Admitting mistakes
The car was parked in front of a private restaurant.
Lin Tingyue had some recollection of this place; it was here that Lin Yujin first invited Chi Zhuo to dinner with her.
The owner personally came out to greet them. Seeing them holding hands, he smiled knowingly: "Mr. Chi, Ms. Lin, long time no see. Same old spot?"
Lin Tingyue was somewhat surprised, "The boss actually remembers me?"
As far as she could remember, she had never met this boss before.
The boss nodded. "Miss Lin has an outstanding presence; it's hard not to notice her."
Lin Tingyue was secretly pleased and smiled as she replied, "Boss, you really know how to talk. No wonder your business is booming."
The boss gestured for him to come in.
Lin Tingyue followed them to the private room, the same spot as last time.
As soon as she sat down, she remembered what had happened to her brother, and her mood suddenly plummeted.
Chi Zhuo naturally saw through her thoughts and reminded her, "Don't think about it now, let's order first."
He handed him a menu.
Lin Tingyue looked at the menu, feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what to order, so she pushed the menu back. "You order, I don't know... what should I order?"
Chi Zhuo glanced at her. "Are you sure you want me to order?"
"Okay, hurry up."
"You'll eat anything?"
"Uh-huh."
Soon, Chi Zhuo named a few familiar dishes and returned the menu to the waiter.
"How are these?"
Lin Tingyue was somewhat surprised, as these were some of the dishes she had been quite satisfied with when she last came. She suspected that Chi Zhuo had checked the surveillance footage.
"You... really just ordered whatever came to mind?"
Chi Zhuo smiled knowingly. "What, you happen to like all of these?"
Lin Tingyue pouted, somewhat unconvinced, "You really remember all of that? You have a photographic memory."
Chi Zhuo poured her a glass of water. "Of course I'll keep your matter in mind."
"You're being cheeky again."
"To tell the truth."
Lin Tingyue took a sip of water, somewhat worried, "I'm worried that my brother might do something foolish. Actually, I used to really think that my brother was very good to me, that he cared about me and took good care of me."
Chi Zhuo said gently, "Listen to this, the fact that your brother is good to you is a different matter from his current situation. First of all, you are his own sister, so he naturally has feelings for you. But when his interests are damaged, he can hardly protect himself. So when you, as one of the people who can solve his problems, can't help him, then your value is so great, and those feelings will gradually take a backseat. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Lin Tingyue nodded, "I understand, I just..."
"You can't accept it, right? I know it's hard because you're a soft-hearted person, and thinking too much about others will only cause you pain."
Lin Tingyue suddenly looked up at Chi Zhuo and felt that his words were particularly heartbreaking.
He must have experienced this kind of pain a long time ago, which is why he speaks of it so casually now.
Chi Zhuo finally gave her a positive reply, "I guarantee your brother has received the punishment he deserves and will be safe and sound. Can you rest assured now?"
She was finally completely relieved. "Thank you."
"Saying thank you again?" Chi Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
Lin Tingyue stuck out her tongue. "I'll be more careful next time."
The food was served quickly. Chi Zhuo kept piling food onto her plate, and soon her bowl was piled high with it.
"That's enough, that's enough. I can't possibly eat this much."
"You've lost weight," Chi Zhuo continued putting shrimp into her bowl. "You need to eat more."
Lin Tingyue picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and held it to his mouth, saying, "You should eat too, don't just focus on me."
Chi Zhuo was stunned for a moment, then obediently opened his mouth.
"How was it?" she asked expectantly.
“Not bad.” He smiled. “It’s mainly because you fed him.”
Lin Tingyue blushed, "You're so glib."
During the meal, she thought of Cheng Ji and said with a smile, "Chi Zhuo, did you learn this smooth-talking manner from Cheng Ji? You weren't like this before. He's only been back for a short time, and you've already become so good at talking."
Chi Zhuo smiled calmly, "No, I just talked a little more than usual, that's all."
"That's all?" Lin Tingyue almost choked. "You talk a good game, I don't believe he didn't teach you."
"That's called self-taught, a natural talent."
"Pshaw, I don't believe it."
After finishing her meal, Lin Tingyue got back into her car.
Where are we sleeping tonight?
"Um?"
Lin Tingyue frowned, somewhat surprised.
Chi Zhuo asked her seriously, "Are you going back to Xia Xiaoran's house or back to your apartment?"
"I……"
Lin Tingyue was also conflicted. Now that she had reconciled with Chi Zhuo, she should be able to tell Xia Xiaoran directly and then go back to her apartment.
But in her heart, she felt that this was like heartlessly abandoning Xia Xiaoran.
Just then, Xia Xiaoran sent a message.
"When are you coming back?"
Lin Tingyue gestured and handed it to Chi Zhuo to look at.
"Look, someone's got my eye on me tonight."
She replied immediately: "It'll probably be a little late, you can go to sleep first."
The other party replied with "OK".
Chi Zhuo still wouldn't give up, "Otherwise... why don't you just tell her you're back? She won't mind, right?"
"Well..." she took a deep breath, "you should take me home tonight, and I'll tell her tomorrow before moving back to my apartment..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chi Zhuo suddenly leaned closer, facing her directly. "But what if I miss you tonight?"
Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously leaned back, pressing her back against the chair.
"You...you..."
The two were so close, and Chi Zhuo was blocking her view, so she felt a little shy.
"Too close."
Chi Zhuo did not immediately back away. He maintained this extremely close distance, his deep eyes appearing particularly focused in the dim light inside the car, staring straight at her as if trying to see into her heart.
“Listen,” he began, his voice slightly lower than before, “you still haven’t answered my question.”
"I..." She opened her mouth, but under his penetrating gaze, she felt somewhat exposed. "You...you were sleeping quite well before, weren't you?"
After saying that, the next second, Chi Zhuo grabbed her hand and touched his eyes, "You didn't sleep at all, look, you have dark circles under your eyes."
Lin Tingyue pouted, "I have one too."
"Yes, that's why I can't sleep well. Do you understand?"
Lin Tingyue's breath hitched. That's not the point, is it?
Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat at his words, and she instinctively tried to dodge, but her hand was still being held by him, and her fingertips were touching the warm skin of his eyelids.
Her eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze. "...I don't understand."
Chi Zhuo chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her cheek.
"You really don't understand?" He gently wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "Then, do you understand now?"
Lin Tingyue was instantly shocked and quickly pushed him away, "Are you crazy! We're on the street!"
Chi Zhuo deliberately moved closer and closer, "Look, it misses you."
Lin Tingyue's ears turned bright red instantly. "Chi Zhuo, you're a scoundrel!"
Chi Zhuo looked at her flushed cheeks and flickering eyes, knowing that she was about to give up, so he took the opportunity to back off a little, giving her some breathing space, but his hand was still firmly on her waist.
"Listen to me, I'm so pitiful, I've been sleeping alone on the company rooftop for so long..."
"Sleeping at the company?" Lin Tingyue asked, somewhat puzzled. "You didn't go home to sleep?"
Chi Zhuo revealed a sorrowful look in his eyes, "Without you, it's not a home, it's just a cold box."
The car fell silent, with only the sound of their slightly disordered breathing remaining.
Lin Tingyue lowered her eyes, her mind in turmoil.
Her heart softened again, "Then..."
Before she could finish speaking, a barrage of kisses rained down on her, and Chi Zhuo pressed himself against her, as if he wanted to pull her whole body into his arms.
Gradually, the temperature inside the car began to rise, and Lin Tingyue's back began to sweat slightly. Chi Zhuo seemed unsatisfied with this, so he gently held Lin Tingyue's waist and turned the gentle kiss into a passionate and unrestrained kiss.
Lin Tingyue felt a tingling sensation all over her body from the kiss, and she went completely limp, only able to passively endure the impact he brought.
Chi Zhuo only let her go when she was almost unable to breathe, and then gently rubbed her face.
"Listen to this, do you know what?"
"Hmm?" Lin Tingyue looked up at him, panting, her eyes glazed over.
"I'm so happy that you're willing to forgive me."
As he spoke, he kissed Lin Tingyue's hair, feeling the familiar scent on her head, his expression completely relaxed.
“I’m really afraid of losing you. Actually, after you rejected me downstairs at your company, I really thought, is this the end for us?”
"And... now?"
"I'm so happy you're back now."
Chi Zhuo tightened his arms around her, holding her even closer, burying his face in her neck and nuzzling her like a lazy large dog. "So, how about coming back to stay tonight?"
Lin Tingyue's face flushed, and she deliberately acted coy: "That depends on someone's performance."
"Oh?" Chi Zhuo raised an eyebrow, placing his hands on either side of her ears, his eyes filled with a playful and dangerous light. "I wonder which aspect of performance you're referring to?"
His presence instantly enveloped her, causing Lin Tingyue's heart to skip a beat, her cheeks to flush bright red, and she reached out to push him away.
"What...what are you thinking! I'm talking about your usual performance!"
He lowered his head, his nose lightly brushing against hers, a fleeting yet intimate touch.
"Of course I will do my best in my usual performance, but..."
He drew out his words, his warm breath mingling with his voice, "I also guarantee you won't be disappointed in other aspects of your performance."
"Alright, alright, not tonight. Take me home first."
After dawdling for a while, Lin Tingyue finally had to go back to her place, and Chi Zhuo had no choice but to obediently comply.
"Alright then, it's a promise, you have to come back tomorrow."
"good."
The car drove all the way to Xia Xiaoran's apartment building. Chi Zhuo glanced at the neighborhood and felt a little worried.
"Why is this neighborhood so dark? There aren't many good streetlights."
Lin Tingyue replied, "It's cold. The New Year is almost here, and everyone's busy preparing for the holidays. Who cares about this? Besides, aren't there plenty of inactive property management companies these days?"
"The useless property management can be replaced."
"With Mr. Chi's capabilities, you could have just given the word, and maybe he would have been replaced tomorrow."
Chi Zhuo glanced at her quickly, then replied gently, "Since you've said so, I'll definitely do it."
Lin Tingyue quickly stopped him, "I was just joking, there's no need to go to such lengths. I'll talk to Xiaoran about it later and have her report it to the property management."
Chi Zhuo did not speak again.
After the car was parked, Lin Tingyue was about to get out when she heard Chi Zhuo's voice.
"etc."
"Um?"
Just as Lin Tingyue was about to ask a question, the next moment, her hand was grabbed by Chi Zhuo, and she felt something cold slip onto her fingers.
"Listen to this, the last proposal was sincere, so please don't throw it away again this time, okay?"
Lin Tingyue raised her hand, looking at the sapphire ring on her hand, her eyes sparkling, "It depends on my mood."
"good."
Lin Tingyue was about to get up and leave again, but Chi Zhuo pulled her back once more. The reluctance and sadness in his eyes softened Lin Tingyue's heart again.
"Chi Zhuo, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Chi Zhuo then released his grip without saying a word.
Helpless, Lin Tingyue turned her head and gently touched his lips.
It's soft and sweet, like a cake.
"Sweetie, it's just one night, don't rush."
"Okay, then I'll take you up."
As he was speaking, Chi Zhuo was about to unbuckle his seatbelt, but Lin Tingyue stopped him.
"No, I'm already downstairs. It's warm in the car and cold outside. I'll be right up."
"No, I want to give it to you."
"You're being disobedient."
As the two were struggling, Chi Zhuo suddenly glanced at the car window and gently nudged Lin Tingyue, signaling her to look outside.
"Listen, doesn't that person look like Xia Xiaoran?"
When Lin Tingyue looked outside, she could only see two figures receding into the shadows.
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