Lin Mo: "……"
Lin Mo frowned slightly as she looked at the person approaching.
There were indeed a few maids at home, but the housekeeper had no specific dress code for them.
As long as their outfits were simple and practical, it was fine.
The black-and-white maid dress was something Lin Mo had only seen in fake "luxury life" videos on TikTok.
She had never seen any real household staff dressed like that in person.
A gentle female voice sounded in her ears.
"Welcome home, Young Mistress."
Wait, who instructed the maid to address her like that?
She had never asked the household staff to call her that.
Moreover, the maid’s voice was unfamiliar, yet there was something vaguely familiar about its tone.
The lighting at the villa entrance was dim.
Lin Mo took a closer look at the maid.
The maid was quite tall, with long hair, and was bowing slightly without lifting her head, making it hard to see her full face.
But after a few more glances, Lin Mo noticed a small mole on the maid’s nose.
Lin Mo: "…………"
Lin Mo: "！！！！！！"
Her peach-blossom eyes widened in shock.
She nearly jumped back into the car.
Xie… Xie Guanyan?!
He… why was he dressed as a maid?!
And in an outfit like this?!
In real life, she had never seen a man wear a maid dress before.
She’d only come across cross-dressing scenarios in… certain steamy novels!
Was this his idea of a solution?
But Shen Sizhan was sharp—he’d notice in a heartbeat!
Still, Xie Guanyan’s voice was impressively feminine.
Had he borrowed a voice changer from Detective Conan?
Probably a product from his own company.
Xie Guanyan had built his fortune in tech—this kind of gadget wouldn’t be hard for him to get.
But how had he gotten past the psychological hurdle of wearing this?
Xie Guanyan was sacrificing a lot for her sake. Lin Mo felt a small surge of emotion for about three seconds.
Then again, maybe he had some… personal preferences too.
Just like those suggestive dance trends.
Everyone was under pressure these days.
Students had academic stress; workers had job stress.
And Xie Guanyan, as Beijing’s youngest billionaire, was no exception.
Admittedly, this was kind of thrilling.
Lin Mo’s heart pounded wildly, her entire body tense.
"Big sis, why aren’t you going in?" Shen Sizhan asked, puzzled.
Lin Mo swallowed discreetly. "My legs are a bit numb."
Shen Sizhan was furious. "I’m never driving this sports car again!"
He turned around and kicked the car several times for good measure.
The car: "…………"
Not daring to delay, Lin Mo quickly ushered Shen Sizhan inside.
As they passed through the garden, the air was thick with the rich fragrance of flowers.
Shen Sizhan spotted the familiar fountain and grinned. "Sis! This place hasn’t changed at all!"
Most wealthy people would completely renovate a property after buying it.
Fountains like this had gone out of style twenty years ago.
Yet it was still here.
It had been so long since he’d last seen his childhood home.
Shen Sizhan looked around excitedly.
"Wow! Sis, you planted fruit trees again? Hope they grow well!"
Lin Mo wasn’t paying attention to his words, responding absently while stealing glances at Xie Guanyan.
The closer they got to the living room, the brighter the lighting became.
The maid outfit was relatively modest—long sleeves, a full skirt, and a high collar covering the collarbone.
But there was a small bow on the chest, and the dress hugged Xie Guanyan’s slender waist.
Cute yet undeniably sexy.
Compared to his usual appearance—glasses, refined elegance, and an untouchable aura—the contrast was downright tantalizing.
But this kind of outfit belonged in a bedroom, not a grand garden.
Meanwhile, her clueless little brother asked, "Sis, wanna climb the tree? The one you loved as a kid is still here!"
Lin Mo closed her eyes briefly. "Thanks, but maybe next time."
Shen Sizhan, ever obedient to his sister, nodded. "Alright, let’s head inside then."
The rebellious top idol was now bouncing around like an overexcited toddler.
The living room was brightly lit.
Lin Mo took two steps forward before freezing.
Oh no! Under this lighting, Xie Guanyan would be exposed in seconds!
What to do, what to do?
Her peach-blossom eyes flickered with an idea.
She pulled out her phone, opened an app, and tapped a button.
Instantly, the entire villa plunged into darkness.
While the exterior of the villa remained unchanged, the interior had long been upgraded to full smart-home automation.
Xie Guanyan, being a tech mogul, naturally enjoyed the convenience of modern gadgets.
The day after he’d promised to give her the villa, he’d handed over control of all smart devices to her.
With her phone, she could manage everything—including the lights.
The sudden blackout made Shen Sizhan yelp. "Ah! Sis! Something’s wrong! I’ve gone blind!"
Lin Mo: "……"
She cleared her throat. "No, the power’s just out. Probably forgot to pay the electricity bill—I’ve been too busy with studies."
Shen Sizhan sighed in relief. "Then hurry up and pay it, sis. But you can leave stuff like this to the staff next time."
He called out, "Auntie Maid, where are you? Could you handle the electricity bill?"
Xie-"Auntie Maid"-Guanyan: "……"
Lin Mo facepalmed in the dark. "She’s not as old as you think."
Shen Sizhan never paid much attention to others when his sister was around.
He’d barely glanced at the maid earlier, only noting her dress.
"So what should I call her?" he asked casually.
Lin Mo’s mind raced for an appropriate title.
Before she could answer, the voice-modified "maid" replied softly, "You may call me Sophia."
Shen Sizhan blinked. "Oh, a foreign name."
Lin Mo was just as surprised—she’d been about to suggest "Sister Wang."
Thank goodness she hadn’t. So tacky!
"Let’s go inside first. It’ll take a while for the power to come back after paying the bill. I’ll show you to your room—it’s late, so you should rest."
Shen Sizhan pouted. "But I wanted to look around!"
Lin Mo’s heart sank.
This was Xie Guanyan’s home, filled with traces of his presence.
Thankfully, she’d had the foresight to cut the lights.
Otherwise, the jig would’ve been up instantly.
"The house isn’t going anywhere. Come back in the daytime and explore all you want!"
With some preparation time, they could avoid any mishaps.
By day, Xie Guanyan would be at work anyway.
Shen Sizhan, ever agreeable, nodded. "Deal!"
He turned on his phone’s flashlight and marched ahead.
Lin Mo didn’t follow immediately.
Instead, she located the figure in the black-and-white dress in the darkness.
Leaning close, she whispered, "Old Xie, I’m so sorry about this!"
Even if he had some… unconventional tastes, he’d only revealed them for her sake.
The sudden blackout had caught Xie Guanyan off guard too.
But he understood why Lin Mo had done it—to prevent Shen Sizhan from discovering him.
Shen Sizhan was Lin Mo’s beloved younger brother, the one who’d fallen ill because of her.
Xie Guanyan could never resent him.
But spending the night elsewhere was out of the question—unless Lin Mo asked him to.
And she hadn’t.
Now, with her standing so close in the dark, her warm breath and intoxicating scent enveloped him.
Xie Guanyan’s breath hitched.
He turned slightly and murmured, "It’s no trouble."
For her, he’d do anything.
As long as she didn’t send him away.
Besides, the maid outfit would surely leave a lasting impression on her, wouldn’t it?
That alone made it worth it.
Truthfully, there were plenty of other solutions.
Disguising as an elderly butler probably wouldn’t trigger Shen Sizhan’s aversion to men.
His condition was essentially just a massive hang-up about Lin Mo dating.
But he’d tried the old butler makeup before—it was too ugly.
He didn’t want to leave that kind of impression on Shanshan.
In the darkness, at such close proximity, Lin Mo’s heartbeat quickened too.
She really wanted to tear off his skirt and feel his abs, pecs, and that big—
Her mind was diving straight into the gutter again.
Lin Mo quickly reined herself in and whispered, barely audible, “Don’t worry, he won’t come often.”
Her voice was a little too soft.
Xie Guanyan didn’t catch it and turned closer to her. “What?”
Lin Mo leaned in even nearer. “I—”
The rest of her words never made it out.
Because in the dark, her lips brushed against something soft.
