The tall, long-legged man now wore only a white dress shirt, buttoned all the way to the top. His tie was neatly knotted, exuding an indescribable air of restrained sensuality.
With one slender yet strong hand, he carried a white suit jacket, while the other held hers—gently, almost tentatively. Yet where their skin touched, a dense warmth spread, electric currents sending tingles coursing through her entire body.
Lin Mo stiffened, her pupils contracting slightly as her heart pounded like thunder.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Her mind grew hazy, her face flushed with heat, leaving her unable to think clearly.
Why was Xie Guanyan holding her hand?
For Xie Guanyan, time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Shanshan had wanted revenge against Gu Jingchuan but hesitated, her gaze flickering toward him.
So he took the initiative to help her.
Even if it was just an act of assistance, the decision to hold her hand had been impulsive.
Yet the moment their fingers intertwined, Xie Guanyan tensed to the extreme, his heart leaping into his throat as if ready to burst free.
How many times had he dreamed of holding Shanshan’s hand?
Never had he imagined it would happen under these circumstances.
But it was enough.
At least he got to hold her hand once—not out of concern, but like lovers.
Like lovers!
Yet he didn’t dare grip too tightly, keeping his hold loose so she could pull away at any moment.
Maybe she would hesitate to let go?
The refined and composed man’s back was damp with a fine layer of sweat, but his expression remained calm and steady as he watched Gu Jingchuan with an unreadable gaze.
Gu Jingchuan, who had already been furious upon seeing them holding hands from the window, now flared with rage as they did it right in front of him. His nostrils flared, and he opened his mouth, sputtering incoherently, "Ah-bah ah-bah ah-bah ah-bah…"
Lin Mo: "…"
Xie Guanyan: "…"
Gu Jingchuan: "…"
Silence hung in the air for two seconds.
Lin Mo’s earlier flustered heartbeat instantly turned into sheer mortification, her toes curling so hard they could dig out the Potala Palace.
Ahhhh! How could her ex-boyfriend be this embarrassing?!
Someone give her a time-reversal tutorial, now!!
Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and people stepped out.
Seizing the moment, Lin Mo tightened her grip on Xie Guanyan’s hand and hurried inside, desperate to escape the scene.
Gu Jingchuan, his tongue numb from medication and unable to form words, had never felt so humiliated. He covered his mouth, frozen in place.
Laughter drifted from the nurses’ station.
He whipped his head around, glaring.
Instantly, everyone busied themselves with their tasks.
Clenching his fists, Gu Jingchuan seethed, his chest burning with fury as veins throbbed at his temples.
Finally, the elevator doors closed, and with no sign of Gu Jingchuan following, Lin Mo exhaled in relief.
The warmth in her hand vanished, leaving only a hollow emptiness.
Her long, thick lashes fluttered slightly.
Then, the handsome man beside her spoke, his voice smooth, "Aren’t you going to check on him? Someone might have poisoned him mute."
The words made Lin Mo’s vision darken for a second.
Great. Xie Guanyan knew Gu Jingchuan.
Not only did he know him—he also knew she had dated him!
Of course. Gu Jingchuan’s grand confession had been right after the college entrance exams, making waves across class group chats.
"Why should I care about him?" Lin Mo forced an awkward smile, inexplicably feeling the need to over-explain. "We’ve already broken up. He has a new girlfriend now—he doesn’t need my concern."
They broke up?
Xie Guanyan’s breath hitched.
Today?
It made sense. Shanshan was too proud.
With a "rumored girlfriend" showing up, she wouldn’t stay with Gu Jingchuan.
Cutting ties cleanly was exactly like her.
Seeing the smile that didn’t reach her eyes and hearing her mention Gu Jingchuan’s new girlfriend, Xie Guanyan’s gaze flickered. He adjusted his glasses with a single finger and offered a gentle consolation, "Don’t be upset. He’s suffering too."
Don’t be upset?
She wasn’t upset at all!
Prejudice was truly an insurmountable mountain.
Everyone assumed that since she had started dating Gu Jingchuan right before her accident, she must have been deeply in love with him.
Her younger brother thought so. Gu Jingchuan thought so. Even Xie Guanyan thought so.
Maybe it was because she was usually so meticulous in her decisions, a top student through and through.
So people assumed her acceptance of Gu Jingchuan’s confession had been carefully considered.
But the truth? It was pure impulse.
High school had been stressful, and after graduation, she just wanted to let loose. She figured dating him wouldn’t hurt.
Don’t ask. The only answer was regret—deep, profound regret!
She could never be this reckless again.
Now she was stuck with this "record," and it was impossible to erase!
She wanted to explain, but—
Ding!
The elevator reached the first floor, and a crowd waited to enter.
Lin Mo swallowed her words.
The two walked side by side toward the parking lot, the cool night breeze brushing against them.
Under the streetlights, their shadows overlapped.
She still wanted to ask why he had held her hand.
Technically, this was her first proper hand-holding experience with a man.
Her phone buzzed.
Lin Mo glanced at the screen—a message from the "Buddha of the Capital Circle" (her younger brother).
[Sis, are you and Mr. Xie heading back?]
She typed a reply: [About to.]
As her fingers scrolled, she noticed another message from him earlier that afternoon—saying he couldn’t pick her up due to an emergency.
A frown creased her brows.
If her brother was busy, what about his secretaries? Or Jiang Tang?
When they reached the car, Xie Guanyan opened the passenger door for her with practiced courtesy.
Lin Mo met his gaze. "Thank you."
Once seated, a sudden realization struck her.
Was this her brother’s setup?
Had he seen Gu Jingchuan and Li Huanyu earlier and assumed she’d be upset?
Knowing her pride, she’d be furious—why should Gu Jingchuan move on while she stayed single?
So he sent Xie Guanyan to pose as her boyfriend in front of Gu Jingchuan?
No wonder Xie Guanyan had taken her hand the moment they saw him!
And the second the elevator doors closed, he let go.
Oh god.
Her brother had way overthought this!
And Xie Guanyan—how could he be this willing to help with anything?
Another message popped up:
[I’ve arranged things with First High. Donated a building. Tomorrow, we’ll go to Third High to sort out Fourth Brother’s transfer. I’ll pick you up—no need to go to the hospital.]
See? Now he didn’t want her going to the hospital anymore.
Clearly, he didn’t want her running into Gu Jingchuan again.
After all, Xie Guanyan couldn’t keep pretending to be her boyfriend—it’d be exposed sooner or later.
Her brother’s efforts were almost touching. Lin Mo leaned back against the seat with a wry smile.
How could she make him understand?
The ride passed in silence, neither of them speaking.
Back at the villa, as Lin Mo headed upstairs, she paused and turned to Xie Guanyan.
"Thank you for your help today," she said sincerely. "And I’m sorry for the trouble."
Xie Guanyan loosened his tie with one hand, his eyes unreadable behind his glasses. His voice remained as composed as ever. "It’s nothing."
That night, Lin Mo didn’t come back downstairs.
She needed to clarify things with Shen Yihan.
He had brought it up before, but she’d never paid it much mind.
Now that she was about to trouble Xie Guanyan, Lin Mo felt it wasn’t quite right.
He had already been kind enough to rent her the apartment, and now she was asking for another strange favor—she couldn’t push her luck like this.
Lin Mo took off the little dog pendant from her neck and placed it on the bedside table.
After showering, she sprawled on the bed, her fair legs kicking lightly in the air, and dialed Shen Yihan’s number.
Shen Yihan was also home by now, still working.
Seeing the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat.
His sister had grown accustomed to modern ways of communication since her return.
Normally, she’d text. If it was urgent, she’d call via WeChat.
Only in dire situations would she make an actual phone call.
His expression darkened as he set aside the laptop on his lap, absently twisting the Buddhist beads around his right wrist with his left hand.
A sense of unease settled in his chest.
What kind of emergency could it be?
Sliding his slender fingers across the screen to answer, he heard his sister’s clear, melodious voice on the other end.
“Shen Yihan, I’m formally notifying you—I don’t like Gu Jingchuan. Not at all. And it’s not just some petty resentment.”
“Seeing him date someone else doesn’t bother me either. I know it sounds bad to say it, but I have to tell you—I never really liked him that much to begin with. Agreeing to date him on impulse was my mistake.”
“I’ll reflect on it. A thousand-word reflection, in fact—you can write it for me tonight. Bottom line: stop doing unnecessary things from now on, got it?”
