"How could a stranger call you using Mo Xiuchen's number? Wasn't he attending a dinner just now?"
Wen Ran was overwhelmed with worry. Her parents had died in a car accident, so the moment she heard the words "car crash," her brain went blank, leaving only panic. She was frantically searching for Gu Kai's number when Bai Xiaoxiao's confused question made her pause.
Meeting Bai Xiaoxiao's puzzled gaze, Wen Ran raised her hand and pressed her aching temple, trying to calm herself down. After a moment of thought, she said, "You're right. Mo Xiuchen was just at a dinner. If he had been drinking, Xiao Liu would have been driving him. Let me check first."
"Okay, don't panic. Make sure you find out what's really going on. If it's true, we'll head back tonight," Bai Xiaoxiao said reassuringly, holding her hand. She understood exactly how Wen Ran was feeling.
After a few rings, Gu Kai's warm and cheerful voice came through the phone. "Hello? Ranran? Why are you calling at this hour?"
"Brother Gu, I just got a call saying that Mo Xiuchen was in a car accident. Do you kn—"
"Wait, you said Xiuchen was in a car accident?" Gu Kai interrupted with a chuckle. "Ranran, who told you that? He's sitting right in front of me right now."
There was a brief silence on the line, then Mo Xiuchen's deep, magnetic voice came through. "Wen Ran."
The familiar, soothing voice echoed in her ears, and Wen Ran's heart suddenly felt warm. Joy filled her voice as she blurted out, "Mo Xiuchen, thank God you're okay!"
"I'm fine. You said someone called and told you I was in an accident? Tell me exactly what happened."
Gu Kai had the phone on speaker earlier, so Mo Xiuchen had heard everything clearly. When he heard Wen Ran's relieved tone, his heart softened.
He glanced at Gu Kai, then stood and walked over to the large floor-to-ceiling window. Through the glass, he gazed into the distant, tranquil night sky—in the direction of F City.
Wen Ran's worry began to fade. With Mo Xiuchen's question, she quickly realized that it must have been a scam—someone had used his number to call her. But what was the purpose behind it?
Frowning slightly, she said in a soft voice, "Just a few minutes ago, I got a call. It showed up as your number, but it was a stranger's voice. He said you were in a car accident…"
"The caller used my number?" Mo Xiuchen asked, focusing on the key detail.
"Yes. That's why I believed it at first."
Wen Ran still felt uneasy just thinking about it. Thankfully, it turned out not to be true.
"You did the right thing, not trusting the caller too easily. Someone definitely tried to trick you. As for their purpose, I'm not certain yet—but don't worry, I'll find out who it was."
Mo Xiuchen stood tall like a pine tree in front of the window, his sharp gaze deep in thought. In the short time Wen Ran had explained the situation, several theories had already flashed through his mind.
He turned, walked back to the table, and pulled out his phone. He dialed Luo Haofeng's number, then handed the phone to Gu Kai. Without a word, Gu Kai took it and stepped out of the private room.
"Okay," Wen Ran replied softly.
"These days, be extra careful. If anything happens, call Haofeng right away," Mo Xiuchen added, still concerned.
"I understand. You don't need to worry," Wen Ran replied sweetly. She couldn't stop wondering what the caller's real motive had been. Her visit to F City wasn't a secret. If this was a planned setup, the goal was likely to get her to rush back to G City.
Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. Her eyes sharpened, and Bai Xiaoxiao immediately noticed the change. Understanding her intent, Bai Xiaoxiao exchanged a look with her, got out of bed, and turned off the lights. The room went dark instantly.
On the other end of the line, Mo Xiuchen said a few more comforting words before shifting the topic. "By the way, when you called earlier, the voice you heard was Cheng Jia's."
"Oh," Wen Ran responded, a little surprised he would bring that up. When she heard Cheng Jia's voice earlier, she had felt a twinge of discomfort. After all, she knew Cheng Jia's feelings for him.
But she also trusted that Mo Xiuchen wasn't the kind of man to mess around with women, so she hadn't overthought it.
"Later, Cheng Jia twisted her ankle. I used that as an excuse to leave early and had Xiao Liu take her to the hospital. Gu Kai and I are now grabbing a late-night bite at Yipin Xuan," he explained.
"Actually, you didn't need to explain. I know you wouldn't do anything inappropriate with Cheng Jia," Wen Ran said, her eyes watching Bai Xiaoxiao as she quietly approached the window and peeked outside. From their floor, they had a clear view of the hotel's main entrance, the parking lot, and the road beyond.
"You're on a work trip right now, and I don't want you to misunderstand anything. Even if you hadn't called me, I was planning to call you back soon," Mo Xiuchen said.
His voice was no longer cold or serious, but warm and gentle, like a soft current soothing Wen Ran's heart. It was clear he didn't want to hang up and continued to chat with her.
It wasn't until Gu Kai returned to the room that Mo Xiuchen told her to get some rest and hung up.
Back at the hotel, Bai Xiaoxiao was still by the window, carefully watching the scene below.
Wen Ran quickly jumped out of bed and joined her at the window. "Xiaoxiao, did you see anything suspicious?"
Their floor wasn't too high, and both had excellent vision. From this angle, they could faintly make out figures below.
Bai Xiaoxiao glanced sideways and teased, "Finally done with your long-distance love call? I thought you two were gonna talk all night."
"I'm being serious," Wen Ran said, flicking open a part of the curtain to stand beside her. Bai Xiaoxiao sobered up and pointed toward a dark vehicle by the roadside.
"See that black car? It looks suspicious. A man got out a few minutes ago, stayed out for two minutes, then got back in. But before he did, he looked up—towards our floor."
"Anyone else?"
Wen Ran's eyes locked on the vehicle. It sat in a dimly lit area, and at this distance, they couldn't see much—unless someone got out.
As she finished speaking, the car door opened again. A tall man stepped out. He removed his sunglasses, glanced at the hotel entrance, and then looked up—directly at the building.
Wen Ran's heart tightened.
"Xiaoxiao, I think you're right. That car is suspicious. Was that the same man who came out earlier?"
"Yes, it's him. After we turned off the lights, he came out to check, then went back in. Now he's out again—maybe he's getting impatient?" Bai Xiaoxiao replied. Despite the room being dark, the neon lights from surrounding buildings allowed them to see each other's expressions clearly.