It’s Easy to Fall for Su Ran

Su Ran had never seen this much money before. The moment he saw the transfer, it felt like burning hot, almost as if it were going to burn his hands. While he was really tempted to keep the money, it just didn’t feel right.

He called out to 555, “555, let’s return this money.”

555, a system that was all about the money, immediately teared up. “No, don’t! You know how hard it is for honest people like us to see money! I’ve already copied it into the piggy bank! We’re about to become the richest honest people ever!”

“But what if it ruins our image?” Su Ran said, feeling worried.

For someone like Su Ran, who came from a small town and had always worked diligently to earn money, saving up his wages in a reasonable way was the only way he knew. In his mind, getting money meant putting in the effort—so what would he need to give in exchange for all this money?

It would make sense if the money was for Jiang Yi’s project, but Lu Jin hadn’t said anything. Could it really be a reward for helping him collaborate with Jiang Yi?

Su Ran couldn’t understand the mindset of rich people. All he knew was that holding onto this money didn’t feel right.

555 quickly figured it out. Based on Su Ran’s “honest person” image, it was hard to accept money without a good reason.

“Hey, what do you think Lu Jin transferred the money for?” 555 asked.

Su Ran pondered for a moment. “I think, considering Lu Jin always acts like he’s the moral role model, he might just be trying to compensate me. He wants me to perform in front of Jiang Yi, so he’s being generous. After all, buying peace of mind probably isn’t a big deal for a rich guy like him.”

555 agreed. “Makes sense. I think it’s exactly like that!”

“Rich people are so evil. I want to challenge them.” Su Ran said with frustration. To a poor shut-in like him, this amount of money would last him a lifetime of surfing the internet without ever stepping outside.

555 made a crying face. “Me too! But let’s return it tomorrow. We can leave it in the piggy bank for a day to earn some interest—it’s not too bad!”

“Fine, we’ll do it that way,” Su Ran agreed.

The next morning, Su Ran got up at 5 AM. He was going to watch the sunrise on the mountain top with Ye Qiao and earn some model fees while he was at it.

After finishing his morning routine, Ye Qiao knocked on his door. Su Ran immediately grabbed his things and went out.

As soon as he opened the door, Ye Qiao’s sweet smile greeted him. “Good morning, Brother Ran Ran.”

“Good morning.” It was hard not to feel happy seeing that smile.

Just as Su Ran was heading for the elevator, Ye Qiao suddenly grabbed his arm. Su Ran looked at him in confusion. Ye Qiao winked and grinned mischievously. “I just heard Brother Jiang Yi talking to someone over there. Let’s go see what they’re talking about.”

Su Ran froze. Before he could think it through, Ye Qiao dragged him along. Jiang Yi’s room was around the corner, and since there was a hallway, if someone was over there, they wouldn’t be able to see them.

Suddenly, Su Ran’s mind went into overdrive. Could it be Jiang Yi and Zhou Luo? He wasn’t ready to face them yet…

At this hour, everyone was still sleeping. The corridor was quiet, and as they got closer, they could hear some voices. When they reached the corner, the conversation became clearer.

It was indeed Jiang Yi’s voice, along with Zhou Luo, but Zhou Luo seemed to be crying, his voice choked with emotion.

Su Ran’s heart began to race. Ye Qiao peeked out, motioning for Su Ran to look as well. Su Ran froze when he saw them. They were standing by the window at the end of the corridor, bathed in light.

Jiang Yi’s expression was cold, and he showed no sympathy for the crying Zhou Luo.

“I’m telling the truth. I saw Lu Jin kiss Su Ran yesterday,” Zhou Luo said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi didn’t react at all, but Ye Qiao looked at Su Ran with a slight change in expression. Su Ran was embarrassed; when did this happen? He had no idea. Zhou Luo really knew how to make up stories.

Su Ran shook his head at Ye Qiao, signaling that he was innocent.

Jiang Yi seemed a little impatient and coldly asked, “Do you think I’ll believe you? Didn’t I warn you not to mess with Su Ran?”

Seeing Jiang Yi’s attitude, Su Ran felt a chill in his heart. It reminded him of how Jiang Yi had treated him not long ago—cold and indifferent, as if he didn’t exist.

It seemed like their relationship was about to end. According to the plot, that was likely to happen soon because Jiang Yi would end up with Ye Qiao, and naturally, his relationship with Zhou Luo would end as well.

“Stop crying. Go back to A City now, and I’ll pretend you were never here,” Jiang Yi said, his tone softening a little. He certainly didn’t believe Zhou Luo, who had been acting restless lately.

And as for Lu Jin liking Su Ran? That was absurd. Lu Jin had so many people around him, and even if he looked past the fact that Su Ran came from a small town, Su Ran was already married. There was no way Lu Jin would be interested in him, even if his eyeballs fell to the floor and were crushed.

Hearing Jiang Yi’s words, Zhou Luo panicked. He grabbed Jiang Yi’s arm. “Jiang Yi, you can’t do this to me. You said there was no possibility with Su Ran, you…”

Before he could finish, they both heard a noise. Turning to look, they saw Ye Qiao and Su Ran.

Su Ran was so shocked by Zhou Luo’s words that he accidentally bumped into a trash can at the corner.

Since they had already been caught, Ye Qiao stepped out confidently, but his smile was a bit hard to contain. “Brother, we were just heading out to watch the sunrise. Didn’t expect to run into this…”

Ye Qiao’s words were clear enough—they had heard everything, and Su Ran’s disoriented expression clearly showed it too.

When Jiang Yi saw Su Ran, his expression almost cracked. His heart raced, and a sense of panic he had never felt before flooded over him. He fixed his gaze on Su Ran, not able to tear his eyes away.

But soon, Jiang Yi calmed down. He collected his thoughts and turned to Zhou Luo. “You should go back. Your flight is at noon. Rest up.”

This time, Zhou Luo didn’t say much. He glanced at Su Ran, still with unshed tears in his eyes, but a smug curve tugging at his lips. Since he had been overheard, his goal was achieved.

After Zhou Luo left, the hallway was silent. Su Ran walked toward Jiang Yi, his steps heavy, his eyes red as he looked up at him. He asked softly, “Is what Zhou Luo said true?”

Jiang Yi’s expression was back to normal, and actually, there was nothing of substance in the conversation he had with Zhou Luo. He stared at Su Ran, coldly asking, “What?”

“He said there’s no chance between us.” Su Ran said.

“Do you believe everything he says? He said Lu Jin liked you, and I didn’t believe that either.” Jiang Yi said, showing no guilt, “Can you think before you speak?”

Su Ran’s chest tightened, his eyes welling with tears. “But…”

“What? What do you want to say? Think it through before you speak. I don’t have the patience for your nonsense.” Jiang Yi snapped, his attitude growing aggressive.

The force of his words stunned Su Ran, and he began to doubt his own thoughts. “You and him… Are you two…”

Jiang Yi sneered, standing much taller than Su Ran. His eyes, behind his glasses, looked down at him coldly. “Su Ran, if there was something going on, I wouldn’t hide it from you.”

Hearing this, Su Ran froze. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved that Jiang Yi and Zhou Luo weren’t in that kind of relationship, or to be hurt by Jiang Yi’s words.

Tears started to fall uncontrollably, and Su Ran whispered, “I understand.”

Without another word, Su Ran turned and walked away. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions. As he walked, he vented to 555, “Damn, Jiang Yi… He really is something.”

555 replied, “Ugh, that kind of scumbag is terrifying. Boohoo.”

Ye Qiao watched Su Ran leave, his brow furrowing. He thought about going after him, but seeing Jiang Yi’s expression, he decided against it.

Jiang Yi took off his glasses and rubbed his nose tiredly, a lonely look in his eyes. “Ye Qiao, do you think Su Ran believes me?”

He knew that his words might have fooled Su Ran, but they certainly didn’t fool Ye Qiao. He could see right through him, especially since Ye Qiao had witnessed everything with his own eyes.

“I think… he believes you…” Ye Qiao replied, his face showing an unwilling sympathy.

Jiang Yi leaned against the window, his features sharp and handsome, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes as he murmured, “Actually, Su Ran and I never got a certificate, and we didn’t have a wedding. We just went along with it to satisfy our parents.”

Ye Qiao paused, surprised. The sunlight from outside hit Jiang Yi’s face, and Ye Qiao’s eyes lit up with realization. “You… had a fake marriage?”

Jiang Yi sighed. “I guess you could say that.”

He had never shared this with anyone before, but now, it seemed like he needed to get it off his chest.

“Oh…” Ye Qiao said, his lips curling into a subtle smile. The excitement he had been holding back was now clear in his eyes.

“Ye Qiao,” Jiang Yi looked at him, his expression a mixture of confusion and sorrow. “Do you think it’s okay for me and Su Ran to just go on like this? I think… I might actually like him.”

“Really? I’m not so sure.” Ye Qiao replied, calmly analyzing the situation. “When someone’s around for a long time, it’s easy to mistake it for love. You’re probably just used to him.”

Ye Qiao suppressed his excitement, his face showing empathy, but his eyes couldn’t hide the smile that lingered in them. “Brother, as an outsider, I can see it clearly. Think about it: what can Su Ran give you? Your career is on the rise, and he can’t help you with that. You never got married to him because you didn’t value him. Now, you haven’t registered yet, because it’s part of your plan, right? I understand.”

Jiang Yi furrowed his brow, a deep crease forming between his eyes. He knew this was what he had been thinking too, but something seemed to be changing, something he couldn’t control. But at the same time, he was also hoping to be persuaded. “Okay… I guess that’s true.”

As Ye Qiao turned to leave, he couldn’t hold back his smile anymore.

So that was it.

At the entrance to the villa, Ye Qiao noticed it was raining. He went to Su Ran’s room but found it empty, so he called him, but there was no answer.

Ye Qiao’s excitement faded, and he couldn’t help but worry about what had happened earlier.

He sent Su Ran a message asking him to reply when he saw it. Thankfully, the brief interruption had spared them from getting soaked outside, and now Ye Qiao knew about the “fake marriage.”

The scene wasn’t part of the plan, but he had been paying close attention to Jiang Yi. The moment he stepped out of the room, he had caught the conversation.

Ye Qiao waited downstairs, watching the rain outside, his heart racing with unease.

Half an hour later, he finally received a message from Su Ran. Su Ran had been too distracted to notice his phone earlier but was now at the supermarket.

Ye Qiao grabbed an umbrella and headed out into the rain to meet him.

Su Ran wasn’t one to express his emotions easily, but he had learned to handle his feelings on his own over the years.

He had bought some ingredients, and when he came out of the supermarket, he didn’t expect it to be raining.

Ye Qiao found him standing under an awning, hesitating whether to step out or not, but when he did, the rain made him retreat back under the shelter.

Ye Qiao stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding as he watched Su Ran. Something inside him shifted. What he had felt before was just physical desire, but now, standing in the rain watching him, he was certain.

“Su Ran,” Ye Qiao called.

Su Ran looked up, eyes lighting up. “You came to pick me up!”

Ye Qiao smiled, leading him under the umbrella. “Yeah, I came to get you.”

“Good thing you’re here,” Su Ran said, his smile bright.

Ye Qiao tilted the umbrella, glancing at the bags of groceries Su Ran was carrying. “So, what are you buying?”

Su Ran said, “Just some stuff for lunch—make some soup, fish, and I bought some beef to make that tomato beef stew you like…”

Ye Qiao put his arm around Su Ran’s shoulders, breathing deeply. The damp air filled his chest, and he realized that falling for Su Ran was the easiest thing in the world. No one could resist loving him.

Later that night, everyone gathered in the yard, drinking, laughing, and chatting casually. Su Ran wanted to talk to Jiang Yi, but his cold attitude earlier made him second-guess himself. Though there were so many questions, he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

But when Su Ran walked over, Jiang Yi turned and walked away without even sparing him a glance.

Su Ran took a deep breath and grumbled to 555, “That bastard, pulling this again.”

555 didn’t understand the tricks, but agreed, “Yeah, he’s so bad.”

It was the same old routine: if they fought or Jiang Yi was mad, he’d freeze Su Ran out with cold treatment, making him feel invisible.

Su Ran stood there, helpless, before turning and heading inside.

Lu Jin had been talking to Yan Ze, but noticed Su Ran. Just as he was about to approach, Yan Ze pulled him back.

Su Ran reached his room and heard a sound effect in his mind—coins falling. 555 appeared cheerfully, “Interest’s been collected! You can send the money back now!”

Su Ran nodded and took out his phone. He had thought about it long enough to know he couldn’t keep the money.

Just as he finished the transfer, there was a knock at the door. Su Ran jumped, surprised—wasn’t it too soon for someone to come after him?

When he opened the door, though, it was Ye Qiao with a drawing board. He relaxed and let Ye Qiao in.

Ye Qiao had been missing all evening, but now, with his drawing board, it looked like he’d been adding color in his room.

Ye Qiao showed him the picture, and though Su Ran didn’t understand art, he could tell it was a beautiful representation of him.

“Brother Ran Ran, want me to draw another one?” Ye Qiao asked.

Su Ran smiled and agreed. After all, another picture meant more payment.

Ye Qiao fiddled with the curtains and set up a chair by the window, inviting Su Ran to sit.

The room was quiet except for the sound of the brush strokes, and the light outside gradually dimmed. The light that filtered in grew gray and murky.

As time passed, Su Ran kept glancing at Ye Qiao, wondering if it was too dark to continue painting. Should they turn on the lights?

But before he could decide, everything became a blur, and he found himself lying on the bed, dazed.

He had been talking about the light, but then Ye Qiao stood up, not to turn on the light, but to move closer.

Su Ran felt Ye Qiao’s warmth behind him. It was so hot that he just wanted to escape.

“Is it done yet?” Su Ran asked, his voice heavier, feeling as though Ye Qiao was memorizing every bone in his body.

Ye Qiao’s face was inches from his, and Su Ran could feel his breath. He asked, his voice a little shaky, “Ye Qiao, what are you doing?”

Ye Qiao looked at him with a glint in his eyes, whispering, “Can I…?”

Su Ran’s heart skipped a beat as the words sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly pushed Ye Qiao away, trembling. “No, Ye Qiao, you can’t do this. I won’t help you with that…”

But just as he said that, Ye Qiao’s hand changed position, and Su Ran’s voice caught in his throat.

He had been confused before, but now everything was more real than ever.

And then, just as things were spiraling out of control, a knock at the door startled them both. Su Ran’s heart almost leapt out of his chest.

He looked at Ye Qiao, who seemed unfazed. “Shh,” Ye Qiao whispered.