After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The First Straightforward and Gentle Act of Care

Boom—

The night had just fallen not long ago when vibrant streams of light surged into the nearby sky, bursting with a “bang” at high altitude and scattering into a million twinkling stars.

C City had regulations on fireworks, but this year’s Qixi was special. To celebrate several upcoming major events, the authorities had specially organized a fireworks show in the city center plaza.

Lu Wu loved fireworks, especially large-scale shows like this—noisy and bustling. Normally, she would have opened the car window with great interest to watch the first brilliant flower bloom and stay until the final curtain call.

But at this moment, Lu Wu was waiting for Li Jin’s answer. She had never tried baring her heart so nakedly to someone else like this. Her eardrums throbbed; the crackling pulse of her own blood drowned out the successive roars from outside the window.

Li Jin fell silent. She could see Lu Wu’s eyes darting around, seemingly out of shyness. Lu Wu’s lips opened and closed repeatedly, her breath growing heavier with every second. Her whole body was radiating heat as if she were being steamed; even her fingertips carried a scorching temperature.

Lu Wu was very young, every move she made—every pure, unadulterated smile—shouted that fact. It was precisely because of this that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand that she was merely a bed partner, not a potential life partner. She didn’t understand that those in a “higher” position had no obligation to reciprocate, and those in a “lower” position never needed to go to such lengths.

The surprise in Li Jin’s eyes faded, gradually returning to a calm stillness within the silence.

“It’s not the right time yet. Next time.”

Lu Wu had been bracing herself to act composed; at these words, she instinctively let out a sigh of relief. She opened the car door and stepped out. It took her a long moment to snap back to her senses, and she turned back, unwilling to give up, to ask: “Then when will be the right time?”

Li Jin didn’t answer. Her gaze remained hooded as she simply said: “You’ve just come out of the air conditioning; the sudden change from hot to cold is bad for your health. Go inside first.”

Lu Wu didn’t get the answer she wanted, but she heard an unexpected word of concern.

“Oh.”

She feigned a poised demeanor and waved at her.

“Then you go park the car first.”

The Bentley Mulsanne made a turn, its red taillights disappearing from view. Lu Wu turned toward the villa, and as soon as she took a step, a silly giggle escaped her lips.

This was Li Jin’s first straightforward and gentle act of care.

At this hour, Li Xinrui had already finished dinner and called to talk about the interesting things that happened at school during the week. Before hanging up, she pestered Li Jin, asking when she could finally play with her “Great Author.” Li Jin didn’t give a definite answer, using an excuse to brush it off.

When Li Jin came inside, Lu Wu had already showered and changed into pajamas. She was standing in the kitchen facing a small pot, busy with something.

Li Jin: “What are you doing?”

Lu Wu took a second to turn back and smile at her: “I’m simmering some milk. I’ve already drawn the water in the bathtub; go take a shower quickly.”

Li Jin glanced at the pot, wanting to tell her that the milk in the fridge was about to expire. Lu Wu thought she minded her using the master bedroom’s bathroom and raised her spoon to explain first.

“I showered in the guest room. I figured you’d be back soon, so I took the liberty of drawing the water for you in the master bedroom. It was a bit too hot just now, but it should be just right now.”

Li Jin showed no reaction, nodding slightly to show she understood, before following up with a sentence.

“I wanted to say that the milk in the fridge might be past its expiration date.”

Lu Wu froze for a second, then hurriedly fished the milk carton out of the trash to check the date. Today was August 29th, the shelf life was seven days, which meant… Before she could finish the math, Li Jin spoke again.

“It’s scorching in the pot.”

“Huh?” Lu Wu sniffed and indeed smelled a faint burnt scent coming from the pot. She hurriedly scrambled to turn off the stove.

Li Jin glanced at her: “I’m going up first.”

Perhaps because it was a rare moment of relaxation, Li Jin felt no sleepiness after her shower and returned to the first floor in her pajamas. The kitchen had been tidied up, and a glass of steaming milk sat on the table. Lu Wu was sitting upright on the sofa watching TV; when she saw Li Jin come down, her eyes lit up.

“You’re here! The milk has cooled for a bit; the temperature should be just right. Come try it.”

Li Jin sat on the sofa and said lazily: “You drink it yourself. I’m not thirsty.”

Lu Wu frowned slightly, persisting: “I don’t drink plain milk. This was prepared for you.”

Li Jin tilted her head, seeing the serious expression on her face: “…For me?”

Lu Wu nodded. “Drinking warm milk before bed helps you sleep. Don’t you have trouble sleeping? I thought drinking this might make it a bit better.” At this point, she remembered the embarrassing incident from a moment ago and smiled awkwardly. “That bottle of milk was indeed expired; I poured it all out. Then I looked around and found some with a fresh date in the fridge, so I reheated it.”

Li Jin paused. She had chronic difficulty falling asleep. Even if she closed her eyes around eleven, it usually took until after midnight for her mind to truly quiet down and set aside work-related thoughts. Even if she managed to fall asleep, it was always a light slumber; she would drift between dreams and wakefulness, and the slightest sound could startle her awake. She thought Lu Wu, who had excellent sleep quality, hadn’t noticed.

As Li Jin remained silent, Lu Wu spoke again to explain. “Don’t disbelieve it; this is all based on science. Milk contains tryptophan, which helps synthesize melatonin, and calcium can inhibit nerve excitability to help you relax. You can try it. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else. If it does work, in the future…”

Li Jin cut off her rambling at the right time: “Understood. Thank you.”

Lu Wu obediently shut her mouth but looked at her expectantly; it seemed she insisted on seeing her drink it with her own eyes. Li Jin paused and, right in front of her, picked up the glass and brought it to her lips.

Wisps of steam escaped from the rim, carrying a rich milky scent. She took a small sip. The milk was actually hotter than Lu Wu imagined—just barely at the threshold of drinkability. But she had just come out of the shower and her body hadn’t adapted to the air conditioning in the house yet. The warm current flowed down her throat, warming her stomach bit by bit, neutralizing the chill.

Lu Wu watched intently for a while, and seeing that she had indeed drunk a significant amount, she finally looked away. Lu Wu didn’t want the conversation to end there, so she brought up another topic: “I saw Xiao Hei outside just now. It seems he’s already eaten his fill.”

“Mhm.” Li Jin didn’t react much. The owners in Rongjiang were either rich or noble; at this level, many turned to Buddhism, and kind-hearted people would often give strays something to eat. She didn’t plan on adopting the cat, so this was naturally better.

Lu Wu, however, looked a bit disappointed. “I was thinking of giving him something to eat; I didn’t expect him to forget me so quickly. Speaking of which… how old is Xiao Hei?”

Li Jin set down the glass and asked: “Two and a half. Do you want to keep him?”

Lu Wu was a bit tempted. Xiao Hei brought good luck. It was because of him that Li Jin had lowered her guard slightly, allowing them to have today’s pleasant and unforgettable date. More importantly, from the first time they met, Lu Wu felt Xiao Hei was very much like Li Jin. His fur was dark and smooth, he groomed himself methodically, and even when eating cat food, he was exceptionally elegant. At first, there was a distance between him and Lu Wu, but once safety was confirmed, he didn’t resist closing that distance.

In a sense, the kitten and Li Jin were the same. They didn’t lack warmth or care; what they lacked was a firm choice and the act of drawing near.

She asked: “Can I?”

“You can,” Li Jin replied nonchalantly.

Lu Wu thought for a moment, then began to hesitate again. Li Jin was allergic to cat fur, which meant if she kept Xiao Hei, she couldn’t live here anymore. “…I’ll think about it some more.”

“Mhm.” Li Jin’s attitude remained casual; she gave a brief response and stood up to wash the glass.

Lu Wu twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingertips and asked about another matter: “Is Rui Rui’s time at school going smoothly?”

The water washed over the walls of the glass, the liquid turning from milky white to clear. Li Jin recalled the trivial details the girl had mentioned.

“I met an exceptionally interesting teacher. She studied abroad and we have a lot in common… Why do my classmates care so much about grades and rankings? I talk to them about various parties and fun sports and they aren’t interested at all, it’s so boring… Oh, and then there’s my deskmate! She has a sour face all day and only knows how to study. But she’s actually pretty good to me; I’ll bring her home to meet you next time.”

The girl’s lively, jumping voice seemed to still be in her ears. Li Jin’s features softened, and a small smile touched her lips. “Quite smoothly.”

“That’s good.” Lu Wu asked again, “Are you going to the office these next two days?”

Li Jin was flying to Hai City on Sunday. The matter with Yuanqing Tech wasn’t extremely urgent, but it couldn’t be set aside for too long either. Two days were enough for the other party to see the superficial attitudes of most people; if she appeared at the right time, it would better demonstrate the sincerity of the Li Group. But there was no need to tell Lu Wu that specifically. Li Jin only answered: “I’m off tomorrow.”

Lu Wu spoke tentatively: “How about… taking Rui Rui to the amusement park tomorrow? I’ll come with you.”

To get Rui Rui to accept a sudden “stepmother,” the most direct way was to spend more time with the girl. The three of them going to the amusement park together would not only increase Rui Rui’s favorability, but Lu Wu could also spend another entire day with Li Jin. It was a plan that killed two birds with one stone, even if the motive was a bit too obvious.

Lu Wu added a transparent explanation: “I don’t mean anything else by it; I just heard Rui Rui say she just came back to the country, and going to places like that more often will make it easier for her to integrate.”

“No need…” The refusal was on the tip of Li Jin’s tongue when she suddenly remembered she had promised to take the girl out this weekend. Since she had nothing to do tomorrow anyway, going to an amusement park wasn’t out of the question. If Lu Wu came along, they were closer in age and might have more to talk about.

Seeing Li Jin’s attitude soften, Lu Wu struck while the iron was hot: “Wait a second, I’ll ask Rui Rui if she wants to go.”

Li Jin opened her mouth but ultimately chose to acquiesce.

Lu Wu: “Do you want to go to the amusement park tomorrow? Li Jin and I will go with you.”

The little one wasn’t asleep yet, and the reply came quickly.

“I WANT TO GO!!!”

Three exclamation marks showed her excited mood. Lu Wu showed the phone screen to Li Jin, her tone slightly smug as she spoke: “Well?”

Li Jin glanced at her and paused for a few seconds: “…Then I’ll trouble you.”

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