Gu Fan smiled sheepishly, his eyes full of embarrassment. "If it weren't for Mo-ge's guidance, I'd still be hanging out and wasting my days like before."
Lin Mo opened his schoolbag, took out three hundred yuan, and placed it in Gu Fan's hand. "The remaining two hundred can wait a bit."
"No problem."
Just as Gu Fan was about to pull his hand back, Lin Mo's voice sounded in his ear. "Right, there's something you need to help with."
"What is it?"
"Nothing major."
Meeting Gu Fan's puzzled gaze, Lin Mo said casually, "I recently spotted a stock with good potential, and the short-term returns will be very impressive. Rally the people you're close with and see if they can scrape together some money."
"What? Stocks?"
Gu Fan's face was full of astonishment. "Mo-ge, you actually dare to play with stocks?"
Chapter 31: The Plan
"Why wouldn't I?"
Lin Mo's calm counter-question left Gu Fan momentarily at a loss for how to reply.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment, his face carrying hesitation. "I've heard that out of ten people who buy stocks, nine lose money, and very few actually make a profit. Even though I know a lot of people, I doubt many would be willing to shell out cash for stocks."
"After all, students don't have much money to begin with, and combined with the high risk of stocks, ordinary people won't throw their money into this."
"That's why I came to you."
Lin Mo patted Gu Fan's shoulder. "You're known as the social butterfly of No. 2 High School, plus you're a rich second-generation kid. Quite a few people should give you some face."
Gu Fan looked troubled. "Mo-ge, what if we lose?"
"Rest assured, I won't let you bear the responsibility. If we lose, I'll take the full loss myself."
Lin Mo smiled faintly. "We've been desk-mates for nearly three years; you should know my character."
"If you trust me, help me out. If you don't, then let's drop it. I'm not forcing you."
Gu Fan was silent for nearly half a minute. "When we go eat at noon, I'll give it a try. Besides this, what else do you need me to do?"
Lin Mo smiled knowingly. "I'll handle buying and selling the stocks. You just need to be responsible for raising the money and keeping the ledger; nothing else is required."
"The cycle for this stock purchase is only ten days. After ten days, I can guarantee their returns won't be lower than their principal. Of course, as the trader, I take a 20% cut of the profits, and you take a 10% cut."
Gu Fan's mouth dropped open. "Returns won't be lower than the principal?"
He knew very well what that meant—it meant however much you invested, you'd earn that much back. Even after taking away the 30% cut, it was still a considerable amount!
He swallowed hard in secret, his voice trembling slightly. "Mo-ge, the more you say that, the less confident I feel. Is there really such a good deal in this world?"
Lin Mo smiled indifferently. "You can still back out now. Like I said, I'm not forcing you."
Gu Fan fell silent once more.
Just as Lin Mo had said, they had been desk-mates for nearly three years, and he knew Lin Mo's character very well. Easygoing, upright, and most importantly, loyal.
If Lin Mo wasn't tricking him, he could earn a very handsome income through this opportunity. By then, the old man would definitely look at him with new respect.
At that thought, he gritted his teeth and slapped the three-hundred-yuan bill—still warm in his hand—down in front of Lin Mo.
"I'll take this job!"
Lin Mo didn't seem surprised at all, extending his right hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."
……
A day passed quickly.
The moment the bell rang signaling the end of classes, many students let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The classroom emptied out more and more. Before long, only Lin Mo, Gu Fan, An Youyu, and Zhao Tiantian were left.
Seeing that most people had gone, Gu Fan fumbled around in his desk with both hands and took out a long rectangular object wrapped in paper. "Mo-ge, open it and take a look."
Peeling away the outer paper, a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills appeared—at least twenty thousand yuan.
Lin Mo stared at Gu Fan with a peculiar expression. "People used to call you the social butterfly of No. 2 High School, and I used to scoff at it. But seeing this now, your reputation is well-deserved indeed!"
To be honest, he hadn't expected Gu Fan to be able to raise this much money. How much money could students possibly have? He had thought it would be a miracle if Gu Fan raised ten thousand yuan; he never expected it to be double that.
"And this is just the beginning?"
Seeing Lin Mo so surprised, Gu Fan smiled smugly, pulled out his phone, and waved it in front of him. "There's still about twenty thousand on WeChat. There's an ATM in my residential complex; I'll withdraw it and give it to you tomorrow."
"Holy shit!"
Lin Mo let out a rare curse and gave Gu Fan a hard slap on the back. "You're something else, kid!"
Gu Fan laughed, winking and flashing a grin. "Not just anyone can be the social butterfly of No. 2 High School. Looking across the whole school, only a handsome, dashing, and extraordinarily debonair man like me is worthy of this title."
Such narcissistic words made Lin Mo roll his eyes.
He shouted toward the front of the classroom, "Little Yuer, come here for a sec."
An Youyu's delicate body froze, but seeing that there were hardly any people left in the classroom, her nervousness dissipated a little.
After taking two deep breaths, she walked with light steps toward the back of the classroom.
Gu Fan hurriedly sat up straight and extended his right hand like a gentleman. "Classmate An Youyu, my name is Gu Fan. Very nice to meet you."
An Youyu lowered her gaze and lashes, though she still couldn't hide her distinct, otherworldly gentleness. Facing Gu Fan's overture, she didn't respond, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing.
Gu Fan froze on the spot in an awkward silence.
Lin Mo couldn't help laughing and scolding, "Are your skin itching for a beating or what?"
An Youyu's little face flushed red. Recalling everything that had happened outside the tuck shop that afternoon, the blush on her face grew even thicker.
"Ahem—"
Gu Fan coughed repeatedly, explaining with a bitter face, "Mo-ge, it was just a reflex; I'll definitely pay attention next time."
"Piss off. If there's a next time, don't blame me for ignoring brotherhood."
After chewing him out, Lin Mo's gaze fell on An Youyu. "Little Yuer, let me ask you something."
"W-W... What is it?"
For just three little words, An Youyu stuttered twice before getting them out, showing just how nervous she was at the moment.
Lin Mo pointed at Gu Fan on his left. "Who do you think is more handsome, me or him?"
An Youyu stared wide-eyed. This unexpected question left her completely at a loss for how to answer, and her hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes.
Gu Fan protested aloud, "Mo-ge, can we have a little shame?"
Right at that moment, a voice came from behind An Youyu.
"If the two of you are being compared, I think Lin Mo is a bit more handsome."
Zhao Tiantian walked past An Youyu and sat in the empty seat in front of Lin Mo. She glanced at Gu Fan. "Lin Mo is taller than you, more handsome than you, has better temperament than you, and is more..."
"Stop right there!"
Gu Fan's face darkened. "Zhao Tiantian, aren't you going home after school? Did you stay just to tear me down?"
"You're overthinking it."
Zhao Tiantian looked at Lin Mo with a beaming smile. "The reason I didn't leave is because of Lin Mo. It has nothing to do with you."
Gu Fan: "……"
An Youyu stole a glance at Zhao Tiantian, who was chatting and laughing easily, and a wave of inferiority welled up in her heart.
Lin Mo sharply caught An Youyu's reaction, feeling somewhat helpless. In terms of looks, temperament, or academic performance, this girl could crush Zhao Tiantian in every aspect. Yet she simply lacked self-confidence and had zero self-awareness.
"Looking for me?"
Noticing the indifference in Lin Mo's tone, Zhao Tiantian's eyes dimmed, but she quickly stated her purpose. "I heard you're raising money? Can I join?"
"Of course you can."
Hearing that Zhao Tiantian had come to deliver money, Lin Mo smiled politely. "How much are you planning to invest?"
Zhao Tiantian didn't answer right away either, taking her phone out from her schoolbag. "I don't have cash. I'll transfer it via WeChat."
Lin Mo spread his hands. "Sorry, I don't have a phone. Transfer it to Gu Fan."
Zhao Tiantian looked stunned. "You don't have a phone?"
Chapter 32: I'll Take This Money!
"Plenty of people don't have phones; I'm not the only one."
Lin Mo gave Zhao Tiantian a baffled look. "Is there really any need to be this surprised?"
Zhao Tiantian frowned deeply. She had originally wanted to use the transfer as an excuse to add Lin Mo on WeChat, never expecting that Lin Mo didn't even own a phone. Just like that, her clever plan fell flat!
But she had already spoken up, so at this moment, Zhao Tiantian had no choice but to reluctantly add Gu Fan on WeChat.
Gu Fan watched the changes in Zhao Tiantian's expression and curled his lip. "Do you have to treat people so differently?"
"What different treatment?"
"You were smiling like a blooming flower just a moment ago, but now you're pulling a long face. Do I owe you money?"
"Is your mouth the only one that knows how to talk?"
Zhao Tiantian glared at Gu Fan and her fingers tapped swiftly on her screen.
"Ding—"
The funds had arrived.
Gu Fan originally wanted to snap back with a retort, but when he saw the transfer amount, his eyes popped out of his head.
"Holy crap!"
That yell was extremely loud.
Lin Mo rubbed his ears. "Everything's fine, why are you screaming like a lunatic?"
Gu Fan shoved his phone in front of Lin Mo, his face a fifty-fifty split of shock and excitement. "Look at this yourself."
Lin Mo glanced at the phone screen, then raised his head in shock to look at Zhao Tiantian.
"Ten thousand? Where'd you get so much money? And investing this much, aren't you worried about losing it?"
For a high school student with no source of income, ten thousand yuan was an absolute fortune. Looking across the entire No. 2 High School, there were very few students who could pull that out.
Zhao Tiantian put away her phone. "Don't worry, this is my New Year's money I've saved up. If it goes under..."
Her voice paused, her eyes rolling toward Lin Mo as she half-joked, "Then I'll just have to sell myself into indentured servitude!"
For a girl to say something like that to a boy—the implications were obvious.
In fact, it was true. Back during the basketball tournament, Zhao Tiantian had only felt a mild crush on Lin Mo. But after her proactive hints were ruthlessly rejected, his shadow kept popping up in her mind from time to time. Over the past two days, even she felt like she had gone a bit crazy.
That was why the scene just now had happened.
Unfortunately...
The maiden is willing, but the waters flow indifferently.
Gu Fan clicked his tongue. "Ten thousand yuan and you expect Mo-ge to sell himself? Who are you looking down on? At least add a zero to that!"
"Is adding a zero enough?"
Zhao Tiantian glanced at Lin Mo, seemingly asking for his opinion.
Seeing that Lin Mo had no intention of speaking, she abruptly pulled out her phone.
Gu Fan wore a puzzled expression. "What are you doing?"
"Transferring another ninety thousand."
"Holy shit, shit, shit!"
Gu Fan leaped up from his stool. The next second, his face was piled with ingratiating smiles. "Rich Lady Zhao, why don't you consider me? I'm very cheap—fifty thousand is fine, right up to the transfer limit. See how considerate I am?"
"Get lost!"
Zhao Tiantian spat out a single cold word.
Just as she was about to resume the transfer, Lin Mo's voice sounded.
"Ten thousand yuan is the limit. No more."
Zhao Tiantian shrugged as if nothing was wrong. "Since that's how it is, forget it."
She glanced at Lin Mo, a trace of lingering grievance in the depths of her eyes. When she reached the classroom door, she turned around, her smile carrying a hint of provocation. "I wasn't joking just now. If the stocks really do tank, don't forget to sign that indentured servitude contract with me. Of course, it'll only take effect after the college entrance exams. Right now, I'm a model student."
An Youyu kept her head down in silence, the knuckles of the fingers clutching her clothes turning slightly white.
"The parched die of thirst, while the flooded drown."
Gu Fan shook his head and sighed dramatically. "I never expected this Zhao Tiantian to be so loaded. How come I never noticed our class was hiding such a little rich girl?"
After sighing, a look of puzzlement crossed his eyes. "Mo-ge, you say Zhao Tiantian is so rich, why did she still..."
"Hiss—"
Before Gu Fan could finish, a sharp pain shot up from his foot.
He bared his teeth, drawing a sharp breath as he looked at Lin Mo with utmost grievance. "Why'd you step on me?"
Lin Mo's gaze swept over him. "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just talk nonsense! When did I ever step on you?"
Since Gu Fan was able to become the social butterfly of No. 2 High School, his ability to read the room and catch expressions was naturally not bad. Hearing this, he instantly realized his previous slip of the tongue.
"Um... I won't disturb you guys anymore."
Gu Fan gave a sheepish smile, grabbed his schoolbag, and fled as if escaping.
Lin Mo raised a hand and tapped the desk. "Come sit."
An Youyu shook her head. "No, walk me back."
"Huh?"
Lin Mo was thoroughly surprised.
This girl was actually taking the initiative to ask him to walk her home?
An Youyu raised her chin slightly, her tone carrying certainty. "Walk me home."
"Alright."
Although Lin Mo was puzzled, An Youyu's reaction was a good thing after all, so he didn't dwell on it.
Along the way, An Youyu didn't make a sound, her small steps growing faster and faster.
Such abnormal behavior made Lin Mo realize something was wrong. He quickly caught up to her. "Little Yuer, what's wrong with you?"
An Youyu kept silent, her pace accelerating once again.
This speed had already left the realm of walking and transformed into running.
Lin Mo furrowed his brow into a deep crease, but he could only quicken his pace to keep up.
"Run slower, don't trip."
The journey that usually took over ten minutes took the two of them only five or six minutes today.
Outside the gates of the residential complex.
An Youyu leaned against a willow tree, panting in small, shallow breaths, a fine layer of sweat clinging to her forehead.
Lin Mo took out a tissue and, while helping her wipe it away, asked gently, "Is something weighing on your mind?"
An Youyu snatched the tissue from Lin Mo's hand and simply shook her head.
"Then what is this about?"
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes. An Youyu's behavior was far too abnormal, and he tentatively guessed, "Is it because of me raising money to buy stocks? If you don't like it, I'll return all the money tomorrow."
"N-No."
An Youyu stared blankly at Lin Mo. Making a major decision in her heart, she pinched the hem of his shirt with two slender fingers. "Follow me."
Lin Mo was pulled into the complex by An Youyu in this adorable fashion, and in a daze, he arrived at her home.
An Youyu carried the only stool in the house over for Lin Mo. "Wait here a moment."
Then, she hurried to the bedside, dropped to the floor, and pulled a tin money can out from under the bed.
Clutching the tin can, she came before Lin Mo and squatted down under his watchful gaze, opening the tin and dumping out a pile of loose change.
Everything was there, from hundred-yuan bills down to ten-cent coins.
The next second, An Youyu pushed this pile of money toward Lin Mo's feet.
These were all her worldly possessions, and her clear eyes brimmed with nervousness. "Take all of these."
"Give them to me?"
Lin Mo was both surprised and baffled. "Why give them to me?"
An Youyu's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "Can you… not sign that indentured servitude contract with Zhao Tiantian?"
An Youyu supported herself with both hands on the floor, her school trousers rolled up slightly to reveal a section of slender, white jade-like legs whose fairness rivaled top-tier mutton-fat jade.
She looked up at Lin Mo with pleading eyes, abasing herself into the humble dust.
At that moment, the hairs on Lin Mo's body stood on end. His hands trembled as he scooped up some of the loose change, masking the raging turbulent waves beneath his forced calm expression.
After a long while, his voice sounded softly, "I'll take this money!"
Chapter 33: Conquering Virtue with Virtue
The bright moonlight flooded the ground.
Outside the complex, beside the willow tree.
Lin Mo squatted in front of An Youyu, pulling down her rolled-up school trousers to cover that patch of fair, tender leg.
An Youyu turned her pretty head away, her eyes dotted with shyness as two crescent moons echoed the distant twinkling stars in the night sky.
Lin Mo brushed the dust off the girl's shoes. The moment he raised his head, he saw the moon, and he saw An Youyu beneath the moon.
The dense stars were beautiful.
The girl who stirred up that pool of starlight was even more so!
"Don't open the door for strangers."
Under the gaze of Lin Mo's deep eyes, An Youyu clasped her little hands behind her back. "You... said so. I remember."
Lin Mo picked up the tin can from beside his feet. As he stood up, his perspective shifted from looking up to looking down.
Yet no matter how the perspective changed, he couldn't find a single flaw on An Youyu.
This girl was like heaven's most flawless masterpiece.
An Youyu tugged at Lin Mo's sleeve, anxiety in her eyes. "Don't forget what you promised. I'll go earn money on Saturday and Sunday."
The word "earn money" made the emotional defenses Lin Mo had just recovered collapse all over again.
He bent down, moving close to An Youyu until their faces were less than a foot apart, their exhaled breaths mingling in the air.
The temperature on An Youyu's face shot up instantly, and she took a step back.
Just as she made a move, Lin Mo's voice rang in her ear.
"Don't you dare dodge."
"It's, it's too close..."
The tip of An Youyu's left foot propped against the bluestone bricks on the ground. A cool evening breeze rode in on the clouds, swaying wisps of dark hair and radiating gentleness.
Lin Mo flicked the tip of An Youyu's nose. "Silly girl, stop letting your imagination run wild. We're just classmates and good friends—at least we'll keep that relationship until the college entrance exams."
An Youyu understood the deeper meaning behind Lin Mo's words, and instantly grabbed tighter. "Wait."
Lin Mo stopped his raising foot, his smile laced with teasing. "Can't bear to let me go?"
"No."
An Youyu turned her head away shyly. "Yesterday, you lied."
Such soft, delicate resentment was heart-stirring.
Lin Mo scratched his head, pretending not to understand. "Nonsense, I never lie."
Suddenly he let out an "Ouch," clutching his stomach and frowning. "Stomach hurts, going home first."
With that, he turned and ran off.
"Huh?"
An Youyu stamped her foot. "He's lying again..."
Being pure and being foolish were two different things.
After running a long way, Lin Mo turned back and waved. "Little Yuer, see you tomorrow."
An Youyu stood in a daze. It wasn't until Lin Mo's figure disappeared completely at the end of the road that her gaze finally refocused.
"See you tomorrow."
In that soft whisper, there was an extra hint of anticipation that even she hadn't noticed.
……
"Click—"
Lin Mo crept cautiously into his apartment, his peeking, scouting posture betraying a sense of guilt.
As he walked down the corridor, the pitch-black living room flashed brightly.
The sudden change scared Lin Mo into a start.
Lin Shu leaned against the wall. "Still remember how to come home, huh? The way I see it, you might as well not come back at all."
"I didn't want to come back either, but unfortunately nobody else would take me in..."
"Huh?"
"Ahem!"
Lin Mo put on a flattering expression. "Mom, is there any food left?"