Perhaps it was the romantic atmosphere of the day.
Or perhaps he had finally realized he wasn’t entirely worthless.
His usual restraint and pretense gradually crumbled without notice, revealing his true nature.
The night breeze drifted through the third-floor balcony, chilling his still-damp hair and sending a cold shiver straight to his heart.
Xie Guanyan suddenly sobered up, his arm stiffening against the couch.
What had he just said?
He must have scared Lin Mo!
Too afraid to look at the girl’s expression, his heart hung suspended in his chest.
The loud whirring of the hairdryer filled his ears.
Then, his deep, pleasant voice cut through the noise—
But the words were unclear.
Lin Mo frowned slightly and pressed the hairdryer’s switch.
The world instantly fell silent.
She leaned down and asked, "What did you just say?"
So she hadn’t heard him.
Xie Guanyan’s tense heart relaxed, and the stiffness in his arm eased.
Thank goodness she didn’t hear!
His pale, alluring Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he replied, "I said you don’t need to dry it anymore. It’s fine now."
Back in her bedroom,
Lin Mo flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the blankets as if trying to suffocate herself.
What was wrong with her?!
She had actually misheard his "you don’t need to dry it" as "do you want to touch my abs?"
Xie Guanyan—that refined, restrained, and noble man—would never say something like that!
Damn it, now she was even hallucinating!
Gasping for air, she finally rolled over, her lips parted as she panted.
It wasn’t her fault!
Earlier, while scrolling through TikTok outside the bathroom, she’d stumbled upon a doctor claiming that women who admired abs lived longer.
What was wrong with wanting longevity?
Fine, she admitted it—she was a little shameless too.
Zhou Dafu’s gold, Cartier’s silver, the red of cash, and the allure of handsome men—those were her favorite colors!
It was already late.
Remembering her fourth brother’s words, Lin Mo sent Xie Guanyan a message:
[The anesthesia will wear off, and it’ll hurt a lot. If the pain keeps you up at night, wake me—I’ll chat with you!]
Xie Guanyan replied quickly: [Okay. Goodnight.]
Drowsiness suddenly hit her. Lin Mo yawned, wriggled around the bed, and finally settled onto her pillow.
Her eyes closed, her head tilted, and she was out like a light.
By midnight, the anesthesia had indeed worn off.
A sharp, stinging pain spread through his arm, as if thousands of needles were pricking him.
But Xie Guanyan didn’t wake Lin Mo.
In the dim moonlight, his gaze lingered obsessively on the sleeping girl, her posture a chaotic mess.
The blanket had been kicked aside, and she clutched a Devon Rex cat plushie to her chest.
How could he bear to disturb her?
His slender fingers lifted, gently pulling the blanket back over her.
His eyes drifted to her delicate, porcelain-like feet, bathed in the moon’s glow as if dusted with silver.
An uncontrollable, dark craving crept into his gaze.
He wanted to kiss them…
The pain in his arm was worse than he’d imagined. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
The agony gnawed at his rationality, his legs buckling until he knelt on the floor.
Her sweet scent wrapped around him, intoxicating.
One hand pressed into the mattress as he leaned closer—
But at the last moment, he forced himself up and left the room.
Sunlight seeped through the curtains.
The groggy girl rolled over in bed and drifted back to sleep.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Her phone vibrated.
Her fair fingers fumbled for it and glanced at the screen.
A message from the "Buddha of the Capital" (Shen Yihan):
[Sis, I’ll be at the villa soon. The vice principal of No. 3 High got promoted to principal. We can handle Ji’an’s transfer today—if all goes well, we can enroll him in No. 1 High this afternoon.]
She checked the time—10 AM.
So late already!
Lin Mo sprang out of bed like a carp leaping from water and rushed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Once dressed, she hurried downstairs—
And froze.
Xie Guanyan was in the kitchen again.
Her eyes widened, and she dashed over. "Xie Guanyan, your hand!"
The beautiful man looked slightly better today—but not by much.
Dark circles hung under his eyes.
"It’s fine. Just making congee with scallops. Doesn’t need much handwork. Want some?"
His voice was hoarse.
Today, he wore a short-sleeved white shirt—still elegant, still pristine.
Lin Mo’s gaze lingered on his right arm, where fresh blood had seeped through the bandage. She frowned. "Yes, but I suggest hiring a caregiver until Chef Li’s paternity leave ends. Let them handle breakfast."
"No need. The butler can assist me."
Xie Guanyan scooped a bowl of congee with his left hand and handed it to her.
The butler nodded vigorously. "Yes, I’ll help the young master."
Today, even the pure-hearted butler was defeated.
His hand was injured, yet he still insisted on cooking congee himself!
He had to admit defeat.
The steaming scallop congee.
So fragrant~
Lin Mo’s appetite flared, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled at Xie Guanyan. "Fine, but take a nap later. Those dark circles rival a panda’s!"
After breakfast, Shen Yihan arrived.
The two first picked up Shen Ji’an from Kangyue Hospital.
The transfer process went smoothly.
By the time they left the principal’s office, it was noon—school dismissal.
Students spotted them and swarmed over.
Yesterday, someone had recorded Lin Mo slapping Wang Xing and posted it in the school group chat.
The entire school was shocked—again!
No one had expected her to really be Ji’an’s sister, let alone this formidable.
By afternoon, Wang Xing had posted an apology video in the group, and the whole school cheered.
This sister was awesome!
One girl stared at Lin Mo, eyes sparkling. "Love must be restrained, love must be restrained, love must be restrained, love must be restrained, love must be restrained, love must be restrained—screw it, sis, I LOVE YOU!!!"
Lin Mo burst out laughing.
The girl seized the chance to shove a milk carton into her hands. "For you!"
Lin Mo popped it open and drank. "Thanks, I was thirsty!"
The girl squealed. "AHHH! Everyone, remember to come to my wedding with sis tomorrow!"
Another boy flipped his rainbow bangs and said, "Today, I asked the roujiamo vendor for extra spice. Took one bite, dropped it, and it got dirty. I cried—turns out this is what ‘spicy bun likes you’ feels like!"
Lin Mo nearly spat out her milk. "That pun cradled me as a baby!"
Shen Ji’an had always been quiet.
But now, facing his soon-to-be-former classmates, he felt a pang of emotion. "I’m transferring. Hope we meet again someday."
"What?!"
Everyone exchanged glances.
No one had expected Ji’an to leave.
But thinking about it—of course his sister could make it happen.
Even green-haired He He’he was there, his face crumpling. "Boss! How am I supposed to live without you?!"
Shen Ji’an glanced at him from beneath his long bangs.
Then his eyes scanned the crowd for the blond boy.
He knew Ji’an was here—he should’ve come running.
Last night, Ji’an had told him about the transfer. The blond had wished him luck in college.
But after searching everywhere, he was nowhere in sight.
Shen Yihan wasn’t used to being surrounded by so many colorful-haired heads and urged, “Let’s go. We still have to get to No. 1 High.”
Shen Ji’an lowered his gaze and followed Shen Yihan into the car.
Inside, he kept looking out the window, but there was still no sign of the blond guy.
Pulling out his phone, he opened the blond’s WeChat.
He typed: You didn’t come to school today?
The blond, who saw the message, was hiding in a corner, watching Shen Yihan’s Bentley slowly drive out of the school gates.
He didn’t reply to Shen Ji’an.
He and his former leader no longer belonged to the same world.
Those who weren’t good enough would just keep getting left behind, again and again.
His yellow head drooped. With one last glance at the Bentley, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away.
