Listening to Ah Ding’s words, Mo Chuxi felt his heartbeat inexplicably quicken.
He was a bit worried that Yan Xinxin would suddenly come out of the bedroom, but he couldn’t wait any longer and opened the surveillance footage on the tablet.
"This video is from that night until the next morning."
Ah Ding briefly explained.
Mo Chuxi lowered his eyes, his slender fingers gently tapping to open the file’s video.
The screen quickly displayed the hallway of the Universal Star International Hotel. Within seconds, Yan Xinxin’s figure appeared on the screen.
The video was high-definition, and Mo Chuxi could clearly see Yan Xinxin’s expression and demeanor at the time.
It was the early summer five years ago. Yan Xinxin was eighteen, about to graduate from high school.
She wore a white school uniform shirt, paired with a short purple pleated skirt. Even back then, her figure was already enchanting and graceful.
Though her physique surpassed many mature women, her innocent and youthful face made her look unmistakably like a minor, especially with her large, round, catlike eyes that gave off a sense of naivety and cluelessness.
In the footage, Yan Xinxin was smiling, poking her head around as if looking for something.
Mo Chuxi was lost in the sight of Yan Xinxin on the screen. When her figure suddenly disappeared at the corner, he felt a strange tension building within him.
He waited for about a minute, but the footage remained unchanged.
"From this point until six o’clock the next morning, it’s all ,"
Ah Ding explained calmly.
"Young Master Mo, you can skip directly to six in the morning."
Listening to Ah Ding’s suggestion, Mo Chuxi immediately dragged the progress bar to the time he mentioned.
He waited for a few seconds, and Yan Xinxin’s figure reappeared on the screen!
But this time, she was different from the energetic girl he had just seen. She was stumbling forward, supporting herself against the wall, her entire demeanor broken and weak. Her legs even seemed to be trembling, and her clothes and skirt appeared disheveled, unmistakably...
Mo Chuxi slammed the tablet onto the desk, his handsome face clouded with a terrifying darkness.
Just as Yan Xinxin was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable, she heard the sudden loud noise outside and curiously came out of the bedroom.
Ah Ding, who had just been startled by Mo Chuxi, was visibly shocked to see Yan Xinxin emerge from the office’s adjoining bedroom.
The dazed Mo Chuxi snapped back to reality upon hearing Ah Ding’s exclamation.
"It’s me. What’s wrong?"
Yan Xinxin looked at Ah Ding in confusion, walking toward him at a calm pace.
"Take this away. I don’t want a third person to know about this. Leave."
Mo Chuxi’s voice was soft yet firm as he instructed Ah Ding before swiftly getting up and walking toward Yan Xinxin.
Standing in front of her like an immovable wall, Mo Chuxi blocked her way, causing Yan Xinxin to grumble as she tried to sidestep him and head toward Ah Ding.
"Hey, don’t leave just yet. Why do you look so shocked when you see me? Were you planning to scold me again?"
Ah Ding turned back to glance at Yan Xinxin with a helpless expression, but the moment he met Mo Chuxi’s icy gaze, he swiftly fled the office without a word.
Mo Chuxi reached out, grabbing Yan Xinxin’s wrist. With a slight tug, he pulled her into his arms.
Yan Xinxin raised her small hands, trying to push him away, but Mo Chuxi only tightened his embrace.
"Yan Xinxin, from now on, no one will ever dare to bully you again."
Hearing the gentle promise above her head, Yan Xinxin tilted her head up in confusion, only to be surprised by the tender warmth in Mo Chuxi’s gaze.
"Yan Xinxin, I will protect you."
Yan Xinxin’s wide catlike eyes blinked in shock, utterly at a loss.
"...Mo Chuxi, what—what’s wrong with you? Why are you saying this to me?"
Is he... confessing to me?