Often, one's surroundings can influence a person.
In a dim, enclosed space, with the sounds of laughter and playful banter echoing in one's ears,
and after a few drinks,
one's guard and rationality tend to slip away.
Lin Mo wasn’t entirely sober either.
After finishing a long speech, she stared straight at Xie Guanyan,
her peach-blossom eyes sparkling like fallen stars.
Xie Guanyan nearly drowned in her gaze.
It took him several seconds
to process the meaning behind her words.
An agonizingly long buildup—
really, only the last four words mattered.
The corners of his thin lips curled up as he adjusted his silver-framed glasses with one hand, his deep black eyes locking onto hers without blinking. "Right now?"
That answer convinced Lin Mo—Xie Guanyan was drunk.
Hopelessly, undeniably drunk!
Of course, it had to be now. What if he sobered up later?
Besides, she’d been drinking too.
If Xie Guanyan blamed her tomorrow, he could take it up with the tipsy Lin Mo!
It wouldn’t have anything to do with her sober self!
Sitting on his arm had given her a sense of his strength,
but feeling his abs with her own hands was a whole different experience.
She’d never touched a man’s abs before.
The girl nodded vigorously, like a little chick pecking at rice.
The tiny strands of hair at her forehead swayed adorably.
How could Xie Guanyan refuse her request?
And it wasn’t even an unreasonable one—
just a little feel of his abs.
He had abs for her to touch, after all.
"Go ahead."
His voice was deep, smooth, and impossibly seductive.
Lin Mo’s heartbeat instantly quickened.
With so many people around,
the two of them were sneaking around with their little secret—a risqué abs-touching session.
The thrill of taboo sent her pulse racing.
Lin Mo swallowed hard, her fingertips tingling with anticipation.
She cautiously reached out toward Xie Guanyan.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Shen Yihan’s voice suddenly cut through the air.
Lin Mo: "..."
Caught like a thief red-handed, she immediately yanked her hand back and hid it behind her, lifting her chin with forced composure. "What’s up?"
The game continued, and Shen Yihan had his fair share of drinks too.
Caught up in the lively atmosphere,
he’d let his guard down when it came to keeping an eye on Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan.
This round of push-up challenges had everyone losing.
Most stood up to take their drinks—
except for Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan.
Zhao Ziling, ever the competitive player, noticed and assumed they were skipping out.
"Lin Mo, Xie Guanyan, drink up!" she called out loudly.
But there was no response.
The two were huddled together, whispering.
Zhao Ziling smirked and let it slide.
But then Shen Yihan turned around.
He saw his sister leaning suspiciously close to Xie Guanyan.
He immediately spoke up.
In the dim lighting, it was impossible to tell what they were doing.
Shen Yihan twisted the Buddhist beads on his right wrist with his left hand. "It’s your turn to drink. Why aren’t you?"
Lin Mo’s eyelid twitched. "Oh, right! I’ll drink now!"
Shen Yihan glanced at Xie Guanyan and noticed his flushed face.
He was definitely wasted.
They couldn’t rely on Huo Xiaoming to pour drinks forever, so everyone had started serving themselves.
Lin Mo’s beer glass was empty, so she poured herself another.
Xie Guanyan had lost this round too and needed to drink.
He poured himself a glass and took a large gulp,
suppressing the hollow ache in his chest and the dark storm brewing in his eyes.
Don’t get mad. Don’t blame Shen Yihan.
There’d be other chances—as long as Lin Mo was interested in his body, the opportunity would come!
Lin Mo wasn’t too disappointed. After setting her glass down, she prepared to reach out again—
only to find the so-called "Buddha of the Capital" staring intently at her.
Lin Mo: "..."
The game rolled on.
Huo Tingshen returned from the bathroom,
having splashed water on his face to sober up—though it hadn’t worked entirely.
The alcohol was hitting hard now.
This round belonged to the black-shirted male model Lin Mo had picked earlier.
The guy was in a foul mood.
Several of his colleagues had already received tips, but he hadn’t gotten a single one.
This was worse than death!
Thinking fast, he announced loudly, "I can dance!"
Zhao Ziling tilted her head. "Oh? That little tease earlier counted as dancing?"
The black-shirted model had more up his sleeve. "No, I know other styles. Let me prove it."
Clearly angling for a tip.
His coworkers played along, cheering to hype up the moment.
Only Huo Tingshen scowled, his brows furrowed.
The model stepped into the center, a spotlight shining down on him.
With a smirk, he began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Whoa!" Zhao Ziling gasped.
Even Lin Mo was taken aback.
Wait—this level of boldness?
This was getting fun!
Within seconds, the black-shirted model became a shirtless model,
his chest and abs on full display.
Lin Mo’s eyes widened slightly.
Though his physique was nowhere near Xie Guanyan’s, it wasn’t bad.
Seeing her reaction, Xie Guanyan’s breath hitched.
His slender fingers twitched with the urge
to cover her eyes.
She couldn’t look at other men—only him!
But he held back, gripping the couch until his knuckles turned white.
He couldn’t control her.
What—or who—she looked at was her choice.
Huo Tingshen nearly ground his teeth to dust, fists clenched.
Men like this deserved to be drowned in a pig cage!!
The model had come prepared, connecting his phone to the venue’s Bluetooth speakers.
A pulsing beat blasted through the room,
igniting the atmosphere.
He launched into his performance.
Admittedly, the guy had talent—every move was sharp, perfectly timed.
His chest muscles even bounced rhythmically!
Lin Mo had only seen this kind of thing on TikTok—never live.
All she could say was: resist the allure of men, for your own good.
Shen Yihan, having never witnessed such a spectacle, was stunned.
He glanced at his sister—she was riveted.
Then at Jiang Tang—she was staring too.
Zhao Ziling was no different.
Shen Yihan twisted the beads on his wrist, feeling the urge to wage war against this shameless world!
Never again would he go out with Zhao Ziling.
Pure torture!
Xie Guanyan knew Lin Mo was watching—intently.
He didn’t want to look at her, yet his eyes kept drifting to her face.
The darkness in his gaze was impossible to suppress, so he drained his glass.
It’s fine. Lin Mo would return to the villa eventually.
These people were just passing distractions.
Huo Tingshen’s eyes burned worse than the night he got pepper-sprayed!
He was seconds away from storming over and kicking that dancing harlot to the ground!
The dance ended.
Zhao Ziling, grinning like a femme fatale, pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the model. "Good show! Here’s your reward."
The model didn’t even bother putting his shirt back on, accepting the money bare-chested.
Seeing his haul was the biggest, he finally relaxed.
With a smirk, he declared, "Those who can’t dance—drink up!"
Zhao Ziling shrugged. "Guess that means I’m safe!"
The cute male model immediately cupped his face in his hands, his expression bursting with delight. "Oh? Sister, you can dance? That’s amazing, so amazing!"
The muscular male model chimed in, "Then give us a show, come on!"
Huo Tingshen’s temples throbbed violently, a metallic taste rising in his throat.
A show of what?
How about a show of Italian artillery!
He wanted to blow this place to smithereens!
His eyes locked onto Zhao Ziling like a predator.
Others dancing in front of her was one thing—but she absolutely could not dance in front of anyone else!!
