The crushed ice blue roses in the vase on the coffee table in the villa's living room bloomed brilliantly and delicately.
Lin Mo had brought these flowers back last time.
The very next day, she saw them carefully arranged in the vase.
Nearly a week had passed, and the flowers were still as vibrant as ever.
At this moment, Lin Mo's heart fluttered slightly as she waited for Xie Guanyan's response.
Would he have some important event to attend on Sunday night?
Work was undoubtedly his top priority.
Lin Mo found this perfectly reasonable.
After all, how else could his company have grown so large?
Where one invests time and effort, results follow.
Yet, despite his company's immense success, he had never indulged in vices like drinking, women, or extravagance.
Nor had she ever caught a whiff of cigarette smoke on him.
The man had no bad habits and maintained an impeccable lifestyle.
Except for a few quirks best left unmentioned.
Even now, remembering that massage in the bathtub made her legs weak.
When he had asked from behind her whether it felt good,
her mind had already conjured images of them doing something far more intimate.
That day had been pure bliss!
His skills rivaled those of a professional masseur, as if he’d trained for it.
This only made her want to date him even more.
Wouldn’t being together mean she could enjoy such pleasures regularly?
Far better than decompressing with steamy novels!
As for her younger brother's aversion to men, she’d protect him while gradually introducing him to Xie Guanyan.
Her brother was busy with work, and she with her studies.
They hardly saw each other anyway.
She refused to suppress her desires.
Before being an elder sister, she was her own person.
She would always put herself first.
So, she had decided to confess her feelings.
For the past week, she’d skipped evening self-study sessions to practice at the theater.
Redoing her final year of high school was a breeze for her.
With over half a year left, she wasn’t the least bit worried about the college entrance exams.
It had been a full four years since she last danced—discounting the eleven years of her transmigration.
Fortunately, her training in taekwondo and martial arts had kept her flexible, so she wasn’t entirely disconnected from dance.
She wanted to deliver a flawless performance for Xie Guanyan, one that would strike straight at his heart!
The performance ticket felt featherlight in her fingers.
Yet to Xie Guanyan, it seemed unbearably heavy.
So heavy that his hand nearly faltered holding it.
Once, he could only sneak into the theater to watch her perform.
Now, she had personally handed him a ticket.
It felt surreal.
Suppressing the tremble in his hand, he lifted his gaze, his deep eyes meeting hers as he forced his voice to remain calm and gentle. "I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to your performance."
Lin Mo’s faintly suspended heart settled, her eyes curving into crescents. "I hope it won’t disappoint you."
Teacher Xu had mentioned that Xie Guanyan often attended theater performances.
Over the years, many talented dancers had emerged, some exceptionally skilled.
Comparisons were inevitable when watching her.
A thousand readers, a thousand Hamlets.
In her eyes and those of professional instructors, she was outstanding—but Xie Guanyan’s judgment was another matter.
"I’ll head upstairs to sleep now. Goodnight."
She’d been returning late these past few days, having supper outside with Zhao Ziling.
To avoid awkwardness or abruptness, this was a standard-length performance.
Others from the troupe would perform, Zhao Ziling included, with Lin Mo taking the final slot.
No public tickets were sold; only devoted fans of classical dance were invited.
It was essentially a dress rehearsal for the official show.
The radiant young woman dashed upstairs with light, hurried steps.
Xie Guanyan no longer restrained his breathing, his silver-framed glasses fixing onto her retreating figure.
Disappoint him?
How could she ever disappoint him?
It was never classical dance he loved watching—it was her.
A Lincoln business car glided down the road.
In the car, Xu Yali leaned back in her seat, watching Lin Mo's dance rehearsal video from today. Her gentle, elegant eyes curved with pride.
No wonder Lin Mo was her most accomplished student.
After four years without dancing, just a few days of practice had already brought her back to ninety percent of her former skill.
"Auntie, is Lin Mo performing on stage this Sunday?"
A young voice reached Xu Yali's ears.
She looked up. "Yes."
For the past few days, Lin Mo had been practicing at the theater, and Xu Yan had gone to watch her every day.
Xu Yali had already kicked Shen Feng out.
Living alone in the villa felt too lonely, so she had Xu Yan move in with her.
That was how he found out Lin Mo spent her evenings dancing at the theater.
He had loved watching her dance since they were kids.
Xu Yan’s cool gaze shifted to the night scenery flashing past the window.
At first, he couldn’t understand how Lin Mo had managed to score so highly on her exams.
If it were her normal self, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But she had been bedridden for eleven years.
Unless… the information about her was false.
She couldn’t have actually been bedridden for eleven years.
After watching her dance these past few days—her fluid movements, her flexibility—he was gradually confirming his suspicions.
He didn’t know the specifics.
But Lin Mo’s memories and physical state seemed to have frozen at the time of her accident.
Xu Yan turned his head. "Auntie, Lin Mo is still eighteen, isn’t she?"
His aunt hadn’t shown any surprise at Lin Mo’s physical performance these past few days.
She must know something!
Xu Yali paused slightly, frowning. "How… did you figure that out?"
Xu Yan lowered his gaze. "I guessed."
Her nephew had always been sharp—it wasn’t strange that he could deduce it.
Xu Yali turned off her phone and said seriously, "Don’t focus on Lin Mo anymore. She… Well, it’s just not possible between you two."
He insisted on going to watch her dance.
The boy had health issues, and she couldn’t help but dote on him out of concern.
But Lin Mo truly didn’t have those kinds of feelings for him.
When Zhao Ziling told her about Lin Mo’s confession plan,
she had been a little shocked.
But Xie Guanyan was undeniably outstanding in every way, and the two had been high school classmates.
It wasn’t surprising that Lin Mo liked him.
Of course, she would support it.
It was just a relationship—what eighteen-year-old didn’t want to fall in love?
She hadn’t been any different at that age!
Xu Yan’s eyes darkened slightly, his voice calm.
"So, during this performance… Lin Mo plans to confess to Xie Guanyan?"
