{Chapter: 305 Urgent!}
Mei Yuxian gently soothed Gui Qingtong, managing to persuade her to leave the door for the time being.
Once the sound of footsteps faded down the hallway, Lin Yuan and Mei Yuxian both moved quickly. They scrambled to put on their clothes, adjusting their appearances to look as composed and proper as possible. The room, which had moments ago been filled with whispers and intimacy and smell of sex, was quickly transformed back into something that resembled an ordinary room.
Mei Yuxian had originally planned to ask Lin Yuan to leave through the side door quietly. But just as she was about to speak, the familiar sound of footsteps returned—light, yet increasingly audible. Gui Qingtong was coming back.
There was no time.
Thinking fast, Lin Yuan grabbed a random roll of documents from Mei Yuxian's desk. He quickly sat down, pretending to study them as if he'd been engaged in serious discussion the entire morning.
Mei Yuxian immediately understood his cue. She returned to her seat at the desk, adjusted her hair calmly, and put on an expression of composed seriousness. Her fingers began flipping through papers, her eyes pretending to scan the lines while her heart raced quietly beneath the surface.
A moment later, the door opened.
Gui Qingtong stepped inside, a puzzled expression on her face. She blinked several times, her eyes shifting between the two.
"Huh? Ahem… Brother Lin Yuan?" she asked, lightly coughing as she spoke.
Lin Yuan looked up and offered a composed smile. "Good morning, Qingtong. I woke up a little early today. After freshening up, I came over to discuss some business matters with Sister Yuxian."
He casually lifted the documents in his hand, giving her the impression that he'd been involved in serious affairs.
Gui Qingtong didn't question it too deeply. She had something on her mind, and that had all of her focus. She gave Lin Yuan a sweet nod. "Good morning, Brother Lin Yuan."
Then, she turned toward Mei Yuxian with excitement practically lighting up her whole face.
"Mom! I have something to tell you," she said, bouncing slightly on her feet as she spoke.
Mei Yuxian kept her eyes fixed on the papers in front of her. "What is it, Qingtong?" she asked calmly, keeping her tone level and her face turned away.
It wasn't coldness. In fact, it was the opposite. Mei Yuxian felt deeply conflicted inside. The guilt and awkwardness of facing her daughter right after sharing a bed with the very man Gui Qingtong adored was too much. She was afraid that even a glance would give her away—that her face might show traces of what had happened just moments before.
Gui Qingtong, oblivious to her mother's struggle, beamed with joy.
"Mom, the Jiangbei Conservatory of Music sent me a message this morning!" she said, her voice high with excitement. "They said I did so well in the last assessment that I don't even need to attend the final interview. They've basically confirmed my admission!"
Both Mei Yuxian and Lin Yuan were momentarily stunned.
Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. He recalled Chi Qian mentioning that she had received a similar exemption, though his cousin Yu Shanshan still had to go through the entire examination process. Only applicants who demonstrated exceptional talent and remarkable skill were granted the privilege of skipping the final interview.
It was an acknowledgment of brilliance.
It confirmed what Lin Yuan had already felt when he first heard Gui Qingtong sing—she had a rare gift. A gentle, soothing voice like warm sunlight through glass, capable of touching people's hearts. And she had worked hard for this moment.
"Congratulations, Qingtong," Lin Yuan said warmly, rising from his chair with a genuine smile. "You've earned it. I'm proud of you."
Gui Qingtong's cheeks flushed pink, and her smile widened. "Thank you, Brother Lin Yuan! I couldn't have done it without you. You taught me so well… I'm really grateful."
But in the midst of her excitement, she coughed twice, her body reminding her of the cold she had clearly caught.
"Ahem… ahem…"
Lin Yuan's brows furrowed slightly in concern. "Still coughing? It must be the cold weather. I told you to thicken your quilt. Your throat's sensitive right now—you need to rest more."
"I will… ahem… I promise," she replied softly.
Mei Yuxian finally allowed herself a small, proud smile. "That's wonderful news, Qingtong. Mom is so happy for you."
Receiving that long-awaited praise, Gui Qingtong practically glowed. But then, her expression became a little more serious as she turned to her mother again.
"Mom," she said hesitantly, "now that I've been admitted to the Jiangbei Conservatory of Music… do you remember what you said before? About me and Brother Lin Yuan getting engaged...?"
"Qingtong, sweetheart, Mom is truly happy that you got admitted to the Jiangbei Conservatory of Music. It's a prestigious school, and your hard work paid off—Mom couldn't be prouder." Mei Yuxian's expression was soft as she spoke, but her tone subtly shifted, becoming more serious. "But… talking about an engagement already? Isn't it still a bit too early for that kind of discussion? Didn't I tell you before that we'll consider it once you've graduated from college?"
She paused, then continued with a gentle but firm voice. "First, enter university, settle in, focus on your studies, and prove yourself. Get excellent grades. Only then will we revisit this topic properly. Until then… let's put this matter aside for now, okay?"
Mei Yuxian's brows knitted together ever so slightly. Hearing her daughter bring up the engagement topic again—especially after the passionate night she had just shared with Lin Yuan—gave her a splitting headache up and a sore feeling below. Emotionally conflicted, she felt as if she were walking a tightrope with no safety net below.
This was the third time Qingtong had mentioned the engagement seriously. Mei Yuxian had been dodging the issue with delay tactics and vague excuses, but it was getting harder to keep the conversation at bay.
Part of her—perhaps the most rational part—hoped that once Qingtong entered the conservatory and was surrounded by young, talented men with charm and ambition, she might meet someone who could genuinely captivate her heart and make her forget about Lin Yuan. Perhaps someone even better suited for her daughter would emerge.
But before Mei Yuxian could even finish processing that thought, Qingtong acted in a way that made her headache spike.
Gui Qingtong tiptoed closer to Lin Yuan, her eyes shining with determination. In a bold and affectionate gesture, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek—right in front of her mother.
Then, with a beaming smile and a blush on her cheeks, she declared proudly, "My decision will never change. Brother Lin Yuan, I've completed the first step toward our future together. You promised me—you must marry me in the future!"
Her tone was playful yet full of conviction. She looked at Lin Yuan with eyes that sparkled like stars—completely serious about what she just said.
Lin Yuan stood frozen for a moment, stunned by Qingtong's sudden kiss. He could've dodged it—he had more than enough time to move aside. But in that moment, he remembered all the hard work she had put in—the long nights practicing music, the anxiety she'd felt waiting for the admissions result, the unwavering hope she'd held onto.
To her, this wasn't just a kiss. It was her victory, her reward, and a signal of progress toward her dream. Lin Yuan found it hard to refuse such sincere feelings. So, in response, he simply smiled gently and reached out to pat her head, brushing his fingers softly through her hair.
But while Qingtong was glowing with joy, Mei Yuxian's heart was in chaos.
She had seen the kiss. She had seen the tenderness in Lin Yuan's eyes when he touched her daughter's head. And despite everything, she felt… sour.
A sharp, invisible needle pricked at her chest. Her face remained calm, but inside she was unraveling. How could she not be affected? Qingtong was pursuing Lin Yuan openly and righteously, while she—Mei Yuxian—was sneaking around in the shadows, engaging in a relationship that could never be made public.
She knew, deep down, that physically Lin Yuan had been much closer to her than he ever had been to Qingtong. But even so, her daughter's determination pierced through her, leaving her unable to find the right words.
And what could she say anyway?
It was Qingtong who had met Lin Yuan first. It was Qingtong who had been by his side long before Mei Yuxian herself had fallen for him. If the situation had been reversed—if she had met Lin Yuan before her daughter—wouldn't she have clung to him just as tightly?
With a faint sigh of defeat, Mei Yuxian forced a smile onto her face and said, "Qingtong, is this the urgent thing you wanted to talk to me about? Mom is genuinely happy for you. But I still have some important matters to take care of. There's a major meeting at the company I need to prepare for. Why don't you go relax for a bit? Play, rest, celebrate—whatever you like."
She wanted to be alone with her thoughts… to make sense of the storm of emotions inside her.
Both she and Lin Yuan assumed that Qingtong's so-called "urgent matter" was simply the announcement of her successful admission into the conservatory. It was good news, but hardly "urgent."
However, Qingtong shook her head, her expression growing a bit more serious. "No, Mom. That's only part of the reason I came here in a rush this morning. It is good news, but that's not the only thing I wanted to share with you."
"Huh?" Mei Yuxian blinked, caught off guard. "Then… what exactly are you trying to say, Qingtong?"
Even Lin Yuan, who had been standing quietly beside them, now turned his head slightly and looked at her with curiosity. Something in her tone made him pause.
Gui Qingtong inhaled deeply, and then looked at both of them. Her voice was calm but resolute.
"What I want to say is…"