The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The wooden prayer plaque, caught in the gale, flipped and tumbled in a breathtaking arc.

Then, with a "thud," it crashed solidly into the rough trunk of the ginkgo tree.

The side that Jiang Ruoyun had been tightly covering up and hiding was now exposed to the air without reservation.

The production crew's dutiful ultra-high-definition camera precisely zoomed in almost the exact same second the sign flipped.

A close-up macro shot was instantly projected onto the giant screen of a live stream with tens of millions of viewers.

The slender, elegant characters on the wooden sign were not yet completely dry, and gleamed faintly with an ink-like sheen in the sunlight.

However, in stark contrast to the decisive and ruthless handwriting was a prayer that was gentle to the core.

May Lin Mo live the rest of his life freely and have all his wishes fulfilled.

She didn't mention herself, nor did she write any cliché wishes like praying for sudden wealth or eternal youth.

Even on this prayer plaque, the only one she ever wrote by hand in her life, there wasn't a single greedy phrase like "I hope we can be together forever."

Fourteen simple characters, every single one of them, are Lin Mo.

They were all praying that this man, who always seemed lazy and indifferent, could break free from his shackles and gain true freedom.

At that moment, the chat in the live stream froze for a strange three seconds.

Immediately afterwards, a deluge of text, like a tsunami, completely engulfed the entire screen.

[Holy crap... I'm 1.9 meters tall, and seeing this in an internet cafe, tears just streamed down my face!]

[The young lady knows! She knows everything! Suspected of being secretly promoted by the Bureau of Certification!]

She knew he wanted to withdraw from the competition because he didn't want to hold others back, so her wish was for his freedom!

[He didn't write about himself, only wishing for his freedom... What kind of divine pure love is this?! The God of Pure Love collapsed to the ground!]

[Lin Shen, you're blind! Look at this! Such a perfect girl, if you dare to let her down, I'll go through the internet and strangle you!]

[This damn contrast! The handwriting is so sharp it could kill, yet the words it conveys are so soft they could break your heart!]

Is this the ultimate in Chinese romance? I can't take it anymore! Bring the Civil Affairs Bureau over here right now!

At this moment, Lin Mo, standing under the ginkgo tree, was frozen in place as if he had been frozen in place by a spell.

He turned his head, easily piercing through the falling golden leaves, and clearly etched the fourteen characters on the wooden sign into his retina.

"Buzz—"

In Lin Mo's mind, it was as if an ancient bell had been struck heavily, emitting a loud roar.

His seemingly impeccable facade of languor was easily shattered by these fourteen words.

What is this?

Lin Mo gave a bitter, desperate laugh to himself.

He always felt like an unlucky guy with a lot of problems: the pit his ex dug, the huge breach of contract fee of five million, and the domineering contract with Xingyao Entertainment that could collapse at any time.

He desperately wanted to give up and escape this world of fame and fortune because he knew that he couldn't give this billionaire heiress any promises.

He didn't want to sully her pure white feathers with his own muddy mess.

But now...

That idiot!

She didn't want him to take responsibility, she didn't want him to make promises, she just wanted him... freedom.

Lin Mo's hands, hanging at his sides, trembled slightly uncontrollably before he clenched his fists tightly.

The knuckles had turned a dull, bluish-white color due to excessive force.

His heart, hardened like stone by the harsh realities of life, felt as if it were being gripped tightly in someone's hand.

It was kneaded until it felt sore and swollen, yet it was also frighteningly hot.

"Jiang Ruoyun..."

Lin Mo sighed helplessly in his heart.

What am I supposed to do with you?

How can I repay this pure devotion that is all I see, this unconditional favoritism?

Lin Mo slowly turned his head, his deep gaze piercing through the swirling ginkgo leaves, fixing intently on the girl not far away.

His eyes were churning with an unprecedented intensity of emotion, as if he wanted to completely devour the person in front of him.

Jiang Ruoyun also heard the sound of the wooden plaque flipping over.

She turned around in a panic, only to meet Lin Mo's dark eyes, which were filled with complex emotions.

Oh no, he saw it.

Jiang Ruoyun's cheeks instantly turned as red as if they were about to bleed.

She nervously clutched the hem of her floral maxi dress, like a child caught doing something wrong.

Standing awkwardly in place, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

However, when she saw the barely contained repression and deep affection in Lin Mo's eyes...

This usually arrogant young lady did not choose to run away.

She bit her rosy lower lip, trying to suppress the pounding in her heart.

Meeting Lin Mo's gaze, she looked back with exceptional seriousness and stubbornness.

The two stood a few steps apart, gazing at each other for a long time in the tranquil courtyard of the ancient temple.

The temperature in the air seemed to be skyrocketing exponentially.

The ambiguous tension between them was almost enough to spark a real flame.

Lin Mo took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with difficulty.

Screw the five million in breach of contract penalty!

Screw reason and restraint!

Even if I have to risk my life today, I will never let go of her hand again!

Lin Mo's eyes instantly became incredibly determined and dangerous. He strode forward, heading straight towards Jiang Ruoyun.

At this moment, all defenses completely collapsed.

Just as Lin Mo was about to walk up to Jiang Ruoyun and was about to say something,

"Holy crap! I'm exhausted! Is this awful mountain path even fit for a human?!"

A sharp, vulgar, and extremely disruptive curse suddenly came from below the stone steps on the side of the main hall.

The sudden noise was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the romantic atmosphere that had been carefully cultivated in the courtyard.

Jiang Ruoyun was startled and instinctively took half a step back, like a frightened deer.

Lin Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head, a terrifying, icy killing intent flashing in his eyes, and coldly swept his gaze toward the direction from which the sound came.

At the end of the stone steps, a disheveled and comical figure was panting as he climbed upwards.

That man was Zhao Kuo.

Because his Ferrari sports car, worth tens of millions, broke down completely halfway up the mountain, this arrogant rich kid had no choice but to grit his teeth and climb the mountain.

He braved the muddy ground left by the previous night's downpour and climbed up to the ancient Haishan Temple.

At this moment, Zhao Kuo was nowhere to be seen as the elite returnee from Clayton University.

His custom-made Armani suit, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, was now covered in yellowish-brown mud, looking even more pathetic than a rag.

The Italian handmade leather shoes she was wearing were in a terrible state, with a few unknown weeds even hanging from the soles.

The carefully styled hair was ruined by sweat and mud.

Strands of hair stuck to his forehead, making him look like a wild man who had just crawled out of a sewer.

"Huff... huff..."

Zhao Kuo braced himself on his knees, panting heavily, his lungs feeling like they were about to explode.

When he looked up, he saw Lin Mo and Jiang Ruoyun standing under the ginkgo tree, completely clean, not a single piece of their clothing was dirty.

The jealousy and anger in his eyes erupted like a volcano in an instant.

This poor bastard riding a beat-up old bicycle is standing here clean and tidy, talking about love with a top-notch heiress like Jiang Ruoyun?!

"Lin Mo!!!"

Zhao Kuo roared through gritted teeth, his features contorted with jealousy and rage.

He dragged his leaden legs and rushed over in a fit of rage, his trembling fingers almost poking Lin Mo's nose.

"That muddy road, did you already know my sports car couldn't get through?! Were you deliberately trying to make a fool of me?!"

Zhao Kuo barked wildly and waved his mud-covered arms, trying to regain even the slightest bit of dignity in front of Jiang Ruoyun.

However, he was met with a deathly silence.

Lin Mo didn't even twitch an eyebrow.

He looked at it like it was a mentally challenged monkey struggling to perform acrobatics, his eyes showing neither anger nor mockery.

Only the most extreme form of indifference, as if looking at air.

To say even a single word to this clown is an insult to Lin Mo's exceptional hands.

Lin Mo turned around gracefully, her movements gentle yet carrying an absolutely irresistible domineering air.

Lin Mo stretched out his large, well-defined hand and firmly grasped Jiang Ruoyun's fair and soft hand in his palm.

Their fingers were intertwined, perfectly aligned.

Jiang Ruoyun trembled violently, but she did not struggle. Instead, her face flushed, and she obediently let him lead her.

Lin Mo turned his head to the side, his voice so gentle it could melt hearts, yet it carried an infuriatingly lazy quality.

"Let's go, young lady."

"After we finish our vegetarian meal, we'll head to our next destination."

After saying that, Lin Mo didn't even glance at Zhao Kuo again.

He took Jiang Ruoyun's hand, completely ignoring the wild man who reeked of mud, and walked straight towards the stone steps behind the main hall.

At this moment, all the live streaming rooms across the internet were completely engulfed in the peak of the carnival.

The barrage of comments was practically bursting the screen.

[Aaaaaaah! They held hands! Lin Shen took the initiative to hold hands! I hereby declare that I agree to this marriage!]

[That's real domineering protection of his wife! He didn't waste a single word with the clown, directly asserting his ownership! Lin Shen is so damn cool!]

[Zhao the Clown, hahaha! He's a true clown! He spent hundreds of thousands renting a Ferrari, only to end up covered in mud while hiking, and Lin Shen didn't even acknowledge him!]

[A dog is barking! It's so noisy! Hahaha, Lin Shen's mouth is truly amazing, he can kill without a knife!]

[I feel sorry for Young Master Zhao for just one second! Look at his humiliated expression, doesn't it look like he swallowed ten flies?]

Zhao Kuo stood stiffly in place, maintaining the comical gesture of pointing at people.

He watched helplessly as Lin Mo and Jiang Ruoyun walked further and further away, their fingers intertwined, the cruel mockery still echoing in his ears.

He kicked the stone pillar beside him angrily, but his toe slammed hard against the stone, causing him to hop around on one leg while clutching his foot and letting out a miserable howl.

After having lunch at the temple, Lin Mo naturally took Jiang Ruoyun's hand and walked up the winding bluestone steps behind the temple.

The midday sun shone down without reservation, making the sea surface sparkle.

The slightly salty sea breeze ruffled their hair, and their palms clasped together, sharing each other's burning body heat.

At the end of the stone steps lies the highest point of this island.