"The trending topic has been taken down, President Xie."
Jin Yang reported to Xie Guanyan over the phone.
The man in a white shirt sat on a green sofa, loosening his tie with one hand, his expression dark and brooding.
"Mhm. How long was that topic trending online?"
Jin Yang wasn’t sure, so he quickly messaged the staff at Weibo.
A dozen seconds later, he replied, "It was up for about half an hour."
He really didn’t understand what his boss was up to.
Was he trying to be Shen Yihan’s mother or something?
Not only did he keep investing in him, but now he was even taking down trending topics for him. Might as well just transfer all his assets to Shen Yihan’s name!
Xie Guanyan’s brows furrowed deeply, his eyes shadowed behind his glasses, his palm sinking into the sofa cushion.
Half an hour—would Gu Jingchuan have seen the trending topic?
Last time, the blurry side profile might not have been recognizable to Gu Jingchuan.
But this clear frontal shot—unless Gu Jingchuan had lost his memory, he would definitely recognize her.
And if he did, he would come looking for Lin Mo. Without a doubt.
Even though Lin Mo had already gone to No. 1 High School to find Gu Jingzhou, and Gu Jingzhou might have recognized her and told Gu Jingchuan about it…
The fact that Gu Jingchuan hadn’t sought out Lin Mo meant he didn’t believe it.
Still, it was only a matter of time before Gu Jingchuan found out Lin Mo was alive.
But Xie Guanyan wished that day would come later. Much later…
The veins on the handsome man’s neck stood out, his voice icy to the core.
"Send word to the paparazzi in Jingbei—no one is allowed to photograph the girl next to Shen Yihan!"
A chill seemed to travel through the phone, sending a shiver down Jin Yang’s spine.
"Got it, got it. Uh… the girl next to Shen Yihan?"
Not Shen Yihan himself?
Xie Guanyan’s eyes burned with barely restrained fury, his tone freezing. "Was I unclear? Just that girl—no photos. I don’t care about the rest!"
His boss rarely spoke in such a tone. Moreover, he had never used his power and influence to suppress others, always focusing on philanthropy instead.
Jin Yang’s heart trembled, and he answered solemnly, "Understood, President Xie!"
After hanging up, Jin Yang frowned.
Good news: His boss hadn’t taken down the trending topic for Shen Yihan.
Bad news: His boss had done it for Shen Yihan’s girlfriend.
The sky was falling! Was a billionaire tycoon about to become the other man?
No wonder his boss’s expression had been off that day!
Jin Yang sighed. Whatever, it wasn’t his place as an employee to worry about such things.
When Lin Mo returned to the villa, she called for Xie Guanyan to open the gate as usual.
Shen Yihan stood at the entrance, both hands full of shopping bags, waiting.
Lin Mo held a small item in her hand.
Xie Guanyan opened the gate, and a beautifully wrapped gift bag was thrust into his view.
"Xie Guanyan, this is for you!"
The girl’s voice was bright and sweet, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling as she looked at him, radiant.
It felt like a gentle spring rain washing over his heart.
The storm of anger from the trending topic instantly dissipated.
He was so stunned that his raised hand froze midair before he forced it back down, afraid he’d misheard. "Huh?"
Lin Mo pressed the gift into his hand—the same one still adorned with a band-aid. "A gift for you! To apologize for last night and to thank you for renting me the place and letting me freeload meals!"
The weight in his palm finally convinced Xie Guanyan he hadn’t misheard.
His heart raced uncontrollably, his fingers trembling slightly as he held the gift.
Shining had given him a present. Shining had actually given him a gift!
Behind his glasses, his dark eyes shimmered with excitement and joy, making them seem almost bewitching.
Shen Yihan stepped forward politely. "Mr. Xie, this is my sister’s way of expressing gratitude. She knows you lack nothing, so she took a long time picking this out. It’s just a small token, but we hope you’ll like it."
A gift she’d spent a long time choosing!
Xie Guanyan was so elated his scalp tingled, his breathing quickening as he momentarily forgot to restrain his emotions. "I love it!"
Shen Yihan blinked, surprised by Xie Guanyan’s blunt enthusiasm.
"See? I told you he’d like it!" Lin Mo shot Shen Yihan a triumphant look.
While picking the gift, Shen Yihan had insisted on something expensive, given Xie Guanyan’s status.
But Lin Mo disagreed.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to spend money—it was that Xie Guanyan could buy anything he wanted. What mattered was the thought behind it.
Xie Guanyan was itching to open it right then but held himself back.
"I’ll take these inside," Shen Yihan offered, his arms laden with seven or eight shopping bags.
Xie Guanyan reached out. "Give them to me."
Shen Yihan wanted to refuse, but the words died in his throat—Xie Guanyan’s tone wasn’t a request.
The commanding presence of a man used to authority surfaced for just a moment.
But that was all it took for the bags to leave his hands.
With the weight suddenly gone, Shen Yihan flexed his wrist, the black prayer beads on it shifting slightly.
"Alright, I’ll head back now."
Lin Mo waved. "Be careful on the road."
The tall man in the white shirt, carrying the shopping bags, followed the slender, beautiful girl inside, their shadows overlapping on the ground.
Shen Yihan couldn’t help but marvel. That was his sister for you—no matter who stood behind her, they ended up looking like a glorified bag carrier.
Yet the next second, an inexplicable pang of sadness hit him.
Because carrying her bags was supposed to be his job as her brother.
But sooner or later, his sister would start dating, and then her boyfriend would take over that duty!
"Ah…" Shen Yihan sighed.
Before their youngest brother returned, and before their sister got into a relationship, he’d better make the most of being her personal attendant!
As for Xie Guanyan carrying his sister’s shopping bags, Shen Yihan didn’t think much of it.
It was just a polite gesture.
If he were sharing a place with a girl, he’d help carry things too.
Back in the car, Shen Yihan’s mood improved again.
After all, his sister had bought him a gift too—just like she had for their third brother.
It was her habit—always buying three of everything.
His was a Seven Wolves belt.
Not his favorite brand, but since it was from his sister, he’d wear it with pride!
He just hoped their youngest brother would be found soon. His sister had mentioned she’d been looking into it lately.
