Chương 120: The Girl Who Didn't Want to Go Home

Under the gaze of Luo Bingli's clear yet slightly uneasy eyes, Lin Che and Su Yuqing both fell into a brief silence.

The first to break the silence was Su Yuqing. The surprise on her face quickly faded, replaced by obvious joy.

"Oh—so that's what it was about!" Her eyes instantly curved into adorable crescent moons, and her tone became lighthearted.

"I thought you'd run into some huge mess, Xiaoli! You scared me!"

"Why not? Of course I'd love to! Come to think of it, we've known each other for so long, and you've never stayed at my place before. Tonight, we can sleep together and have a good chat!"

Lin Che looked at Su Yuqing's genuinely happy expression at her friend's arrival and couldn't help but smile.

At the same time, his gaze fell on Luo Bingli's face, which still carried a hint of resentment and unease. Involuntarily, the things he had learned from her homeroom teacher came to mind. He clearly remembered that every time Luo Bingli's father, who was often away on business trips, came home, she would try to "run away from home" and wander outside until late at night rather than go home.

Is it for the same reason this time as well?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he also knew that in the current environment, it was obviously not the right time to ask these sensitive questions. It would be better to talk to her about some things in private.

He temporarily suppressed his doubts, put on a gentle smile, and said to Luo Bingli:

"Luo, this is such a small matter. You could have just told any one of us. Would we have objected? There was no need for such a formal invitation, much less the need to specifically ask both of us out and insist on treating us to dinner."

Luo Bingli seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief when she heard that Lin Che and Su Yuqing had agreed so readily, and her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

But she still stubbornly shook her head and said softly, "That's different—I still want to treat you to this meal as a token of my gratitude for your help."

Seeing her insistence, Lin Che smiled helplessly and then refused, saying, "We appreciate your kindness, but since it's a rare opportunity, why don't you come home with us for dinner today?"

"Dad and Mom will be so happy to hear you're coming, and Xiaoye, that girl, she's been thinking about you all this time."

Seeing that Luo Bingli still had some hesitation and doubt on her face, Su Yuqing immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right, A-Che is right. Let's just go home and have dinner together. It's so much more comfortable to eat at home. There's absolutely no need for you to spend money."

Luo Bingli lowered her head, staring at her hands, which were slightly clenched on her knees due to nervousness. Feeling the genuine sincerity and enthusiasm from Lin Che and Su Yuqing, her resolve finally wavered.

After a long silence, she nodded gently, her voice barely audible: "... Okay."

Seeing that she had finally agreed, Su Yuqing's smile became even brighter. As if she had suddenly remembered something, she looked at Luo Bingli curiously and asked, "But speaking of which, Xiaoli, why did you suddenly—" Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a warm hand lightly pinch her thigh under the table.

"Ah!" Su Yuqing exclaimed in surprise, turning her head to look at Lin Che beside her with a hint of reproach and confusion in her eyes, her face slightly flushed.

Lin Che simply gave her a look and shook his head slightly, signaling her not to press the matter further.

Immediately, he casually turned his gaze to Luo Bingli, a gentle smile returning to his face, and naturally changed the subject:

"Since you've agreed, shall we set off now? Luo, would you like to go home first to drop off your things and pack a change of clothes, like last time, or would you like to come with us directly?"

Upon hearing Lin Che's question, Luo Bingli's body trembled almost imperceptibly. She instinctively hugged her schoolbag tightly, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

She answered almost without hesitation, "I—I'll go with you now."

Lin Che's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this answer.

Instead of going home to put their things away, are they choosing to go directly with them?

It seems that my previous guess was probably correct; she is probably unable, or rather—unwilling, to go back to that so-called "home".

But his expression remained unchanged, still gentle and composed. He smiled and nodded, saying in a light tone, "Alright, let's set off now."

Then, he gestured to Su Yuqing beside him with his eyes again.

Su Yuqing immediately understood. She stood up from her seat, walked naturally to Luo Bingli's side, reached out and affectionately took her hand, her tone full of enthusiasm.

"Alright, alright, Xiaoli, stop hesitating and come with us! It's not like it's your first time visiting our house, so what's there to be uncomfortable about?"

"Tonight is your first time staying at our house, so be prepared to chat with me until the wee hours of the morning."

Before Luo Bingli could utter any words of refusal or excuse, Su Yuqing pulled her up from her seat in a semi-forceful manner and followed her out of the family restaurant.

When she saw her friend's actions, she instinctively wanted to break free, but when the other person's warm and soft hand grasped hers, the warm touch made her hand, which she originally wanted to pull back, inexplicably turn around and gently tighten its grip on the other person's hand.

An indescribable sense of peace quietly welled up in her heart, dispelling some of the lingering gloom.

As night deepened, the dim streetlights cast long shadows of the three people on their way home.

The two walked ahead hand in hand. Su Yuqing seemed to have endless things to say, chattering away with her friend about the fun things that happened at school, Xiaoye's mischievous behavior, and her various expectations for the "dormitory chat" that night.

Luo Bingli followed slightly behind her, listening quietly, occasionally offering a clumsy reply, and a faint smile seemed to appear on her lips unintentionally.

Lin Che followed the two at a leisurely pace, his gaze unfocused, simply watching the two familiar figures ahead, one tall and one short, one moving and one still, pondering what had happened to Luo Bingli, and—how he should solve this problem.

Just then, Luo Bingli, who was walking in front, turned around without warning, as if she had suddenly sensed something.

Lin Che looked closely and saw that the girl's eyes, which appeared exceptionally clear and bright in the night, were staring at him without blinking, with a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

He was slightly taken aback, then subconsciously gave her a gentle and reassuring smile.

Luo Bingli's cheeks flushed bright red in an instant. Like a frightened little animal, she hurriedly turned her head away, her heart skipping a beat.

Lin Che gazed at her slightly hurried back and the blush creeping onto her ears, and the smile on his lips deepened.

He silently made a decision in his heart.

Tonight, I must find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with this sensitive girl who pretends to be strong.