The New Favorite

After dinner, the four of them took a taxi back home. Lin Yao and Li Pingyu closed the door, leaving Xu Ke outside wondering what they were discussing inside. After a while, they called Lin Ge in as well. Xu Ke looked at the closed door, feeling somewhat like an outsider. She went to the bedroom, turned on the computer to check stocks. The mother and her two children were still inside talking, and it was already past eleven, yet they hadn’t come out. Xu Ke was getting sleepy, yawning repeatedly. She turned off the computer, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and as she passed by Lin Yao’s bedroom, she seemed to hear Li Pingyu’s scolding voice. Was she scolding Lin Yao or Lin Ge? Xu Ke lay down on the bed, picked up a magazine, and soon fell asleep. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep when Lin Ge gently woke her up. “Little Ke, cover yourself properly and sleep.” Xu Ke woke up to find Lin Ge’s face looking unwell. She sat up and asked, “What’s wrong?” Lin Yao forced a smile, “Oh, it’s nothing. Can you get me a blanket, I’ll sleep on the couch.”