Xue Rui scrolled boredly through his phone. There were no short-form video apps in this era, and he had no idea what to do with such large blocks of free time.
He opened the contacts list. It contained over a thousand numbers, and the notes were incredibly detailed.
For example, "Yaoshuang Town, Zhang San: twenty thousand."
"Li Si: fifty thousand…"
This was his dad's old phone. These contacts were basically all people who had run up a tab at his family's restaurant.
They were all prominent figures, most of whom settled their accounts at the end of the year.
The Xue Rui of his past life would have immediately cleared out the phone, deleting all these miscellaneous contacts.
But now, Xue Rui couldn't be bothered. He didn't know these people, but 'what if they came in handy?'
Just as Xue Rui was about to wash his face and go to bed, Lin Ruoxi walked in carrying a basin of hot water.
"To wash your feet," Lin Ruoxi said softly.
"Thanks. You can just put it down."
'What a good girl,' Xue Rui thought. 'How wonderful would it be to have Lin Ruoxi herself wash my feet?'
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Ruoxi began to take off his shoes for him.
"Are you for real?"
With his fantasy suddenly becoming reality, Xue Rui actually felt a little awkward.
He used to be a regular at foot massage parlors, but being served by a young girl this age…
Even though it was just a simple foot wash, he still felt a strange sense of guilt.
After all, Lin Ruoxi didn't do this for a living. Their relationship was just that of classmates.
"Y-Your hand is injured. I'll help you," Lin Ruoxi said, her face blushing.
"No need. I can just rub my left foot against my right to wash them," Xue Rui refused firmly.
But Lin Ruoxi insisted on washing them for him.
"Sigh…" Xue Rui sighed.
He wanted to get Lin Ruoxi out of this village. It wasn't that the countryside was bad.
Rather, Lin Ruoxi had read too many books, and her inner world was already disconnected from rural life.
The girl was gentle and far too polite. In a place like this, those traits were a huge disadvantage.
Even if Lin Ruoxi didn't take her own life, dropping out of school early would most likely result in her marrying some farmer.
She had the potential to enter a top university, but she would end up stuck in the village as a housewife, raising children and cooking meals.
Who would remember how outstanding and brilliant she used to be?
There was the saying, "You are not the fish, so how can you know its joy?" But Xue Rui didn't see it that way. He just felt it was a pity for this girl.
"If I gave you the chance to leave this village and live in the city, would you be willing?" Xue Rui asked.
Lin Ruoxi shook her head.
"In the city, your grandmother could get better medical care. You know that elderly people left alone in the countryside don't live long."
Xue Rui tried a different angle.
Lin Ruoxi didn't speak. She just kept her head down, washing Xue Rui's feet. From time to time, a few drops of water splashed into the basin. It was hard to tell if they came from her hands or the corners of her eyes.
"Don't go do work for other people tomorrow. I have something else for you to do," Xue Rui said, his tone firm.
Lin Ruoxi nodded. Before she left, she took Xue Rui's socks with her.
Having his feet washed by a beautiful girl—how sensual that sounded. But the oppressive atmosphere of the rustic house, combined with how conservatively Lin Ruoxi was dressed, left Xue Rui feeling no excitement whatsoever.
He became determined to help Lin Ruoxi sever her ties with this village.
Some villagers were simple and honest, while others were insidious and malicious.
All this kindness, malice, and human obligation… they were like strands of a spider's web, binding Lin Ruoxi's frail body firmly to this land.
With her own strength, it would be impossible to break free from this web. She needed an external force.
Xue Rui picked up his phone and sent a message to his family to let them know he was safe.
The result, of course, was disappointing. No one had even noticed he hadn't come home; they just told him to spend less time online over the weekend.
So, he called his uncle, Ren Jun.
"Uncle, I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it? Want to get some barbecue?" Ren Jun laughed.
"Lend me a hundred thousand yuan," Xue Rui said calmly.
"No," Ren Jun refused flatly.
Xue Rui chuckled, his tone suddenly turning subtle.
"Uncle, you wouldn't want Grandpa to find out about you getting a girl pregnant and making her get an abortion, only to break up with her afterward, would you?"
"Xue Rui! Are you threatening me? It was an amicable breakup!"
"You can explain that to Grandpa. What's the use of telling me?" Xue Rui said with a grin.
His grandfather was very conservative. If he found out about Ren Jun's mess, he'd probably break one of his legs.
"Don't call it a loan. Just consider it hush money. Just don't let your mom find out."
Ren Jun said helplessly. Xue Rui had him by the balls.
"I'll text you an address. Bring the cash tomorrow morning. And remember to drive my dad's 730 over."
"Cash?" Ren Jun was a bit surprised. 'Doesn't this kid play the stock market? Why does he want cash all of a sudden?'
"It's for something important. You'll know when you get here. You must bring my dad's car," Xue Rui instructed again.
"Got it. Hanging up."
...
Ren Jun looked at the suburban address on his phone, his face full of doubt. 'What kind of stunt is Xue Rui trying to pull now?'
Cash and a BMW 730… 'Could he be trying to show off?'
He figured boys this age were always caught up in this kind of petty nonsense.
But Xue Rui had him backed into a corner. He had no choice but to go along with it and help Xue Rui put on this show.
...
The next morning, Xue Rui was up bright and early.
He was worried Ren Jun wouldn't be able to find the way into the village, so he called to give instructions again, only to be met with a string of curses.
"Lin Ruoxi, why are you still sleeping in? The sun's already up," Xue Rui called out from the courtyard.
'So this girl sleeps in too? That doesn't quite fit my impression of her.'
"The rooster didn't crow."
Lin Ruoxi emerged from the bedroom with her hair a mess, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"We stewed the rooster. Where would a rooster come from?"
Xue Rui held back a laugh. 'So, basically, they ate Lin Ruoxi's alarm clock yesterday?'
Lin Ruoxi was only wearing a cartoon tank top and a pair of shorts, her figure on full display.
The cartoon tank top, in particular, was probably many years old. It no longer fit properly, exposing her midriff.
Noticing Xue Rui's fixed gaze, she realized her attire was inappropriate and ran back into her room, blushing, to change.
Once she was dressed, Lin Ruoxi immediately started a fire to steam buns. She had likely prepared the dough the night before.
While Lin Ruoxi was busy cooking, Xue Rui found a pen and paper and drafted a rental contract.
BEEP BEEP BEEP. Xue Rui's phone rang.
"Yo? I'm here. Where are you at?"
"Second alley after you enter the village. You see me waving? Yeah, this is the house."
...
A sparkling clean BMW 730 slowly drove down the narrow country road and stopped in front of Xue Rui.
Ren Jun got out of the car with a dissatisfied look on his face, carrying a paper bag.
"Here. One hundred thousand in cash," Ren Jun said, handing it over casually.
"Let's not talk about that for a second. Uncle, why are you dressed like you're selling insurance? Or are you on your way to someone's wedding?"
Xue Rui clicked his tongue in amazement.
Ren Jun had shown up in a black suit and, for fuck's sake, white gloves.
"Aren't I cooperating with you? If we're gonna put on a show, we've gotta go big!" Ren Jun said with a grin.
"What were you thinking?" Xue Rui asked with a strange expression.
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Nope. I was queuing at the bank first thing in the morning, and then I had to rent this outfit. Didn't have time."
"Perfect timing, then. Want some freshly steamed handmade buns?"
"You stayed here last night?"
Only then did Ren Jun notice that Xue Rui had emerged from this dilapidated house.
"It's my classmate's house. This money is for poverty relief, not for showing off," Xue Rui said, patting Ren Jun's shoulder.
"Hiss…" Ren Jun drew a sharp breath as he watched Xue Rui's back, a dazed look on his face.
Xue Rui's image suddenly seemed so much more impressive and noble, making him feel like he was looking at a stranger.