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

Under the glaring incandescent light, everyone seemed frozen in place, staring blankly at the sudden intruder at the door.

Jiang Ruoyun's chest heaved violently.

She wasn't actually asleep at all.

From the moment Lin Mo quietly got up in the middle of the night and left the Heartbeat House alone, she followed him as if possessed.

She walked barefoot on the cold wooden floor, and in the dimly lit corridor outside the door, she could hear the conversation inside the house clearly.

She heard the disgusting, arrogant threats of capital.

And then I heard about that man who usually only cooked noodles with lard and did everything very slowly.

In order to prevent her from being tainted even slightly by this filthy quagmire, he unhesitatingly chose to shoulder the burden of five million people alone, a burden that could crush an ordinary person.

At that moment, Jiang Ruoyun felt as if her heart had been gripped tightly, and a wave of bitterness and emotion overwhelmed her completely.

"Snapped!"

Before Zhao Kuo inside the house could recover from his shock...

A card emitting a dark glow, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slammed directly into his face.

The sharp edge of the card grazed Zhao Kuo's cheek, leaving a faint red mark, before landing crisply on the desk piled high with documents.

For Zhao Kuo, who mingled in high society, and the knowledgeable legal assistant beside him, this was a different story.

They were extremely familiar with this thing.

This is not an ordinary VIP bank card at all.

This is the most prestigious financial symbol in Beijing's elite circles, an unlimited black card issued exclusively to the core heirs of the top three wealthiest families in China!

With this card, let alone a mere five million, even buying half of Xingyao Entertainment's shares on the spot would be just a matter of swiping a machine.

"Five million, right?"

With a cold expression, Jiang Ruoyun strode over the broken wooden planks on the ground and walked into the monitoring room.

On her fair feet were two completely mismatched slippers: one was a pink plush bunny slipper, and the other was clearly the cheap flip-flop that Lin Mo often wore.

But at this moment, no one dared to laugh at her absurdity.

Because this usually aloof, elegant, and otherworldly young lady from Beijing's elite circles is now exuding a fierce, protective aura.

"I'll pay for it for him!"

Jiang Ruoyun stared intently at Zhao Kuo, her eyes red-rimmed, but her gaze was sharp enough to kill.

"Lin Mo is my man."

"His debts are the debts of my Jiang family."

"Since when did it become your place, you mad dog, to come here and yell at him?!"

This extremely domineering declaration of protecting her husband echoed like thunder in the small room.

The director, who was huddled in the corner, almost collapsed to his knees.

He wished he could plug his ears right then and there.

Good heavens, is this the kind of gossip a small-time variety show director should be listening to?

The richest woman in Beijing's elite circle actually came to smash a black card in the middle of the night for a male guest who was in debt?

If this gets back to Old Master Jiang in Beijing, this island will probably be razed to the ground tomorrow!

Zhao Kuo, who had been hit in the face by the black card, covered his burning cheek and fell into a state of frenzied daze.

He stared intently at the black card on the table, a symbol of endless wealth, and then glanced at Jiang Ruoyun, who stood in front of Lin Mo like a lioness.

An unprecedented sense of humiliation and jealousy instantly broke through his rational defenses.

Why should I?!

He, Zhao Kuo, the heir to a family worth billions and a graduate of a prestigious university, spent tens of millions to invest in this ridiculous dating reality show in order to pursue this woman.

The results of it?

Jiang Ruoyun didn't even bother with the bottle of expensive mineral water he gave her.

Now, she's wearing pajamas, and even her shoes are wrong, showing up in the middle of the night to pay off a penniless guy's debt?!

We're even going to have to use the Jiang family's money to fill the deep hole dug by Lin Mo's gold digger ex-girlfriend?!

"Jiang Ruoyun! Are you crazy?!"

Zhao Kuo's meticulously maintained handsome face was now completely distorted into a mess.

He pointed a trembling finger at Lin Mo, who was standing behind Jiang Ruoyun, his voice sharp as if fingernails were scraping a blackboard.

"Do you know where this five million came from?"

"That was a contract he signed to sell himself into servitude in order to please a shameless gold digger!"

"You, the dignified eldest daughter of the Jiang family, are actually going to use your dowry to clean up someone else's ex-girlfriend's mess?!"

Zhao Kuo's eyes were bloodshot; jealousy had completely robbed him of the dignity of a wealthy young master.

He turned his head sharply and hurled a vicious taunt at Lin Mo.

"Lin Mo! Besides hiding behind women and living off them, what else can you do?!"

"You were acting so righteous just now, saying you'd take responsibility yourself."

"So, all you were doing was waiting for a rich woman to come and rescue you!"

"This is the backbone you're so proud of? It's laughable!"

The harsh curses echoed in the monitoring room.

Jiang Ruoyun was so angry that she trembled all over, her hands clenched into fists.

She didn't care about any ex-girlfriends or how the five million yuan debt came about.

She's stubborn and inflexible.

This man grilled the most delicious fish for her on the deserted island, gave her the warmest coat on a stormy night, and sang her a song under the watchful eyes of the lighthouse.

He gave me all his tenderness and favoritism, so I will absolutely not allow anyone to bully him!

Jiang Ruoyun took a deep breath, just about to retort, when she used her money to shut Zhao Kuo up.

however.

Just then, a large, warm hand suddenly reached out from behind and gently pressed on her thin shoulder.

A faint scent of Chinese herbal soap instantly enveloped her.

Lin Mo moved.

He strode forward with his long, slender legs, his steps steady, past Jiang Ruoyun.

Then, his broad back, like an insurmountable mountain, steadily shielded that slender figure behind him.

Deep within Lin Mo's eyes, a violent tremor was unfolding that went unnoticed by anyone.

This idiot usually finds even peeling shrimp too tiring.

For him, she actually abandoned even the most basic modesty of a girl and the dignity of a wealthy heiress.

In the dead of night, filled with calculations and self-interest, he didn't hesitate to take out all his savings to protect him.

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't moved at all.

But being moved is one thing.

Having lived two lives, Lin Mo possessed in his very bones the absolute pride of a top-tier national hero.

In his past life, he was unparalleled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. High-ranking officials and nobles would spend a fortune just to have a piece of his calligraphy, but he wouldn't even lift an eyelid.

Although all I want in this life is to find an island to lie down and relax, and live a retired life of soaking goji berries early.

But Lin Mo would never take Jiang Ruoyun's money.

It's even more impossible to use the money of a clean and innocent girl to fill the mess dug by the original owner's extremely stupid ex-girlfriend!

This is the bottom line.

It was also the dignity that he, as a man, had to uphold in this relationship.

If he really agrees today and lets Jiang Ruoyun swipe the card.

This originally pure attraction can also be tainted by the stench of capital transactions.

Even if he starves to death on the streets tomorrow, he can still set up a bowl under the overpass to beg for food, or go to Panjiayuan to repair broken porcelain and earn a meager living.

He would never touch this seemingly sweet bowl of soft rice!

Lin Mo's eyes were unusually calm, as deep as a calm ocean.

He completely ignored Zhao Kuo's desperate barking.

Instead, he extended his slender fingers and gently picked up the black card, a symbol of immense wealth, from the pile of documents.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

Lin Mo turned around and faced Jiang Ruoyun.

He looked down at the girl's eyes, which were glistening with tears of anger and grievance.

Lin Mo's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a smile more gentle than ever before.

He took Jiang Ruoyun's cold little hand in his.

The movement was very slow, yet carried an irresistible force, as it shoved the black card back into her palm.

"Lin Mo..."

Jiang Ruoyun was stunned, her voice filled with obvious panic and a nasal tone.

She doesn't understand.

She thought that her actions had hurt the man's pride.

"Take it."

Lin Mo's voice was soft, yet it possessed a wondrous power to calm the mind.

He didn't let go; instead, he slipped the card, along with the girl's hand, into the pocket of her silk nightgown.

Then, Lin Mo raised his right hand, just like he always did in the cabin.

With a hint of indulgence and helplessness, he gently ruffled her messy, smooth long hair.

"good."

Lin Mo's voice was slightly hoarse, revealing a hint of weariness from the late night, but every word was firm and resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

"Don't meddle in men's affairs."

He looked into Jiang Ruoyun's eyes with an unprecedented seriousness.

I appreciate your kind gesture.

"But I can't live off a woman like this."

Lin Mo withdrew his hand, turned his gaze to the deep night outside the corridor, and spoke in a calm but heavy tone.

"If I use your money to fill this cesspool today..."

"From now on, I am no longer worthy to hold your hand."

These words were like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling all the panic and unease in Jiang Ruoyun's heart.

Tears finally streamed down her face uncontrollably, but the corners of her eyes curved into an incredibly bright smile.

She got it.

He wasn't being overly concerned with saving face; he simply wanted to present his best and cleanest self to her.

This is the man she has her eye on.

Even when mired in the mud, their spines remain forever straight, exuding an unparalleled elegance untouched by the dust of the world.

However, this heartwarming scene, in Zhao Kuo's eyes, became the most ridiculous farce in the world.

"Hahahaha!"

Zhao Kuo, like a madman who had watched a bad comedy, suddenly burst into a heart-wrenching, maniacal laugh.

He slammed his fist on the table, laughing so hard that tears were almost streaming down his face.

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"

"Lin Mo, how come I never noticed you were such a good actor before? Even when you're about to die, you're still acting like a Casanova in front of women!"

Zhao Kuo pointed at Lin Mo's nose, his face full of arrogance and disdain.

In the eyes of a capitalist like him, there is no dignity that money cannot buy.

Lin Mo's current refusal of the black card is nothing more than the impotent rage of a poor, pretentious intellectual; he's just suffering for the sake of saving face!

"So you're saying you won't live off a woman! So you're not worthy of holding hands with me!"

Zhao Kuo's tone suddenly turned icy cold, his eyes filled with venom as if he wanted to tear Lin Mo to pieces.

"Since you're so bold..."

"Then I'll open my eyes wide and take a good look!"

"Let's see how you're going to pay back that five million in cash tomorrow!"

Zhao Kuo's voice echoed in the cramped monitoring room, carrying an arrogant air of someone who held the power of life and death.

"Tomorrow night, I will personally film this contract in front of the live broadcast camera."

"I'll let the whole nation see for themselves how you're kicked off this show like a stray dog!"

The arrogant laughter seemed to threaten to lift the roof off.

The director, standing in the corner, looked ashen-faced and had already begun drafting an apology letter in his mind to cancel the show.

however.

Zhao Kuo's unrestrained, maniacal laughter hadn't even completely subsided.

Deep in the dimly lit corridor outside the door.

Suddenly, a series of rapid, steady footsteps, carrying a chilling aura, were heard.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The footsteps were synchronized and uniform, completely different from Jiang Ruoyun's chaotic running earlier.

Every time the sole of the shoe hits the wooden floor, it's like a heavy hammer blow, striking one's heart hard.

It brings an indescribable sense of intense oppression.

Zhao Kuo's laughter stopped abruptly.

He turned his head impatiently, frowning as he looked at the broken door.

Is this shabby security room a vegetable market tonight? How come just any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to barge in?

Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of curses.

The footsteps stopped right at the doorway.

Several tall, imposing figures, like iron towers, appeared at the boundary between light and shadow.

The people walking at the front were wearing crisp, dark blue uniforms.

Under the incandescent light, the metal badges on their shoulders gleamed with a cold, icy light.

And what is most terrifying is...

It was the national emblem on their left chest, polished to a spotless shine, a symbol of absolute national authority.

The lead law enforcement officer's face was ashen, and his sharp, emotionless gaze swept directly over the dazed Zhao Kuo inside the room.