Xie Guanyan knew Shen Sizhan would be staying at home again tonight.
So he didn’t leave work early, choosing instead to handle tasks at the office.
It wasn’t until 8 p.m. that he finally returned.
The butler was visibly surprised to see him and whispered, "Sir, weren’t you supposed to be on a date with Madam?"
Xie Guanyan frowned slightly. "Hmm?"
The butler covered his mouth. "Then why did Miss Lin go out alone?"
These days, Xie Guanyan rarely had his bodyguards report Lin Mo’s whereabouts to him.
He was trying to control his possessiveness and intrusive curiosity.
As long as she was safe, that was enough.
Only if she stayed out unusually late would he ask about her.
Tonight, he had assumed Lin Mo had been with Shen Sizhan all day, returning home after dinner outside.
He hadn’t expected her to go out alone in the evening.
What was she doing alone?
Xie Guanyan didn’t answer the butler’s question.
Walking into the living room, he saw Shen Sizhan on the sofa, talking on the phone—likely discussing work matters.
He nodded briefly at the silver-haired young man and strode upstairs.
Study.
The man, now without his suit jacket, wore a cold expression as he pressed his phone to his ear, waiting for the bodyguard to pick up.
The two newly assigned bodyguards were slower to answer.
"Hello, Mr. Xie."
The call finally connected.
Xie Guanyan tapped a pen lightly against the desk. "What did Lin Mo do today? Where is she now, and who is she with?"
The bodyguard replied, "Miss Lin visited Dr. You this morning, went shopping in the afternoon, and is now at Xu Yali’s villa, having dinner with Xu Zunlong and Xu Yan."
The bodyguards had undergone special training before taking up their posts—they knew all the key figures.
Anyone unfamiliar would be quickly identified in case of inquiries.
Xie Guanyan’s pen stopped mid-tap.
Xu Yan?
A shadow of darkness surged uncontrollably in Xie Guanyan’s eyes, his fingers tightening around the pen until his knuckles turned white.
After hanging up, his mind flooded with images of the radiant girl smiling brightly at Xu Yan.
His heart ached sharply, his head throbbing, his breath uneven.
Did she still love him, even after coming back?
The tall, long-legged man rose from his chair, his steps unsteady.
He moved a book from the shelf and pressed a hidden groove.
The bookshelf parted slowly, revealing a secret door. He stepped inside.
Only here did Shanshan truly belong to him—to him alone!
An entire wall was covered in photos of the girl, alongside discarded items she had once used.
These things soothed his pain and unease, if only slightly.
The man’s oppressive aura was laced with a sickly obsession as he gazed at the photos and murmured, "Shanshan, what am I supposed to do with you?"
He longed to lock her in this room, to make her his completely.
He yearned to take her somewhere isolated, where they could be together day and night, never parting.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t act on these thoughts, couldn’t let them show.
She was the brightest, most dazzling girl in the world—she deserved to live freely and boldly.
Time crawled by.
He typed out messages asking when she’d return, only to delete them again and again.
Finally, a notification appeared on the left side of the chat.
[I’m back.]
Color returned instantly to the man’s pale face.
Shanshan was home!
That was all that mattered—she always came back eventually.
Without wasting a second, he rushed out of the hidden room.
Downstairs, he found Shen Sizhan drowsily scrolling through Douyin, clearly also waiting for Lin Mo.
"Your sister’s back," Xie Guanyan said, his voice gentle.
Shen Sizhan stood. "Really? I’ll get the door."
But Xie Guanyan didn’t give him the chance, stepping forward first.
The girl wore a white dress tonight, pure as gardenias.
Meeting her gaze, Xie Guanyan suppressed all his darkness and jealousy.
He forced himself to remain calm and gentle, giving nothing away.
"Sis, why are you back so late?" Shen Sizhan asked casually.
Xie Guanyan envied how easily Shen Sizhan could ask without fearing Lin Mo’s annoyance.
They were siblings—blood ties were the strongest bonds in the world.
Not like his relationship with Shanshan, fragile as a thread, ready to snap at the slightest pull.
The girl glanced at him indifferently and walked in with Shen Sizhan.
Night deepened, and Xie Guanyan could no longer restrain himself.
He needed to see her, to kiss her.
She hadn’t smiled at him when she returned—did she really not love him anymore?
Carefully, he pushed open her bedroom door. The girl was sprawled messily in sleep.
He adjusted the blankets over her.
Then, bending down, he pressed restrained kisses to her forehead, the tip of her nose, and the corner of her lips.
Her foot slipped out from under the covers again, and his gaze darkened.
Years ago, when he’d been beaten to the ground in the orphanage, a little princess had walked up and offered him her hand.
The first thing he’d seen was her delicate, porcelain-like feet nestled in expensive princess shoes.
When they met again in high school, he often couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye.
His gaze would drop to her beautiful feet instead.
Perfectly shaped, milky-white skin with faint blue veins—it always made his throat tighten.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. Before he could stop himself, he knelt.
Leaning down, he inched closer.
Pressed one kiss to the top of her foot, then another.
The night was intoxicating, his jealousy still simmering. He lost himself in the act.
Completely unaware that the girl had woken up.
Until her foot suddenly lifted—and kicked him square in the face.
At the same time, her voice cut through the air. "You pervert!"
Caught off guard, Xie Guanyan fell backward.
His mind went blank.
Moonlight spilled into the room, dim but enough to reveal who he was.
Lin Mo’s body had reacted before her mind, her leg jerking instinctively.
She was startled—but not entirely.
She’d read plenty of romance novels with scenes like this. Once, she’d even joked with Zhao Ziling about how awkward it’d be if the heroine had sweaty feet—what a treat for the male lead!
Top-tier lung penetration!
The thought crossed her mind before she could even process Xie Guanyan’s late-night antics.
Immediately, she lifted her foot and sniffed it.
Thank goodness. She’d washed thoroughly, even using scented body lotion.
A faint floral scent lingered.
Xie Guanyan’s senses slowly returned. Propped on his hands, his eyes were wide with panic.
Shanshan was awake! How?
What now? How could he explain this?
He couldn’t reveal the truth—never.
His mind raced—until he saw the girl in pajamas sniffing her own foot.
Xie Guanyan: "..."
Lin Mo, satisfied, looked up and locked eyes with him still on the floor.
Lin Mo: "..."
