The next day, Su Qingya was still sound asleep and dreaming when she was woken by Su Chen's knocking.
"Bro~ Let me sleep a little longer! It's still early, let's leave later!" Su Qingya hugged her blanket, refusing to get out of bed.
"Any later? Any later and it'll be dark out. Whose fault is that for staying out so late last night?"
Maybe it was because this was Su Qingya's first real vacation. She had been normal at first, but the longer she was out, the more carried away she got, wanting to see and do everything.
She kept going until three in the morning before reluctantly following Su Chen back to the hotel.
As a result, she had slept straight through until eleven.
"Hehe~ Bro, why don't we rest for another day! Please~" Su Qingya whined, tugging on Su Chen's arm.
"Sigh. And here I was thinking that after we got to Shanghai today, I'd take *someone* to see the Bund and go shopping at the National Gold Center. But since *someone* wants to stay and play in Jiangcheng, I guess we'll have to forget about it," Su Chen said with mock regret.
The moment Su Qingya heard they were going to the Bund and shopping at the National Gold Center, she instantly leaped out of bed.
She'd been looking forward to the Bund for ages. As for the National Gold Center, while Su Qingya didn't know what kind of high-end mall it was, she knew it was a place for shopping. And for her, as long as she could "buy, buy, buy," nothing could be better.
"Bro~ I'm getting up right now! Wait for me in the car, I'll be down in ten minutes, tops!!"
All traces of her previous sleepiness were gone. Su Qingya was now bursting with energy!
Su Chen just smiled and shook his head as he turned and left the room.
'So it's true... Shopping really is a woman's greatest love.'
A motivated girl is a fast girl. Su Chen waited less than five minutes before he saw Su Qingya walk out of the hotel.
"Whoa, how were you so fast today? Usually, it takes you at least half an hour to get ready!" Su Chen teased as soon as she got in the car.
Hearing this, Su Qingya pouted and wrinkled her nose. "Hmph~ Big Bro, all you know how to do is bully me."
"Bully you? I wouldn't dare! I should be thanking the heavens that you're not tormenting *me*!" Su Chen said, pressing his palms together and making a few mock-praying gestures.
"Aaargh! You meanie, Big Bro!"
Two soft fists landed on Su Chen's arm.
"Alright, alright~ We'll just grab a quick bite for lunch. Once we get to Shanghai, I'll treat you to a feast for dinner!"
"Yay! Awesome! Big Bro is the best! I want a big seafood dinner tonight!" Su Qingya got incredibly excited at the mention of a feast.
This was Shanghai, after all, not some eighteenth-tier city like Fuzhou. A feast in Shanghai was bound to be expensive and delicious!
Su Qingya still couldn't quite figure Su Chen out. She was curious how her brother had gotten so rich, but she knew he would tell her when he was ready.
...
The drive from Jiangcheng to Shanghai was about 800 kilometers, and it took Su Chen a full ten hours to arrive.
This road trip home taught Su Chen one thing: he was a complete idiot for choosing to drive instead of just taking a plane.
By the time they reached the Shanghai city center, it was already ten o'clock at night.
Staring out the window at the glittering neon lights of the skyscrapers, Su Qingya was mesmerized.
"Bro~ Shanghai is so prosperous! Is everyone here super rich?"
Hearing this, the exhausted Su Chen felt a wave of complex emotions.
He lit a cigarette for himself, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled.
'If I hadn't gotten the system, I'd probably still be struggling just to get by right now.'
"Qingya~ you need to remember something. Shanghai is only the 'Magic City' of wealth and decadence if you have money. If you don't, it's just Shanghai, and all you get are the tourist spots like the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Bund."
Su Qingya was taken aback by his words. She didn't quite understand what he meant, but she didn't ask any further.
But a vague understanding began to form in her mind. 'It seems like life in Shanghai... is very difficult without money.'
"Bro, can we still get a feast at this hour?"
Su Chen, still lost in thought, couldn't help but laugh at Su Qingya's sudden change of topic.
"Don't worry, absolutely. The nightlife in Shanghai is just getting started!"
"That's good!" Su Qingya rubbed her stomach. Other than a small snack at a service station in the evening, she had been saving her appetite for a huge meal.
The Bund. A seafood feast!
They arrived at a restaurant in a prime location on the Bund, one with a fantastic view of the Huangpu River at night.
Su Chen spoke a few words with the receptionist, and then a waiter led them toward a private room.
"Bro~ This place is so opulent!" Su Qingya whispered, walking beside Su Chen.
The nervousness in her voice was obvious.
"What, you're nervous already?"
As if he'd struck a nerve, Su Qingya's voice rose a little. "Who's nervous? I'm... I'm not!"
Her slightly raised voice drew curious glances from several people nearby.
The little bit of confidence Su Qingya had just mustered instantly evaporated.
She didn't let out a long sigh of relief until they were inside the private room.
After the waiter left the room, Su Qingya asked in confusion, "Bro~ Why did I feel so... suffocated out there?"
"Isn't that normal? It's how every country bumpkin feels when they come to the big city."
Su Chen's words weren't pleasant to hear, but they were crude yet true. Right now, Su Qingya was a country bumpkin in the city, still unaccustomed to her new environment and the change in her status.
It was like a poor person suddenly walking into a top-tier restaurant—they'd worry about whether they could afford it and if they'd make a fool of themselves. That kind of anxiety can feel very oppressive.
KNOCK KNOCK~ After two knocks, someone pushed the door open.
"Good evening, sir. What would you like to order?" the waiter asked, handing the menu to Su Chen with both hands.
He glanced through it briefly before ordering, "We'll have the Australian lobster set, an order of the top-grade two-head abalone, and a king crab. Also, a fruit platter and a vegetable salad!"
After ordering, Su Chen passed the menu to Su Qingya beside him. "See if there's anything else you want."
Su Qingya excitedly took the menu. When she saw the prices—hundreds or even thousands for a single item—her heart began to race.
"Bro~ What you ordered is fine!" she said, quickly handing the menu back.
The waiter, understanding the situation, took the menu and discreetly left the room.
"Bro~ I just did a quick calculation... this meal is going to cost tens of thousands, isn't it?"
"Mm, about that. What's wrong?"
"Bro, why don't you go cancel it? We can just go somewhere else and get a simple meal!" Su Qingya said shyly, wringing her hands.
"Hahaha~ Are you afraid of your bro spending money? You forgot, your bro is rich now!"
Only then did it click for Su Qingya. Her big brother wasn't the same as before. He even drove an Aston Martin that cost millions.
A meal costing tens of thousands... he could definitely afford it!