Returning to his senior year of high school, he went all in and made billions by buying at the botto

Chen Jing gripped the phone box in her pocket tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

Looking at her brother's familiar yet unfamiliar face, the words of reproach stuck in her throat, finally turning into a long sigh.

"You..." Her voice was still a little hoarse, "Where are you living now? The first mock exam for senior high school students is right after the National Day holiday. When are you going back?"

"My train is tomorrow afternoon," Chen Mo said calmly. "I'll be staying at a hotel near the school tonight. Sis, don't worry about my studies, I know what I'm doing."

When he said he "had it all figured out," his expression was so confident that Chen Jing didn't know how to refute him for a moment.

Her younger brother, who used to need her to pull his ear to get him to school, seems to have really grown up at some moment she didn't know about.

"Have you eaten yet?" Chen Jing wiped her face, forcibly switching to older sister mode. "A new grilled fish restaurant opened on the back street of the school. It's pretty good. Let me treat you to a meal."

"How could I let you spend money, sister?" Chen Mo smiled. "I'll arrange it. I know a private restaurant nearby with a good ambiance and delicious food."

He turned to Wen Zhixia, who had been standing quietly to the side, and said in a natural and respectful tone, "Sister Zhixia, please join us too. Thank you for taking care of my sister."

Wen Zhixia wanted to politely decline, but Chen Jing had already taken her arm: "Zhixia, let's go together! It's a good opportunity to teach this kid a lesson and stop him from wasting money!"

Despite saying that, a hint of pride lingered in Chen Jing's eyes.

Wen Zhixia smiled and nodded gently: "Then I'll take my leave."

"It is my honor that Sister Zhixia would do me the honor of attending."

Chen Mo spoke naturally and hailed a taxi.

He opened the car door, his hand instinctively resting on the edge of the roof, and closed the door only after the two of them were seated.

The car drove into a quiet alleyway and finally stopped in front of a black lacquered wooden door without any sign.

Chen Mo stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker, the rhythm short and distinctive.

The wooden door slid open silently, and a middle-aged man in a gray cloth shirt bowed slightly, his gaze lingering briefly on Chen Mo before stepping aside.

It's a hidden paradise inside.

Passing the screen wall, you'll find a beautifully restored courtyard house. The bluestone path is damp, as if it had just been watered, and the air is filled with the crisp scent of moss and sandalwood.

The private room overlooked a small pond, where several red carp swam in the dim light. The environment was so private it was almost secluded.

Chen Jing subconsciously tugged at the cuffs of her faded sweatshirt, feeling somewhat awkward.

Wen Zhixia quietly surveyed her surroundings, her gaze finally settling on Chen Mo.

The boy stood in front of the ink-wash screen, his profile outlined by the light of the lantern.

It's too quiet here, too expensive, and too... out of place.

This doesn't seem like a place a high school student should bring his older sister to.

A waitress in a plain cheongsam silently handed over the menu. Chen Jing opened the stiff, silk-bound booklet, glanced at the prices, then slammed it shut as if burned. She kicked Chen Mo hard under the table and hissed, "Let's go!"

Wen Zhixia's fingertips also stopped at the edge of the menu.

Chen Mo seemed oblivious to his sister's subtle actions.

He took the menu, without even opening it, and spoke directly to the waiting waiter:

"Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, crab meat lion's head meatballs, boiled beef. And one more dish... Jiangnan-style stuffed tofu, Wensi tofu soup. Don't put cilantro in the tofu soup."

He paused, then added, "Just give this lady a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon."

After saying that, he handed the menu back to the waiter and nodded slightly: "Please hurry, my sister is hungry."

The waiter, well-trained, took note and silently left.

The only sound in the private room for a moment was the gentle murmur of water.

Chen Jing opened her mouth, her eyes wide, looking at Chen Mo, then at Wen Zhixia opposite her, finally managing to choke out, "You... how did you know Zhixia doesn't eat cilantro? And how did you know she has insomnia from drinking tea at night?" Her voice trailed off, filled with disbelief and confusion, "I didn't tell you that..."

Wen Zhixia did not move.

His gaze fell on Chen Mo's face, filled with questions.

Chen Mo was rinsing the bowls and chopsticks with hot water when he heard this. He looked up at his sister and said, "Do you really think I call you just to chat?"

"You said you accidentally put cilantro in your noodles, and Zhixia picked it out one by one, and you complained to me on the phone afterwards. And last month, you said you made strong tea in your dorm to stay awake at night, but Zhixia couldn't sleep because of the smell and went to class with dark circles under her eyes the next day. Sis, you're such a gossip, what can you keep to yourself?"

Chen Jing was speechless. She frowned and tried hard to recall, but all she could remember was that she often rambled on on the phone.

Maybe... she really did say it? She began to have serious doubts about her own vague memory.

This explanation is flawless and logically sound.

But Wen Zhixia held the glass of lemonade that had just been delivered, which was at the perfect temperature. The glass was comfortably warm, but her fingertips felt a little cold.

Chen Jing's initial awkwardness was quickly dispelled by the delicious food, and she ate with great enthusiasm.

Wen Zhixia ate slowly. She was well-mannered and elegant, but her mind was clearly not on the food.

Chen Mo wasn't a talkative person, but whenever Chen Jing talked about school trivia in a carefree manner, or Wen Zhixia occasionally chimed in with a word or two, he could always subtly join in.

The conversation occasionally veered to broader topics. For example, Chen Jing complained about a professor's criticism of macroeconomic policies in a professional course, and Chen Mo just listened without commenting.

It wasn't until Wen Zhixia softly said, "Policy transmission takes time, and the market is sometimes more sensitive than theory," that he looked up at her, smiled faintly, and said, "That's right. Theory is a map, and the market is the road beneath your feet. No matter how beautifully the map is drawn, you still have to see if the road is ice or mud."

It's a very ordinary sentence. But when it comes from the mouth of a senior high school student, coupled with his overly calm eyes, it takes on a completely different meaning.

Wen Zhixia lowered her eyes and picked up a piece of stuffed tofu. The tofu was tender and smooth, and the broth was delicious, but she couldn't taste much of the flavor.

A strange feeling, like water plants creeping up from the bottom of the water, silently crept up on me.

Chen Mo left midway through the meal, saying he was going to the restroom.

The only sounds in the private room were the occasional soft clinking of a spoon against a plate and the gentle murmur of water flowing outside the window.

Wen Zhixia put down her chopsticks, picked up a tissue and gently touched the corner of her mouth, asking casually, "Jingjing, was your brother... always like this?"

"Before?" Chen Jing looked up from the lion's head meatballs, puffed out her cheeks, and thought for a moment. "He used to be a little rascal, couldn't sit still, and all he could think about was games and basketball. He got beaten up a lot for that. But in the last few months, it's like he's been transformed..." She swallowed her food, sighed, and lowered her voice. "Sometimes I feel like I don't even know him. But... I also think it's good that he's finally grown up."

"Is it just being sensible?" Wen Zhixia asked softly, her gaze falling on Chen Mo's empty seat.

"Otherwise what?" Chen Jing asked, puzzled.

Wen Zhixia didn't say anything more.

She turned her head and looked at the hazy reflection of the lanterns in the pool outside the window.

They have not experienced any major shocks or dramatic changes.

So where does this composure, so different from his age, come from?

Wen Zhixia gently stirred the lemon water in her glass, her gaze behind her glasses growing even more profound.

She comes from a wealthy family, is a native of Kyoto, and has a perspective that is far beyond that of ordinary people.

She knew very well that these private restaurants hidden deep in the alleys of Kyoto, without even a signboard, were not places that ordinary people could find.

How could a high school senior who grew up in a remote county and was still handing in a blank paper for the monthly exam just half a month ago be so familiar with Beijing?

"Click".

The wooden door to the private room was gently pushed open, interrupting Wen Zhixia's thoughts.

Chen Mo walked in, returned to his seat very naturally, picked up a hot towel to wipe his hands, and casually asked, "Have you finished eating? You can have more if you want."

"I'm stuffed!" Chen Jing rubbed her round belly, then suddenly sat up straight as if she remembered something. "You made an excuse to go to the restroom earlier...did you secretly go to pay the bill? How much was it?!"

"It's not much, just the cost of a meal." Chen Mo smiled, not revealing the amount that would have made Chen Jing explode on the spot.

"Don't give me that! I secretly checked online, this place costs at least three thousand per person!" Chen Jing frantically rummaged through her bag. "No way, this meal is my treat for Zhi Xia, how can I let a high school student like you pay? Give me the receipt, I'll transfer the money to you!"

"sister."

Chen Mo suddenly stopped smiling and only uttered one word.

Chen Jing froze as she rummaged through her bag, looking at her younger brother with a bewildered expression.

"I earned this money honestly and legally from the stock market. It's clean and enough to live on." Chen Mo looked into her eyes, his tone softening but firm. "I earned this money so that you and Mom can live with your heads held high and not have to haggle over menu prices. If you keep being so formal with me, I'll donate it all."

Chen Jing opened her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears again.

She bit her lower lip, ultimately not uttering the rebuttal, but simply nodded heavily: "Okay... I'll listen to you. But promise me you won't act tough outside. You're in your final year of high school, so you need to focus on your studies."

"I know what I'm doing." Chen Mo nodded slightly.

As the three of them stepped out of the courtyard, the late autumn night wind carried a chill.

At the entrance of the alley, a black Audi A6 was already parked quietly.

This is the car that Chen Mo asked the restaurant manager to arrange when he paid the bill at the front desk.

The driver respectfully got out of the car and opened the back door.

Just as Chen Jing was about to crawl inside, Chen Mo stopped her and zipped her hoodie all the way up: "It's cold at night, so don't stay up too late in the dorm. Call me anytime if you need anything. I'll go directly to the high-speed rail station tomorrow; I won't come to the school to find you."

"Okay, okay, stop nagging." Chen Jing rubbed her red nose, turned around, and got into the car.

Chen Mo turned around and looked at Wen Zhixia standing to the side.

Under the cover of night, her long khaki trench coat fluttered slightly in the wind as she gazed at him silently, like a bottomless pool of autumn water, concealing countless unspoken questions.

"Sister Zhixia," Chen Mo said gently, "thank you for accompanying my sister today. I'll need your help taking care of her at school from now on."

Wen Zhixia looked at him but did not answer immediately.

After several seconds, she gently pushed up the glasses on her nose and parted her red lips slightly: "Chen Mo, you... really don't seem like a high school student."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo chuckled softly.

He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them.

"People always have to grow up, Sister Zhixia." Chen Mo looked into her eyes. "I've just been moving a little faster."

At that moment, Wen Zhixia's heart skipped a beat.

His eyes were so complicated.

"...I understand." Wen Zhixia avoided his aggressive gaze and nodded slightly. "Well then, I wish you a happy National Day holiday and good luck on your college entrance exam."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Sister Zhixia."

Chen Mo opened the car door for her, his hand still protecting the edge of the roof in an extremely gentlemanly manner.

Chen Mo didn't look away until the taillights of the Audi A6 disappeared at the end of the alley.

He stood in the cold autumn wind, lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke, and his eyes sharpened once again.