The rain outside continued to patter softly.
The wind seemed a bit strong, carrying droplets that tapped against the window.
But at this moment, Xie Guanyan couldn’t hear any of it.
His world had gone completely silent, his mind blank.
His body stiffened as if frozen in place.
A second later, his brain slowly regained function, and a thick, excited warmth surged into his eyes.
He was lying on the same bed as Lin Mo.
On the same bed!
His nose was filled with the intoxicating fragrance of the girl beside him.
All his senses were captivated by her.
This was pure bliss!
Then he felt her hand fumbling around, as if searching for something.
The next moment, it landed on him.
Her warm, soft little hand seemed to carry an electric current.
A tingling sensation spread rapidly through his body, his blood rushing to one place.
His slender, well-defined hands involuntarily gripped the bedsheet!
But soon, her hand withdrew.
An overwhelming sense of loss enveloped Xie Guanyan.
Did she not like how it felt?
Lin Mo’s palm tingled as if scorched, and she jolted fully awake.
Her first thought:
What exactly had she just touched?
With no prior experience, she tried to recall the sensation.
Firm. Large.
Definitely not her stuffed animal.
Abs? Or pecs?
The texture had been nice, but she hadn’t had time to savor it.
A second thought quickly took over:
Was Xie Guanyan awake?
Lin Mo didn’t dare move recklessly.
She steadied her breathing and cautiously turned her head to glance at the man beside her.
It was too dark to see clearly.
All she could make out was his figure lying flat on the bed.
Motionless.
She turned her head back, her red lips parting slightly as she exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness. Xie Guanyan seemed to be sleeping deeply.
He hadn’t been woken—no, disturbed—by her groping.
If he’d been awake, he probably would’ve bolted off the bed in shock by now.
A tiny pang of guilt pricked at Lin Mo’s heart.
Xie Guanyan was such a gentleman, so refined and upright.
And here she was, climbing into his bed in the middle of the night and touching him.
Lin Mo, you absolute menace!
She had to slip away before he noticed.
If he found out, they might not even be able to stay friends.
He might even kick her out.
Who would want a friend who sneaks into their bed at night?
As the saying goes, a friend lends a hand, but a creep goes for the goods.
Especially since she’d already refused his offer to share the bed—twice!
And yet here she was, crawling in anyway. How terrifying!
But then again, she was already here, and the handsome man was sound asleep.
Should she…?
It was still summer, and he only had a thin silk blanket covering him.
She’d touched him through both the blanket and his pajamas.
Even then, the texture had been impressive.
She couldn’t even imagine how good it would feel to touch him skin-to-skin!
Her thoughts spiraled further, and Lin Mo had to pinch her thigh to snap herself out of it.
Too perverted. Way too perverted, girl.
This couldn’t happen!
But opportunities like this were rare—once-in-a-lifetime, even.
If she missed this chance, there’d be no next time!
She really wanted to experience the kind of abs she’d read about in steamy novels.
Lin Mo’s mind became a battlefield, her left and right brains at war.
Her slender legs even subconsciously pressed together.
In the end, reason prevailed.
Forget it, forget it. Be a decent human being!
Holding her breath, Lin Mo carefully wriggled to the edge of the bed.
One leg dangled down, her foot touching the floor.
Moving with the stealth of a thief, she tiptoed back to the sofa.
Farewell, abs and pecs…
Sensing the girl cautiously leaving the bed, Xie Guanyan used every ounce of self-control to stop himself from reaching out and pulling her back.
The veins in his arms bulged visibly.
The strain tugged at his wounds, sending sharp pain through him.
She’d probably gotten into bed out of habit, then accidentally touched him while searching for her stuffed cat.
The unfamiliar texture must’ve woken her.
Now she was flustered, regretting her actions.
But since she was already here and clearly interested in his body…
Why not touch him a little more?
His long, thick lashes lowered as his hand sought out the lingering warmth where she’d lain.
This was already more than enough.
Just sharing a room for one night was a gift.
And Lin Mo had even taken the sofa for him—how could he possibly deserve that?
He had to find a way to make it up to her.
Back on the soft sofa, Lin Mo stole another glance at the bed.
Still no movement.
Her tension finally eased completely.
This sofa was seriously comfortable. She’d ask him tomorrow where he bought it.
Maybe she’d get one for her own room.
Rolling onto her side, the radiant young woman closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
A pair of deep, glass-like eyes remained fixed on her, unblinking.
Only when she was fully asleep did the tall, long-limbed man rise from the bed.
Moving silently, he left the room and headed to the third-floor bathroom for a cold shower.
The next day, Lin Mo woke up late.
The curtains, left open the night before, were now tightly drawn.
Not a single ray of sunlight seeped through.
A glance at her phone confirmed it was past 10 a.m. again.
Lin Mo sat up on the sofa and looked toward the bed.
It was empty.
The white sheets were neatly made, without a single wrinkle.
The housekeeper must’ve come in to clean.
Did that mean the housekeeper had seen her sleeping in Xie Guanyan’s room?
Well, it didn’t matter.
She’d been on the sofa, after all.
The housekeeper would surely realize their relationship was still pure.
She really was a good person.
Resisting such temptation last night deserved a reward—maybe she’d treat herself to some steamy fiction later.
Since returning, she hadn’t felt much academic pressure and hadn’t indulged in those stories.
Thinking about it, Zhao Ziling had been the one to introduce her to them.
Back then, Zhao Ziling loved sharing those kinds of reads.
Lin Mo had been hesitant at first, but she’d quickly become hooked.
At the thought of Zhao Ziling, Lin Mo’s expression dimmed slightly.
She’d once had many friends.
But after her family’s downfall, their numbers dwindled.
Later, she’d poured most of her energy into studying and caring for her younger brothers.
She hadn’t had much time to maintain friendships.
Gradually, her circle shrank even further.
But Zhao Ziling had always stayed close.
They attended different schools—Zhao Ziling went to an elite private high school—but she often visited Lin Mo.
After a fight post-college entrance exams, they’d drifted apart for a while.
Then came the car accident, and suddenly, eleven years had passed.
She wondered how Zhao Ziling was doing now.
The beautiful, headstrong young miss of the Zhao family—she must be thriving.
At twenty-nine, she’d probably achieved great success.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo was still stuck as a high schooler, facing exams all over again.
With a self-deprecating smile, Lin Mo muttered, “Tears flowing backward—so hydrating!”
Shaking off the thoughts, she slipped on her shoes and headed to her own room to freshen up.
Dressed and ready, she went downstairs and found Xie Guanyan in the kitchen, making breakfast again.
“Why are you cooking breakfast yourself?” Lin Mo frowned.
Xie Guanyan turned to her with a gentle smile. “I prefer my own cooking.”
The handsome man looked much better today.
Yesterday, he’d seemed barely alive.
Lin Mo had no rebuttal for his answer.
Overachievers were terrifying—they excelled at everything they tried.
Chef Li must be feeling the pressure!
Today’s breakfast was braised beef noodles.
It was the kind of braised beef noodles with actual chunks of beef in it.
To describe it with an idiom—utterly satisfying!
Not long after breakfast, Shen Yihan sent a message saying she was at the door.
Just as she was about to leave,
Xie Guanyan suddenly called out to her, "Lin Mo."
The girl, who had casually tied her hair into a ponytail, turned around, her hair swaying lightly. "What's up?"
Xie Guanyan’s eyes met hers through silver-framed glasses, his voice gentle and refined. "If you don’t have anything to do during the day, you can stay at home the whole time."
Back when they rented the place, Shen Yihan had insisted that Lin Mo shouldn’t stay in the villa during the day.
But really, there was no need for that.
The butler’s lips curled into a knowing smile.
The master had finally taken the initiative to ask Miss Lin to stay.
Surely, given his injury, Miss Lin would agree?
Yet Lin Mo simply smiled and said, "Got it. I have plans today, so bye for now~"
