Chapter 5: A Wonderful Misunderstanding
1505 Words
"Get out quickly!"
Qiao Mo hurriedly pulled down the shirt she had just lifted and urged him to shut the door.
It wasn’t until Xiao Zheyan stepped out that she realized—had he just seen everything?
She was still a proper young woman, after all. Letting someone see her like that... she felt utterly taken advantage of.
After getting dressed, Qiao Mo lingered in the room for a while before finally coming out. Her phone was still with him—hopefully, he hadn’t snooped through it.
"Here's your phone."
Just as she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Xiao Zheyan waiting at the door. He handed her the phone immediately.
Then he added, “My friend will be here soon. Figure out how much I owe you—I’ll have him pay you.”
Qiao Mo was surprised. He seriously wanted to pay her? It was just one night of letting him stay over—it didn’t cost her anything. She felt awkward taking money for it.
She quickly waved her hands. “No, no, that’s not necessary. I really can’t take your money.”
Pointing at his clothes, Xiao Zheyan replied matter-of-factly, “I wore your clothes, ate your noodles, and stayed at your place. It’s what you deserve—don’t feel bad about it.”
Seeing how insistent he was—and knowing she could use the money—Qiao Mo reluctantly raised five fingers.
“Fifty thousand? No problem.”
What?
She had meant five hundred.
Qiao Mo shook her head repeatedly. “That’s way too much. Just five hundred is enough.”
That would cover her meals for a whole week. Once she found a part-time job, she could support herself.
Moved by her sincerity, Xiao Zheyan felt a subtle stir in his heart. He had never met a girl so genuine.
Her uniqueness piqued his interest. He couldn't help but wonder—who would be lucky enough to end up with her someday?
Qiao Mo stepped onto the balcony, took down the clothes she’d washed the night before, and handed them to Xiao Zheyan.
“Your friend’s coming soon. You might want to change clothes.”
She pointed at the pink strawberry pajamas he was still wearing—funny and ridiculous. If his friend saw him like that, he’d never hear the end of it.
Xiao Zheyan didn’t expect her to be so thoughtful. His impression of her grew warmer. Suddenly, a memory flashed—of the woman he had married three years ago.
No matter what, he was still a married man. He shouldn’t be having thoughts about another woman.
Though their marriage wasn’t real in any emotional or physical sense, cheating—emotional or otherwise—was still wrong. The moment of temptation faded quickly as he pushed the feelings aside.
His heart, which had been racing moments before, gradually calmed down. He tried not to look into her eyes, forcing himself to ignore the images flashing through his mind.
Just as the silence between them was starting to feel awkward, someone knocked on the door.
“That must be my friend,” Xiao Zheyan said immediately.
Qiao Mo quickly pushed him toward the bedroom. “Go get changed. I’ll get the door.”
Standing outside was Li Feng. When he saw a woman open the door, he instinctively craned his neck to look inside.
“Is Xiao Zheyan here?”
He almost thought he’d come to the wrong place. It was hard to believe that the cold, emotionally distant man he knew was actually showing signs of interest in someone.
Qiao Mo couldn’t ignore his probing eyes. Feeling awkward, she stepped aside. “Come in. He’s changing. He’ll be out in a minute.”
Li Feng assumed Xiao Zheyan had just woken up and couldn’t help complaining, “He called me early this morning and told me to rush over—turns out he’s not even up yet.”
Qiao Mo didn’t bother to explain to him. She invited him inside while pouring a glass of water. “You can sit and wait for a moment.”
“Thanks, beautiful,” Li Feng said with a teasing smile as he took the cup.
His eyes casually scanned Qiao Mo, curious about what kind of woman could have won over the cold and distant Xiao Zheyan.
Qiao Mo had already noticed his secret glances. After taking the empty cup, she slipped into the kitchen and didn’t come out.
Soon, Xiao Zheyan finished changing and came from the bedroom to the living room, seeing Li Feng sitting alone on the sofa, his gaze wandering around but not spotting Qiao Mo.
“Where is she?”
Li Feng pointed toward the kitchen with a nod. “Probably embarrassed, hiding.”
Xiao Zheyan knew the girl was shy. He guessed he must have said something that made Qiao Mo uncomfortable.
“Lend me your phone for a moment.”
Without hesitation, Xiao Zheyan reached into Li Feng’s pocket and took his phone, then went to look for Qiao Mo.
When Qiao Mo saw him coming, she hurriedly opened the kitchen door, tilted her head, and asked the man on the sofa, “Are you guys leaving now?”
“Yeah.” Xiao Zheyan said as he unlocked his phone. “Give me your payment QR code, I’ll transfer the money.”
“Oh, okay.”
Xiao Zheyan scanned the code and transferred 50,000 yuan directly. Qiao Mo was stunned when she saw the balance on WeChat. “I thought we agreed on 500?”
“I told you, this is what you deserve. Don’t argue with me.”
Seeing he didn’t care, Qiao Mo kept quiet. Having lived in a wealthy family for three years, 50,000 yuan wasn’t that shocking—she didn’t want to look inexperienced.
Li Feng took the phone and, seeing the 50,000 transfer, nearly dropped his jaw.
“50,000? Things have gotten that expensive now?”
Xiao Zheyan misunderstood his meaning, lightly tugged at a wrinkle in his clothes, and said, “Well, it was for one night after all.”
“One night!”
Li Feng’s gaze slowly dropped as he swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected abstinence to work so well—to last a whole night right from the start.
Looks like he’ll need to cut back on visits to bars. Given what happened last night, it was obvious he was barely holding on.
“Let’s go, why are you still standing there?”
Li Feng pointed to the kitchen door. “Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”
Thinking of Qiao Mo’s shy, doe-like eyes, Xiao Zheyan whispered hoarsely, “No need. We probably won’t see each other again.”
“Not necessarily. If you need anything in the future, just find her again.”
Li Feng said this with an ambiguous tone, leaving Xiao Zheyan confused.
“What? You want me to go through this again?”
Being left at a rundown neighborhood gate, robbed by a group of homeless men, and then forced to beg a girl for shelter—that kind of humiliation was enough the first time. Why would he want to experience it again?
Li Feng raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that said, “I know everything.”
“If you’re not happy with her, I can help you find someone better. I know a lot of people, and I can make sure you’re satisfied.”
Even if Xiao Zheyan was a bit slow, he finally caught on. Li Feng had misunderstood his relationship with Qiao Mo.
He grabbed Li Feng by the neck, frustrated, and said, “Stop talking nonsense. I’m just staying here for one night. Nothing dirty like you’re imagining.”
Li Feng struggled for air, trying to pry Xiao Zheyan’s hands away, and shot back, “If you don’t have other thoughts, how do you know what I’m thinking?”
That sentence brought back the vivid, suggestive scene from earlier, tightening Xiao Zheyan’s throat and drying his lips.
Worried Qiao Mo might overhear, and not wanting to leave a bad impression, Xiao Zheyan quickly dragged Li Feng out of her home.
After the door shut behind them, Qiao Mo came out of the kitchen and stared at the empty room, feeling a bit unsettled.
Yesterday was her first day leaving the Xiao family. She had expected to spend it alone but didn’t expect an unexpected guest.
He had a good impression of Xiao Zheyan—his voice was gentle, polite to her, and he seemed to understand her situation.
The man who came to pick him up was dressed head to toe in designer clothes—obviously wealthy.
A person like that obeyed Xiao Zheyan, which proved Xiao Zheyan wasn’t an ordinary man.
Just as Qiao Mo drifted into her thoughts, someone knocked on the door outside. Her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Could it be that he’s back?”
Excited, Qiao Mo turned and went to open the door...
- Writer
