After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: There’s a Gathering Tonight

The massive book-signing event was held at the commercial plaza in the heart of City C, spanning from eight in the morning until six in the evening.

The organizers had invited many heavyweights. There was Yue Yuan, a top-tier author from Yangtze.com, whose masterpiece Lurking had earned over 100 million in copyright royalties. There was also He Qing, the star author of Liucheng Publishing, whose famous work Ups and Downs had sold 32 million physical copies across the network.

Most attendees were established authors from major publishers and websites, boasting impressive net worths and massive fan bases. It was a grand stage where everyone showed off their best.

The sole exception was Lu Wu.

She was a newcomer, not even a writing major who had shot to fame without warning with her very first book.

“I specifically flew here just to see you! I love your characters so much. You have to keep writing forever, okay!?”

Lu Wu curled the corners of her mouth, meeting the fan’s eyes with a natural, effortless gaze. “Coming from so far away must have been exhausting, right?”

The fan, unable to withstand being looked at by Lu Wu’s beautiful eyes, felt their brain instantly short-circuit. They stood there in a daze, unable to utter a single word.

In the meantime, Lu Wu had already signed her name with a fluid, practiced hand. She looked up and winked.

“All signed.”

The fan snapped out of it, stammering, “Th—thank you.”

This reaction had played out many times today. Even the nearby staff had grown accustomed to it. One staff member stole a glance at Lu Wu, thinking that such a reaction from fans was only natural.

After all, the person in front of them had such exquisite features and skin so fair she looked like a star walking off a television screen. Then there were those impossible-to-ignore fox-like eyes; when she wasn’t smiling, a unique allure rippled through her gaze. When she did smile, the corners of her eyes curved downward slightly, clear and round like pearls, radiating vibrant energy.

A single glance was enough to make most people fall for Lu Wu. More importantly, Lu Wu knew exactly how to take that tiny spark of liking and fan it into something more.

At that moment, she reached out to brush a speck of dust off a fan’s sleeve, her face wearing a smile and her tone incredibly sincere.

“I should be the one saying thank you. Thank you for traveling all this way to see me. I look forward to our next meeting.”

No one could hate being told “I look forward to our next meeting” by someone whose eyes were filled with such lingering tenderness—especially when that person was their idol.

The young fan gasped, clutching their heart dramatically as they walked away.

The staff member found it amusing, shook her head, and called out to the line: “Next!”

Before the next fan sat down, Lu Wu caught a glimpse of someone in her peripheral vision.

It was the peak of July. With temperatures hitting 40°C (104°F), the venue felt like a natural steamer. The people inside were like “buns” being steamed until they puffed up and sweated. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were packed heel-to-toe, chest-to-back, drenched in sweat and craning their necks. It was hard to distinguish one person from another.

And yet, Lu Wu caught that woman with just a stray glance.

Because she was simply too striking.

She walked in wearing high heels, her expression cold and devoid of desire. A long black dress hugged her slender waist and long legs. Despite standing in the middle of a crowd, her aura was so refined she looked like a supermodel on a runway.

The fan in front of Lu Wu handed over a book, speaking excitedly: “Teacher Lu Wu, do you remember me?”

Lu Wu nodded, her tone familiar. “I remember. Last time you told me about that breakfast shop downstairs…”

While the conversation continued, and she traced her signature stroke by stroke, her attention bolted like an unbridled horse, uncontrollably flying elsewhere.

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump.

Lu Wu wasn’t sure if her heart had skipped a beat.

But clearly, a supermodel belonged on a runway, not at a book signing. This person most likely wouldn’t be interested in anything here.

“Anything”, including beautifully designed books, and certainly not the author with the long queue in front of her.

Or so Lu Wu thought.

Until that woman walked straight to the very end of her line.

Seeing this, Lu Wu froze for a second. She instinctively glanced at the sign next to the queue.

Author: Lu Wu.

So… this person was her fan?

Lu Wu placed a massive question mark behind that conclusion.

Work continued. The woman stood in line, looking no different from an ordinary fan. If one had to find a difference… it was that her slender brows knit tighter and tighter as time passed, her expression growing increasingly icy. It was unclear if she disliked the sweltering air of the venue or was simply unaccustomed to such a long wait.

When she finally reached the signing table, that stiff atmosphere remained.

She looked down at Lu Wu, seemingly appraising her, and didn’t speak for a long time.

Her “boss” aura was prominent. The staff member’s body tensed up; ignoring the visitor’s beauty, she gave a professional reminder: “Ma’am, the timer has already started…”

Does someone with this kind of expression really like me? Lu Wu was uncertain.

Before she could find an answer, the woman raised her hand and handed over the hardcover book. Her slender, bony wrists showed slight veins, and her thin lips parted: “The world’s cutest Little Deer Baby.”

Such blunt, fiery words coming out of this woman’s mouth felt like an instant drop in temperature. It didn’t sound like an expression of love; it sounded as flat as discussing a mundane work task.

But Lu Wu felt an unconscious sigh of relief. “Little Deer” (Lulu) was a nickname used only by true fans.

The corners of Lu Wu’s mouth turned up as she opened with her usual conversation starter. “May I ask when Sister started liking me?”

The other woman’s brow furrowed slightly, her eyes empty of emotion.

“To-sign it. For my daughter.”

An answer she never expected. Lu Wu stunned for a few seconds before saying awkwardly, “Oh…”

After lunch, Lu Wu returned to the lounge for a break. She fanned herself with a palm-sized folding fan for a long time, but the restless heat in her heart wouldn’t subside.

On the other end of the phone, Qin Xu didn’t notice her abnormality, asking fretfully: “Lu Wu, do you think she actually likes me or not?”

Lu Wu didn’t hear her. She gave a vague mumble as her mind replayed that woman’s cold, noble voice:

“A custom new book. Only one requirement: the romance must be pure. I have no need for ‘in-depth exchanges’.”

“Is one million enough?”

Neither sentence made any sense.

But Lu Wu’s fingers were still holding that black business card. It read: Li Group, Assistant to the CEO.

The Li Group was one of the most famous financial investment giants in the country. To suddenly show up and offer one million for a custom book… was it a prank?

Lu Wu’s thoughts drifted, her focus shifting from the card to the woman’s thin lips. Her lipstick was a true red, it looked—

“Lu Wu, are you listening?”

Lu Wu snapped back. “I’m listening.”

Qin Xu was suspicious. “Really? Then why aren’t you saying anything?”

Lu Wu dodged the topic nonchalantly. “What did you just say?”

Qin Xu was the most special among Lu Wu’s many friends. She was the only one who knew Lu Wu liked women.

They had met on an LGBT forum—an ancient one with a primitive chat interface. At first, they didn’t talk much, but since they were in the same city, they met up. After hanging out for a few years, they had become very close friends.

Qin Xu patiently repeated: “I asked if you think she actually likes me.”

The “she” referred to an artist “Sister” Qin Xu had recently met. Rumor had it she was fair-skinned, beautiful, gentle, and elegant.

Lu Wu tossed the fan aside and grabbed an unopened bottle of mineral water, trying to feel some coolness from it. She answered: “She likes you.”

The other side paused. “Then why doesn’t she take the initiative to confess to me?”

Qin Xu, like everyone in love, was stuck in a swamp of hesitation and overthinking. Lu Wu could predict almost everything she was going to say next. Unfortunately, the lounge was in poor condition with no air conditioning. The temperature kept rising, and the water didn’t provide the chill she hoped for.

Lu Wu sighed unconsciously and followed her logic: “In that case, maybe she doesn’t like you.”

The air went silent for a moment before Qin Xu exploded: “Impossible! I can feel it. She treats me differently!”

Lu Wu pulled the phone away from her ear. “She definitely likes you.”

With such repetitive answers, Qin Xu easily heard the perfunctoriness in her friend’s tone. She wailed in protest: “Lu Wu—!”

Lu Wu checked the time. There were three minutes left in her break. She shrugged, her tone carrying a hint of regret. “I have to get back to work.”

Qin Xu panicked. “Wait—you’re a writer, aren’t you best at analyzing emotions?”

There was, of course, no necessary connection between being a writer and being good at analyzing emotions. However, because Lu Wu was exceptionally beautiful, had a great personality, and was popular wherever she went, she never lacked suitors.

So, while they never discussed it to her face, almost all her friends assumed that someone as good-looking and well-liked as Lu Wu must have extensive experience in romance.

As for the truth… Lu Wu felt helpless. “I’m not a relationship expert.”

Qin Xu wouldn’t hear it. She believed Lu Wu was a godsend who would definitely work wonders for her romantic story. The only problem was that the “Great Author Lu” hadn’t met her Artist Sister yet.

Qin Xu thought for a moment and came up with a solution. “There’s a gathering tonight. I’ll invite her out. Come over once you’re done with work.”

A staff member knocked on the door. “Teacher Lu, it’s time!”

Lu Wu agreed. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned back to the phone. “Can I not—”

Qin Xu was firm: “No.”

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