Chapter 152: The Wayward Son Returns Home

Upon reaching the door, Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment before taking out the key—only to freeze immediately. He had gotten this key when he asked for An Yuxuan’s address; An Yuxuan said it was something her parents asked her to give to Xiao Ran when buying the house.

“You really are worthless!” Xiao Ran felt his eyes moisten slightly and cursed himself in silence. Now he realized that his parents gave him the key with the intention of him coming back often, not treating him like a stranger.

Unfortunately, he had never remembered this, or maybe he had remembered but didn’t take it to heart. Anyway, at least he was back now. Since his father, Liang Shaohao, wasn’t around, as soon as Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia stepped inside, they heard his mother’s voice: “Xiao Han, haven’t you forgotten something again?”

When his mother, Liang Wenhui, turned around from the kitchen and saw Xiao Ran, she was stunned and exclaimed, “A Ran, you’re back! Sit down for a while; I’ll go call your father!”

Seeing the joy on his mother’s face, Xiao Ran sighed softly and pulled Lin Qingxia to sit down. Lin Qingxia also noticed Liang Wenhui’s expression and asked curiously, “How long has it been since your mom last saw you?”

“A few months. I came back once during the New Year!” Xiao Ran felt extremely ashamed. If possible, he would have slapped himself hard.

“No wonder…” Lin Qingxia drew out her words in a strange tone, clearly blaming him for not coming home for so long.

His mother rushed over in a flurry, sat down across from Xiao Ran, and examined him to see if he had lost weight. After a while, she nodded in satisfaction—her son not only hadn’t lost weight but also seemed in good spirits. Only then did she realize Lin Qingxia’s presence. Taking a closer look, she was stunned: “You must be Lin Qingxia! Xiao Han talks about you all the time!”

“Auntie, this is a little gift from me!” Lin Qingxia quickly handed over the gifts she had brought. “I came by to see you guys along the way.”

His mother accepted them without hesitation and then smiled at Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia, saying, “Have you eaten? Otherwise, stay for dinner!”

Xiao Ran was stunned. There was a charity event that night, and it wouldn’t be right to miss it. Thinking this, he rubbed his nose and said awkwardly, “Mom, no need. It’s only three o’clock, and I have things to do tonight!”

“Things to do tonight…” His mother’s face showed disappointment, which quickly disappeared. She sat down next to Xiao Ran and said concerningly, “A Ran, don’t work too hard. It’s exhausting. Look, I don’t let your father work too late either.”

“Don’t worry. I’m in good health, and my work isn’t busy!” Xiao Ran didn’t know what to say. The situation felt rather awkward.

While his mother went to get drinks for Lin Qingxia, Lin Qingxia stared at him and said, “You’re going to some banquet tonight. What banquet could be more important than your parents? Don’t go. Spend the day with them instead!”

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ran sighed and said, “If I don’t go, then I won’t. It’s not like I’ll lose anything anyway!”

Before long, Dad hurried back, seemingly unfazed as he greeted Xiao Ran. But in reality, Xiao Ran knew very well that it must have been because Mom had called earlier that Dad had rushed back just to see his son. Such a family was truly rare! Xiao Ran felt extremely lucky now—at least in such a family, one could be happy even without money. When Mom led Xiao Ran to the room prepared especially for him, his heart warmed again.

Lin Qingxia gently placed her delicate fingers on Xiao Ran’s forehead and scolded him affectionately, “You know, with such a wonderful family, you still don’t know how to cherish it. It’s like picking sesame seeds and losing the watermelon! You seem so smart, but you’re so foolish in this matter!”

Xiao Ran smiled bitterly. Perhaps he had deliberately ignored it before, but now that he had felt this genuine affection, he certainly wouldn’t make the same mistake again. After thinking it over, he decided that to make amends, he should move back and live there. “Qingxia, how about this? Let’s tell our parents about our relationship today, and if we have time, buy a piece of land in Southern Hong Kong Island…”

Only then did Xiao Ran remember that Tang Yan had submitted an investment report a few days ago, saying that one of the “Daban Houses” on Shek O Road in Southern Hong Kong Island was going up for auction. Tang Yan believed that acquiring such a house could earn the company 100 to 200 million within five years.

These Daban Houses had a long history. They consisted of 23 separate houses, but since they were previously controlled by British companies, they were called Daban Houses. Only the wealthy and elite could live there, as they were symbols of status.

However, upon thinking about the estimated price of those Daban Houses, Xiao Ran backed down. The preliminary estimate was as high as 45 million, and if auctioned, it would cost at least 60 million to acquire one. And Xiao Ran only had 200 million in liquid assets in his own name—far from enough. He would have to sell some of the stocks he owned personally. After considering all this, Xiao Ran said firmly, “In a few days, one of the Daban Houses will be auctioned. Coincidentally, the company also plans to invest in a piece of land, so we’ll buy it at that time.”

Lin Qingxia nodded and praised Xiao Ran a few times with a smile. In the afternoon, when Xiao Han came back from school and heard that both his brother and Lin Qingxia had arrived, he immediately started looking for them everywhere, preventing the two from having even a few words in private.

After dinner, the whole family watched TV. Xiao Ran tentatively called out to his parents before stammering, “Um, I have a girlfriend now. I don’t know if you like her or not…”

“Really? Who is it? Tell me quickly! I’ve wanted to hold a grandson for so long!” Liang Wenhui exclaimed happily, completely unaware that her comment about a grandson made Lin Qingxia’s face turn red.

Glancing at his father, who remained calm and astute, as if he were an experienced businessman, Xiao Ran said nothing more, only keeping his gaze on the somewhat shy Lin Qingxia. At first, Mom didn’t realize it, but soon she understood and stared at her in shock, “Is it her?”

Realizing this, Mom thought it over and felt that having such a daughter-in-law would indeed be great. But when she thought of Lin Qingxia’s age, her expression changed: “But, but Qingxia must be older than you!”
Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia’s faces immediately changed; they had been worried about this all along. If even their own family couldn’t accept her, they couldn’t expect outsiders to do so. Mom kept staring at Lin Qingxia with a strange look, unclear what she was thinking.
Dad stood up, went upstairs, and calmly said, “I’ve told you before—choose your own path, and we’ll always support you. Ah Hui, go upstairs!”
Xiao Han widened her eyes, her pupils rolling as she suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, “Great! I’ve always wanted you two to be together!”
Xiao Ran helplessly shrugged at Lin Qingxia. Judging from Mom’s reaction, it was indeed wise of him to keep this a secret for now. However, Mom came back down shortly after, her face filled with joy. She went over to Lin Qingxia, examined her carefully, then took her hand and said, “With a daughter-in-law like this, of course I’m willing. Age is unimportant—no one cares about that…”
He sold some of the stocks he had bought in his own name, keeping only major ones like Microsoft. Xiao Ran only had 270 million in liquid funds, but that should be enough to buy that large property. At least Xiao Ran remembered that in 1994, Li Zekai had spent only 140 million to buy a similar property, and housing prices were naturally much lower back then than they are now.
The next day, he still had to attend a banquet hosted by a wealthy man. Those attending were either rich people or powerful figures. The police chief was one of them. To Xiao Ran’s annoyance, it seemed like all the women at the banquet were circling around him, trying to strike up conversations.
Interestingly, even those who had met Lin Qingxia before came to her, hoping she could introduce them. Needless to say, Lin Qingxia was extremely frustrated, and Xiao Ran wasn’t any easier.
The host, Zheng Jiacun, somehow came over to Xiao Ran and pulled him aside, whispering, “President Xiao, there’s news that you’re very interested in that plot of land in South Hong Kong Island… Just be straightforward—stop competing with me!”
Xiao Ran was slightly stunned. Zheng Jiacun’s assets were no less than his own—why should he be afraid of him? Finding a convenient spot to lean against, Xiao Ran replied with a smile, “President Zheng, as you know, business is business, and friendship is friendship!”
Zheng Jiacun glared at Xiao Ran irritably before suddenly smiling. “I knew you’d say that. But then again, your company already owns several plots of land that have appreciated by 300 million. Don’t you plan to sell them?”
Xiao Ran smiled slightly. Those plots still had room for appreciation. With that thought, he suddenly realized that so many wealthy people in the world had made their fortunes in real estate—why not try it himself? But then again, he didn’t have any extra money to invest in real estate right now.

His plan to acquire a Hollywood film company was uncertain when it would succeed. It was precisely at a time when Phantom needed money for rapid expansion—where would there be funds for real estate development? Phantom’s so-called investment department only engaged in short-term investments to prevent money from sitting idle. With expenses piling up, Xiao Ran didn’t dare to venture into other industries while the company wasn’t stable.

In fact, film companies weren’t worth much—truly not much. Take New Art City for example; over the years, it had probably generated hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars just for Lei Kaitai, yet even including New Art Treasure, its total value was only eight hundred million. To a large extent, the company was a shell, with its staff constantly changing.

For film companies, the most valuable assets were their film libraries and properties at film sets. Don’t be fooled by Disney’s market value of hundreds of billions of dollars after over a decade—its value came from its television networks, theme parks, brands, and other businesses.

After some thought, Xiao Ran roughly finalized Phantom’s development direction before saying with a smile, “Why sell it? Who knows—maybe one day I’ll want to get into real estate. Then we’ll be competitors!”

Zheng Jiacun clearly didn’t think much of Xiao Ran’s words. Jokingly, he said, “I specialize in real estate. If I can’t even defeat Xiao Ran, then there’s no point in continuing.” Of course, such a problem didn’t exist now, so he laughed and said, “Better not talk about it. Seeing you so gloomy every day, let me introduce you to a beautiful woman—guaranteed to be exciting!”

Then he waved in another direction, and a slender woman walked over gracefully. Zheng Jiacun suppressed his laughter and introduced her seriously, “Xiao Na, this is an amazing person. You must get to know him.”

Xiao Na had clearly been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time, sizing up Xiao Ran. People who were both wealthy and good-looking were extremely rare, especially someone as rich, young, and handsome as Xiao Ran. But her first words disgusted Xiao Ran greatly: “Wow, such a wealthy person doesn’t even have a diamond ring…”

If it weren’t for showing respect to Zheng Jiacun, Xiao Ran would have left immediately. Being with such a woman was an insult. Zheng Jiacun became extremely embarrassed and waved at Xiao Na, “Go over there—someone’s looking for you…”

After Xiao Na left reluctantly, Zheng Jiacun complained to Xiao Ran in frustration, “As a friend, even I’m worried about your marriage. With your qualifications, you can change girlfriends every few days—there are plenty who would be willing.”

Xiao Ran was frustrated. It seemed as if Zheng Jiacun was actually worried about him. After further conversation, Xiao Ran and Zheng Jiacun went their separate ways. Actually, such parties weren’t entirely useless—at least they allowed one to meet more wealthy people.

However, this wasn’t considered a high-class party, as Zheng Jiacun’s wealth was roughly on par with Xiao Ran’s. Over the past year, his wealth had declined significantly due to falling housing prices, and now he might not even be as rich as Xiao Ran.

The truly prestigious banquets are those hosted by people like Superman Lee; those in attendance are at least at the level of the Secretary for Security and the Financial Secretary. Even higher up is the Governor of Hong Kong. But since Xiao Ran is from the mainland, he really isn’t interested in the so-called Governor of Hong Kong.