The New Favorite

Two completely different styles strangely merged together, creating a strong visual impact. However, the most visually striking was the lady of the house. She was clad in a floor-length rose red gown, her long curly hair cascading down to her waist, her demeanor lazy yet exuding an indescribable charm and allure, like a peony flower after a spring nap. Standing before her, Xu Ke felt that even in her 7cm heels, she was still not womanly enough. Shen Mu introduced them in the simplest terms, so simple it was just one sentence: “Rongrong, this is Xu Ke.” Rongrong greeted Xu Ke with a smile, then her eyes shifted to Shen Mu, “What made you come today?” It was just a very simple question, yet she managed to infuse it with a mix of concern, coquettishness, and a touch of resentment, creating an ambiguous flavor that Xu Ke, standing aside, couldn’t help but admire. Shen Mu casually found a table to sit down, rubbing his temples, he said, “My stomach isn’t feeling too good today, do you have any porridge?” “Anything you want, we have,” she said so naturally that Xu Ke felt it would be wrong to think otherwise, but she couldn’t help thinking otherwise. Perhaps only such a woman could manage him. She really hoped there was a woman who could tame him, discipline him, even torture him… The thought of it was quite satisfying, but then she felt her thoughts were quite childish. What business of hers was it? The meal was served quickly, as if it had been prepared for him all along, simple yet abundant, with all the flavors perfectly balanced. He glanced at the bar counter by the door, raised his chin at Xu Ke, and asked, “How about a bottle of Petit Lafite?” Xu Ke knew roughly the price of Petit Lafite and stiffly refused, “You can’t drink if you’re driving.” “It’s fine, I’ll walk back later.” Xu Ke then said outright, “I only brought a thousand yuan today. If you agree to join our company, I’ll treat you with my bonus.” Shen Mu squinted his eyes, looked at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled. Xu Ke wasn’t sure if she was overthinking, but she felt his smile was slightly mocking. Was he despising her in his heart, thinking how dare she approach him after capsizing in his hands like that? She felt that as she aged, she was becoming increasingly audacious, daring to do things she wouldn’t have considered before, like now. Shen Mu lowered his gaze, stirring his porridge absentmindedly, “I grew up with Fu Zong from Yinhe Securities. Without a special reason, I won’t leave.” Xu Ke held a cup of clear water, pondering over the word “special.” What could she possibly have to do with “special”? Thinking this, and recalling past embarrassments, she couldn’t help but want to laugh, or perhaps she choked on some water, her nose tingling. Shen Mu looked up, watching her silently, “You, don’t you hate me?” This question was six years too late, but fortunately so, for the answer had changed. She sipped her lips, smiling faintly, “If I say I don’t hate you, would you believe me?” Indeed, she no longer hated; the initial pain was like a grain of sand in a shell, smoothed over six years into a pearl, melded into her bones and blood as the cost and experience of growth. Shen Mu was silent, his eyes fixed on hers. Her eyes were clear and transparent, very clean, very calm. He didn’t say he believed or didn’t believe, just watched her quietly, his gaze deep and complex. Xu Ke smiled, “Everything has an internal cause, holding onto resentment and dwelling on the past is meaningless. Let’s talk about now, like, will you accept Mr. He’s olive branch?” Shen Mu lowered his eyes, took a few sips of porridge, then suddenly looked up with a half-smile, “If you agree to be my girlfriend, I’ll tell Fu Zong that I’ve forgotten my friends for beauty.” Xu Ke was taken aback; she hadn’t expected him to refuse in such a joking manner. Her pride surfaced inappropriately, and her smile was forced, “Since Mr. Shen is so loyal to his friends, I won’t say anything more.” After saying this, she immediately regretted it. Why didn’t she try a different approach? Why didn’t she try to persuade him further? She just threw away a thousandth of a bonus, did she think she was a rich heiress? Shen Mu lowered his head to eat his porridge, his brows furrowed either from the porridge not being appetizing or his stomach still bothering him. Xu Ke had no interest in watching him eat, her mind wandering to leave. He hadn’t eaten much of the food on the table, just finished a bowl of porridge before standing up, “Let me drive you back.” Xu Ke listlessly declined, “Thanks, but no need to trouble Mr. Shen.” Shen Mu frowned, “It’s still quite a distance to the city center, no buses, no taxis. I think in those high heels, you’re not up to walking to the city.” He was right. Xu Ke didn’t refuse further. As they left the wooden house, the moonlight was lovely, the moonlight gentle, the vegetation lush, hinting at a perfect romantic setting.可惜，她满脑子都是那擦肩而过的千分之一。 Shen Mu got into the car and turned on the music, surprisingly, it was “Take a Bow.” The familiar melody made Xu Ke’s heart skip a beat. She wasn’t sure if he had intentionally played this song. That night, her first love had ended to this tune. That night’s time was like fireworks bursting in the sky, dazzling to the extreme, followed by endless disillusionment and silence… She didn’t look at his expression, trying to stay calm, as if even a slightly heavier breath would betray her thoughts. He was silent, deliberately creating a serene atmosphere, letting the song flow quietly through the air, sketching out the old times bit by bit. At this moment, she was almost certain he had played this song on purpose. After the song ended, he finally turned to look at her, “Didn’t you say you’d treat me to dinner, why didn’t you pay?” Xu Ke was surprised, “I thought, there was no need to pay.” With his relationship with Rongrong, did he need to pay? And when he left, he showed no intention of paying, and Rongrong didn’t either. Shen Mu raised an eyebrow, his expression slightly displeased, “You thought? What did you think?” Xu Ke looked out the window, knowing full well, why make someone else spell it out? Shen Mu glanced at her again, unrelenting, “What did you think?” Xu Ke turned to him with a faint smile, “I thought you were friends.” Shen Mu’s face darkened, “What kind of friends?” Xu Ke, helpless, said against her better judgment, “Just ordinary friends.” He seemed satisfied with this answer, turning away with a half-smile. Xu Ke looked out the window again. “Where do you live?” “Huxi.” Shen Mu’s brows furrowed slightly. The city at night seemed so empty, with wide roads where cars sped by, reaching Hu Xi in less than ten minutes. Originally a rural area on the outskirts, it had been enveloped by the city’s rapid expansion over a mere decade. However, the dilapidated houses and the unplanned, narrow streets still clashed with the rest of the city, like nouveau riche gatecrashers at a noble’s ball, exuding an air of poverty and pettiness. Yet, this was where the cheapest rent in the city could be found, and here, Xu Ke and her boyfriend Lin Ge’s sister, Lin Yao, shared a two-bedroom apartment. Xu Ke pointed to a small alley in Hu Xi and said, “Mr. Shen, this is far enough.” Shen Mu, not allowing any objections, said, “I’ll walk you in.” Before Xu Ke could stop him, Shen Mu had already driven his Porsche into the narrow, winding street. She thought for a moment and decided not to say what she had on her mind. The alley was so narrow it could barely fit one car; the dim streetlights, dilapidated houses, and his sports car created a stark contrast. Following Xu Ke’s directions, the car twisted and turned through the narrow lanes for a while before stopping in front of a seven-story residential building. Xu Ke got out of the car, thanked him, and without looking back, entered the building. He watched as lights turned on from floor to floor until a window on the fifth floor lit up. Xu Ke closed the door, went to the window, and opened it. The car lights below were bright, with the Porsche trapped in the tight alley, unable to maneuver. She couldn’t help but want to laugh. The Porsche, like a tiger in a flatland, tried several times to turn around but ended up reversing out. Xu Ke finally burst into laughter, then turned happily to the bathroom to wash up. A note was stuck on the bathroom mirror: “I’m going to Kaifeng with classmates, will be back the day after tomorrow.” Lin Yao’s handwriting was as stingy as her character. Xu Ke had never seen anyone so frugal; no matter the urgency, Lin Yao would never answer your call, always calling back using the office phone. To her, a mobile phone was just a pager. When they decided to rent together, Xu Ke was reluctant to live in Hu Xi, thinking the environment was poor and the security was bad. However, Lin Yao insisted on living there because the rent was cheap. Xu Ke was helpless, considering Lin Yao was Lin Ge’s sister, her future sister-in-law, she reluctantly agreed. After her shower, she changed into pajamas and lay in bed, planning to turn off her phone and sleep in the next day. When she picked up her phone, she noticed a text from an unknown number. She opened it; the message was simple, just one sentence: “Buy all shares of 600xxx on Monday.” Xu Ke was surprised; who was this? After hesitating, she called back. The call connected, and it was Shen Mu! How did he get her number? “This is a friend’s stock manipulation scheme; you need to get in on Monday, or you’ll miss the price surge. It will skyrocket next week, and you should sell within two weeks.” He finished briefly but didn’t hang up, as if he had more to say. Xu Ke waited, but he was silent. Just as she was about to hang up, he suddenly asked, “Do you believe me?” Xu Ke smiled silently, “Why wouldn’t I?” Then, she hung up and turned on her computer. Looking at the K-line chart for 600xxx, along with recent trends and related news, it indeed looked like a rapid rise was imminent. Xu Ke turned off her computer, lay in bed pondering Shen Mu’s intentions. Why would he share this insider information? Was he feeling guilty and trying to make amends six years later? Although the law clearly prohibited securities industry employees from trading stocks, who among those working in securities companies didn’t dabble in stocks? Typically, they used family members’ accounts. Xu Ke used Lin Ge’s account, but the fifty thousand in it was her own savings. She thought Shen Mu’s revenge had been fully vented six years ago. Now, he shouldn’t hate her, nor should she hate him; they could meet with a smile, putting past grievances behind, then become strangers again. Therefore, he had no reason to deceive her with false information. She lay in bed, drifting into sleep, unexpectedly dreaming of Shen Mu. He was smoking on the second-floor balcony of a villa, backlit, his features obscured but surrounded by a halo of light, looking very attractive. In her dream, she was still clear-headed enough to know they were in the past, so she turned away and linked arms with Lin Ge. Oddly, Lin Ge shook her off and stormed away. Startled, she woke up. There were faint, almost inaudible sounds in the room. A rat? She was about to turn on the light but sensed something was wrong. There was a shadow at the window; in the dim moonlight, she could vaguely see someone rifling through her drawer. A thief! Her heart almost stopped, beating so fast it felt like it might jump out. Her hand quietly reached under her pillow, finding her phone. One press was 110, but after dialing, she couldn’t speak, how could she report it? Her fingers slowly released the phone, gripping a knife instead. This knife had been under her pillow for two years, from the day she moved in. Lin Yao always mocked her for it, but today it proved useful. With the knife in hand, she felt much calmer. The thief moved stealthily, occasionally glancing at Xu Ke on the bed. Xu Ke lay still, holding her breath, pretending to sleep. At that moment, she missed Lin Ge, who was far away in Wuhan. The thief then moved to the wardrobe, but the door creaked too loudly, so he chose the drawer below, which only contained Xu Ke’s underwear. Watching him toss her underwear onto the floor, Xu Ke felt both fear and anger. After a while, finding nothing, the thief quietly pushed open the window and climbed out. Xu Ke suddenly felt weak, trembling as she sat up, quickly ran to the window, and locked it securely. Earlier, she had forgotten to lock the window in her delight at watching Shen Mu’s awkward reversing. She turned on the light, quickly crawled back into bed, clutching her blanket; all traces of sleep had been scared away. She must buy a house! That was the only thought in her mind at that moment, never before so intense! Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. In the quiet night, it was heart-stopping. Xu Ke was tense, listening closely; it was Shen Mu’s voice. “Xu Ke, Xu Ke!” The sudden appearance of a familiar face at such a moment was a great comfort, even if this person was her once-enemy, now a stranger. She jumped out of bed, quickly opened the door. The dim light made his figure even more imposing, his handsome face softened by a gentle glow. Perhaps because she had just experienced a fright, she actually felt a slight warmth towards him. “What’s wrong? You called me earlier and didn’t say anything,” Xu Ke asked, puzzled. When did she call him? He then added, “Your complexion looks terrible. Are you feeling unwell?”