Settlement in person
The words on the phone screen were like poisoned needles, piercing Lin Tingyue's eyes and causing her eyeballs to ache.
The coffee shop downstairs in Zhuoyue Building.
Compensation.
He did come!
And it came so quickly, so irresistibly!
A great panic gripped her again, even more so than it had been in the banquet hall.
At least then, there were parents present, and the surrounding crowd acted as a buffer.
Tomorrow at 3 PM will be the real, one-on-one, and naked reckoning.
What exactly does he want to "talk" about?
Should we make her apologize in person, or present her with an astronomical sum of compensation?
Or is there a more humiliating way?
Lin Tingyue spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, her mind filled with countless terrifying scenarios that might occur tomorrow.
When I woke up in the morning, the person in the mirror looked pale, with heavy dark circles under their eyes, as if they had been severely ravaged.
She tried to reply to the text message, her fingers trembling as she typed, "Mr. Chi, I'm so sorry...", and then deleted it.
It was changed to "Mr. Chi, I think there's some misunderstanding between us..." and then deleted.
No matter how you try to organize your words, they all seem pale, weak, and laughable.
Finally, she dejectedly put down her phone.
Running away is obviously useless; it will only provoke him.
It seemed she had no other choice but to bite the bullet and go to the appointment.
She was restless all morning, her design drafts were a mess, and even after drinking two cups of coffee, she still felt cold all over.
Time ticked by into the afternoon, and with each passing second, her tension increased.
At 2:30 p.m., she stood in front of the walk-in closet, looking at the closet full of clothes, and for the first time, she was at a loss.
What to wear? Too formal seems contrived, too casual seems disrespectful...
Finally, she chose a simple yet well-tailored off-white knee-length dress, paired with a light brown trench coat, and kept her makeup as light as possible, trying to create an atmosphere of "I am taking this meeting seriously but have no ulterior motives".
On the way to Zhuoyue Building by taxi, her heart was pounding at a high speed.
The skyscraper standing in the heart of the CBD gleamed with a cold, aloof light under the autumn sun, much like its owner, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
The coffee shop downstairs is very stylishly decorated and has a quiet environment. There aren't many customers; most of them are white-collar workers from nearby office buildings talking quietly.
Lin Tingyue arrived ten minutes early, chose a relatively secluded spot by the window, ordered an Americano, but couldn't drink a drop. She just kept stirring with the spoon, her eyes frequently glancing towards the door.
2:58.
The door to the coffee shop was pushed open, and the wind chimes tinkled softly.
Lin Tingyue's heart skipped a beat, almost jumping out of her throat.
Chi Zhuo walked in.
He changed into an iron-gray suit, but didn't wear a tie.
With one button casually undone at the collar of his shirt, he exuded a more relaxed vibe compared to the formality of last night's banquet, yet his commanding presence remained undiminished.
His tall and steady figure immediately drew all eyes, whether overt or covert, in the coffee shop as soon as he entered.
His gaze barely searched before landing directly on the corner where Lin Tingyue was, and then he walked over.
Lin Tingyue subconsciously stood up, her fingers nervously gripping the hem of her trench coat.
"Mr. Chi." She heard her own voice was terribly dry.
Chi Zhuo sat down opposite her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, seemingly taking in her feigned composure and the panic in her eyes, but he did not point it out.
“Miss Lin is very punctual.” He said in a flat tone, revealing no emotion.
The waiter came over, and he only asked for a glass of ice water.
A brief silence fell, the air seeming to solidify, enveloping Lin Tingyue and making it hard for her to breathe. She decided to strike first, though she lacked confidence.
“Mr. Chi,” she took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice from trembling, “I am very sorry about last night, and… about what happened earlier.”
That night I drank too much and completely lost control of my behavior, doing something extremely absurd and rude. I sincerely apologize for the trouble and... offense caused to you.
She stood up and bowed slightly to him. Her attitude was as sincere as could be.
Chi Zhuo didn't speak, but just looked at her with his unfathomable eyes, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, making a barely audible sound, each second feeling like a slow, agonizing torture.
He spoke slowly after she sat down again, his voice still devoid of emotion:
"Drunk on drinks? So, Miss Lin's habit is that whenever she drinks too much, she'll just find someone to spend the night with, then leave cash behind and leave?"
His words were like a cold knife, precisely peeling away the embarrassment and shame she was trying to cover up with "drunkenness."
Lin Tingyue's face flushed red instantly, then quickly lost its color, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground.
"No...no! Only that one time! I really...it was because of that time..."
She tried to explain, but found that any reason seemed pale and ridiculous in the face of her actions that night.
"Because of a breakup?"
Chi Zhuo finished her sentence for her, his tone carrying a very faint, almost imperceptible hint of mockery, "So, I became Miss Lin's...tool for healing her heartbreak?"
"I did not mean that!"
Lin Tingyue denied it hastily, raising her voice and attracting the attention of a customer at the next table.
She immediately lowered her voice.
“I absolutely did not mean to belittle you! I was just too scared and confused at the time, and I just wanted to draw a line as quickly as possible… I…”
She became increasingly incoherent as she spoke, her words practically rambling incoherently.
"The fastest way?"
Chi Zhuo repeated, leaning slightly forward to close the distance between them. The crisp scent of cedar enveloped her once more, carrying an invisible pressure. "Leaving three thousand yuan is indeed quick. And also... insulting."
He didn't utter the last three words heavily, but they struck Lin Tingyue's heart like a hammer blow.
She looked up abruptly, meeting his deep gaze, her heart pounding:
"I'm sorry! I know that was very wrong! Tell me, how can I make it up to you? I will do my best to make up for my mistake!" She was almost desperate, waiting for his judgment.
Chi Zhuo looked at her resolute expression and a fleeting thought flashed across his eyes.
He leaned back in his chair, picked up the ice water, and took a sip, his movements elegant and composed.
"compensate?"
He put down his cup and looked back at her face. "Miss Lin, what do you think is the most appropriate way to make amends?"
He threw the question back at him.
Lin Tingyue was stunned.
How did she know? If she knew, she wouldn't be so scared.
She swallowed hard and tentatively said:
“I… I can return the money to you, or… you can name an amount…”
She herself felt stupid for saying that; how could Chi Zhuo possibly be short of money?
Sure enough, he chuckled softly, a short, cold laugh that sent chills down Lin Tingyue's spine.
"Money?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does Miss Lin think that a night with me, Chi Zhuo, can be priced?"
"I did not mean that!"
Lin Tingyue was about to cry; this was a vicious cycle! No matter what she said, it was wrong!
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes and helpless expression, Chi Zhuo remained silent for a moment, then stopped tapping his fingers on the table.
"I received the three thousand yuan."
He finally stopped going in circles.
Lin Tingyue's heart was in her throat, waiting for him to continue.
“Since Miss Lin insists that it is ‘compensation’,” he deliberately emphasized the three words, making Lin Tingyue feel ashamed, “then we will handle it as ‘compensation’.”
He slowly and deliberately took out a familiar, thin envelope from the inside pocket of his suit.
It was the very one she had left on the hotel bedside table that morning! You could even vaguely see the stack of red banknotes inside!
He actually... still kept it?! And he carries it with him everywhere?!
Lin Tingyue stared in disbelief, a feeling of utter absurdity welling up within her.
Chi Zhuo placed the envelope on the table and gently pushed it in front of her.
"I accept Miss Lin's 'compensation'."
He looked at her with a deep gaze and said, word by word, with perfect clarity, "But in my opinion, the amount of this money doesn't seem to be commensurate with the 'value' it's supposed to compensate for."
"So?" Lin Tingyue's voice trembled, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
“So,” Chi Zhuo leaned forward slightly again, his gaze fixed on her, with an undeniable forcefulness, “if you’re going to make compensation, you should make it adequate.”
“From today onwards, until I deem the ‘compensation’ sufficient.”
“You need to be available whenever I call to help me deal with some unnecessary trouble. For example,” he paused, implying, “like the blind date last night.”
Lin Tingyue was completely dumbfounded.
Available whenever needed?
Dealing with trouble?
What kind of compensation is this?
“This… Mr. Chi, I don’t understand…” She couldn’t follow his train of thought at all.
"It's very simple."
Chi Zhuo's tone left no room for argument, as if he were simply stating a given fact: "I need a temporary 'shield,' and Miss Lin, you happen to owe me 'compensation.' Until you pay it back, play this role well."
He stood up, looked down at her, and added one last sentence:
"Let's leave it at that for today. I'll let you know in advance next time I need you."
After saying that, he stopped looking at the shocked and bewildered expression on her face, turned around and left the coffee shop, leaving behind the envelope containing three thousand yuan and her heart, which was in complete turmoil and disorientation.
Playing the role of a shield?
Available whenever needed?
This was not at all the liquidation method she had envisioned!
This is even more terrifying than simply making her pay money!
Lin Tingyue stared at the glaring envelope on the table, as if she were seeing an invisible contract of servitude bearing her name.
What exactly does Chi Zhuo want to do?
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