Era: Rise from the Wilderness

"I haven't been here long. I took care of something at the trust company and just happened to be passing by."

Looking at her face so close to his, Li Yunjing could clearly see the fine beads of sweat on her forehead and the fine downy hairs on her sun-kissed skin, as well as his own reflection in her clear eyes.

A feeling of joy mixed with a touch of inexplicable emotion, a sense of reunion after a long separation, flowed quietly between the two.

The surrounding noise seemed to have faded away.

"You've gotten a bit tanned."

He said softly.

"Yeah, it's military training, we're under the sun every day."

Lu Ruoxi touched her cheek a little shyly, then looked up at him with a smile in her eyes, "But you haven't changed much, it's just... you seem to have lost a little weight?"

Her companions nearby let out good-natured, low laughter and exchanged winks.

Lu Ruoxi's face flushed even more, and she turned back to give them a playful glare: "You guys go eat first!"

"Alright, alright, I won't disturb you 'fellow townsmen' catching up!"

His female companions laughed and walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

Without the gaze of others, the atmosphere became even more subtle.

The two fell silent for a moment, yet couldn't help looking at each other.

"Um... have you been waiting here for a long time?"

"Is it hot?"

"Shall I take you to our school cafeteria for lunch?"

"Or... shall we sit in the small garden next door?"

Lu Ruoxi broke the silence and took the initiative to suggest it, her tone gentle.

"it is good."

Li Yunjing nodded, "I'll go with your plan. Shall we try out your cafeteria first?"

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating two young figures walking side by side on the campus path.

The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path leading to the cafeteria.

The leaves of the sycamore trees are beginning to turn yellow, filtering through dappled, dancing sunlight.

Students passing by occasionally cast curious glances, but most were engrossed in their own worlds.

"Actually, it wasn't long, we just arrived a little while ago."

Li Yunjing answered her previous question, her gaze sweeping over the red brick buildings and bulletin boards along the roadside. "Your school is really big. I've been looking for it for quite a while."

"Why didn't you write a letter or call my house beforehand to ask?"

Lü Ruoxi turned her head slightly to look at him, her tone filled with concern and a hint of barely perceptible sweet reproach, "You just rushed here so rashly, what if I wasn't there, or you couldn't find me?"

I wanted to surprise you.

Li Yunjing smiled, his smile revealing the sincerity of a young man, but also a hint of embarrassment. "It seems there was a surprise, but the process was a bit... convoluted."

Lü Ruoxi was amused by him, her dimples appearing slightly: "However..."

She paused, then softened her voice, "I'm so glad you could come."

These words, spoken so naturally, were like a pebble dropped into Li Yunjing's heart lake, creating gentle ripples.

He turned to look at her and met her bright, smiling eyes.

"I'm very happy too."

He said it seriously.

The two exchanged a smile, and the slight awkwardness they had felt earlier seemed to dissipate in the gentle autumn air.

Lü Ruoxi took him to the second student canteen.

It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was bustling with people, filled with the sounds of clattering plates, conversations, and the mixed aromas of food.

A long line of students, all around their age, stood in front of the window.

This vibrant and lively communal living scene was both familiar and somewhat novel to Li Yunjing, who had just graduated from high school.

"What do you want to eat? The braised pork and stir-fried pork slices at our school are pretty good, but they're a bit too oily."

Lü Ruoxi introduced everything with practiced ease, like a hostess.

"You make the recommendation, and I'll treat you."

As Li Yunjing spoke, he reached for his money.

"How could I let you treat me!"

Lü Ruoxi quickly stopped him, her face firm, "You've come all this way to see me, of course I should treat you! Besides, I have my own living expenses now!"

She playfully raised her chin, with a hint of pride.

In the end, the two ordered two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, along with rice and free clear soup, and found a relatively quiet corner to sit down.

The food tasted really good, and the portions were generous.

During the meal, the two naturally started talking about their recent situations.

Li Yunjing briefly recounted the "ups and downs" of her life since the start of the semester, omitting the dramatic conflicts and only mentioning being "specially watched" by her teachers and taking leave recently to attend to some matters.

Lu Ruoxi frowned at times and chuckled at others as she listened.

"You're still as restless as ever."

She commented, without a hint of reproach in her eyes, "However... she seems to have more ideas than before."

"There's no other way, the situation forces us to be."

Li Yunjing glossed over it, then changed the subject, "By the way, I have something important to tell you."

"Today I went to Bincheng Trust Company and sold off the last batch of treasury bonds that I had been working on during the summer vacation."

"real?"

Lü Ruoxi's eyes lit up, and she put down her chopsticks. "Sold them all? How much?"

"Well, based on the price we agreed on with Manager Wang, the last sale was for 1,800, plus the profit from before..."

Li Yunjing quickly calculated in his mind, "I have a little over two thousand three hundred yuan on hand right now..."

"More than two thousand!"

Lü Ruoxi couldn't help but gasp softly, quickly covering her mouth. She looked around, her eyes wide with surprise and delight. "Congratulations! Li Yunjing, you're amazing!"

"What's so great about it?"

Li Yunjing couldn't help but roll her eyes at Lü Ruoxi, "My hard-earned money isn't even as much as your secret stash!"

"Moreover, the Treasury bond business has come to an end; it's no longer viable."

Seeing her smiling face, Li Yunjing smiled back. "I'm thinking I need to find something new to do; I can't just sit around doing nothing."

"Something new?"

"What brilliant idea do you have this time?"

Lu Ruoxi's curiosity was completely piqued, and she leaned forward slightly, looking at him intently.

She knew that Li Yunjing was quick-witted and always came up with strange but seemingly profitable ideas.

Li Yunjing hesitated for a moment.

Lotteries are not exactly honorable, and they even operate in a gray area.

He didn't want to involve Lü Ruoxi or let her see his somewhat "unorthodox" side.

But faced with her clear and trusting gaze, he felt that hiding it from her was also wrong.

Moreover, deep down, he might also harbor a slight desire to "prove" his abilities in front of her.

He carefully considered his words and gave a brief overview of the "two-yuan lottery" game, the market gap, his and Fu Chao's preparations, and the expected profit margin.

He tried to use terms like "business activity" and "short-term promotion" to disguise it.

Lü Ruoxi listened intently, her long eyelashes fluttering, occasionally asking a question or two, showing that she was completely following the train of thought.

When she heard Li Yunjing describe how to attract attention with borrowed motorcycles and televisions, and how to set up prize levels and control the "grand prize," her eyes grew brighter and brighter, a mixture of surprise, admiration, and eagerness to try it out.