Chapter 51 Back home, Lu Xiao...

When they got home, Lu Xiao took off her and Dou Dou's coats and scarves and hung them on the coat rack. She took his hand and led him inside, asking, "Dou Dou, tell Mommy why you've been looking so down since you came back from kindergarten?"

DouDou didn't say anything, she just looked down at the floor.

Lu Xiao stopped and half-squatted down to look at Dou Dou. Seeing his pouting expression, she knew something must have happened at kindergarten that made him unhappy.

She gently touched DouDou's tender cheeks, which looked so soft they seemed to drip with moisture: "Do you know what you look like right now? Like an angry peach."

A juicy peach, in an attempt to ward off bad things, erects a barrier that it thinks will protect it from the outside world. But this barrier is actually soft and sticky, and it can't prick anyone at all.

DouDou finally looked up, and said with a little emotion, "XiaoWen, who plays with me, had a magic cloak that his mother bought for him when she came back from Paris. It's been dangling in front of me the whole time. Mom, I want one too."

This is enough to make Dou Dou keep a long face the whole way. You have to admit, kids' emotions are quite amusing. "Magic cloak, Mom, let me see how much it costs." When she picked Dou Dou up, she saw Xiao Wen say goodbye to Dou Dou, so she naturally remembered the cloak he was wearing. She took out her phone and searched for it, and was a little surprised when she saw it. "Oh my, Dou Dou's cloak is quite expensive, it costs almost four thousand."

DouDou tugged at Lu Xiao's clothes, gently shaking them, and pleaded, "Mom, four thousand isn't much, can you buy me one?"

Lu Xiao looked at Dou Dou, who was pinching her clothes and acting coquettishly, and knew that this was the competitive spirit between children. The child himself probably did not realize that he did not really like that cloak and insisted on having it. Rather, this kind of behavior occurs more or less in people of a certain age.

She gently stroked DouDou's nose with her finger, her tone devoid of any reproach: "You little rascal, you don't earn any money, do you even know how much four thousand yuan is?"

DouDou blinked her big eyes: "It's four thousand yuan."

Look how easily four thousand yuan came out of the child's mouth. Although four thousand yuan is not much for her, who lives in a mansion worth tens of millions, it's like a tickle. But at this moment, she realized that DouDou seemed to have no concept of money.

Lu Xiao said, "Dou Dou, you can draw, right? Mom will give you two thousand yuan as start-up capital. You can use the remaining two thousand yuan to draw for people in the park near us, okay?"

DouDou asked, "How long will it take me to draw?"

Shen Nanfeng had just taken off his coat after getting off work when he heard them talking in the living room. They weren't far apart. Looking at the two figures, one big and one small, in the living room, his originally cold and sharp eyes softened instantly. "Did I miss something interesting?"

Lu Xiao looked at Shen Nanfeng walking over and briefly recounted the story: "He wanted to buy a cloak for four thousand yuan, so I told him to go to the park near us to paint for people when he had time, and earn the money to buy it himself."

"It's only four thousand yuan, why don't you buy it for him? It's not like our family can't afford it." He touched Dou Dou's hair, and Dou Dou probably felt a little itchy and pulled back. Shen Nanfeng thought that he was too busy with work all day and rarely had time alone with Dou Dou, so he had become estranged from him and was a little resistant. He withdrew his hand and moved his lips, "Dou Dou, if Mommy won't pay for it, Daddy will."

Before Dou Dou could answer, Lu Xiao took out a beautiful gift box from her bag. "Dou Dou, come here. This is a jigsaw puzzle that your godmother Shi Yu brought you from abroad. It features your favorite cartoon character. Go to your room and put it together yourself."

DouDou's attention was quickly drawn to the cartoon characters on it. "Mom, this puzzle seems a bit difficult. I'm afraid I won't be able to put it together."

Lu Xiao noticed this when she helped Dou Dou build the house last time. Dou Dou likes to deny herself before she even starts doing something. She doesn't know where she went wrong in her parenting. Now she can only encourage her more and hope it will work. "Mom believes in you. You were able to complete such a difficult puzzle in the maze by yourself last time. Our Dou Dou is so great."

She had read a parenting book that said that when praising a child, you must be specific and not cast a wide net. Children are very sensitive; they can glean your meaning from your expressions, words, and actions. Praise must be sincere.

DouDou held the puzzle piece, which was half his height, and nodded vigorously: "Okay, Mom, can you tell me the story I didn't finish yesterday before bed tonight?"

It seems that encouragement and education are quite effective. Lu Xiao was very satisfied. "Of course, go ahead."

After getting the promise she wanted, DouDou hugged the puzzle and ran upstairs.

Looking at Dou Dou's tiny figure, Shen Nanfeng brought up the previous topic again, as if making conversation out of boredom, "He's only a few years old, if he likes it, just buy it for him."

Lu Xiao stood up: "Do you know why I didn't answer you?"

The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling above shimmered and sparkled in the light refracted through the window.

Lu Xiao looked directly at him, and the shimmering light reflected in her eyes, shining brightly and calmly.

"He is still young and has no concept of money. As parents, we should set a good example for him and not make his concept of money vague. As long as he has done something, he will have a scale in his heart and a standard of judgment. The concept of money should be cultivated from childhood. Being young is not an excuse."

Shen Nanfeng also stared at the other person. This scene seemed to bring back that day, when the two of them were arguing endlessly, only the difference was that it was daytime and nighttime.

"No, it's just four thousand yuan, you wouldn't give me the cold shoulder over this again, would you?" he boldly guessed.

“It’s not that it’s impossible,” Lu Xiao emphasized, “but next time I’m disciplining my child, could you please show me some respect?”

“I feel that ever since…” Speaking of this, Shen Nanfeng was actually a little afraid, afraid that the relationship between the two of them, which had finally eased up, would suddenly turn into a freezing point again because of him. The more composed he was in court, the more flustered he was at this moment. He could only say it in a roundabout way, “Ever since I asked you to resign and stay home to take care of Dou Dou, you have changed and become less and less like the person you used to be.”

It would have been better if Shen Nanfeng hadn't brought this up with her, because the moment he did, it immediately triggered a nerve in her head.

“In my twenty-six years of life, I have already yielded to my father. I don’t want to yield to a second man. Can you understand how I feel? Probably not. No one can truly put themselves in another’s shoes and think from their perspective. We are all human, and we all have selfish desires. Even you, as a judge, cannot do that. That is what hurts and disappoints me the most.”

Faced with such accusations, Shen Nanfeng sighed, his voice low and weary, "Xiao Xiao, I'm not a saint like Confucius. Don't you think your expectations of me are too high? Just because I'm a judge doesn't mean you can expect me to be completely impartial and not tolerate any flaws. I'm human too, and I make mistakes. That's perfectly normal."

Lu Xiao felt that he didn't understand what she cared about at all. Looking at him with bright eyes, she said, "You can't understand what being a full-time mom means to me. It's not about the halo and honor, but about the constraints. It will be extremely difficult for me to return to the workforce. I always have a sign that says 'full-time mom' above my head. No matter how excellent my education or abilities are, this sign is not a stepping stone for me, but a deadly collar."

She spoke much more slowly than before, less urgently, "I really love my job, just as you love being a judge. I can find my own meaning in this job. Although the job may not always be enjoyable, at least I can feel my own kind of joy, which is my own."

She took a deep breath: "Yes, with your salary you can support me and this family, but I don't want to hear you say that I'm the one supporting you in the future."

This is what Lu Xiao cares about most. Although she appears to be gentle and weak, she is actually very similar to Huang Shiyu deep down. They are both very competitive and would never think of lowering themselves to others.

Having said what she had been wanting to say all along, she didn't feel relieved or relaxed at this moment. After all, their views were like a thorn stuck in her skin, and even though they had all been pulled out at once, the bleeding hole was still there and hadn't been resolved.

Lu Xiao curled her fingers: "I don't think we can discuss this issue. I'm sure I'll be the one who goes crazy first between us."

Shen Nanfeng was taken aback: "You really think of me like that? My God... Lu Xiao... you actually think of me like that."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze fell on Lu Xiao's curled-up hands, and Shen Nanfeng's heart clenched. "Okay, I was a bit too hasty before and didn't consider your concerns from your perspective. That was definitely my fault. I'm sitting here today to tell you that after I finish the cases I have, I'll apply to the court for a break. I feel like I should do something. I feel like I haven't spent enough time with Dou Dou, and he's become a bit distant with me. But of course, I hope he can be closer to you."

“I didn’t understand you before, but now I want to try to understand you, to support you, and to support your work,” he said earnestly.

Lu Xiao was truly surprised by Shen Nanfeng's change in attitude. In Lu Xiao's eyes, Shen Nanfeng was a rather chauvinistic man, but he only showed this chauvinism in certain aspects. At other times, he was a very good husband, devoted to his wife and children, family-oriented, and not interested in other women.

At this moment, Lu Xiao felt like she was dreaming. Everything seemed to have been reconciled. Things she hadn't noticed before, she couldn't help but notice now. She saw that Shen Nanfeng was carrying an orange bag. She knew the brand without even looking at the tag. She asked, "What bag did you buy?"

Shen Nanfeng's smile lingered in his heart before finally appearing in his eyes. He shook the bag in his hand and said, "Great, our conversation has finally come to this point. All my research has paid off."

The two sat in the living room. Shen Nanfeng watched as she lowered her eyes, first unwrapping the ribbon, then opening the gift box. What Shen Nanfeng gave her was a smoky pearl gradient bag, the pattern on the bag resembling the marks left by snow, quite distinctive.

Although Lu Xiao guessed what kind of bag it was, her eyes still lit up when she saw the actual item. This subtle change did not escape Judge Shen's sharp eyes, and his smile widened.

Lu Xiao reached out and gently touched the bag. Although she clearly loved it, she still emphasized, "The bag is very pretty, and I like it very much too. But don't buy it again next time. What will Dou Dou do when she goes to school, goes to college, and buys a house after spending all the money?"

Shen Nanfeng looked unconcerned and grabbed her wrist. "You're going to start a company with Huang Shiyu. You'll be a major shareholder in the future. This money is like a tickle to you. I need to hurry up and cling to the thigh of my future rich wife."

Lu Xiao smiled and poked his hand. "Dou Dou is going to be in first grade soon. It's time to choose a school. Do you know Chengxin School?"

Shen Nanfeng met Lu Xiaorun's jade-like gaze and nodded, "I've heard of it, a school with a tuition of one million a year. You want Dou Dou to go to this school?"

"Well, but money alone isn't enough; you also need connections."

Just as Shen Nanfeng had thought, Lu Xiao's question to him indicated that she was determined to send Dou Dou to this elementary school. He had heard about Chengxin School from his colleagues, who all had children. In addition to the annual tuition of one million yuan, students had to pass an interview to be admitted. Passing the interview referred to both the parents and the child. After passing the interview, students also had to purchase interest-free bonds from the school, which amounted to several million yuan.

Shen Nanfeng was somewhat disdainful of these unorthodox methods of making money, but he never expected Lu Xiao to get involved.

He frowned and said, "Schools like this are built on the reputation of their parents; how can their atmosphere be good?"

Lu Xiao didn't deny that it relied on the parents' reputation, but she had her own considerations: "The value and connections behind it are the most important things, and you can't measure them by ordinary standards."

Shen Nanfeng didn't want to ruin the relationship that had just been eased, so she changed the subject, "Okay, we can discuss this later. Dou Dou is only in kindergarten, there's no rush."

Lu Xiao was about to say something more when Shen Nanfeng spotted Huang Shiyu in the entryway. He wasn't surprised at all that Huang Shiyu was there, as the front door had recorded her facial recognition.

He reminded Lu Xiao, "Your twin sister is here."

Taking advantage of Lu Xiao's distraction, he said, "I'll go get you some drinks."

He asked Huang Shiyu, who was walking over, "What would you like to drink?"

Huang Shiyu glanced at an exquisite wooden box on the cabinet, then said to Shen Nanfeng, "Pu'er tea."

Shen Nanfeng raised an eyebrow at this and said half-jokingly, "Shiyu has a good eye. Of all the teas I have, only this Pu'er, which I collect, caught her eye. It's really a good deal."

"When it comes to investments," Lu Xiao said, looking at Huang Shiyu with a proud tone, "our Shiyu has never been bad at making investments."

"No, I've only heard a little about it," Huang Shiyu said modestly.

In fact, Huang Shiyu was well-versed in this matter, far from having only heard of it.

Speed ​​Technology's rise from a small workshop-style game company to a rising star in the gaming industry can be attributed not only to Song Chaoye, an algorithm guru, but also to Huang Shiyu, who handled all the business negotiations and collaborations.

At first, Huang Shiyu couldn't close a deal smoothly just by drinking a few drinks. She often drank until she vomited, forcing herself to keep drinking, and still faced all sorts of disdain from the business partners. This kind of thing was common for her, but there was nothing she could do. For the sake of the company, she could only smile and endure the discrimination at the dinner table. In the business world, many people felt that doing business with women was unreliable. Only when a woman possessed a high alcohol tolerance, ability, and boldness would they realize that she was more than just a water buffalo.

In order to secure a big deal, Huang Shiyu inquired about the boss's preferences from various sources. She learned that he loved Pu'er tea, especially ripe Pu'er tea. She traveled thousands of miles to the tea mountains to learn about the tea forest's growing environment, the tea-making process, and the tea ceremony. After mastering these theoretical knowledge, she would occasionally, intentionally or unintentionally, reveal to the boss during dinner conversations that she was also a Pu'er ripe tea enthusiast.

Then, through this gradual process, they used the method of slowly boiling a frog in water to slowly crack this tough nut. Thanks to this big deal, Speed ​​Technology eventually secured a place among the top ten in game revenue that year. It's worth noting that at the time, the top nine were all companies backed by large groups, and Speed ​​Technology emerged into the public eye like a rising dark horse.

After Shen Nanfeng left, Lu Xiao patted the seat next to her and beckoned Huang Shiyu to come and sit down. "Are you hungry? Is airplane food really that bad? Do you want to eat something?"

She smiled at Lu Xiao's three consecutive questions and pointed to the food on the table, "Aren't you the one who hates it most when others eat this junk food?"

"I actually find burgers and fries quite delicious when I eat them occasionally." After saying that, as if to prove it, she took a fries with ketchup, put it in her mouth, and chewed it.

Huang Shiyu sat down to her left. The sweater she was wearing looked very familiar to Lu Xiao. It was a matching outfit that she had bought for Huang Shiyu. Shen Nanfeng had even been jealous of her because of this. However, this sweater had been bought a few years ago. Her own was now at the bottom of her drawer. Huang Shiyu's sweater, under the sunlight, looked almost like the first time she had seen it. It looked fresh, except that there were a few blades of grass stuck to the hem.

"Does this kind of grass still exist in Toronto?" she asked.

Huang Shiyu followed her gaze and saw a few blades of grass. She twirled the grass between her fingers, her voice surprisingly low, as if she were talking to herself, "I came from my home, I came from Dongjia County."

Lu Xiao was sitting next to her and naturally heard everything clearly. Her eyes trembled for a moment. "Won't it be too cold if you wear so little?"

"Your grandparents will worry."

"No, I even wore thermal underwear on, aren't I smart?" In the end, she threw the few blades of grass into the trash can next to her.

She said to herself.

Keep moving forward, keep looking ahead, and don't look back.

Let bygones be bygones.

Not looking back is not about despairing of the past, but about finding that when you look back one day, you are no longer powerless and helpless, but have the courage to brave the winds and waves.

"Shigure, you're amazing. Congratulations on overcoming and saving yourself."

Lu Xiao gently hugged her.

Huang Shiyu rested his chin on her shoulder, his gaze fixed on a point outside the window. "To be honest, I really didn't expect that I could face all of this so calmly now. I feel very relaxed."

At the same time, Li Xingzhou, who was in the car outside the window, opened the car door and got out. Suddenly, his eyes met Huang Shiyu's.

Their eyes were fixed on that spot, frozen in place.

It was as if they hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

It was Lu Xiao's voice that shattered the stillness of the scene.

She patted Huang Shiyu on the shoulder: "The best way to solve a problem is to face it calmly. Otherwise, it's just like the trivial matters in life, which are really frustrating."

Just as Lu Xiaogang finished comforting Huang Shiyu, Shen Nanfeng brought over two cups of drinks, saying, "Here, be careful, they're hot."

Huang Shiyu took it, took a sip, and said, "Thank you, it tastes very good."

Shen Nanfeng said, "You sisters can eat and chat first, and I'll have the aunt prepare the food."

Huang Shiyu wanted to say no, she had only come to see Lu Xiao.

Before she could refuse, Lu Xiao directly instructed Shen Nanfeng, "When Auntie is cooking, make a bowl of seafood noodle soup."

It's a joy to know that my preferences have been remembered, even though I've traveled a long and arduous journey.

"Have you two made up again?"

"Pretty much, but don't judge me." She turned her head, paused, and blinked. She almost stopped talking when she saw Li Xingzhou outside the window. She pouted, a little jealous. "You two went together? I didn't know you two were so close."

It's obvious that the two went together; otherwise, Li Xingzhou wouldn't have been able to enter her residential area without permission.

"We bumped into each other on the way," Huang Shiyu said, using a more tactful word.

"Yesterday, or today?"

"I just went to Dongjia County today."

"The first thing you did after landing was to call me and let me know you were safe. You little ingrate." Although she said this, Lu Xiao's tone was very gentle, almost like she was teasing her.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I'll do it next time." She admitted her mistake very quickly.

"This will not be repeated."

After Lu Xiao finished speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Her gaze fell on Huang Shiyu's face, which was glowing white in the sunlight. She looked at her and smiled quietly. Her weariness was so obvious, but she felt as if Huang Shiyu was a plum blossom that bloomed proudly against the wind and snow in winter, bright and moving.

Suddenly she remembered a poem she had once learned that was very suitable for Huang Shiyu.

I've been under the weight of wind and snow for two or three years, but I laugh as the wind blows lightly and the snow falls like cotton.

"The job seekers' resumes are all in my email; I'll send them to you later."

Huang Shiyu responded with an "okay".

During her few days in Toronto, the evaluation process for her project was completed. The Sunac team was also incredibly efficient, quickly drafting the agreement. Huang Shiyu had to admit that Sunac's investment team was very professional, providing a complete one-stop service. By the time she returned, the company had already entered the renovation phase, so she quickly asked Lu Xiao to post relevant job information, hoping to take advantage of the period after the New Year to recruit as many people who might slip through her net as possible.

"When will we start construction?" Lu Xiao asked.

"We can start after the New Year. We'll look for good quality fish fry then and try to catch them all in one go."

After answering Lu Xiao's question, she glanced at the time on the wall, then reached for the remote control on the table and turned on the TV. At this time, she was usually working and would take a break to watch some financial news.

When Lu Xiao saw Huang Shiyu turn on the financial channel, she paused, holding her cup. She truly believed that Huang Shiyu was an absolute workaholic, constantly paying attention to industry company projects and recent hot topics, as if her life consisted only of these things, and this was her daily routine.

The news anchor's voice on TV was sweet and smooth, and the cold, hard numbers she read made people want to pay more attention. Listening to this voice, Lu Xiao started chatting with Huang Shiyu about another topic, "If you had accepted that five million dollars back then, wouldn't you be living a life of collecting rent now?"

Five million US dollars. When Huang Shiyu heard this, she thought of Zhang Jingyan. When this person was suddenly mentioned, she was a little blank for a moment. After thinking for a while, she said, "Maybe. But life has many turning points. Once you make a choice at each point, you should be prepared to go all out. But it's not necessarily true that you can do well at every stage. Just do your best at each stage."

Lu Xiao took a sip of water slowly: "That sounds really interesting."

On television, the anchor clearly stated that a business competition on artificial intelligence would be held in Shanghai on April 25th. The organizers hoped that participating companies could make new breakthroughs in AI healthcare and that Chinese AI healthcare could be exported overseas. Therefore, in addition to the trophy, the company that won first place in the competition would also receive a prize of ten million yuan from the organizers.

She stared at the news for a long time before replying: "To be honest, I've already tried being in that position, and it's hard to convince myself to live a comfortable life. I still prefer the feeling of opening blind boxes every day, not knowing when something will fall from the sky. It seems that human nature is still more prone to self-destruction."

Lu Xiao suddenly realized that Huang Shiyu actually had a good sense of humor.

Another news report came on TV: the stock market was volatile today, mainly due to the sharp drop in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect shares. Several media outlets reported that the poisoning incident involving the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect years ago was not an accident, but rather a premeditated act. The official response to the resurfacing of the poisoning incident was that the relevant matters still need to be verified, as the case was closed many years ago. However, the sheer volume of these reports is overwhelming, and whether the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect can stage a comeback remains to be seen.

Lu Xiao's hand holding the cup paused, or rather, froze. "No way, this is so unlucky."

"Then the five million I told you to buy, won't that be a complete loss?" She couldn't help but shudder, her voice slightly unsteady, "Oh dear, it's all my fault, all the money I saved for DouDou's wedding is gone."

Huang Shiyu didn't speak, but looked at Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao continued rambling on, "If only I had listened to you back then! Not only did I not listen, but I also encouraged you to keep buying stocks. Now it's all over, we've lost everything."

Judging from her expression, Huang Shiyu guessed that she must have cast quite a few votes, perhaps even more than her. "Is it really as bad as you say?"

"Not yet?!" Lu Xiao put the cup on the table, intending to explain to her how serious this matter was. But when she turned her head, she saw Huang Shiyu leisurely and unhurriedly changing to a variety show. She sensed something was wrong. Huang Shiyu was very sensitive to numbers, to the point that she was obsessed with money. If she was charged an extra penny, she would definitely ask her what that penny was used for. It was impossible for her to be so leisurely and elegant as to watch a variety show.

"No, why are you so calm? This is very strange. Are you hiding something from me?"

If there hadn't been someone outside the window, she almost wouldn't have been able to resist rushing to Huang Shiyu to get to the bottom of things. She could only think of one possibility: "Did Li Xingzhou tell you some inside information?"

Hearing her mention this person, she glanced out the window. Li Xingzhou had his head down and was texting someone, but from her angle, she could vaguely see the corners of Li Xingzhou's mouth trembling slightly upwards.

Judging from the looks of it, they were having a pleasant chat with someone.

She said to Lu Xiao, "It's good enough that he didn't harm me. That guy is as stubborn as a rock, you can't pry him open."

This is the truth. Li Xingzhou has never revealed a single thing to her. She has asked twice, but he has not told her a single thing.

"So, our money is like this," Lu Xiao gestured dramatically, "or like this?"

She readily bent her index finger and gently rubbed it against Lu Xiao's forehead, the movement as light as a feather brushing the surface of water. "Assessing risk is a sensitivity that every finance professional must have. Lu Xiao, you've forgotten everything you learned."

The stock market is not necessarily about who pours in more money or who holds more shares; rather, it prioritizes stock-picking ability, followed by investment ability.

At the time, she did not adopt Lu Xiao's suggestion to invest another five million. Although it is often said that high returns are usually accompanied by high risks, this is obviously not applicable to the stock market.

Every time Huang Shiyu invests in stocks, she considers herself a shareholder of the company. She believes that only by placing herself at the level of the boss will she think about how to manage the stock and how to use it to generate higher income.

Therefore, regarding Lu Xiao's suggestion to increase her holdings, she felt that Lu Xiao was confused and lacked the resolve to resist the surge in Shenzhen and Hong Kong stocks. This is a common problem among many stock investors: they rush to sell at a lower price when stocks fall and buy back at several times the price when stocks rise. The difference is that they are sad when stocks fall and happy when stocks rise.

Huang Shiyu never understood why the principles of stocks are not the same as those of discounted items in supermarkets. She was actually quite happy when stocks dropped because she would target good companies and buy them at low prices, provided that she was targeting good companies and looking at them with a long-term development perspective.

Besides using her money to buy gold to combat inflation, she also uses this method to make money in the long term, and then repeats the cycle endlessly.

Lu Xiao reached out and touched the spot where Huang Shiyu had just tapped her. It didn't hurt; instead, it was a little itchy. She smiled slightly at Huang Shiyu and said, "Oh dear, although I majored in finance in college, you have to allow for people who aren't very skilled. Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me how to break this deadlock."

Huang Shiyu shook his head and said, "There is no way to break the deadlock. There are people manipulating the stock market of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect. I am just trying to recover some losses."

She looked at Lu Xiao's face for a while and then told her about what happened that day.

Two weeks before the stock market turmoil at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, she met with traders from her management team at a coffee shop in Vancouver to discuss matters related to Shenzhen-Hong Kong stocks.

There was a stack of documents on the table. The two people opposite Huang Shiyu quickly flipped through them, closed the document, looked at each other, and frowned.

Huang Shiyu took in the expressions of the two men, stirred his coffee, took a sip, and asked, "How's the deal I asked you to handle going?"

The two people opposite her understood what she meant. Among them, the trader she hired had a more radical idea and said directly, "Isn't this approach too radical? As far as I know, many people are optimistic about the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Exchange Group's stock market performance this time, and many have also contacted our company team to develop plans. Their original intention is to make a lot of money."

Huang Shiyu put down his coffee cup, looked up at the trader, and asked instead of answering, "Is there a problem?"

The trader stuck to his opinion, and his assistant tried to stop him but failed. "If you were looking for a safer option, you should have stopped trading the moment I told you that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Exchange would fall."

Huang Shiyu tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and leaned forward, saying, "The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Exchange Group's stock price will fall, but not now. It can continue to rise. Next time, I'll make a more accurate prediction."

Perhaps because it was the first time his professionalism had been questioned, the trader's tone wasn't very friendly. "I also hope you understand that I'm doing this to protect my reputation and my job. A single failed trade could cost me dearly."

After he finished speaking, his assistant apologized to Huang Shiyu several times.

Huang Shiyu glanced at the assistant, smiled at him to indicate that everything was alright, and then said to the obviously unconvinced trader without changing his expression, "Haven't you heard the rumors about me? My decisive and efficient methods in public."

She emphasized this sentence specifically for the two people opposite her, saying that she was the employer and that those who were paid to do things should not have too many of their own ideas.

She tapped her finger lightly on the stack of documents, which clearly stated that, in addition to holding shares, she would sell her shares in Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group for 200 yuan per share.

Not now, but two weeks from now.

The stock price of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group is still rising steadily in the stock market. It would indeed seem foolish for her to choose to sell at this time. However, what displeased the traders was not this. It was that she clearly had great ambitions and wanted to make a big profit. Why did she choose to sell at this time? In two weeks, the stock price would rise by more than 200 yuan per share. If she was afraid of a drop and wanted to cut her losses, she shouldn't have done it in this way. But before he could figure it out, Huang Shiyu spoke up again.

She emphasized, "Just do as I say and wait."

"Let me process this; there's a lot of information here." She knew Huang Shiyu was quite skilled at stock trading, but she hadn't expected him to be so daring.

It's obvious that she knew why Huang Shiyu did this. Judging from the stocks Huang Shiyu held, she was actually anticipating that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group stock would fall later, but she didn't know when it would fall. However, she used this method to hedge against a portion of the falling stock price, and she also earned the premium. If the stock price went up later, she could exercise the option and sell it at a much higher price, so she would not suffer any loss.

She once again looked at Huang Shiyu with new respect.

Lu Xiao patted her on the shoulder and exclaimed in admiration, "You've been hiding your true abilities!"

Looking back on the anonymous user's message to her, Huang Shiyu is grateful that it was that message that woke her up. Fortunately, she understood the deeper meaning behind it, otherwise her money would have been lost.

Huang Shiyu simply smiled at her praise: "Not really. I did some research on what happened to Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group over the past few years, and I came across an article about the poisoning incident involving the group. But it was so old that this was the only one I found. I deduced that the person behind it all wanted to manipulate the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group's stock market, so they would definitely start from here." As she said this, she felt inexplicably uneasy. "Sure enough, it's just that this feeling of not being able to figure things out makes me very angry. I can't see what the person behind it is up to."

Huang Shiyu is actually quite a scary person. He is cautious and meticulous, and he can see the details in everything. If you are in an enemy relationship with someone like him, he will be a very difficult person to deal with.

"I knew you had a great eye for talent."

"Aren't you afraid I'm lying to you?" Huang Shiyu suddenly asked.

Lu Xiao chuckled: "You wouldn't, you're not that kind of person."

She's not stupid; she can tell whether someone is lying or not.

"You know me so well?" Huang Shiyu smiled as well.

Lu Xiao pursed her lips and said, "Even if you lied to me, it's okay. It's just a loss of a few million. I can earn it back. It's no big deal."

Huang Shiyu looked at Li Xingzhou through the glass window. The man was probably on the phone, his head was down, and he was leaning against the car door. He was wearing the same black trench coat that he had given her when she moved. If it weren't for the strong wind outside that was making his hair and coat rustle, he would have been indistinguishable from the car body as he stood there quietly.

Her gaze fell on the hem of her dress, which was being blown about by the wind. When the wind blew, it was like a hammer striking iron, bouncing back and forth. The hem of her dress seemed to be struggling to cope, which made one think of turbulent times. Perhaps because it hadn't been wet for a long time, Huang Shiyu's voice was low and deep when she spoke: "Winter is coming."

"Do you think the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group's stock will continue to fall tomorrow?" Lu Xiao sat on the sofa, feeling uneasy. Who could such a large group have offended to be so ruthless?

"It's just that people will die." She continued to gaze out the window.

Every time the stock market crashes, there are bound to be more bloody and gruesome scenes beneath the skyscrapers.

But it failed to warn anyone, as if it had only added another layer of color to the ground for free.

Lu Xiao also looked out the window, wondering what Huang Shiyu was looking at. There was nothing new outside except for the same old plants she saw every day. Wait, she'd missed something – Li Xingzhou. She asked Huang Shiyu, "Why don't you invite him in?"

If I remember correctly, it was five degrees today, according to his mother. He asked in surprise, "Isn't he cold standing there?"

Huang Shiyu's gaze also fell on Li Xingzhou outside the window. Dou Dou rarely showed such strong emotions towards strangers. She asked, "Does Dou Dou like that handsome...brother?"

DouDou hummed in agreement.

He felt that the handsome older brother was just like the figurines he usually liked—exquisite and good-looking, making people happy out of nowhere.

Huang Shiyu beckoned to Dou Dou, beckoning him over. Dou Dou skillfully dodged the corner of the table and trotted over, still holding the jigsaw puzzle she had just finished. She whispered something in Dou Dou's ear that only the two of them knew, "Dou Dou, go say hello to that handsome brother and ask him if he's cold and if he'd like to come up with Dou Dou."

After listening, DouDou nodded vigorously to Huang Shiyu, not knowing if she understood, and then ran out with his puzzle piece in her hand. Her cheerful appearance was just like that of someone going to greet their lover who had just come home from get off work.

Shen Nanfeng brought out a plate of sliced ​​fruit, but only caught a glimpse of Dou Dou, who had already disappeared from sight. He placed the fruit platter on the table and invited them to eat. Looking up, he saw Dou Dou running past the window towards the man leaning against the car. He didn't say anything, but his beautiful eyes were full of stories.

He asked Huang Shiyu, who was eating apple slices, "You know him? Is he your friend?"

Based on his judgment, this was asking too many questions, since the fact that someone could appear at his doorstep made the answer obvious.

“I’m currently working on a project with him.” She neither denied nor said that she knew him. This person seemed to speak in a way that was innate. Her tone was tactful, and she always gave the impression that she left room for maneuver in her words and actions, and that she was not the type to suffer losses.

As the sun began to set, Li Xingzhou caught Dou Dou, who had run towards him without a care in the world, and helped him steady himself by supporting his arm.

Dou Dou was well-behaved under Lu Xiao's guidance and was a very polite child. After regaining her balance, she sweetly thanked Li Xingzhou.

"Hello handsome brother, my name is Shen Pohuan, my nickname is Doudou, and I'm four years old." After introducing himself, he was eager to know the other person's name, just like when meeting a new friend, and asked with eyes full of curiosity, "Handsome brother, what's your name?"

Li Xingzhou wasn't too surprised to see the child suddenly appear. She knew Huang Shiyu's friends quite well and knew this was her good friend's child. However, looking at the tender-looking child, she didn't know what to say for a moment. She squatted down, touched the wind-blown hair on the child's head, and spoke in a gentle and smooth voice: "Hello."

He received a reply, though not as complete as he had imagined, but it was still a great joy for the child. He looked at Li Xingzhou's face and asked, "Handsome brother, aren't you cold?"

"Aren't you cold? You ran so fast." Li Xingzhou smiled gently and gently helped him fasten the buttons on his collar, which must have accidentally come undone from running too fast.

Dou Dou reached out and tugged at his sleeve, wanting him to come closer. Li Xingzhou didn't know what the child wanted to say to him, so he simply let him have his way. The warm air melted in his ear, as if suddenly bringing a long-sealed specimen to life.

"My godmother told me to come down and ask if you're cold, and if you want to come up with me."

These are just the most ordinary words in the world, but at this moment, in a place he cannot see, they are burning and churning.

When Li Xingzhou looked up, the only flaw was that he saw Shen Nanfeng holding a glass of pale red liquid inside the window, smiling at him. Although his gesture of raising the glass to drink seemed casual, Li Xingzhou could see it clearly. The moment Shen Nanfeng raised the glass to his lips, he mouthed a sentence.

It was very faint, as faint as the setting sun gradually sinking on the horizon.

But Li Xingzhou understood.

He meant that there's plenty of time in the future.