The little assistant struggled for quite a while before finally managing to explain the situation concisely.
After all, the resurrection of a two-hundred-year-old High Priest was far too shocking, and it even involved the morally corrupt act of “grave robbing”. To avoid unnecessary complications, with Su Weisheng’s silent approval, Bai Songyin merely stated that although the person in question was very young, he was actually the highest-ranking elder of the Su clan. Even Su Ran had to call him “Great-Grandfather”.
He Heng was dumbfounded. “So, by ‘personally bringing him over’ and ‘being close’… this is what you meant?” Considering that the Su clan had an intricate and complex family tree, having such a highly ranked great-grandfather didn’t seem too surprising.
He cautiously studied Su Weisheng, who was flipping through some documents. The person before him did indeed bear some resemblance to Su Ran, indicating a blood relationship. However, while Su Ran’s appearance leaned towards a wild, untamed kind of handsomeness, this little great-grandfather was even more stunning. Even the way he flipped through the pages with an unhurried grace carried an air of innate nobility, making him seem utterly unattainable.
With this realization, He Heng was already seventy percent convinced.
Su Weisheng was carefully reviewing the so-called “blacklist dossier” on Su Ran, which contained gems such as:
[Investing in and starring in three consecutive films over three years, all of which suffered total losses—yet he remained undeterred.]
[Falling for an online scammer and getting swindled out of hundreds of thousands, prompting his own fans to crowdfund an effort to have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital.]
[Being both sharp-tongued and socially oblivious (KY), to the extent that half the entertainment industry had blacklisted him.]
At the bottom, there was a bright red warning note: “Getting involved in hype with Su Ran will only lead to disaster—you will be ridiculed by netizens, blacklisted by sponsors, and even arrested by the police!!!”
Wow, that sounded pretty terrifying.
Faced with this thick collection of comedic failures, Su Weisheng was generous enough to curl his lips into a faint smile. Then, with idle curiosity, he flipped to the next page—only for his expression to freeze.
This page detailed Su Ran’s current financial situation:
Bank balance: 0
Debt to the company: 3.67 million
Four impending contract breaches with advertising sponsors
Additional unspecified debts
Su Weisheng’s face darkened like still water. He slowly put the documents down and fixed his deep, dark eyes on the manager sitting across from him.
He Heng felt a chill run down his spine under that piercing gaze. His mind raced—what was going on? Had Su Ran actually brought in a great-grandfather from the Su family to back him up? And now, had he just mistakenly handed this blackmail material meant to scare off a “little lover” straight to the great-grandfather himself? Wasn’t that practically handing over leverage on a silver platter?!
If this little great-grandfather decided to cause trouble, what was he supposed to do?
Then, he saw Su Weisheng furrow his brows and say, “What? He’s actually drowning in debt? Then what about the money he owes me?”
He Heng: !!!
What the hell—so the great-grandfather was actually here to collect debts too?!
The plot twist came so fast that he nearly pulled a muscle.
“L-Little Great-Grandfather… may I ask how much Su Ran owes you?”
Su Weisheng thought for a moment before carefully replying, “A mountain or an island for a mausoleum and six or seven heirloom-grade burial treasures.”
He Heng was dumbfounded. “T-Then your debt is even bigger than mine.”
Su Weisheng let out a sigh of exasperation. When it came to this troublesome descendant, he and He Heng shared a rare sense of camaraderie. So, in an unprecedentedly gentle tone, he asked, “Xiao He, for the sake of clearing both our accounts as soon as possible, do you have any good suggestions?”
“Clearing it quickly is tough. That brat still wants to keep acting. Even if we force him to release an album, it’ll take a while before he breaks even. Not to mention, with his reputation in the gutter, no decent brands are willing to sponsor him.”
He Heng blurted out, “If you want fast money, there’s only one option, but he definitely won’t agree to it.”
Su Weisheng became interested. “What option?”
He Heng hesitated as if weighing the feasibility of the idea. But considering that nothing could be worse than Su Ran continuing his acting career, he decided to be honest. “A while ago, a nationally popular variety show invited him to participate. They even offered a hefty 50 million yuan for one season, but that brat refused…”
Variety show! 50 million!
Su Weisheng’s eyes immediately lit up. He had already done his research and knew that in this era, 50 million was more than enough to buy a private island. With a new island, wouldn’t he be able to rebuild his mausoleum?
“Tell me the details.”
“It’s a massively popular family-themed reality show called «Another Side of Family Life». The show prides itself on authenticity, requiring guests to appear on live broadcasts with their real family members, showing their most genuine selves. It’s already in its fourth season.”
“In the past seasons, plenty of guests tried to fake their personas. But no matter what tricks they pulled, they always ended up embarrassing themselves. Many big-name celebrities started with a good reputation but became infamous after the show. On the other hand, some guests with terrible reputations ended up winning over the audience. It’s completely unpredictable.”
Su Weisheng, having just learned about this kind of show from the internet, took the opportunity to ask, “Aren’t you afraid Su Ran will completely destroy his public image by going on the show?”
He Heng was brutally honest. “What image? Hasn’t it already been reduced to rubble? Right now, the company’s stance is that as long as he doesn’t act, he can do whatever he wants!”
Of course, whether or not Su Ran would agree to participate was another matter. And before that, they needed to contact the showrunners to see if there were any available spots left. For now, Su Weisheng and He Heng reached a temporary agreement for mutual cooperation. When He Heng left, he still felt dazed, unsure of how things had turned out like this.
The “gold-digging little lover” turned out to be a great-grandfather. The “great-grandfather seeking justice for Su Ran” ended up joining forces with him to collect debts… This world was truly surreal.
After He Heng left, Bai Songyin couldn’t suppress his curiosity and asked, “Great-Grandfather, are you really planning to make Brother Ran join that variety show?”
But Su Weisheng remained composed. He waved a hand dismissively. “No rush to jump to conclusions. Is there any recorded footage of this show? Let me take a look first.”
“There is, there is!”
Bai Songyin quickly pulled up recordings of the previous seasons’ live broadcasts. Su Weisheng skimmed through them, seeing that the format was straightforward—several celebrity guests each brought a family member, living under the same roof, with the content mainly revolving around their daily interactions.
He absentmindedly fast-forwarded the video, quickly reaching the preview for the new season.
On «Another Side of Family Life», the most popular family of each season was crowned the “Model Family”. In addition to their agreed-upon appearance fees, they would receive a priceless reward. The prize for the upcoming fifth season had already been announced. The video happened to pause at that very moment, bringing the image into Su Weisheng’s view.
—It was a fan made of translucent white jade, with intricate patterns carved into the ribs. A tassel of delicate blue silk hung from the handle, swaying gently in the breeze, drawing all eyes to it.
Bai Songyin was stunned. “Wow, this fan is so exquisitely crafted! It might even be from the royal court. But… I’ve never seen it before, yet it still feels oddly familiar?”
Just then, a smiling voice in the video spoke: “I received this fan from a destitute gentleman. He claimed to be from a prestigious lineage, but his family had fallen into decline. To afford his child’s medical treatment, he was forced to sell this heirloom. After an appraisal, it was determined that this fan is about two to three hundred years old and holds immense collectible value. Using it as the grand prize this season is quite fitting.”
Bai Songyin commented, “Director You sure is generous. What a grand gesture! But this story about the fan… it sounds even more familiar now.”
Su Weisheng’s tone remained indifferent. “That is my fan—the jade-boned fan that Su Ran’s father stole and sold.”
Bai Songyin: “…”
No wonder it felt so familiar!
He let out a dry laugh. “Great-Grandfather… what do we do now? Given the current market value, this fan probably costs in the eight-digit range to buy back. Brother Ran definitely won’t want to pay that—” His voice trailed off.
Because right before his eyes, Great-Grandfather had casually crushed a soda can in his hand, reducing it to dust. The fine powder trickled from his slender fingers onto his clothes, a sight both aesthetically pleasing and terrifying.
Su Weisheng smiled at him, his tone light and airy. “No, he wants to.”
Bai Songyin shuddered and shrank behind the sofa, not out of fear for himself, but for his ever-carefree and freedom-loving Brother Ran.
Outside the bedroom, chaos unfolded. Inside, Su Ran remained blissfully unaware.
The events of the day had left both his body and mind tense. Now that he had finally relaxed, he sprawled out on the bed, stretching comfortably. His consciousness grew hazy.
Hah! If he had known earlier that Great-Grandfather was still alive, why had he been so nervous? There was absolutely no way he was paying off his father’s debts. Not a single cent. Even if he had money, it would go toward his own grand aspirations!
If Great-Grandfather wasn’t happy about it, he could go to the underworld and collect the debt from his dad himself~
With that final thought, Su Ran drifted into sleep.
He dreamed of a time when he was seven years old. In the dream, his tiny self was holding his father’s hand as they walked through a damp, dark tunnel. The path ahead stretched into endless darkness. Nervous, he tightened his grip on his father’s hand.
“Dad, where are we going?”
His father patted his head and chuckled. “Son, haven’t you always dreamed of being rich? Eating all the snacks you want, having lots of new clothes, living in a big house? Today, your wish will come true.”
Little Su Ran blinked.
Yes, back then, their family was very poor. They lived in a small village at the foot of a cliffside mountain. His mother was a kind and diligent housewife, while his father was a romantic but perpetually unsuccessful artist. They had once had many relatives from the Su clan, but his father had cut ties with them all, and life had only gotten harder.
His father asked him, “Son, in life, you have two choices. One is to start off rich, but none of the money truly belongs to you. If you spend it now, you’ll end up broke and deep in debt as an adult. The other choice is to stay poor, work hard, and earn your wealth when you grow up. Which do you choose?”
Su Ran lowered his head, thought for a moment, and answered, “I want to be rich now and never grow up!”
His father: “…Very good. That’s exactly what I said back then.”
Father Su continued leading him forward, explaining the history of the tomb, and the past of their ancestors. At the end, he gently reminded, “Son, now that you’ve taken the ancestors’ burial treasures and can live a comfortable, wealthy life, you must learn to be grateful, understand?”
Su Ran blinked. “How do I show gratitude?”
Father Su suddenly dropped a bombshell. “For example—if our ancestor ever comes back to life, you must remember to pay him back!”
The abruptness of that statement jolted Su Ran into awareness within his dream. When he looked again, his once high-spirited young father had turned into an old man.
“…Dad?” He hesitated.
Su Cheng grabbed his hand with great emotion. “Son, after I died, I’ve been watching over you from the underworld. Seeing you doing so well in the entertainment industry puts my mind at ease!”
“Ah…” Su Ran was stunned, momentarily unsure how to react. He couldn’t even tell if this was a dream or reality.
But his father continued rambling on, “Good son, I know you’ve always been filial. So, the debt you owe your great-great-grandfather, plus the debt I owe, the debt your grandfather owed, and the debt your great-grandfather owed—make sure you pay them all back! Remember, you must repay them! Do not—under any circumstances—let your great-great-grandfather come to the underworld looking for me!”
“Wait, what?” The more Su Ran listened, the more confused he became. Following his father’s train of thought, he asked, “You already know about Great-Great-Grandfather coming back to life?”
“Of course! I care about you a lot!” Su Cheng patted his son’s shoulder and answered righteously.
The mention of money snapped Su Ran into full clarity. Without hesitation, he swatted his father’s hand away. “No way. This is modern society—what kind of nonsense is inheriting debts? Whoever borrowed the money should pay it back! I’m not giving a single cent!”
“Unfilial son!” Father Su, who had been gentle and persuasive just moments ago, suddenly lost his temper. He shouted in frustration, “I stole your great-great-grandfather’s jade-boned fan and sold it for you! So you could get medical treatment and live in a big house! Have you forgotten what you chose back then? Do you have any idea how much of that money you used? That debt was always going to be on your head!”
Su Ran let out a cold laugh, refusing to back down. “I don’t care. I was seven back then—kids say all kinds of nonsense, okay? Dad, just give up already. Instead of making me pay, you’d be better off figuring out how to earn money in the underworld to pay Great-Great-Grandfather back yourself.”
Before he could finish speaking, the blaring sound of an alarm clock suddenly rang in his ears.
The world around him went dark. Then, in an instant, his brain jolted awake.
He shot up, gasping for breath.
Gone was the narrow, eerie tunnel. He was back in his dark bedroom.
“It was just a dream,” Su Ran exhaled in relief. What you think about during the day appears in your dreams at night, huh? It was bizarre that he had dreamed about his long-deceased father.
Thinking about how he had narrowly escaped being saddled with debts spanning generations, Su Ran couldn’t help but sigh. At the same time, he felt fortunate. “Good thing I dodged that bullet quickly.”
Muttering to himself, he took a sip of water, then lay back down, shutting his eyes.
Darkness.
When he opened them again—his father’s face was right in front of him.
Su Ran was dumbfounded.
The old man was fuming. With a furious slap, he smacked Su Ran across the face. “Unfilial son! You dare come back?!”
Su Ran’s cheek stung. With a start, he sat up again—back in his bedroom.
“…What the hell? A chain dream?” He rubbed his face, slowly waking up.
Just then, a thunderous roar came from above.
“UNFILIAL SON!”
Su Ran looked up, only to see his father hopping mad.
Before he could even react, he realized there were three old men standing right next to his bed—all of them glaring at him in perfect unison.
“Unfilial son!”
“Unfilial grandson!”
“Unfilial great-grandson!”
“You won’t even repay your own debts, fine—but now you refuse to help with ours too? And you actually want your great-great-grandfather to come down and deal with us? Are you insane, you ungrateful brat?!”
The three old men were none other than his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Three generations of ancestors surrounded him, each taking turns to scold him in perfect sync, listing out his countless acts of unfilial behavior.
“Holy sh—!” Su Ran was utterly done. He pinched himself, hoping to confirm it was just a dream—only to yelp in pain, proving that this was very real.
He had only offended one great-great-grandfather, so how did things escalate to the point where he had three generations of ancestors showing up just to scold him?!
In the dimly lit room, three ghostly old men glared at him, their eerie green eyes glowing in the dark. Su Ran felt his scalp go numb. “You guys… are you human or ghosts?”
Su Cheng let out a cold laugh. “Of course, we’re ghosts! Son, you refuse to repay your debts and want to make my afterlife miserable, is that it? Fine! Then I’ll take you down with me right now!”
As he spoke, the three old men stretched out their bony, skeletal hands and lunged at him.
“HELP—!!” Su Ran had always been terrified of ghosts. He immediately let out a shrill scream, scrambling wildly on his bed. “I was wrong, Dad, I was wrong! I was so wrong! I swear, I won’t make Great-Great-Grandfather mad ever again!!”
Just then, the bedroom door suddenly swung open, cutting through the chaos.
Su Ran, still trembling under his blanket, peeked up hesitantly.
Under the warm glow of the hallway light, a tall and elegant figure stepped inside, moving with the grace of a deity descending from the heavens—come to save him from this nightmare.
And then, in the very next second—
The once-arrogant trio of ghostly ancestors dropped to their knees in perfect unison, shoulders hunched, voices as meek as quails.
“Father…”
“Grandfather…”
“Great-Grandfather…”
Su Ran: What. The. Hell.
If Su Ran only talked calmly to SWS even after finding out he is alive, this wouldn’t happen. Arrogance really is never good.
Eh not really, even if they talked calmly I doubt it would solve much if anything given their characters. The debts will have to be paid, one way or another.