C94 She Is so Gentle!

Why did she call him?

Zhang Chen furrowed his brow and gently pressed the answer button.

Lin Zhiqing's cool voice came through quickly, "Zhang Chen, are you free?"

"What's the matter?" Zhang Chen inquired.

There was a brief pause before Lin Zhiqing spoke, "It's nothing serious. I just wanted to invite you to dinner. There's something I haven't told you yet..."

Without any fuss, Zhang Chen gave her his location.

Ten minutes later, the car pulled up.

Shortly after, Lin Zhiqing parked and stepped out into the restaurant.

She ordered the dishes promptly.

Zhang Chen was at a loss for words, and Lin Zhiqing seemed unsure of how to begin.

The air between them grew tense with awkwardness.

Eventually, Zhang Chen cut through the silence with a smile, "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Lin Zhiqing looked down, hesitating. Finally, she spoke softly, "Zhang Chen, I mainly came to apologize. You've saved my grandfather twice, and yet I've been so..."

It dawned on Zhang Chen; Lin Zhiqing had been dwelling on this all along.

"Let's leave the past behind. By the way, how's Old Master Lin doing?" Zhang Chen asked with a grin, steering the conversation elsewhere.

He preferred not to dwell on the subject.

After all, in matters like these, there's no clear right or wrong.

If their relationship was still going strong, it meant that at least one of them was wholeheartedly in it.

Lin Zhiqing gave him a complex look before responding, "He's come around. Principal Tang says he's out of danger, just very weak. He needs time to recuperate."

"That's good to hear," Zhang Chen said with a smile.

Biting her lip, Lin Zhiqing went on, "Grandfather would like to see you. When can you make it?"

Zhang Chen, oblivious, replied cheerfully, "I can't say for sure, but I'll definitely make time to see him."

Meeting with the Old Master was bound to happen.

Lin Zhiqing paused, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

It wasn't that she couldn't bear to let Zhang Chen go; it was her own misunderstanding that had driven him away from the Lin family.

A persistent sense of guilt weighed on her heart.

Moreover, Zhang Chen had come to Old Master Lin's rescue not once, but twice.

Lin Zhiqing gave a slight nod, her expression growing increasingly complex.

The food arrived shortly thereafter.

Zhang Chen and Lin Zhiqing started their meal.

Having been on the move all day, Zhang Chen was famished.

Before long, Lin Zhiqing set down her chopsticks, her gaze still swirling with complex emotions—a detail that Zhang Chen missed.

Once he placed his own chopsticks down, Lin Zhiqing's voice reached him, "Zhang Chen, would you consider coming back to the Lin family with me?"

"I'm aware that the Lin family has wronged you before, and I have too."

"Nevertheless, I hope you can give us a chance to make amends."

Lin Zhiqing's voice was extra cautious and tender as she spoke these words.

Zhang Chen was taken aback.

He never would have pictured Lin Zhiqing, the ice queen herself, speaking such tender words—especially to him.

His resolve, once steadfast, suddenly felt shaky.

Zhang Chen found himself wavering.

Lin Zhiqing kept her eyes fixed on him, her voice soft, "Regardless of what's happened between us, at the very least, my uncle and the others truly regret how they've treated you."

"I..."

Lin Zhiqing couldn't bring herself to finish.

She meant to express her own remorse towards Zhang Chen.

If not for her, he would never have left the Lin family.

A surge of excitement unexpectedly filled Zhang Chen's heart.

For the first time in years, he was experiencing Lin Zhiqing's gentleness.

In that moment, Zhang Chen hesitated.

Returning to the Lin family would inevitably impede his covert endeavors.

Yet, if he stayed away...

Should the Lin family face trouble, he wouldn't be there to help.

Torn, Zhang Chen wrestled with his thoughts.

Lin Zhiqing's voice was soothing, "There's no rush. Take your time to think it over."

She pulled out her phone and began scrolling leisurely, intentionally projecting a calm demeanor.

Her gesture warmed Zhang Chen's heart.

He could see that Lin Zhiqing sincerely wanted him to return.

After much internal debate, the allure of her gentleness proved too strong for Zhang Chen to resist. With a chuckle, he replied, "Alright, I'll come back with you shortly."

However, after he finished speaking, Lin Zhiqing showed no reaction whatsoever.

Zhang Chen was taken aback.

What was happening?