The school was only two or three kilometers from home.

Not far, really—but under the scorching summer sun, even that short distance felt exhausting.

Xu Musen knew that if he had just apologized earlier, he might be sitting in Yao Mingyue’s BMW right now, enjoying the cool embrace of the air conditioning.

But at this moment, the sweltering heat felt more like a breath of long-lost freedom.

Humming a tune, he made his way home.

The neighborhood was a mix of villas and mid-rise apartments.

Once upon a time, the Xu and Yao families had been neighbors in the villa district. Not only were they close in proximity, but they had also been business partners.

However, in their final year of elementary school, tragedy struck.

Xu Musen’s father and Yao Mingyue’s father were involved in a car accident on their way to a business meeting.

Yao’s father succumbed to his injuries. Xu’s father survived but was left with lasting damage—his legs never fully recovered.

To make matters worse, the accident had cost both families a lucrative contract, and they suffered heavy financial losses.

Out of guilt, Xu’s father refused to accept any compensation for his injuries, leaving it all to Yao Mingyue’s mother and daughter.

That accident was the beginning of a downward spiral for both families.

The Yao family, with the help of the compensation money, slowly regained their footing. But the Xu family… they only kept falling.

At one point, Yao Mingyue’s mother even tried to lend a hand, but Xu’s father, burdened by guilt, refused her help.

Besides, in business, people only help in times of crisis, not in times of poverty. They had no choice but to weather the storm alone.

It might have worked out—until Xu’s father was deceived by a business partner who ran off with their last remaining investment.

That was the final blow. The Xu family never recovered.

Money. It always came down to money.

Xu Musen let out a slow breath. Now that fate had given him a second chance, he would never let history repeat itself.

He had to make money.

Glancing at the time, he realized the world was already shifting toward the internet age. Smartphones were gaining traction, and in the next twenty years, the digital revolution would change everything.

His mind was overflowing with business ideas, but no matter what he wanted to do, he needed startup capital.

He reached into his pocket.

Twenty yuan and fifty cents.

He still needed to buy breakfast tomorrow.

He did know a thing or two about stocks, but with this kind of money, he didn’t even qualify as cannon fodder.

What, did he think he could turn twenty bucks into twenty-five million overnight?

As for gambling or the lottery, he scoffed. The whole system was rigged—what was the point?

Sure, there were long-term investments, like cryptocurrencies that would explode in value years down the line. He could buy some now and cash out before the market crashed.

But waiting years for a return? That was a waste of a second life.

It was frustrating.

As he approached home, his gaze swept over the mid-rise apartments.

His family had once owned a villa here, right next to the Yao family’s. But when money got tight, they had to sell it and move into this smaller place.

And even this home… wouldn’t last through the next crisis.

Xu Musen sighed before pulling out his keys and stepping inside.

The air was rich with the scent of home-cooked food.

In the living room, Xu Bianjun sat with a cigarette between his lips, his eyes glued to the financial newspaper, as if hoping to unearth some hidden formula for wealth.

“Dad, Mom, I’m home,” Xu Musen called out, his voice trembling slightly.

No matter how bad things had gotten before, at this moment, his family was still whole. His parents were still young, their faces not yet worn by hardship.

His father looked up, gave a small nod, and went back to reading.

“Wash your hands and get ready to eat!”

His mother’s familiar voice rang out from the kitchen, bright and full of life.

How long had it been since he had heard that?

Stepping into the kitchen, he saw her busy at the stove, finishing up the meal.

Two vegetable dishes, one plate of braised ribs.

Even when times were tough, his parents had never let him go hungry.

He had been growing, after all. They would rather sacrifice their own comfort than let him miss a meal.

“Mom, you’ve worked hard,” he said, staring at her face—still smooth, not yet lined with worry.

His mother gave him a suspicious look. “What’s with the sweet talk today? If you’re trying to get more allowance, forget it.”

Xu Musen laughed. “Can’t I just be grateful?”

“Then take these plates to the table and stop getting in my way.”

“Got it!”

As he carried the dishes out, he couldn’t help but smile.

Being nagged by his mom—it was a kind of happiness he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Dinner was warm, filled with easy conversation.

“Eat more, Dad, Mom.”

He placed some ribs onto their plates.

His parents exchanged a glance before looking at him with mild suspicion.

“This is for you,” his mom said. “We don’t eat much meat at night.”

Xu Musen chuckled. “You both look skinnier than me. You need to take care of yourselves, too.”

His father and mother fell silent for a moment. Then his mother smiled, a little touched, a little sad.

“Foolish child. No matter what happens, we’ll always make sure you eat well. Now focus on your food.”

Xu Musen’s heart clenched. Only after growing up had he realized—when parents said they didn’t like eating meat, when they claimed to prefer fish heads, it was never about taste.

It was always about making sure their children had enough.

Back then, he had been too preoccupied with chasing Yao Mingyue to notice.

“Dad, Mom,” he said seriously. “I wasn’t mature before. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”

They exchanged another glance before nodding.

“Which is why,” he added, “I need some money to start a business.”

Their chopsticks froze mid-air.

His mother smiled—one of those tight, knowing smiles. “Oh? And how much are we talking about?”

“As much as possible! Ten, twenty thousand, even more! I promise I’ll triple it!”

He was already thinking of a few promising stocks.

His mother nodded thoughtfully. Then, pointing toward the balcony, she said, “Check the cabinet over there. We should still have some leftover paper money from your grandparents’ last offering. Take a few hundred billion.”

Xu Mussen: …

“Mom, are you kidding me?”

“No, you’re the one joking,” she snorted. “Even if we had that kind of money, it’d be for your college tuition and future wedding.”

His father chuckled. “Forget business. Just focus on school. Leave the family’s finances to us.”

Xu Musen sighed.

You can’t build without bricks.

Meanwhile, just a few hundred meters away, in the villa district…

Yao Mingyue lounged on a plush sofa, the refined elegance of her surroundings perfectly complementing her.

Draped in silk pajamas, her slender arms and long, delicate legs were exposed to the cool evening air.

Her skin was flawless—smooth and luminous, like milk poured over the moon. Her curves were graceful, subtle yet undeniably alluring.

Eighteen years old.

And already, she was leagues ahead of her peers in beauty and charm.

Her bare feet swayed absently, each tiny toe glistening like pearls, soft and inviting.

Yet her breathtaking face was cold and unreadable.

She stared at her phone, waiting.

Waiting for the familiar notification sound.

But it never came.

Since she got home, her phone had remained silent.

The usual flood of messages—the ones she had grown accustomed to—were nowhere to be seen.

Her fingers tightened around the device, her irritation growing.

She never knew waiting for someone’s message could be this infuriating.