Chapter 296: Thank You for Taking Us In

"If you're truly scared and can't sleep alone, you can come to me; at worst I'll take a little loss!" Xu Mo said with a smile, looking at the four.

The speaker said it unintentionally, but the listeners took it to heart.

As a result, what was originally a joke was taken seriously by the four girls, and they actually considered its feasibility…

You should know that many people's fear of ghosts is almost etched into their DNA, especially girls; almost everyone is afraid of the dark and of ghosts.

Moreover, according to superstition, a man's yang energy can repel ghosts, whereas women lack that ability.

Because they have heavy yin energy, they not only cannot repel ghosts, but also attract them more than men…

Thinking that way, they instantly felt that Xu Mo's suggestion was good.

The next second, the four girls exchanged glances.

Then, in unison, they said, "Thank you for taking us in!"

Xu Mo: "???"

Looking at the four's expressions, Xu Mo felt that they weren't joking.

I was just kidding, and you actually want to make it real? One lone man and four women sharing a room—how could that be appropriate… Xu Mo suddenly recalled some short films he had once watched with similar plots.

"You just got off work and haven't eaten yet, right? We haven't eaten either; how about we go to your place, cook together, and eat?" Fearing that Xu Mo might back out and not want to take them in, Zhou Qiaoqiao immediately offered an excuse.

She had already thought it through: once she follows Xu Mo inside, she'll just stay and refuse to leave!

No matter what she says, she can't go back next door.

With Xu Mo, at least there's some man's yang energy; even if there really were ghosts, they wouldn't have to be so terrified, which is far better than the four of them staying next door.

"Sure," Xu Mo said with a smile, nodding, "I'm hungry, but I have no vegetables here—how should we cook?"

"There's some in the next‑door fridge; I'll get it!" Li Jiaxin pointed at the neighboring villa.

Before Xu Mo could speak again, she ran over without waiting for a word, intending to fetch some ingredients.

……

Xu Mo sat on the living‑room sofa, scrolling through videos.

The four girls were busy in the kitchen.

After more than half an hour of hustle, a table full of dishes was placed on the table.

"The dishes are ready; give them a try," the four said together, looking at Xu Mo with eager expressions.

I have to admit, the spread looked genuinely appetizing.

It had color and aroma, but I couldn't tell how it would taste.

Xu Mo picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of braised pork.

"Delicious," he said after a bite, smiling, "Not bad, you guys—who knew you had that skill."

He truly hadn't expected that Zhou Qiaoqiao and the other three could actually cook; it clashed completely with their ornamental appearances.

Moreover, it was surprisingly tasty; although it couldn't match a star‑rated hotel chef, it was still far better than the average person's cooking.

"That's right," Zhou Qiaoqiao, wearing an apron and hands on her hips, said, "We've been learning from online tutorial videos for several days."

"If you can take us in long‑term, we can cook for you every day! That way, whenever you get home you have a meal ready—no need to order delivery or light a stove. How does that sound?" Li Jiaxin added smoothly.

"Since your cooking isn't bad, I'll reluctantly agree…" Xu Mo nodded, "Fine, if you want to stay, you can stay with me."

"Hehe…" Seeing Xu Mo agree, the four smiled simultaneously.

Li Jiaxin seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke up.

"When I went next door to get the ingredients, I found the place was indeed a bit eerie. You didn't know, but as soon as I stepped inside I felt a wave of chill hit me! I guess it's because that building only has the four of us girls, so the yin energy is too heavy!"

"Exactly, exactly!" Zhou Qiaoqiao nodded vigorously, "I also think Xu Mo's place is much better; next door it always felt cold and drafty, especially in the room. Here with Xu Mo it's much nicer."

The more they talked, the creepier it got, like it was real… Xu Mo set his chopsticks down, "Did you turn off the air conditioner when you left?"

Zhou Qiaoqiao was silent for two seconds, then, to avoid awkwardness, immediately changed the subject, "... Are you tired from work today?"

"I'm okay, spent the afternoon fishing, not tired," Xu Mo said, "How about you all?"

"I don't work; I trade stocks," Zhou Qiaoqiao replied.

An Youyi added, "I don't work either; I also trade stocks."

Yang Jingxuan and Li Jiaxin: "Both of us are also learning stock trading from Qiaoqiao and Youyi."

Xu Mo suddenly recalled the green stock chart and couldn't help reminding them, "I advise you to take it easy; the stock market has been trending poorly lately and is likely to keep falling for a long time. Trading now will definitely lose money."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qiaoqiao retorted.

"That can't be; from the recent momentum, I think it should rise next."

"Right, I also think it'll rise," An Youyi added, "That's the experience I've gained from years of losing money in stock trading. I've paid a lot of tuition to the market, and it's not for nothing. I have a decent understanding of the market. My analysis shows that in the next month a bull market will arrive—so obvious that even a fool could profit, just buy with eyes closed."

Unlike Zhou Qiaoqiao, An Youyi trades stocks purely to pass the time.

When she first started, she mainly wanted something to do; losing money didn't matter—it was just tuition.

As the losses grew and the tuition piled up, she gradually grasped some tricks of trading and began to make money slowly.

Though not much, at least there was some.

In her view, the tuition she paid was worth it!

Because she feels she's become a stock‑trading expert!

"Good analysis; next time don't analyze at all—your analysis is absurd," Xu Mo thought, "The next month won't be a bull market; entering now will just lose badly. Whatever you buy, you'll lose, and that's no exaggeration."

"Your tuition was probably for nothing; you'd be better off not trading stocks for the next month, or you'll lose badly."

"That can't be; it's been falling for so long, it should have hit bottom and bounced back. Now's a perfect time to scoop up at the bottom," An Youyi said, somewhat doubting Xu Mo's words.

Seeing her disbelief, Xu Mo said nothing more, just shrugged and kept eating.

……

After finishing the meal, it was just past seven o'clock, still not bedtime.

Xu Mo decided to sit on the sofa and watch some TV.

At that moment, the four women who had just finished eating decided to exercise, went next door to fetch a yoga mat, changed into yoga clothes, and spread out on the living‑room floor to do yoga.

The spot where they did yoga was right between the sofa and the TV.

Xu Mo instantly lost any interest in watching TV, mainly because his legs were now full of brains…

TV and such, I can't get into it!