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Chapter 172 Just Lying Down for a While, Not Overnight

The night before my birthday wasn’t as lively as I had imagined.

In this large villa, there were only three family members… plus one Ling Mo living here, leaving Xia Xinyan feeling quite a bit of emptiness.

The house had hired two maids responsible for cleaning the villa when the family was out, but once everyone returned, the maids would temporarily go home. According to my cheap dad, having outsiders around would disturb the family atmosphere.

But Xia Xinyan found it a bit strange.

Indeed, she preferred a smaller house.

Maybe it was a fixed pattern she developed in her previous life.

Although Xia Jincang was her cousin, he wasn’t family, and it was impossible for him to stay overnight here. After receiving a bunch of cold glares from Xia Xinyan, he finally took the hint and left.

As tomorrow’s birthday star, he felt quite hurt inside.

His favorite younger sister didn’t like him anymore.

Why did he have to have natural curls? Why?

He decided that tomorrow… or maybe the day after, he would straighten his hair.

He really needed to change his sister’s attitude toward him!

—Yes, that’s right, he’s the cousin celebrating his birthday tomorrow.

Once Xia Xinyan realized this, she felt awful.

She shouldn’t have said she was free… No, she shouldn’t have picked up that phone call.

What an old nuisance.

But she found it a bit amusing that after changing identities, the guy seemed to have an unusually high tolerance for her…

Thinking about it, in her past life, even a single glance could lead to a fight; now it all felt surreal.

It also reminded her once more that she had been reborn.

Reborn indeed…

All her previous relationships were gone.

Many grudges had vanished into thin air—like this cheap cousin; this was good for her, as she no longer had to worry about being backstabbed.

However, she had lost many friendships she treasured.

Looking back, it felt quite sentimental.

Just like this dramatic encounter with Xia Jincang; if she were to meet her good buddies from her last life again, she could only treat them as strangers.

Moreover, with her current identity, she could never return to the previous relationships.

At most, she could rely on Ling Mo to bridge that gap to have enough reason to interact with them.

In simple terms, it was all starting over.

Lying on the big bed that originally belonged to “her,” Xia Xinyan stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Speaking of which, meeting Xia Jincang this time made her think a bit more.

In her past life, Xia Jincang’s strength hovered around the top ten—otherwise, they wouldn’t both be left without gaining an advantage against each other, and during the final counterattack on the Dark Zone, he even led a top-tier vanguard squad, indicating he held a low status in his faction.

Don’t ask Xia Xinyan how she knew; it was because she disliked him and paid special attention.

She hadn’t investigated Xia Jincang’s faction background back then, but even without looking, she could figure it out—obviously the Summer Family.

She had initially overlooked it, as she was mostly focused on how to get Ling Mo on board and snatch the game’s launch advantage, completely neglecting the identity Tianji had given her.

The Summer Family’s influence was not to be trifled with, and businessmen capable of achieving this level are no longer just simple merchants; they certainly hold status and power.

So, when “Realm of Divine Presence” appeared, establishing her own faction wouldn’t be difficult for the Summer Family, and they were likely one of the last major powers in her previous life.

—Because Xia Xinyan didn’t quite believe the Summer Family would be swallowed by other factions before the great counterattack; it was usually people in power, like the Summer Family, who were more likely to become leaders in turbulent times, which she was confident about.

After all, if things went as she thought, her current identity would be that of a major family’s young lady, and paired with Ling Mo, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

…Of course, she would definitely prepare for two possibilities, such as this birthday banquet not being a simple birthday banquet.

Otherwise, there would be no need to call Ling Mo over—this wasn’t her marriage screening event.

If she guessed correctly, tomorrow’s banquet would surely be spectacular.

Thinking about this, Xia Xinyan closed her eyes, ready to sleep.

After all, she needed to be well-rested to enjoy the show properly.

However, not even two seconds after closing her eyes, a very light knocking sound suddenly came from outside.

Xia Xinyan paused, got up, and opened the door.

Standing outside was Ling Mo.

“I… can’t sleep,” he whispered, “Can you talk with me for a bit?”

Xia Xinyan squinted at him for two seconds but still pulled him into the room and closed the door.

Then, she yawned and walked towards the bed: “What’s keeping you awake? Not used to the bed?”

“Not really… I’m just not used to this place,” Ling Mo looked a bit awkward. “Sorry, I just feel a bit… constrained.”

Xia Xinyan sat on the bed and looked at him, pursing her lips: “Still worried my parents will look down on you?”

“No,” Ling Mo shook his head and sat down beside her, remaining silent for a moment before speaking, “Tomorrow is your cousin’s birthday; will they all come over?”

“Of course, it’s a family gathering,” Xia Xinyan rolled her eyes.

Even if the drunken intentions were hidden, they had to put on a full show, right?

Ling Mo seemed to think of something, suddenly turning to gently embrace her waist: “Let me hold you for a moment…”

As long as he could hold her, he felt at ease.

Xia Xinyan paused but didn’t push him away.

She understood his thoughts.

After all, he was just a kid from the countryside—not that he lacked confidence; facing ordinary people, even those who owned several apartments in the city, she could confidently say she wouldn’t feel inferior, and Ling Mo was no different.

However, with her current identity and the Summer Family behind her, they were no longer part of that category, but rather a prominent family in the nation that couldn’t even be counted on ten fingers—no matter how strong Ling Mo was inside, facing such a presence could make anyone uneasy, even herself.

It was just that she had become the young lady of this family, so she didn’t feel much about it.

She understood that in such a situation, saying more wouldn’t help much; the most effective way was to follow Ling Mo’s thoughts. If he wanted to hug, then let him.

But…

“Isn’t it cold just sitting here? Come to bed.”

She slipped out of Ling Mo’s embrace, climbed onto the bed, then lifted the blanket and patted the space beside her.

Ling Mo paused but didn’t hesitate, directly getting onto the bed and lying next to her.

“We can only lie here for a while, okay? If you feel tired, you should go back to sleep,” Xia Xinyan reminded in advance.

She was worried something might happen.

Ling Mo wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her into his embrace, chuckling as he nodded: “I will.”

However, just after he finished speaking, there was a sudden knock on the door—

“Xinyan? Are you asleep?”

It was her cheap dad.