The blackout lasted no more than three minutes.
The live stream cut out due to the lost connection, and when it resumed, the barrage of comments flooded in nonstop.
—"Scared the hell out of me! What happened? Thought everything had gone dark for good."
—"It was pitch black just now—did the lovebirds sneakily hold hands behind our backs?"
—"Everyone was caught off guard; no one had the mind for that."
The director apologized to everyone, "Sorry about that, folks. It was just a tripped circuit breaker."
With his wealth of experience in filming shows, he immediately rushed to check the electrical panel.
Sharp as he was, he guessed right.
But the villa wasn’t using any heavy-duty appliances at the moment—why would it suddenly trip?
He’d have someone inspect the wiring later.
"Alright, everyone, let’s get back to… well, not eating, but dancing!"
Lin Mo finished a glass of orange juice, her breathing gradually steadying.
She glanced up, stealing a sidelong look at Xie Guanyan.
The guy was also holding a glass of orange juice, sipping it like a tactical retreat.
Tonight, he was dressed in a white casual suit, exuding effortless charm.
His tall nose bridge was free of glasses, making the tiny mole at the tip stand out even more, amplifying his refined, almost untouchable allure.
His ears were faintly red, adding a sinful kind of beauty.
Thinking back to that kiss just now, Lin Mo felt her spine tingle.
Who would’ve thought someone so composed and gentle would kiss her under such circumstances?
But she was determined to resist such temptations!
Xie Guanyan gripped his glass, his breathing uneven, fingertips tingling.
Filming this show was pure torture for him.
Every cell in his body screamed to pull Lin Mo into his arms and kiss her senseless.
So when the lights went out, he’d lunged like a shark catching the scent of blood, closing the distance between them with unerring precision.
But the lights came back on far too soon.
After pulling away, his throat felt parched and itchy, prompting him to grab the nearest glass of orange juice.
The sweet-tart taste did nothing to mask the lingering fragrance of her on his lips.
He ran his tongue over them, then took another sip from the glass, his slender fingers tightening around it.
Xu Yan glanced between Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan, sensing something off about both of them.
Had something happened just now?
Gu Jingchuan was also watching them, his expression sour.
Xie Guanyan was such a copycat—wearing green because Lin Mo did, drinking orange juice because she was!
Gu Jingchuan strode forward. "Lin Mo, dance with me. Remember how we performed that dance drama together at the freshman welcome party?"
Hah! Did Xie Guanyan have memories like that?
Lin Mo thought for a moment, then eyed the hairpiece on Gu Jingchuan’s head. "You mean when you played the tree?"
Gu Jingchuan choked. "You’ve got it wrong. We were the leads."
Through his assistant, Gu Jingchuan knew netizens had dug up his past relationship with Lin Mo.
Not that it bothered him—his playboy persona was well-established in the entertainment industry.
Now, if he could rekindle things with Lin Mo, the audience might eat it up.
Shen Sizhan noticed Gu Jingchuan wasn’t even pretending anymore and snapped coldly, "My sister isn’t dancing with you. Get lost."
Gu Jingchuan’s eyes flared with anger. "Shen Sizhan, my patience with you has limits!"
He’d endured a full day of verbal lashings from Shen Sizhan at the gym, biting his tongue out of respect for Lin Mo.
—"What’s Shen Sizhan’s problem? Even if Gu Jingchuan pursued his sister, it’s not like he’s done anything wrong!"
—"Seriously, he’s so annoying!"
—"If you don’t like watching, gouge your eyes out."
The director now understood why Shen Sizhan knew so much about Gu Jingchuan.
Given the online revelations, their history ran deep.
Just as Shen Sizhan was about to retort, Lin Mo pinched his lips shut. "Enough, enough."
Seeing Lin Mo defend him, Gu Jingchuan’s grievances surged, his eyes nearly welling up. "Shen Sizhan, I genuinely don’t know what I did to you. You’ve been targeting me since we were kids."
With his sister stepping in, Shen Sizhan had planned to drop it—but now he couldn’t hold back. Gently removing Lin Mo’s hand, he hissed, "You don’t remember? The first time you came to my house to see my sister, you left three pounds of crap in the toilet and didn’t flush!"
The entire room fell silent.
"Pfft—!"
Jiang Wan spat her water out through her nose.
Lin Mo’s brain short-circuited as she desperately scanned the floor for a hole to crawl into.
Gu Jingchuan’s face darkened like the King of Hell himself. "That’s slander! I flushed—it just didn’t go down!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake.
Damn it! Shen Sizhan had driven him to insanity!
—"Gu Jingchuan, what the hell? Now I get why Shen Sizhan’s always on his case!"
—"The real pain goes unspoken. It can’t just be about this. I went to high school and college with Gu Jingchuan. Lin Mo died the day after accepting his confession—on their way to a date. A month after her death, Gu Jingchuan was already dating someone new."
—"My heart breaks for Shen Sizhan. Losing his sister, then watching her ex move on instantly… He’s avenging her."
—"Doubt Shen Sizhan, understand Shen Sizhan, become Shen Sizhan."
—"It’s normal to move on after someone dies, but leaving three pounds of unflushed crap? Beat him to death!"
Xu Yan had also learned about Lin Mo and Gu Jingchuan’s past online.
Gu Jingchuan was lucky.
His gaze flickered as he extended a hand to Shen Sizhan. "Let’s get acquainted. I’m the nephew of your sister’s dance teacher. I’ve known her since we were kids."
Shen Sizhan gave him a once-over, his tone dripping with disdain. "Don’t care who you are. You can get lost too."
Xu Yan: "..."
Shen Sizhan had long noticed Xu Yan’s interest in his sister.
The guy had been staring at her all day, indirectly causing her to get hit multiple times.
No good at all!
—"Clearly, Shen Sizhan has PTSD around any man near his sister."
—"She’s just his sister. He’s been dragged through the mud on social media multiple times because of her. Is it worth it?"
—"Go read that old Beijing Daily interview with Lin Mo. She was one of four siblings. When their parents died in a plane crash, fourteen-year-old Lin Mo raised her three brothers alone. Oh, and in that interview, Shen Sizhan was spinning on his head like a top in the background."
—"She was their eldest sister, their parent, their unshakable pillar."
—"And she still aced the national college entrance exam? A woman among women, an eagle among eagles!"
The internet erupted with another wave of deep dives.
For other celebrities, such investigations might dig up scandals—but Shen Sizhan’s past was just a series of hilarious antics.
For other ordinary people, it might uncover tragedies—but Lin Mo’s hardships only made her shine brighter.
In interviews, she was poised, radiant, and full of life.
Every hardship became a stepping stone in her journey.
At eighteen, her ambition soared as high as the sky—as if she could grasp anything she desired.
No one could’ve predicted her fall would come so soon.
Now, netizens were tearing into Gu Jingchuan.
Some criticized him for moving on too quickly, heartlessly.
Others slammed him for stringing along Li Huanyu with their flirty CP antics while still clinging to his first love. What a scumbag!
A playboy persona meant multiple relationships—not juggling several at once.
Besides, the "bad boy" trope had been losing its appeal lately.
The online storm raged on, though the guests on set remained unaware.
Gu Jingchuan thought Shen Sizhan was nothing short of a rabid dog, snapping at anyone in sight.
Xu Yan glanced at Xie Guanyan, who stood composed and silent, exuding an air of quiet dignity.
Wasn’t he supposed to be in love with Lin Mo?
Why wasn’t he fighting for her?
Qiao Yinyin stood a short distance away, her large eyes swirling with unreadable emotions.
The sudden blackout just now—it had to be Zhou Sheng’s doing.
He was extreme, the kind of man who never backed down.
He must have drugged Shen Sizhan’s drink himself.
But then she saw Shen Sizhan hand his orange juice to Lin Mo.
Qiao Yinyin’s heart pounded violently, her mind buzzing like a swarm of bees.
She never meant to hurt anyone. She’d been stalling, refusing, doing everything she could to delay.
But Zhou Sheng wouldn’t let her go.
He already had dirt on her, and now he was threatening to hand her over to President Dai and his son.
Those two were monsters with power—no actress who crossed their path ever came out unscathed.
That starlet who’d recently committed suicide? They said it was depression, but everyone knew the truth.
She couldn’t even imagine what they’d do to her.
Zhou Sheng would come for her soon, offering false promises of mercy if she obeyed.
But that orange juice—it had gone to the beautiful Lin Mo instead.
Zhou Sheng must have seen it too.
What if he sent a man to her room tonight?
Lin Mo would be completely defenseless.
Qiao Yinyin trembled uncontrollably, her legs threatening to give way.
Two seconds later, she strode straight toward Lin Mo.
