The office had been completely dark just moments ago.
Xie Guanyan stood inside, and Lin Mo hadn’t noticed the unusual look in his eyes.
Now, the office was brightly lit.
The moment she turned her head, Lin Mo saw it.
She also noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses.
The man’s eyes were deep and striking—elegant with glasses, just as captivating without them.
But now, his eyes were rimmed red, glistening slightly.
It added an inexplicable fragility to him, heartbreakingly alluring.
Had she… made him cry with her beauty?
The thought made Xie Guanyan stiffen slightly. He wiped the corner of his eye and realized it was damp.
“I just woke up from a nightmare,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse.
Only slightly.
The moment he saw the girl, all his discomfort vanished.
Lin Mo hadn’t expected Xie Guanyan to cry in his dreams.
She did that sometimes too.
With a smile, she reassured him, “It’s okay. Dreams aren’t real.”
She turned to take in the spacious office—pristine, orderly, and immaculate.
Only a desk, a small meeting table, and a white sofa occupied the space.
The 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows offered a near-complete view of Jingbei.
Lin Mo plopped onto Xie Guanyan’s swivel chair, spinning a few times before grinning. “Xie Guanyan, your office has an amazing view!”
She couldn’t even imagine how thrilling it would be to do it in front of these windows!
Xie Guanyan’s eyes warmed at her laughter.
Then, abruptly, he remembered the notebook on his desk.
If she saw it, she’d be horrified.
But Lin Mo had already stopped spinning, her gaze landing on the desk.
Xie Guanyan’s heart leapt into his throat.
“Lin Mo!” he called out sharply.
She looked up.
The strikingly handsome man wore a rare seriousness as he strode toward her, long legs closing the distance.
Lin Mo’s stomach dropped.
Oh no. She’d gotten too carried away—sitting in his chair, spinning like a child.
Was the boss’s chair even something she should be touching?
Her peach-blossom eyes blinked rapidly. “I—”
But Xie Guanyan didn’t scold her. Instead, he stepped directly between her and the desk.
Lin Mo: “……”
She had no idea what he was doing.
Puzzled, she looked up at him.
Today, he wore a white button-up, the topmost button fastened.
Restrained and aristocratic.
Xie Guanyan met her gaze, his hands subtly moving behind his back.
His palm clutched the golden puppy pendant, ready to slip it back into the notebook and shut it.
“Did you come to see me for something?” he asked gently.
From this angle, Lin Mo could see the sharp line of his jaw and the tea-colored mole on the tip of his nose.
At such close proximity, her heartbeat quickened instinctively.
Right—she hadn’t even stated her reason for coming.
She’d barged in, spun in his chair like a toddler, and now here she was.
Smoothing her hair, she stood up and said formally, “I came to invite you to dinner. Are you free tonight, Mr. Xie?”
The question was mostly a distraction.
She hadn’t expected his reaction.
Xie Guanyan’s eyes flickered with excitement, his arm tensing slightly.
He’d assumed she was just visiting casually.
But she’d come to ask him to dinner.
Had her plans with Xu Yan fallen through?
It didn’t matter. Even if that were the case, he was overjoyed.
“I’m free,” he answered.
Lin Mo’s smile deepened. “I’ve already reserved a restaurant—picked it just for you!”
“Just for me?”
He repeated the words, his breath hitching.
Lin Mo’s heart sank slightly. “Y-yes…?”
Did he dislike this?
Was he about to tell her to leave?
But instead of hearing “get out,” there was a soft clatter—something hitting the floor.
Instinctively, Lin Mo glanced down.
Xie Guanyan’s fingers suddenly lifted her chin, tilting her face up.
His touch was cool, his fingers long and elegant.
Lin Mo’s spine stiffened, forced to meet his gaze.
Her eyes widened, breath catching.
Ahhh! This gesture was so suggestive!
What was he doing?!
Xie Guanyan had acted faster than his brain.
He hadn’t expected Lin Mo to say the restaurant was chosen specifically for him.
Even if it was a lie, he’d savor it.
If she was willing to deceive him, he’d gladly be deceived.
In his excitement, his grip had slipped—the golden puppy necklace had fallen from the notebook.
His first thought was to prevent her from seeing it.
He couldn’t explain why he had an identical pendant to hers.
And he could never admit the truth.
He often swapped the two necklaces so she’d wear them alternately.
That way, the one in his possession always carried her scent.
Pathetic, wasn’t it? He knew.
But he couldn’t help it.
He longed to see her every second.
But she had school, and he had work.
This was the only filthy, underhanded way he could feel her presence beside him.
Now, his fingers were hooked under her delicate chin.
Her plush, rosy lips and bewildered eyes were inches away.
His fingertips tingled.
His breathing grew uneven.
He needed to say something—anything.
“What kind of food?” he blurted.
Lin Mo: “……”
After all that tension, this was his question?
It was like saving the grand finale for a bowl of plain rice.
Did he really need to lift her chin just to ask about the menu?
Man, you’ve successfully caught my attention!
“A fusion Sichuan place,” she answered, then added, “I think something fell.”
She tried to look down again.
Xie Guanyan panicked.
She was naturally curious—holding her chin wouldn’t stop her for long.
And he couldn’t bear to kick the golden puppy that had once adorned his Shanshan.
At the critical moment, Xie Guanyan leaned in abruptly.
His presence enveloped her, nearly pressing against her.
Lin Mo, caught off guard, stumbled back.
Her legs hit the chair, and she collapsed into it.
Xie Guanyan braced a hand on the chair, preventing it from rolling away.
Lin Mo’s heart raced.
Then, to her shock, Xie Guanyan knelt before her.
She sat; he crouched at her feet.
This position was… suggestive, to say the least.
His hair looked soft—probably wouldn’t scratch.
Too bad tonight was just dinner. Not dinner and her.
“Why’d you suddenly kneel? Leg cramp?” Lin Mo asked, baffled.
Her dirty thoughts were just fantasies.
In reality, they were still just friends.
Even if they dated, she doubted it’d be anything wild.
Xie Guanyan, still crouching, discreetly searched for the pendant while keeping up the act. “Sorry. Sudden dizziness. Probably from skipping meals all day.”
Lin Mo frowned, concerned. “No matter how busy you are, you can’t skip meals! You’ll get hypoglycemic. Here, let me help you up.”
The golden puppy pendant was nowhere to be found—at least, not yet.
Lin Mo had already grasped Xie Guanyan's wrist, which was resting on the armrest of the office chair.
Not wanting to stand up just yet since he hadn't retrieved what he came for, Xie Guanyan swallowed slightly and asked, "Lin Mo, why did you invite me to dinner?"
