The door to the room suddenly swung open.
A gentle breeze brushed against their faces.
The man, who habitually glanced at the young woman before bed each night, felt his mind go blank in an instant.
She never turned off the lights while lying in bed playing with her phone.
And within half an hour of the lights going out, she would always be fast asleep.
What was going on today? Was she struggling to sleep?
The next second, his heart pounded like thunder, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably in the darkness.
Standing outside her room like a creep in the middle of the night—he must have scared her again!
Damn him!
He lifted a hand to adjust his glasses, but his fingers shook so badly he could barely steady them. "Lin—"
"Xie Guanyan, what a coincidence!" The girl's voice was sweet and melodious. "Did you get up for water too?"
Only two people lived in this villa.
Lin Mo recognized Xie Guanyan instantly by his tall, slender frame—she wasn’t startled at all.
He must have stepped out of his room, passed by hers, and paused when he heard her door open.
"Do you want a drink or just water? I can grab it for you on my way!"
Lin Mo hoped to make up for lying to him by offering this small favor.
The second floor of the villa had a living area as well.
There was a water dispenser and a fridge stocked with beverages.
Xie Guanyan hadn’t expected Lin Mo to assume he was just passing by for a drink—and to be so calm about it.
A pure-hearted person saw the world through an equally pure lens.
There was no darkness in her eyes or heart; she would never even consider such twisted thoughts.
At this moment, Xie Guanyan despised himself even more.
He was a worm crawling through the gutters, gazing obsessively at the brightest star in the sky.
But a star would always be a star—forever radiant, forever untouchable.
"No need, I’ll get it myself." Xie Guanyan kept his voice carefully gentle.
At least Gu Jingchuan would never do something as twisted and depraved as this.
These two weeks living under the same roof had felt like an impossibly beautiful dream.
So much so that he had to see her with his own eyes every night before bed—otherwise, sleep wouldn’t come.
Since he’d refused, Lin Mo didn’t insist.
The two walked to the second-floor living room together.
Tonight’s moonlight was particularly lovely, spilling through the balcony and casting a soft, dreamy glow across the room.
A glass of water was handed to her, and Lin Mo took it naturally, sipping once.
The lukewarm water soothed her dry throat, and she smiled. "Thanks."
Long legs really did make for a faster stride.
He’d reached the water dispenser before her.
Xie Guanyan poured himself a glass as well. The icy liquid slid down his throat, calming his restless nerves slightly.
"Did you wake up thirsty?" he asked, as if making casual conversation.
Lin Mo’s long lashes fluttered. "No, I couldn’t sleep."
"Because of your fourth brother?" Xie Guanyan’s gaze lingered on her face.
The living room remained unlit, bathed only in the hazy moonlight between them—the atmosphere tinged with something intimate.
Lin Mo took another sip of water and looked up at him.
The tall man stood near the balcony, the moonlight dusting his shoulders.
His silver-gray sleepwear clung to his lean, well-proportioned frame.
His face was shadowed, barely visible—only the faint outline of a tea-colored mole on the bridge of his nose, inexplicably alluring.
"That’s part of it," Lin Mo admitted. "He’s still young, so I worry about him."
The other reason was the guilt of lying to the man before her.
But of course, she wouldn’t say that.
A small, selfish part of her thought she could wait until her fourth brother was found before properly apologizing.
If she confessed now, Xie Guanyan might get angry and stop helping altogether.
Fine, she admitted it—she wasn’t entirely pure-hearted either.
"The search takes time, but I’m sure we’ll have answers soon. Don’t worry too much." Xie Guanyan’s voice was soothing.
Lin Mo smiled. "I think so too."
Before making calls earlier, she’d explained the whole situation of her fourth brother’s disappearance to Xie Guanyan.
It was only fair if he was going to help look.
Now, she remembered what Zhang Nan had mentioned earlier—that Xie Guanyan had once lived in the slums.
"I went to the slums today and heard you used to live there too. Is that true?"
With no sleep in sight, Lin Mo voiced her curiosity.
Darkness was a comforting veil, loosening inhibitions and drawing people closer, as if they were just friends chatting.
Xie Guanyan held his glass of ice water—a drink meant to keep him sharp.
But even a sip couldn’t dull the excitement flickering in his eyes.
Was Shanshan… concerned about him?
"It’s true." His voice remained gentle, but his tone lifted slightly, carrying a hint of something deeper.
He’d stayed at an orphanage there.
And it was there that he first saw Shanshan.
He would never forget the little girl in a princess dress stepping into that rundown orphanage.
Her hair was tied in two pigtails, her eyes brighter than diamonds—delicate and doll-like, straight out of a store window.
Unlike most, she hadn’t looked at the orphans with disgust.
Even though it was the filthiest, most neglected orphanage in the city.
"Mom, can I play with them for a bit?"
The exquisite little girl blinked up at an elegant woman.
The woman smiled. "Of course, Shanshan. Just be careful not to fall."
Like a cheerful little bird, she flitted into their midst.
The orphanage kids had never seen someone so pretty—they all clamored to play with her.
"Hey! Why are you lying on the ground?" The little princess, surrounded by admirers, suddenly stopped in front of him, surprised.
A small, pale hand stretched out. "Let me help you up."
Back then, he’d been bullied by the stronger kids in the orphanage.
Right before she walked in, they’d pinned him down and beaten him.
All because he refused to give them his entire meal.
The headmistress had warned, "Someone’s coming to donate to our orphanage. Behave."
Only then did the boys let him go.
But he couldn’t get up—he was too weak from hunger.
"Don’t touch him, he’s dirty!"
One of the bullies grabbed the little princess’s hand.
She turned and glared. "Don’t tell me what to do!"
That was just her nature—no one could sway her decisions.
The boy persisted. "He stinks! Come play with us instead—I can make paper airplanes!"
Ignoring him, the little princess reached for the boy on the ground again. "Give me your hand."
The bully, the orphanage’s little tyrant, yanked her arm harder. "I said don’t!"
The little princess responded by slapping him—hard. "And I said mind your own business!"
The boy froze, stunned.
The sound drew the attention of the headmistress, who’d been talking to the little princess’s parents.
The bully sniffled. "Headmistress, she hit me! Waaah!"
Frowning, the headmistress glanced at the little princess before scolding the boy. "I’m sure you deserved it. Go inside!"
The little princess’s mother asked, "Did you hit him?"
The little princess nodded. "Yep! Because he grabbed me twice!"
Her mother simply smiled. "Then you did nothing wrong. Go play."
The little princess’s father examined her hand and said with heartache, "It’s all red. Don’t use so much force next time."
Her parents believed in her unconditionally and doted on her endlessly.
Even if this might earn them the reputation of being those who flaunt their wealth with a few donations,
it was clear this family didn’t care.
Her hand was small, warm, effortlessly pulling him up from the ground.
Back then, he was nothing but skin and bones.
"You’re so thin. I’ll ask my mom to donate more money here—you should eat more, okay?"
Before leaving, she said this to him.
He nodded, clenching his fists to steady his trembling body, and uttered his first word to her: "Okay."
He would make sure that the next time she came, she’d see a completely different version of him.
But she never returned to the orphanage.
"You’re amazing. Thanks to you, so many underprivileged students can afford to study now."
Lin Mo’s lively, melodious voice pulled Xie Guanyan out of his memories.
Of course, the little princess didn’t remember him—that was only natural.
Back then, she was six, her life radiant and dazzling, while he was nothing but dirt beneath her feet.
But fortunately, she did remember him eventually.
"I received help from others when I was there too," Xie Guanyan said, lifting his glass to take a sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Lin Mo’s peach-blossom eyes curved into crescents. "Kindness passed down—this warms even my cold, dead heart!"
As drowsiness crept in, Lin Mo set down her glass. "I’m off to bed. You should rest early too."
"Goodnight," Xie Guanyan replied.
"Goodnight, you incredible philanthropist!" Lin Mo beamed, her smile as bright as flowers.
The second-floor living room fell silent again, the air still carrying the faint, sweet fragrance of the girl.
Xie Guanyan’s slender fingers set down his own glass before, uncontrollably, reaching for hers.
He pressed his lips where hers had been, his eyes dark and damp with obsession.
See? He wasn’t some noble, generous philanthropist.
He was just a wretched, depraved pervert.
