Chloe froze completely at the question. Her pen hovered above the paper, and her breath caught slightly in her throat.
She wasn't expecting it.
Not at all.
Dinner?
It's not tutoring-related. Not even business-related. Just… dinner.
She could barely move as her eyes stayed fixed on Gray. He looked casual about it, as if he had just asked if she wanted coffee.
But for some reason, the question made her heart race.
"I… uh…" she opened her mouth to answer but no words came out of it right away.
Gray tilted his head, waiting. He even doubted if it was the right choice.
"I mean, yeah. Sure," Chloe finally managed to say, hoping her voice didn't sound as awkward as she felt. "Dinner sounds good."
Gray smiled lightly, genuinely pleased about it.
"Great. After your session today, I'll come back around seven?" he asked casually, like this was the most normal thing in the world.
"Okay. That works." Chloe nodded quickly.
"All right. Finish your task first, then." Gray gave Chloe one last smile before he went back and focused on what he was doing earlier.
Chloe, on the other hand, had a hard time focusing on her task.
Her hand was already writing while her eyes remained staring at her paper. However, her mind was slipping away, filled with thoughts that were all over the place.
Chloe had been on dinner before—mostly formal setups from business partners or people in their circle, though she knew that they never meant anything but business.
However, this was different.
At a young age, her father introduced her and her sister to all kinds of people. They were trained to analyze them and know at least what their intention was.
And she could see so far that he wasn't after her name or connections.
Gray looked like he just enjoyed working.
He was just… Gray.
And that made her nervous in a way she didn't expect.
'No… I shouldn't think of this. I'm just overthinking.' Chloe pressed her lips together as her hold on the pen tightened. She breathed in and out multiple times, trying to calm her fast-beating heart.
For 2 more hours, their session continued. Gray was normal; however, Chloe didn't recover that much. All she could think of was the dinner tonight.
At the end, Gray packed up his things while Chloe remained seated.
"I'll see you later, Chloe."
"Yeah… later," Chloe replied, her voice softer than usual.
"Bye," Gray smiled before giving her a small wave as he stepped out of the study.
"Bye…"
Gray left the estate with a small grin on his face. The tutoring went well, and now he had something else to think about. As soon as he arrived home, he changed into something more comfortable before heading back out to pick up Lily from school.
"Brother!" Lily spotted him from afar. She immediately ran up to him with her usual energy. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I miss you!"
"Did you wait long?" Gray asked, ruffling her hair gently.
"Nope!" Lily grinned. "My friend also just left. But now, let's go home!" she muttered out loud before pulling Gray so they could start their walk.
"Actually, Lily," Gray gazed at her as they started walking. "I'll be going out later tonight, so we'll pick up your dinner now, is that all right?"
"Oooh~ Where are you going, brother?" Lily asked, swinging her hand in his.
"Hm…" Gray smiled but didn't answer right away.
"Just dinner with someone."
"Is it a date?" Lily asked in a joyful voice, her eyes wide and teasing.
"Not really," Gray chuckled. "Just a normal one."
Lily gasped dramatically. She shook her head as if not believing Gray.
"Still, you better wear something nice, Brother."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They stopped by the restaurant near their apartment, the one that they usually go to whenever buying dinner.
In the restaurant, they were greeted by Mrs. Liang. It has been weeks since Gray last went there. The last was when he just got his system. He remembered his actions back then, and he couldn't help but be embarrassed.
"Gray? Lily?" a warm and familiar voice called them out as they stepped into the small restaurant.
Gray looked up and was immediately greeted by the sight of Mrs. Liang walking out from behind the counter while wiping her hands on a clean towel.
She was a woman in her late fifties, short and round with graying hair tied neatly in a bun. There were soft lines around her eyes from years of smiling, and her apron was flour-dusted, as usual.
"Oh my, look how tall you're getting, Lily!" she exclaimed fondly as she bent down a little and opened her arms for a hug.
Lily squealed and ran up to her, hugging her tightly.
"Mrs. Liang! I missed you!"
"I missed you, too, sweetie." Mrs. Liang chuckled before turning her gaze to Gray. "And look who finally decided to show up after buying out the whole menu the other time."
"Mrs. Liang," Gray scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry… things just got a bit busy lately."
"Hmph, I bet," she said, but her tone was gentle. "Still, it's good to see you two, What would you want for dinner?"
Gray let Lily picked her food.
"Fried rice and sweet pork with broccoli, Ms. Liang." Lily said almost instantly.
Mrs. Liang smiled at that, her eyes softening. "Still the same food for you, huh?"
"Yes!" Lily exclaimed excitedly.
"That's all, Mrs. Liang." Gray uttered when he saw the woman turning to her.
"So," Mrs. Liang rang up the order before looking back to Gray and Lily. There were no customers since it was still early for dinner.
"Why is Lily the only one buying food?"
"Well, I'll be out later"
"Oh?" Mrs. Liang raised a curious brow. "A date?"
"See?! I told you it's a date, Brother!" Lily gasped again, beaming.
Gray let out a laugh and waved them off.
"Not really. Just… dinner with someone. That's all."
"Mm-hmm. You say that now." Mrs. Liang chuckled and shook her head before winking at Lily, who giggled knowingly. "But who knows, right?"