The guests soon arrived on the deck.
By now, the yacht had sailed far from the shore, leaving nothing but darkness in sight.
The day had been warm, making the night breeze over the sea exceptionally pleasant.
The salty sea air filled Lin Mo’s lungs, lifting her spirits.
Even though she still hadn’t uncovered who was behind the attempts on her life,
her family, lover, and friends were all by her side, and every bodyguard present had been handpicked by Xie Guanyan from a top-tier security firm.
She did feel a twinge of fear.
Not knowing who the culprit was or whether they would strike today weighed on her.
After careful consideration, she realized the person targeting her must know her well.
Otherwise, how would they know about her insomnia?
Very few people were aware of her sleep disorder—
her three younger brothers, former household staff, her best friend, and that was it.
Well, there was also Gu Jingchuan.
Back in their senior year of high school, when academic pressure mounted, she tried dorm life but collapsed from three sleepless nights and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
Gu Jingchuan had skipped class to visit her immediately after hearing the news, learning about her condition from the doctor.
But while Gu Jingchuan was sleazy and obnoxious, he wasn’t the type to kill her just because he couldn’t have her.
Especially not on the first day they started dating at eighteen.
If that incident had truly been orchestrated,
whoever tampered with her car must have either infiltrated her family’s villa or been one of the staff.
A break-in seemed unlikely.
Back then, to guard against her uncle, the villa’s walls had been fitted with electric fencing.
The more plausible scenario was that a servant had been bribed.
Lin Mo had always treated the staff well—why would they want her dead?
But faced with enough money, even the most loyal might turn.
Eleven years had passed since then, and too much had happened. She’d long lost contact with the servants from that time.
If the culprit didn’t make a move in the next two days, she’d take the initiative to track down those former staff members.
For now, though, the sea breeze was refreshing, and her mood was light.
No use borrowing trouble—worrying prematurely was like eating crap on credit.
Just as she was savoring the wind,
a deep voice called her name.
She turned to see Huo Tingshen, wearing a mask.
“Did you need something?”
Huo Tingshen’s tone was awkward. “There’s something I want to say to you.”
The wind tousled Lin Mo’s hair as she tucked it behind her ear. “Go on.”
Huo Tingshen glanced at the crowd nearby. “Step aside for a moment!”
Lin Mo rolled her eyes at his need for privacy but obliged, moving a few steps away. “Hurry up. The director might call for me soon.”
Huo Tingshen had just fetched a bruise-relief ointment from the yacht’s infirmary for Zhao Ziling.
But she’d refused it.
She was rejecting even his concern now!
After much deliberation, he could only turn to Lin Mo.
Zhao Ziling was unusually close to this brat.
At this point, he’d already humiliated his ancestors eighteen generations over.
His parents, having heard of his antics, had been blowing up his phone—he’d shut it off entirely.
“Give this to Zhao Ziling.”
He handed the ointment to Lin Mo, his usual domineering tone absent. “And… I wanted to ask—do you think there’s still a chance for me and Zhao Ziling?”
Just then, Xie Guanyan noticed Lin Mo’s absence and approached.
Spotting him, Lin Mo immediately laced her fingers with his slender ones and smirked at Huo Tingshen. “A chance? Sure—the circus has a spot for you.”
Xie Guanyan squeezed her hand in return, lifting it to brush a kiss against her knuckles.
Huo Tingshen’s brief hope at her first two words evaporated into irritation.
Now, watching Xie Guanyan kiss Lin Mo’s hand, he rolled his eyes hard enough to sail three nautical miles.
“Xie Guanyan, have some decency! There’s someone else here!”
Xie Guanyan’s reply was lazy. “I’m the one who should be complaining. You’re interrupting my time with my girlfriend.”
Lin Mo, still feeling the warmth of his lips on her skin, grinned. “Yeah, what’s with the attitude toward my boyfriend?”
Huo Tingshen seriously considered throwing himself overboard.
Were these two ganging up on him just because he was single?
Swallowing his anger, he pressed on. “But without me, Zhao Ziling’s life is a mess! She hurt her foot, and no one’s even taking care of her!”
Lin Mo had noticed Zhao Ziling’s sprained ankle earlier.
For a dancer, it was nothing unusual.
The two of them had endured far worse injuries growing up.
A little ointment and time would fix it.
She leveled a look at Huo Tingshen. “Let me put it this way: Zhao Ziling losing you is like geography losing Li Bowei. You probably don’t know him—he was my classmate. When the teacher asked how to improve soil fertility, his answer was ‘Promote burials!’”
Huo Tingshen: “…”
He was truly out of options.
Lately, he hadn’t been sleeping well—no amount of foot-soaking helped.
Taking a deep breath, he admitted, “I know my problem is being too controlling, but I don’t know how to fix it!”
Lin Mo: “Then control your appetite instead.”
“Or your foot-soaking obsession.”
A vein throbbed at Huo Tingshen’s temple. “Soaking your feet is healthy! Look it up—it’s good for you!”
“You should try it too.”
Lin Mo gave him a thumbs-up. “I hereby crown you the Ambassador of Foot-Soaking!”
Despite her teasing, she could see Huo Tingshen genuinely cared for Zhao Ziling. Pocketing the ointment, she offered real advice. “Loving someone starts with respecting their autonomy.”
“Life’s a giant playground. You should want her to enjoy it freely.”
The wind ruffled Huo Tingshen’s short hair—and his composure.
Eyes downcast, he murmured, “I… I’ll work on changing. Could you put in a good word for me with Zhao Ziling?”
Lin Mo shook her head. “No.”
Huo Tingshen: “I’ll pay you 100,000.”
Lin Mo: “On second thought…”
Only a fool would turn down easy money. The moment the transfer cleared, Lin Mo sprang into action.
She called Zhao Ziling over from where she was chatting with Jiang Wan at the center of the crowd.
Huo Tingshen hadn’t expected such efficiency—his heart pounded wildly.
Lin Mo handed Zhao Ziling the ointment. “For your ankle. Oh, and—good words.”
Zhao Ziling: “???”
Huo Tingshen: “…”
Damn it! He should’ve known this brat would half-ass it!
“All guests, gather up!” The director’s megaphone blared.
Lin Mo giggled, winking at Zhao Ziling before tugging Xie Guanyan toward the group, their yellow dress and white shirt fluttering in sync.
Meanwhile, the red-clad beauty and the masked man stood close yet worlds apart, the chasm between them as vast as the East African Rift.
As the guests assembled,
the director announced, “There are plenty of games to play on deck. The next one still requires pairs—find your partners!”
This time, Zhao Zixin didn’t wait to invite Shen Ji’an.
To her surprise, he asked first, “Want to go?”
Zhao Zixin blinked. “Huh?”
Was he back to normal?
Shen Ji’an took her wrist. “Let’s go, then.”
Nearby, a certain blond narrowed his eyes.
Seems the boss has a new development.
It was almost 9 p.m.
The party had been underway for two hours now.
Gu Jingzhou lingered at the edges, quietly watching his parents and older brother enjoy themselves.
His usually stern mother had laughed more tonight than he’d seen in years.
He was always the outsider.
For years under his mother's strict control, basketball had been his only escape besides studying.
Even with basketball, his mother demanded nothing short of excellence.
So he became the captain of the school team.
During the last inter-school match, under his leadership, First High lost to Third High.
When he returned home, his mother made him kneel for hours as punishment.
He hated Shen Ji'an!
So he paid Shen Ji'an's rival from First High to beat him up—preferably hard enough to end his basketball career.
But it failed.
The guy he hired nearly got expelled.
Later, Shen Ji'an transferred to First High, introduced as Lin Mo's younger brother.
At first, he assumed they weren’t blood-related.
But after observing them, he realized they were.
He still disliked him, but the hatred faded.
After all, this was Lin Mo's brother.
Lin Mo—such a radiant, beautiful girl.
Now the party was about to end, and he couldn’t stand remaining an outsider!
Clenching his fists, he strode toward the center.
Gu Jingchuan frowned at his approach. "What’s a kid like you doing up here? Get lost!"
Ignoring him, Gu Jingzhou walked straight to Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, can I join you? The director never said guests couldn’t team up with the cast!"
Lin Mo’s brows furrowed slightly. "I don’t want to team up with you."
Gu Jingzhou was so furious he could scream, blood rushing to his head. "Lin Mo, my brother’s a bald, stingy loser who doesn’t deserve you! And Xie Guanyan? He’s just a lowborn bastard!"
