Rebirth Starting as a Stock Market Enthusiast

Xu Lu frowned and retorted playfully, "Give it to her yourself!"

"Okay, okay..."

Xu Lu's uncle hesitated for a few seconds, and seeing that Xu Lu ignored him, he picked up the envelope and slowly walked out the door.

As he got on the bus, he kept glancing back at Xu Lu.

Just then, Shen Fei's aunt, Chen Lan, came out and witnessed the scene.

"That child had a hard life," the aunt sighed. "He was adopted at seven, and his adoptive parents passed away when he was a freshman in college..."

Chen Yun felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this: "Then her uncle..."

"Lu Cheng'an..." the aunt said in a low voice, "It's rumored in the village that Xu Lu was born to him and another woman before he got married. Lu Cheng'an was afraid his wife would find out, so he never dared to admit it."

Shen Fei's gaze, however, fell on Xu Lu.

In that instant, he felt as if those long, narrow, and slightly alluring eyes had appeared in some blurry, double image.

Not in a bubble tea shop, nor in the office, but much further back, much longer ago.

That surreal feeling of seeing a lifetime in a single glance made Shen Fei chuckle self-deprecatingly.

Perhaps it's because I've seen too many beautiful women lately, leading to aesthetic fatigue and a misperception, or perhaps it's because Xu Lu is wearing casual clothes today, looking like the girl next door, which is truly alluring.

Xu Lu stood in the shadows of her courtyard gate, the strap of the thermos bucket deeply wrinkled from her grip. Lu Cheng'an's car had long since disappeared at the end of the village road, and the hum of the engine could no longer be heard, yet she could still feel a buzzing vibration in her eardrums.

It wasn't because of my uncle.

It's because of Shen Fei.

Xu Lu suddenly bent down and gently placed the thermos on the ground.

She braced herself on her knees with her hands, her breathing a little erratic.

Twelve years have passed, like a floodgate being opened by that soft sound, and fragments of memories mixed with emotions have rushed out.

She remembers that summer.

At the age of seven, she had just left the orphanage where she had lived for seven years and was taken to this completely unfamiliar village by her adoptive parents.

Her adoptive parents were very good to her, really very good. They bought her new clothes, cooked delicious food for her, and spoke to her softly.

But at that time, she huddled in an unfamiliar room, listening to the unfamiliar cicadas chirping outside the window, looking at the unfamiliar New Year pictures pasted on the wall, feeling only boundless fear in her heart.

Taking advantage of her adoptive parents' inattention, she secretly slipped out of the house, went around to an old locust tree in the backyard, squatted in the shadow of the tree roots, and buried her face in her arms.

An unfamiliar home, an unfamiliar yard, unfamiliar people... She didn't even know whether she should cry out loud or continue to pretend to be well-behaved.

Just then, someone stopped in front of her.

Xu Lu didn't look up, but she could smell a faint scent of laundry detergent, clean and dry, unlike the mixed smell of smoke and sweat on her adoptive father.

"What's wrong with you?"

It was a boy's voice, clear and bright, with a hint of curiosity, but without the intimidating concern of an adult.

Xu Lu didn't move.

The other person didn't seem to be in a hurry and squatted down next to her. After a while, something cold and hard gently touched the back of her hand.

"Give."

Xu Lu finally slowly raised her head.

Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, she saw a boy. He wasn't very tall, but standing against the light, his figure was upright. He wore a white short-sleeved T-shirt, his features clean-cut, unlike the village children who were tanned dark; his skin was a healthy light wheat color. He held a piece of fruit candy in his hand, the cellophane shimmering in the sunlight; it was orange-flavored.

The boy didn't ask her why she was crying, nor did he ask who she was. He simply held the candy closer, his eyes calm, as if he had just passed by a tree, seen a trembling kitten crouching under it, and casually tossed her a piece of bread.

"Eat it, it's sweet."

He spoke casually, then stuffed the candy into her hand, brushed the dust off his knees, stood up, and left.

Xu Lu held the candy, the sharp edge of the cellophane digging into her palm, a little painful and a little cold. She watched the boy's figure disappear around the corner of the front yard, then heard her aunt calling for dinner from the front yard, and his clear reply, "Coming!"

Later, Xu Lu learned that it was Shen Fei, Aunt Chen's nephew, who had come from the city to visit during his summer vacation.

She held the candy for a long time, until her palms were sweaty, the candy was slightly deformed, and the wrapper stuck to her hand. She couldn't bear to eat it.

That afternoon, in the unfamiliar courtyard, the cicadas' chirping tore at the heat, and the air was filled with the steaming smell of earth and the fragrance of unknown flowers and grasses. A piece of candy that the boy casually handed her became the only certain, real, and sweet light in her chaotic and boundless darkness.

She remembered those eyes—calm, clean, devoid of pity or inquiry, only a natural gentleness.

Just like right now.

Twelve years later, she saw those eyes again at Feiyu Media.

More mature, more profound, his eyes and brows are tinged with the composure honed by time, and his occasional smile carries a subtle sharpness.

But when he was quietly looking at something, that calm and gentle undertone still pierced through twelve years and clearly struck her eyes.

She didn't dare to acknowledge him because too much time had passed, and Shen Fei had clearly forgotten. He didn't remember the little girl crying under the tree roots, nor did he remember the orange candy.

On her first day at work, Xu Lu was suddenly struck by his dazzling presence, and she was completely flustered. She had no idea how to interact with him—whether to be an employee, or…

The afternoon sun poured down, casting dappled shadows on the trees.

Xu Lu stood quietly where light and shadow intersected, a gentle breeze brushing against her hair, bringing a soft tickle.

She squinted slightly, feeling the warmth spreading down her back. It turned out that all encounters were reunions after a long separation. This sense of destiny, of something lost and then regained, gave her a long-lost peace and sense of belonging.

Grandma called from upstairs, "Lu'er~, why aren't you home yet?"

"I know, just do your thing."

Xu Lu looked up and answered, and only after Shen Fei's figure disappeared did she turn around and go upstairs.

Xu Lu's home is a two-story bungalow. The decorations inside are a bit old-fashioned, and the off-white sofa and brown TV cabinet also have a vintage feel, but the place is clean and tidy.

There are also some potted plants in the field of vision, with long green leaves hanging down to the ground, adding a lot of life and vitality to the room.

As soon as Xu Lu entered the door, she called out to her grandmother, "Why did you call me?"

The old lady paused her knitting on the sofa: "Was your uncle just here?"

"Um."

"Did you pay?"

"Um."

"Did you take it?"

"without."

The old lady stopped knitting in her hand. "You're a very stubborn child."

Xu Lu sat down next to her and asked in return, "Then why don't you want it?"

"That woman is very cunning," the old lady sighed. "Your uncle is also a good-for-nothing."