Lin Mo speared a piece of dragon fruit with her fork and popped it into her mouth, her peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly.
High schools in Jingbei had always upheld the fine tradition of balancing study with leisure, and it seemed even after all these years, nothing had changed.
She absentmindedly chewed on the fork as she typed a reply: Is Gu Jingzhou participating?
Zhang Shuo responded quickly: Yes, he’s the captain of our school team.
Lin Mo hadn’t expected Gu Jingchuan’s younger brother to be so outstanding—top of his class in both academics and sports.
Back in the day, Gu Jingchuan had always been at the bottom of the rankings.
Their family probably considered the eldest son a lost cause and decided to start fresh with the younger one.
If Gu Jingzhou was going, then she definitely had to be there too.
During basketball games, the surging hormones of impulsive high school boys often led to clashes.
Which high school is No. 1 High playing against? Lin Mo asked.
Zhang Shuo replied: No. 3 High—the one with terrible academic performance.
Lin Mo typed one-handed: Got it, see you then!
“Ouch—”
A faint hiss of pain caught her attention. Lin Mo looked up.
There, she saw a strikingly handsome man frowning slightly, his dark eyes fixed on the coffee table.
Following his gaze, Lin Mo’s eyes landed on a wrist so fair it seemed carved from jade, adorned with an emerald-green Patek Philippe watch.
Below it stretched a flawless, pale hand, its veins faintly visible beneath the skin—unexpectedly alluring.
And right now, a silver metal fork was embedded in it.
Lin Mo’s eyes widened in horror. She yanked her hand back, only to see two tiny puncture wounds oozing blood on that beautiful hand.
Her world seemed to collapse in that instant.
Damn, she’d really gone all out!
Distracted by her phone, she’d missed the fruit entirely and stabbed Xie Guanyan’s hand instead.
The man had impeccable habits—he often cut fruit to snack on while working, and she’d gotten used to mooching off his supply.
Now? Forget about fruit. She’d be lucky if she wasn’t kicked out on the spot.
With a clatter, Lin Mo flung the fork halfway across the room.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” she blurted.
Xie Guanyan’s voice remained calm and pleasant. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve been more careful when reaching for the fruit.”
Lin Mo was stunned by how composed he was, even taking the blame himself. Guilt gnawed at her as she grabbed his hand to inspect the damage. “You’re way too nice—do people take advantage of you like this all the time?”
This was entirely her fault for stabbing blindly while glued to her phone!
The moment her soft fingers touched his skin, Xie Guanyan’s breath hitched. His ears burned, and his eyes gleamed with barely restrained exhilaration.
Shining’s holding my hand… I’m so happy!
She’s finally paying attention to me—this is heaven!!
Struggling to control himself, he adjusted his silver-framed glasses with his free hand and murmured, “People rarely take advantage of me.”
The two small wounds still bled slightly, a stark contrast against his flawless skin.
Lin Mo’s heart ached at the sight. It was like watching a movie character get gutted—even fictional pain felt real to her. She was the type who couldn’t bear to look when getting a shot.
“The fork is stainless steel, so it shouldn’t cause tetanus, right? Should we call your personal doctor?”
Xie Guanyan chuckled. “It’s nothing serious. No need for a doctor.”
Despite his words, he made no move to pull his hand away.
Even though his heartbeat roared in his ears, he craved every second of her touch.
Lin Mo, who’d never accidentally hurt someone like this before, panicked. “Are you sure? It looks pretty bad!”
Xie Guanyan’s gaze lingered on her delicate, porcelain face, watching her lashes flutter. His voice softened. “Really, it’s fine. Just some iodine will do.”
Lin Mo glanced up. “Where’s the iodine? I’ll get it.”
Only then did she notice the man’s flushed cheeks and ears—red as if dipped in blood.
Her peach-blossom eyes blinked in realization. She’d been holding Xie Guanyan’s hand this whole time.
Wait—a 29-year-old man, blushing from a simple handhold?
How adorably pure!
Lin Mo smirked inwardly but didn’t let go. She’d caused this; she had to take responsibility.
Xie Guanyan glanced toward the TV cabinet, then shook his head. “We don’t have any at home. I’ll order some.”
Lin Mo dabbed at the blood with a tissue. “I’ll handle the order. Keep your hand still.”
Gently placing his hand on the sofa, she grabbed her phone and opened a delivery app.
Having been here for over a week, she’d fully adapted to this era. At Shen Yihan’s office, she downed three milk teas a day.
Aside from iodine, she also added cotton swabs and band-aids to the cart.
The villa’s remote location meant she had to pay extra for delivery.
By the time the order arrived, it was already 11 p.m.
Normally, Lin Mo would’ve retreated to her room by now, but tonight was different.
She carefully applied the iodine to the wounds.
The cool liquid made Xie Guanyan’s fingers twitch slightly.
Lin Mo tilted her head up, her bright eyes meeting his. “Does it hurt? I’ll be gentler.”
Xie Guanyan pushed his glasses up with his other hand, his knuckles pale and refined. “No, it doesn’t.”
His body burned with feverish heat, yet his hand felt icy.
Caught between fire and ice, his throat went dry.
With her so close, her focus entirely on him, he felt weightless—as if floating among clouds.
The sting in his hand meant nothing. If this was the price for her attention, he’d endure any injury gladly.
His fingers were long and elegant, nails neatly trimmed, tips tinged faint pink.
After applying the iodine, the reddish-yellow stain looked almost comical against his fair skin.
The band-aid she added later gave him a strangely attractive, battle-worn vibe.
Lin Mo’s gaze lingered, inexplicably warm.
Then it hit her—in the silent night, the vast villa held only the two of them.
Sitting side by side on the sofa, the space between them seemed to shrink.
The air carried a faint medicinal tang mixed with his cool, woody scent.
It was… undeniably intimate.
Her pulse quickened. Reluctantly, she released his hand and averted her eyes. “Don’t let this hand get wet, or it might get infected.”
Xie Guanyan examined his hand, genuine amusement in his eyes. “Alright.”
Lying in bed after her shower, Lin Mo replayed the incident, kicking herself for being so careless with her phone.
Staring at the ceiling, she realized something new about Xie Guanyan:
He’s unshakably calm.
Morning came swiftly.
Descending the stairs, Lin Mo spotted Xie Guanyan in the kitchen again.
She sprinted over. “Why are you making breakfast yourself? Your hand shouldn’t get wet!”
Xie Guanyan’s lips curved at her concern. “It’s fine. The housekeeper will handle the washing.”
Nearby, the butler nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I’ll do it!”
(How the injury happened, the butler had no idea.)
But the butler knew that as long as Mr. Xie could move even one hand, he would never give up waking up early to make breakfast for Miss Lin Mo.
At first, he thought Mr. Xie was only doing it occasionally, but now, for over a week, it had been an unshakable routine.
Every day, he varied the dishes, so there was no worry about Miss Lin Mo getting bored.
The butler had also noticed that this Miss Lin Mo lacked neither money nor love—her younger brother was wealthy and cared deeply for her.
There weren’t many things his master could offer her.
“In that case, let me help you. I’ve got nothing else to do anyway,” Lin Mo said, glancing at Xie Guanyan’s hand.
She wondered how he had managed to shower last night. And speaking of showers…
Lin Mo shook her head, trying to rid herself of those indecent thoughts.
“No need. The butler can assist. You can wait outside,” Xie Guanyan replied, slicing carrots into delicate strips.
His pale, slender fingers looked especially striking against the vibrant red of the carrots.
Lin Mo, ever the soft-hearted one, relented. “Alright then. So, what’s for breakfast today?”
She had already grown accustomed to the chef always having “something to do” in the mornings.
Once, she had quietly asked the butler what exactly kept the chef so busy.
The butler explained that the chef’s wife had just given birth, and he had to help with feeding the baby.
Lin Mo thought Xie Guanyan was quite considerate as an employer—effectively granting paternity leave to ease the mother’s burden.
“Today, we’re having Yunnan-style chicken noodle soup,” Xie Guanyan answered warmly.
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up. “Oh my god, you can even make that? I bow to you, master!”
A few days ago, she had watched a video about Yunnan chicken noodle soup and clicked the recommendation.
Who knew she’d get to taste it today?
What incredible luck!
When the steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup was placed on the table, Lin Mo took a bite with her chopsticks.
The broth was rich and flavorful, the shredded chicken infused into the soup, and the noodles soaked up all the deliciousness.
Lin Mo nearly fainted from sheer delight.
“Right now, you’re second only to Zhao Gongming in my heart!” she declared earnestly.
Xie Guanyan’s expression darkened almost instantly, his brow furrowing. “Who is Zhao Gongming?”
Lin Mo grinned. “The God of Wealth.”
Xie Guanyan: “…”
