Xu Yan's arrival was unexpected for Xie Guanyan.
Yet, upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Giving up on liking Shanshan was an incredibly difficult thing to do.
In fact, he somewhat admired Xu Yan's courage.
But Shanshan liked him!
His only concern was that Xu Yan might say something careless and upset Shen Sizhan.
At this moment, Xu Yan's words took him completely by surprise.
Knowing that Shanshan might have feelings for Xu Yan, Xie Guanyan had investigated him.
Xu Yan suffered from a rare genetic disease with an extremely low cure rate.
Meeting the frail young man's gaze, Xie Guanyan smiled gently. "Impossible."
Shanshan wasn't an object—there was no question of "giving her up."
But when it came to her love, he wouldn't yield even the slightest bit to anyone.
Xu Yan's heart ached as if pierced by a sharp blade.
If Xie Guanyan wouldn't step aside, what could he do?
Attending school every day was just a facade to deceive his family—only he knew how miserable he truly felt.
He desperately wanted to spend every last moment with Lin Mo.
Soon, he would depart for another world, utterly alone.
Once, he had looked forward to that world, but now, he was terrified.
"Then let's compete fairly," Xu Yan said calmly as he stood up.
The tension between them lasted only a brief moment.
The match resumed.
Since direct eye contact was forbidden, Lin Mo watched the ball head-on but glanced at people sideways.
The sight was downright comical.
—"Hahaha, the director sure knows how to torture people!"
Doubles required teamwork.
Yet Xie Guanyan and Xu Yan had none whatsoever.
They kept fighting over the ball, bumping shoulders multiple times.
Xie Guanyan, tall and athletic, had the upper hand every time.
When the ball came to their side, Lin Mo and Jiang Wan coordinated perfectly.
The female contestants won this round.
Time was up—the director blew the whistle.
Exhausted, Xu Yan collapsed onto the floor.
Sweat-drenched and pitiful, his gaze drifted toward Lin Mo at the other end.
Worried about his poor health, Lin Mo frowned when she saw his pale face through her sidelong glance.
Just then, a strikingly handsome man with long legs approached Xu Yan and handed him a bottle of water. "You alright?"
Xu Yan stared at Xie Guanyan in shock before finally accepting the water.
Lin Mo's peach-blossom eyes shimmered.
Xie Guanyan truly was exceptional—always so helpful!
—"What's wrong with Xu Yan? His face is as pale as my ex-boyfriend who's been dead for three years."
—"Mr. Xie is incredible. Not only does he do so much charity work, but he’s also genuinely kind-hearted. Just one question—who’s his girlfriend?"
The first round tallied the forbidden eye contacts.
Lin Mo got hit once, Jiang Wan twice.
Once the game heated up, it was easy to forget the rules.
But Xie Guanyan controlled himself perfectly—every time Lin Mo looked at him, he was staring elsewhere.
Still, she accidentally locked eyes with Xu Yan once.
Jiang Wan’s two violations were accidental glances at Xu Yan.
The second round pitted Qiao Yinyin and Li Huanyu against Gu Jingchuan and Shen Sizhan.
Having observed the previous match, Gu Jingchuan and Shen Sizhan strategized beforehand.
They divided positions, front and back.
But Gu Jingchuan, lost in thought, missed several easy shots.
Shen Sizhan, furious, shoved him aside. "Go home! You’re better off as a pile of dog crap!"
Gu Jingchuan clenched his fists, ready to fight, until Lin Mo grabbed the director’s megaphone and shouted, "No fighting! Losers end up hospitalized, winners in jail!"
Seeing Lin Mo’s concern, Gu Jingchuan restrained himself.
Though Qiao Yinyin and Li Huanyu weren’t athletic, Gu Jingchuan eventually stepped up.
The male contestants won this round.
The third round would decide the victor.
The female team remained Lin Mo and Jiang Wan.
The male team sent Xie Guanyan and Shen Sizhan.
The match was intense and evenly matched.
In the end, Lin Mo secured victory with a powerful smash.
Jiang Wan, overjoyed, hugged her. "Ahhh! We won!! Lin Mo, you’re amazing!"
Lin Mo hugged her back. "No, we’re amazing!"
—"Lin Mo looks so cool playing—her arm muscles are driving me wild!"
—"Xie Guanyan and Shen Sizhan must’ve gone easy on them. How could men lose to women?"
—"Hey, you—turn on the gas, close the windows, and take a nice long nap."
The entire day was spent at the gym, playing tennis in the afternoon.
Everyone was exhausted and had taken quite a few hits.
Back at the lodge, the director announced, "Everyone, go shower and change. Tonight, we’ll relax with a dance party."
About an hour later, all eight guests gathered in the living room.
The staff had transformed the space—buffet-style food and drinks were set up.
The men wore sleek suits; the women, elegant evening gowns.
—"With a little makeup, even Old Gu looks presentable."
—"Wait, how’d he suddenly get as tall as Xie Guanyan?"
—"Director, I’m reporting this—Old Gu’s wearing stilts at the dance!"
The director raised his megaphone. "You may invite partners to dance, but eye contact costs five hits."
The moment he said it, all the guests instantly switched to sidelong glances.
——"It's like a gathering of idiots."
Lin Mo was starving and had little interest in dancing.
Holding up the hem of her dress, she shot a sidelong glance and dashed toward the buffet area.
Shen Sizhan followed close behind her.
Li Huanyu approached Xie Guanyan, intending to ask him for a dance.
Yet Xie Guanyan also headed straight for the food section.
Li Huanyu: "..."
Qiao Yinyin clutched a glass of orange juice in both hands, her fingers turning white from the tight grip as she stared at Shen Sizhan.
Turning away, she noticed her manager, Zhou Sheng, watching her intently.
Taking a deep breath, she carried the orange juice toward the kitchen.
The living room was under live broadcast with fixed cameras.
Zhou Sheng avoided the cameras and followed her into the kitchen.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Qiao Yinyin pouring the orange juice down the sink.
Furious, he slapped her without hesitation.
"Smack!"
A red mark bloomed on Qiao Yinyin’s cheek, her wide eyes instantly welling with tears.
But she made no sound.
Zhou Sheng gritted his teeth. "I knew you’d screw this up! Useless trash!"
Qiao Yinyin covered her face. "I’m sorry, Brother Zhou. I just… can’t do it."
Zhou Sheng sneered. "President Dai and his son have had their eyes on you for ages. Once this variety show wraps up, you’re going to entertain them."
Fear flashed in Qiao Yinyin’s eyes as she grabbed Zhou Sheng’s arm, pleading in a whisper, "Brother Zhou, please… I don’t want to—"
Zhou Sheng shook her off and stormed out of the kitchen.
It took Qiao Yinyin a long moment to steady herself before she finally lowered her head and slipped out, heading to the bathroom.
After covering the slap mark with foundation, she emerged, her gaze lingering on Lin Mo, unmoving.
