After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: “An Occasional… Exception.”

It was nearly eight o’clock by the time they returned to Rongjiang.

Li Jin disliked the sticky feeling of a long day; she habitually showered as soon as she got home, and today was no exception. As she was about to step into the elevator, Lu Wu couldn’t help but speak up.

“Li Jin.”

Li Jin stopped, pausing to look back. “Mhm?”

Meeting Li Jin’s gaze, Lu Wu’s hands, hidden behind her back, interlaced unconsciously. She asked as naturally as possible, “Are you going on a business trip tomorrow?”

Li Jin’s features were relaxed, her tone flat. “Yes, to meet a partner in Hai City.”

Having received a definitive answer, Lu Wu hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that had been weighing on her the entire way back. “Then why… didn’t you tell me in advance?”

Li Jin lifted her eyelids to look at her, countering with a question: “Why should I tell you?”

Lu Wu was momentarily choked up. When she spoke again, a hint of grievance uncontrollably crept into her voice. “Hai City is so far away. A round trip will take several days where you’ll be out of sight. Since we’re living together now, in all fairness, you should at least let me know, right?”

It sounded like an interrogation. Li Jin narrowed her eyes instinctively.

She was used to living alone and had spent years in high-ranking positions; she had no energy to cater to a third party’s emotions, and no one had ever demanded that she report her itinerary. Consequently, it felt perfectly natural not to inform Lu Wu, who happened to share the same roof. There was nothing improper about this way of doing things.

If anything, perhaps the way she interacted with Lu Wu needed a reassessment. Too much indulgence only led to people pushing their luck. Li Jin lowered her gaze, her face expressionless.

“It is a private itinerary. I have no obligation to report to anyone.”

Lu Wu bit her lip, attempting to keep the communication open. “I didn’t say you had an obligation. You’re the owner of the house; you can go wherever you want. I just feel that since we live together now, even if we don’t need to track each other’s every move, at the very least—”

The incessant chatter made Li Jin’s nerves tighten. Her brow furrowed deeper. No longer wishing to waste time, she cut Lu Wu off directly.

“If you are dissatisfied with the current state of things—you are free to move out at any time.”

Move out.

Li Jin’s words were blunt, catching Lu Wu completely off guard. She had indeed become a bit greedy because of the other woman’s attitude today, wanting more of Li Jin’s kindness and more of her favoritism. But she never intended for that greed to amplify into an argument or the start of a conflict.

Lu Wu stood there, explaining blankly, “That’s not what I meant.”

Li Jin turned and pressed the elevator button. “Suit yourself.”

Realizing things were spiraling out of control, Lu Wu’s mouth opened, struggling to explain. “I didn’t want to interfere in your life. I’m just worried about your safety, worried you’ll be too tired. I’m not complaining either. It’s just… the time apart will be long, and I’ll miss you.”

Li Jin remained unmoved. She stepped into the elevator and turned to face Lu Wu, her expression devoid of ripples. As the elevator doors began to slide shut—seemingly putting a period on something—a surge of unwillingness rose in Lu Wu’s heart. Before she could process it, her hand had already slammed the open button.

The doors slid open again. She slipped through the gap and, with a dominant stance, pressed Li Jin against the wall of the elevator car. The side mirror clearly reflected Li Jin’s face; because of Lu Wu’s sudden move, a flash of surprise appeared in her eyes, finally replacing the previous cold indifference.

Li Jin barked, “Lu Wu, let go.”

Lu Wu acted as if she hadn’t heard. Her arms tightened around the other woman, drawing closer until she caught that faint lily scent. The emotions in her heart finally found an outlet. She stepped forward, supporting that slender waist, and kissed her recklessly, pointedly biting those cool, thin lips.

Hearing a muffled, restrained sound from Li Jin’s throat, Lu Wu felt encouraged and became even more bold. Li Jin tried to push her away, but to no avail. The person who was usually in control had lost her grip on the situation and finally, unable to take more, raised her hand.

Lu Wu didn’t dodge.

Slap—

The palm landed on her face with a crisp sound. It sounded terrifying, but it wasn’t actually that heavy. After the stinging sensation passed, a strange sense of gratification surged. Lu Wu didn’t look away, staring directly into Li Jin’s eyes.

The air was at a stalemate until Li Jin finally turned her face away slightly, her gaze lowering.

Having been raised with an elite education focusing on wisdom, etiquette, and dignity, Li Jin’s upbringing dictated that she should never insult or damage someone’s pride for any reason. Just now, her emotions had overridden her reason. Even if Lu Wu had been offensive first, a trace of regret formed in Li Jin’s heart.

The person standing before her under the lights now had skin that was visibly reddened and looked somewhat disheveled. Li Jin paused, then took the initiative to apologize.

“I’m sorry. Your face is swollen. There’s ice in the fridge; I’ll help you take care of it.”

Lu Wu asked, “You spoke so heartlessly, so why do you still care about me in the end?”

Li Jin answered calmly, “I would do the same for anyone else.”

Lu Wu went silent, then after a long while, she nuzzled her face against Li Jin’s hand and whispered, “I don’t believe you.”

The touch on Li Jin’s palm was scorching, and it felt as if a flash of moisture had flickered past. Her heart actually felt a sudden twitch. She hesitated, but she didn’t withdraw her hand, nor did she say any more hurtful words.

Sensing the silence in the air, Lu Wu finally drew a trace of sweetness from the bitterness. She sniffed and spoke earnestly. “Li Jin, you know that everything I do is because I like you. I can learn to read your cues, avoid the things you hate, and stop saying things you don’t like to hear. Can you… can you treat me as a little more special?”

Her voice was very light. Li Jin instinctively looked down, meeting those eyes—round, clear, and shimmering with moisture. Even though she was looking up from a lower position, she held an unignorable persistence and stubbornness. Like a breeze, without shape or weight, yet when it brushes across a lake, it always stirs up ripples.

Li Jin compromised in the silence. “Let go of me first.”

Lu Wu persisted, demanding an answer. “You haven’t promised me yet.”

Li Jin paused. “Mhm.”

Lu Wu finally smiled again, moving the corner of her mouth and instinctively hissing in pain. Li Jin looked over, seeing her pitiably clutching her jaw, and sighed softly. “Let’s deal with the injury first.”

As the ice pack was applied, Lu Wu instinctively dodged. Li Jin lightened her movements, saying softly, “Now you know it hurts? Weren’t you quite capable just now?”

Lu Wu sat back obediently, but her mouth remained naughty. “Has President Li ever heard a saying?”

Hearing that title, Li Jin recalled the scenes from the night before. Her hand stilled as she asked, “What saying?”

Lu Wu said solemnly, “The thing that arrives before the slap is the fragrance on Sister’s body.”

Li Jin glanced at her. “Do you have masochistic tendencies?”

Lu Wu blinked. “This is flirting. It didn’t hurt at all when you hit me just now. Next time, wa-wa-wa…”

The hand holding the ice pack applied more pressure, squeezing Lu Wu’s face out of shape, turning the rest of her sentence into alien gibberish. Li Jin said flatly, “Read fewer of those brainless things.”

Lu Wu wasn’t annoyed; she giggled for a bit and then stared directly at her.

Li Jin: “What are you looking at?”

“Does what you said at the amusement park today still count?” Lu Wu’s face was stiff from the cold, and her words were muffled.

Li Jin frowned slightly. “What are you saying?”

Lu Wu simply leaned forward until their noses touched and asked word by word, “The thing we didn’t finish last night… when will we continue?”

Li Jin heard her clearly this time. She turned her face away and brushed it off: “We’ll talk about it next time.”

Lu Wu wouldn’t agree. “How can that be? We clearly made a deal at the amusement park!”

Li Jin ignored her, merely moving the ice pack to see if the swelling had subsided. In the next second—

Thud.

The ice pack hit the floor, and the ice cubes inside scattered everywhere. Lu Wu had kissed her.

She brushed against Li Jin’s bitten lip, her tongue faintly tasting a bit of sweetness. She nibbled with moderate pressure, a mix of tenderness and a hint of punishment. Li Jin pushed against her shoulder, trying to say something: “Haven’t finished icing, mhm…”

the rest of the sentence vanished in her throat, turning into an ambiguous breath. Lu Wu was used to charging ahead; as she invaded, she touched Li Jin’s sensitive nerves bit by bit, stealing her oxygen. The resistance quickly became weak and powerless, and the breathing in her ear grew heavy.

Without knowing when, the two of them tumbled onto the sofa. By the time they pulled away, their clothes were wrinkled and disheveled. The July summer was already hot, and the central air had just been turned on; the indoor temperature hadn’t had time to drop. Sweat beaded on Li Jin’s forehead, her gaze was dazed as she tilted her head back to adjust her breathing, her throat swallowing unconsciously. Her lips, moistened again and swollen red, looked even more beautiful.

Lu Wu’s heart was scorching, and the thirst in her throat grew heavier. She raised her hand to brush over the slender, pale neck, feeling an expected tremor.

Li Jin endured. “Go shower first.”

Lu Wu asked intentionally, “Why?”

Li Jin fell silent and gave no response. Lu Wu buried her face in her ear, kissing softly, and asked, “You have a lot of ‘feeling’ for me?”

Li Jin’s brow knit slightly, showing a rare flash of embarrassed anger. “Lu Wu!”

Lu Wu let out a chuckle. Everyone said Li Jin was celibate and cold, but only she knew how sexy and alluring her other side was. Lu Wu suddenly felt a streak of mischief. Her fingers moved back and forth, and without warning, they brushed past a sensitive awakening.

“President Li, do you remember what you said the first time we met?”

Li Jin didn’t answer, her lips pursing slightly. Lu Wu kindly helped her remember. “You said back then that regarding the custom work, you had only one requirement: the emotional scenes must be pure, no ‘deep communication’ required.”

With every word she spoke, her fingers teased and toyed, stirring up another wave of tremors. Lu Wu’s emotions spiraled out of control, her voice husky and low, her touch fluctuating between light and heavy.

“Didn’t President Li say ‘deep communication’ wasn’t necessary? Then what are we doing?”

The once obedient pet now had a temper, baring its teeth at its master. Li Jin instinctively wanted to stop her, but her body craved the closeness more than she imagined. Another jolt-like sensation tightened her nerves, but amidst the fragmented breaths, her reason grew increasingly shaky.

She closed her eyes. “An occasional… ex-exception.”

“Is that so?” Lu Wu watched Li Jin’s face, seeing her rise and fall, witnessing her lose herself. It wasn’t until the other was “driven” to crawl into her sleeve, with physiological tears seeping from the corners of her eyes, that Lu Wu finally moved down.

Her fingertips tightened, falling into a patch of mire. At the same time, Lu Wu smiled and kissed Li Jin’s earlobe.

“Sister… she is more ‘honest’ than you.”

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