This morning, Shen Yihan came to pick up Lin Mo again.
Shen Yihan disliked using a driver—unless it was a long trip, he always preferred to drive himself.
These days, he no longer brought breakfast for Lin Mo in the mornings because she had already eaten.
Shen Yihan often mused to himself.
Mr. Xie’s lifestyle was surprisingly down-to-earth, quite different from his untouchable, lofty image.
It was Saturday, so Shen Yihan didn’t have to go to the office.
“Sis, do you want to go somewhere fun?” Shen Yihan asked.
Sunlight streamed through the car window, glinting off the black Buddhist beads on his wrist.
“Let’s go shopping. I want to buy a gift for Xie Guanyan,” Lin Mo said, fastening her seatbelt with her fair, jade-like hands.
Shen Yihan paused. “For who?”
Then he chuckled. “Sis, do you like Mr. Xie?”
Lin Mo rolled her eyes. “You think I’m as lovesick as you? I accidentally hurt him last night…”
“What?” Shen Yihan’s brows instantly furrowed. “Mr. Xie didn’t lose his temper with you, did he?”
Xie Guanyan had a gentle demeanor, but those capable of great achievements often had a cold-blooded streak beneath the surface.
As long as his interests weren’t threatened, he could remain mild-mannered.
But the moment they were, he could turn ruthless in an instant.
Like with selling the house—because it would waste his time readjusting to a new place, he had refused outright.
“He’s got a good temper. He didn’t get angry,” Lin Mo said.
“But I still think it’s my fault, so I should apologize properly. Besides, I’ve been freeloading meals at his place all this time—he’s just being kind. I can’t take that for granted.”
A small gift would be a token of her gratitude, something Lin Mo had already planned.
Relationships were about reciprocity, even among family, let alone with strangers.
Shen Yihan sighed in relief. “That’s good. How did it happen?”
Lin Mo explained the situation.
Shen Yihan was surprised again. “I thought you just stayed in your room after returning to the villa, and Mr. Xie worked in his study. I didn’t expect you two to sit together on the couch.”
Lin Mo didn’t see anything strange about it. “Don’t people just do whatever’s comfortable at home? That couch I bought is super cozy—Xie Guanyan isn’t an idiot.”
No sane person would sit in an office working all day, only to come home and sit in a study working again.
At a red light, Shen Yihan lightly tapped the brakes, adjusting the Buddhist beads on his right wrist with his left hand. “True. Fourth Brother used to love napping on that couch.”
The model had since been discontinued, otherwise Shen Yihan would’ve bought one for his own home.
Mention of Fourth Brother dimmed the light in Lin Mo’s peach-blossom eyes.
Tomorrow, she’d go to No. 1 High School to watch the basketball game—maybe she’d run into him!
The entire day, Shen Yihan accompanied Lin Mo shopping, going from their own mall to others.
By evening, several hashtags had quietly climbed onto Weibo’s trending list.
#Capital’s Buddhist Prince Spotted Shopping with Mystery Beauty Again#
#Shen Yihan and Li Huanyu Officially Over?#
#Mystery Beauty’s Shopping Spree#
The same paparazzo, originally staking out a celebrity in the mall’s underground garage, spotted Shen Yihan carrying four or five shopping bags while a pretty girl sipped milk tea beside him.
She looked familiar—probably the same one from last time.
The paparazzo immediately abandoned the celebrity, grinning ear to ear as he snapped away!
Last time, there had been an assistant, but today? A clear two-person date!
No wonder Shen Yihan had been so cold to Li Huanyu—this new flame had his full attention.
Rich men keeping multiple women around was nothing unusual.
Modern-day harem dramas played out around them all the time.
When the camera zoomed in on the girl’s face, the paparazzo froze.
First thought: How could a face this stunning exist in real life?
Skin like polished jade, bright eyes, pearly teeth—her peach-blossom eyes, clear and luminous, outshone the stars.
Second thought: She looked so young next to Shen Yihan, who suddenly seemed like an old man by comparison!
After snapping several shots, the paparazzo felt an odd familiarity with her eyes but couldn’t place it.
Their car soon left the mall, and he tailed them.
Assuming they were heading home, he was surprised when they switched to another mall.
By day’s end, even the paparazzo was exhausted!
Yet the girl remained full of energy.
Shen Yihan, too, showed endless patience—giving sincere opinions on every purchase and dutifully swiping his card.
The chemistry between them was effortlessly harmonious.
The paparazzo almost started shipping them!
Too tired to keep up, he returned to his studio to post the scoop.
The hashtags quickly amassed comments.
—[The Buddhist Prince stays unchanged while the beauties flow like water!]
—[That close-up of her face—I’m in love! So gorgeous, but she looks super young.]
—[With that stamina to shop all day, she’s definitely a college student with energy to burn.]
—[Anyone got her Douyin handle?]
—[Li Huanyu must be heartbroken! The CEO’s moved on!]
—[The ruthless Buddhist Prince and the sweet starlet—it’s really over, I’m crying!]
—[What ‘over’? Our Huanyu never had anything with Shen Yihan! Stop spreading rumors!]
—[Exactly! Huanyu only cares about her career. Men, stay away!]
—[Ten minutes in and no one’s ID’d her yet? This generation of netizens disappoints me!]
Not the netizens’ fault, really.
Lin Mo simply hadn’t left much of a digital footprint in this internet-saturated era.
Her Weibo and Douyin accounts were newly registered, devoid of posts—just lurking.
Eleven years ago, the internet wasn’t as developed, and no one dug that far back.
Employees at Starlight Group knew, of course.
But they protected Lin Mo fiercely, never leaking details online.
Only a few anonymously defended her.
[Angry Nurse Beats Up Old Men: Narrow-minded much? A man and woman together must be dating?]
[Shen’s Mother Leopard: Could be family. Let’s not jump to conclusions.]
But no one believed them!
Jiang Tang soon learned of the trending topic through his secretary and called Shen Yihan.
Shen Yihan was having dinner with Lin Mo at a highly-rated Hunan restaurant.
Lin Mo scooped a bite of stir-fried beef with rice into her mouth.
Hearing Shen Yihan say, “Sis, paparazzi got photos of us shopping. We’re trending.”
Picking up her phone, Lin Mo glanced at it. "Just take down the trending searches."
Neither of them were celebrities—no need for clarifications.
Addressing it would only stir more attention, and Lin Mo preferred to stay low-profile online.
To Shen Yihan, Lin Mo’s words were law. He replied to Jiang Tang, “Take down the trending search.”
Jiang Tang hung up and contacted Weibo’s staff.
In under a minute, all three hashtags vanished without a trace, as if they’d never existed.
Even Jiang Tang was surprised. “Weibo’s efficiency today is unreal.”
