The knocking was light, just two soft raps.
"Thud. Thud."
Yet Lin Mo nearly tumbled off the bed in fright!
There was no need to guess who was knocking at this late hour.
The villa was empty except for them.
A cold sweat broke out down her back.
For some reason, she felt like she'd been caught red-handed!
Seriously, can anyone relate?
Her heart pounded wildly, more frantic than being caught snacking in class by a teacher!
Flustered, she turned off her phone, slipped on her slippers, and shuffled to the door.
Xie Guanyan had never knocked on her door at night before—what could he want now?
Her jade-white hand pressed down on the doorknob and pulled it open.
The tall, long-legged man had clearly just showered.
Dressed in gray pajamas with the collar slightly open, he was a vision of restrained allure—both ascetic and indulgent.
His delicate collarbones were pale and strikingly sensual.
Even the finest gourmet couldn't find collarbones this perfect!
Lin Mo's face, already warm, grew even hotter. "Is something wrong?"
Xie Guanyan gazed at the fair-skinned girl before him and handed her something. "For you."
He had originally planned to give it to her on the sofa downstairs.
But after waiting half the night, she never came down.
Lin Mo blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why are you giving me a gift?"
Xie Guanyan smiled gently. "To thank you for watching over me last night."
His voice was sincere and pleasant.
Lin Mo's toes curled in embarrassment, enough to dig out a Disney castle.
Last night, he had been perfectly fine.
She hadn’t been of any help—if anything, she might have been a nuisance.
She really didn’t deserve this!
Just as she was about to refuse, Xie Guanyan added, "You gave me a gift last time. It’s only fair I return the favor."
He stood much taller than her, and they were standing close.
Lin Mo had to tilt her chin up to look at him.
His jawline was sharp, his nose bridge high and straight.
Suddenly, she recalled a line from the novel she’d just been reading—about how the male lead’s tall nose made it easy for the heroine to rub against his face.
By the time she realized what she was thinking, it was too late.
Her heart raced chaotically, and she hastily accepted the gift. "Okay, I’ll take it then. Thank you."
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll go to sleep now. You should rest early too."
With that, she turned and closed the door behind her.
Xie Guanyan’s refined brows furrowed slightly.
She seemed unusually reluctant to engage with him tonight.
Had something happened?
Was she in a bad mood?
Because of Gu Jingchuan? Or something else?
His eyes darkened as he murmured to the closed door, "Goodnight."
Back in her room, Lin Mo splashed cold water on her face in the bathroom to clear her head.
Reading steamy novels was one thing, but she couldn’t let her imagination run wild!
Emerging with droplets still clinging to her lovely face, she turned her attention to Xie Guanyan’s gift.
What could it be?
It had felt heavy when she carried it.
She reached into the gift bag and pulled out a transparent box.
Inside gleamed a dazzling golden Disney castle.
Lin Mo’s eyes sparkled instantly.
A solid gold castle figurine!
Every intricate detail was exquisitely crafted, breathtakingly beautiful.
Xie Guanyan had nailed it with this gift—it hit right where her heart fluttered!
She loved it, loved it so much!
The girl rolled around on her bed in delight.
And promptly rolled right off.
But it didn’t matter—the plush rug by the bed cushioned her fall perfectly.
She placed the golden castle on her nightstand, then set the Devon Rex plushie Jiang Tang had given her beside it.
Grinning widely, she snapped a couple of photos.
Straight to her Moments.
【Tonight, my cat and I are sleeping in a golden castle~】
Then she sent Xie Guanyan a WeChat:
【Thank you for the gift! I absolutely adore it!!】
After shamelessly touching him last night and now receiving such an extravagant present—
She was practically taking and taking!
Xie Guanyan’s tense expression softened slightly when he saw the message.
If his gift had lifted her spirits, that was enough.
He hoped it could overshadow whatever had upset her earlier.
His bodyguard had reported that Gu Jingchuan went to the hospital today with flowers, only for Shen Yihan to throw them out before Gu Jingchuan left.
Was she upset because Gu Jingchuan hadn’t tried harder to appease her?
He had agonized over finding her a unique, wearable gift.
But in the end, her happiness mattered most.
A princess deserved a castle.
His slender fingers typed: 【Glad you like it.】
Though Lin Mo didn’t have many WeChat friends, likes and comments poured in quickly.
She skimmed through them:
Shen Ji'an: Sis, I’ll guard the gates for you.
Zhang Shuo (Chubby Kid from No.1 High): Thank you, young mistress, for letting this humble servant witness such splendor!
Jiang Tang: All hail Her Highness.
Zhang Nan (Shen Yihan’s secretary): My sleepy eyes just snapped wide open!
Shen Yihan, who also had few WeChat contacts, soon saw his sister’s post.
Absently, he twisted the Buddhist beads around his right wrist.
Who sent this? So hard to guess!
The fact that she’d posted it alongside Jiang Tang’s gift meant she truly cherished it.
Was Mr. Xie pursuing his sister now?
Lin Mo was in such high spirits she forgot to return to her scandalous novel.
Then it hit her—the castle had to weigh at least 500 grams, worth hundreds of thousands.
The gold bamboo bracelet she’d given Xie Guanyan had only cost around ten grand.
Biting her lip, she sent another message:
【But this is way too extravagant.】
Xie Guanyan replied instantly: 【This amount means nothing to me.】
Lin Mo: 【……】
She shouldn’t have bothered.
Ugh, she wanted to fight this billionaire so badly!
Xie Guanyan stared at the ellipsis, his gaze deepening.
This was already the most modest gift he could bring himself to give—
Just to ensure she’d accept it.
If he’d known she’d be this quick to take it despite her mood, he would’ve gone bigger.
In his darkest, most possessive thoughts, he wanted to give her a real castle, to chain her with golden shackles and lock her inside forever…
He only wanted her smiles directed at him, never again clouded by anyone or anything else!
The next day, Sunday, Shen Yihan picked Lin Mo up again.
Since she’d start school tomorrow, they went shopping for supplies.
Shen Ji'an was already buckling down with tutoring at home.
Lin Mo and Shen Yihan spent the whole day out.
As always, the aloof "Buddha of Beijing’s elite" dutifully swiped his card without complaint.
During dinner, he stepped out briefly and returned with two bags from a luxury jewelry brand.
His beaded wrist extended the offering. "For you. A back-to-school gift."
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up.
Inside were a golden peony hairpin and a delicate gold snake pendant.
She grinned ear to ear. "My golden harem keeps growing!"
Shen Yihan’s usually cold eyes warmed at her delight.
Yet that night, he refreshed his Moments endlessly—but no post about his gift appeared.
Jiang Tang’s and Xie Guanyan’s gifts got shoutouts. Why not his?
He sulked.
For a full three minutes, he ignored Lin Mo’s messages.
Monday arrived—Lin Mo’s first day at No.1 High.
Senior year started with 7 AM self-study sessions, but as a transfer student, she could arrive later.
At 8 AM, she descended the stairs, backpack in tow.
To her surprise, Xie Guanyan was in the kitchen making breakfast.
Lin Mo walked in, smiling. "You’re up early today."
Lately, Xie Guanyan had been working from home, sleeping in.
When he turned, the sight of her—backpack on, hair in a high ponytail, forehead smooth and bright—
So youthful, so vibrant.
For a moment, Xie Guanyan was transfixed.
Time seemed to rewind over a decade, back to when he saw her like this every day.
She had told him yesterday that she would soon be attending First High School.
That meant he wouldn’t have the chance to personally make breakfast for her on school days.
Morning reading started at seven, and it took half an hour to get to First High from here.
She would have to leave home by six-thirty.
If he still got up early every day just to cook, it would feel too deliberate.
The only solution was to have Chef Li return.
The night before, he would prepare all the ingredients.
“Hmm, I have a meeting with overseas colleagues later,” Xie Guanyan said.
The kitchen was filled with the rich, savory aroma of food.
Lin Mo hadn’t originally planned to join for breakfast today.
But the sight of the chicken wontons simmering in the pot was too tempting.
“Chef Xie, get me a bowl too!”
The two of them sat together at the dining table, eating breakfast.
When the butler saw her, he smiled warmly. “Good morning, Miss Lin!”
Lin Mo grinned back. “Morning, Uncle Butler!”
The butler pulled a red envelope from his pocket. “Miss Lin, wishing you a smooth start to the school year.”
Lin Mo hadn’t expected a red envelope today.
Every new semester, she used to receive one from her parents.
It was a lucky gesture, so she didn’t refuse, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you, Uncle Butler!”
Seeing her accept the butler’s gift, Xie Guanyan took out his own prepared envelope just as she was about to leave.
He handed it to her, his voice deep and pleasant. “Wishing Lin Mo a joyful new chapter in her studies—still leading the way, as always.”
Lin Mo accepted it with a bright, crescent-eyed smile. “I’ll take that blessing!”
