Chapter 18 - Venturing into Investment? Aunt Song Qian, Please Lend Me Your Account!

Chapter 18: Venturing into Investment? Aunt Song Qian, Please Lend Me Your Account!

The moment they opened the door, the rich aroma of home-cooked food wafted through the air.

“Mum, what have you made today? It smells amazing!” Qiao Yingzi exclaimed with excitement.

“Indeed, we’re in for a feast tonight,” Su Bai added, grinning.

Hearing their voices, Song Qian called from the kitchen, “You’re back! Go wash your hands—dinner’s ready.”

She couldn’t hide her delight at Su Bai’s compliment. She had spent nearly two hours preparing the meal, and the effort had been well worth it.

With their stomachs growling, Su Bai and Qiao Yingzi rushed to wash their hands. But when Yingzi darted into the bathroom and closed the door, Su Bai was left outside. Helpless, he grabbed a piece of meat from the table and popped it into his mouth.

Song Qian noticed and gently tapped his hand with a chuckle. “Go wash up in the kitchen. Once you’re done, you can eat properly.”

“Got it,” Su Bai replied with a grin.

Soon, both returned to the table, and the three sat down like a family, though Su Bai’s role was somewhat ambiguous. Song Qian kept adding food to his plate, determined to nourish him properly.

’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

Just as Su Bai woke up the next morning, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

The sign-in has been refreshed. Would you like to sign in, Host?

Su Bai appreciated this feature. The system always prompted him as soon as he woke up rather than at a fixed time, ensuring his sleep remained undisturbed.

Having recently turned eighteen, Su Bai didn’t yet have his own account. While he could open one, it was Saturday, and the securities offices were closed. Despite the market being closed, he knew he needed time to study it.

Song Qian, however, interpreted this inquiry differently. “Xiao Bai, you’re a senior in high school! Your focus should be on studying, not stock trading.”

Although she had a stock account herself, she wouldn’t lend it to Su Bai. She was more concerned with his academic success.

Su Bai quickly discerned from her reaction that she indeed had an account.

“Aunt Song, how about this: give me a test paper. If my results impress you, let me use your account. If not, I’ll focus solely on my studies.”

Surprised by Su Bai’s confidence, Song Qian found herself without a rebuttal. She had always assumed Su Bai’s grades were average, but this was an opportunity to see for herself.

“Deal,” she agreed, swiftly retrieving a test paper and placing it before him. “Here you go, Xiao Bai—show me what you can do.”

’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

Time passed swiftly.

In about half an hour, Su Bai rose, handing the paper to Song Qian.

“Finished already? Why not review it and see if you can squeeze out an extra mark? Every point matters, especially in the gaokao.”

[The term “gaokao” (高考, gāokǎo) refers to the National Higher Education Entrance Examination in China. It is a highly competitive, standardised exam taken by Chinese students in their final year of high school to determine university placement.].

Unbeknownst to Su Bai, the paper she had given him was last year’s national entrance exam—a subtle challenge, as much of its content was beyond what they had yet studied.

Song Qian’s concern stemmed from the risks of investing. She didn’t want Su Bai to encounter setbacks so young. But now she waited, intrigued to see how he would fare.