Chapter 5

He disdainfully curled the corner of his mouth and said, "Do you think I dare not!"

As the lights begin to glow, pedestrians hurry by

Xu Ke took out her phone, retrieved Shen Mu's text message, and presented it right under Lin Yao's eyes, allowing her to see it for herself

He enunciated each word clearly: "Try calling Mr. Shen one more time?"

After asking, she regretted it again. Did this not reveal that she still remembered his preferences? She should have acted as if she had completely forgotten everything about him

Xu Ke was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "Why did you call me for a blind date?"

Mo Xiaoxiao asked me to accompany him to a blind date

I did not expect to encounter you here, nor did I anticipate that my message would leave such a lasting impression on you, one that you would find endlessly captivating.

She laughed and said, "Then let's call you brother." He was four years older than her, so it was not inappropriate to call him brother

Shen Mu scoffed dismissively, "Too cheap, it doesn't count"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said: "No."

Indeed, his smile deepened a bit, "Do you still remember my preferences? However, I now enjoy drinking porridge."

He suddenly pressed her hand down

She smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Shen, goodbye"

Xu Ke said seriously: "I came here to have a meal. Doesn't Mr. Shen dislike drinking porridge?"

Shen Mu's tall figure resembled a wall, blocking half of the overhead light.

She quickly stood up and joked with him, "Teacher Shen, you should rest early."

Mo Xiaoxiao's voice was low and eerie: "Do you dare not to go? If I end up as a leftover woman, will you take responsibility?"

She silently set down the recipe

Lin Yao returned the phone to Xu Ke and said in surprise: "Sister-in-law, this text message clearly indicates that he does not have a girlfriend"

Xu Ke ordered a bowl of century egg and lean meat congee and a dish of vegetables, showing no intention of treating anyone

Xu Ke was taken aback and looked up at him

At that time, she was only 16 years old. When he stood before her, she finally understood what it meant to be "misled for a lifetime at first sight." Fortunately, she considered herself lucky, as she was only misled for a few years

In the past, that was truly shocking! To actually call you brother, how foolish. Xu Ke laughed, took a few breaths of the night breeze, and felt a bit of a sting in her nose

Xu Ke hurriedly said: "I will not go"

You sit beside him; you can test whether he is lecherous! I despise lecherous men the most. If he does not pay attention to you, this beautiful lady, it indicates that he is a very reliable person

Suddenly, the light in front of me dimmed, and a low, deep sigh was heard

Shen Muye ordered a bowl of porridge and then quietly watched her

"Do not call me anything else, just call me Shen Mu." He looked at her, his gaze bright as the first ray of morning light, yet faintly tinged with a hazy essence of night. What was it that he wished to say but held back? She could not comprehend, yet she felt an uncontrollable fluster, her heart racing like raindrops leaping from the eaves in spring, creating ripples upon ripples. She lingered for a long time in the depths of his deep and gentle voice, lost in a dreamlike state. That name was henceforth etched in her heart. She lingered for a long time in the depths of his deep and gentle voice, lost in a dreamlike state. That name was henceforth etched in her heart

Xu Ke was lost in thought when she was suddenly startled, causing her phone to fall onto her lap and then roll off to the ground. In a panic, she turned around and found Shen Mu standing right behind her, smiling at her. Although his smile was quite charming, Xu Ke felt certain it was a mockery.

It was merely a simple two-character phrase, yet he spoke it with a low, slightly hoarse voice that conveyed a hint of indulgence, and his gaze was equally deep and captivating

Lin Yao let out a sound, seemingly a bit skeptical

Lin Yao chased after and asked: "Where are you going?"

He is very tall, and the step she is standing on is one level higher than his, thus facing him with a pair of furious eyes. It must be said that his angry appearance is also quite handsome, with thick eyebrows like ink and deep, starry eyes.

I have something to attend to, so I will leave first. She awkwardly got up and left, and then heard Shen Mu's laughter behind her

Xu Ke felt very uncomfortable, wishing he could invite him to dine at the adjacent seat. However, he also thought that expressing this might make him seem petty, or not broad-minded enough, or still harboring old grievances against him.

He reined in his smile, his expression serious, and said softly: "Be obedient"

Xu Ke smiled and said, "I am not responsible at all!"

We truly have a deep connection

Mo Xiaoxiao, seeing that the hard approach was ineffective, decided to take a softer one. "Could you help me take a look? I think your taste in men is exceptional! Just look at your Lin Ge, what a great man he is, having remained faithful to you in Wuhan for two years."

Humor! Xu Ke silently gasped. It is often said that a woman's intelligence drops to zero when she is in love; it seems that from the moment she developed feelings, her intelligence was not high. With such a sharp tongue, she actually considers it humor.

At that time, she often cooked for him. I remember once, he seemingly asked casually: "You are so good at cooking, there must be many people who like you, right?"

After finishing the meal, Xu Ke settled the bill

Xu Ke felt a rush of warmth on her face, what theory is this!

Therefore, she will no longer be deceived by his gaze.

He was clearly implying that she was the dumbest one. Xu Ke gritted her teeth and hung up the phone, secretly cursing this unrepentant sharp-tongued man, hoping that in the future he would find a tigress to torment him to death

Is that so? Then should I say it is good or not? He spoke softly, gazing at her across the table, as if asking her, but more like asking himself

Shen Mu looked at her displeased and said, "Could you please not call me Mr. Shen!"

Xu Ke felt a flush on her face from Mo Xiaoxiao's words, yet her heart was filled with sweetness. Lin Ge was pursuing his graduate studies at Wuhan University, and despite the many junior sisters eyeing him covetously, he remained unmoved.

Mo Xiaoxiao persisted for quite a while, and Xu Ke, feeling helpless, finally said: "Then let's meet at the entrance of the restaurant. I really don't want to go to 205 alone; it would be too awkward for me if you don't show up."

He replied with a rather long sentence

Well, I have too many girlfriends; I don't know which one you want to ask about. How about I talk about the one who was the most foolish in the past

Hurry up and get dressed, the banquet is at 7 o'clock sharp in Room 205 of the Royal Dynasty Hotel

Xu Ke's heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily lowered her eyelids, not daring to look any longer. In the past, she often lost herself in his gaze, unable to distinguish between east and west, let alone consider deception and revenge

In the afternoon, Xu Ke was cleaning when she suddenly received a call from Mo Xiaoxiao

Saying this, he pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down confidently, as if he had come to meet her appointment

Xu Ke was both surprised and embarrassed, "Shen Mu, let go of me, this is a public place! How dare you!"

Xu Ke's heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily lowered her gaze, not daring to look more. In the past, she often lost herself in his gaze, unable to distinguish directions, let alone think of deception or revenge. Just two simple words, yet he spoke them with a deep, slightly hoarse voice, carrying a hint of indulgence, and his eyes were equally deep and captivating

After the porridge was served, she ate quickly, hoping to leave his sight sooner.

Xu Ke's stubborn temper has flared up at this moment, and she said angrily: "Mr. Shen, please speak properly."

The next morning, as soon as Lin Yao got out of bed, she ran over to ask Xu Ke: "Hmm, did he reply to the text message yesterday?"

Lin Yao took the phone, examined it carefully, and then chuckled: "He is quite humorous"

She buried herself in her meal, deliberately avoiding looking at him, until she casually glanced up when she was almost finished eating, only to find that he was eating very little, seemingly preoccupied with something. Moreover, he appeared to have lost some weight compared to before; was he too busy?

As they stepped out of the porridge shop, Xu Ke said earnestly to Shen Mu: "This time, I am the one paying the bill, consider it my treat to you"

He could clearly smirk or chuckle quietly, yet he deliberately laughed out loud for her to hear, which is truly despicable. She felt that she had really hit rock bottom; how vast the world is, yet how small it can be, that she would encounter such an embarrassing situation and even let him witness it

She had no choice but to sit and wait in the hotel lobby. Bored to death, she thought about taking out her phone to go online. However, by some strange twist of fate, she pulled up the text message from Shen Mu, reading it word by word, yet she still could not discern any hint that suggested he did not have a girlfriend. She couldn't help but admire Lin Yao's insight.

After asking, she felt a bit regretful, wondering if her question was too self-indulgent. What was there about her that was worth his following?

Xu Ke weighed the two consecutive "coincidences" and felt that the probability of such "coincidence" was indeed minuscule. After enduring it for a while, she could no longer help but raise her eyebrows in displeasure and asked, "Are you following me?"

Mo Xiaoxiao said with a smile: "Alright."

Xu Ke felt a bit annoyed at the thought of going home at this time to cook for Lin Yao. She suddenly remembered that there was a congee shop near the Royal Hotel that served very good congee. In the past, she often came here and also brought Shen Mu along.

At 6:30, Xu Ke left the house

She pretended not to hear and continued to eat quickly with her head down

Forget it, endure

In consideration of Lin Ge, Xu Ke spoke kindly, saying: "He has many girlfriends and is not quite suitable for you"

At that time, she only thought that his frowning expression was exceptionally attractive, completely unaware that whether forcing others or forcing oneself, it cannot last long

She strolled over. After six years, the porridge shop was still there, though the facade had been renovated; the interior, however, remained as it was in the past.

Indeed, he did not miss the opportunity to mock her, squinting his eyes and smiling, "The client is hosting a banquet at the Dynasty, I went to socialize for a bit and then came out, I didn't expect to run into you here by such coincidence. Are you here for some nostalgia?"

Xu Ke did not provide much explanation, and after leaving the alley, she took a taxi to the Royal Dynasty Hotel. Upon getting out of the car, she found that there was no sign of Mo Xiaoxiao at the hotel entrance. Looking at her watch, it was already 6:50. This girl, can't she even be on time for a blind date

Shen Mu's gaze sharpened, and he lowered his head

She picked up her phone with a flushed face, only to discover that the phone was in a tragic state

Hello, come out and accompany me on a blind date

He looked at her and said softly, "Do not call me teacher"

Years later, she still remembers that moment when his gaze was deep and enchanting, as if filled with infatuation. People often say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and cannot deceive, yet unfortunately, later events proved that his gaze was the greatest lie.

She walked out of the hotel and finally found a public phone. She called Mo Xiaoxiao and said that she had an urgent matter and could not accompany her to the blind date. Mo Xiaoxiao was in a taxi, and upon hearing this, she was so furious that she jumped up and down, ready to bite someone. Xu Ke quickly hung up the phone

Xu Ke was speechless; truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and ignorance can blind one. He himself claimed to have many girlfriends, yet Lin Yao insisted that he had none! Alas, matters of the heart are not easily swayed by advice; one must inevitably run headlong into a wall and suffer a bump on the head before awakening to reality. I can only hope that Lin Yao's insistence is merely a momentary whim.

Shen Mu said softly: "Take your time eating"

Xu Ke also snorted disdainfully: "Mr. Shen, you are too difficult to please"

Xu Ke let out a sound of realization, seriously considered for a moment, and then said: "Well, should I call you stepbrother? That sounds too formal and awkward."

Xu Ke chose a seat towards the inside and then opened the menu

A fleeting memory suddenly surged forth, as natural as a whispering night breeze by the ear. She approached him to seek help with a math problem. Unbeknownst to them, they sat very close together; his features were almost within reach, with a handsome and straight nose, thin yet resolute lips, and even the faint bluish hue of his chin was clearly visible. She glanced at him unintentionally, and her heart raced uncontrollably, leaving her unable to find peace.

Shen Mu said nothing, his silence was terrifying. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and pressed her against the crimson round pillar at the entrance of the porridge shop

Even the recipes have not changed, it is merely that the people and circumstances have. She felt a bit wistful and couldn't help but recall the past. Shen Mu did not like to drink porridge; every time she dragged him over, he would wear a forced and reluctant expression, frowning as he drank the porridge, as if he were consuming poison

Xu Ke was at a loss for words, truly unsure whether he had followed her or had simply run into her by chance. However, recalling that day at Rongrong's place, when he had also asked for a bowl of porridge, she felt it was quite possible that he had indeed come just to drink porridge

Xu Ke immediately felt a wave of frustration; this was not fate, but a cursed connection

She remembers this fragment clearly, while he has likely long forgotten it

Shen Mu Yin wore a grim expression, glaring at her fiercely, "What did you used to call me?"