursing a broken heart.
Which Mu Mu?
The one who, after learning that Luo Feng was the eldest legitimate son of Asia’s richest man, declared he was going to give his butt cheeks a spa treatment.
Why was he heartbroken?
Because he sent the eldest son some “thirst trap” photos and got blocked.
In the bar, Shang Ge looked at the chat screen showing Mu Mu’s photos—legs out, belly out—and rubbed his brow in speechless frustration, lips pressed into a thin line, his eye roll hovering halfway—damn it, Mu Mu really didn’t want to take any detours in life.
Shang Ge had thought Mu Mu was joking before. Turns out he was serious.
Beside him, Mu Mu drank until he looked like a weeping pear blossom, cursing as he drank. “Men are trash. No taste at all.”
“Well, you can’t really say that,” Shang Ge said, handing the phone back. “Not everyone likes your type.”
“And it’s not like just because you want to spend the sixty billion in the eldest son’s bank account, you can—”
“Do you think I’m after his money?!”
Mu Mu said sadly. “He’s daddy-ge’s older brother!”
“Daddy-ge has such a huge chest, Wen Ran’s eating so well. I want to eat well too—what’s wrong with that?!”
“You’re not wrong, not wrong at all,” Shang Ge said soothingly. “The eldest son might not have a chest—maybe he’s got a small dick.”
?
Mu Mu suddenly stopped crying and looked at Shang Ge. “How do you know?”
“He wears suits, right? Those tailored pants are so tight. There’s no bulge in front at all—must be small.”
Shang Ge thought to himself: Sorry, eldest son. I’ll kowtow to you three times later.
And so, on the very night Wen Ran and Luo Xiao flew off, a rumor that Luo Feng had a small dick spread rapidly through Wen Ran’s circle of friends.
Everyone thought to themselves: Poor Sixty-Billion Bro.
So rich—yet disabled.
Sad.
White chrysanthemum.jpg
Shang Ge: ?
I don’t know.
I didn’t say anything.
I’m a good person.
I’m outta here~~
Three days later, Luo Zhenting flew off to handle work. Luo Feng flew back to his hometown to visit the ancestral hall. Ju Yaxin stayed behind to keep Wen Pingping company, the two of them playing around and having a great time together.
That day, during a video call, Wen Ran was climbing Mount Huang with Luo Xiao.
“Hi~ sons~”
Ju Yaxin and Wen Pingping waved enthusiastically at Wen Ran and Luo Xiao through the screen.
Wen Ran waved back, a professional trekking pole still in his hand. Luo Xiao was right beside him, the two walking together.
“We’re already halfway up!”
Wen Ran chatted with Ju Yaxin and Wen Pingping. “After we finish Mount Huang, we’ll stay nearby for a couple of days, then head to Jiuzhaigou.”
…
After hanging up, Wen Ran and Luo Xiao continued climbing.
Picking up the earlier topic, Luo Xiao said, “K3 is Mount Everest. K2 is a bit shorter—it’s K2, Mount Godwin-Austen.”
“Even though K3 is higher, K2 is actually more difficult to summit.”
Wen Ran asked curiously, “Have you climbed K2?”
“I have, but I didn’t reach the summit.”
Luo Xiao explained, “I’m afraid of dying. The weather was bad that day, and after thinking it over, I decided not to continue.”
Wen Ran said, “I won’t even think about seven- or eight-thousand-meter snow mountains. I’ll start by climbing Mount Huang.”
He paused to catch his breath, then glanced toward a nearby stall. “Let’s get another grilled sausage.”
Three minutes later, Luo Xiao held Wen Ran’s hand as they climbed, each of them eating a sausage.
A girl resting by the steps kept watching them. When they reached her, she asked, “Hey, handsome guys—are you brothers or a couple?”
Huh?
Wen Ran looked at her.
“My wife,” Luo Xiao said openly.
“I knew it,” the girl laughed to herself. “Brothers wouldn’t be holding hands while hiking.”
Nearby, two guys who were climbing quietly let go of each other’s hands.
Wen Ran happened to see it and laughed uncontrollably.
Twenty minutes later, Wen Ran and Luo Xiao were climbing while munching on cucumbers.
The trail was long. They weren’t in a rush—plenty of time to take it slow.
At one point, Luo Xiao took out his phone, raised it, and snapped a photo of the two of them climbing together.
He picked one and posted it to his feed with the caption: A different journey—this time, there are two of us.
Not long after, Wen Ran commented: Happy wedding, Mr. Luo (^o^)/
Shang Ge, Lu Wenwen, and the rest all chimed in neatly: Wishing Ranran and daddy-ge happiness forever~~
At the ancestral hall back home, Luo Feng—who had just finished kowtowing to the ancestral tablets—was struck by a bolt from the blue.
He saw a message Joe Yun Jing had sent not long ago.
Joe Yun Jing wrote:
【President Luo, I’ve just submitted my resignation】
【Thank you for your care over the years】
【After personal consideration and career planning, I’ve decided to leave Shuzhou】
【I’m writing to say goodbye】
【Thank you again for all your support and guidance】
【Wishing you all the best】
【Hands together.jpg】
Luo Feng: “???????”
He stared up in disbelief at the rows of ancestral tablets behind the altar.
So this is how you bless me?!
Five hundred million!
I spent five hundred million renovating this ancestral hall!
I had such a huge run-up!
I had momentum!!!