After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: I Have the Right Not to Answer That Question

It was the first day of her cycle, so she didn’t need to satisfy any physiological needs. Li Jin didn’t stop walking. “We’ll leave it for today.”

Lu Wu felt a hint of disappointment. She considered that Li Jin might be thoughtfully leaving her space to think alone, so she acted sensibly and didn’t push for more. “Then… goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

In the end, Lu Wu borrowed Li Jin’s phone to check in with Tan Hangxue. Hearing she was at Li Jin’s place, Tan didn’t say much, merely setting a time to meet.

The situation on Weibo had been turbulent, but the reversal was startling. Before the night was even over, insiders leaked that Feiyan had violated industry standards by using “yin-yang” contracts, and throughout the duration of the signing, they had consistently engaged in manipulative “bundled marketing” and withheld royalty payments.

The narrative of an ungrateful author who abandoned her old company after “getting rich” transformed overnight into a shocking story of a ruthless literature website exploiting an innocent young author. Suddenly, netizens began clamoring for justice for Lu Wu.

The flood of marketing accounts promoting the smear campaign vanished overnight, and the original exposé Weibo link now led only to a 404 page. Netizens speculated that the posts were perhaps deleted after being flagged for violating personal privacy by publicly posting Lu Wu’s photos. Others dug deeper, discovering that the burner account behind the leaks frequently liked “black material” regarding various publishers and websites; rumors swirled that the account was actually operated by a well-known editor at Feiyan. Many flooded Feiyan’s official account demanding an explanation, but Feiyan remained hunkered down in silence.

Still, a segment of the public remained skeptical, believing Lu Wu and Feiyan were just “two sides of the same coin.” Regardless, the matter had effectively come to a close.

Lu Wu’s face was currently too sensitive; she risked being recognized wherever she went. Therefore, they arranged to meet at a dessert shop—a secluded spot, far from the bustling pedestrian streets, with private booths that offered excellent privacy. Lu Wu left early, arriving at the shop an hour ahead of schedule.

The first thing she did upon sitting down was take out her phone to send a message to Li Jin: “I’ll be back at eight tonight.”

After the trending search died down, Li Jin hadn’t asked Lu Wu to move out, so their living arrangement continued. Lu Wu had developed a habit of checking in with Li Jin before going anywhere. Even though things between them had remained at a standstill since that night, with no real progress, Lu Wu felt that even if she were just a guest, such courtesy was necessary.

After a moment’s thought, she took a photo of the Lemon Basque cheesecake on the table.

“With Tan Hangxue and the others, eating dessert.” [Little cat nodding.jpg]

Of course, adding that sentence was her own personal whim. Sharing the little details of her life felt like something a couple in the heat of a new romance would do, even if reality was the exact opposite.

The reality was that over the past few days, Lu Wu had felt Li Jin’s relentless busyness firsthand. Li Jin left for the Li Corporation at 7:30 every morning and returned around 10:00 PM after business dinners. She almost never ate at home, let alone engaged in any other form of recreation. Lu Wu had tried adjusting her own schedule—waking up at 7:00 AM and sitting in the living room at 10:00 PM pretending to watch TV—but they still rarely crossed paths. It didn’t feel like living together at all.

Sometimes she felt frustrated by her inability to read Li Jin’s mind; she felt like she was facing a cat with a fickle temperament that would never roll over to show its belly. But most of the time, she was more than happy to endure it.

Her phone vibrated. A new reply appeared in the dialogue box: “Understood.”

Just those few simple words. It sounded like someone approving a subordinate’s work report. Yet, Lu Wu detected a hint of special significance in them, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

“What time will you be back tonight?”

“Got urgent work? It’s fine if you leave now; Xiao Xu will help me check in.” Li Yan looked over, her injured arm still bound in a cast, though her face showed no trace of discomfort.

The phone screen locked and went dark. Li Jin shook her head. “Just irrelevant information.”

Li Yan had understood her younger sister’s personality for years. She said it was “irrelevant,” but if something truly lacked weight, Li Jin wouldn’t even deign to give it a glance. She asked, “Are you dating someone?”

Qin Xu, sitting to the side, remained composed on the surface while her ears pricked up.

Li Jin replied coldly, “Nothing of the sort.”

Li Yan was seventy percent certain. She squinted and smiled. “Is it the one who bit your lip last time?”

That the aloof and cold-hearted head of the Li Corporation would be dating, and kissing so intensely that she’d bitten her lip—if leaked, it would be a major piece of gossip in C-City’s social circles. Qin Xu gasped internally, moving her seat slightly closer to the table, still appearing nonchalant.

Li Jin’s expression finally shifted. She said helplessly, “I explained that to you last time; I just accidentally bumped it.”

Li Yan wore the expression of someone who knew better. “It’s fine. You can tell me when you’re ready. Don’t worry, I won’t tell the family.”

Seeing that Li Yan didn’t believe her, Li Jin didn’t bother explaining further. She turned to business: “In such a rush to leave? You just got back.”

Li Yan sighed. “There’s a charity art exhibition over there; this is the latest flight I could get.”

Li Jin had known since the day Li Yan returned that she wouldn’t stay in the country for long. She nodded slightly and asked, “Is your arm really okay?”

Li Yan smiled. “What could possibly be wrong with it? Xiao Jin, you’re always so easily alarmed.”

Li Jin didn’t think reasonable concern counted as being easily alarmed. Li Yan’s encounter with a landslide while sketching in Liang City had been harrowing enough. She could help cover it up, but she couldn’t be careless about the post-injury bandaging. “Medical conditions in Liang City are too backwards. If not treated properly, you’ll have long-term complications.”

Li Yan stood up to show off her cast and bandages, looking relaxed. “I actually think the doctors there were very professional. Look, I’m still hopping around.”

Qin Xu watched from the side. Li Jin’s brow was furrowed, clearly still worried. Qin Xu interceded: “President Li, don’t worry. I was there the whole time. After we got back, I had our family’s private doctor check on Sister Yan. As long as she rests well, it won’t take long to recover.”

With an outsider suddenly inserting herself into the conversation, Li Jin looked up. “You’re going along to paint, too?”

In that one look, Qin Xu felt seen through. Having grown up listening to stories about Li Jin, she felt a mix of respect and fear for this legendary figure. And now, she was coveting the woman’s sister… Even though Li Yan didn’t have those kinds of thoughts, and Qin Xu hadn’t crossed any lines—they had just spent a few days living in close quarters—she felt inexplicably guilty.

Qin Xu whispered, “No, Sister Yan invited me, and I happened to have time, so I’m going along.”

“Is that so?” Li Jin didn’t comment, letting her gaze linger for a moment before withdrawing it.

Qin Xu felt a lingering fear. “I… think so?”

Li Yan saw that she was terrified and laughed happily. “No need to be so scared; Xiao Jin doesn’t eat people.”

Qin Xu couldn’t manage a smile. She was busy wondering how the person who bit Li Jin’s lip had the audacity to do so. Trembling, she said, “I’m going to the restroom.”

After Qin Xu left, Li Jin asked, “When will you be back again?”

Li Yan mused, “Probably at the end of the year. I’m tied up for now.”

Li Yan didn’t say what she was busy with, but Li Jin knew. After that incident, Li Yan chose to leave the Li Corporation and become a freelance painter, using her brush to uncover real suffering. When Li Xinrui was around, Li Yan would hold back, only going to slums and border regions to sketch. Without those ties, she might head directly into war-torn countries to face conflict and danger head-on.

Li Jin chose a less abrupt start for the next topic. “I didn’t tell Mother or Rui-rui about your injury.”

Li Yan laughed. “If Rui-rui saw it, she’d be crying and wailing. She wouldn’t let me leave.”

“I just wanted to tell you to remember to stay safe; they worry about you.” Li Jin paused. “…Do you still resent Mother?”

Li Yan froze. A breeze blew past, and her gaze returned to calm.

Resent what? Resent that Mother tore them apart? Resent that lovers couldn’t be together? But what was the point? In the end, the person had already died in the mountains.

Li Yan acted relaxed and reached out to tap Li Jin’s brow. “I’m the older sister. I have the right not to answer that question.”

When Lu Wu met Tan Hangxue, she saw dark circles beneath her friend’s eyes; she looked exhausted. The teaching load at the Experimental Middle School was already heavy, and Tan had been working with the police every night for the past few days, only to have to crawl out of bed at 6:00 AM for work. Ji Youyan stood at the doorway, not coming in; she was on the phone, one arm tucked with documents and files.

Lu Wu felt a pang of guilt. The source of the trouble was her, and it was she who had naively agreed to move into their place.

Tan Hangxue walked in from outside, radiating heat. As she sat down, she fanned herself with her hand, only to see Lu Wu looking at her with a heavy expression. “What is that look for? I’m not dead yet.”

Lu Wu prepared to apologize: “If I had known this would happen, that day…”

“Who could have known this hellish thing would happen?” Tan Hangxue frowned. “Lu Wu, I’m warning you, stop talking that nonsense to me.”

Lu Wu fell silent, pushing the Lemon Basque cake toward her. “Try it. It’s pretty good.”

“That’s more like it.” Tan Hangxue unceremoniously sliced a large piece and shoveled it into her mouth.

“You aren’t mad that I teamed up with Xuegao and the others to keep it from you, are you?”

“I am.”

The cake got stuck in her throat, neither going down nor coming up, and Tan Hangxue pounded her chest. Lu Wu blinked. “But you used same-day delivery to get my phone back to me that night, so I forgive you.”

Tan Hangxue: “…”

A long moment later, she realized what was going on and slapped the table. “Good for you! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!”

Lu Wu handed her the menu. “See what else you want to eat; let’s order more.”

Tan Hangxue sneered. “It’s too late for flattery now.”

“Tell me…what exactly is going on between you and that person?”

Lu Wu pretended not to understand. “Which person?”

“Which person? Obviously that Li Jin, President Li.”

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