Chapter 133: Home
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The two of them carried full shopping bags back to the car, and continued heading to Xi Mo’s house.
By the time they arrived, it was already late at night.
Xi Mo’s house was a single house. There was a tall wall around it. It was clear she didn’t want people outside to see what was inside. The car passed through the gate, went in on the left-side driveway, and drove into Xi Mo’s private garage.
Ruan Yesheng had sat in the car for a long time and was a little sleepy. She leaned on the passenger seat with her eyes closed, resting. Her head hung down a bit, and her soft long hair fell off her shoulders. The ends of her hair were a little curly.
Xi Mo parked the car and turned her head to look at her.
Ruan Yesheng was sleeping quietly and didn’t know Xi Mo was watching her.
When she smiled, she looked very charming. But when she slept quietly, she had a soft look that made people feel something they couldn’t explain.
Her charm was a mask she used outside. It was a bold weapon. It covered her soft heart, so others wouldn’t see it easily.
Xi Mo wanted to let Ruan Yesheng sleep more. But she was afraid the seatbelt would press on her and feel bad. So she leaned over and carefully took off Ruan Yesheng’s seatbelt.
Click. There was still a sound.
Ruan Yesheng opened her eyes at once.
Xi Mo didn’t expect her to wake up. The seatbelt in her hand was already loose, but her body was still leaning close and didn’t move back in time. One of her hands was still on the back of Ruan Yesheng’s seat. She was almost pressing on Ruan Yesheng.
The lights in the garage were very bright. Xi Mo’s body blocked some of the light, casting a half-bright, half-dark shadow on Ruan Yesheng’s face.
The two of them stared at each other without speaking for a few seconds. Xi Mo was the first to talk. She quickly explained, “I… was helping you take off the seatbelt.”
“Thank you,” Ruan Yesheng smiled.
Xi Mo leaned back and sat properly in the driver’s seat.
“I didn’t know when I fell asleep. Did I sleep for long?” Ruan Yesheng asked.
“About half an hour.”
Xi Mo got out of the car and came over to open the door for Ruan Yesheng. Ruan Yesheng followed her out and also looked around the garage.
The garage was very big, with lots of empty space. Besides the car Xi Mo drove back, there were three more cars parked. One of them was a black sports car, with smooth lines and a cold sharp look, it was extremely beautiful.
After looking, Ruan Yesheng walked out. Outside was a quiet yard. Even though it wasn’t as big as the Xi family’s big house, it still had all the right sceneries.
Next to the path were lamps with special shapes. One after another, they were covered in the cold night air, making the yard look a little dreamy. Along the wall were flower trees. On the wall were thick flower vines climbing up. Ruan Yesheng looked closely and saw they were climbing roses.
It's not rose season now. When it's time for them to bloom, the wall will be full of roses. It must be really pretty.
Besides the garage, there are two separate houses in the yard. One of them is four stories tall. It's in the best spot. That's the main building where Xi Mo lives. The other one is three stories tall. It's pretty far from the main building.
The main building is all dark now. But the lights are still on in the other house.
Xi Mo saw Ruan Yesheng looking at the lit-up house and said, "That house is where some security guards and helpers live. I'm not home a lot. They take care of things for me here. They're people who work under my dad. In this place, they all follow Auntie Lan's orders. Auntie Lan only cooks for me when I come back home."
Ruan Yesheng nodded and walked toward the main building with Xi Mo. While walking, she said, "No wonder you haven't come back in a while. It's still so clean here."
"Mm. They clean the outside on time every day. As for my house, only me or Auntie Lan can go in. I already told them I'm home. They won't come to the main building today. I'll introduce them to you tomorrow. Auntie Lan just left not long ago. She already told them to clean everything up. We don't need to clean anymore. You're tired too. You can sleep right away later."
"Auntie Lan is so good to you," Ruan Yesheng sighed.
Ding Ru is one of Xi Ji's trusted men. He manages a lot of companies, so of course, his family is big and rich. Auntie Lan is Ding Ru's younger sister. As long as she wants, someone can help her get anything ready. But she still chooses to stay by Xi Mo’s side and take care of her meals.
Besides loving Xi Mo, there’s no other reason for her to do all this.
“Uncle Ding and Auntie Lan really love me,” Xi Mo said. “I don’t feel safe hiring strangers to cook. Back then, I only trusted Auntie Zhou. But she had to stay at the estate to take care of my dad. When Auntie Lan found out, she came to me herself and said she wanted to help. She has no children and always treats me like her own daughter.”
When she said that, Xi Mo paused again. Then she pointed to a camera not far away and reminded, “There are lots of cameras in the yard. The footage connects to the building where the security guards live. What’s happening outside shows on their screen. The guards check it often. When you walk around outside, be careful and protect your privacy.”
Ruan Yesheng smiled and said, “I saw a few cameras earlier when I came over. Your place is really safe. If someone dares to hang around outside the wall, they’ll be seen right away, not to mention trying to sneak in.”
To make her feel even safer, Xi Mo added, “There are only cameras outside. There’s nothing inside the house. You don’t need to worry. Later I’ll send you a map of the cameras in the yard. You can look at it and get used to their spots. That way, you’ll be prepared.”
“Okay,” Ruan Yesheng said happily.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
She remembered back in college, Xi Mo was always different. She always had bodyguards with her. And now looking at Xi Mo’s house, with layers of security and only the most trusted people allowed close, Ruan Yesheng hadn’t really thought much about it before. But after coming here and seeing everything, she felt more and more that Xi Mo really was very cautious.
But she didn’t think it was just because Xi Mo was a dazzling top star in the entertainment world, with so many people watching her. She felt like it was more because Xi Mo had long been used to living this way.
She thought back to how Xi Mo acted in the past. She could guess that Xi Mo probably went through something scary before, something that left a shadow in her heart. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so tense.
Ruan Yesheng looked at Xi Mo and felt a little sad for her. Living so carefully like this all the time must be tiring.
But she didn’t dare ask Xi Mo. She was afraid she would bring up something painful.
At the door of the main building, Xi Mo pressed her fingerprint and opened the door. The two of them walked into the living room on the first floor.
Xi Mo turned on the lights. Bright light filled the whole room at once.
The house was mostly decorated in black, white, and gray. It was quiet and cool. But there were also just the right touches of bright decorations, so it didn’t feel dull.
Ruan Yesheng had seen a lot. She could tell that every single detail in this house cost a lot. Everything was fine, well-picked, modern, and spotless.
“Feel free to look around,” Xi Mo said after turning on the heater. She walked over to Ruan Yesheng and just stood there like a block of wood, looking a little awkward. “If there’s anything you don’t know, just ask me.”
Ruan Yesheng didn’t say anything. She just looked at Xi Mo.
Xi Mo continued, "My room is on the second floor. There are rooms on the second and third floors. You can choose whichever one you want."
“Can I stay in the room next to yours?” Ruan Yesheng asked with a smile.
“Okay.” Xi Mo paused, then carefully explained, “On the third floor, besides bedrooms, there’s a study. If you want to read, you can take books from there. There are also several monitor screens in the study. They can show the courtyard inside and out. The fourth floor has a movie room. You can watch any movie you want. Next to it is a gym. You can exercise there when you have time. The top floor is a glass sunroom. There’s a small garden inside.”
She rarely talked this much. Before even showing Ruan Yesheng around, she had already poured out all the details about the house.
And while speaking, her long fingers kept intertwining, moving back and forth.
Earlier outside, it wasn’t obvious. Now that they were inside, this little nervousness showed in her every move.
Ruan Yesheng found it a bit funny. “Do you know what you look like right now?”
“What?” Xi Mo frowned.
Ruan Yesheng narrowed her eyes. “Like a kid inviting someone to her house for the first time. Showing this, showing that, letting them see her favorite toys. You’re just short of telling me where you hide your pocket money.”
Xi Mo: “...”
She turned her face away, kept silent, and stopped introducing her house to Ruan Yesheng.
“Are you unhappy again?” Ruan Yesheng leaned closer. “Xiao Xi? Is your pocket money hidden in the movie room, the gym, or the sunroom? Tell me quietly. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
Xi Mo: “...”
After holding back for a moment, Xi Mo looked at Ruan Yesheng with a cold face. “You really are the first friend I’ve invited over.”
Ruan Yesheng froze for a second, then smiled brightly. “I’m honored.”
Xi Mo gave a cold snort.
Ruan Yesheng hooked her arm through Xi Mo’s, shook it, and said in a coaxing tone, “I was wrong.”
“What were you wrong about?” Xi Mo let her hold on and only gave her a sidelong glance.
Ruan Yesheng’s eyes carried a smile. “I shouldn’t have just said you’re like a kid. I should have said I’m also like a kid. We’ll search for pocket money in this house together. That would be fair to you.”
Xi Mo: “...”
She was going to drive her mad.
Ruan Yesheng was good at acting spoiled and also at playing tricks. Xi Mo didn’t bother arguing with her anymore and only asked, “Do you want to see your room?”
Ruan Yesheng hummed in agreement. They took the groceries out of the bags, sorted them, and put them in the fridge before going upstairs to the second floor. They first checked Ruan Yesheng’s room. As expected, it was comfortable and spacious, but the decor was still that same plain style.
Ruan Yesheng started unpacking her luggage. She hung what needed to be hung and placed what needed to be placed. Xi Mo stayed by her side, watching her move skillfully.
Ruan Yesheng noticed Xi Mo watching her the whole time and said, “Your luggage isn’t unpacked yet either. Do you want to go do that first?”
“I’m not busy,” Xi Mo said.
“Where’s the clothes steamer?” Ruan Yesheng asked. “I want to steam this trench coat.”
“Wait a moment.”
Xi Mo left the room and soon came back with the clothes steamer.
Ruan Yesheng turned it on and started steaming the coat. “You must have clothes in your suitcase that need steaming. Bring them here, and I’ll do it for you.”
A faint light appeared in Xi Mo’s eyes. She quickly took some clothes over and handed them to Ruan Yesheng.
She liked this moment, watching Ruan Yesheng steam clothes for her. It wasn’t only because Ruan Yesheng looked pleasing no matter what she did.
More important was that she was tasting a certain subtle sweetness of living together.
She used to not need to steam clothes herself. Helpers would do it for her. But at this moment, she felt steaming clothes was such an interesting thing. Maybe she needed to learn it.
After all, she also wanted to steam clothes for Ruan Yesheng. It was just a pity she still could not. So she watched Ruan Yesheng’s moves with focus.
After the clothes were steamed, Ruan Yesheng helped Xi Mo hang them neatly. She looked at the clock. It was already eleven o’clock. She quickly said to Xi Mo, “It’s late. Hurry and take a shower.”
“Mm.” Xi Mo answered, “You go wash too.”
Ruan Yesheng’s words carried a natural urge. Xi Mo, however, found it nice. At least it meant Ruan Yesheng was at ease living in her house.
The two each showered. Then they came out, said good night, and went back to their rooms to sleep. Ruan Yesheng lay on the bed. She didn’t turn off the light and looked at the ceiling.
She was indeed not restrained in Xi Mo’s house. She was good at reading people. She could naturally feel Xi Mo’s welcome for her to stay. But not being restrained did not mean she was not nervous.
This nervousness hid deep inside. Now, when she was alone, it slowly spread out.
After all, this was Xi Mo’s home.
She never thought that one day she would live in Xi Mo’s house and stay close to her day and night. Xi Mo had never invited anyone except family to come as a guest. Auntie Lan, to Xi Mo, was family for sure.
Then what was she in Xi Mo’s eyes?
A good friend?
Or a sister?
When Ruan Yesheng thought of “sister,” she couldn’t help but laugh. She laughed and then felt sour. She tossed and turned on the bed and finally couldn’t sleep. She put on slippers and walked out.
The heating in the house was very warm. Ruan Yesheng only draped a soft-colored shawl over her pajamas. She walked slowly, step by step, to the door.
Xi Mo’s room was right next to hers, just a few steps away.
Ruan Yesheng stood at Xi Mo’s door for a long time, looking at the patterns on it. She surely wouldn’t knock. Xi Mo had probably gone to bed. She must not disturb her. But she also didn’t want to go back alone. She just wanted to stay here for a while.
She missed her.
She was clearly already living in Xi Mo’s house, and their rooms were only one wall apart, but she missed her more than ever.
She even wanted to… sleep on the same bed with her.
Ruan Yesheng thought of this and was a bit stunned. She was surprised by her own crossing of the line, yet she felt like a fine hook in her heart was scratching there, almost scratching her heart until it bled.
While Ruan Yesheng was lost in wild thoughts, the door opened. She froze and met Xi Mo’s eyes.
Xi Mo also seemed not to expect her at the door and stopped in place.
“Do you need something from me?” Xi Mo asked after a while.
Ruan Yesheng’s heart skipped a few beats. She had been standing at Xi Mo’s door for so long, yet she didn’t really have anything to say. She just wanted to stand here, to be a little closer to Xi Mo. If Xi Mo knew that, she would surely think she was acting strange.
“I’m a bit hungry,” Ruan Yesheng said casually. “I was going to ask if you’re hungry. Do you want to eat something?”
Xi Mo’s eyes showed no clear expression. She just looked at her silently for a moment before saying, “Mm, I’m hungry too. I was about to come out and ask you if you want to eat dumplings.”
Author's Note:
Look at you two, making excuses so easily. Only you know if you're really hungry or not.
In the last chapter, I said I would pick one girl from those who gave overlord tickets for a lottery. Now I’ll announce the result. The winner is “Xinghai Chenmian.” I’ve already kept my promise and drew a simple black-and-white headshot for her. I’ll post it later on my Sina Weibo.
For the girls who didn’t win, don’t worry. There will be many more chances to get picked. As long as I have time, I’ll keep doing it, even though the prize is a pretty boring, 23333.
Thank you all for your ratings, comments, overlord tickets, and watering~ There will be an update tomorrow, remember to come.
