The New Favorite

At this point, Xu Ke felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. Shao Yiping was her mother. Having lost her father in childhood, she had witnessed her mother’s hardships firsthand. Just when her mother, now middle-aged, had finally found someone with whom she could spend her remaining years, that person gave her only a brief moment of happiness before leaving again. Shao Yiping used to look quite youthful, but after Shen Xiaoshan’s death, in just a month, all the hidden traces of time rushed forth, adding to her distress, and they showed starkly on her face, making her look as if she had aged and withered ten years in an instant. Shen Xiaoshan’s words were brief, but they were laden with deep affection, reluctance, helplessness, and regret, surpassing a thousand words. Xu Ke felt a mix of sadness and reflection; she, who hadn’t cried for a long time, suddenly felt a bit out of control. A gentle hand wiped away the tears from her face. His fingers were slender, the skin firm, and the warm touch brought her back from the brink of emotional turmoil. She quietly closed the box, took a deep breath to calm herself, and said to Shen Mu, “Thank you. I’ll pass this on to my mom.” Shen Mu nodded, silently watching her. The night breeze lifted the hem of his light gray shirt, like a ripple stirring from the past. Xu Ke averted her gaze and softly said, “I should go home.” “I’ll drive you,” Shen Mu offered, and Xu Ke didn’t refuse; at this hour, getting a taxi here was impossible. As they left the study and crossed the courtyard, the evening breeze met them head-on. The skin under her eyes felt tight and dry from the tears, and her heart was a crumpled mess. The past, which she had carefully sorted and placed in the depths of her heart, was now in disarray due to the wind of this night. Once in the car, Xu Ke caressed the small box, silent for a long time. Shen Xiaoshan’s death was sudden, and her mother wasn’t there at his last moment, not even leaving a last word. This card would be a great comfort to her mother; she decided to go home this Saturday to deliver the box. As for the money on the card, she wasn’t concerned with the amount; whether to keep or return it would be her mother’s decision. Passing by Green Island, Shen Mu casually remarked, “If you live here, you’d be very close to me.” Xu Ke’s heart skipped a beat; she felt even more that she shouldn’t live there, as she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t “accidentally” run into him often. The night was peaceful, with few cars on the wide road, streetlights flashing by the window like fleeting time. Suddenly, Shen Mu spoke, “Zhang Wanruo has an older sister named Zhang Pianruo. Their names come from ‘graceful as a dragon’ and ‘swift as a swan’.” Xu Ke was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Shen Mu to bring up Zhang Wanruo. Indeed, they were nice names, and Zhang Pianruo must be a beauty too. Shen Mu smiled at her, “Do you know their nicknames?” “What are they?” “Zhao Di, Yin Di.” Xu Ke was surprised and couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re making that up, right?” “Their mother was a good friend of my mother.” Shen Mu paused, then continued, “Zhang Wanruo was my girlfriend in Canada. We dated for half a month before she dumped me.” Xu Ke found this hard to believe: “She dumped you?” Shen Mu nodded, “Yes, I hate her.” He said “hate” with such mock seriousness, yet his tone was playful, his demeanor nonchalant, showing not a hint of real hatred. Thus, “I hate her” sounded particularly amusing. Xu Ke couldn’t help but smile, trying to suppress her laughter. Shen Mu glanced at her disapprovingly, “Gloating.” Xu Ke, holding back her laughter, looked him over, “Why did she dump you?” She was genuinely curious; hearing that he had been dumped, regardless of its veracity, was somewhat satisfying, though more than anything, she found it hard to believe. Men like him usually did the dumping, not the other way around. What could be the reason? Shen Mu remained silent. Xu Ke thought he probably wouldn’t say; being dumped by a woman could be a blow to one’s pride, especially for someone as arrogant and cold as he was. Unexpectedly, he suddenly said, “Because she saw a photo in my wallet.” Intrigued, Xu Ke asked, “What photo?” She regretted asking immediately, wondering why she was so curious about his private life. Shen Mu gave her a half-smile, keeping her in suspense, not answering. Xu Ke felt a bit awkward but was also puzzled; if Mo Xin Yu didn’t know about Shen Mu’s relationship with Zhang Wanruo, then during that time abroad, Shen Mu and Mo Xin Yu must have had little contact. Being childhood friends and neighbors, shouldn’t they have grown closer abroad? She couldn’t figure out what had happened between them. After a while, Shen Mu solemnly concluded, “I learned my lesson after that, I don’t keep photos in my wallet anymore. Most women are interested in my wallet.” This statement struck a chord with Xu Ke. It seemed that wealthy people didn’t like others being with them for money. For instance, Mo Xiaoxiao, despite her family’s wealth, was extremely low-key, working as a bank teller, not showing off until she almost gave the branch manager a heart attack by taking on all the branch’s tasks. As they approached Huxi, Xu Ke’s phone rang; it was Lin Ge. “Xiao Ke, why haven’t you come back yet?” Xu Ke felt a twinge of irritation, not directed at Lin Ge but at Lin Yao; if she hadn’t called Lin Ge, how would he have known she was still out? She responded softly, “I’m on my way, about ten minutes from home.” Lin Ge sounded worried, “Ever since you mentioned the burglary, I’ve been concerned. Be careful, and don’t go out at night if you can help it.” “Okay.” Suddenly, Shen Mu loudly said, “Xiao Ke, let’s go to the night club later.” Lin Ge on the other end of the line seemed surprised to hear someone else, asking quietly, “Who’s that?” Xu Ke was inwardly annoyed; Shen Mu had to be doing this on purpose. Interrupting someone’s call is the most basic breach of etiquette, how could he not know? Speaking so loudly, clearly wanting Lin Ge to hear, and even mentioning the night club, known for being a place for private, high-end rendezvous. She had no choice but to explain, “Shen Mu is driving me home, I’m in his car.” Lin Ge responded with a hesitant, “Oh,” then after a pause, “Send me a message when you get home.” “Okay,” Xu Ke hung up, giving Shen Mu a disapproving look. He seemed to sense it, turned to look at her, then seriously checked his watch, “It’s too late today, let’s go to the night club another time.”