A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

The Stock Trading Club had always been one of the most popular student organizations at Aethelgard University. Its members were all from wealthy families, and those who held positions were invariably the scions of the elite. Many were drawn in by the very words "stock trading"—high-risk, high-return ventures are always incredibly appealing.

Sure enough, the moment recruitment began, a long line had already formed at the Stock Trading Club’s booth while other clubs sat ignored. Everyone harbored the same wonderful fantasy: if they could just learn a few things about the stock market here, they might just strike it rich someday! After all, stories of people becoming millionaires overnight from trading weren’t just fiction.

Furthermore, the perks for members of the Stock Trading Club were the best on campus. In addition to training, there were regular dinners and trips to incredibly high-end, exclusive venues. This was another major reason the club was so highly regarded by the entire student body of Aethelgard University. As a result, more than half the students made the Stock Trading Club their top choice. Of course, most had backup options. A club this prestigious wasn’t easy to get into; the number of new members accepted each year was strictly limited. They couldn’t just take everyone who applied.

To get into the Stock Trading Club, there was one primary prerequisite: you had to be rich. Only the wealthy could afford to participate in the club’s trading activities. If you had money, you essentially passed the first hurdle. It was a guaranteed pass for people like Shelby Fenton.

"Seraphina Sterling, are you lost? This is the Stock Trading Club, not some kids’ playground. It’s no place for a poor girl like you! Around here, it’s not about how talented you are; it’s about how much capital you have. How much *money*! Get it? M-O-N-E-Y! Cash! You can look around all you want, but don’t even think about submitting an application. Even if you did, you’d just be humiliating yourself!"

Today was the campus-wide club recruitment day, and the paths were packed with students. An especially large crowd had converged on the Stock Trading Club booth, with people grabbing, filling out, and submitting applications all crammed together. Shelby Fenton had deliberately raised her voice, instantly drawing a crowd of onlookers. It couldn’t be helped—Seraphina Sterling was just too famous. She was the first student in the university’s history to end her military training early, and more importantly, she had defeated her drill instructor. The uproar at the time had been huge! The other instructors had been stunned. A student who not only dared to fight an instructor but actually *won*? How could that not be sensational!

But no matter how sensational the story, it was still just a story. Most people had never seen Seraphina Sterling in the flesh. Outside of the School of Economics and Management, few even knew what she looked like. Now, thanks to Shelby Fenton pointing her out, the crowd was finally putting a face to the name.

"Are you an officer in the Stock Trading Club? The president? Or are you on the staff responsible for recruitment? If not, then please be so kind as to shut that precious mouth of yours. Which club I choose to join is my business and has absolutely nothing to do with you. So please, don’t interfere in my private affairs. Thank you." Seraphina Sterling’s voice was soft, but her words were incredibly sharp. In terms of sheer presence, she was in no way inferior to Shelby Fenton, but she carried herself with far more poise and class.

"Hmph. I was just trying to give you a friendly reminder, since we’re classmates and even roommates. This is a world for the rich. A little country girl who managed to test her way in here should go back to the library and study. Go be a bookworm; maybe you can even win a scholarship in the final exams! But since you’re so determined to humiliate yourself here, I don’t have to play the good guy! To think my kindness would be so completely wasted!" After submitting her form, Shelby Fenton hadn’t left. She was waiting to watch Seraphina Sterling get rejected.