Shen Yihan noticed the look on Lin Mo’s face, and his heart skipped a beat.
His sister was rarely serious, but when she was, it was downright terrifying.
He fiddled with the Buddhist beads on his right wrist with his left hand. "Sis, you already know about me and Huanyu?"
Lin Mo rolled her eyes dramatically. "In this digital age, how could I not? Out of every ten videos on my Douyin feed, seven are about you and Li Huanyu, and the other three are about her and Gu Jingchuan."
Shen Yihan marveled inwardly at his sister’s adaptability—truly worthy of being his sister.
Then he said, "Huanyu and Gu Jingchuan are just faking a CP for publicity. Gu Jingchuan forced her into it. They’re not real."
Lin Mo widened her eyes. "That’s what Li Huanyu told you?"
No wonder her foolish brother was willing to be her lapdog!
Shen Yihan nodded, his voice low. "Yeah, Gu Jingchuan’s always been a playboy with no morals."
Lin Mo tilted her head. "You ever think maybe Li Huanyu actually dated him for real?"
Shen Yihan shook his head firmly. "Impossible! Don’t believe those gossip accounts."
Lin Mo knew her brother’s stubbornness—once he made up his mind, words alone wouldn’t sway him.
She smiled. "Alright then. Wang Baochuan woke up today and found her ranking had dropped."
Shen Yihan frowned. "What does that mean?"
Lin Mo took a sip of milk. "Nothing. Anyway, you can’t lose your cool like yesterday ever again! Clearing out an entire mall—have you thought about the financial and reputational damage?"
Shen Yihan absorbed her words effortlessly—it was ingrained in him.
"I understand. It won’t happen again."
Lin Mo tapped her fingers on the table. "Did Li Huanyu text you last night?"
Shen Yihan: "She did."
Huanyu still cared about him.
"Let me see." Lin Mo held out her hand.
Without hesitation, Shen Yihan handed over his phone.
He didn’t believe there was any privacy his sister shouldn’t know.
Lin Mo had deliberately kept Jiang Tang from handling the hot search situation to observe Li Huanyu’s reaction and figure out her game.
Her slender fingers scrolled up through the chat history.
The most frequent phrase was "Brother Yihan," making Li Huanyu seem sweet and innocent.
But her tone was just detached enough—masterfully playing the balance.
Last night, she had sent:
[Brother Yihan, were you out shopping with someone else today?]
Shen Yihan replied this morning:
[That was my sister, Huanyu. Don’t overthink it.]
No response.
Lin Mo still couldn’t figure out how paparazzi had coincidentally been at the mall yesterday.
If they were tailing Li Huanyu, she hadn’t even entered the mall.
So how had they gotten photos of her and Shen Yihan inside?
Most likely, Li Huanyu had planted them there in advance.
She didn’t show up, but the paparazzi spotted Shen Yihan with Lin Mo.
With his star power, why not snap a few shots?
Probably, Li Huanyu wanted to use the scandal to provoke Gu Jingchuan.
Lin Mo’s long lashes cast delicate shadows as she tapped the table twice.
If yesterday’s plan failed, there’d likely be a next time.
She set the phone down. "Do you really like Li Huanyu?"
Shen Yihan paused for two seconds. "Yeah. I met her at a dinner. She’s a simple, hardworking girl."
"What makes you think she’s simple and hardworking?" Lin Mo pressed.
Shen Yihan recalled, "At that dinner, everyone else was trying to butter me up with drinks. She didn’t. That proves she doesn’t take shortcuts."
Lin Mo understood—a classic move to catch a CEO’s attention.
After seeing your chats, I agree she seems like a good girl. Looks like last night’s trending topic upset her. Why don’t you book a restaurant tonight to apologize?
Shen Yihan’s dark eyes brightened. "Really? You don’t mind me being with Huanyu?"
Lin Mo shrugged. "As long as it doesn’t affect business, why would I? You’re a grown man—time to date."
A grin spread across Shen Yihan’s face, enhancing his striking features.
"Jiang Tang, handle this."
By afternoon, Lin Mo had her ID sorted and was waiting for Jiang Tang’s updates at home.
She had to admit—Jiang Tang was incredible.
Not only did she manage Shen Yihan’s work, but she also handled his personal affairs.
A million-dollar salary was well-deserved!
Lin Mo had two requests:
1. Get the address of the restaurant Shen Yihan booked tonight.
2. Find out which high school Gu Jingchuan’s younger brother attended.
Around 6 PM, Jiang Tang replied:
[Gu Jingchuan’s brother is named Gu Jingzhou. He attends Jingbei No. 1 High.]
[The restaurant tonight is called Honey Words. The reservation is for 7:30 PM.]
[Lin Mo, are you coming?]
Lin Mo was impressed—Jiang Tang was truly efficient.
Honey Words? Clearly handpicked for romance.
She replied: [Thanks, Jiang Tang. I won’t be there.]
Jiang Tang responded quickly: [Got it. Also, the person living in your family’s villa now is Xie Guanyan.]
At the name, Lin Mo’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed.
She’d almost forgotten her old rival.
So the villa was in his hands now.
Fate really had a way of tying them together.
She wondered how he was doing these days.
Probably thriving.
Closing WeChat, she searched "Xie Guanyan" on her browser.
His striking face appeared instantly—still sporting silver-rimmed glasses, the tea-colored mole on his nose just as alluring.
But the youthful frailty from their school days was gone, replaced by an air of refined elegance.
A quick check revealed:
He was now the head of SS Capital, Asia’s largest investment firm.
Originally a tech company, SS Capital had an uncanny eye for profit—nearly every successful business today had its backing.
Lin Mo wasn’t surprised.
Back then, Xie Guanyan had constantly snatched the top rank from her.
With that mind, he’d succeed at anything.
At 29, he was worth billions.
Meanwhile, she was 18 and had achieved nothing.
Lin Mo chuckled bitterly. "If melancholy were a talent..."
Still, after all these years, maybe he didn’t hate her anymore?
A small villa probably meant nothing to him—surely he’d sell it to her?
She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t dwell on it.
One step at a time—first, catch the paparazzi.
Later, she’d visit the villa and ask Xie Guanyan about selling.
7:30 PM, outside Honey Words.
A paparazzo grinned widely, crouched in the bushes.
He’d planned to shoot from his car, but Li Huanyu insisted on high-definition shots—so here he was, hiding in the greenery.
Yesterday, rumors swirled that Shen Yihan had found a new flame, and today he was spotted on a sweet date with Li Huanyu, reigniting their old romance.
No doubt, this will be trending again.
Gaining attention is as easy as flipping a hand!
As the black Bentley came to a stop, Shen Yihan stepped out, dressed in a sleek black suit with Buddhist prayer beads adorning his wrist.
Just as the paparazzi raised their cameras to snap a shot, a hand tapped on their shoulder. "Hey! No sleeping allowed here!"
