Chapter 87 A Heart-Fluttering Invitation, Mutual Testing

He Yun's fingers tightened slightly around the steak knife,

the silver cutlery shimmering with fragments of light under the warm yellow glow,

reflecting the flickering hesitation deep in her eyes.

After struggling through half the meal,

the defensive line in her heart was finally dismantled bit by bit. She took a deep breath,

and when she looked up, the confusion in her eyes had already faded,

leaving only a sense of absolute determination, like burning her bridges.

As if persuading herself, or perhaps emboldening herself,

"Why don't I give it a try?"

At that thought, her gaze unconsciously swept across Lin Chen's face.

A high nose bridge, a clear jawline,

and a faint dimple at the corner of his eye when he smiled;

even in simple clothes, he carried a clean and upright aura.

He Yun's cheeks warmed quietly, and a sly curve formed at the corners of her mouth,

as she thought to herself:

"Anyway, Lin Chen is handsome, so it's not like I'm losing out."

Once this thought emerged, the last trace of concern in her eyes vanished,

replaced by a sense of relief,

and a touch of indifference toward her past marriage:

"The marriage can't be saved anyway, and there's no point in saving it anymore."

"I might as well follow my heart for once."

She spent a moment psyching herself up.

As if she had completely cast off her burden, a smile returned to He Yun's face,

her tone becoming light and natural,

as she looked up at Lin Chen.

She took the initiative to break the brief silence:

"Lin Chen, I'm very happy you could join me for this meal."

"Seriously, thanks to you today,"

"otherwise, I really wouldn't have known where to go by myself."

Without waiting for Lin Chen to respond, she added with a smile,

a hint of subtle expectation hidden in her eyes:

"Let me give you a gift as a thank-you for accompanying me today."

Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, clearly not reacting in time,

his hand holding the water glass pausing as a look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

He quickly waved his hand:

"A gift?"

"No need, no need. I didn't really help with much,"

"it wouldn't be right to accept a gift."

The smile on He Yun's face stiffened for a second,

and a small sense of disappointment flashed through her heart.

She thought he would at least be polite, but she didn't expect him to refuse so directly.

But she quickly adjusted her emotions, her eyes darting around,

as she came up with another idea.

Her tone carried a hint of enticement,

along with an irresistible tenderness:

"How about this, since you won't take a gift,"

"why don't I invite you to my place for a little drink?"

"That wine is a limited edition a friend brought back from abroad,"

"I've been reluctant to drink it myself."

Fearing Lin Chen would refuse again, she quickly added,

her tone softening a bit:

"Besides, my house is nearby, just a ten-minute walk."

"It won't take up much of your time, just one small glass, okay?"

The moment the words "limited edition" came out,

Lin Chen's eyes instantly lit up.

In his past life, he was just an ordinary man, busy and toiling all his life;

forget limited edition foreign liquor,

he was even reluctant to drink more than a few sips of slightly better beer.

Since being reborn, he had been focused on planning his future,

and hadn't had the chance to upgrade his tastes yet.

Now, hearing it was a limited edition,

his curiosity and cravings were instantly piqued.

He raised his hand to check the time on his phone; it was just twelve o'clock,

exactly two hours before the 2:00 PM meeting.

It was indeed still early, so going for a drink wouldn't hurt.

The hesitation in Lin Chen's eyes flashed and disappeared,

quickly replaced by anticipation.

He nodded with a smile, his tone straightforward,

with a hint of teasing:

"Alright!"

"Then I'll accept, it would be rude to refuse,"

"I'll take it as a chance to see what limited edition fine wine is like!"

"Besides,"

"being able to have a drink with a Beautiful Sister like you is my good fortune,"

"I couldn't ask for more."

He Yun's cheeks flushed at his words,

the smile in her eyes deepening.

She gave him a playful glare, her tone carrying a bit of coquettishness:

"Look at you, always knowing how to make me happy."

He Yun settled the bill, and the two walked out of the restaurant side by side.

The afternoon breeze blew gently with a hint of warmth,

dispersing the lingering scents of the restaurant.

He Yun led the way with light steps,

while Lin Chen followed behind, his gaze occasionally falling on her back,

secretly looking forward to the time ahead.

Sure enough, just as He Yun had said,

after only two blocks and about a ten-minute walk,

a quiet and secluded Villa District appeared before them.

The entrance to the Villa District was very grand,

with lush green trees inside and well-spaced villas hidden among the greenery,

exuding a sense of low-key luxury.

Lin Chen stopped and looked up at the villa before him,

his tone filled with amazement,

as he asked subconsciously:

"A house here must be worth tens of millions, right?"

"This place is just too grand."

He Yun looked back at him, her face showing no reaction,

her tone as flat as if she were talking about a trivial matter:

"Well, it wasn't that expensive when I bought it."

"I just thought the environment was good and suitable for living."

"Now that property prices have risen, it might indeed be worth something."

Lin Chen clicked his tongue inwardly.

Rich people really were different, buying a villa as if it were an ordinary house.

He followed He Yun into the villa. The living room was spacious and bright,

the decor simple yet grand, with exquisite details everywhere,

though the large living room felt somewhat empty.

He couldn't help but ask again:

"Don't you have anyone working here?"

"Like a nanny or a chef? It must be a hassle to manage such a big house alone."

At the mention of this, He Yun's tone dimmed slightly,

a trace of subtle loneliness flashing through her eyes,

though she quickly masked it,

saying with a smile:

"He doesn't come home anyway, and since I live alone, I don't really need anyone to wait on me."

"It's more free this way; I can do whatever I want without having to accommodate others."

She paused and added:

"A cleaning lady comes three times a week to handle the chores."

"She just happened not to come today, so there's no one else home. It's very quiet."

With that, He Yun turned and walked into the kitchen,

returning shortly with a bottle of foreign liquor.

The bottle was exquisitely packaged with foreign text he couldn't understand.

It clearly looked very expensive.

She also held two transparent glass cups,

which she placed gently on the coffee table in the living room.

He Yun unscrewed the bottle,

and the amber liquid slowly poured into the glasses.

She only poured half a glass, and the air was instantly filled with a faint fruity aroma,

mixed with a hint of alcohol—not pungent,

but rather exceptionally tempting.

Lin Chen leaned in to smell it, his eyes full of curiosity,

as he couldn't help but ask:

"Is this Fruit Wine?"

"It smells so fragrant, nothing like the foreign liquor I usually see."

He Yun nodded with a smile and handed one of the glasses to him,

patiently introducing it:

"Yes, it's a special Fruit Wine from abroad."

"Made from fermented fresh berries, it tastes sweet and mellow."

"It goes down very smoothly, but it has quite a kick later on."

"You should drink slowly and try not to get drunk."

Hearing this, Lin Chen felt there was more to her words.

He thought to himself, 'If I don't get drunk, how will I ever have a chance?'