Zhao Ziling’s life motto was to live in the moment.
Her best friend passed away at just eighteen.
Her mother, barely in her forties, was also gone.
No one could say for sure whether accidents or tomorrow would come first.
But even when indulging in fun, she always knew her limits.
Yet right after graduation, her stepmother forced her into an arranged marriage.
The marriage was meant to save their family’s nearly bankrupt company.
She had no choice but to humble herself, trying to please everyone in the Huo family.
Her in-laws were never satisfied with her.
Huo Tingshen constantly restrained her—forbidding her from dancing, policing her words and actions.
Then one day, she realized how meaningless her life had become.
She could no longer feel her own existence.
So she began sneaking out—drinking, smoking, throwing money at male escorts.
Only in those moments did she feel alive.
Soon, the truth came out. Huo Tingshen found out.
So did her in-laws.
She expected them to demand a divorce.
But instead, they moved out of the Huo Residence.
From then on, Huo Tingshen subjected her to round-the-clock surveillance.
Sometimes, she hated who she’d become.
But she couldn’t help it—she needed to numb the emptiness.
Friends urged her to have children, insisting it would give her purpose.
Her in-laws grew impatient at her lack of pregnancy.
But she refused. Children weren’t tools.
They should be born out of love.
Her days became a cycle of clashes and arguments with Huo Tingshen.
His control only tightened, until the day he locked her in their bedroom.
In that moment, she truly wanted to die.
But Lin Mo saved her.
Her best friend was back, bringing color into her life again.
She began yearning for freedom!
Yet now that she finally had it, she felt lost.
Freedom—what came next?
What should she pursue?
Standing there, drunk, Zhao Ziling heard the male escorts egging her on.
“Come on, give us a show!”
Someone demanded she dance.
Her hazy gaze didn’t settle on the heckler.
Instead, it landed on Lin Mo in the distance.
Lin Mo was watching her too.
Their eyes locked across the room.
Suddenly, Zhao Ziling laughed—loud, unrestrained, until tears streamed down her face.
Lin Mo’s heart ached at the sight.
That night in bed, she’d asked Zhao Ziling if she still loved dancing. Zhao Ziling said no.
How could she not?
Something she’d practiced since she was five, for over a decade.
How could she just stop loving it?
Lin Mo stood, swaying slightly from the alcohol, and walked toward her.
“Dance, Zhao Ziling,” she said.
Zhao Ziling’s eyes lit up, gleaming as she gave Lin Mo a long look.
Then she stepped toward the center of the private room.
Lin Mo knew exactly what music Zhao Ziling wanted and turned to grab her phone.
But before she could, a male escort in a light gray shirt suddenly charged forward, shouting, “Zhao Ziling! Stop!”
The voice froze Zhao Ziling in place. She turned, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
“Huo Tingshen?”
Huo Tingshen tore off his disguise—a mask—and stormed toward her. “I forbid you to dance!”
Alcohol clouded his judgment.
“You’re coming home with me now!”
He reached out to grab her.
Lin Mo reacted instantly, yanking Zhao Ziling’s wrist and pulling her aside.
Huo Tingshen missed, his fury erupting as he flipped over a table laden with drinks.
Then, like a raging bull, he charged again.
“Zhao Ziling! Come home!”
Zhao Ziling never imagined the escort was Huo Tingshen.
Frowning, she dodged him, her black skirt swirling gracefully.
Huo Tingshen was no match for her agility.
But drunk and fueled by brute strength, he lunged again.
This time, Zhao Ziling barely avoided his grasp—until—
“Thud!”
Lin Mo struck the back of his neck with a precise chop.
Huo Tingshen collapsed, unconscious.
Zhao Ziling’s lips parted, then she clapped. “Beautiful!”
The room fell silent, the escorts huddling together in fear.
Only Xie Guanyan remained unfazed, sipping his drink as if the chaos meant nothing.
With the table overturned, Zhao Ziling’s mood soured.
“Enough. Let’s go home.”
Tonight wasn’t a waste—she’d found her purpose.
Glancing at Huo Tingshen’s motionless body, she crouched, snapped a photo, and sent it to the Huo Residence’s butler.
Then, without a backward glance, she strode out, her heels clicking decisively.
Zhao Ziling rode home.
Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan headed to their villa.
Suddenly, Shen Yihan slid into the backseat beside them.
Lin Mo frowned. “The ‘Buddha of Beijing’s elite’—are you drunk too? Wrong car.”
Shen Yihan wedged himself between them. “I’m staying at your villa tonight.”
He’d already sent Auntie Zhen home and texted his fourth brother.
He had to keep watch.
These two were drunk, alone—anything could happen.
Lin Mo rolled her eyes but stayed quiet since Xie Guanyan didn’t object.
Back at the villa, Xie Guanyan went straight upstairs.
Lin Mo asked a maid to prepare a guest room for Shen Yihan.
Tipsy, she then retreated to her room to shower.
Xie Guanyan did the same, standing under icy water to clear his head.
But it didn’t work.
All he could think about was Lin Mo watching that half-naked man dance.
His jaw clenched, veins bulging as dark obsession clouded his eyes.
No—he had to replace that memory in her mind.
Turning off the water, he grabbed his phone and called his bodyguard.
“Go to a adult store. Buy me something.”
Lin Mo, fresh from her shower, checked her phone.
A message from Xie Guanyan lit up the screen:
Lin Mo, do you want to see me dance?
