The New Favorite

Xu Ke, red-faced, snapped, “Why don’t you close the door?” Shen Mu, unfazed, buttoned up his shirt with an innocent look, “I live alone here, so none of the rooms have doors. It’s more convenient this way.” Xu Ke turned away, saying, “Let’s eat.” “So fast, what did you make?” Shen Mu’s tone was expectant, but when he stepped out and saw the plain noodles on the table, his expression changed. Xu Ke waited for him to frown, stop eating, and find fault… Unexpectedly, he said nothing, his expression calm as he pulled out the chair and sat at the table. The plain boiled noodles were tasteless, and Xu Ke was just going through the motions. She picked at it a few times, finding it really hard to swallow, and sat waiting for him to finish so she could leave. She thought he definitely wouldn’t be able to eat it, assuming someone as picky as him had never tasted such bad noodles in his life. Contrary to her expectations, he ate slowly and elegantly, showing no signs of difficulty in swallowing. Xu Ke found it strange; could there be something wrong with his taste buds that he could eat such noodles? Shen Mu looked up at her, “Why aren’t you eating?” “I’m not hungry.” “Picky eater.” He glanced at her, then reached over and dumped the noodles from her bowl into his own. Xu Ke was shocked to the point of disbelief. Someone as fastidious as him, would, would eat her leftovers? Besides the shock, she felt embarrassed, and then something she didn’t want to ponder began to rise in her heart, like the dust floating in the afternoon sunlight, invisible without the light. The room was so quiet it seemed you could hear breathing and heartbeats; she felt those dust-like emotions in her heart rising and falling, becoming clearer with the passage of time. Time seemed to slow down even more. She started to feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. Suddenly, his phone rang. He got up to answer it in the inner room, spoke a few words softly, then came out with the phone, smiling at her: “I’m not eating anymore.” Xu Ke coldly gathered the two bowls into the kitchen, turned on the tap. The noodles had nothing but salt in them, so there wasn’t a speck of oil in the bowls, which rinsed clean with a splash of water. Suddenly, she heard the front door make a noise; she quickly put down the bowls and rushed out of the kitchen, only to find Shen Mu had left! She was so angry her teeth itched, blaming herself for not watching him every moment; he was just too cunning. At that moment, her phone received a message from Shen Mu: “I’m downstairs, I’ll be back up soon.” Xu Ke impulsively replied with two words “Rogue”, feeling slightly better. Bored, she wandered around the house, eventually sitting down on a lounge chair by the pool. The afternoon sun felt lazy and gentle on her. On the coffee table was the newspaper he had been reading. She picked it up casually and flipped through it. The financial section, usually of little interest to her, was something she had to read due to work. She wondered if he read it out of interest or for work. After skimming a few pages, she put it down casually and suddenly noticed, under the glass table, a spectacle case with his glasses, spread open. A photo was pulled out, lying on the white lining, basking in the sunlight. He had covered the table with the newspaper, not anticipating that she would pick it up, revealing everything beneath the glass. Through the clear glass and bright light, the image on the photo suddenly jumped into her eyes, shaking her like a stone breaking the reflection in a well. She slowly picked up the photo from under the table. The man in white in the left corner, that was him. He seemed to be standing under a corridor or on the balcony of the second floor. The angle was poor, capturing only his profile above the shoulders, his straight nose, and resolute lips. The green lawn extended to the right corner of the photo, where a girl in a white dress sat, which was her. The entire photo was in green and white – him in white clothes and her in a white dress. Separated by a stretch of verdant green, his gaze was fixed on her, while she, unaware, was looking down at the book in her hands. Her heart suddenly tightened, as if a hand had squeezed it hard. Time through the photo hit her face-on; those most beautiful times and sentiments, long gone and deliberately blurred in memory, were now vividly awakened, as if the breeze of that day could touch her cheek, carrying the scent of grass and roses. Why did he keep this photo, so cherished? For him, were those past times not just about revenge? Who took this photo? A thought stirred in her, recalling what Mo Xiaoxiao had said; could it have been Mo Xinyu who secretly took it from the second floor of his house? And how did it end up in his hands? She didn’t want to think about the process, nor did she wish to dwell on why he treasured this photo. Seeing herself and him in the photo, an instinctual urge to cut off all ties with him was overwhelming. Without hesitation, she tore the photo in half, pocketed her half, and placed his half back in the spectacle case. The newspaper was still on the coffee table, covering the glass. The sunlight quietly shone on this little haven, where the poetic past, with its cherries red and bananas green, had faded, leaving only the ink to stain the purity. The sound of the door opening came from behind; Xu Ke slowly stood up, looking at him from afar, inexplicably tense. “I’m leaving.” Shen Mu approached her, his smile slightly bitter, “Are you really in such a hurry to leave? Huo Peng has approved your leave; wouldn’t it be nice to rest this afternoon openly?” He stood closer, and she suddenly dared not look into his eyes, the half-photo burning in her pocket like a thorn. She hastily said, “I have things to do.” He turned silently, walked to the door, his long, strong fingers on the keypad. Xu Ke watched his fingers nervously; he pressed 125125, just 521521 reversed. Stepping out of the door, Xu Ke felt a sense of liberation from a cage, her whole body lightening. The elevator descended to the lobby, and she stepped out of Yun Ding, standing by the wide street. Traffic flowed incessantly. She hesitated, to go to work or home? Suddenly, Shen Mu’s voice came from behind. “Xu Ke!” Xu Ke froze, turned to see him striding over. Her heart inexplicably tightened, and she instinctively turned to leave. Shen Mu caught up in a few steps, blocking her. “Give it back to me.” His face was stern, a hint of anger in his eyes. His tone made Xu Ke both ashamed and angry; she was just taking back what was hers, what right did he have to demand it back? She immediately straightened up, looking up at Shen Mu with defiance, and retorted: “Is it yours?” He squinted slightly, emphasizing each word: “You are mine, and so is the photo.” His declaration was both arrogant and suggestive. Xu Ke couldn’t see her own expression, but she could feel a wave of heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears, a mix of indignation and embarrassment. She never expected him to say such audacious and direct words so blatantly. In front of everyone, she didn’t want to argue with him, only replying with two words, “Ridiculous!” Then, she turned to leave. He grabbed her arm, holding her in place. She was wearing a medium-sleeved dress, her skin touching his palm, immediately feeling the strength of a man, robust and forceful. His palm was broad, fingers slender, gripping her slender arm like an unbreakable bracelet. Xu Ke struggled a couple of times without success, frowning and glaring at him, “Let go.” He stared intently into her eyes, slowly saying, “I haven’t forgotten, and I think you won’t either.” A surge of anger suddenly rose within her, and Xu Ke blurted out, “Yes, I haven’t forgotten, but I don’t want to continue, nor do I want to repeat the same mistake. How dare you speak so arrogantly? You’re too presumptuous!” These were words she hadn’t intended to say. But at this moment, provoked by his claim, “The person is mine, and so are the photos,” these hidden feelings burst forth from her throat, as if with sharp thorns, causing a faint pain as they passed her throat. He paused, his voice suddenly becoming slightly hoarse, “That was our only photo together. Can you really bear to destroy it?” His affectionate tone almost made Xu Ke laugh. She lifted the corner of her lips, inadvertently with a hint of sarcasm, “I have no qualms about it, don’t you find it ridiculous to keep it? You know better than anyone what our past was like.” A deep, unfathomable sadness flashed in Shen Mu’s eyes, and after a moment of silence, he said softly, “It’s very important to me.” Xu Ke responded indifferently, “It’s ridiculous to me. If you want a photo, there are plenty of women willing to accompany you, even one a day could be arranged.” His eyebrows rose, the deep sadness in his eyes instantly replaced by irritation. “Give it back to me,” he said succinctly, his deep voice carrying a commanding presence. Xu Ke was unfazed, replying calmly, “I’ve already torn it up.” He pressed his thin lips together, the muscles in his cheek twitching slightly, a sign of his anger. She was all too familiar with this look of anger, knowing well that when he got angry, he was capable of anything. Seeing his gloomy eyes and the storm brewing in his expression, she felt inexplicably nervous. Before she could react, his lips were on hers. Xu Ke was panic-stricken, never imagining he would enact such a scene in broad daylight on the bustling Finance Street. Her mind went blank with anger. He seemed to be declaring his ownership, tightly embracing her waist, pressing her slender body against his chest with immense force. Whether it was an illusion or not, she felt his hand roaming around her waist, the tingling sensation suddenly bringing back old pains, making her feel dizzy with anger, yet surprisingly clear-headed. Without hesitation, she stomped on his foot with her heel with all her might. He finally let go. If they weren’t in front of the Cloud Top entrance, if they weren’t on a crowded street, she really would have slapped him. She hailed a taxi, her mood still fluctuating wildly, unable to calm down for a long time. The taxi driver asked her twice before she responded, giving him her company’s address.