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.”
Later, Mr. He asked Xu Ke about their relationship. When he learned that Shen Mu’s father had once been Xu Ke’s stepfather, he became excitedly incoherent. “He has an account at Galaxy Securities; I’ve always wanted to bring him over, but the CEO of Galaxy Securities is his friend. I’ve invited him countless times without success. Now, with you, it’s sure to work.” Xu Ke found herself in a difficult position, “Mr. He, his father has passed away, and my mother and I have long since had no contact with him. We’re practically strangers.” “Xiao Xu, just lay out our terms. With his large amount of capital, the savings on transaction fees from one trade are obvious.” Xu Ke thought it was unlikely, “He’s so rich, he wouldn’t care about such fees, right?” Compared to Galaxy Securities, their company was too small to accommodate a figure like him. “Xu Ke, give it your best shot. If you can bring him over, I’ll give you a one-tenth of a percent commission as your year-end bonus.” Xu Ke’s heart started to race. One-tenth of a percent. If this were five years ago, she would have rejected it immediately, but now, looking at her age on her ID and the skyrocketing housing prices, she felt that hesitation was a luxury. She believed she had moved past their old disputes, and seeing him again was calm and uneventful. Treating him as just another client, if successful, she could afford the down payment on a house. Thus, she was here tonight to wait for him. This was the route he had to take to return home. He was very particular about certain things, like insisting on sleeping at home no matter how late he was out. She didn’t mind waiting, but the problem was, she was wearing 7cm high heels because he was 185cm tall, and she didn’t want to constantly look up at him. Half an hour later, she began to regret her choice. After an hour, she could no longer bear it and took off her shoes to stand barefoot on the ground. She could put them back on when his Porsche roared up. She glanced at her watch; it was exactly nine. It seemed dinner was out of the question today, so she decided to change it to tea. This was better for two reasons: one, he was very particular about food, making him hard to please, and two, she didn’t plan on spending much. Another twenty minutes passed, and she was getting bored, so she picked up her shoes and began to stroll back and forth on the cobblestone path by the roadside, treating it as a foot massage. After a while, she heard the sound of a car, followed by a beam of light sweeping towards her. She turned around hastily, and a black sports car raced towards her. She quickly put her shoes back on. The car stopped at the villa’s gate, and a man got out. In the light, he looked good, with an excellent physique and an even better demeanor. “Mr. Shen!” Shen Mu saw a slender figure by the roadside but hadn’t expected it to be her. When she bent down to put on her shoes, the car lights illuminated her face, and he was somewhat surprised. The streetlights were bright, highlighting her exquisite features, her eyes shimmering with a hint of panic, which made her look quite adorable. With a professional smile, she got straight to the point, “Mr. Shen, could I invite you for tea? It’ll only take ten minutes of your time.” “I haven’t had dinner yet. Why don’t you treat me to a meal?” His posture was relaxed, with a hint of fatigue. He hadn’t eaten by nine-thirty? Xu Ke was a bit surprised but had no choice but to agree. Opening the car door, Xu Ke initially intended to sit in the back, but the sports car had only two seats, so she sat beside him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him driving meticulously, his profile sharp and aristocratic. She used to secretly admire his profile, finding his nose and chin particularly charming. Shen Mu asked casually, “Did He Peng send you?” This seemingly casual question made Xu Ke’s breath catch, and when she glanced at him, his poised and indifferent demeanor made her feel slightly uneasy. She too had her pride, but life is the best tool for grinding down such pride. Since he already knew her purpose, she decided to be straightforward: “Mr. He probably wants to play the family card or use the beauty trap. However, I think he overestimates my abilities.” Shen Mu gave her a sidelong glance with a half-smile, “You should be confident. Why not give it a try?” He emphasized the last part, giving it an unexpectedly profound nuance. She bit her lip and chose silence. The car moved swiftly and steadily, stopping in front of a wooden house beside Green Island Villa half a minute later. Xu Ke couldn’t help but exclaim, “So close.” Her subtext was that rich people are indeed lazy, even driving for a half-minute journey. Shen Mu glanced at her feet, then walked forward to knock on the door. After a moment, the door opened. The light was as bright as daylight, revealing a unique world inside. This family-run restaurant was decorated with great taste, featuring a European style with luxurious opulence, yet the furniture and decorations were distinctly Chinese.
