{Chapter: 216 Live together!}
When Lin Yuan slowly extended his hand, Gui Qingtong immediately tensed up, her heart beating like a drum. Her cheeks flushed, and her body stiffened in nervous anticipation. She had no idea what he was going to do, but the gentle, deliberate pace of his movement made her imagination run wild.
Lin Yuan's hand reached her slender waist, his fingers moving with a calm and practiced grace. Without saying a word, he gently lifted the edge of her sailor uniform top and tucked it neatly into the elastic waistband of her pleated skirt. Then, with the same casual composure, he carefully unfolded the part of her mini skirt that had been rolled up to make it appear shorter, restoring it to a modest, knee-length look.
Gui Qingtong blinked in confusion. This was not what she had expected at all.
"You know, Qingtong," Lin Yuan said with a smile, adjusting the folds gently, "you look much better in a cute, proper style. You don't need your skirt to be this short to look charming."
Gui Qingtong's face turned redder, not from embarrassment, but from a strange happiness swelling in her heart. His actions were so gentlemanly, so thoughtful, that it made her feel strangely protected—and deeply seen.
"I-I just like the shorter style, that's all," she muttered with a pout, tugging lightly at the skirt. "I don't really like long skirts... they feel too formal."
Lin Yuan laughed softly and patted her head. "You're starting to sound like a rebellious daughter."
"Huh? Why do I feel like you're acting more and more like a dad to me?" she replied playfully, puffing out her cheeks.
Lin Yuan smirked, teasing her back. "Well, if you really don't mind, I don't think it'd be too hard for me to take on that role."
He continued to gently stroke her silky hair, and for a brief moment, Gui Qingtong closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his palm. But soon, she opened her eyes and pushed his hand away with a flustered look.
"No way! I don't want Brother Lin Yuan to be my father!" she exclaimed with sudden determination.
Her voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were shining with sincerity.
Gui Qingtong knew exactly what she wanted. From the very first moment she met Lin Yuan, she had already dreamed of a future with him—husband and wife, a cozy home, and even children bearing names she had already picked out. Her fantasy was clear, pure, and deeply rooted.
Seeing her stubborn yet sincere gaze, Lin Yuan couldn't help but feel both amused and slightly overwhelmed. She was still so young, so earnest, and her thoughts were transparent as glass. It made him feel like a grown-up watching a child trying on the shoes of adulthood.
After spending some more time chatting and giving Gui Qingtong a few more pointers, Lin Yuan finally stood up to leave Mei Yuxian's home.
Though on the surface, his main focus was the downfall of the Qingshan Gang, Lin Yuan had planned much more than that behind the scenes. Every detail had been accounted for, each step calculated. He wasn't someone who left things to chance—he would rather overprepare than risk failure.
As for Mei Yuxian... her body still needed rest. Their relationship had only just begun to deepen, and Lin Yuan wasn't the type to rush things. He would wait a few days, give her time to recover, and then continue nurturing the emotional and physical connection between them.
Not long after Lin Yuan left, Mei Yuxian emerged from her room, walking with a slight limp, her expression both tired and satisfied. Just as she stepped into the hallway, Gui Qingtong dashed toward her like an excited little bird.
"Mom!" she chirped, grabbing her mother's arm with sparkling eyes. "You already met Brother Lin Yuan, right? What did you think? Are you happy with him? Come on, help me propose marriage to his family already! I want to marry him!"
She looked up at Mei Yuxian with hopeful, pleading eyes, shaking her arm with childlike enthusiasm.
Mei Yuxian stared at her daughter, a mix of amusement and helplessness in her expression. Her lips twitched as she tried to maintain a neutral face.
Satisfied? Of course she was satisfied. Lin Yuan was beyond impressive. But how could she say that out loud?
Instead, she raised an eyebrow and said teasingly, "What's so great about Lin Yuan that you're in such a hurry to marry him? Are you trying to leave your poor mother all alone already?"
"No! That's not it!" Gui Qingtong shook her head rapidly. "I'm not leaving you, Mom! I just… I can't bear to not be with Brother Lin Yuan."
She clutched her mother's arm tighter and added in a softer, more coaxing tone, "When we get married in the future, the three of us can live together, right? Wouldn't that be perfect? You, me, and Brother Lin Yuan—one big happy family!"
Watching her daughter's gleaming expression, Mei Yuxian rubbed her temples. It seemed like a headache was forming. She knew her daughter well—if she refused her outright, Gui Qingtong might become stubborn and rebellious, possibly even entering her emo goth phase.
The best course of action now… was to delay.
"You're still too young," Mei Yuxian said gently. "Didn't I already tell you? Once you graduate, we can talk about it again. Let's wait until then, alright?"
Gui Qingtong pouted but nodded obediently. "Okay…"
Then Mei Yuxian remembered something. She reached into her bag and took out a folded slip of paper.
"By the way, Lin Yuan left this prescription for you before he left," she said. "He said it will help regulate your body. Once you finish taking the medicine, he'll give you acupuncture treatments to support your health."
Gui Qingtong took the prescription with both hands, her eyes shining with hope.
"Really? Brother Lin Yuan really cares that much about my health?"
"Of course," Mei Yuxian said, brushing her daughter's hair affectionately. "Now go give this to the housekeeper and get the herbs prepared. We'll follow his instructions carefully."
"Can he really help regulate my body? Wow! Does that mean I'll be able to become like Mom one day too?!" Gui Qingtong exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Although she didn't dislike her current appearance—youthful, sweet, and naturally adorable—she was well aware of Lin Yuan's preferences. He seemed to favor more mature and graceful women, like her mother. That knowledge planted a quiet hope in her heart.
Now that Lin Yuan had gone so far as to leave a personalized prescription for her, intended to regulate and improve her physique, she felt overjoyed. It was as if he was paying special attention to her, personally guiding her transformation.
Watching her daughter skip away with delight, Mei Yuxian sighed softly and shook her head in quiet resignation.
She didn't know how to respond to Gui Qingtong's growing attachment to Lin Yuan. Though her daughter's feelings were clear and sincere, Mei Yuxian herself carried far more complex emotions.
With a helpless smile, she whispered to herself, "Let's take it one step at a time…"
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Lin Yuan had just returned home.
Without wasting any time, he sat down and immediately made a phone call to Tang Guofei, the current patriarch of the powerful Tang family.
A few days prior, during a seemingly casual banquet, Lin Yuan had quietly signed an agreement with Tang Guofei, one that would cause ripples in the business underworld of the region.
Lin Yuan had provided Tang Bowen, the young heir of the Tang family, with critical intel—namely, the Qingshan Gang's secret infiltration and exploitation of the Tang family's assets and influence. Tang Bowen, in turn, relayed the information to his father.
This tip-off revealed how the Qingshan Gang, a local underworld faction backed by the Chen Family conglomerate, was steadily siphoning profits and expanding its influence into legitimate family businesses.
Naturally, Tang Guofei did not take such a threat lightly.
"Patriarch Tang," Lin Yuan said calmly once the line connected, "I trust you've already severed ties with the Qingshan Gang?"
"Rest assured, Lin Yuan," Tang Guofei replied with a confident chuckle. "Not only have I halted all transactions with the Qingshan Gang as of today, but I've also ensured that our entire real estate division will cut all future dealings with them. Furthermore, as long as the Tang family controls property in Xiling, none of their shops will ever be allowed to open on our land again."
Lin Yuan gave a satisfied nod before exchanging a few more strategic words with the patriarch and then ending the call.
Next, he dialed Long Wu.
"Long Wu, how are things progressing on your side?" Lin Yuan asked, his voice steady.
"Young Master, everything is going according to plan!" Long Wu replied promptly. "All casino clubs operated by the Qingshan Gang have been forcibly shut down. Their network is unraveling, and their sphere of influence has started to collapse. There's disarray within their ranks—they've been in turmoil for several days now..."
Long Wu's report was brief but informative.
Lin Yuan nodded again, his expression calm but sharp.
Gu Qingshan—the so-called underground emperor of Xiling District—had built his empire on shady foundations. From illegal businesses and back-alley dealings to extortion and underworld trafficking, he had done it all behind the scenes.
In order to 'legitimize' his operations, Gu Qingshan began reaching out to prominent families in the city. He offered himself as a loyal, subservient partner—willing to serve as a watchdog or enforcer for their interests. Sometimes, he even pushed their real estate investments without taking a profit, simply to gain trust and build ties.
That strategy had paid off, enabling him to grow his gang while maintaining a façade of professionalism.
But greed never stays satisfied for long.
As his confidence grew, Gu Qingshan started embezzling profits and secretly undermining the very families that had once supported him. He was careful—always covering his tracks, always maintaining plausible deniability.
If not for Lin Yuan's careful dismantling of his network from within, Gu Qingshan's crimes might never have been exposed.
In the original storyline, by the time Gu Qingshan's betrayal was discovered, Ye Feng had already risen to prominence. With Ye Feng's backing, Gu Qingshan was untouchable—an arrogant king hiding behind a stronger emperor. The major families, humiliated though they were, could only swallow their pride and play along.
But in this timeline, things had changed.
Neither Ye Feng nor Gu Qingshan had managed to climb their respective ladders. They were both still trying to find footing in a world dominated by giants—corporate sharks, political whales, and underworld piranhas.
Now, with the Tang family backing out, and the casino operations shut down, the Qingshan Gang was rapidly losing power and territory.
Their empire was crumbling—
*****
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