“Not too bad.” They had a quick meal at a nearby restaurant and then took a taxi to Green Island. Lin Ge was instantly charmed by the houses there. “How much are the houses?” “I haven’t asked yet.” “Ask, and if it’s suitable, you can decide to buy. We should be able to afford the down payment together, right?” Xu Ke didn’t respond; their combined savings might barely cover the down payment. Her hopes were pinned on stock 600xxx. Lin Ge excitedly pointed to the back of the house, “Xiao Ke, this house seems like it was designed for you. Didn’t you always want a small yard with a swing under a wisteria trellis?” Xu Ke laughed and pushed Lin Ge, “Alright, alright, let’s go. I have to get back to work.”
Back at the office just after 1 PM, Xu Ke took a quick glance at 600xxx’s trend before heading to Mr. Huo’s office with documents in hand. The meeting, run by Huo Peng, lasted an hour and a half. After the meeting, as Xu Ke was about to leave, Huo Peng called her back. “Xiao Xu, what did Shen Mu say?” Xu Ke paused, remembering his two statements: one, if she agreed to be his girlfriend, he’d tell Mr. Fu that he had forgotten friendship for love; the other, if she moved to Green Island, he’d transfer his household registration to their company. Neither was very reliable, and she hadn’t followed through on either. She couldn’t confirm if he would actually move. She replied, “I’m not sure, I’ll ask again.”
“Xiao Xu, you’re the most promising in the marketing department, and I’ve always had high hopes for you. I know he has at least 40 million in funds; if you can bring him over, your performance this year would be impressive.”
Xu Ke felt another stir of emotion. “Xiao Xu, given your relationship with him, it would be quite unreasonable if you couldn’t bring him in.”
Xu Ke gave a bitter smile; her relationship with him… Back in her office, it was already 3 PM. She looked at her computer screen, almost unable to believe her eyes. After sitting quietly for a while, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. “This is Xu Ke, I need to see you.” “I’m in a meeting, we’ll talk later,” Shen Mu said hastily before hanging up, sounding like he wanted to avoid her.
Xu Ke bit her lip in silence for a moment, then called a courier company. Twenty minutes later, a courier arrived. Xu Ke sealed a set of keys in an envelope, wrote down the address, and felt a calm settle over her. She went to Huo Peng’s office, knocked, and entered.
“Come in.” “Mr. Huo, may I leave an hour early today?” Without looking up, Huo Peng said, “Go ahead.” Xu Ke thanked him and closed the door behind her.
It was just before 4 PM when she left the office. She hailed a taxi to rush back to Hu Xi alley to see Lin Ge off. As the taxi neared the alley, she called Lin Ge: “I’ve got a taxi waiting at the alley entrance, come downstairs.” Ten minutes later, Lin Ge walked out with his bag, wearing dark blue jeans and an emerald green sweater, looking fresh and clean. As he stepped out of the dim alley into the sunlight, he seemed to brighten up instantly. Seeing his handsome, sunny face, Xu Ke felt a warm stream flow through her heart, washing away any lingering discomfort. The past was the past, even if it was brought up, it remained just that – the past.
Lin Ge got into the car and immediately noticed something was off with Xu Ke. He asked with concern, “Xiao Ke, you seem a bit upset.” Xu Ke was taken aback; she thought she had hidden it well. She quickly smiled, “I’m not happy because you’re leaving.” Lin Ge held her hand, both happy and reluctant.
Just after dropping Lin Ge off, Xu Ke’s phone rang. She looked at the screen, displaying “Red-Crowned Crane,” and hesitated for a long time before answering. The phone kept ringing persistently, much like the man himself, relentless until his goal was achieved. She calmed her mind and answered the call. His voice was somewhat urgent, “Where are you? I’ll come to pick you up.” Xu Ke replied indifferently, “No need, I’m fine. I just wanted to return the key to the house today. Since you seemed busy, I had it sent by courier to your home.” Silence filled the line. Xu Ke continued, “Please tell Zhang Yang that I don’t want the house anymore. Thank you for your efforts.” After saying this, Xu Ke hung up.
Moments later, the phone rang again. “Why don’t you want it?” “It’s too expensive.” “700,000, and you think that’s expensive?” “Yes.” Again, there was silence on the line. Xu Ke hung up. She hadn’t expected that Zhang Yang would offer the house on Green Island for just 700,000 yuan, a price much lower than she anticipated; the market value should be around 1 million. However, even at such a bargain, she no longer wished to have any connection with Shen Mu, not even indirectly. The phone rang once more. Xu Ke let it ring for a long time without answering, eventually turning it off. She went to the market, bought some groceries, and returned home as dusk was setting in. Standing by the kitchen window, watching the sunset, her thoughts drifted, and a sense of melancholy arose. How could she have once liked such a person? She sighed quietly, stirring the porridge in the clay pot with a spoon. Her mother always preferred to simmer porridge slowly in a clay pot, saying that only then would it be most fragrant. Xu Ke agreed, but she was always too busy to make time for it. Many things in life require time to ferment slowly, but there are always shortcuts tempting you, leading to results that lose their intended flavor.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Xu Ke checked the time; it was six o’clock, probably Lin Yao returning from work. She walked to the living room and opened the door. Standing outside was Shen Mu. Xu Ke, wearing an apron and holding a spoon, looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to actually come here. Was he here to witness her disappointment and sorrow? He would be disappointed then; she never valued money highly. Her sadness that afternoon wasn’t due to the stock market’s drop but was a reflection on past emotions and perhaps a slight disappointment in human nature. After all, she was the one hurt back then, and she had long since let go, but he seemed unwilling to do the same, still looking for ways to play games with her after six years. Oddly, at that moment, she saw no hint of triumph or mockery on his face; his expression was candid, even slightly concerned and anxious. He looked into her eyes deeply and asked, “Why didn’t you answer the phone?” Xu Ke replied calmly, “I thought we had nothing left to say to each other.”
He fell silent, his gaze intense and probing. Xu Ke was most uncomfortable with this kind of scrutiny, feeling as though she might be swept away by some unfathomable current. “Do you have anything else? I’m cooking.” She was eager to get back to stirring the porridge, hoping he would leave soon. Shen Mu didn’t reply, his gaze sweeping past her into the room. The aroma from the kitchen seemed to catch his attention, and he asked, “You’re cooking porridge?” Xu Ke nodded. “Then I’ll eat here.” With that, he stepped forward. Xu Ke hesitated; if she didn’t move, he would brush against her, but if she did, it would seem like she was agreeing to let him stay for dinner. Before she could decide, his chest was against her nose, a subtle, pleasant male scent filling her senses. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stepped back hastily. Shen Mu had already stepped inside.
