Chương 99: Follow Me, the Zhang Family

Chapter 99 Come Home With Me The morning light filtered through the light blue curtains, gently illuminating the desk and wooden floor, filling the air with a faint fragrance.

Lin Che opened his eyes, stretched, and felt much more refreshed than before he fell asleep last night. The weakness caused by the damage to "Tears of the Star" was fading at a delightful speed.

Although it will take some time before she can fully regain her transformation ability, she is already more than capable of handling her daily school life.

After washing up and changing into his clean school uniform, Lin Che opened the door to his room. He ate breakfast with his family and then went out to school. Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful.

As he walked to his seat and sat down, looking at the spacious and bright classroom as always, and listening to the slightly noisy yet energetic conversations of his classmates, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

It had only been three days since I last stepped into this classroom, but the events that had occurred in those three short days felt like an eternity.

From shopping with Yuqing and Xiaoli, to Yuexi's disappearance, to the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs' investigation, to the life-or-death battle with Jingjue, and the temporary loss of his own power—all of this was like a bizarre and fantastical dream.

If it weren't for the still dim and lifeless transformation device on his body reminding him, Lin Che would almost doubt whether those experiences had ever really happened.

"Hey, Lin Che! You look great today, all refreshed?"

A cheerful voice came from beside him, interrupting his thoughts. Lin Che turned around and saw Lu Mingyuan walking towards him with his schoolbag, his face bearing his usual sunny smile.

Lin Che snapped out of his daze and smiled, "Yeah, much better, thanks for your concern."

Lu Mingyuan shoved his schoolbag into the desk, sat down casually in the empty seat next to him, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice.

"That's perfect, there's something I think I need to tell you."

Seeing his secretive demeanor, Lin Che raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What's up? Judging from your expression, it's not some school gossip again, is it?"

Lu Mingyuan chuckled, then his expression turned serious: "This isn't gossip, it's serious business."

"I heard that the group of thugs who were taught a lesson by Luo Bingli before are still up to no good and want to cause her trouble again."

Lin Che's brows furrowed instantly, and his eyes sharpened: "What are they trying to do?"

"What else could it be? It's obviously about getting revenge." Lu Mingyuan curled his lip.

"They definitely wouldn't dare to make a move at school, since there were teachers and security guards. Outside of school, Luo Bingli always goes alone, so they might not be able to catch her."

"However, I don't know where they found out, but it seems they've figured out roughly where her house is and plan to wait for her near her house after school today."

Lin Che looked at Lu Mingyuan and asked in a deep voice, "How did you know about these things? This kind of information can't be obtained so easily, can it?"

Lu Mingyuan scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and explained, "Among that group of thugs, one of them was a classmate from a different class in junior high school. We weren't exactly close, but we could still exchange a few words."

"After you mentioned last time that Luo Bingli was your sister's friend, I kept an eye on it and asked him to keep an eye on those people's movements. I didn't expect that he would actually find out the information."

"I see," Lin Che nodded, his doubts dissipating somewhat. Although Lu Mingyuan seemed carefree, he was actually more thoughtful and loyal than he had imagined.

"Thank you very much, Lu Mingyuan. I will remember this favor," he said sincerely.

"Hey, don't be so polite, we're all classmates." Lu Mingyuan waved his hand.

He then lowered his voice and added, "Oh, right, I also found out something else, and I think I should tell you about it too—"

"Those nasty rumors about Luo Bingli that circulated at school before were spread by these bastards."

Lin Che's pupils suddenly contracted, and an uncontrollable anger instantly rose from the bottom of his heart, making his face extremely ugly.

He originally thought those rumors were just malicious speculations based on hearsay, but he never expected that the source of them was actually this group of scum.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and asked, "When do they plan to make their move?"

"Today, after school," Lu Mingyuan replied, then looked at Lin Che with some concern, "What are you planning to do?"

Should we tell Luo Bingli not to walk home alone after school today? Or should we call the police?

Should we call the police? Lin Che's eyes flickered slightly; this was undoubtedly the safest and most correct choice.

But these scumbags not only tried to hurt her with violence, but also smeared her reputation with vicious rumors. Simply calling the police and giving them a half-hearted reprimand doesn't seem to be enough to vent her anger.

He remained silent for a moment, having already made up his mind, then looked at Lu Mingyuan and slowly said, "Lu Mingyuan, do me a favor."

"you say."

"Tell your friend not to go with those thugs after school this afternoon, and don't tell anyone about it."

Lu Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat, vaguely sensing Lin Che's intentions, and he asked with some worry, "You—what are you planning to do? Didn't you say you were going to call the police?"

"I will go look for it." Lin Che shook his head slightly.

"But I have some things to do before that."

The school bell rang, and Luo Bingli, carrying her schoolbag, walked home alone. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow of her, and a gentle breeze blew through her short, ear-length hair, bringing a touch of coolness.

As she turned into the familiar alley near her home, preparing to cross the usually deserted little park, a familiar figure unexpectedly appeared in her field of vision.

It was Lin Che. He was leaning against a large tree at the park entrance, head down, as if deep in thought.

Luo Bingli unconsciously slowed her pace, a sense of confusion welling up in her heart.

Just the day before yesterday, she told him that if he wanted to know where she was or talk to her, he could just contact her by phone and there was no need to use this "chance encounter" method.

Why is he acting like this again today? And why is it in a place I often pass by near my home?

She pursed her lips, suppressed her doubts, and walked towards the other person.

"Lin Che," she stopped a few steps behind him and spoke softly, "what are you doing here?"

To her surprise, Lin Che jolted violently upon hearing the sound, as if he had been startled.

He didn't turn around immediately. Instead, he turned his back to me and said in a clearly flustered and unnatural tone, "Oh, it's Luo. What a coincidence. I have something to do. See you next time."

As he spoke, he seemed about to take a step and quickly leave her side.

Something is wrong!

Luo Bingli's brows furrowed immediately. Lin Che's attitude at this moment was completely different from any other time she had ever been with him.

That deliberate avoidance, that obvious panic, was definitely not his usual gentle, calm, and reliable self. This demeanor rapidly amplified her unease.

What's wrong with him? Why won't he turn back?

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Bingli strode forward and grabbed his arm: "Wait!"

Lin Che's body stiffened slightly, and he stopped walking, but he still did not turn around.

"What's wrong with you?" Luo Bingli walked around to face him, her tone filled with urgency and worry.

"Why are you here? Why—why won't you turn around and look at me?"

When she finally saw Lin Che's face clearly, she immediately gasped, her eyes instantly filled with worry and shock.

Several glaring bruises were visible on Lin Che's cheeks, and his lips were also somewhat swollen. Although it wasn't very serious, they were particularly noticeable on his handsome face.

"You—you're injured?!" Luo Bingli's heart clenched suddenly, her voice trembling slightly with worry. She subconsciously released her grip on his arm and turned to touch the wound on his face, but stopped just before her fingertips touched it, afraid of hurting him.

"What happened?"

Looking at the undisguised worry and concern in her eyes, Lin Che felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but at the same time, he also felt slightly embarrassed and helpless.

He originally intended to leave quietly after resolving the matter, so that Luo Bingli wouldn't know about it and worry her, but he didn't expect that his original plan would take an unexpected turn.

Although she eventually succeeded in teaching those bastards a lesson, she also suffered some injuries. Furthermore, she was caught red-handed because she was thinking about the information she got from the gang leader and didn't leave in time.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Lin Che subconsciously turned his face away, wanting to avoid her and leave.

"A minor injury?" Luo Bingli's tone instantly turned stern.

"My home is nearby, and there are medicines there. Let me treat your wound."

Lin Che tried to refuse again: "No need, it was really just an accidental touch."

Luo Bingli ignored his explanation. She stubbornly looked up at him, her clear eyes filled with the meaning of "I won't let go until you come with me".

Looking at the undisguised worry and concern in the girl's eyes, and feeling the force on his wrist, Lin Che's resolute words of refusal ultimately turned into a helpless sigh.

"Alright—thank you for your help then."

Seeing that he had finally relented, Luo Bingli's tense face relaxed a little. She took Lin Che's hand and walked towards her home, her steps much faster than usual.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a distant high-rise building, a tall, slender figure wearing a pure black top hat and a dark long trench coat quietly appeared.

"Although I still can't pinpoint the exact location, it's probably in this area—the crescent moon that took my 'Virtual Source'."

He gracefully raised his right hand, gloved in white silk, and lightly touched the air with his fingertips, as if conducting an invisible symphony.

"Then—the hunting game shall begin."