The atmosphere turned awkward for a brief moment.
Lin Mo quickly lowered her foot, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything.
Sitting on the bed with her hands on her hips, she demanded, “Xie Guanyan, what are you doing?”
Xie Guanyan’s heart melted at her adorable expression.
At the same time, he was overwhelmed with regret—how could he have done something like this?
He immediately knelt upright to face her. “I’m sorry, Shanshan. I couldn’t sleep and remembered there was a sleep aid sachet in this room, so I came to get it.”
“This room has the best orientation. I used to stay here, and the sachet was left behind because I had trouble sleeping before. After you moved in, I forgot to take it away.”
“I didn’t want to disturb you, so I didn’t make a sound. But then I saw your foot… and it was so cute I couldn’t help kissing it. I’m sorry.”
The sleep aid sachet was replaced daily, so it couldn’t have lost its effect.
There was only one reason Shanshan would wake up in the middle of the night—
Dr. You must have smelled it and warned her.
He had investigated Dr. You before. The man was quite famous in Jingbei, and Xie Guanyan had even visited his lab.
After Shanshan’s passing, he had never slept a full night.
A friend managing his research labs, fearing he might drop dead from exhaustion, had led a team to develop sleep aid sachets.
But none of the countless variations worked—except this one, which induced a brief unconsciousness, allowing him to rest peacefully.
For years, he had indeed stayed in this room.
It was Shanshan’s room. Sleeping here made him feel like she was still by his side.
He had kept using the sachet until Shanshan came back to him.
That day, he hadn’t taken it away.
He knew that despite being able to sleep at home, she still often woke from nightmares.
The loss of her parents at a young age had left deep psychological scars, though she never showed it.
Between never knowing familial love and having it only to lose it, he believed the latter was far crueler.
Once, in a Chinese exam, the essay topic had been about dreams. She had written about this.
But after receiving her answer sheet, she threw it in the trash—he had picked it up.
Perhaps she hadn’t taken it home to avoid her younger brother seeing it.
The sachet did help her sleep soundly.
And it gave him, dark and unworthy, the chance to steal glances at her.
Seeing her before bed was more effective than any sleep aid.
So after she moved in, he no longer needed the sachet.
His hastily constructed explanation was a mix of truth and lies. He couldn’t bring himself to confess the whole truth—he was afraid.
Outwardly, he spoke calmly. No one could tell how fast his heart was racing, how his back was already drenched in sweat.
Lin Mo studied the beautiful man before her.
Moonlight bathed him in a soft glow, the tiny mole on the bridge of his nose adding a bewitching allure.
His deep-set eyes held her gaze, brimming with remorse, his voice magnetic yet tentative.
Her heart softened, and she instinctively shook her head. “It’s okay.”
He said her foot was cute!
But the man didn’t brighten at her forgiveness. His voice remained low. “I won’t enter your room without permission again. And I’ll never…”
“Why couldn’t you sleep tonight, Xie Guanyan?” Lin Mo interrupted.
At her question, his pupils trembled, his breath hitching.
Shanshan… was concerned about him?
She wasn’t angry at his transgression—she was worried for him.
How could there be such a kind girl in this world?
Perhaps an overflow of love made one brave.
Xie Guanyan tentatively let his true feelings surface.
His usually gentle voice turned slightly hoarse. “You didn’t smile at me when you came back today.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
Would Shanshan think he was being overly sensitive?
Lin Mo hadn’t expected that answer. Emotions surged within her, spilling out.
“You don’t even care about me! Why should I smile at you?”
“You didn’t message me all day to check in, didn’t ask why I came back so late—you’re terrible!”
Her voice wavered with hurt as she hugged her knees, burying her face and refusing to look at him.
Xie Guanyan was equally stunned by her response, his mind blanking for a second.
Then he reached out and pulled her into his arms, his voice shaking. “Shanshan, that’s not true. I care about you—more than anyone. I was just afraid you’d find me annoying.”
As he spoke, excitement and regret warred in his eyes.
Excitement, because Shanshan seemed to care deeply for him.
Regret, because his caution had upset her.
The cool, pleasant scent of his body enveloped her.
His pajama top was unbuttoned at the collar, and Lin Mo’s nose brushed against his firm chest.
She lifted her head, eyes stinging. “Really?”
Xie Guanyan’s heart clenched at the tears glistening in her eyes. “Really. I love you, Shanshan. So much.”
He was the worst.
He’d made the girl he cherished most cry.
Lin Mo’s tears didn’t fall.
Staring at his beautiful face, his slender, sensual lips, her mind went blank.
She leaned in and kissed him, murmuring against his mouth, “I love you too, Xie Guanyan.”
Her initiative sent his heart racing.
Gently cupping the back of her head, he deepened the kiss.
Lin Mo melted into him, her body growing soft and warm, lips parting as she surrendered to the sensation.
Only when they were breathless did they part, a faint silver thread lingering between them.
Wrapping her arms around his lean waist, Lin Mo murmured, “I took over your room as soon as I arrived. I should apologize too.”
Gazing into her clear, radiant eyes, Xie Guanyan felt even more despicable. His voice dropped to a rough whisper. “No. You never have to apologize to me.”
Lin Mo’s fingers trailed playfully over his abs. “You don’t need to take the sachet back. If you can’t sleep, just come to this room.”
The next morning, Lin Mo woke early—her internal clock never failed, even with the sleep aid’s lingering effects.
Xie Guanyan was still asleep beside her.
The beautiful man’s long lashes cast delicate shadows, his flawless skin marred only by the marks she’d left. His pajamas were long gone, the sight undeniably decadent.
They hadn’t gone further—Shen Sizhan was still in the house.
Not wanting to disturb him, Lin Mo slipped out of bed quietly, heading to the guest bathroom to freshen up.
Worried Dr. You might still be waiting, she sent him a message:
Good morning, Dr. You. Everything’s fine—no need to worry.
Xie Guanyan had many quirks.
He liked dancing provocatively and cross-dressing—what was one more foot fetish?
Without proof he’d done this before, Lin Mo refused to doubt him.
If she loved him, she had to trust him.
As she stepped out, carefully closing the door behind her, something odd caught her eye.
Morning light spilled into the study across the hall.
What had once been a single bookshelf was now split into two.
Curious, she approached and discovered a hidden door between them.
