Chapter 30: Vivian, Don’t Look Back—It’s Me, Shuyao (A Long Chapter; Please Keep Reading)

Morning sunlight streamed into the room. On the large bed, Jane Vivienne sprawled out in a starfish pose, fast asleep. In her own home, there was no pretense of goddess-like elegance—here, she was every bit the tomboy. Beside her, Shirley Jiang lay face-down on her pillow, bottom in the air, deeply asleep.

Cool air from the air conditioner drifted through the room, ruffling the girls’ nightdresses and momentarily revealing the tender beauty beneath.

Jane Vivienne’s biological alarm clock roused her. With her hair a tangled mess, she groggily rolled over Shirley, climbed out of bed, and her bare foot landed on something hard.

Suddenly, a large hand gripped her ankle and pulled her down.

“Ah—!”

Every cell in Jane Vivienne’s body tensed in fright, and as she was about to scream, the person behind her clamped a hand over her mouth. She instinctively tried to turn around, but a deep voice whispered in her ear, “Bestie, don’t look back. It’s me, Shirley.”

The voice was all too familiar. Jane Vivienne immediately understood, broke free, tidied her nightdress, and whispered in surprise, “Why are you sleeping here?”

“Last night, you got drunk. I was worried Shirley couldn’t take care of you alone, so I stayed over. I tried to sleep in the living room, but without the air conditioner it was too hot. I begged Shirley for ages before she let me in.”

“Oh, I see. I wondered where a man suddenly appeared from. You gave me quite a scare. By the way, what was that hard thing I stepped on just now—a wine bottle?”

“It was my...”

“…”

Jane Vivienne’s face flushed red. She darted out of the room to wash up.

Lin Ran sat up and looked over at Shirley, who was still sleeping with her bottom in the air. He stretched lazily—sharing a room with two girls left him feeling full of energy.

He left the room and headed to the bathroom. Outside was the communal sink, inside the door was the toilet. Jane Vivienne was showering inside. The bathroom door was frosted glass—opaque, but her graceful silhouette could still be vaguely seen.

“Babe, I suddenly need to use the bathroom. Can you open the door?”

In the shower, Jane Vivienne turned toward the silhouette outside and replied, “Boyfriend, just watch from outside.”

Naturally, she knew Lin Ran wanted to come in and brush his teeth while sneaking a peek.

Lin Ran chuckled, “Once I finish washing up, I’ll go buy breakfast for you two.”

“Thank you~ Love you~”

...

At the neighborhood bun shop.

Lin Ran said, “Boss, three bowls of porridge, one basket of pork buns, one basket of mushroom buns, to go.”

Inside, Lin Jiancheng heard the familiar voice and turned to see Lin Ran. “Son!”

“Hey, Dad.”

Lin Ran strolled in, smiling, and sat down. “Where’s Mom?”

Lin Jiancheng ate his breakfast. “School’s starting soon. There’s a new principal—called a meeting as soon as he arrived. Your mom went to school early.”

Lin Ran’s good grades had gotten him into Zhejiang University, thanks in part to his mother, a high school teacher.

“You slept at your girlfriend’s place last night?”

“Mm.”

“It’s good to have a girlfriend, but don’t neglect your career. Love won’t put food on the table. Find a job, build a career, make money—that’s how you boost the happiness of your relationship. What I’m saying is the truth... I’ll ask around at the company to see if any colleagues work with good game companies and help you get a job there.”

Lin’s father knew his son’s Zhejiang University diploma meant work wouldn’t be a problem—at least, if Lin Ran was willing to settle for just any game company. But being a prestigious graduate, he deserved something better.

The reason Lin Ran returned to Shu City after graduation was because it was home to numerous game companies—thanks to its robust industry, government support, abundant talent, and favorable development environment. But it was also fiercely competitive; graduates from top universities and overseas returnees all vied for the best positions.

Let them compete. Me? I’m done. I retired the moment I graduated.

“Dad, thanks for your effort, but you don’t need to look. I have my own connections now.”

“What connections?” His father eyed him. “I was about to mention—you’ve been dressing better lately. That’s a Versace belt, and a Rolex watch. Fakes? What are you up to? Son, don’t go down the wrong path!”

His father’s anxious expression was strikingly like someone afraid his son had become a male escort. After all, with Lin Ran’s looks and stature, he’d be a star in that line of work.

“Dad, what are you thinking? There’s no way I’d do something like that. I really was job hunting for a while and had no money—my dividends hadn’t come in yet.”

“What dividends?”

“In college, some dorm mates and I took on a project to develop a poker game. It was simple, took us a month, and we made a bit of spending money. Later, that client introduced us to another, who wanted a web game. We spent half a year on it. But their boss got divorced, most of the money went to his ex-wife, and he couldn’t pay us. The company was an empty shell, so he gave us shares in the game instead. Since we’d already built it, we accepted. Last year, the game didn’t make money, but this year it started turning a profit. In just a few months, we’ve made a decent sum. I’ve been busy with that recently.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Why would I lie to you? Look, here’s my recent dividend.”

Lin Ran showed his father the 500,000 yuan balance in his bank account.

“That much?”

“Now you believe me?”

His father clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew you were capable. Good job, son.”

Altogether, Lin Ran had over six million yuan in various accounts. But he knew better than to put all his eggs in one basket—he’d read the stories about losing it all.

Lin Ran had studied game design. Though his explanation had some holes, his father was an outsider and didn’t notice. It was convincing enough.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m on the right path. I’m not looking for a job now—I want to take this chance to build my own company, be my own boss. That’ll make you and Mom even prouder, right?”

Lin Ran knew that in today’s world, a child’s achievements often determined how confidently their parents could socialize. If you had no love life or career, you could only sit on the sidelines and smile awkwardly when relatives asked.

“As long as you’re doing well, that’s all we want. I don’t know much about games, but I trust your judgment. If you need money, just ask your old man.”

His parents had managed to save quite a bit over the years. Lin Ran was touched—they always put his interests first.

For now, he’d explained the money to his parents without giving away too much. Slow and steady, in time it would all be normalized as his own hard-earned fortune.

His father wiped his mouth. “I’m done eating. Boss, the bill please—just add my son’s takeaway to it. Wait, aren’t you eating with your girlfriend? Why three bowls of porridge?”

“Two daughters-in-law.”

With that, Lin Ran grabbed his buns and dashed out.

“If you use your money to fool around, I’ll beat you to death, you rascal!” his father called out in Chengdu dialect, half laughing, half scolding.

Walking toward the subway, he sent a voice message to Lin Ran’s mother: “Huiru, your son’s amazing—made a fortune! Hahaha~”

...

Lin Ran returned to the rental apartment.

Sunlight filled the living room. Jane Vivienne and Shirley were doing yoga on their mats.

Jane wore gray, tight-fitting leggings and a pink tank top, accentuating her curves. She was lying sideways on the mat, supporting her waist with one hand, legs straight, lifting and lowering them in a leg workout. She was a goddess not just because of her natural gifts, but because of her dedication to self-care and exercise—only that could preserve her looks and figure.

Just one glance at Jane Vivienne’s body was enough to stir Lin Ran’s imagination—she truly had an enchanting, alluring physique.

Beside her, Shirley wore a cropped tank top and a pleated athletic skirt, revealing a wasp waist. Her figure was different from Jane’s captivating curves—Shirley was fair and delicate, soft and cuddly, with just the right amount of flesh in all the right places. Hugging her would be a dream—she was the epitome of innocent charm.

However, Lin Ran couldn’t quite figure out why Shirley was down on all fours on the mat, bottom in the air, in that pose.

He set down the breakfast, squatted beside her, and asked, “Shirley, you look like a little puppy. What are you practicing?”

Pfft—hahaha!

Jane burst out laughing, collapsing weakly onto the mat.

Shirley gritted her teeth, maintaining her pose. “What do you mean, puppy? You’re the puppy. If you don’t understand, don’t talk nonsense. I’m working on my peach-shaped glutes.”

“Oh~”

Lin Ran glanced over. It really did look like a ripe, juicy peach.

Jane grabbed Lin Ran’s face and turned it toward her. “No looking.”

Lin Ran grinned. “There’s nothing to see with Shirley—you're the prettiest. Come on, let’s have breakfast.”

Jane called, “Shirley, breakfast!”

Shirley replied, “I’ve got one more set. You guys eat.”

Jane got up, tied her hair into a ponytail, and sat at the table. She picked up a bun for Lin Ran. “Thanks for taking care of me last night, but... I feel like we kissed last night? I have a vague memory, but can’t recall clearly.”

Lin Ran chuckled, “We kissed right here.”

Jane protested, “No way!”

Shirley, sweaty from her workout, came over, sat down, and tossed her phone onto the table. Jane leaned over to look.

In the video, the dimly lit living room showed herself and Lin Ran locked in a passionate embrace, kissing.

What!

Jane was mortified, burying her face in her food.

Lin Ran laughed beside her. Jane pinched him, blushing. “No laughing.”

Shirley scoffed, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? If I’d been a little later last night, this guy would’ve had his way with you. Haha!”

Lin Ran, feigning annoyance, picked up a bun and handed it to Shirley. “Thanks a lot!”

“Hmph!” Shirley crowed triumphantly.

At that moment, Lin Ran’s phone rang. He answered, “Hello, JD Mall? The air conditioner I ordered has arrived? I’m home, come up and install it.”

He hung up. Jane was curious. “You bought an air conditioner?”

Lin Ran stroked her hair. “It’s getting hot. The landlord wouldn’t install one, and I couldn’t bear to see my girlfriend suffer.”

Jane protested, “No, return it. This is a rental—what’s the point?”

Shirley agreed. “Yeah, even if you have money, you don’t have to do that. If we’re hot, we’ll just go to the bedroom.”

Lin Ran insisted, “It’s already bought, no point returning it. When you move out, I’ll have someone uninstall it and take it home. Besides, do you really want me to keep sharing a room with you two every time I visit, just because there’s no air conditioner in the living room?”

“Install it—right there!” Shirley pointed emphatically at the wall.

She really didn’t want to share a room with her bestie’s boyfriend again. Last night, she’d sung half the night just to get Lin Ran to sleep.

She was terrified she’d roll off the bed and land in his arms by mistake.

If that happened—spending the night in her best friend’s boyfriend’s arms—how could she ever face Jane again?

Soon, there was a knock at the door.

The two girls hurried into the bedroom to change.

Lin Ran let the installers in and supervised the installation.

A short while later, the girls emerged, dressed up and perfectly made up.

Jane was heading to work, dressed conservatively—Lin Ran gave her a thumbs up.

Shirley wasn’t working today, but with her bestie’s boyfriend around, she was also dressed modestly—Lin Ran gave her a thumbs down.

Ten minutes later, the new air conditioner was installed. Lin Ran paid the workers 200 yuan and saw them off. He switched it on, and soon a cool breeze filled the living room. Jane and Shirley stood under the flow, savoring the comfort.

Now they could finally hang out in the living room.

“Yay! Our home finally has air conditioning! Mua, mua, mua—Jane, you found yourself a great boyfriend! Love you, love you!” Shirley showered Jane with kisses.

Jane laughed. “Alright, alright, that’s enough excitement. I have to go to work. Enjoy the cool air.”

She picked up her LV bag, grabbed Lin Ran’s arm. “Ran, you need to go home and change, right?”

Lin Ran smiled—his girlfriend clearly didn’t want to leave him alone with her best friend.

“I’m all sweaty, need to shower and change. I have things to do later. Shirley, we’re off.”

“Bye!” Shirley stretched lazily on the sofa, raising her long legs and waving her foot in farewell.

...

Lin Ran walked Jane to the subway entrance, chatting and laughing along the way.

“Mua~ I’m off to work,” Jane said, giving him a quick kiss.

“By the way, is anyone at your company giving you trouble? If anyone bullies you, just tell me and I’ll back you up.”

“How could anyone bully me? You worry too much. I’m off.”

Confident, Jane strode away.

This woman was strong as a lioness. With Lin Ran, she was a gentle bunny; with others, she was a tigress—no one dared mess with her. She never let anyone take advantage, and if she had a grudge, she settled it right away.

Lin Ran wasn’t worried. Just yesterday, she’d put two high schoolers in their place, and even Mrs. Wang, famous for her sharp tongue, was left speechless after meeting Jane. Who would dare cross her?

Back home, Lin Ran showered. With over six million yuan in his account, he decided it was time to treat himself to something big.

Now that he’d explained things to his parents, he no longer had to scrimp and hide his spending.

There was no point in hoarding—spending the money was half the fun.