The rain outside continued to patter, and the rustling of leaves whispered in the wind.
The man's voice was deep and pleasant, mingling with the sounds of wind and rain as it reached Lin Mo's ears. It felt like a feather, lightly brushing against her earlobe, sending a ticklish sensation down her spine.
This time, she heard it clearly—no auditory illusion.
Her heartbeat quickened, and her fingers unconsciously dug into the sofa.
Still, she asked again for confirmation, "Huh? What did you say?"
Xie Guanyan hadn’t slept at all.
His gaze remained subtly fixed on the girl.
The warm glow of the small lamp cast a soft halo over her head, making her appear tender and lovely.
From the reflection in the window, he could see she was working on a math problem.
Her brows furrowed occasionally before smoothing out again.
Sometimes, her fair fingers traced invisible lines in the air—likely solving equations in her mind.
As expected of Shanshan, the brilliant one who could outshine him.
She didn’t even need pen and paper to solve problems; her mind alone was enough.
Back then, he had given his all in every exam.
Never once had he gone easy on her.
To do so would have been disrespectful—even during the college entrance exams, he had fought with everything he had.
And when he lost to her, he accepted it wholeheartedly.
See, the girl he loved—how outstanding, how incredible she was!
He was proud of her, proud to call her his.
When her voice drifted through the darkness, Xie Guanyan’s heart lifted slightly. But unlike the night before, he didn’t deny anything. His tone was leisurely as he said, "I asked if you’d like to sleep on the bed. The sofa isn’t comfortable."
Lin Mo’s eyes gleamed in the dark.
She hadn’t planned on sharing a bed with a handsome man.
But he was the one who invited her!
Still, Lin Mo refused.
Because with just a little thought, she knew Xie Guanyan meant for her to take the bed while he slept on the sofa.
She couldn’t be that heartless.
He was a patient!
"No, no, I’ll just lie here for a bit. I probably won’t fall asleep anyway. Call me if you need anything!"
A faint shadow of disappointment flickered in Xie Guanyan’s eyes.
He was being greedy.
How could Shanshan possibly share a bed with him?
Soon, slow, steady breathing rose from the sofa.
Lin Mo had fallen asleep.
The faint glow from the garden seeped inside.
Xie Guanyan turned fully onto his side, his gaze unapologetically fixed on her.
She was so adorable—he wanted to kiss her cheeks, kiss her...
Perhaps the white noise of the rain was too soothing, or maybe the air was too sweet.
Before long, drowsiness crept over Xie Guanyan as well.
But he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes, his gaze filled with longing.
Then, suddenly—
He saw the girl on the sofa stand up, drowsily shuffling to the bathroom.
Moments later, she returned.
And without hesitation, she walked straight to the bed and flopped onto it.
The high-quality shock-absorbing mattress barely trembled, but Xie Guanyan still felt the faint vibration.
Excitement surged in his chest, yet he didn’t dare move a muscle.
The girl, eyes still closed, wriggled around until her head found the pillow.
This villa had been purchased a year before Lin Mo was born.
Her parents had originally planned for three or four children.
To avoid favoritism, every room was designed with its own bathroom and nearly identical layouts.
The room Xie Guanyan was staying in now had once been Shen Yihan’s.
Familiar with the layout, Lin Mo had navigated to the bathroom purely out of habit—and returning to bed was no different.
She didn’t need to think at all.
Half-asleep, her head finally settled onto the pillow.
Lately, she’d grown used to hugging the Devon Rex plushie Jiang Tang had given her.
Her hand reached out, searching for the plushie.
But this time, her fingers brushed against something firm.
Blearily, she wondered—what happened?
Did the Devon Rex plushie transform?
The next second, her long, curled lashes flew open.
What she was touching was definitely not the plushie!
Realizing where she was and what she had done, her entire body froze as if struck by lightning.
Her breath hitched.
Ahhhh!
When it rains, it pours—fate really loves messing with minions!!
