Chapter 67: Confession!

Xia Muqihui's gaze passes through the cherry blossom petals falling across the sky and lands on the girl waiting quietly under the century-old cherry tree.

The pink petals swirl lightly in the spring breeze, like a silent, fine rain.

A few petals rest gently on Yue Dao Lin's long, dark hair and slender shoulders.

The tear mole under her left eye, like the final stroke carefully placed by a painter, adds a touch of moving charm to this already gentle and intellectual face.

Sensing Xia Muqihui's approach, Yue Dao Lin's fair cheeks instantly bloom with a thin layer of red, her clear eyes intertwined with undisguised shyness and a hint of imperceptible hesitation.

Her slender fingers unconsciously twist her elegant skirt, exposing the tension and turmoil in her heart.

"... Are you Miss Yue Dao Lin?"

Xia Muqihui doesn't know what the person who wrote the love letter looks like, so he has to confirm her identity politely.

He doesn't want to cause the awkward scene of recognizing the wrong person.

"Yes... it's me." Yue Dao Lin lowers her head slightly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum, her earlobes turning completely red.

But then she thinks, since she was the one who proactively handed over the love letter, she should be the one to speak first regardless.

Yue Dao Lin clenches her hem nervously, takes a deep breath, and slowly raises her head, bravely meeting Xia Muqihui's gaze.

However, the moment she truly makes eye contact with him, her heartbeat suddenly goes out of control, thumping violently in her chest.

This feeling of losing control instantly reminds her of that moment yesterday that changed everything.

It was the morning of the first day of school.

Groups of students were walking along the cherry blossom path toward the depths of the campus.

The orchestra's practice room is located on the first floor of the B-wing school building, right on the right side of the road.

To prepare for the grand opening ceremony on Friday, even on the first day of school, orchestra members needed to arrive early to rehearse the opening performance pieces.

Therefore, she arrived at school earlier than most people.

And Yue Dao Lin's heart had harbored hidden worries since childhood.

Arrhythmia; her pulse often hovered around 60 beats per minute, far lower than the average person.

Strenuous exercise and intense emotional fluctuations were once strictly forbidden by doctors, as they could easily trigger dizziness and suffocating breathing difficulties.

Over time, she became accustomed to suppressing her emotions and words; only the violin melodies flowing from her fingertips could slightly soothe that deep-seated loneliness.

However, the cost of this suppression was enormous—toward most things in the world, she seemed to be separated by a layer of glass, unable to feel intense joy or sorrow.

Even after years of treatment, her heart condition had long since improved.

But even when riding a roller coaster to the peak, walking into a haunted house to face frights, or standing alone in the center of the stage under the spotlight, bearing the baptism of thousands of gazes from below... her heartbeat remained as steady as a windless lake.

She felt like a cold machine, lacking the reality of being alive.

Only music was her permitted, sole emotional outlet.

When she played the violin, the surging, sorrowful, and ecstatic feelings she couldn't perceive with her body could finally be told through the strings.

The reason her performance could shake people's hearts was precisely because she poured all the passion for "life" that she couldn't experience in reality into the music.

She had thought she would live in this vacuum of emotion forever.

She had thought such days would continue forever.

Until yesterday.

During a break in rehearsal, she looked out the window unconsciously.

At that very moment, she saw Xia Muqihui walking along the cherry blossom path.

Like a bolt of lightning piercing the silent night sky, and like an electric current instantly running through her limbs—that heart which hadn't truly throbbed in years suddenly began to beat wildly and vividly in her chest!

That electric-shock feeling still vibrates faintly to this day, unable to be shaken off.

At that very moment, it was the first time she had so truly felt the reality of being alive.

At this moment, facing Xia Muqihui directly, this feeling becomes unprecedentedly intense!

Yue Dao Lin feels the violent heartbeat in her chest, takes a deep breath, and her previously wavering gaze becomes firm.

She summons all the courage of her life and confesses solemnly with a slightly trembling yet clear voice:

"Um... Xia Mu-kun, from the first moment I saw you yesterday, I fell deeply in love with you!"

"Please—please, by all means, date me!"

After the confession, her heart is still beating wildly; this is a vivid experience she has never had in her seventeen years of life.

This palpitation that makes her dizzy makes her firmly believe—Xia Muqihui is her destined person.

She raises her slightly red face, her eyes intertwined with shyness and incomparably eager anticipation, locking onto Xia Muqihui's eyes, waiting for his response.

Xia Muqihui is not an ignorant person; he has a clear understanding of his own appearance.

From childhood to adulthood, there have been no shortage of girls confessing to him, and the reasons often cannot be separated from "love at first sight."

However, regarding relationships, he has always upheld caution and seriousness.

He never believes that a fleeting glance can support a long-lasting companionship.

Compared to the ethereal "love at first sight," he is more inclined toward a slow-flowing understanding, natural feelings, and a deep bond where both parties know each other well.

What's more...

As he is now, he bears the heavy burden of a family upheaval and has too many matters waiting to be dealt with; he truly has no extra energy or time to manage a relationship that requires investment.

But—a confession made with such solemnity deserves a response of equal solemnity.

Xia Muqihui takes a slight breath, his expression incomparably serious, looking at Yue Dao Lin with sincere apology:

"I'm sorry, I cannot respond to your feelings."

The light of anticipation in Yue Dao Lin's eyes suddenly freezes, then rapidly dims.

She stands frozen in place, her face losing its color bit by bit, becoming as pale as paper, her voice carrying an unbelievable tremor:

"Wh... why? Isn't it rumored... that you don't have a girlfriend..."

Xia Muqihui shakes his head gently:

"That is true."

Yue Dao Lin is very clear that her family background, studies, and looks are all outstanding among girls.

Being rejected so directly at this moment, a strong sense of self-doubt instantly grips her, making her feel as if she has no charm in his eyes.

Her eye sockets quickly turn red, crystal tears uncontrollably welling up and spinning in her eyes, her voice carrying a heavy nasal tone and grievance:

"Then... is it that I am... not to your liking somewhere? Or is there something about me... that makes you feel it won't work?"

Xia Muqihui's gaze remains calm and frank; he shakes his head again, his tone peaceful:

"No, you are very beautiful and have an outstanding temperament."

"Among the girls I have met, very few can surpass you."