After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: You Can Stay Here

The two of them, one tall and one small, stared at each other in the living room for a long while.

Lu Wu was the first to break the silence. “You must be Ruirui, right?”

Unexpectedly hearing her name from Lu Wu, Li Xinrui couldn’t contain her excitement; her eyes lit up completely. But because she was in front of the idol she had always adored, she held back, eventually replying in a quiet, reserved voice: “Mhm… I’m Li Xinrui.”

Facing this child, Lu Wu felt a strange, subtle sensation—she seemed to see traces of Li Jin in that youthful face. Her heart softened, and her voice became instinctively gentle: “I’m Lu Wu. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Li Xinrui reached out for a handshake, whispering, “Lu… Teacher Lu, I’ve always loved your book Two Sides.” The little girl kept her eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look up. Lu Wu couldn’t help but smile. “You’re so cute. I like you, too.”

It is hard for anyone to resist such praise from their idol. Li Xinrui’s lips curled up uncontrollably, revealing the two small dimples on her cheeks: “Really? Hehe…”

Lu Wu pinched her cheek lightly and handed over the gift bag. “A little gift for you. I hope you like it.”

Li Xinrui looked up, her tone expectant: “Can I open it and see?”

Lu Wu nodded: “Of course.”

Inside the bag was a smiling, mint-colored teddy bear. Li Xinrui gasped, unable to hide her delight: “So cute!”

Seeing the little girl’s satisfaction, Lu Wu’s eyes crinkled. Li Xinrui played with the bear lovingly for a long while before realizing she had left her idol hanging on the sidelines. She turned back and stuck out her tongue: “I’ll frame it, I promise.”

Lu Wu blinked: “Then it will definitely be very happy.”

By the time the gala was nearing its end, it was nearly 10:00 PM. After the rush, Li Jin finally had time to check her phone. The chat window with Lu Wu was very quiet; conversely, the little girl had sent who knows how many messages throughout the afternoon sharing her excitement.

At 3:00 PM: “Lu-lu bought me a gift, it’s so cute!” (Attached was a photo of the cute bear.)

At 5:00 PM: “Little Jin, when will you be finished with work?”

The most recent one was at 6:00 PM: “Lu-lu left.” (Attached: Cat crying.jpg)

Seeing those words, Li Jin’s mood shifted slightly. It was hard to tell if it was regret or relief, but in the end, she calmly locked her screen. The peace didn’t last long. Seeing her standing there alone, someone walked over to strike up a conversation.

“President Li, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Would you be willing to do me the honor of having a drink later?” The speaker was Wang Shubai from Yupeng; his words were flattering, but his eyes were roaming inappropriately.

Li Jin had consumed quite a bit of alcohol, and her steps were a bit unsteady, but her demeanor remained perfectly calm and composed. “If President Wang wishes to cooperate, Li Corporation is very welcome. Just contact He Wei at any time; he will provide you with a perfect proposal.”

Yupeng started in new energy and held a pivotal position in the industry. Li Corporation had many dealings with them, and projects had always been handled by Vice President He Wei, but no firm intent to cooperate had been reached yet. On the other hand, word was that Hwa Group’s Vice President Liu had been getting quite close to Wang Shubai privately. Some in the industry speculated that Yupeng was likely just playing Li Corporation, trying to leverage the best possible terms between the two companies.

Seeing the topic steered back to business in a few words, Wang Shubai, a shrewd operator, just narrowed his eyes and replied with a non-committal vague response: “Cooperation? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. But communicating more is always good for both sides. There is a private club nearby that I own, and since we’re here—”

Li Jin’s expression didn’t flicker, but her tone cooled. “There’s no need. At home…”

Before she could finish, a charming, seductive laugh drew closer. “President Wang, I’m afraid I’ll have to compete with you tonight. I also have some matters to discuss with President Li.”

There was no need to look to know that it was Liu Yuhuan. She was always sycophantic and worldly, with a laugh that was uniquely her trademark. Li Jin closed her lips and frowned subtly.

Sure enough, a woman in a shimmering sequined gown walked over on high heels. The seasonal limited-edition necklace highlighted the fair, elegant skin of her neck, while the big wavy hair behind her ears and bright red lips looked somewhat alluring. Wang Shubai was stunned for a moment, then smiled meaningfully: “Since Vice President Liu is asking, I suppose I can’t say anything else.”

“But next time, you really must explain to me how you managed to judge the quality of that piece of jade at a single glance.”

“Naturally.” Liu Yuhuan exchanged pleasantries with him and found an opening to take her leave: “President Wang, I still need to send President Li home, so I’ll be excusing myself first.”

Wang Shubai waved his hand: “Of course, of course.”

Liu Yuhuan turned to face Li Jin, her smile even more flirtatious: “President Li, shall we…”

Li Jin did not take her outstretched hand, instead nodding faintly at Wang Shubai: “Excuse me.” She turned and left without a hint of hesitation.

Outside the hotel, the Bentley had been waiting for a long time. Liu Yuhuan chased after her, grabbing Li Jin’s hand before she could get into the car. “Li Jin, are you hiding from me?”

The grip on her wrist was firm; Li Jin struggled, but couldn’t shake her off. Liu Yuhuan gripped tighter, pressing on: “Do you want to reconsider what I said last time?”

“Whether it’s influencing Hwa Group’s decisions, getting rid of someone like Wang Shubai who is harassing you, or tonight… as long as you need it, I can help you.”

Li Jin lowered her gaze, frowning slightly, clearly unhappy with such an intrusive act. “Vice President Liu, please let go.”

Liu Yuhuan’s expression stiffened for a moment, her tone becoming urgent: “I know you still hate me because of what happened all those years ago. Maybe we can try to just act like we’re interested in each other, taking what we need…”

“Liu Yuhuan.”

Li Jin finally looked up at her, her eyes calm, so indifferent that there wasn’t a trace of unnecessary emotional fluctuation. “The past is in the past.”

Liu Yuhuan froze. The lighting in the venue had been dim, and she hadn’t seen clearly from afar, but now, standing directly in front of Li Jin, she saw more. The exquisite, luxurious strapless gown wrapped around her slender, toned figure, leaving only her smooth, delicate shoulders and neck visible, inviting wild thoughts. But at her inconspicuous collarbone, a faint, light-colored mark looked like a plum blossom in bloom.

Liu Yuhuan opened her mouth, but was momentarily speechless.

The driver got out from the front and opened the door respectfully: “President Li.”

Li Jin pulled her hand away and said coldly: “Back to Rongjiang.”

“Yes.”

Bang—

Liu Yuhuan watched as the car door closed, seemingly cutting off the near-imperceptible connection between them. When they first met, Li Jin was just a girl who clumsily coughed while smoking, and because of a threat to tell her parents, she had been stubbornly red-eyed without saying a word. Now, Li Jin was iron-fisted, remaining in control and at ease in any occasion, whether it was the company or various business negotiations. It was hard to find a trace of that old innocence in her elegant, noble posture.

Liu Yuhuan suppressed the soreness in her heart and put on a brave face. “Do you already have someone else?”

Li Jin finally turned back, looking at her like she was someone living in the past, her tone almost condescending: “Liu Yuhuan. No one else, but it wouldn’t be you.”

Li Jin was serious. Liu Yuhuan stood frozen as the neon shadows faded into the distance.

The Bentley stopped in front of the villa. Li Jin stepped out, and the driver continued to drive the car into the private garage. It was pitch black all around, save for one small room on the second floor that was still lit—Li Xinrui’s room. The little girl was afraid of the dark and needed a nightlight to sleep; at this hour, she was likely already asleep.

Li Jin looked away and walked along the stone path.

Rustle—

A gentle night breeze blew by, shaking the leaves around them, making the surroundings feel even quieter. The only thing that felt out of place was the familiar figure sitting on the hanging chair at the entrance. Li Jin paused, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes. “Lu Wu?”

“Lu Wu?”

Lu Wu was awakened by a beautiful voice—light, soft, and carrying a hint of elusive coldness, like the drifting snow of Hokkaido she had seen in her dreams. In the dream, she and Li Jin were traveling in Hokkaido, with Ruirui along, the three of them wearing reindeer hairbands, taking a photo in front of a warm shop window. Li Jin was smiling faintly, but she looked very happy.

When she woke up, her vision was hazy, yet the face she had been missing so much was really there. Lu Wu sniffled, her voice hoarse: “Li Jin… are you really here?”

Li Jin looked up, her tone neither light nor heavy: “I should be the one asking why you are still here.”

With those words, most of Lu Wu’s dream evaporated. Right, this is Rongjiang. And naturally, the Li Jin in front of her was also real. Without needing the other party to ask, she felt suspicious of herself for lurking outside someone else’s house for so long.

Lu Wu hurriedly explained: “I wanted to wait for you to come back, but I fell asleep without realizing it. I’m sorry, I’ll leave right now.” She stood up abruptly, but the downside of holding one position for too long manifested: her calf went numb and weak. Lu Wu lost control and fell forward, plunging straight into Li Jin’s arms.

The tip of her nose was met with a fruity scent, like a red wine, but faint—it was likely dissipated by the night breeze on the drive back. Lu Wu had no time to think because her forehead had just collided with the other woman’s chin, resulting in a clear, muffled grunt.

“Did I hurt you?” She didn’t dare move, whispering, “I didn’t mean to…”

Li Jin sighed softly and pushed her away by the forehead with her knuckles. Lu Wu obeyed and stepped back obediently.

After a while. “You have something you want to tell me?”

“I…” Words reached her lips, and Lu Wu hesitated again. “It’s too late now. Maybe next time…”

Li Jin nodded thoughtfully and asked: “How do you plan on getting back?”

Lu Wu said subconsciously: “By subway—” She realized something and looked down at her phone screen: 23:30. The last subway was at 23:45, but walking out of this massive Rongjiang estate alone would take at least twenty minutes. Taking a taxi back would likely cost dozens of yuan.

Lu Wu took a deep breath: “A taxi back is fine.”

Li Jin glanced at her: “I’ll have the driver take you home.”

Lu Wu shook her head quickly: “No, it’s so late. There’s no reason to make anyone work overtime.”

Li Jin was silent for a moment, her tone peaceful: “I’ve been drinking.”

She’s been drinking? Lu Wu didn’t see the connection to the current topic, but she asked with concern: “Do you feel unwell?”

Li Jin’s gaze lowered: “I mean, you can stay here.”

Stay here? Lu Wu’s mouth opened in surprise, her heart pounding uncontrollably. But Li Jin’s explanation came quickly, concise and to the point:

“It’s too late. It’s not safe for you to take a taxi alone.”

“And I’ve been drinking, so I can’t drive you.”

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