The New Favorite

He squinted, watching her quietly, and said slowly, “Your education, temperament, job, and appearance are all quite good. I don’t understand why your expectations for love are so low. Either it’s because of low self-esteem, or you’ve had an unforgettable past.” Xu Ke was startled once again. His eyes were bright, his gaze intense, but not so sharp as to be off-putting; it was a kind of clear transparency. He continued slowly, “I’m not trying to pry into your privacy; I just want to help you untie your emotional knots. I always feel that although you are as beautiful as jade, your brows no longer hold the innocence of youth. You and I, we have a natural rapport, perhaps because you were raised by Aunt Shao, and you carry her scent, while I, I carry her blood.” Xu Ke stared at him, her heart racing. He had finally voiced his speculation, this thought that had been bouncing around in her mind, suppressed until now, like water released from a dam, there was no turning back. “What makes you so sure?” “My twenty-five years are very different from yours. I’ve known for a long time, so I’ve been paying attention.” His tone was grave, and at that moment, Xu Ke indeed felt his twenty-five years were more mature than hers, and his certainty was so convincing that she subconsciously wanted to avoid it. She didn’t want to continue the conversation, avoiding his gaze, she said softly, “I’m going to the hospital; you should go back and rest. Let’s talk about everything once mom wakes up, if she wants to talk.” Yin Wancheng was not surprised by her reaction; he was mentally prepared, whereas she, suddenly hearing this, naturally couldn’t be as calm as he was. He got up to settle the bill at the counter and left the restaurant with Xu Ke. The night wind on her face made Xu Ke suddenly feel a chill. Tonight, too many changes had occurred, almost more than she could bear. Her breakup with Lin Ge already made her feel like she had lost her place in the world, and now her own origins were shrouded in mystery. If it were true, she would truly be alone. She didn’t want to believe it, but her rational mind clearly told her that what Yin Wancheng said might very well be the truth. “Xiao Ke, go to my place to rest tonight. No need for you to stay at the hospital.” Xu Ke silently shook her head, suddenly realizing she had nowhere to go. Yin Wancheng stood beside her, sensing something, and gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, and don’t be afraid. You won’t lose anything; you’ll only gain more, like me, your brother.” Xu Ke turned to look at him; he didn’t seem to be joking, his tone very sincere. Suddenly, his phone rang. He took out his phone, smiled at her, “It’s Aunt Li.” “I’m at the restaurant outside the hospital. Aunt Shao is in intensive care; no need for a night watch tonight. Xu Ke, she, is with me.” After hanging up, Yin Wancheng said, “Aunt Li has come to see your mom; she’s in the lobby on the first floor, let’s go.” Xu Ke remained silent, following behind him back to the hospital, her mind in turmoil, unsure of what to say to Li Jinghua when they met. The past entanglements were so deeply etched in her memory that returning to normalcy so abruptly felt very uncomfortable. The lights in the lobby were bright, and at this late hour, there were almost no people around. Xu Ke immediately spotted Li Jinghua standing there. Tall, she stood alone in the empty hall, looking somewhat lonely. Her gaze shifted from Xu Ke’s face to Yin Wancheng’s, then back to Xu Ke. Yin Wancheng walked over with a smile, “Aunt Li, it’s so late, you haven’t rested?” “I heard the surgery went well. I came to check. Wancheng, you go home and rest; your mom will be back soon, make sure the house is tidied up.” Turning to Xu Ke, she said, “I have something to discuss with you.” Xu Ke immediately realized what she wanted to talk about, clenching her fists tightly to suppress her nervousness and confusion. Yin Wancheng nodded, “Okay, goodbye Aunt Li, goodbye Xiao Ke.” Li Jinghua sat down on a bench in the lobby. Xu Ke sat down next to her, leaving a seat between them. “I had a friend named Zhang Yueguang. She was very beautiful with clear, bright eyes. At seventeen, she came out to work and was loved at first sight by the young master of the Yin family. The Yin family and my family were old friends; the old master of the Yin family was extremely conservative, with strict family rules, and he valued matching social status above all. Yin Zhantu secretly married Zhang Yueguang against his father’s wishes. The old master never recognized this marriage, and unfortunately, Zhang Yueguang didn’t bear a son, giving birth to two daughters instead, and the old master wouldn’t even let them bear the Yin surname. Zhang Yueguang was also a spirited woman; she went to City L with Yin Zhantu when she was pregnant with their third child. At that time, Shen Xiaoshan was in City L, and together with the Yin family, they started the Splendid Riverside project.” She sighed deeply and continued, “No one expected Yin Zhantu to die in a car accident at such a young age.” “Yin Zhantu was the only son, so the old master was heartbroken and angry, blaming Zhang Yueguang even more. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have gone to City L in anger and met his fate. The old master declared that if Zhang Yueguang’s third child was another daughter, he would pass all the family property to his nephew and not acknowledge them.” “At that time, there was a man named Xu Wenju in the project department of Splendid Riverside. He was worried every day in the office, fearing his wife’s heart condition would worsen, endangering both her life and their unborn child’s. So, everyone in the project department knew his wife was about to give birth.” Hearing her father’s name, Xu Ke’s heart beat rapidly; Li Jinghua was indeed going to discuss her origins. “Unfortunately, Zhang Yueguang gave birth to a girl, while Xu Wenju’s wife was issued a critical condition notice after giving birth.” “It was I who went to negotiate with Xu Wenju. I gave him ten thousand yuan to take his son. He used that money to save his wife’s life.” “But two months later, his wife came looking for me, wanting her son back. I was furious then, thinking the Xu family was untrustworthy, taking money then going back on their word, or perhaps trying to extort more. I had seen too many such people. In my youthful arrogance, I insulted her and drove her away. I returned to the provincial capital and later went abroad; this incident was forgotten over the years.” “Until one day, Shen Xiaoshan suddenly told me he wanted a divorce to marry a woman named Shao Yiping. I never thought Shen Xiaoshan would leave me one day, even though I didn’t love him. When I came back from abroad and met Shao Yiping, I didn’t recognize her at all. That was an old story from twenty years ago; how could I think she was Xu Wenju’s wife?” At this point, Xu Ke felt like she might faint from the shock. She gripped the armrest of the bench tightly. “When I was cursing at Shao Yiping, she got very emotional and said something to me. At the time, I still hadn’t figured out who she was, and instead, I misinterpreted it in another direction. She said she had known Shen Xiaoshan and me since we were in L City, and she also said that Xu Ke, that child, shouldn’t have the surname Xu at all.”