The man on the other end chuckled, his voice lazy, "Buddy, if you’re not busy, come out for a drink."
Shi Che knitted his brows, intending to refuse, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the remaining milk on the desk, and his eyes darkened. He went straight to the point, "Where?"
Ling Chuxia was lying in bed, tossing and turning, wrestling with what she should do next when the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open, and Shi Che walked in with long strides.
Ling Chuxia’s eyes paused for a second when she saw Shi Che, then they lit up. She had thought Shi Che would be back late again tonight, late enough that she’d have fallen asleep, but unexpectedly he was back early. Did she still have a chance tonight?
Ling Chuxia first observed Shi Che’s expression. Seeing his serene face, although slightly tense, there was no sign of anger. It seemed that although he had thrown her out of the study earlier, he wasn’t angry with her.
Ling Chuxia’s heart that had been hanging slowly settled back down. With Shi Che not being angry, she grew bolder. She quickly got up from the bed and walked over to him, standing in front of him and softly asked, "Young Master, you’re back? Do you want to take a bath? Shall I run some hot water for you?"
Shi Che glanced at Ling Chuxia. She stood there obediently, her face slightly tilted down, quiet and gently beautiful.
The anger that Shi Che had just barely suppressed seemed to be making a comeback. He abruptly looked away, his voice a bit harsh, "No need, I’m going to change my clothes; I need to go out."
After saying that, Shi Che headed straight for the wardrobe.
Ling Chuxia was stunned. She had thought Shi Che had returned to sleep, but he was actually going out? Where would he go so late at night?
Ling Chuxia furrowed her brows in thought, then her eyes suddenly widened. Could it be... he was going out to meet another woman?
After all, he hadn’t touched her for so long, and she had just been teasing him. With his desires aroused but not wanting her, was he now suddenly going out to find another woman?
If it had been in the past, she certainly wouldn’t have dared to have an opinion, nor would she have entertained any thoughts, but now, she had both opinions and thoughts!
If Shi Che went out and touched another woman, it would be even less likely that he would touch her afterward. Moreover, for some reason, just the thought of him going out to meet another woman made her feel like a large stone was pressing on her heart, suffocating her. Almost uncontrollably, the words slipped out, "Where are you going this late?"
The words had come out without any pretense, stark and to the point.
As soon as she spoke, Shi Che had been reaching for his clothes, but his hand paused. Then his dark eyes lifted to meet hers.
Ling Chuxia realized what she had said and was startled. She had blurted that out? And her tone even had a tinge of questioning in it? Ling Chuxia broke into a cold sweat, clenching her hands tightly, thinking about how to rectify the situation.
However, Shi Che did not react with the sudden anger she had imagined. Instead, his dark gaze settled on her for a moment, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Then his thin lips parted slightly as he answered her, "Shen Qian has organized a gathering, and I’m going to stop by."
He paused before his eyes slowly flickered with a hint of gentleness, adding one more sentence, "I’ll be back soon."