Chapter 69: Settled in an Instant

Although she couldn’t be sure whether her little trick would win Ling Ziheng’s favor, Lin Zhiwei, for the sake of the greater good, dialed his number directly. Sending a message on WeChat would be too slow and easily overlooked; since she had promised to help, she had to put herself aside and help others.

Ling Ziheng was in the midst of reprimanding everyone when the urgent ring of his phone interrupted him. Upon seeing the caller ID, he hesitated before answering.

“Ziheng,”

Lin Zhiwei’s lively voice immediately came through on the other end.

“What is it?” Ling Ziheng’s face relaxed slightly, a trace of nervousness edging his voice.

He glanced at Pei Xi, who was sneaking into the conference room, and had a fair idea of what was going on—it must be Pei Xi seeking Lin Zhiwei’s help.

Well, he certainly knows where to find support. Ling Ziheng could no longer maintain his icy demeanor in front of Lin Zhiwei.

“Are you finished over there? Shall we have lunch together?”

Lin Zhiwei feigned warmth, though she was inwardly tense—if he refused, it would be far too embarrassing. Her approach to acting coquettish was limited to pretending to be enthusiastic...

“Alright, I’ll come over now.”

Ling Ziheng hung up, his solemn, glacial expression softening noticeably.

Zhang Zhen cast a meaningful glance at Li Kuang beside him. Was Pei Xi’s chosen savior really so formidable? Did this mean they’d survived the crisis?

Ling Ziheng’s dark eyes swept sharply over the group. He spoke, “Eight o’clock tonight, here. The meeting will continue. By then, I don’t want to see this kind of proposal again.”

Everyone nodded hastily and exited the conference room as quickly as if fleeing for their lives.

The room emptied at once.

No sooner had they left than gossip erupted among them.

“Did you hear that? Definitely a woman’s voice.”

“Obviously.”

“Who do you think it was? Which actress?”

“That’s not hard to guess—Ye Linyun, of course. Don’t you read the entertainment section?”

“Hmph, I doubt it…”

...

“Pei Xi,” Ling Ziheng called in a low voice. There was no anger discernible, yet Pei Xi felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively shrank back. “Young Master.”

“I don’t want this to happen again,” Ling Ziheng remarked, casting a sidelong glance at him. The cold gleam in his eyes was like a sword, prompting Pei Xi to lower his head and avoid eye contact, murmuring, “Understood.”

Having finally seized upon this weakness, Pei Xi had thought he now possessed a reliable ally… He grumbled inwardly, but outwardly remained scrupulously respectful, trailing behind Ling Ziheng and barely daring to breathe.

“Ahem, Young Master, where are we dining?”

“Takeout from Liangcheng Bistro.”

Ling Ziheng closed his eyes, leaned back against the car seat, his tone cool and drained.

Pei Xi took the hint and said no more.

This Southern dialect was really not delivering—he’d been sent to ask, but still hadn’t received an answer. Judging by the Young Master’s demeanor, could it be…

He really was rejected? Director Lin, the perennial iron tree, didn’t blossom even when sharing a room? Impossible. Surely the Young Master’s charm should suffice?

It was entirely unfair. Though he felt his Young Master deserved better in matters of the heart, Ling Ziheng was pretty much a novice in romance, and given the current situation, he likely harbored many reservations…

The road to winning her heart would be long—Young Master, have some dignity!

He sighed quietly.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhiwei was swamped as ever—hundreds of proposals awaited her review, from the TV station, from the entertainment section, with waves of calls from the media pouring in. She had to muster every ounce of professionalism to respond, delivering formal pleasantries and practiced smiles until her face threatened to stiffen.

She hadn’t rested even half a minute when, “Lin, can you check if this color scheme works?” Mei Ning approached with a color board, scrutinizing it from all angles.

“It’s fine, it fits my expectations well,” Lin Zhiwei replied.

“Wow, mission accomplished! Lin, aren’t I amazing? I can instantly get your aesthetic!” Mei Ning winked with self-satisfied flair.

“Alright, go right ahead—my language function is temporarily offline,” Lin Zhiwei shot him a glance.

“Understood.” Noting Lin Zhiwei’s exhaustion, Mei Ning dutifully left the office.

Only then did Lin Zhiwei enjoy a moment’s peace. With her head drooping, she could perfectly understand why Ling Ziheng always wore a sullen face—and so did her cousin, Lin Qiongjiu.

Under the strain of a hectic schedule and relentless pressure, a person could be worn down to the point of numbness. An expressionless face was just a way of holding it together.

She felt her senses had reached their limit, until the aroma of food roused her, compelling her to open her eyes.

Ling Ziheng sat calmly on the opposite sofa, having already laid out a spread of dishes—light and suitable, all her favorites.

Lin Zhiwei sprang to her feet and smacked her forehead. “My mistake. I said we’d have lunch, but I was so busy I forgot to ask what you wanted to eat.”

“It’s nothing; you’ve been running around so much.”

Ling Ziheng replied with composure. His face, captivating from every angle, now seemed cold and somewhat despondent, his usually radiant eyes subdued.

Today, he looked… a little strange.

Lin Zhiwei asked, “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just busy at work.”

“I know how it goes—when you’re busy, eat more to relieve stress.” Lin Zhiwei, with her mouth stuffed full of Huadiao chicken, continued, “Back when Lin Qiongjiu nearly beat me senseless, I’d go home and have a feast. The next day, I’d bounce back.”

Eating is definitely the key to dispelling inner gloom!

Ling Ziheng couldn’t help but smile at her adorable manner, reaching out to pat her head. Though dressed in men’s attire, her tone and expressions unmistakably belonged to Lin Zhiwei.

This was just right. Seeing his mood improve, Lin Zhiwei inwardly rejoiced. She was indeed impressive, using Lin Qiongjiu as an example—even that perverse cousin had his uses.

“Zhiwei, be careful when going out alone these days,” Ling Ziheng said seriously, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

“What, is your distant nemesis stirring?”

Lin Zhiwei boldly guessed.

Ling Ziheng didn’t want to hide it from her. “He’s always ruthless.”

Lin Zhiwei nodded obediently, though she couldn’t help weighing it in her mind—a figure capable of making Ling Ziheng so wary must have quite the background. The power behind him was likely enough to astonish her.

Outside the office, Pei Xi peered through the floor-to-ceiling glass, trying to spy on them, but could make nothing of it. Though he saw them talking, their demeanor and tone betrayed no progress.

Just as he expected—no progress at all.

Ling Ziheng watched the girl devouring her food, and was reminded of their first meeting at the Floating World Tower’s banquet. Even then, behind her somewhat startling appearance, the lively cunning in her eyes was unmistakable.

Her seamless arrangements on the rooftop had amazed him, and when she later regained her looks and performed brilliantly at the arbitration council, she left everyone dumbfounded.

She always managed to keep people off guard, unable to look away; hers was an energy that had nothing to do with appearance—a magnetic field that drew you in at the slightest touch.

Even now, disguised as a young man, eating and drinking without a care for image, her tie askew, she exuded a distinctive personality and carefree joy. It was as if wherever she was, no matter how dangerous or hopeless, one could expect a surprise.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Lin Zhiwei noticed Ling Ziheng staring at her and kindly reminded him—if he didn’t start soon, there’d be nothing left.

“Watching you eat is enough.”

...

His peach blossom eyes sparkled with affection, and the low, intimate tone reached her ears, making Lin Zhiwei’s heart skip a beat. She tried to maintain her composure, ignoring him and stuffing her mouth, not daring to look at those mischievous, burning eyes.

Clearly, tonight she needed to find an outlet for her emotions—Ling Ziheng had been too much of a shock lately, pushing her repeatedly to the brink of collapse… always dancing on the edge of reason.

She felt she needed a quiet place to think things over...