Unable to reach Xie Guanyan for the time being, Lin Mo pulled her focus back somewhat.
The talent show sounded quite amusing, and her eyes sparkled as she watched the group.
In this market, nothing comes easy—male modeling is fiercely competitive.
Without some special skills, it’s hard to make big money.
The request wasn’t unreasonable.
No one objected.
Only Huo Tingshen deeply regretted stepping in, his palms clenched so tightly they nearly bled.
Introduce himself? And perform a talent?
Absolutely not!
But he was already here, and quitting midway wasn’t his style.
The first one, in a white shirt, said, “My name is Jin Keai—because I’m super adorable. I’ll sing a song for everyone.”
“Super Idol’s smile isn’t as sweet as yours~”
A bit cringey.
But his voice was youthful and lively.
Lin Mo curled her lip—not her type.
Zhao Ziling, however, laughed cheerfully. “Not bad, not bad. Next!”
Huo Tingshen felt his ears were violated. He wanted to vomit!
The next one, in a blue shirt with a blue earring, had a rough, deep voice. “I’m Lan Hua. I’ll sing too.”
“No matter how I fly, I can’t escape this flowery world~”
The gravelly tone left everyone looking constipated.
Zhao Ziling cut him off. “Alright, alright, next! Even Lin Mo sings better than that.”
Lin Mo: “……”
The following guy did a hundred push-ups in one go.
Another demonstrated a one-arm lift.
Zhao Ziling declared that female guests couldn’t be touched, so the model had to lift Uncle Fang instead.
Uncle Fang: “……”
He decided this wasn’t the place for him and bolted afterward.
The second-to-last, in a black shirt, performed a risqué dance.
Teeth tugging at his collar, waist exposed, swaying like a serpent.
Zhao Ziling, well-versed in such spectacles, smirked with amusement.
Lin Mo, less experienced, widened her eyes and blurted, “That waist is nice!”
Zhao Ziling arched a brow. “Then he’s yours!”
Lin Mo didn’t fuss—she wasn’t planning anything, just some harmless fun. “Deal!”
Shen Yihan stared at the black-shirted man, his face darker than the fabric.
Xie Guanyan’s gaze turned stormy, but he forced the darkness down.
It’s fine. As long as she’s happy.
After several performances, Huo Tingshen felt his dinner from two nights ago rising in his throat.
What kind of trash is this? Not a single one presentable!
Then Zhao Ziling announced, “Last one, your turn!”
Behind his mask, Huo Tingshen’s face was livid, fists clenched so hard they trembled.
But he had to keep up the act, playing the very kind of person he despised.
He forced a high-pitched voice. “I’m Xiao Ming. No talents.”
The longer sentence made Zhao Ziling frown. “You sound like a bottom.”
Even as a traditionalist, Huo Tingshen understood.
During his studies abroad, several classmates were gay—one even confessed to him.
He hated that.
“I’m NOT!” His voice nearly cracked, volume spiking.
Zhao Ziling recoiled. “Why so defensive? I just said you sound like one. Plus, your voice is old, and no talent? Next!”
For some reason, the guy in light gray just rubbed her the wrong way.
I'm inexplicably furious!
Huo Tingshen's head throbbed with anger.
Fine, first she says he looks like a bottom, then calls him old!
He couldn’t hold back anymore.
He slammed his fist against the wall!
A dull thud echoed.
Zhao Ziling immediately stood up, swaying slightly. "Do you have violent tendencies or something?"
Staring at Zhao Ziling’s stunningly beautiful face, Huo Tingshen swallowed his rage and forced a sweet tone. "No, this is my talent."
Zhao Ziling had never seen such a "talent" before and was intrigued. Crossing her arms, she asked, "What? Your talent is punching walls?"
The veins on Huo Tingshen’s forehead and neck bulged, but he dared not lose his temper again. "Mhm."
Zhao Ziling raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Do it a few more times—let me see!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Huo Tingshen punched the wall with brutal force, his knuckles bruised and bleeding.
The other male models gaped in shock.
What kind of talent was this?
A self-harm talent?
Zhao Ziling wasn’t heartless. Her face scrunched up in discomfort. "Alright, alright! So what if you’re a little old? You can stay."
Huo Tingshen had stopped, but hearing "a little old," he delivered one last punch.
The wall: "…"
Jiang Tang picked the one who could do push-ups.
The deep-voiced guy went to Auntie Zhen, only to be rejected and relegated to the corner.
The rest belonged to Zhao Ziling.
The black-shirted man happily walked toward Lin Mo—
Only to find a cold-eyed man wearing Buddhist beads staring him down.
The pressure was suffocating.
And he showed no intention of moving aside.
That wasn’t all.
Beside the bead-wearing man, a bespectacled man was also watching him.
His gaze felt like a predator’s, freezing him in place, breathless and chilled to the bone.
This money is too hard to earn today!
"Uh… where should I sit?" the black-shirted man stammered to Lin Mo.
Before Lin Mo could answer, Xie Guanyan spoke in a deceptively gentle tone, "Sit here. There’s space."
The black-shirted man glanced at him, unnerved by the contrast between his icy eyes and soft voice, but he didn’t dare refuse. "O-okay."
Lin Mo instantly scowled.
She hadn’t even gotten to sit next to Xie Guanyan, yet this male model did?
"No. You sit by me!" Her tone was firm, carrying an unspoken command.
The black-shirted man froze.
Meanwhile, Shen Yihan, who obeyed Lin Mo’s words as easily as drinking water, moved before he even processed the order.
Too bad Xie Guanyan didn’t budge.
Shen Yihan ended up plopping onto Xie Guanyan’s lap.
Xie Guanyan: "…"
Shen Yihan scrambled up, apologizing profusely. "Sorry, sorry, Mr. Xie!"
The seat beside Lin Mo was now empty.
The black-shirted man cautiously took it.
If I make the clients happy, I might get tips.
My dad’s a gambler, my mom’s sick, and my little sister’s still in school.
Why else would I be doing this job?
Watching a stranger sit next to Lin Mo, Xie Guanyan’s eyes darkened with unrestrained hostility.
He dug his fingernails into an old wound, using the pain to suppress the fury.
Just as the agony began to surge—
The beautiful girl suddenly stood up and cheerfully plopped down beside him. "I’ll sit next to Xie Guanyan!"
