The New Favorite

“Brother, Xu Ke and Shen Mu are here,” Mo Xiaoxiao called out to Mo Xinyu. Mo Xinyu, upon seeing Shen Mu and Xu Ke, clearly paused, then, holding the woman’s hand, walked over with a smile. His gaze first fell on Xu Ke’s face, and he laughed with emotion, “What an honor, Xiaoxiao, you managed to invite even Xu Ke.” Xu Ke smiled awkwardly, “When did you come back, Xinyu?” When he went abroad, she was too afraid to see Shen Mu to say goodbye, which now felt somewhat guilty. “Just yesterday,” Mo Xinyu asked Shen Mu with a smile, “When did you return to the country?” Shen Mu smiled, “A while ago.” While they were talking, the girl next to Mo Xinyu seemed displeased, her cold gaze fixed on Xu Ke with an air of arrogance and indifference. Xu Ke was puzzled; was she upset for being ignored? Quickly, she said to Mo Xinyu, “Xinyu, you haven’t introduced us yet.” Mo Xinyu grinned, “This is my girlfriend, Zhang Wanruo. This is my neighbor Shen Mu, and Xu Ke.” Xu Ke smiled at Zhang Wanruo in a friendly and polite manner, but Zhang Wanruo did not return the smile. Xu Ke found it strange; why did someone she had never met before dislike her? Judging by her attire and demeanor, she seemed like a wealthy young lady. Wealthy young ladies generally disliked others wearing the same clothes, let alone having similar faces. Her displeasure was understandable. Xu Ke didn’t take it to heart and handed the gift box to Mo Xinyu. “Happy birthday, Xinyu, this is a gift I bought in a hurry, don’t mind it.” Mo Xinyu beamed, “After not seeing each other for years, you’ve become so formal with me, alas.” He was about to take the gift when Zhang Wanruo intercepted his hand, her finely drawn brows arching in disapproval as she looked at Xu Ke, “Don’t you know that something as intimate as a tie should only be given by a girlfriend or wife?” Xu Ke was stunned. “Moreover, Xinyu doesn’t use this brand,” she said disdainfully, looking at the tie box with contempt. Xu Ke awkwardly looked at this woman who looked like her, unable to understand why Mo Xinyu would fancy such an arrogant and disrespectful person. “Wanruo, what are you talking about?” Mo Xinyu was embarrassed, quickly taking the tie box from Xu Ke to smooth things over. But Shen Mu took the tie from Xu Ke first, saying lightly, “Give it to me then. I was just about to buy one.” Zhang Wanruo sneered, “Since when does Young Master Shen wear such a cheap brand?” Everyone present, except Shen Mu and Zhang Wanruo, was stunned. They actually knew each other! Mo Xinyu asked in surprise, “You know each other?” Shen Mu nodded casually. Zhang Wanruo gave Shen Mu a sideways glance, coldly saying, “We were classmates in Canada.” Mo Xinyu stared, “Wanruo, why haven’t I heard you mention this!” Zhang Wanruo scoffed, “How was I to know you knew each other, that you were neighbors?” Xu Ke felt that Zhang Wanruo’s haughty and disdainful demeanor was completely at odds with the Mo family’s low-key humility, secretly thinking Mo Xinyu had poor taste. Mo Xiaoxiao and Zhang Fei beside her showed their displeasure with Zhang Wanruo’s attitude. Mo Xinyu tried to defuse the situation with an awkward smile, “Wanruo didn’t want to come back, but I insisted she come back for my birthday, so she’s not in a good mood.” Despite being abroad for years, Mo Xinyu was still very traditional and filial. He adhered to the principle of honoring his mother on his birthday each year. Mo Xiaoxiao, standing aside, was already getting impatient with Zhang Wanruo. She pulled Xu Ke’s hand, saying, “Let’s go upstairs and talk.” Xu Ke nodded, eager to escape Shen Mu and this haughty young lady. On the second floor, Mo Xiaoxiao closed the door and exclaimed indignantly, “Zhang Wanruo is so strange. She seemed so well-mannered when she came back yesterday, but today she’s acting so out of character.” Xu Ke chuckled, “Maybe it’s jet lag?” “Bah, she’s been back for two days now; jet lag shouldn’t last that long. I’ve never heard of jet lag making someone’s temper worse.” Xu Ke smiled but didn’t respond. Mo Xiaoxiao, intrigued, asked, “Don’t you think she looks a lot like you?” Xu Ke nodded, “Yeah, she does resemble me a bit. No wonder you insisted I come to see her.” Looking into Xu Ke’s eyes, Mo Xiaoxiao said enviously, “I’ve always thought your eyes were uniquely beautiful, but to see them again in someone else… I was actually planning to give her a hard time, but seeing she looks so much like you—” Xu Ke laughed, “Ah, the sister-in-law is always the nemesis of the wife.” She spoke from experience, thinking of her own situation at home. Mo Xiaoxiao leaned in mysteriously, “Remember when I said my brother liked you? You didn’t believe me, but now that he’s with Zhang Wanruo, I’m even more convinced.” Xu Ke’s face flushed, “Don’t talk nonsense.” “I’m not talking nonsense. He has a diary, empty, but inside there’s a photo of you and Shen Mu.” Xu Ke’s heart skipped a beat; she couldn’t recall when she had taken a photo with Shen Mu. “If he had no feelings for you, why would he keep the photo in his diary instead of openly displaying it in a photo album at home? He must sneak off to his bedroom to look at it.” Xu Ke, blushing, tried to argue, “How do you know he’s looking at me and not Shen Mu?” Mo Xiaoxiao gave her a look of disbelief, “Are you questioning my brother’s sexual orientation?” Xu Ke hurriedly clarified, “No, no, I didn’t mean that.” Mo Xiaoxiao looked at her incredulously, “You really never noticed before?” Xu Ke didn’t respond; her past self was so focused on Shen Mu that she couldn’t see anyone else. Mo Xiaoxiao’s sudden mention of old matters made her feel awkward, so she quickly picked up a cup of tea to pretend to drink. “Xiaoxiao, how is Zhang Fei doing?” Mo Xiaoxiao grinned slyly, “Very well. Guess what he does for a living?” Xu Ke, remembering his neat and scholarly appearance with glasses, guessed, “A university professor? Lawyer? Accountant?” Mo Xiaoxiao shook her head, “Doctor.” “That’s good, having a doctor in the family is ideal.” “He’s an obstetrician-gynecologist.” Xu Ke spat out her tea in surprise. Mo Xiaoxiao patted her back understandingly. “Because of his profession, he’s gone through countless blind dates, all ending in failure, until I picked him up. He’s actually very good and excellent.” “Can you really accept his job?” “I went to his hospital. Other doctors have lines of patients, but he sits alone in his office, reading newspapers and drinking tea. Women would rather come back the next day than have him as their doctor. His work is light, perfect for doing housework and taking care of kids later on, and he’s very considerate towards me.” Xu Ke nodded with a smile. There was a knock at the door, and Mo Xiaoxiao called out for the person to enter. Mo Xinyu poked his head in, “Dinner’s ready downstairs.” Mo Xiaoxiao and Xu Ke went downstairs and stepped into the living room. Xu Ke caught sight of Shen Mu and Zhang Wanruo standing together, both exuding an air of nobility and arrogance, impeccably dressed, oddly matching. However, they weren’t talking to each other; Shen Mu was conversing with Zhang Fei, and Zhang Wanruo stood there with a fur shawl, holding a glass of red wine. Whether it was her sensitivity or overthinking, Xu Ke felt that the two must have had some history or conflict in Canada. The birthday party was actually for Mo’s mother. Mo Xinyu sang, presented flowers, and gave gifts, with friends joining in to make the celebration lively, making Mo’s mother beam with joy. Watching Mo’s mother’s happiness, Xu Ke sighed inwardly, thinking of her own mother who wasn’t in good health, and felt guilty for not being able to provide better care. Sometimes, filial piety also needs financial support. Previously, when she and her mother left the villa at Rongdi with nothing, she didn’t realize the importance of money, but now, the sense of urgency was growing. She desperately wanted to buy a house to bring her mother to live with her. After the dinner, Mo Xiaoxiao was about to drive Zhang Fei home and offered to drop Xu Ke off too, but Shen Mu said, “Xu Ke, my father left something for your mother. You can come to my place to pick it up.” Xu Ke was taken aback; Shen Xiaoshan had passed away years ago, so why was there suddenly an item left for her mother? What could it be? She bid farewell to the Mo family and followed Shen Mu to his house. As she stepped through the gate, a vivid memory flashed in her mind, of the first time she came here with her mother, seeing him watching her from the corridor. She quickly stopped the recollection. Walking through the spacious courtyard, he lit the lights under the corridor, turned back, and smiled at her. The warm light softened his smile, making her feel as if she was back in time. Back then, Shen Xiaoshan had recovered from illness and was newly married to her mother, living in harmony, while he was young, dashing, and attentive to her. Three years of beautiful times seemed like a dream, until he went abroad, Shen Xiaoshan passed away, and his mother, returning from overseas, evicted them from Rongdi. Time flies, and fortunes change in the blink of an eye. Entering the house, the dust-covered years seemed to envelop her. The room was almost unchanged from six years ago. Memories seemed to have been waiting there, waiting for her to revisit. She suddenly felt something within her heart begin to awaken and grow. People are often more sentimental and vulnerable at night. She kept her head down, not wanting him to see any sign of her being touched. He went into the study, where the window was open, overlooking a vast lawn. The fresh evening breeze blew over both of them, carrying the faint scent of tobacco. She remembered he didn’t smoke when he was young. He took a box from a high shelf and handed it to her. “I found this while cleaning up.” She opened the box slowly. Inside were two items: a card and a bank card. The dark green card with a light gold edge had a single sentence: Yiping, I’m sorry I couldn’t accompany you to the end.