Ji Yu was a girl, but because she used to be a boy, she valued her chastity all the more—especially after her mother and Ji Yu's older sister had drilled into her head their "feminine virtue" philosophy.
Hearing Mo Yachen's suggestion, her nerves instantly tightened. The guarded look in her eyes said everything.
Mo Yachen lowered his head, glanced at Ji Yu who kept staring at the floor, and only after a pause added:
"Don't overthink it. My place has plenty of empty rooms. Crashing at a friend's house for one night is still better than wasting money on a hotel."
Ji Yu thought about it. That made sense. With her family's situation, they needed to save money wherever they could. After all, a family that was constantly moving from one rented apartment to another couldn't possibly afford to buy a house. Both her mom and sister were working themselves half to death just to pay off debts.
Still, Ji Yu remained wary. What if Mo Yachen had bad intentions? She twisted her body toward the window, watching the rain outside, her little eyes darting left and right as if trying to find more excuses to convince herself.
Suddenly, the train entered a tunnel. The outside world vanished into darkness, and the lights above turned the window into a mirror. Mo Yachen and Ji Yu both looked outward, but Ji Yu's reflection showed her something—Mo Yachen's face, expressionless, like a mask. He didn't even glance at her reflection.
Relief spread through Ji Yu. Of course he wasn't plotting anything. He was a rich young master, after all—he'd probably seen more heiresses and socialites than Ji Yu could name. Why would someone like that scheme to get close to her?
But that relief gave way to a faint irritation.
Ji Yu wasn't ugly—far from it. Maybe she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like a celebrity, but she was certainly the kind of girl boys would whisper about on campus.
With a plan forming in her head, Ji Yu lifted her chin, narrowed her eyes at him, and said, "It's not impossible. But your rooms… they do have locks, right?"
Mo Yachen's gaze turned ice-cold in an instant. His dark eyes locked onto Ji Yu's bright blue ones, and for a moment the air between them froze solid. Ji Yu's body trembled ever so slightly. But when he finally blinked again, his eyes softened.
"What on earth do you think about all day? I'm only letting you stay at my place out of pity, because you had nowhere to go."
"Relax. The rooms all have locks."
The train pulled into the station. Crowds brushed past his shoulder, but Mo Yachen didn't mind. His eyes lingered instead on the platform outside, where the rain was gradually easing. His voice was low, deliberate.
"Safe. Very safe."
He said it one word at a time, each syllable pressed with weight.
Did something flash through his mind?
Ji Yu tilted her head toward the window, her gaze stealing sideways glances at Mo Yachen's sharp profile, curiosity rising despite herself.