The performances at the Beijing Grand Theater are always packed.
Even on Sunday nights, large-scale plays and musicals are staged.
However, Lin Mo's show wasn't an official performance.
Yet, Xu Yali still managed to secure a large venue for her.
Shen Yihan and Shen Ji'an naturally didn’t want to miss their sister’s first performance after so many years.
Eager to contribute, they volunteered as staff members to check tickets.
To avoid being accidentally photographed by passersby and posted online, both wore masks.
Still, their striking features were hard to conceal.
Shen Ji'an had already been asked for his WeChat three times.
Shen Yihan, with black Buddhist beads wrapped around his wrist, exuded an icy aura.
Zero people asked for his contact.
Outwardly indifferent, he secretly texted Jiang Tang: "Get me another set of men’s skincare products. This one isn’t effective."
Whether he was popular with strangers didn’t matter—he just refused to be the least attractive in the family!
Jiang Tang had also received a complimentary ticket from Lin Mo.
She’d only known Lin Mo as an academic achiever before, unaware of her talent for classical dance.
She was even more surprised by Lin Mo’s bold, public confession to Xie Guanyan.
She’s so brave and passionate!
Mr. Xie’s unrequited love had finally been realized.
Seeing her CEO’s message, Jiang Tang—delayed by work—replied: "Understood."
Back when the CEO was pursuing Li Huanyu, he hadn’t been this concerned about his appearance.
Lately, though, something had changed.
Thinking of Li Huanyu reminded Jiang Tang of the day she helped Lin Mo research the variety show No Romance Villa.
Li Huanyu and Gu Jingchuan were also participants.
Despite its name, No Romance Villa was essentially another dating show.
Some guests were already couples.
Upon entering the villa, they had to pretend they weren’t together.
But love is impossible to hide.
With dating shows flooding the market, this one took a unique approach—letting viewers savor secret sweet moments.
It also encouraged audience interaction, allowing netizens to guess which pairs were real couples.
Viewers even had the power to vote on room assignments, all to push the couples into revealing themselves!
The concept was fresh and innovative, sparking massive buzz upon announcement.
Li Huanyu and Gu Jingchuan had long been rumored to be a couple, amassing a devoted fanbase.
Yet neither had ever confirmed it.
One could imagine the fans’ excitement now.
However, Lin Mo had joined the show to keep an eye on Shen Sizhan and prevent him from spilling secrets.
Gu Jingchuan, meanwhile, still carried a torch for Lin Mo.
Filming began tomorrow.
By then, Lin Mo would already be Xie Guanyan’s girlfriend.
The show’s setup meant Lin Mo would inevitably interact with Gu Jingchuan—possibly even share a room.
How would Mr. Xie react?
Either way, Jiang Tang anticipated drama.
Approaching the ticket checkpoint, she handed her ticket to Shen Yihan.
He looked up and noticed, for once, she wasn’t in professional attire.
Instead, she wore a beige maxi dress—soft, elegant, and strikingly beautiful.
Shen Yihan’s gaze flickered slightly as he recited his rehearsed line: "Proceed to your assigned seat."
Jiang Tang smiled coolly. "Thank you."
Then she strode in, heels clicking decisively.
Shen Yihan twisted the Buddhist beads around his wrist.
Did she not recognize me?
The show was about to start.
Most attendees had already entered.
But neither had seen Mr. Xie arrive.
Is he really going to be late for such an important event?
If so, they’d have to deduct points!
At the last minute, a tall man in a pristine white suit strode in, accompanied by a slender youth.
Shen Yihan was baffled.
Weren’t these two supposed to be rivals? Why are they together?
"Mr. Xie, Young Master Xu," the Buddhist scion of Beijing’s elite circle checked their tickets.
Shen Ji’an disliked Xu Yan.
Who does he think he is, trying to date my sister?
She could knock out eight of him with one punch!
As Xie Guanyan and Xu Yan walked into the theater, Xie found himself reflecting on his own eighteenth year.
Back then, in the first half of that year, he’d been insecure, timid, and penniless—utterly unfit to stand beside Shanshan.
In the latter half, Shanshan died in a car crash.
His world collapsed. His heart stopped beating.
His first suicide attempt was jumping into a river the night Shanshan was declared dead.
Some fishermen pulled him out.
The second time, he slit his wrists in his room.
Gu Jingchuan found him and called an ambulance.
The third time, he tried hanging himself in the wilderness.
A monk saved him and brought him to a temple.
There, numb and detached, he plotted his next attempt.
But the monk clasped his hands and said, "Live, and live with hope."
Hope?
The word felt foreign.
What hope is left when Shanshan is gone?
He asked the monk, who offered no further explanation before walking away.
Yet somehow, the seed of hope took root.
After a night of contemplation, he realized two things:
First, Shanshan’s body was never found. That was hope.
Maybe she’d been rescued, living somewhere in the world.
Second, Shanshan herself had carried hope.
He would live for her, as though they were one.
Shanshan had given up dancing for her three brothers, defending them like a warrior.
She’d want them to thrive.
Holding onto these hopes, he abandoned suicide.
That was his eighteenth year.
Today, after hours in his study, he left at six.
What does a confession matter?
He’d already left an indelible mark on Shanshan’s heart.
But outside the theater, he was intercepted.
Xu Yan said, "Stay away from Lin Mo, and my father will give you a major business deal."
Xie shook his head. "No need."
Unfazed, Xu Yan pressed, "Name your price."
Amused, Xie replied, "How about a blank check?"
Only then did Xu Yan frown.
When Lin Mo texted to ask if he’d arrived, Xie went to reply—but Xu Yan’s bodyguard snatched his phone.
Xie’s expression turned glacial.
Why is he doing this?
Does he see me as such a threat?
He wouldn’t disrupt Shanshan’s confession.
When Xie reached for his phone, the bodyguards restrained him.
Xu Yan said calmly, "Think it over. The Xu Family can elevate your company. I know how much it means to you."
Xie’s voice was ice. "Give me my phone."
Xu Yan refused, ordering his men to escort Xie to a car.
Xie threw a punch, but he was outmatched.
Luckily, Lin Mo’s twin bodyguards arrived swiftly.
They effortlessly subdued Xu Yan’s men.
The elder bodyguard asked, "Boss, what should we do with Xu Yan?"
The younger added, "Should we kill him?"
Xu Yan paled but maintained his composure.
He trusted Xie wouldn’t dare act against the Xu Family’s influence.
Yet when Xie locked eyes with him, Xu Yan shuddered.
He’d never seen such a frigid gaze—like a predator sizing up prey.
For the first time in his life, Xu Yan felt true fear.
Then Xie’s phone rang.
The man with eyes as cold as a thousand-year abyss answered the phone, his voice hoarse.
He wanted nothing more than to kill Xu Yan.
But wouldn’t killing Xu Yan make Shan Shan terribly sad?
After hanging up, he said to Xu Yan, "Let’s go in together."
