The man's words froze Lin Mo in place.
One foot on the stairs, the other on the floor, she held that awkward pose for several seconds.
Ahhhhhhh!
She shouldn’t have prayed to both Eastern and Western gods—too messy, now neither side was blessing her!
Clearly, he remembered what happened last night.
What did he want to say to her?
Warn her to keep his risqué secret, or else he’d silence her?
Or demand she move out?
Avoidance felt great in the moment, and keeping it up felt even better.
But now that she’d been cornered, she had no choice but to face it.
Heart pounding, she turned around. "Okay."
The fact that the girl didn’t refuse to talk eased Xie Guanyan’s tension.
Recalling last night’s events this morning had filled him with dread.
He’d actually gotten drunk, put on an ab chain, and danced for Shan Shan!
And he’d climbed through her window to do it.
He’d been way too unrestrained, barely holding back.
Shan Shan had been tipsy too, cheering him on in the moment.
But sober? Would she be horrified by him?
Alcohol really did destroy self-control.
But he didn’t regret it.
When she said, "I want to do it," his sense of achievement had peaked.
It thrilled him more than earning billions from an investment.
That was the highest praise!
Even if she’d immediately passed out from exhaustion afterward.
It had taken him forever to calm down.
Shan Shan’s dreams should only be of him—only him!
But those words had come from her while drunk, in that state.
Both of them had lost their composure after drinking.
This morning, he’d waited downstairs for her to wake up, wanting to gauge her reaction.
He waited forever. Finally, she came down.
But she walked right past him without a word or glance.
That unsettled him.
Was she ignoring him out of awkwardness, or had she realized his feelings?
Sometimes he wished she’d notice. But most of the time, he hoped she wouldn’t.
She didn’t like him—she was just interested in his body.
Living under the same roof, his feelings would only pressure her.
She was only eighteen, still preparing for college entrance exams. Her stress was already overwhelming.
Watching the girl’s bright, delicate face, he adjusted his glasses with a finger and said gently, "Come sit."
Now that she’d decided to face it, Lin Mo refused to hesitate.
She turned and walked to the sofa, scooping up Sang Biao along the way.
The soft, fluffy warmth eased some of her unease.
A fruit platter sat on the coffee table beside the couch.
Lin Mo sat down, settled Sang Biao in her lap, and popped a blueberry into her mouth. Staying composed, she struck first. "I was drunk last night. If I did anything to upset you, sorry."
Xie Guanyan hadn’t expected Lin Mo to apologize first. He paused for a second.
Lin Mo, unrepentant but bold, added, "But you can’t kick me out over something drunk-me did!"
Kick her out?
Xie Guanyan’s deep, beautiful eyes fixed on her. "I won’t make you leave."
He knew she lacked security, but he hadn’t yet found the right way to transfer the property to her name.
He hadn’t wanted to sell it before. Now, giving it to her required a reason she’d accept comfortably.
Hearing she wouldn’t be kicked out, Lin Mo exhaled in relief and grinned. "Good! You’ve got a clear head, Comrade Lao Xie!"
Being at someone’s mercy wasn’t a great feeling.
The "Buddha of Beijing" still hadn’t found her a doctor for her insomnia.
If she could move out… then she could like Xie Guanyan.
Wait, why was she thinking that?
Lin Mo’s heart lurched violently, confusion flashing in her eyes.
She quickly lowered her gaze to Sang Biao.
Did she actually like Xie Guanyan?
Not just out of habit—real, genuine liking?
Last night, watching male models dance had just been appreciation.
But watching Xie Guanyan dance had given her a physical reaction.
Did that count as liking him?
Or was she just horny?
She didn’t know.
She’d never liked anyone before. She didn’t understand what real liking felt like.
Xie Guanyan watched her bow her head, exposing a slender neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he said, "Last night, I—"
Lin Mo looked up, summoning the best acting of her life. She blinked innocently. "What happened last night? I black out when I drink. I don’t remember anything."
You don’t forget? Well, I will!
No way was she admitting she remembered what she’d said.
This way, Xie Guanyan wouldn’t be embarrassed either.
A billionaire’s little kink being risqué wasn’t exactly something to brag about!
Xie Guanyan knew Lin Mo wasn’t blanking.
If she really had, she wouldn’t have avoided him this morning.
She was just sparing his dignity.
Shan Shan was too good!
So she probably hadn’t noticed anything—just thought he’d had too much to drink.
Xie Guanyan didn’t bring up her earlier behavior. He smiled gently. "That’s for the best."
A phone on the table buzzed.
Lin Mo picked it up and saw a WeChat message from Shen Yihan, the "Buddha of Beijing."
[Big Sis, are you mad at me?]
Lin Mo was baffled. She leaned back into the couch, posture lazy and relaxed.
Her fingers tapped out a reply: [Why would you think that?]
Shen Yihan had been restless all day because of Lin Mo’s attitude that morning.
Now, past 10 PM, he’d finally decided to ask directly.
Getting a reply, he realized—Big Sis wasn’t angry.
She wasn’t the type to stew silently.
If she were mad, she’d say so.
[You just seemed off this morning.]
Lin Mo replied: [Not because of you. I had a weird dream last night.]
It really had felt like a dream.
So wild. So intense.
Always losing control over dirty thoughts—Lin Mo sighed at herself and stood. "I’m going to bed. School tomorrow."
Shen Yihan’s confusion cleared.
So Big Sis had been upset over something from her dream.
Sometimes, after certain dreams—like watching her drown alone in a vast river—he’d wake up with a stabbing pain in his chest. The gloom would linger all day.
But since she’d come back, those nightmares had stopped.
Relieved, Shen Yihan prepared to sleep.
Then Auntie Zhen hurried into the living room. "Ji'an still isn’t back."
Shen Yihan frowned. "Wasn’t he studying at home?"
Auntie Zhen wrung her hands. "Yes, but… he went out tonight."
Shen Yihan twisted the Buddhist beads on his right wrist. "Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll call him."
The call connected almost immediately.
"Shen Ji'an, where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?"
The reply came fast. "Handling something. I’ll be back soon."
Their fourth brother was seventeen—not a child.
Shen Yihan sighed. "Come home. Auntie’s worried."
Hanging up, he pocketed his phone.
On the other end, Shen Ji'an wiped blood from his mouth with his thumb.
Then he kicked the guy on the ground again.
"Mess with my brother again, and I’ll make sure you’re dead."
