Chapter 778: Court phone!

The moment the blanket was completely lifted, Liu Xue froze completely.

Liu Xue's pupils contracted slightly, her face full of incredulous shock.

On the originally clean and dry sheets, now there were sweat stains.

And on Li Sisi's body, a somewhat oversized delicate doll was pressing down.

The doll's soft fabric clung to her front, its appearance strange and jarring.

Liu Xue stood there dazed on the spot, only after a while regaining her voice.

Liu Xue's tone was both shocked and angry, full of doubt and bewilderment:

"Sisi! What on earth are you doing?!"

The sudden question made Li Sisi's cheeks instantly turn completely red, a scorching blush spreading over her whole face, even her ears and neck flushing.

Li Sisi was extremely flustered, her eyes darting, not daring to meet her mother's gaze at all;

Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she stammered an explanation.

"Mom…… I, I didn't do anything……"

Li Sisi assassin, her mind went blank, completely unable to come up with a suitable excuse.

She could only stiffly shake her head, hands and feet at a loss, clutching the sheets beneath her, so nervous her fingertips turned white.

At the same time, beneath the wide bed, two figures hid on the floor.

Li Yan held her breath and focused, not daring to breathe too heavily.

Just moments ago, at the critical juncture, fortunately Lin Yuan's ears were sharp enough; the instant footsteps sounded outside the door, he detected the anomaly.

Lin Yuan reacted instantly, quickly pulling Su to turn over and roll off the bed, tacitly hiding beneath the bed.

It was precisely this brief few seconds of lightning-fast reaction that allowed the two to perfectly evade this near-exposure crisis, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

Liu Xue stared at the strange sight on the bed, her gaze fixed firmly on the large doll.

Liu Xue, after scanning the sheets, furrowed her brows tightly.

Liu Xue's tone full of incomprehension and bewilderment, she asked again:

"Sisi, why are you clutching a doll for no reason?"

Faced with her mother's blunt question, Li Sisi's heart raced so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

Li Sisi clutched the sheets nervously, lowering her head even further.

She could only steel herself and hastily look for an excuse to deflect:

"I…… I usually sleep hugging a doll; if I don't hold it, I can't fall asleep."

That sounded far-fetched; seeing her daughter's face flushed red and hands and feet at a loss, Liu Xue couldn't possibly believe it completely.

But seeing her daughter's embarrassed state, Liu Xue felt both heartache and helplessness.

Liu Xue let out a soft sigh, her tense expression easing a little.

Liu Xue, her tone carrying the insight and gentleness of someone who's been there, spoke slowly:

"Sisi, tell me the truth—are you feeling too lonely inside, wanting someone to care for you, wanting to fall in love?"

Li Sisi's body tensed suddenly, she lifted her eyes slightly, her eyes full of bewilderment.

She never thought…… that her mother would suddenly say such words,

Li Sisi, for a moment, didn't know how to respond.

Liu Xue looked at her daughter's inexperienced, flustered appearance, sighed again softly, and admonished earnestly:

"Mom understands; at your age, it's exactly the time when emotions first awaken, buds about to bloom—having fluttering feelings and wanting to fall in love is completely normal."

"But no matter how lonely you are, you can't ruin yourself like this. The most important thing for a girl is to be pure and self-respecting; you must know how to protect your body, keep proper boundaries, and not act recklessly."

After that gentle, earnest admonition, Liu Xue shifted her tone, her eyes serious and sincere:

"If you truly desire a relationship, wanting someone to accompany and care for you, just openly find a proper boyfriend—no need to wrong yourself like this."

Saying this, Liu Xue's mind…… naturally conjured up Lin Yuan's image.

In Liu Xue's eyes, there was clear approval as she continued:

"Actually, Mom gave it serious thought—the young man Lin Yuan who came to our house tonight is really quite good. He's down-to-earth, steady, ambitious and sensible, his character seems reliable, his conditions are impeccable—a rare fine young man."

Beneath the bed, Lin Yuan and Su Monong…… curled up silently in the shadows, hearing the mother-daughter conversation crystal clear.

Both felt a faint stir in their hearts, the atmosphere becoming increasingly subtle and ambiguous.

Liu Xue looked at her daughter, head down and silent, and then continued to patiently guide her.

Liu Xue's tone was full of the insight and expectation of someone who's been there:

"Sisi, Mom truly thinks he's suitable. If you really have feelings for Lin Yuan, then be bold and take the initiative."

This frank guidance fell on her ears; Li Sisi's pretty face instantly turned completely red, a scorching heat lingering and not fading.

She didn't dare lift her eyes to meet her mother's, only able to clench her palms, nervously and awkwardly giving a slight nod.

Liu Xue raised her hand…… gently stroked her daughter's head, earnestly admonishing:

"Romance has never been just about the guy making the first move. Nowadays, quality good men are inherently scarce; if you stay passive and shy, never daring to step forward, sooner or later other girls will snatch him away, and by the time you regret it, it'll be too late."

But at this moment, Li Sisi was very anxious.

No one was more anxious than she.

Though she seemed to obediently respond, inside her mind was already a tangled mess, her whole body tense to the extreme.

Who could have imagined that Lin Yuan, whom Mother praised in every way and earnestly tried to matchmake, is now……?

Anxiety intertwined, weighing on Li Sisi so that even her breathing became cautious.

Li Sisi, her nerves tense throughout, silently prayed that Mother could quickly leave the room.

As long as Mother lingered a moment longer, or casually lowered her head to glance at the floor……

Then the two hidden in the shadows beneath the bed would be completely exposed.

By then the situation will spiral completely out of control, with no way to explain it.

Right now, in the narrow, dark space under the bed, the area is cramped and stuffy.

... Lin Yuan's phone suddenly emitted a text message alert.

The sound wasn't loud, but in the dead‑silent bedroom it was especially clear and jarring.

The atmosphere on the bed instantly froze.

Liu Xue, standing beside the bed, jerked to a halt, and the words of advice on her face stopped abruptly.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her expression instantly turned wary, she sharply turned her head, and her eyes swept dubiously toward the direction of the floor‑side bedding.

In the dead‑quiet room, the faint echo of that male voice had not yet faded.

Liu Xue's heart tightened, her face full of surprise, she turned to look at the stiff‑bodied Li Sisi and whispered, "Sisi, did you hear anything? Just now there seemed to be some movement under the bed."

Li Sisi's heart nearly jumped into her throat, and her scalp went numb.

Li Sisi hurriedly and frantically shook her head, forcing a clueless, innocent expression onto her face.

Li Sisi hastily protested, "No, Mom, there was no sound at all—you must have misheard!"

Li Sisi clutched the blanket, her fingertips turning white, she forcibly suppressed the trembling all over her body, and spoke in a feigned calm:

"At night it's quiet; wind noises and furniture creaks are easily mistaken, and it could just be a stray cat outside calling. Mom, don't overthink it."

Seeing her daughter's desperate attempt to stay calm, and noting that the room indeed looked spotless with nothing amiss,

Liu Xue's doubts gradually faded.

Having stayed up late for so long, Liu Xue herself was a bit tired, so she didn't pursue the matter of the noise under the bed any further.

"Adjust yourself early, get proper rest, and don't stay up late needlessly."

Liu Xue gave Li Sisi a few more reminders, her tone still earnest and heartfelt:

"In short, remember what Mom told you: when you meet someone you like, don't be too shy—especially with someone as outstanding as Lin Yuan; missing him would be a real pity, so if you get a chance, take the initiative to get closer and strive for it."

After briefly giving those instructions, Liu Xue turned, gently closed the bedroom door, and walked back to her own room.

The moment the door shut completely, the tense atmosphere under the bed, stretched to its limit, suddenly eased.

Li Sisi let out a breath. d

Lin Yuan……also let out a long sigh of turbid air.

Lin Yuan's back was already soaked in cold sweat, his whole body nearly going limp.

That instant's exposure risk was enough to make one's heart stop; fortunately we barely managed to bluff our way through.

But he hadn't fully caught his breath when his face suddenly changed again.

In the dim, cramped space under the bed, Su Monong had completely shed her inhibitions.

Su Monong not only failed to restrain herself in the slightest, she grew even bolder, began to wanton misbehave with increasing abandon.

In the cramped space, Lin Yuan had nowhere to dodge; he could only endure passively, being tormented throughout with no ability to resist.

Meanwhile, Li Sisi also got out of bed, and she actually crawled under the bed as well.

Lin Yuan was completely bewildered.

"Sisi, what are you doing coming in here? The space under the bed is all dust, it's filthy."

Li Sisi's cheeks flushed shyly, and she said, "Brother Lin, I……

Tonight, sleep is destined to elude us.

……

The night faded bit by bit; outside the window, the darkness went from thick ink to a pale fish‑belly white……

Time marched on to five in the morning.

Lin Yuan tidied his clothes, and the two took advantage of the quietest, unnoticed moment in the early morning as Lin Yuan and Su Monong gently pushed open the bedroom door.

The two tiptoed out of the villa and left the Li residence silently.

……

All night, the two barely closed their eyes.

Lin Yuan remained tense throughout, mentally and physically exhausted.

Lin Yuan and Su Monong went to a street‑side breakfast stall in the early hours and ate a Jiangnan‑style breakfast.

After weathering the chaotic early morning, the sky grew fully bright and the city gradually returned to its bustle.

In the morning, Lin Yuan and Su Monong could only force themselves despite utter fatigue, and arrived on time for work at the Su Group.

Both of them were in terrible shape, each sporting heavy dark circles under their eyes, their faces wan, their vitality completely collapsed,.

One look at them and it was clear they'd pulled an all‑nighter.

The usually efficient and steady pair now showed unmistakable signs of fatigue.

Just after arriving at the company, Lin Yuan could no longer hold back the overwhelming drowsiness.

He plunged into his own Risk Control Director's office, shut the door, drew the blackout curtain, slumped in his chair, and fell into a deep sleep within seconds.

The accumulated fatigue over the past days plus last night's extreme exertion let him sleep especially deeply.

In the quiet office, only his steady breathing remained.

Just as Lin Yuan was sleeping soundly, completely unprepared, the phone on his desk……suddenly jolted into vibration, and the urgent ringing tore through the office's silence.

The piercing ring……rudely jerked the sleeping Lin Yuan awake.

Lin Yuan blinked open his eyes in a daze, still heavy with sleepiness.

His head felt foggy and swollen, and he was altogether dazed.

Lin Yuan rubbed his throbbing temples, picked up his phone, and, full of suspicion, lowered his gaze to the caller ID.

The caller's location and note on the screen were especially conspicuous, clearly displaying: Chengshang Qu Higher People's Court.

Lin Yuan's drowsiness instantly dissipated by half, and he was utterly stunned.

His heart was filled with confusion, he stared blankly at the phone screen, and countless questions sprang up in his mind.

How could the Jiangnan court suddenly, for no apparent reason, call him?

Just as the thought arose, a strong sense of foreboding swept over his whole body, making Lin Yuan feel a slight chill down his back and an inexplicable panic in his heart.

No one understood better than him what the court meant.

Back when he was young in his hometown, his family suffered a sudden misfortune, incurring a huge debt that was utterly beyond their ability to repay; at that time, the creditor directly filed a lawsuit and took them to court.

Lin Yuan had personally experienced the despair of being sued by the court and subjected to enforcement.

Those days, crushed by debt and lawsuits, when Lin Yuan could barely breathe, were his darkest memories of all those years, and had become an obstacle he could not overcome in his heart.

But now, looking at the incoming call display on the screen, past panic surged up instantly, weighing down his chest.

Lin Yuan's face gradually darkened, his brows and eyes filled with astonishment and doubt.

Lin Yuan's fingertips tensed slightly; after a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and slowly pressed the answer button.