Chapter 8

Shen Mu ignored him and walked straight to the kitchen, naturally behaving like the master of his own home, and then he commanded, "Stir it quickly, or the porridge will stick to the bottom."

He is wearing deep blue jeans and a dark green sweater, which accentuates his youthful and fair skin, giving him a fresh and clean appearance

She went to the vegetable market to buy some vegetables, and by the time she returned home, dusk had already fallen

After completing these tasks, Xu Ke gradually felt at peace within herself

Yes

Xu Ke bit her lip and remained silent for a moment before making a call to the courier company

Why not?

Shen Mu instead smiled, "You are finally angry."

She calmed her emotions for a moment and answered the phone

Xu Ke was wearing an apron, holding a spoon, and looking at him

Xu Ke stirred the porridge in the clay pot, and the aroma had become quite strong, with the porridge also becoming very thick. However, her mood while cooking the porridge had turned into a complete mess; what was once a leisurely and relaxing activity had now become highly tense, with her back feeling as if it were pricked by needles, all due to his gaze.

What exactly does he want to do? She does not believe that the two of them had such a relationship, and after six years, what kind of friends could they possibly be? That is purely a fantasy.

She stood in front of the kitchen window, gazing at the evening glow in the western sky, her thoughts somewhat wandering, a wave of bittersweetness rising within her. How could she have once liked such a person?

Xu Ke was taken aback. If she did not step aside, he would lean against her; if she did step aside, it would be as if she had tacitly agreed to let him stay for dinner. Unfortunately, before she could devise any countermeasure, his chest had already brushed against her nose, and a faint, pleasant masculine scent immediately rushed into her nostrils

Then, as he raised his arm, his fingers brushed past her shoulder to close the door. When he withdrew his hand, he inadvertently touched her hair, and his gaze lingered for a moment

Xu Ke stood beside him with a spoon in hand, feeling somewhat at a loss. After six years of not seeing each other, this person had become increasingly unreasonable, barging in without invitation

Huo Peng was so busy that he didn't even lift his head and casually said: "Go ahead."

She walked to Huo Peng's office and knocked on the door

"Then I will have my meal here with you," he said, stepping forward.

Xu Ke furrowed her brows as she looked at this uninvited guest, feeling quite powerless. Could she really pull a long face and ask him to leave? She simply could not bring herself to do something so uncultured. The key issue was that she felt she might not be able to persuade him to leave. This person was meticulous; once he had made up his mind about something, he would go to great lengths to see it through.

As the car approached the entrance of the alley in Huxi, she called Lin Ge and said, "I have called a car to wait for you at the entrance of the alley, you can come down now."

Lin Ge got into the car and immediately noticed that Xu Ke's expression was somewhat off. He asked with concern, "Xiao Ke, you seem a bit unhappy"

Xu Ke said "thank you" and closed the door for him

Xu Ke further stated: "Please convey to Zhang Yang that I no longer want the house. Thank you for your concern on my behalf"

Having left the office, it was still not yet four o'clock. Xu Ke hailed a taxi at the entrance of the office.

She bent down to pick up the spoon when suddenly, a pair of arms tightly embraced her

As soon as Xu Ke heard this, he hurried to the kitchen door, but he blocked the entrance, showing no intention of letting anyone pass.

Many things in this world require time to gradually develop, yet there are always various shortcuts that tempt you. As a result, what you obtain loses its inherent flavor

Shen Mu did not respond, his gaze directly passing over her shoulder to look inside the room. A fragrant aroma wafted in from the kitchen, and he seemed particularly sensitive to this scent, asking immediately: "Have you made porridge?"

The past is ultimately the past, even when it is brought to light, the vivid memories before our eyes are still the past

Shen Mu seemed to be waiting for her angry question. His expression softened, revealing a hint of tenderness, as he spoke softly: "This morning, we were originally going to raise the market, but suddenly the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission released a piece of news that dragged down the overall market, and 600xxx just happened to wash the market again. Do you think I am trying to harm you?"

Xu Ke, feeling helpless, steeled herself and walked past him, standing in front of the stove

She silently sighed and stirred the porridge in the clay pot with a spoon

She did not expect that he would actually find his way here. Was he hoping to witness her disappointment and sorrow firsthand? He would likely be disappointed, as she has always regarded money lightly. The sadness she felt this afternoon was not due to the financial loss from the stock market's halt, but rather a sense of nostalgia for past emotions, and even a slight disappointment in human nature. After all, it was she who was hurt back then, and now she has long since let go, while he still refuses to release his grip, seeking opportunities to toy with her even after six years.

Now, even if you deliberately tell me a falsehood, I still will not hate you. To hate someone requires a great deal of emotion, and I no longer have that much emotion for you

Xu Ke said lightly: "No need, I have nothing going on. I came to find you today just to return the house keys. Later, thinking you must be busy, I called a courier to send the keys to your home."

She was a bit excited, and in the moment she turned around, her arm brushed the spoon from the clay pot onto the ground

Her heart skipped a beat, and in a fluster, she took a step back. Shen Mu had already stepped forward, standing inside the door

Xu Ke calmly looked at him and said honestly: "I feel that there is nothing more to discuss with you"

Her mother always liked to slowly simmer porridge in a clay pot over low heat, saying that such porridge is the most fragrant when cooked to perfection. She agreed, but unfortunately, she was always too busy and never had the time.

He still did not move from his spot, merely turning his body to create a narrow passage for her.

The phone rang again. Xu Ke let it ring for a long time without answering. Later, she simply turned it off.

She walked to the living room and opened the door

After Xu Ke vented this sentence, she found herself at a loss for words, unsure of what to say next

Please come in

Xu Ke frowned and said, "Please make way."

Rongrong seems to have said that as long as he desires something, he can have it all

Silence on the phone

Xu Ke hung up the phone. She did not expect that the house on Green Island would only cost 700,000, a price that was significantly lower than her expectations, as the market price should be around 1,000,000. However, even at such a low price, she no longer wanted to have any connection with Shen Mu, not even indirectly.

He glanced at her and curled his lips: "You are becoming increasingly stingy."

After speaking, Xu Ke hung up the phone

Xu Ke raised her eyes to look at him and said seriously: "Shen Mu, you are mistaken. The gains and losses in stocks are like the victories and defeats in warfare, which are commonplace. You did not forcibly take my hand and compel me to buy, so why should I hate you? I have always believed that internal factors are fundamental. No matter what happens, the first thing I have learned is to look for the reasons within myself. For example, six years ago, if I had been able to see myself clearly and see you clearly, I would not have hurt myself. If I were not so foolish, I would not have thought that you would like me"

Shen Mu's expression darkened

I really only made enough for two people, and Lin Yao will be off work soon

He stood behind her, remaining silent.

A moment later, the phone rang

The kitchen is very small, and he is very close to her

What Xu Ke is least accustomed to is such a gaze from him, which always brings a sense of tension as if one is about to be drawn into an unfathomable current.

She stared at the three characters "He Ding Hong" on the phone screen, remaining silent for a long time. The phone continued to ring stubbornly, just like him, refusing to give up until he achieved his goal

He fixed his gaze on her eyes and asked in a deep voice: "Why didn't you answer the phone?"

She quickly smiled and said, "You are leaving, of course I am not happy."

"700,000, do you also think it's expensive?"

He remained silent, his gaze deep and piercing

Silence once again on the phone

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Xu Ke glanced at the clock; it was 6 o'clock, probably Lin Yao had returned from work.

At five o'clock, Lin Ge was about to leave; she wanted to hurry back to see him off

What is being simmered slowly over low heat is not porridge, but her. The porridge has not burned, but she is on the verge of burning.

His voice was a bit hurried, "Where are you? I will come to pick you up."

Too expensive

Twenty minutes later, a representative from the courier company arrived. Xu Ke placed a set of keys into the bag, sealed it, and wrote down the address

Shen Mu seemed not to hear, standing still with his arms crossed, gazing at her unabashedly.

Xu Ke was taken aback; she thought she had concealed her emotions very well.

Xu Ke made a sound of acknowledgment

Just after sending Lin Ge away, Xu Ke's phone rang

She made an effort to remain calm, and her tone was relatively polite: "I did not prepare your meal, you may go eat at Rongrong's place."

Shen Mu is standing outside the door

Xu Ke threw the spoon into the clay pot, glaring angrily, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Xu Ke quickly finished speaking and turned around

I am in a meeting, I will talk later. Shen Mu casually said a sentence before hanging up the phone, her tone hurried, as if she was trying to avoid her.

But strangely, at this moment, she did not see a trace of pride or mockery on his face; his expression was very open, even showing a hint of concern and tension

Thus, a small flame in my heart suddenly surged upward with a whoosh

Xu Ke turned around and found that he was less than two feet away from her. Raising her eyes, she saw a button on his clothing, glinting with a dim light. She stared at that button and said stiffly, "You might as well go to Rongrong's place for congee, or to the Linxia Congee House."

Mr. Huo, may I leave an hour early today?

Remaining calm and using stillness to counteract movement is his usual tactic Unfortunately, patience to wait only exists when there is love Nowadays, she lacks the patience to wait for him to slowly reveal himself A small flame gradually flickers in her heart and it is showing signs of growing stronger She is uncertain whether it can be extinguished Before the flame flares up, it is better to ask him to leave

Do you have anything else to do? I am cooking. She hurriedly stirred the porridge with a spoon, eager for him to leave quickly

The light in the alley was dim, and the moment he stepped out of the alley, sunlight suddenly cast upon him, as if he had become instantly radiant. Looking at his handsome and sunny face, Xu Ke felt a warm current flowing gently in her heart, washing away the discomfort that had lingered within her.

Ten minutes later, Lin Ge emerged from the alley with a backpack.

Lin Ge held her hand, feeling both joy and reluctance