Chapter 66

Chapter 66

After Yi Tiantian and Gang Fengxing finished stargazing with their binoculars, the deck erupted with passionate Spanish dance music.

Around them, many passengers began dancing spontaneously. Couples, from the young and vibrant to the elderly with silver hair, embraced each other and danced gracefully.

In this romantic atmosphere, Gang Fengxing knelt down on one knee in front of Yi Tiantian and said, "Tiantian, I wonder if I have the honor to..."

Just as he was halfway through his sentence, a deep, magnetic voice suddenly called out from a distance.

"Wait, I have a wish fragment!"

The scene shifted to Fei Cheng.

He emerged from the crowded crowd, walking briskly towards the two of them.

"I want to use my wish fragment!"

Fei Cheng said as he approached Yi Tiantian.

Gang Fengxing, pushed aside by Fei Cheng, frowned deeply, his expression clearly displeased.

All the viewers in the live chat and the staff present held their breath.

[Is this the start of a wife-snatching battle? Fight! Fight! Fight!]

[Ah, Fei Cheng, quickly use your wish fragment to make Tiantian dance with you!!]

[Damn it, our little puppy was the first one to invite Tiantian to dance!]

[Hahaha, the Chengyi CP wins big, let's dance together!]

Even Gang Fengxing had already stood up from the ground, visibly annoyed.

But at that moment, Fei Cheng handed his wish fragment to Yi Tiantian: "My wish is for everyone to help Tiantian fulfill one of his wishes."

Everyone present froze for a second, then collectively exclaimed, "Wow!"

This "Wow" attracted countless other tourists, some even stopping their dancing to join the commotion.

As more people gathered, someone in the crowd shouted, "Give him a kiss!"

Then the entire crowd joined in, chanting, "KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Yi Tiantian, holding Fei Cheng's wish fragment, blushed, her eyelashes fluttering, her eyes sparkling under the lights.

Fei Cheng, standing opposite her, smiled—a smile that even his fans had never seen before, carrying a special warmth.

Only Gang Fengxing tried to shout over the commotion, "Stop! Stop! He is my wife!"

Unfortunately, everyone's attention was fixed on Fei Cheng and Yi Tiantian, and no one noticed him.

Yi Tiantian's eyes glistened as she slowly opened her mouth.

Just as she was about to speak, a staff member's loud call interrupted her.

"Oh no! Teacher Big Mei fell into the water!"

The anxious voice of the staff member drew everyone's attention.

"Teacher Big Mei... Teacher Big Mei..." The staff member, panting from running, continued, "She just fell into the sea!"

Yi Tiantian was right again!

Both Gang Fengxing and Fei Cheng thought to themselves.

At that moment, Xie Yi and Shen Mo appeared out of nowhere.

Shen Mo asked anxiously, "How is Teacher Big Mei? Has she been rescued from the sea?"

"Why is Shen Mo pretending? She was the one who pushed Teacher Big Mei into the sea!"

Yi Tiantian had already seen through everything.

Everyone looked at Shen Mo in shock, and Fei Cheng subtly furrowed his brow.

When he had left Teacher Big Mei's side with the wish fragment, he hadn't noticed anyone else around.

The other guests didn't know where Teacher Big Mei had been before falling, but they all felt it couldn't be Shen Mo, a young girl!

Even Gang Fengxing thought Shen Mo's small frame couldn't possibly push Zhang Damei, a large woman!

Hearing Yi Tiantian's words, Shen Mo's face turned pale with panic.

She seemed to want to explain herself but couldn't find the words, only shaking her head and tears welling up in her eyes.

"But don't worry, a passing fishing boat has already rescued Teacher Big Mei!"

The staff member glanced at Shen Mo as he announced.

"Teacher Big Mei is now back on the cruise ship and is in the lounge."

The staff member led the guests to see Zhang Damei.

Upon entering the lounge, they indeed saw Teacher Big Mei, looking like a drowned cat.

She was wrapped in a wool blanket, holding a cup of hot tea, still trembling.

The moment she saw Yi Tiantian enter, she glared at him and pointed, saying, "It's all your fault! You pushed me off the cruise ship!"

"Big Mei, do you think I have the strength to push you?"

Yi Tiantian silently complained in her heart.

"The camera was filming the entire time, so how could someone be bold enough to broadcast a murder live?"

Xie Yi spoke up first.

At the mention of the camera, Zhang Damei felt a pang of regret.

She shouldn't have asked the cameraman to leave just to get those wish fragments!

If she hadn't, Yi Tiantian wouldn't have had the chance to frame her!

"Just forget about why; I'm putting my foot down here!"

Zhang Damei was extremely agitated.

"If your production team doesn't give me an explanation, I'll immediately call the police and have Yi Tiantian arrested!"

Shen Mo hurriedly stepped forward to console her. "Teacher Big Mei, please don't get too worked up. Have some tea to warm yourself up."

"Shen Mo has long been fed up with Zhang Damei's insults and has been looking for a chance to frame her!"

"Now she's pretending to care just to clear herself of suspicion!"

"But with Zhang Damei's mind, she would never imagine that Shen Mo would have the guts to push her!"

Seeing Shen Mo's anxious expression, Yi Tiantian thought to herself.

Hearing Yi Tiantian's thoughts, Zhang Damei angrily shouted, "Yi Tiantian! You!"

Yi Tiantian quickly snapped back to reality and looked sincerely at Zhang Damei. "Teacher Big Mei, it really wasn't me. If you don't believe me, you can watch the live stream replay. I was always in front of the camera and had no chance to push you."

Although Gang Fengxing had some doubts about whether Shen Mo was the culprit, he was certain that Yi Tiantian was not the one who pushed Teacher Big Mei!

"Teacher Big Mei, I can vouch for Brother Tiantian. He was with me the whole time, so he couldn't possibly be the culprit!"

Even with Gang Fengxing's testimony, Zhang Damei still didn't believe them.

She sneered, "What good is your testimony? What if you two are in cahoots? I don't care; the production team must give me an explanation!"

At this moment, Shen Mo, who had been comforting Zhang Damei, suddenly had tears welling up in her eyes.

"To be honest, one of my very good friends went missing recently. After spending so much time with Teacher Big Mei, we've become close friends, so..."

Even without Shen Mo finishing her sentence, everyone knew she was trying to clear her name.

But Zhang Damei didn't see it that way; instead, she looked at Shen Mo gratefully.

This young girl might not be very worldly, but she had a kind heart!

Zhang Damei tightly held Shen Mo's hand. "Good girl, why do I like you so much!"

"The person Shen Mo mentioned is her friend Liu Xinran!"

"Liu Xinran suddenly disappeared a week ago! Her family and friends have been searching everywhere but haven't found her!"

"Everyone is unaware that Liu Xinran has actually—"

Everyone was intently listening to Yi Tiantian's thoughts.

Though Shen Mo's face remained expressionless, her body began to tremble slightly.

However, before Yi Tiantian could finish her thoughts, the impatient Zhang Damei interrupted her.

She didn't believe Yi Tiantian's divisive words!

Shen Mo had no reason to harm her!

"If your production team doesn't give me an explanation today, I'll make sure none of you can survive in the entertainment industry!"

Zhang Damei was nearly enraged, and as she roared, her body shook violently.

Now convinced that Yi Tiantian was the culprit, Zhang Damei kept pressuring the production team to deal with Yi Tiantian.

Director Xiao Chen personally intervened, calming Zhang Damei while ordering his staff to retrieve the live stream footage.

When Shen Mo heard Director Xiao Chen's order, beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

The audience watching the entire scene were also arguing fiercely in the chat.

[Support Teacher Big Mei! The sight of Teacher Big Mei being caught by the fishing net was heartbreaking! Yi Tiantian, you're truly despicable!]

[Yi Tiantian should get out of the entertainment industry! Always pretending to be righteous, and his fans take him seriously! In reality, he's just a dark person! Poor Teacher Big Mei!]

[They're retrieving the live stream footage now, so let's calm down. If it turns out not to be Yi Tiantian, you'll all look foolish!]

[Teacher Big Mei has already said it was Yi Tiantian, yet his fans are still defending him! How ridiculous!]

As the discussion heated up, more viewers flooded into the live stream, all eagerly awaiting the footage!

Soon, a staff member ran over anxiously.

"Director, the live stream replay has been deleted, and even the camera recordings are damaged!"

Director Xiao Chen finally showed a hint of panic. "What's going on?!"

The staff member was even more worried. "Director, we don't know either. The live stream replay might have been tampered with, but apart from the cameraman, no one else could have accessed the cameras!"

"The livestream replay was deleted by Shen Mo, but the camera footage wasn't her doing!"

"There are still unknown secrets hidden on this cruise ship!"

Yi Tiantian urgently opened the gossip system to search for related information, but at that moment, all the lights on the cruise ship suddenly went dark!

Only the cameras continued to operate due to their ample backup power.

In an instant, the originally luxurious and dazzling cruise ship turned pitch black, and everyone was engulfed by darkness!

It was already 11:30 PM, and most of the passengers had returned to their rooms to rest.

The deck party had ended half an hour ago, so this sudden darkness did not cause widespread panic.

However, the many guests in a small lounge were deeply affected, as they were now submerged in the unexpected darkness.

Director Xiao Chen sternly instructed, "Everyone, stay where you are and don't move. Little Liu, come with me! Xiao Wang, stay here and maintain order!"

After Director Xiao Chen left in a hurry, the scene fell into an eerie silence.

But the announcement from the broadcast room interrupted everyone's chaotic thoughts.

"Passengers, good evening! I am Captain Benjamin of the 'Ariel.' I have some unfortunate news to share. Due to an electrical overload, we have experienced a power outage. However, we are already working on repairs, and the power is expected to be restored by 4 AM. We apologize for the inconvenience."

The captain's announcement was then repeated in several other languages before stopping.

"It seems the ship has lost power."

Fei Cheng spoke in the darkness.

After a long silence, Zhang Damei spoke again.

"I know it was you behind all this!"

Even in the darkness, Zhang Damei's wide eyes glowed with a sinister light.

"Yi Tiantian! You bribed the captain to do this! Are you afraid the production team will find out it was all your doing?!"

Although the power on the ship had cut out, the live stream had not paused.

Seeing the cruise ship plunge into darkness, the viewers watching on screen also panicked.

Many viewers were just as agitated as Zhang Damei.

[Who is Yi Tiantian? How could she even bribe the Ariel?]

[She must be the one who pushed Big Mei! Otherwise, why would the power go out right when they were about to check the surveillance footage!]

[Go to jail, Yi Tiantian!!]

[This dark atmosphere is really scary. Yi Tiantian, you're really crossing the line!]

Gang Fengxing quickly held Zhang Damei back and said, "Teacher Big Mei, calm down. Brother Tiantian didn't harm you!"

"Does Zhang Damei have no brain? The person who wants to harm you isn't me!"

"From the start of the recording, she's been attacking Shen Mo. Zhang Damei really doesn't fear death!"

"She dared to offend Shen Mo, who even killed her best friend!"

Yi Tiantian indulged in the gossip in her mind.

Her inner voice echoed, and the scene fell silent.

In the darkness, everyone couldn't determine Shen Mo's location, but everyone's hair stood on end.

Even Zhang Damei quieted down.

"Shen Mo was born into an ordinary family. After her parents divorced, she enrolled in a music college and met her good friend Liu Xinran, whose family was happy and popular."

[From the day she met Liu Xinran, Shen Mo planted a seed of jealousy in her heart!]

"After debuting, Shen Mo finally released her first album, but sales were disappointing. Meanwhile, her best friend Liu Xinran was thriving in the industry!"

"This became the last straw for Shen Mo! On an ordinary night, Shen Mo killed her with scissors in her private apartment!"

"After killing Liu Xinran, Shen Mo hid her body in her closet, and it has never been found!"

Yi Tiantian finally read the complete gossip about Shen Mo in the gossip system!

Almost everyone present drew a sharp breath.

Shen Mo's appearance on the third episode of "Special Forces Action!" was entirely due to the recent attention brought by Liu Xinran's disappearance!

Liu Xinran, a rising star in the entertainment industry, attracted the attention of multiple media outlets.

After her death, as Liu Xinran's closest friend, Shen Mo gave numerous interviews, tearfully expressing how painful it was to lose such a friend. She also called for everyone to help find Liu Xinran on camera!

This wave of publicity led to her first album gaining attention and becoming a hit.

Then she was invited to participate in "Special Forces Action!"

On the Liu Xinran side, due to a lack of key evidence, her whereabouts remained unknown!

Hearing such a terrifying piece of gossip, everyone in the darkness felt threatened.

Who would have thought that among them was a bloodless killer!

After Yi Tiantian's inner monologue ended, an abrupt cackling suddenly echoed through the darkness.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A cold light flickered in Shen Mo's eyes, casting an eerie glow in the pitch-black night.

Everyone around was startled by Shen Mo's laughter, and goosebumps erupted on Zhang Damei's arms.

"Shen... Shen Mo, is that you laughing?"

Zhang Damei's voice trembled in the darkness.

"Since Shen Mo hurt her best friend, her mental state has been very concerning. Now, she's probably about to snap completely!"

Yi Tiantian couldn't help but take two steps back, distancing herself from Shen Mo in the darkness.

Fei Cheng instinctively protected Yi Tiantian, pulling her into his embrace.

Gang Fengxing also searched the darkness and successfully grabbed an arm, then tightly held onto it, feeling the muscles beneath.

Xie Yi silently pulled his arm free from Gang Fengxing's grip and walked out of the terrifying atmosphere of the lounge.

Gang Fengxing: ...

Perhaps Xie Yi's departure made everyone realize their fear, and all the staff and guests in the lounge rushed toward the door like a floodgate had opened.

They left behind their cameras, abandoning everything as they ran outside.

Zhang Damei, who had just claimed to be close to Shen Mo, was now one of the fleeing members, scrambling at the front of the crowd.

When she finally reached the door, she was pushed down by the surging staff.

"Ouch! Someone, help me up!"

Lying on the ground, Zhang Damei resembled a turtle unable to flip over, shouting anxiously.

Not only did no one help her, but people stepping over her caused her to scream in pain.

Eventually, everyone else escaped, leaving Zhang Damei alone on the floor, struggling to get up.

Yi Tiantian and Fei Cheng stayed put, cautiously observing their surroundings.

Realizing he had grabbed the wrong person, Gang Fengxing didn't join the rush out of the lounge and remained there.

The murderer, Shen Mo, didn't move either. She stood still, watching with interest as the staff and Zhang Damei fled in terror of her.

With the cameras left behind, the audience watching the live stream continued to see the scene unfold.

The chat was soon flooded with comments.

[?? What just happened?! I only heard someone laugh eerily in the dark, and then everyone rushed out.]

[Too scary! This can't be a prank, right?!]

[Oh my god, Zhang Damei asked who was laughing in the dark. I think it was Shen Mo!]

[Could it be that Shen Mo pushed Zhang Damei, which is why everyone is so scared of her?!]

The chat was already making guesses, but some still refused to believe it.

[Stop defending her! It can't be Shen Mo! It must be Yi Tiantian!]

[Exactly, Yi Tiantian's fans are delusional!]

But soon, the events on the scene proved them wrong again.

"We..."

Just as Yi Tiantian started to speak, she saw Shen Mo's figure flash in the darkness.

Yi Tiantian quickly turned on her phone's flashlight and began searching the room for Shen Mo.

She saw Shen Mo pouncing on Zhang Damei, holding a small knife that glinted coldly!

Without hesitation, Shen Mo stabbed the knife into Zhang Damei's stomach, causing a piercing scream to echo through the lounge.

"Ahhh!!!"

Meanwhile, Xie Yi, who had left the lounge, was hiding in the darkness, watching workers below loading large quantities of items into the ship's hold.

The darkness seemed to be their natural camouflage, and the work proceeded smoothly.

Curious about what the workers were carrying, Xie Yi stepped forward.

In the darkness, he saw the workers using carts to transport wooden crates.

The crates were rectangular, and it was unclear what they contained.

At that moment, Xie Yi suddenly noticed a beam of light approaching and quickly sidestepped into the shadows.

Back in the lounge, Shen Mo's stab missed Zhang Damei due to the darkness.

"This is being live-streamed. Is Shen Mo not worried about the consequences?!"

"If Shen Mo kills Zhang Damei, public opinion will turn her into a serial killer! She'll be executed immediately!"

"Most importantly, Shen Mo's family will suffer, especially her mother who raised her. Eventually, she'll choose to end her life under the relentless abuse of netizens!"

At the mention of her mother, the murderous intent in Shen Mo's eyes dimmed considerably.

Instead, there was endless pain.

"Help! Help! Shen Mo, I have no grudge against you. Why are you trying to kill me?"

Zhang Damei, seeing that Shen Mo had paused, quickly wriggled her plump body and shouted for help.

"Shen Mo, calm down."

Yi Tiantian took a gentle step forward and spoke softly.

Although Shen Mo had temporarily stopped swinging the knife, she still straddled Zhang Damei, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Mo's expression was extremely pained and twisted, and in the darkness, she began to sob.

"Mama..."

"If you stop now, there's still a chance."

Yi Tiantian tried to awaken the last bit of conscience in Shen Mo.

"If you turn yourself in, it can be handled more leniently."

Shen Mo knew what Yi Tiantian meant, and her tears fell like broken pearls onto Zhang Damei's face below her.

"Shen Mo grew up with her mother. Her mother would always pick her up from school and carry her to the doctor in the middle of the night when she was sick."

"Even though music lessons were expensive, her mother worked day and night to fulfill her dreams, just to see her daughter shine on stage!"

"If she saw her daughter do such a thing on TV, she would be heartbroken!"

Shen Mo's greatest weakness was her mother.

Under the influence of such uncontrollable emotions, Yi Tiantian's words managed to bring back a sliver of Shen Mo's sanity.

Taking advantage of Shen Mo's momentary stillness, Zhang Damei used all her strength to finally push her off.

Shen Mo fell to the ground, helpless and tear-streaked.

Her mind flashed with many happy memories of times spent with her mother since childhood.

Finally, lying on the ground, tears streaming down her face, Shen Mo murmured, "Mama, I'll turn myself in..."

...

After last night's repairs, the cruise ship's power system was fully restored.

Although the live stream replay was irretrievably lost, after professional restoration of the camera footage, everyone learned the truth about Zhang Damei being pushed into the water.

It turned out that Shen Mo first approached the live stream staff and, taking them by surprise, turned off the replay button.

Then she deliberately switched her feather mask for a ceramic one to conceal her identity.

Finally, she waited for the right moment and pushed Zhang Damei into the sea.

The evidence was clear, and Shen Mo confessed without hesitation.

As the first seagull flew toward the sunrise, Shen Mo was escorted back to land by the police boat.

Watching Shen Mo's frail silhouette, the other guests felt deeply moved.

Yi Tiantian watched as the seagulls circled around Shen Mo and reopened the gossip system.

"After turning herself in, although Shen Mo received a lighter sentence, she was still sentenced to life imprisonment. Fortunately, her mother was not implicated and later formed a new family, living happily."

"As for Shen Mo, she deeply reflected on her actions in prison and spent the rest of her life atoning for the sins born of jealousy!"

The surrounding guests heard Yi Tiantian's thoughts.

Zhang Damei shuddered with lingering fear and spat fiercely at Shen Mo's back.

She knew she had offended Shen Mo many times during the show, but she never expected her to be so ruthless!

Fortunately, Yi Tiantian intervened in time; otherwise, she might have lost her life!

Fei Cheng and Gang Fengxing also felt a sense of melancholy watching Shen Mo leave.

Many viewers who stayed up all night watching the live stream shared similar sentiments.

[Last night was so thrilling, better than any spy movie!]

[I stayed up all night to watch it. Let me tell you, Yi Tiantian is the only true judge in the entertainment industry. He just said a few words to Shen Mo, and she gave up!]

[Is he a genius?! Yi Tiantian is truly amazing! And those who accused him of being the murderer, step forward! Now you're eating your words!]

[Haha, in the end, it was Yi Tiantian who saved Zhang Damei. So funny!]

While everyone's attention was focused on the events of last night, one person was an exception.

Xie Yi was discovered by the patrol guards last night and was forced to return to his room.

But his intuition told him that the contents of the wooden box were far from ordinary cargo.

And the power outage last night might have been intentionally orchestrated to cover the delivery!

In that case, the captain of the "Ariel" must not be innocent!

Xie Yi pondered these things, but he still did not know who the frequent visitor to Girl Island was.

After observing everyone for days, Xie Yi had almost ruled out all suspects except Shen Mo.

But from Yi Tiantian's thoughts, Shen Mo, a girl with no significant background, wouldn't have any connection to a place of power like Maiden Island.

So his current investigation had hit a dead end.

However, just as Xie Yi was at a loss, he suddenly heard Yi Tiantian's thoughts.

"Today is the last day on the cruise, and Xie Yi still hasn't found a regular visitor to Maiden Island."

"But it's alright, because at today's noon captain's party, the truth will come to light!"