The time had already reached half past one in the morning.
The livestream had ended, and the crew had left.
The guests had also gone to rest.
The recording villa was eerily quiet.
Lin Mo was startled when she opened the door and saw a figure standing outside.
Not wanting to disturb Jiang Wan’s sleep, she hadn’t turned on the light.
The bright moonlight streaming into the room was enough to see by.
The figure was tall and long-legged, his silver hair glowing faintly in the dark, like a character straight out of an anime.
Lin Mo smacked him and scolded in a hushed voice, "Are you trying to scare me to death?"
Shen Sizhan hadn’t expected his sister to actually come out in the middle of the night. Tears welled up in his eyes before he could even speak. "Sis..."
Lin Mo frowned slightly, unsure what was wrong with him. She was about to say something when a small red light suddenly flew toward them from the staircase.
The living room and kitchen were on the first floor, while the guests’ bedrooms were on the second.
Lin Mo remembered what the director had said before ending the livestream—male and female guests weren’t allowed to meet privately at night, and drones would patrol the villa.
If caught, they’d lose a hundred points, and the footage would be broadcast live immediately.
Shen Sizhan knew the rule too, but he also knew his sister had trouble sleeping.
He wanted to keep her company when she couldn’t sleep, so she wouldn’t have to be alone.
He also wanted to convince her to leave this show—Gu Jingchuan wasn’t worth it!
He hadn’t expected the drone to be so sensitive.
Losing a hundred points meant his sister would have to sleep in a tent tomorrow night.
He didn’t want that either!
"You needed something?" Lin Mo kept her voice soft, hiding behind the door with only her head peeking out.
Shen Sizhan nodded.
But the drone was already closing in, and the livestream was about to start.
He quickly shook his head. "Just go back inside, sis. I’ll sit outside your door. If you can’t sleep, we can talk through the door."
Lin Mo whispered, "Go back to your room. It’s not good to disturb Jiang Wan. I took some medicine—I’ll be able to sleep."
Shen Sizhan sniffled.
She was lying. If she could sleep, why had she opened the door in the middle of the night?
But there was nothing he could do!
So frustrating!
Just then, footsteps sounded from the other end of the hallway.
Lin Mo and Shen Sizhan instinctively turned to look.
The drone froze mid-air.
Two sources of sound—which one should it follow?
It swiveled left and right, its CPU practically overheating!
The footsteps continued from the other side, while this end of the hallway stayed quiet.
The drone flew toward the noise.
Shen Sizhan’s eyes widened.
Who else was wandering around at this hour, drawing the drone away?
In the dim moonlight, he saw a tall man in gray pajamas.
Xie Guanyan?
Was he sleepwalking?
Then Shen Sizhan heard Xie Guanyan speak, his voice neither too loud nor too soft. "Talk if you need to. I’ll cover for you."
The drone wouldn’t deduct points or start a livestream if it only detected one person out alone.
Shen Sizhan’s eyes lit up in surprise. "Why aren’t you sleeping?"
Xie Guanyan’s deep gaze swept over the girl’s small, peeking head. "Couldn’t sleep. Might as well help you out."
Shen Sizhan grinned, tears still on his cheeks. "Thanks. You’re a good guy."
Lin Mo’s peach-blossom eyes lingered on the handsome man. She blinked.
What a coincidence—he couldn’t sleep either.
Xie Guanyan hadn’t been asleep at all. The door to his single room was slightly ajar as he kept watch on the girls’ shared room.
He couldn’t go to Lin Mo’s room again.
But he was worried she wouldn’t sleep well.
He didn’t know how effective the medicine she’d gotten was, but she definitely hadn’t slept well in the car yesterday.
She’d yawned thirty-three times during the day.
He hadn’t been watching for long before Shen Sizhan stepped out of the boys’ room and stood outside Lin Mo’s door.
It wasn’t hard to guess what Shen Sizhan was thinking.
They were worried about the same thing.
Lin Mo loved her younger brother, and he loved her just as much.
This kind of familial bond filled Xie Guanyan with both envy and happiness.
He was eleven years older than Lin Mo, and men generally had shorter lifespans than women.
He would leave this world before her.
But at least she had her brother’s love—that gave him some peace of mind.
Xie Guanyan tore his gaze away from the girl’s small head and walked downstairs in his pajamas—paired with leather shoes.
The drone followed him.
Lin Mo and Shen Sizhan: "..."
Shen Sizhan’s lips twitched. "Xie Guanyan really is a man of dignity."
Lin Mo rubbed her nose. "Truly." Adorably so!
With the drone gone, Lin Mo stepped out fully and quietly closed the door behind her.
She led Shen Sizhan to the second-floor balcony.
"Why were you crying?" She handed him a tissue she’d grabbed on the way.
Shen Sizhan looked at her with watery eyes, sincere. "Sis, please quit the show. It hurts me to see you like this."
"That scumbag Gu Jingchuan isn’t worth it."
Lin Mo was surprised that was his concern. She chuckled. "Who said I came here for Old Gu?"
Shen Sizhan burst out laughing, then froze. "So... you came for me?"
She was worried he’d say something reckless on the livestream!
He should’ve realized sooner!
When they’d had dinner together, she’d warned him not to join this show—it would only get him hate.
And all day today, she’d stepped in every time he was about to lash out.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Shen Sizhan’s tears flowed like a waterfall. His voice trembled. "Sis, I love you!!"
Lin Mo reached out and ruffled his silver hair. "Alright, alright. Just focus on the show from now on. Forget about Old Gu—your sister isn’t a trash collector. I stopped liking him ages ago."
Shen Sizhan laughed through his tears. "Good!"
The villa had large front and back yards.
While talking to Shen Sizhan, Lin Mo noticed Xie Guanyan had made his way to the front yard.
The drone was still tailing him closely.
The gray pajamas clung to his figure, and Lin Mo’s peripheral vision involuntarily caught sight of his perky backside.
Her mind instantly went dirty!
Just then, the handsome man turned around. He raised a well-defined arm above his head, tilting his head slightly as if stretching—but in reality, he was subtly forming a heart with his fingers.
Lin Mo paused.
Seriously? How old was he?
So childish—she loved it!
Her heart pounded wildly, and she wanted to respond.
Facing Shen Sizhan, she casually rested her right hand on the balcony railing, thumb and forefinger pinching together.
"Sis, your face is so red. What’s wrong?"
The sudden question startled her, and she quickly curled her fingers back in.
In her haste, her middle finger accidentally stuck up.
Lin Mo: "..."
Xie Guanyan: "..."
Lin Mo wanted to fck him.
His ears burned red instantly. He adjusted his glasses with one finger and lowered his head.
Lin Mo awkwardly touched her face. "It’s just the wind—it’s cold. I’m going back to bed!"
Shen Sizhan asked worriedly, "You’re really able to sleep? Did the medicine work?"
Lin Mo: "It worked, don’t worry. I just came out to get some water."
Shen Sizhan turned to leave but noticed Xie Guanyan still standing in the yard below, head bowed.
He called out softly, "Xie Guanyan, my sister and I are going back to sleep. You should rest too."
Xie Guanyan looked up, his handsome face softening into a gentle smile. "Alright. Goodnight."
Shen Sizhan: "..."
Having a man say "goodnight" to him made his hair stand on end.
In the past, he would’ve gagged.
However, Xie Guanyan was quite alright.
With his gentle and measured personality, top-tier looks, and eagerness to help, it was hard to dislike him.
Still, Lin Mo didn’t respond to Xie Guanyan’s "good night."
"Let’s go, sis," she said.
The siblings walked back together.
Shen Sizhan suddenly asked curiously, "Sis, wasn’t Xie Guanyan your rival back at No. 1 High School? Isn’t he shocked to see you suddenly alive again?"
Lin Mo shrugged. "When we first met, he didn’t even remember who I was."
Shen Sizhan scoffed, muttering under his breath, "Oh, he’s so great, so noble—can’t even recall my sister!"
Back inside, Shen Sizhan poured Lin Mo a glass of water. After watching her take it to her room, he retreated to his own.
Lin Mo didn’t wait for Xie Guanyan to come upstairs, worried about being caught on drone footage. She took two more pills and went to bed.
Yet, after just two or three hours of sleep, she woke up again.
Frustrated, Lin Mo smacked herself twice—thwack, thwack—then peacefully drifted back to sleep.
