The resounding slap echoed in Xie Guanyan’s ears.
His mind replayed the words the young girl had just spoken.
"From now on, you’re not alone."
"If anyone bullies you, I’ll always stand by your side."
A tidal wave of joy and excitement surged through him, threatening to drown him. His fingertips trembled, and his nose tingled with emotion.
Shan Shan didn’t despise him.
Shan Shan firmly stood with him.
The brightest sun in the sky had once again shone upon him, who had been hiding in the shadows.
How fortunate he was.
Xie Guanyan’s deep eyes fixed on the radiant, delicate girl before him, his gaze growing increasingly red-rimmed.
He wanted so badly to hold her, kiss her, and—
Gu Jingzhou, on the other hand, was left reeling from the slap, his ears ringing.
He had never suffered such humiliation before.
With a loud, choked sob, he let out a sound resembling a bull’s bellow.
Zhang Meixia’s heart ached for her son, her face darkening with fury as she stepped forward. "Who do you think you are? How dare you hit my son!"
She raised her hand to strike Lin Mo—
But multiple hands shot out to stop her.
Xie Guanyan’s eyes were icy with menace. "Get lost."
Shen Sizhan smirked arrogantly. "Lay a finger on my sister, and I’ll beat your son to a pulp!"
Gu Jingchuan intervened, "Mom, forget it! Jingzhou’s skin is thick anyway."
Gu Jingzhou himself held her back, adding, "Mom, don’t hit Lin Mo! If you want to hit someone, hit big brother!"
Gu Jingchuan: "..."
Others who had wanted to step in didn’t even get the chance—Zhang Meixia’s arm was already swarmed with restraining hands.
The surrounding crowd glared at her with hostility.
Even the director bared his teeth in warning.
Her rage boiled over, but she had no choice but to suppress it. "Let go of me!"
This troublemaker wasn’t worth the trouble!
Since she was doomed anyway, why bother over one slap?
Slap! Slap!
Before Zhang Meixia could even finish consoling herself, two sharp slaps landed on her face.
"Dare to lay a hand on my Mo Mo? I’ll slap you dead!" Auntie Zhen planted her hands on her hips and shouted.
Lin Mo’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Auntie Zhen, you’re so cool! I love it!"
Zhang Meixia didn’t recognize this woman at all and was momentarily stunned, her face burning.
Gu Jingchuan, furious that someone had dared to strike his mother, clenched his fists.
Shen Ji'an also stepped forward, his fists tight.
The tall, buzz-cut young man had sharp brows and piercing eyes, his entire aura dark and menacing.
Gu Jingchuan smoothly turned around. "Mom, let’s be the bigger people here. No need to stoop to their level!"
Zhang Meixia’s face twisted with rage.
This useless eldest son!
Back when Xie Guanyan had attempted suicide at home, he had been the one to call an ambulance.
Absolutely worthless!
She gritted her teeth, itching to retaliate against that woman, but Gu Song held her back.
"Let it go!"
Gu Song didn’t want to offend Lin Mo.
After all, Xie Guanyan’s girlfriend would soon be his daughter-in-law.
He needed to stay on good terms.
Maybe she could put in a good word for him with Xie Guanyan.
Zhang Meixia seethed with resentment. "Gu Song! You’re siding with outsiders?!"
Gu Song frowned. "Lin Mo isn’t exactly an outsider."
A deep voice suddenly cut in. "You old fool, thinking you can just waltz back into Xie Guanyan’s life now? Keep dreaming!"
Everyone turned to see Huo Tingshen—now maskless—standing there.
It seemed he had fully embraced his role as a male model waiter.
Gu Song paled, baffled as to why Huo Tingshen would speak up for Xie Guanyan.
Weren’t they still embroiled in a lawsuit?
With a top-tier tycoon weighing in, the crowd buzzed with whispers.
"Is Chairman Gu trying to ride on President Xie’s coattails?"
"Back when President Xie was just starting his business, where was the Gu family then?"
"Your intentions are obvious, old man. Don’t embarrass yourself!"
Xu Yan had been silently observing the chaos. Now, she turned to Gu Jingzhou and remarked coolly, "Your father fooled around with women. What does that make you?"
Gu Jingzhou: "..."
Seeing that the situation had mostly settled, the director stepped forward. "Our show doesn’t welcome your family. Please leave!"
The group stared at the pitch-black sea. "..."
The director added, "We have a small raft ready for you. Please depart!"
A cold glint flashed in Zhang Meixia’s eyes before she forced a smile. "Director, the wind’s picking up. We’ll keep quiet from now on."
There was still a show to watch—no way they were leaving now!
The director warned sternly, "No more disruptions!!"
He was truly losing his mind!
The live stream of No Love Villa suddenly cut out.
It quickly trended on social media.
About ten minutes later, the broadcast resumed.
Countless viewers flooded back in.
The director explained, "The wind on deck was too strong—it knocked out our signal. Our apologies!"
—"Why does Wu Gui look like he’s about to cry?"
—"Probably from the sea breeze."
—"At night, it’s a land breeze!"
The games resumed, and the three-legged race soon reignited the lively atmosphere.
Shen Ji'an and Zhao Zixin took first place.
Zhao Zixin, thrilled, hugged Shen Ji'an. "Haha, we won!"
Shen Ji'an’s face instantly turned scarlet, his ears burning.
As they stepped down, Huang Mao stared at him. "Boss, you’ve got your first love pimple!"
Shen Ji'an smacked him on the head. "Read more books, idiot! It’s ‘first love,’ not ‘first pimple’!"
Huang Mao grinned. "So you admit it!"
Shen Ji'an: "..."
Since the yacht didn’t have two-bedroom suites, the "Sweet Bedroom" segment was canceled.
The director had always regretted that no one danced during the last ball.
Tonight, he would make up for it.
"For tonight’s voting segment, the audience will pair our guests into dance partners. Based on the female guests, the male guest with the highest votes will dance with her! Quick voting—one minute!"
The results came swiftly.
The director announced: "Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan, Gu Jingchuan and Li Huanyu, Shen Sizhan and Qiao Yinyin, Xu Yan and Jiang Wan!"
—"Sweet-tooth shippers, assemble!"
—"Enemies-to-lovers shippers, gather!"
The director added, "Everyone can join in the dancing!"
This time, Huo Tingshen didn’t hesitate. He approached Zhao Ziling. "May I have this dance?"
Zhao Ziling took the hand of a male model waiter instead. "Sorry, I already have a partner!"
Huo Tingshen’s veins bulged. "Zhao Ziling, am I not way hotter than him? He’s got small eyes, a flat nose, and a weird mouth—total eyesore!"
The male model waiter: "..."
Zhao Ziling raised a brow. "But he’s cheng cheng!"
Huo Tingshen frowned. "What does that mean?"
Zhao Ziling shrugged. "See? We’ve got a generation gap."
Huo Tingshen’s temple throbbed. He wanted to look it up but didn’t want to lose face.
Unable to persuade Zhao Ziling, he shot a death glare at the waiter.
The waiter shivered and clutched his stomach. "Sorry, miss, I feel sick—gotta puke!"
Knowing Huo Tingshen’s intimidation was too much, Zhao Ziling let him go without protest.
"Now, will you dance with me?" Huo Tingshen asked.
He rarely used such a pleading tone.
Zhao Ziling wasn’t blind to his intentions.
He wanted to get back together.
She picked up a champagne flute, the sea breeze tousling her wavy hair. After a sip, she replied coolly, "It’s over, Huo Tingshen. There’s no going back."
This time, Xie Guanyan danced exceptionally well, as if he had specifically trained for it—his improvement was remarkable.
The two of them moved in perfect sync, their steps impeccably precise.
After all, whenever their movements edged toward intimacy, Shen Sizhan and Qiao Yinyin would suddenly appear beside them, breaking into a thunderous tap dance.
Their stomping was so loud it seemed they were trying to kick a hole straight through the deck.
Lin Mo and Xie Guanyan had no choice but to relent.
Meanwhile, Gu Jingchuan’s mind was clearly elsewhere—his dancing was an absolute mess.
Li Huanyu rolled her eyes at him. "If you’re so fidgety, go take a shower!"
Gu Jingchuan fumed. "You dance like a ninety-year-old grandma!"
And just like that, they were bickering again.
Amidst this warm and lively atmosphere, the livestream drew to a close.
The director let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness! Though there had been a few minor mishaps tonight, everything had stayed within manageable limits.
He turned and high-fived the assistant director.
"Yes! Bless the heavens—crisis averted!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone on the deck suddenly yanked open their jacket and screamed, "Ahhhh! I’m going to blow everyone up!"
