The Morning After

After a shower that lasted roughly half an hour, Mo Bai emerged from the bathroom in his pajamas, slowly toweling his damp hair. His gaze drifted unconsciously toward the sofa. Under the warm yellow light, the girl’s long, snowy white hair cascaded over the ivory cushion like unfurled silk, her sleeping face serene and lovely—a stark contrast to the anguish she had displayed earlier.

It seemed she had recovered.

Mo Bai approached with gentle steps, wary of disturbing her slumber. He crouched down, scrutinizing the girl under the soft glow of the lamp. Once he confirmed that she was indeed as he had expected, Mo Bai exhaled a sigh of profound relief.

It wasn’t that he particularly cared for the girl; rather, given that this was his home, he would inevitably be implicated and subjected to police scrutiny if anything untoward were to occur.

To sum it up, he utterly detested such troublesome affairs.

Yet, bringing the girl home had been his own decision, hadn’t it?

Mo Bai stood by the sofa, a towel draped over his shoulder, allowing the still-damp droplets of water to trickle from his hair. He gazed at the girl’s tranquil sleeping face, his brows furrowing unconsciously. He simply couldn’t fathom how he had, by some inexplicable impulse, brought this complete stranger into his home—let alone acted so uncharacteristically.

“This is truly… perplexing. I didn’t even drink that much.”

Perhaps the lingering effects of the small amount of alcohol he’d consumed with friends still clouded his judgment, or perhaps it was the girl’s familiar address—“Mo Ge”—that had stirred something within him.

Forget it… time for sleep.

Gazing at the girl’s small, delicate frame on the sofa, Mo Bai ultimately let out a soft sigh. He switched off the living room light, rubbed his still-aching shoulders as he yawned, and turned toward his bedroom.

It’s just for one day, after all…

Back in his room, lying on his soft, large bed, Mo Bai stared blankly at the ceiling. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached for his phone, which was charging on the nightstand.

Speaking of which, didn’t Bai Xia say she’d repay the money she borrowed last week today? Why is there still no news, even at this hour?

Mo Bai swiped open his phone screen, only to find no messages or transfer records from Bai Xia in Penguin. Even her last few messages were from that morning:

[Xia: Mo Ge, I get paid today, so I’ll pay you back tonight.]
[Xia: I’ll treat you to milk tea when school starts on Monday.]

How strange…

Mo Bai felt a flicker of confusion. Usually, Bai Xia would pester him with a few messages on Penguin—whether there was a reason or not—but today she was unusually quiet.

“That girl… surely she didn’t fall asleep and forget?”

Never mind… he wasn’t exactly in dire need of that particular sum.

Mo Bai stared at his phone screen, his fingertips hovering over the keyboard for a moment before he finally exited the chat interface.

The alarm clock by his bedside showed the time had already reached 2 a.m. Even from the 28th floor, the faint croaking of frogs from the community below could be heard through the window.

“I’ll deal with it tomorrow…”

Sleepiness gradually crept over him. Mo Bai reached out and switched off the small bedside lamp, and instantly, the night from outside poured in, filling the entire room.

Time slowly advanced to the following morning.

As the first ray of dawn sunlight filtered through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling window and spilled into the living room, Bai Xia slowly stirred from her deep slumber. Her petite frame, covered by a blanket, was curled into a small ball on the sofa, her adorable face unconsciously nuzzling the cushion. Her long, snowy white hair lay disheveled across her shoulders.

“Ugh…”

Evidently, Bai Xia’s brain had not yet fully “booted up.” She remained in a groggy state, oblivious to her unfamiliar surroundings. She simply sat up slowly from the sofa, stretching languidly as she used her small hands to rub her slightly disheveled white hair.

The girl’s slender waist unfurled in the morning light, and the loose neckline of her dress slipped slightly with her movements, revealing a delicate segment of her collarbone.

That sleep was so comfortable…

This was perhaps Bai Xia’s first clear thought upon waking. However, as she rubbed her sleepy eyes and her consciousness gradually sharpened, the unfamiliar surroundings and the thin blanket covering her suddenly jolted her with a sense of alarm.

No! Where is this?

This isn’t her rented room!

Bai Xia, who had just been contemplating snuggling back down for a delightful lie-in, abruptly sat bolt upright. Her long white hair fanned out with the movement, and her ruby-red eyes snapped wide open, glancing around the strange environment with a startled expression.

Instantly, the memories of the previous night surged into her mind like a relentless tide—the bar, being drugged, her escape, and finally encountering her deskmate, Mo Bai…

Right… the drugging!

Recalling the scene of being inexplicably drugged at the bar and then fleeing, Bai Xia’s face instantly drained of color. She hastily lowered her gaze to check her physical condition. Her pure white dress, though a bit wrinkled, was thankfully still intact on her body, and she felt no unusual sensations. The only anomaly was that her small leather shoes had been removed at some point and neatly placed by the entrance, though her white lace ankle socks were still on her feet.

“…”

Bai Xia’s face flushed crimson. She frantically checked her clothing, and only after confirming there were no signs of violation on her body did she breathe a small sigh of relief. However, the accompanying sense of tension showed no signs of abating.

Speaking of which, this must be my deskmate’s house, right?

Though her later memories were quite blurry, Bai Xia still recalled that it was Mo Bai who had caught her at the last moment. Surely, Mo Bai wouldn’t have just handed her off to someone else after catching her?

No, no… Mo Bai isn’t like that.

For some inexplicable reason, a wave of apprehension washed over Bai Xia as she considered this. Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the hem of her dress. With her small, white-socked feet treading on the smooth marble tiles, she began to cautiously survey the unfamiliar living room.

The minimalist Nordic-style decor, exuding understated luxury at every turn, indeed seemed like the kind of interior Mo Bai would have. This solidified Bai Xia’s conviction that she was, in fact, in her deskmate’s home.

After all, her deskmate was indeed someone who was far from short on money.

So… Mo Bai isn’t awake yet?

The entire house was quiet, save for the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room. Her white-socked feet made almost no sound on the marble floor, allowing Bai Xia to move stealthily through the room, observing her strange surroundings.

Her phone and cash were still tucked away in the pocket of her dress. It appeared Mo Bai hadn’t taken advantage of her while she was unconscious. However, she had appeared before him yesterday as a girl—and had even called out his name…

Bai Xia’s small face flushed crimson once more. She clapped her fair hands over her burning cheeks, squatting down as if wishing the floor would simply swallow her whole.

Although it had been out of necessity at the time, now that she was sober, Bai Xia found the feeling utterly mortifying.

But Mo Bai probably won’t recognize me…

At this moment, alarm bells began to clang loudly in Bai Xia’s mind—the urge to escape flashing incessantly.

After all, if Mo Bai didn’t recognize her, then given his personality, when he woke up, she would surely be met with a thorough interrogation from her deskmate.

No, I must leave here quickly.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of Mo Bai—but if her true identity were accidentally exposed, she would be completely ruined!

That’s right! Before Mo Bai wakes up, I must make a quick getaway!

With no time to dwell on other thoughts, Bai Xia took a deep breath, suppressing her wildly beating heart. She tiptoed toward the entrance, quietly put her small leather shoes back on, and then slowly, cautiously—and without making a single sound—opened the front door of the apartment.

Though immensely grateful to Mo Bai for helping her in her most desperate hour, she truly had to leave now.

Hmm… I’ll treat him to a good drink when school starts on Monday.