I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

It touches and leaves in an instant, so fast that it's almost an illusion.

But the lingering warmth on her lips and Gu Yan's eyes widening slightly told her that this was not an illusion.

Shu Zi was stunned after kissing him.

No, what did she do?!

She actually kissed Gu Yan?!

Gu Yan was clearly stunned as well.

His fingers, which were braced against the rocks, tightened slightly, and his gaze towards her instantly became deep and unfathomable, filled with emotions she couldn't understand.

For several seconds, no one spoke; only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be heard.

Then, Gu Yan spoke slowly, his voice extremely low and hoarse:

"Nuonuo".

"I...I didn't mean to!"

Shu Zi hurriedly explained, her cheeks flushed red, wishing she could bury herself in the sea:

"I just had a momentary lapse of judgment. Besides, who told you to be so close to me? I..."

"You started this."

Gu Yan interrupted her, his tone calm, but the undercurrent in his eyes almost swallowed her whole.

Before Shu Zi could understand the meaning of his words, he lowered his head and kissed her.

It wasn't that light touch she gave just now, the kind that was quick to leave.

It was a solid, overwhelming kiss.

His lips were warm, carrying the salty taste of the sea, and his own unique, crisp scent.

His kiss wasn't rough; it was even a tentative tenderness, but it was undeniably passionate, as if it had been building up for a long time.

Shu Zi froze on the spot, her mind blank.

All sounds disappeared, leaving only the warm, soft touch on my lips and his gently trembling eyelashes so close to mine.

The kiss lasted a few seconds, or maybe longer.

Gu Yan slowly stepped back a little, his forehead touching hers, his breathing a little erratic, his eyes unfathomable.

He looked at her, still in shock, her eyes wide and bewildered, and said very softly, almost in a whisper:

"That's what real intimacy is."

Shu Zi finally came to her senses. Her cheeks were burning hot, her ears were burning hot, and even her neck was burning.

She shoved him away abruptly, took a step back, and almost tripped over a stone in the water.

Gu Yan reached out to support her, but she shook him off.

"You, you..." Shu Zi pointed at him, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"What's wrong with me?"

Gu Yan looked at her, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "It wasn't your initiative?"

"I... I was just confused for a moment!"

Shu Zi was so angry she wanted to stomp her feet, but standing in the water only created a splash. "How could you... how could you kiss me back!"

"It's only right to reciprocate," Gu Yan said, his tone returning to its usual calm, but the smile in his eyes was unmistakable.

Shu Zi: "..."

Is this how the concept of reciprocity is applied?!

"Shall we continue filming?" Gu Yan asked.

"What are you taking pictures of!" Shu Zi was both embarrassed and annoyed, and turned to leave.

"Teacher Shu, Teacher Gu, have you found your rhythm?" The photographer's small boat approached again, and the lens was aimed at them once more.

Shu Zi paused, frozen in place.

"Okay, you can take the picture now." Gu Yan answered for her, and naturally walked back to her and struck the same pose as before.

Shu Zi glared at him, her eyes saying, "How can you still be so calm?"

Gu Yan leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Examiner, the task is not yet complete."

Shu Zi: "..."

This guy!

But the photographer was already adjusting the lens.

Shu Zi took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her still wildly beating heart and burning cheeks, and leaned back against the reef.

Gu Yan pinched her chin again, his face slowly approaching.

This time, when the distance shortened to nose-to-nose contact and their breaths mingled, Shuzi's state was completely different.

Her face was still red, but she no longer avoided eye contact.

She looked into his eyes, which were so close to hers, and saw the lingering emotions from their kiss, as well as her own reflection.

She no longer needed to act, because what her eyes revealed at that moment was the most genuine, undisguised emotion, utterly disrupted by that kiss—

Passion, shame, and... indulgence.

Gu Yan looked at her with a deeper gaze.

He didn't go any further, remaining at that extremely ambiguous distance, his fingers gently caressing her chin.

The sea breeze blew, lifting strands of hair and brushing against their cheeks as they pressed together.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, bathing them in a warm golden light.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

The photographer excitedly pressed the shutter button repeatedly, exclaiming, "This is it! Great, great, great!"

When the photographer finally called "cut," Shu Zi practically fled from Gu Yan's grasp, jumped into the water, and walked towards the water bike without looking back.

Gu Yan chuckled softly and followed at a leisurely pace.

[Wow, what just happened?! Why is the situation completely different a few minutes after the area was cleared out?!]

[Gu Yan's little gesture of stroking her chin! Help, my legs feel weak.]

[Hahaha, the photographer's voice was shaking when he said "perfect"!]

So what exactly did it feel like?! I'm so anxious! Is there anything my VIP status can't see?!

[Shu Zi's gaze... I'm speechless! It looks like the look of someone who's been kissed until they're completely mesmerized but can't get enough!]

I bet three packs of spicy strips that something unspeakable definitely happened during the clearing process!

[Anchor/Director whispering]: Okay, got it. Pass it on. Shu Zi and Gu Yan kissed!

[Little Orange Loves Zizi Candy]: Breaking news! We witnessed the two of them kissing!

[ID unknown]: It wasn't just a kiss, they were pressed close together for half a minute, and all the staff were stunned!

[ID Knows Nothing]: An insider revealed! They secretly kissed several times in a corner before even filming!

[ID Just Like This]: Stop hiding! A passionate kiss in front of all the guests, recorded live by the cameras!

[Real Estate Worker]: My cousin was there! Gu Yan immediately pulled out a diamond ring and proposed on one knee after kissing me!

At the same time, the popularity of related terms such as "passionate kiss" and "marriage proposal" for Shu Zi and Gu Yan skyrocketed.

Back in the car, Shu Zi kept turning her head to look at the sea, refusing to look at him.

Gu Yan didn't say anything, but the smile on his lips never faded.

The photographer on the small boat kept marveling as he reviewed the photos:

"That's strange. Just now, Teacher Shu couldn't find her rhythm, but after trying it for a few minutes, her state is completely different."

"That look, that atmosphere... absolutely amazing!"

Meanwhile, Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue also began filming.

They took the photo of it "carried on the shoulder" first.

Han Jingxue was lifted up by Shen Yihuai without much expression, sat on his shoulder, and held his head with her hand, her whole body tense.

Shen Yihuai laughed and deliberately shook his head, which startled Han Jingxue, who grabbed his hair tightly.

"Be gentle," Shen Yihuai groaned, his voice laced with laughter.

"Don't move!" Han Jingxue squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

Shen Yihuai turned his head slightly, his voice soft but just loud enough for her to hear: "Haven't you gotten used to it yet?"

Han Jingxue: "...Shut up!"