Chapter 249: MEETING HER WAS ALWAYS GOING TO HAPPEN

Kong Siying nodded slowly, wiping at his face with the back of his hand, some of the panic finally settling into something steadier.

Maybe because Limo was with him.

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Morning light filtered through the curtains when Guiying reached for his phone, still half tangled in the sheets beside Liuxian.

A message from Limo waited at the top of his notifications.

Limo: I need your help. Can you come to Yang Entertainment today?

Guiying sat up slightly, reading it twice, checking his mental calendar out of habit before answering. Nothing pressing sat on his schedule today, no meetings, no fittings, nothing that couldn’t wait an hour or two.

Guiying: I’m free today. I’ll head over. What’s going on?

Limo: I’ll explain when you get here. Please come soon.

Something in the brevity of it pulled at him, though he set the thought aside for now, deciding to sort out Yuèxin first before anything else claimed his morning.

Pulling up his email, he began drafting a polite but firm decline, citing the biological limitations Liuxian had explained the night before, careful to keep the tone professional rather than accusatory.

Beside him, Liuxian’s phone rang, loud and insistent against the nightstand.

Groaning, he reached for it without checking the screen, voice still thick with sleep. "Hello?"

A shrill voice erupted immediately on the other end, sharp enough that Guiying caught fragments of it despite the phone not being on speaker.

Liuxian’s jaw tightened. "Mom. Not now. I’m really busy. I don’t need you screaming at me first thing in the morning."

The voice on the other end climbed louder, something about hell and consequences and bringing his partner home.

"So what if you raise hell?" Liuxian’s tone stayed flat, unbothered despite the volume assaulting his ear. "I’m not obligated to come running just because you’re upset. Pick a date for dinner, and we’ll try to make it."

A long silence followed, stretching uncomfortably.

"I pick today." Fu Wanqing’s voice had gone cold now, clipped. "If you don’t make it to dinner tonight, I’m no longer your mother. Have a good day."

The line went dead.

Guiying sat up fully, watching Liuxian’s expression settle into something tight, controlled. "Did you have to talk to her like that?"

"I didn’t lie." Liuxian tossed the phone aside and pushed himself upright, irritation bleeding into every movement. "I am busy."

Guiying said nothing further, recognizing the particular exhaustion sitting behind his sharp tone, the kind that came from carrying too many things at once without room left for one more demand.

Sliding out of bed, Guiying padded toward the bathroom instead, running the tub full of warm water, letting the steam rise before returning to the bedroom.

"Why don’t you take a bath?" He leaned against the doorway, voice gentler now. "I’ll help you get ready for work."

Liuxian’s shoulders dropped slightly at the offer, some of the tension easing out of him. "You don’t have to."

"I want to." Guiying crossed the room, tugging him up by the hand. "Come on. The water’s perfect right now."

Following him into the bathroom, Liuxian sank into the tub with a low, grateful sigh, steam curling around his shoulders as the warmth worked into muscles still stiff from sleep and stress in equal measure.

Kneeling beside the tub, Guiying reached for the small pitcher on the ledge, filling it before tipping warm water gently over Liuxian’s hair.

"Close your eyes." He worked shampoo through the strands with careful fingers, massaging slowly at his scalp. "You’ve had a rough morning already."

"That obvious?" Liuxian’s eyes stayed shut, voice softer now than it had been on the phone minutes ago.

"A little." Guiying rinsed the suds away, watching water trail down the side of his face. "Your mother’s been like this for a while now, hasn’t she?"

"Longer than I care to admit." Liuxian exhaled, sinking deeper into the water. "She’s convinced I’m hiding you from her on purpose. Maybe I have been, a little."

"She’ll come around eventually." Guiying reached for the towel, draping it near the edge of the tub for later. "Or she won’t, and you’ll survive that too."

A faint, tired smile tugged at Liuxian’s mouth. "You make it sound simple."

"It is simple." Guiying tilted his head, studying him. "You don’t owe anyone your peace, not even her."

Liuxian said nothing for a moment, letting the words settle, some of the earlier tightness in his jaw finally loosening.

Once he’d finished rinsing, Guiying helped him step out, wrapping the towel securely around his shoulders before guiding him back toward the bedroom, where a fresh suit already hung waiting near the closet.

"Sit." Guiying gestured toward the vanity chair, retrieving the hairdryer without needing to be asked twice.

Liuxian obeyed, watching him in the mirror as warm air swept through his damp hair, Guiying’s fingers working through the strands with the same practiced care from the night before.

"So tonight’s actually happening, then." Guiying kept his eyes on his work, tone even. "What time should I expect you back from the office?"

"Six, if the meetings run on schedule." Liuxian’s gaze followed him in the reflection. "I’ll send the car for you around seven so we can head over together."

"That works." Guiying set the dryer down once his hair had fully dried, smoothing a few loose strands into place. "Does your mother have a preference for gifts? I don’t want to walk-in empty-handed."

"She collects porcelain, old pieces mostly, Song dynasty if you can find something authentic." Liuxian huffed out a short laugh. "Don’t spend a fortune on it. She’ll find something to criticize regardless of what you bring."

"Noted." Guiying pressed a light kiss to the top of his head. "I’ll ask Wang Chengli if he knows a reputable dealer. Better safe than showing up with something fake."

Liuxian caught his hand before he could pull away fully, holding it there for a moment. "Thank you. For doing this."

"You don’t have to thank me." Guiying squeezed his fingers once. "She’s your mother. Meeting her properly was always going to happen eventually."