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{Chapter: 201 Test-tube baby?}
After Lin Yuan said those words, an almost tangible silence fell over the room.
The air seemed to still, as if the world itself paused for a moment.
Mei Yuxian held her breath involuntarily, and her heart—normally so composed—suddenly began to pound in her chest.
It took her a full three seconds to gather herself again.
She was no longer a naive young woman, after all.
Although she was clearly rattled by Lin Yuan's unexpected words, she managed to respond with a smile that carried no hint of malice. "Stop joking, Xiao Yuan. There's a decade between us. I can only see you as a younger brother… a very good brother."
Even though her heart had been stirred more than once today by this young man's presence, she simply couldn't bring herself to admit it—not even to herself.
But Lin Yuan's response came with a calm, teasing smile. "Sister Yuxian, I feel the same. I only see you as an older sister… a very good older sister."
The words mirrored her own almost perfectly.
Yet Mei Yuxian bit her red lips slightly upon hearing them.
There was something in his tone—something playful, flirtatious—that made it impossible to take his words at face value.
What kind of "good brother" speaks like that?
She couldn't deny the fluttering inside her chest.
To be desired by someone like Lin Yuan—a man who seemed nearly flawless in appearance and demeanor—was flattering to say the least.
It was more than flattery. It stirred something in her.
Even for someone like her, someone with years of emotional discipline, her heart began to betray her.
But was it truly possible?
Could there really be a future between the two of them?
As her thoughts ran wild, Mei Yuxian looked into Lin Yuan's eyes.
He didn't avoid her gaze. On the contrary, he met her eyes directly, unwavering, and full of quiet confidence.
It was the kind of gaze that made it hard to look away.
For the first time in many years, Mei Yuxian's beautiful, confident eyes faltered.
She smiled again—but this time, it was a restrained and reluctant one.
"Xiao Yuan, let's not joke about things like this. It's just not realistic between us. I'm already in my thirties. I have a daughter—Qingtong is nearly an adult now. You're young, you're talented, you're handsome, and you have so much ahead of you. Why waste your time on someone like me… a widow?"
Lin Yuan's reply came quickly, and his smile didn't fade in the slightest. "Sister Yuxian, when you stand beside Qingtong, you look more like her sister than her mother. You're not old at all. Honestly, I don't see you as a widow."
He paused for a beat and then added with a calm yet deliberate tone, "In fact, in my eyes… you're more like a pure and untouched maiden."
That statement hit Mei Yuxian like a thunderclap.
At first, it seemed like a casual compliment—one she had heard many times in the past from various admirers.
But then Lin Yuan added something she never expected.
"If I'm not mistaken, Sister Yuxian… you really are untouched, aren't you? You're still a virgin."
Mei Yuxian froze.
For the first time since meeting Lin Yuan, her expression visibly changed.
Her mind went blank for a few seconds.
Since the day she got married, no one had ever said such a thing to her.
Not a soul had dared to bring it up.
Lin Yuan's words reached a part of her she kept locked away, a truth buried so deeply even she barely acknowledged it.
The room was engulfed in silence once again—eight seconds of deafening quiet.
Then Mei Yuxian finally gathered herself, her voice trembling slightly as she responded, "What nonsense are you talking about? I already have a daughter—Qingtong. She's practically an adult. How can you say that your Sister Yuxian is still a virgin?"
Her tone was flustered, her carefully maintained composure cracked at the edges.
But Lin Yuan didn't waver. With a calm, confident voice, he said, "Test-tube baby. You've heard of that, haven't you, Sister Yuxian? And Jiangbei Third People's Hospital… I believe you still remember that place, don't you?"
As his words landed, Mei Yuxian's composure completely unraveled.
Her wide eyes and trembling lips betrayed just how shaken she truly was.
She stared at Lin Yuan as if seeing him for the first time.
He knew.
He knew things he shouldn't—details no one else could possibly have known unless they had done serious digging, or unless… he had been watching closely all along.
For someone like Mei Yuxian, who could remain calm even in the face of danger, this was almost too much.
She had always carried herself with grace, confidence, and a quiet strength—even when the world around her threatened to crumble.
But this—this was different.
This wasn't about power or pride. It wasn't about logic or decorum.
This was about something deeply personal… something raw and unspoken.
Because even a mountain can stand tall in the face of storms, but when the sky itself begins to fall, even mountains must tremble.
Her shock is just so overflowing.
Some can remain calm even if the mountain crashes, but what if the sky falls?
There is always a limit to a person's calmness.
Like Mei Yuxian, even if faced with a life and death situation, her face would not show too much emotion.
But this revelation had shaken Mei Yuxian far more than she had anticipated.
"How… how did you know?" she asked, her voice low and unsteady, as the possibility of denial slipped through her fingers. Lin Yuan's words were just too precise—too accurate to be guessed at randomly.
Jiangbei Third People's Hospital.
That was the place where she had given birth to Gui Qingtong.
It was a secret only a handful of people had ever known. The records had long since been erased by her own hand. She had gone to great lengths to bury that chapter of her past—quietly, completely, and without leaving any traces.
So how could Lin Yuan possibly know?
A faint smile curved Lin Yuan's lips, calm and composed, as if everything was under control. "There are two possible explanations," he said, pausing deliberately. "I'm not sure which one Sister Yuxian would prefer to hear."
He raised one hand and counted off on his fingers. "The first reason is quite simple: I'm a master of fortune. So naturally, I can see what others cannot."
Then came the second. His gaze grew warmer, his voice a touch softer. "The second reason is that I'm truly, deeply interested in Sister Yuxian. And when I'm interested in someone… I want to know everything about them. Compared to Qingtong—who is lovely in her own right—my eyes, my thoughts, and my heart are far more focused on you."
Mei Yuxian blinked.
The first reason made her want to laugh—some silly excuse involving fortune-telling. But no laughter came. Her lips parted slightly, and the breath caught in her throat.
The second reason, however, caused her chest to tighten, her heart to throb with an unfamiliar rhythm. Something stirred inside her—uncomfortable, yet undeniable.
She wasn't sure anymore whether she was the one leaning into Lin Yuan or if he had leaned into her.
A moment ago, her head had merely rested against his shoulder. A gesture of comfort, maybe even familial closeness.
But now, she realized… half of her body was nestled against his side.
Mei Yuxian could clearly feel the warmth radiating from his young, strong body—his steady heartbeat, his closeness, his presence.
It had been years—decades, even—since she had been this physically close to a man.
Not because she was incapable of intimacy, but because no man had ever stirred her enough to deserve it.
She was not a woman easily swayed by lust or emotion. She had lived long enough to master control over her body and her desires.
And yet… the truth was, those desires never truly disappeared.
They simply waited.
Waited for someone who met her standards.
Someone who could unlock the vault she had so carefully sealed.
And Lin Yuan… checked every box.
Whether she liked it or not, Mei Yuxian had to admit it—she was moved.
Moved not by charm alone, but by the full force of his presence, his intelligence, his audacity, and his quiet, unwavering confidence.
Lin Yuan made no attempt to hide his intentions.
He wasn't pretending to be pure or innocent.
He could feel the rapid beating of her heart.
And in that moment, as if to match her unspoken invitation, he slowly lifted his arms and gently wrapped them around her.
Warm. Strong. Unapologetically assertive.
Inside her mind, Mei Yuxian found herself caught in a silent storm of conflict.
She wasn't naïve—she didn't think for one second that Lin Yuan was in love with her.
Nor could she claim that she loved him so deeply that she would give up everything for him.
No, love wasn't the word here.
What Lin Yuan had always said was that he was "interested."
Not "devoted," not "madly in love."
Just… interested.
And she understood what that meant.
She wasn't a fool. She knew how men looked at her.
She knew how attractive she was—her figure alone had turned heads all her life.
But Lin Yuan was no ordinary admirer. He wasn't just handsome—he was captivating.
He had power, intelligence, family status, and charisma. He didn't need to pursue older women.
Which is why… the fact that he had chosen to pursue her made everything that much more irresistible.
In truth, Mei Yuxian felt no shame.
She was proud of herself, her appearance, her strength, her independence.
If this was what it meant to be desired again… to feel alive again…
Then she welcomed it.
Even if this ended up as nothing more than a friendship with blurred lines—a relationship without strings or promises—she wouldn't feel like she had lost anything.
With Lin Yuan, there was no loss. Only gain.
Her long-slumbering heart was beating again.
And more than that… her dormant, dry soul was beginning to stir.
Once the heart starts to move—it's hard, if not impossible, to stop it.
Lin Yuan knew it.
He could feel the change in her.
The air around them had shifted. The atmosphere, once filled with teasing and curiosity, was now heavy with emotion and warmth.
Not just his—but hers, too.
The temperature of her gaze, the soft trembling of her breath, the way her fingers curled unconsciously against his arm…
Mei Yuxian was no longer just moved.
She was swayed.
Truly, completely, powerfully swayed.
And it was only just beginning.
*****
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