Chaos

The next few days were so calm that Lin Tingyue almost had a delusion.

She placed the half-used tube of ointment on her bedside table, as a silent reminder that that night was not a dream.

Chi Zhuo did not "summon" her again; the number remained silent, as if it had never existed.

However, this calm only made her more uneasy.

Like the calm before a storm, you never know which direction the thunder will strike from next.

She would unconsciously glance at her phone while working, and her heart would skip a beat whenever she heard a text message notification.

Xia Xiaoran mocked her for having "Chi Zhuo PTSD" and insisted that it was "the instinctive alertness of prey before being targeted by a hunter."

"That shows he's a master! He's playing the long game, catching big fish! He's making you lose your composure before you even realize it!"

In the video, Xia Xiaoran spoke eloquently, "Yueyue, you have to stay calm! Don't show any weakness first!"

Lin Tingyue gave a wry smile.

She wanted to play it safe, but that man didn't play by the rules at all. She couldn't even guess what he would do next, so how could she play it safe?

As she waited anxiously, the "death text message" finally arrived on Friday afternoon.

The content remains shockingly concise:

[Tomorrow night at 8 PM, South City Horse Ranch. Casual attire is fine.]

A horse ranch? Lin Tingyue stared at the text message, stunned. This wasn't a banquet hall, nor a business occasion, but a horse ranch? And in casual clothes?

What kind of new "shield" script is this? She couldn't imagine Chi Zhuo in riding clothes at all, let alone what role she would need to play there.

She hesitated for a moment, then tried replying for the first time:

Mr. Chi, is there anything I need to prepare?

A few minutes later, the phone vibrated.

[Just showing up is enough.]

It was still that unquestionable tone.

Lin Tingyue sighed and resignedly began to think about what to wear tomorrow.

Casual clothes...to the horse farm...

She rummaged through her drawers and found a set of casual cycling clothes that she hadn't worn in a long time, paired with a simple white cardigan.

The next evening, Chi Zhuo's driver arrived to pick her up on time.

This time, I opted for a more understated Bentley.

The car drove towards the professional horse farm in the south of the city.

When we arrived, it was nearly dusk, and the setting sun bathed the vast grassland in a warm golden light.

Lin Tingyue was led by the staff to an outdoor area, where she saw Chi Zhuo in the distance.

He wasn't wearing formal attire, but rather a well-tailored black riding outfit that accentuated his broad shoulders, long legs, and upright, pine-like figure.

He wasn't wearing the usual riding hat; his black hair was slightly disheveled by the evening breeze, making him appear less cold and stern and more wildly untamed.

He was facing away from her, gently stroking a magnificent, jet-black horse. The lines of his profile appeared softer in the setting sun.

That moment was breathtakingly handsome.

Lin Tingyue's heart started racing again, much to her dismay.

Seemingly sensing her arrival, Chi Zhuo turned around.

His gaze lingered on her riding attire for a moment, seemingly surprised, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Can you ride?" he asked, his voice seemingly less cold and hard than usual.

"I only know how to play a little bit; I haven't touched it in a long time."

Lin Tingyue answered honestly and walked over somewhat awkwardly.

The black horse snorted, its large eyes glancing at her with a hint of arrogance.

“This is ‘Wind Chaser,’ it’s a bit too fierce for you to ride.”

Chi Zhuo patted the horse's neck and then gestured to the stableman beside him.

Soon, another gentle and beautiful chestnut mare was brought over.

“Riding this one, ‘Cherry,’ is very docile,” he said.

Lin Tingyue looked at the mare named "Cherry," whose eyes were indeed gentle, and her tension eased slightly.

Chi Zhuo didn't seem to have any intention of letting her start working immediately. He nimbly flipped himself onto Zhui Feng, his movements fluid and graceful, clearly showing he was a master.

He sat on his horse, looking down at her: "Get used to it first."

After saying that, he spurred his horse and galloped off like an arrow, running wildly across the vast grassland.

Lin Tingyue stared, somewhat stunned.

Chi Zhuo on horseback is completely different from the man who usually sits in his office strategizing or is aloof and distant in the banquet hall.

At this moment, he exuded a sense of power and control, as if he were one with the horse beneath him. His unrestrained freedom and powerful confidence were extremely impactful.

With the help of the seemingly gentle stableman, she carefully mounted Cherry and rode along slowly.

The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only a magnificent sunset in the sky.

The lights at the racecourse came on, creating a different kind of tranquil atmosphere.

Chi Zhuo returned after running a few laps, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, but his breathing remained steady.

He controlled the horse, slowed it down, and rode alongside her.

The two were silent for a moment, with only the soft sound of horses' hooves on the grass and the rustling of the grass in the evening breeze.

This quietness wasn't awkward; rather, it had a strange tranquility.

Lin Tingyue's tense nerves relaxed without her realizing it.

"Bad mood?"

Suddenly, Chi Zhuo asked a question, looking ahead and speaking casually.

Lin Tingyue was taken aback; she hadn't expected him to ask that.

She instinctively wanted to deny it, but the words stuck in her throat.

Perhaps because the environment made it so easy for her to let her guard down, she gave a soft, indistinct "hmm".

"Because of those three thousand yuan?" Chi Zhuo asked, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of mockery.

Lin Tingyue's face flushed instantly, but fortunately the twilight concealed her embarrassment.

She muttered under her breath, "...and there's still the 'compensation' debt to come."

Chi Zhuo seemed to chuckle softly, so softly that it dissipated in the wind, almost making her think it was an illusion.

"Just consider it an experience," he said casually.

Lin Tingyue couldn't help but steal a glance at him. The sunset glow cast a soft light on his profile, making him seem less unapproachable.

She mustered her courage and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time: "Mr. Chi, why...why did you use this method? I thought you would be more direct."

For example, making her lose everything.

Chi Zhuo pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop. He also turned his head, his deep gaze particularly focused in the twilight, looking directly at her.

“Direct?” he repeated, then slowly and meaningfully said, “Miss Lin, some things, if they’re too direct, will only scare people away.”

His gaze was so deep, as if it had some kind of penetrating power, that Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously avoided his gaze.

Scared away? Scared away what? Her?

The meaning behind those words made her afraid to think about them too deeply.

Just then, the sound of laughter and chatter came from not far away; they seemed to be people Chi Zhuo knew.

It sounds like Su Wanqing's voice is also in it.

Lin Tingyue's heart immediately jumped again, and her professional ethics as a "shield" instantly returned.

She instinctively straightened her back, preparing to enter "battle mode".

Chi Zhuo glanced at her, seemingly puzzled by her sudden nervousness, but then he understood. Unlike last time, he didn't immediately make her hold his arm; instead, he said calmly:

"Don't be nervous, there's no script today."

"Huh?" Lin Tingyue was stunned.

"I called you here today," Chi Zhuo said, his gaze returning to the distance, his voice calm and even, "simply because I wanted to ride a horse today and needed a companion."

Just... need a companion?

Lin Tingyue was completely stunned. So, today wasn't "work-related," but rather... a private invitation?

This realization made her more panicked and disoriented than any "shield" mission.

As the group drew closer, they indeed spotted Chi Zhuo and Lin Tingyue beside him.

Their gazes swept back and forth between the two, filled with inquiry and curiosity, but no one stepped forward like Su Wanqing.

Chi Zhuo merely nodded slightly to them as a greeting, showing no intention of engaging in further conversation. The group, understanding the situation, exchanged a few pleasantries and then left.

Throughout the entire process, Chi Zhuo never asked Lin Tingyue to cooperate with him in any acting.

Is he really... just missing a companion?

On the way back, the carriage remained quiet. Lin Tingyue looked at the night scenery rushing past the window, her mind a jumbled mess.

Chi Zhuo's behavior tonight completely exceeded her expectations once again. He didn't push her into the limelight as a target, and even... seemed to be somewhat considerate of her feelings?

The phrase "scared away" is even more ambiguous.

What exactly does he want to do?

She secretly glanced at the man beside her who was resting with his eyes closed.

When he is quiet, his imposing aura subsides slightly, and he becomes breathtakingly handsome.

Suddenly, the car went over a speed bump and lurched slightly.

Lin Tingyue's handbag, which was on her lap, slipped off, spilling its contents, including the half-used tube of ointment.

She hurriedly bent down to pick it up.

A hand with distinct knuckles picked up the ointment even faster than she did.

Chi Zhuo looked at the ointment in his hand, then at her ankle, which no longer showed any abnormalities, and raised an eyebrow: "Still using it?"

Lin Tingyue's face flushed red instantly, as if she had been caught red-handed, and she hurriedly tried to get her way back: "...Yeah, it works pretty well."

Chi Zhuo didn't return it to her immediately. His fingertips traced the tube of ointment, his gaze deep as he looked at her, and suddenly asked:

"Lin Tingyue, besides thinking I'm retaliating against you, haven't you considered any other possibilities?"