The New Favorite

“But he never called me Ping. Before, he called me Nurse Shao, and later, he always called me Shao Wan, which means ‘regretting not meeting earlier.'” Xu Ke looked at the bank card in the box, and her heart started racing. Was it him, or Li Jinghua? “Who gave you this box?” Xu Ke whispered, “Shen Mu.” Shao Ping looked surprised, “Has he come back?” “Yes,” Xu Ke paused, then added, “His mother has returned too.” Shao Yiping was taken aback. “His mother seems to have a leg problem, she uses a cane.” Shao Yiping was stunned again. That woman, always so arrogant and unyielding, seemed like she would never fall, always full of endless drive and energy, looking down on everyone, never yielding. But even the strongest person can’t resist the ravages of time; no matter how well-preserved on the outside, age is there, and you can’t help but bow to it. “Mom, how do you plan to handle this box?” Shao Yiping sighed, “Give it back to Shen Mu. I guess it’s his intention.” Xu Ke nodded, putting the box back in her bag, feeling a bit troubled. Last time, it seemed like she had said things that would make it impossible for them to meet again, but unexpectedly, they ran into each other at night just a few days later, and now, she had to go see him in person. Fate always likes to play tricks on people. Shao Yiping looked at her daughter, somberly saying, “Xiao Ke, actually, I feel particularly guilty. If it weren’t for me back then, you wouldn’t have been hurt.” Xu Ke quickly shook her head, “Mom, this has nothing to do with you. You can’t blame others for matters of the heart. Actually, I should thank this pain for teaching me what kind of person is most suitable for me. I’ve long let go of the past.” Shao Yiping touched the back of her daughter’s hand, smiling with relief, “Mom has had enough bad luck in this life, encountering countless misfortunes, enduring countless grievances, but having a good daughter like you is compensation from heaven.” Recalling Li Jinghua’s arrogance and the humiliation and grievances her mother suffered, Xu Ke cautiously asked, “Mom, do you still hate her?” Shao Yiping pondered for a moment, her expression calm and serene, but her answer surprised Xu Ke. “Hate. But not because she humiliated me at the wedding, nor because she drove us out of the Rong Mansion.” Xu Ke asked in shock, “Then why?” Shao Yiping didn’t answer immediately. She looked out at the vegetable garden, her gaze somewhat distant, and after a while, she said, “I’ll tell you when I’m about to die.” Xu Ke scolded, “Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? You’ll live to be 100.” Shao Yiping affectionately ruffled her daughter’s hair, teasing, “Alright, I’ll become immortal, an old witch.” Xu Ke giggled and hugged Shao Yiping, “Mom, you’re getting more and more adorable.” On Sunday afternoon, Xu Ke returned to the provincial capital, initially wanting to call Shen Mu immediately, but then she thought, he must not be at the company on weekends, and she didn’t want to go to his home or any other place. Meeting him at the company would be best, to keep it strictly business and resolve things quickly. If she wasn’t worried about the large amount of money in the card being unsafe, she would have chosen to send it by express. Although she hadn’t checked the amount in the card, her intuition told her it wouldn’t be less than a million. After the market closed on Monday morning, Xu Ke mustered the courage to dial Shen Mu’s number. Before the call even connected, she felt her face grow hot, remembering the harsh words she had thrown at him, almost vowing never to see him again, which she herself had now contradicted. The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. Shen Mu answered with a calm “Hello,” revealing no emotion. Xu Ke quickly said, “Do you have time? I need to see you about something.” Shen Mu’s voice, low and lazy, replied, “Okay, come find me at the Cloud Top.” When Xu Ke arrived at the Cloud Top, it was exactly noon. She went up to the 36th floor, where the receptionist stopped her. “May I ask who you’re looking for?” “I’m here to see your CEO Shen, I’ve made an appointment.” “Please wait a moment, I’ll make a call.” After a moment, she smiled at Xu Ke, “CEO Shen asked you to go to the top floor, to the Zhu Pavilion, where he’s waiting for you.” Xu Ke had no choice but to enter the elevator again, heading up to the 39th floor. Upon exiting the elevator, she found the place eerily quiet. Directly opposite the elevator was a large door with a password lock, ancient in style, black with gold edges, studded with gold and red door nails, mysterious and grand. Xu Ke stood there, unsure how to deal with the password lock, couldn’t find a doorbell after searching, so she took out her phone and called Shen Mu again. The call connected quickly, and Shen Mu’s voice seemed to come from right next to her, “The password is 521521.” Xu Ke’s heart jolted. She would never forget the significance of 521. By setting this password, what was he implying? Her fingers trembled slightly as she entered the code, feeling a mix of embarrassment, awkwardness, and an inexplicable emotion that stirred her heart. He always had countless ways to effortlessly disrupt her peace. The door opened, and Xu Ke stood at the entrance, stunned. The entire top floor was transformed into a single, well-planned room, uniquely designed, both delicate and spacious. At a glance, the southeast corner was surrounded by flowers and plants, and there was even a swimming pool in the middle. The midday sun lazily scattered across the water, the pale blue pool looking like a clean blue crystal. Shen Mu lay on a rattan chair by the pool, his back to the door, holding a newspaper, wrapped in a white bath towel. Xu Ke didn’t move forward, staying at the entrance and throwing her words from a distance. “My mom asked me to return this box to you. Here, I’ve put it here.” She placed the box on a nearby antique shelf and turned to leave. Shen Mu didn’t speak, only turned a page of his newspaper with a soft rustle. Xu Ke turned back, noticing another door with a password lock. She tried 521521 again, but it didn’t open. She pressed again, still nothing. Were there two different passwords? She had no choice but to turn back to the figure in white, throwing out two words, “Password!” Shen Mu leisurely sent back a sentence, “Come over here.” Xu Ke frowned, feeling like she had fallen into a trap. After some thought, she reluctantly walked to the edge of the pool. As she got closer, seeing his appearance made her feel uncomfortable. Although he was covered by the bath towel, it was loosely draped, and from this high angle… She quickly averted her gaze. The rich had it good, not working in the middle of the day, lounging in a pool under the sun, and after sunbathing, reading the newspaper in a bath towel. Shen Mu put down the newspaper, took off his glasses, placed them in the eyeglass case on the coffee table, then pointed to the rattan chair beside him, “Sit.” Xu Ke had no intention of sitting, facing him again with two words, “Password.” He turned a deaf ear and softly asked, “Why did your mom send it back?” Xu Ke glanced at him and said indifferently, “You know exactly why.” Shen Mu fell silent, watching her quietly. Xu Ke turned her head to gaze at the light blue pool water. The sunlight was just right, scattering in fine fragments across the water’s surface, making it glisten beautifully. On the other side of the pool, tall banana plants stood, their lush leaves sheltering clusters of flowers, either red or yellow, all brilliantly vibrant.