The New Pet Author: Shi Jin
She planted roses all along the outer wall of her villa. On an April night, the flowers under the streetlights had a dreamy light pink hue, as if washed by moonlight. A faint fragrance mingled with the gentle night breeze, subtly present. Xu Ke looked at the villa in the night, feeling a sense of disconnection from reality. Here, she had lived for three years. At that time, she thought it would be the happiest time of her life, but later, she realized it was merely a chapter of irony in her life. She could never understand how she could have been so naive back then. Memories stirred restlessly, like a leaf falling out from the pages of a book, yellowed and dried by time, no longer vibrant or fresh, nor astonishing. Yet, it reminded her of the days she once cherished, when love was treasured like a jewel, only to be forgotten eventually. Six years had passed, and she never thought she would meet Shen Mu again. But last month, while accompanying Mr. He on a business dinner, she unexpectedly ran into Shen Mu at a banquet. He was more mature and charismatic than six years ago, his every move exuding an aura of authority. Both maintained their composure, and no one suspected they knew each other, let alone that they had lived under the same roof for three years. Their gazes occasionally met at the dinner, but neither showed any emotion. As the banquet ended and everyone dispersed, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that pretending not to know each other was the best approach. At the hotel entrance, Mr. He said goodbye to Shen Mu. Just as she was about to leave, Shen Mu suddenly spoke to her, “Long time no see.” Mr. He, surprised, asked, “You two know each other?” Shen Mu looked at Xu Ke and told Mr. He, “She, could be considered my little sister.” Mr. He’s eyes widened in surprise. Xu Ke gave a slight smile and politely responded to Shen Mu with three words: “I dare not.”
