The moment Lin Mo spoke, she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
“Dead mouth, have I ever offended you before?”
“I’ve never wronged anyone in this life, let alone you!”
“Why do you always stab me in the back at the crucial moment?”
What she actually wanted to say was, “This is my landlord!”
But “landlord” and “husband” are worlds apart—how did she mix those two up?
It had to be because Zhao Ziling mentioned “husband.”
And after a whole day at school, her brain just went numb!
The air fell silent for a moment.
Zhao Ziling’s eyes bulged almost out of their sockets.
She’d seen many intense situations before, but this one was truly unprecedented!
Lin Mo hissed at her to keep her voice down—how could she say it out loud herself?
Xie Guanyan’s gaze was glued to Lin Mo’s face, his deep eyes momentarily clouded.
“What?”
“What exactly is Shanshan saying?”
Lin Mo’s mind raced. With her hands stuffed in her school uniform pockets, she feigned calm. “The dare is complete, Zhao Ziling.”
Zhao Ziling and Lin Mo had known each other for years.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other in eleven years,
their tacit understanding remained.
She laughed heartily and gave Lin Mo a thumbs-up. “Impressive, Mo Mo! You got me this time.”
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from her throat. Lin Mo didn’t dare look at Xie Guanyan’s face at all.
She half-lifted her head and only saw the movement of his Adam’s apple. “Sorry, we were just playing a game. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Dead mouth, you’re banned from having a midnight snack tonight!”
Xie Guanyan’s eyes darkened. He pushed up his glasses with a single finger, his expression turning slightly serious. “A little bit.”
An eighteen-year-old girl—did she even understand what “husband” meant?
How could she casually joke about something like that?
If today she introduced him like that in a game, tomorrow she could do the same with someone else.
That was something he wouldn’t even dare dream of.
He didn’t want her to say it so casually.
Seeing Xie Guanyan’s serious expression, Lin Mo’s heart skipped a beat.
This was the first time she’d seen him like this.
Even the little brown mole on his nose seemed to take on a dangerous aura.
The bright girl in her school uniform bit her lip unconsciously, her brows furrowed.
She’d been too indulgent with herself lately.
Zhao Ziling was someone she trusted completely, and Xie Guanyan had told her she didn’t have to hide herself.
So she spoke without thinking at all!
She was usually so rational, but now she’d dropped her guard so completely.
Spending all this time in the villa with Xie Guanyan had made her forget—
This man before her wasn’t ordinary. He was at the very top of the pyramid in Jingbei.
His clear and open demeanor was just a facade; his true nature was untouchable and aloof.
Now that Xie Guanyan had shown his displeasure, it was clear he didn’t like these kinds of jokes at all.
This time, she had really crossed the line.
“I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again,”
Lin Mo looked up into Xie Guanyan’s eyes, speaking sincerely.
She realized the atmosphere had dropped to an icy low.
Zhao Ziling no longer cared what Lin Mo was thinking.
She quickly tried to smooth things over. “Oh, Mr. Xie, you’re so generous—you definitely won’t hold this against us!”
The girl tilted her head back, apologizing earnestly. Moonlight spilled into her eyes, as if casting a veil of mist over them.
Xie Guanyan frowned slightly, suddenly feeling very regretful.
It was just a game among girls—why did he have to take it so seriously?
He was such a killjoy!
Looking at her, his eyes were gentle and clear like water, his tone soft, “Maybe I’m exactly the kind of killjoy adult people talk about online. I shouldn’t be so serious. You don’t need to apologize; this is my fault.”
Zhao Ziling was surprised. “Mr. Xie, you actually go online?”
Xie Guanyan: “……”
Xie Guanyan: “I’m not some caveman.”
Zhao Ziling gave an awkward smile. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant, you’re so busy, how do you even find the time?”
Her family’s head was almost completely clueless about anything online.
Lin Mo’s rationality snapped back completely; she didn’t want to continue that topic. Looking at Zhao Ziling, she said, “Let me reintroduce you properly. This is Xie Guanyan, my landlord.”
Zhao Ziling reached out her hand. “Hello, Mr. Xie, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Xie Guanyan didn’t have the habit of shaking hands with people; he just smiled gently, “Hello.”
Zhao Ziling’s hand was left hanging in the air for a moment, and she felt a bit uneasy.
She had always known this man was warm on the surface but cold at heart. Now she truly felt it!
Feeling a little nervous, she asked, “By the way, Mr. Xie, Lin Mo and I haven’t seen each other for a long time. I was hoping to spend the night with her tonight—is that okay?”
Lin Mo had gone to school, and her bodyguard was still there protecting her.
Before the two of them came back, Xie Guanyan already knew that Zhao Ziling was the one who had brought her home today.
He also knew they were close.
They hadn’t seen each other for eleven years; surely there was a lot to catch up on—he knew that too.
But tonight, he didn’t want anyone disturbing them.
There would be plenty of time to talk later.
Xianxian had been exhausted from studying all day; she needed a good rest at night too.
The refusal was on the tip of his tongue.
His gaze landed on Lin Mo.
He noticed the school-uniform-clad girl lowering her head, revealing a slender, fair neck.
Xie Guanyan’s heart sank, his fingers tensing.
He had already been a killjoy once!
He swallowed the refusal he was about to say and said, “That’s fine. It’s Lin Mo’s freedom.”
Zhao Ziling breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll definitely keep our voices down when we talk at night. We won’t disturb your sleep!”
Lin Mo hadn’t expected Xie Guanyan to agree so decisively. Her mood lifted, and she said, “You’re a pretty good landlord!”
The girl’s smile was still bright and sparkling.
Xie Guanyan exhaled subtly, adjusting his glasses with a finger. “Come in.”
Since Xie Guanyan wasn’t familiar with Zhao Ziling, he planned to work in the living room on the first floor.
As soon as they returned to the villa, Lin Mo and Zhao Ziling slipped into the bedroom and didn’t come out.
Lin Mo wasn’t planning on having any supper tonight.
She had to let her mouth know who really owned the body!
“Oh my, your bedroom hasn’t really changed much. It’s almost the same as before,” Zhao Ziling exclaimed.
Lin Mo wanted to shower first upon returning. “Yeah, I’m going to take a shower. You can sit wherever you like.”
After she finished, Zhao Ziling went to shower as well.
Lin Mo squeezed in some time to work on a math test paper.
When she came out, the two of them were lying sprawled out on the bed, wearing matching cartoon pajamas in different colors.
Whenever Lin Mo liked something, she liked to buy the same style in different colors.
It was getting late.
Zhao Ziling was just about to start chatting with Lin Mo when the phone she had casually tossed on the bed rang.
She picked it up and saw that it was Huo Tingshen calling.
She hung up.
But he called again.
She hung up once more.
After five or six rounds of this back-and-forth, Zhao Ziling finally blocked his number.
Lin Mo glanced over and casually asked, "Who was that?"
Zhao Ziling turned over, propping her face up with both hands, lying on her side facing Lin Mo. "My arranged husband."
Lin Mo blinked, curious and a bit nosy. "When did you two get married?"
Zhao Ziling sighed. "Right after graduation. It's been seven years now."
Lin Mo’s mouth opened slightly.
At just eighteen, she had never really thought about marriage.
Hearing Zhao Ziling’s words, she asked with some confusion, "You don’t seem very happy with him. Why don’t you get a divorce? Is the family pressure too much?"
