CH: 296 Open your mouth!

{Chapter: 296 Open your mouth!}

Mei Yuxian descended the staircase, carefully holding a stack of neatly organized documents in her arms. As she reached the final steps, a curious sight unfolded before her eyes—Gui Qingtong was leaning forward, persistently trying to feed Lin Yuan a single strawberry.

At first glance, it seemed like an innocent and playful moment between two young people. Mei Yuxian didn't think much of it, her mind more focused on the documents she had spent time sorting upstairs. She continued walking down the stairs, her heels clicking softly against the polished wood, unaware that she was about to walk into a more complicated situation than it appeared.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan and Gui Qingtong remained entirely oblivious to Mei Yuxian's presence. The two of them were locked in a strangely intense standoff over that one final strawberry on the fruit plate.

Lin Yuan, having already eaten more fruit than he had intended to, pressed his lips together firmly, clearly signaling that he was done. His expression was slightly exasperated but also amused.

On the other hand, Gui Qingtong's obsessive-compulsive tendencies had been triggered in full force. She couldn't accept leaving a single strawberry uneaten—not when there was one final piece left to clear the plate. Her brows furrowed in determination as she pushed the soft red fruit against Lin Yuan's closed mouth.

What should have been a trivial moment—one where either the strawberry was eaten or returned to the plate—had somehow turned into a silent battle of wills.

"Big Brother Lin Yuan, it's just the last strawberry," she coaxed gently, her voice sweet and pleading. "Let's finish it together. Then we can wash the plate."

Despite her efforts, Lin Yuan stayed still, refusing to open his mouth.

And then, something unexpected happened.

Lin Yuan watched as Gui Qingtong suddenly set the plate down, took a breath, and reached forward with her delicate hand. In an uncharacteristically bold move, she pinched Lin Yuan's chin, tilting his face upward. The gesture, small yet daring, startled Lin Yuan for a brief moment.

The girl in front of him had always been gentle, soft-spoken, and a little shy—but now she was adamant, stubborn even, all for the sake of this one last strawberry.

'This girl really does need to fix that obsessive streak of hers,' Lin Yuan thought, half amused and half defeated.

Seeing the adorable determination on her pouting face, Lin Yuan sighed internally, relenting.

He slowly parted his lips, and Gui Qingtong immediately took the opportunity to slip the strawberry into his mouth.

As the strawberry touched his tongue, she broke into a bright, satisfied smile. Her obsessive compulsion was finally soothed, and her face lit up with joy.

'Brother Lin Yuan is so obedient… I really, really like Brother Lin Yuan!' she thought gleefully.

However, just as she tried to withdraw her fingers from his mouth, she realized something wasn't quite right.

Her fingers wouldn't come out.

They were stuck.

"B-Brother Lin Yuan?" she said, startled, her voice turning shy and nervous.

Lin Yuan had not released her fingers.

And then, Gui Qingtong felt a strange, ticklish sensation.

It only took her a few seconds to understand.

Lin Yuan was deliberately wrapping his tongue around her fingers, licking them slowly, teasingly.

"B-Brother Lin Yuan! Let go! Open your mouth!" she squeaked, cheeks turning a vibrant shade of red.

But Lin Yuan didn't release her right away. His tongue continued to caress her fingers, drawing out the sensation in a slow, deliberate rhythm. The feeling was odd, intimate, and electric.

Gui Qingtong froze where she sat, not daring to move. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. A mixture of embarrassment, confusion, and an undeniable thrill spread through her like wildfire.

Although she scolded herself internally, the truth was she didn't dislike it.

In fact… she liked it. She liked it a lot.

She could feel her heart flutter, her mind spinning.

She understood this was Lin Yuan's playful way of punishing her for being so stubborn about feeding him that last strawberry.

And even though she knew it was wrong, a secret part of her was elated.

But just as she was caught up in this swirl of unfamiliar emotions, a sharp voice suddenly cut through the atmosphere like a blade.

"What are you two doing?!"

The commanding voice came from behind.

Startled, both Gui Qingtong and Lin Yuan turned around instinctively.

Standing a few steps behind them was Mei Yuxian, her gaze sharp and slightly angry, lips pressed into a thin line.

She was glaring at them with an expression that could not be mistaken.

Gui Qingtong's face turned pale, then beet red.

Lin Yuan, still calm, slowly let go of Gui Qingtong's fingers, allowing her to pull her hand away quickly and hide it behind her back.

Just moments earlier, Mei Yuxian hadn't thought much of what she saw from the stairs—just a simple feeding gesture, maybe even a childish prank.

As for Gui Qingtong's growing affection for Lin Yuan, Mei Yuxian had always been aware of it. Although she wasn't entirely comfortable with it, she could still rationalize it. After all, feelings among young people were not entirely within her control, and she had long known that Gui Qingtong admired Lin Yuan deeply.

So as Mei Yuxian descended the staircase, she continued reviewing the files in her hands, not immediately paying attention to the two seated figures on the sofa. Her heels made soft clicks on the steps as she approached, eyes scanning the documents. She assumed that Gui Qingtong was still pestering Lin Yuan about eating the fruit plate, just as she had seen earlier.

However, when she finally reached the bottom and came closer to the living room, the sight that met her eyes caused her to freeze in place.

She saw it clearly now.

Gui Qingtong's slender fingers were inside Lin Yuan's mouth.

Her daughter's delicate face was flushed bright red, and her eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise, embarrassment, and… something else.

It wasn't just a friendly feeding.

It was far more intimate than that.

The suggestive position of their hands, Lin Yuan's lips closed around Gui Qingtong's fingers—it was a scene that went far beyond what Mei Yuxian considered acceptable. And Lin Yuan's casual posture only added fuel to the fire, as if this kind of teasing was entirely normal for him.

"What are you two doing?!"

Mei Yuxian's voice rose sharply, her tone filled with restrained fury. It echoed through the room and immediately snapped Gui Qingtong out of her daze.

Startled, Gui Qingtong quickly tried to withdraw her fingers, only to realize they had been held gently—but firmly—between Lin Yuan's lips. As soon as Mei Yuxian shouted, Lin Yuan let go, allowing Gui Qingtong to pull her hand back, her face burning even redder now.

Still clutching her fingertips, Gui Qingtong nervously glanced between her mother and Lin Yuan, not knowing how to explain what had just happened. To her, it had merely been a playful moment—a little intimate, yes, but nothing serious. She didn't expect her mother to overreact.

She assumed Mei Yuxian's anger came from the usual place: her mother's strict rules against early romance. Mei Yuxian had always been particular about maintaining discipline and focusing on academics first.

So Gui Qingtong hung her head and whispered, "Mom… I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking properly. I'll be more focused from now on. I'll study hard, get into a good university, and only after that… I'll think more about Brother Lin Yuan…"

Her voice trailed off, guilt and embarrassment showing on her face. Even though she was speaking sincerely, her thoughts were still partly on the lingering warmth left on her fingers from Lin Yuan's tongue.

Mei Yuxian's expression tightened. What she had witnessed wasn't just an innocent teenage crush. It was Lin Yuan's involvement that truly upset her. This wasn't the first time he had drawn someone close to him with that same quiet charm and casual boldness.

And Lin Yuan knew it.

He wasn't confused by her anger—not at all. He had known this moment would come. Mei Yuxian had specifically asked him before to keep some distance from Gui Qingtong, to not give the girl false hope or confuse her with mixed signals.

And yet… he'd done exactly that.

Still, Lin Yuan remained unbothered.

He turned to face Mei Yuxian with a faint smile and said with deliberate calmness, "It's nothing serious. Qingtong was just feeding me some fruit. I think I accidentally bit her fingers. It wasn't intentional."

Then he looked at Gui Qingtong with a playful glint in his eye and added, "Are you alright? Did it hurt?"

"Ah… it's fine, Brother Lin Yuan…" Gui Qingtong responded softly, shaking her head. Her voice was low, and she still couldn't meet her mother's gaze.

Even now, she hasn't figured out the true reason behind Mei Yuxian's scolding.

She still believed it was merely about her being too forward at her age. And to an extent, she was right. But she didn't know about the deeper connection between her mother and Lin Yuan—a relationship far more complicated than she could guess.

Seeing Gui Qingtong lower her head again in guilt, Lin Yuan reached out casually and patted her shoulder, a reassuring gesture that sent her heart fluttering again.

And Mei Yuxian saw it all.

She clenched her teeth.

Trying to compose herself, Mei Yuxian looked directly at her daughter and said, "Qingtong, you're still too young to be entangled in these things. Emotional maturity comes with age and experience. Once you've graduated and gained some perspective, only then will you truly understand the meaning behind these feelings."

Her voice was calmer now, but stern—carrying the unmistakable authority of a mother trying to guide her child.

Gui Qingtong, who had always respected her mother, nodded obediently and murmured, "I understand…"

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan watched the whole scene unfold with subtle amusement. Mei Yuxian had slipped back into her role as the strict, responsible parent—her elegance and composed demeanor as sharp as ever.

But Lin Yuan wasn't done being a troublemaker.

His eyes drifted toward Mei Yuxian's elegant OL (office lady) outfit. She was standing tall, back straight, arms crossed—a vision of refined authority. Yet to Lin Yuan, this only made her even more enticing.

Without warning, and with a mischievous look in his eyes, he reached out and casually placed his hand on her waist, just where the fabric of her tailored dress clung the tightest.

Mei Yuxian froze.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at the hand resting on her hip, and then back up at Lin Yuan's smiling face.

"You—!"

Before she could finish, Lin Yuan's fingers began to move ever so subtly, tracing small, teasing circles through the cloth.

Mei Yuxian's expression shifted instantly—from stern, to flustered, to utterly speechless.

Gui Qingtong didn't notice, still lost in her thoughts and struggling with the embarrassment of being lectured.

But Lin Yuan's silent message was clear.

'You may scold me… but you're mine too.'

*****

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