The living room door was still open.
A cool breeze drifted in, brushing against Xie Guanyan, who stood at the entrance.
His expression faltered slightly as he stared at the beautiful girl before quickly softening into a gentle smile. "Oh, alright."
Lin Mo felt a weight lift off her chest after speaking her mind.
Now, Xie Guanyan wouldn’t kick her out!
"I’ll head to bed first. Oh, and I’m not sure if Chef Li has gone to sleep yet, but could you let him know not to prepare breakfast for me tomorrow morning?"
The tall, slender man’s posture slumped slightly as he adjusted his glasses with a single finger, his voice devoid of emotion. "Sure."
Lin Mo smiled and turned, her footsteps light and quick as she dashed upstairs.
Watching the girl’s graceful figure disappear from sight, Xie Guanyan felt as if all the strength had drained from his body.
He collapsed onto the green sofa, his demeanor utterly defeated.
With a hand that bore distinct, elegant knuckles, he removed his glasses, revealing eyes brimming with unmistakable sorrow.
Had he failed to conceal his feelings well enough?
Had his affection become a burden to her?
So she had made it clear—she didn’t want him holding onto any illusions.
She didn’t like him.
Not Gu Jingchuan, and not him either.
Deep down, he had always known she didn’t return his feelings. But hearing it from her lips—
His heart ached as if gripped by an invisible fist, squeezing relentlessly.
She had refused his breakfast, rejected his kindness.
Disinterest was as straightforward as that.
This was Lin Mo.
This was the Lin Mo he loved.
His eyes dim, Xie Guanyan set his glasses aside on the sofa.
Even the golden bamboo bracelet on his right wrist seemed to have lost its luster.
Leaning forward slightly, he reached under the coffee table and pulled out a small cage.
Inside, a pure white kitten slept soundly.
It was a pedigreed Devon Rex, its fur soft and curly, with mesmerizing green eyes.
He and Jin Yang had picked it out together earlier that day.
They hadn’t chosen a black one.
Qiuqiu was Qiuqiu—he didn’t want a replacement that felt like an imitation.
This was a new cat, one they could raise together.
He had planned to surprise her with it tonight.
But her friend had arrived.
She hadn’t even lingered in the living room—no chance to give it to her.
Perhaps it was for the best. If he had tried, she might have refused.
The kitten was innocent.
The kitten could still earn her affection.
It shouldn’t lose her love because of him.
The tiny kitten, only a few months old, was still at an age where it slept often.
The movement of the cage roused it slightly.
It blinked its green eyes sleepily before affectionately stretching out its tongue, trying to lick its owner’s fingers.
Xie Guanyan pulled his hand away, straightened up, and picked up his phone.
He sent a message to his assistant, Jin Yang.
[I’ll be joining the business trip to Europe tomorrow.]
He wouldn’t disturb her anymore.
He’d give her space.
As long as she could feel free and comfortable here, that was enough.
Jin Yang, a notorious night owl, was in the middle of a game when the notification popped up on his screen.
He froze, his fingers pausing mid-action—his in-game character, Luban the Seventh, was instantly killed.
He didn’t even bother checking which bastard had done it.
Immediately, he opened the message and replied.
[President Xie, has your knife wound healed?]
The response came swiftly: [Yes.]
Jin Yang’s brows furrowed deeply.
Business trips were routine for their investment firm—scouting companies, conducting market research.
In the early days, Xie Guanyan had handled everything personally.
Many companies had prayed to the heavens that he wouldn’t show up in person.
His scrutiny was ruthless, his methods unrelenting.
No flaw in a company could escape his notice.
In the world of business, profit was king—and Xie Guanyan showed no mercy.
A true "Jade-Faced Judge of the Underworld."
Yet every company he invested in would inevitably soar.
To this day, he had never suffered a loss.
Being backed by SS Capital was a badge of honor in the industry.
The moment news broke that a company had secured SS’s investment, its stock would skyrocket.
Such was the authority of SS Capital.
As the company expanded, Xie Guanyan had recruited talent without restraint, establishing a rigorous investment process.
Now, whether he personally attended negotiations or not made little difference.
But for the past month, Xie Guanyan had canceled every single business trip.
Even a one-day trip to a neighboring city had been scrapped.
This Europe trip had originally been assigned to a team of seasoned executives.
They were more than capable of handling it.
Though, admittedly, having the boss there would make negotiations smoother.
But was that minor advantage worth interrupting his love life?
Well, Jin Yang hadn’t understood why Xie Guanyan had canceled all those trips before.
But after meeting Lin Mo, it all made sense.
Clearly, the boss took this relationship seriously.
A first love at twenty-nine—ha!
Jin Yang sometimes couldn’t help but laugh about it privately.
He had joined the company early and occasionally pried into Xie Guanyan’s personal life, once even asking if he’d ever been in a relationship before.
Perhaps this was part of why SS Capital had flourished.
While others were dating, Xie Guanyan was analyzing markets.
While others were marrying, Xie Guanyan was traveling for business.
While others were raising children, Xie Guanyan was making money multiply.
Now, Jin Yang wasn’t laughing anymore.
Had they had a fight?
If there was conflict, they needed to resolve it while emotions were still hot.
Distance could be dangerous—letting things cool down too much might be irreversible.
Given how rare it was for his eternally single boss to finally fall in love, Jin Yang felt compelled to advise against it.
[This Europe trip will take a while—at least a month, possibly up to six. Are you sure you want to go?]
Xie Guanyan knew exactly how long the trip would last. His fingers tightened around the phone, turning pale at the knuckles.
[Yes.]
Jin Yang felt the sky collapse at the reply.
Damn it! Had Lin Mo dumped his boss?
His boss was head over heels—how could she be so cruel?
But the decision had been made. As an assistant, Jin Yang couldn’t argue.
Still, going to Europe wasn’t all bad—he could snag his girlfriend a bag that hadn’t hit the domestic market yet. She’d be thrilled!
[Understood. I’ll make the arrangements. What time should I pick you up tomorrow?]
Xie Guanyan glanced upstairs before typing: [Before 6 AM.]
He’d leave before she woke up.
Otherwise, he might be tempted to say one more thing to her—and then never find the strength to go.
Exiting the chat with Jin Yang, Xie Guanyan opened another conversation—this time with the butler.
[Tell Chef Li not to come tomorrow morning.]
The butler, another night owl, was engrossed in a Long Aotian drama when the message arrived.
He chuckled and replied: [Sir, are you planning to cook again?]
Xie Guanyan: [No. I won’t be making anything either.]
The butler was puzzled. [Huh? Then what about the ingredients you prepared today?]
Xie Guanyan: [You and the others can use them. She doesn’t want to eat it.]
The butler’s eyes widened as he sat bolt upright. [Sir… did you get rejected?]
Xie Guanyan: [I didn’t confess.] Just a straight-up refusal.
Now the butler was thoroughly confused. [Then what happened? Miss Lin always seemed to enjoy your cooking.]
She devoured every meal—he’d seen it with his own eyes.
Xie Guanyan didn’t elaborate. [I’ll be leaving for Europe tomorrow. I’ll be gone for a while—take care of the house.]
【Regarding the live-in maid, ask for her input on how many to arrange. Make sure the maid prepares food for her in the evening—she must have a nutritionist certification. Also, have fruits ready; her favorites are blueberries and oranges.】
【Her room has a custom-made sleep aid diffuser—replace it daily. Have the housekeeper wash and hang her clothes properly, and change the bedsheets every three days.】
【Also, I bought a cat. Come early tomorrow to feed it, but don’t let her see it in the morning. She’s in a rush for school, and her fourth brother can’t be around cat fur—she’ll agonize over whether to hold it or not.】
【Give it to her when she returns in the evening. Don’t mention it’s from me.】
The butler stared at the barrage of messages from Xie Guanyan, utterly dumbfounded.
To an outsider, it might seem like the master was sending a child off to kindergarten rather than leaving for a business trip!
Something must have happened between these two—otherwise, there’s no way Xie Guanyan would willingly go on a trip.
He practically clings to Lin Mo like a shadow.
After reading through everything, the butler replied to each point, then hesitantly asked: 【Sir, are you really leaving?】
Xie Guanyan lowered his thick, long lashes, his left hand absently tracing the golden bamboo bracelet on his right wrist. A sharp pang shot through his chest as he confirmed once more: 【Yes.】
If his affection was nothing but a burden to her…
He was willing to step far back, keeping only the distance that made her comfortable.
As long as she was happy, he would endure anything.
The butler sighed deeply. It was clear the master had made up his mind.
He replied: 【Then rest assured, Sir. I’ll take good care of Miss Lin. Starting tomorrow, I’ll move into the residence as well.】
Xie Guanyan: 【Don’t.】
The butler: 【…Understood.】
