After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Proposing Directly?

Li Jin replied, “It’s beautiful.”

Lu Wu breathed a sigh of relief, but when she looked down, she saw the reflections of their figures in the water below. She was holding the bouquet, looking both solemn and stiff.

Flowers always hold a special significance for people in an ambiguous stage, they either signify the formalization of a relationship or a step toward marriage.

‘She would officially become Li Jin’s lover, and perhaps one day, she would even enter the wedding hall wearing a gown alongside her.’

Just the thought of this possibility sent a surge of heat blooming behind Lu Wu’s ears. She didn’t dare look into Li Jin’s eyes; with a flushed face, she nudged the flowers forward again and whispered, “As long as you like them.”

Li Jin didn’t speak. The air grew still, leaving only the pitter-pattering sound of the flowing water. The roses hung in the air for a long moment, with no one reaching to take them.

Lu Wu stole a glance. Unexpectedly, Li Jin was staring at her, but her eyes were no longer filled with her usual clarity and composure. Following the focus of that gaze, Lu Wu looked down at herself.

The white top she was wearing had somehow become mostly drenched. Since it was made of a sheer material, once it was soaked, it was practically no different from wearing nothing at all.

Lu Wu’s throat felt a bit itchy as she asked, “What are you looking at?”

Li Jin’s lips parted slightly: “You.”

It was just a single, airy word, with desire not yet retracted, sounding like the most direct confession in Lu Wu’s ears.

The ventilation system had started running at some unknown point, and a gust of cold air blew through. The rich scent of roses in the bathroom began to fade, and that elegant scent of lilies from Li Jin’s body drifted back into her nose.

Lu Wu recalled countless past images—recalling the cold fragrance being stirred and crushed, recalling that woman’s expression losing control and the corners of her eyes turning red.

Before things truly began, Li Jin was always the one who held the initiative. The more moved she was, the more she appeared to be in her element. But Lu Wu was also the best at pushing her luck and seizing every opening. Since she could see the other woman’s desire for her, she naturally had to fight for more.

She wanted Li Jin to take the initiative; she wanted to hear her say exactly what she wanted with her own lips.

Lu Wu licked her lips and asked, “Just looking?”

Unsurprisingly, the roses that had been ignored and forgotten just a moment ago became the protagonists now. Li Jin avoided the question, taking the bouquet with a smile: “Thank you.”

However, while her eyes were cool and calm, her fingertips seemed to “accidentally” brush against Lu Wu’s palm as she reached out—a deliberate tease.

Lu Wu raised an eyebrow, intentionally blurring her meaning. “Are you thanking me for drawing the hot water in advance? Then as a reward, can I shower with you?”

Li Jin kept her eyelids half-closed, acting as if she hadn’t heard. But when Lu Wu took a step forward and raised her hand to undo the buttons on her shirt, she allowed her to do so.

With a flick of her fingertips, the buttons were unfastened one by one. Eventually, the shirt hung half-open, barely clinging to her shoulders. Lu Wu leaned down, nuzzling against Li Jin’s neck with tiny kisses and light, weightless nibbles.

In the gaps between their intertwined breaths, she took a moment to whisper in Li Jin’s ear: “Undo it for me.”

Li Jin paused for a second, then did as requested.

Amidst the tugging and pulling, the bouquet and the clothes fell together. It was unclear who took the first step toward the tub.

Splash—

The two fell together into the swaying ripples. In the gentle waves, skin met skin as they stood almost completely bared to one another.

Sensitive touches were exchanged, and passionate moisture soaked them both. Lu Wu nudged her with the tip of her nose and asked, “Did looking at me for that long just now give you such a ‘feeling’?”

Li Jin panted softly and replied, “I was just lost in thought.”

Lu Wu pressed further: “Is that so? Lost in thought about what? The abs? Or… where?”

Li Jin had no energy left to answer questions; she let out a restrained, low moan. While moving, Lu Wu distracted herself by guiding Li Jin’s hand across her own waist, finally stopping at her taut abdomen.

The look in Li Jin’s eyes shifted, and her throat moved with a slight swallow. Lu Wu smiled, watching her expression. She moved with reckless abandon, yet her voice remained as soft as water.

“Li Jin, reactions don’t lie.”

“You want me… you like me.”

After getting used to living with Li Jin, life had broken away from its previous monotony and boredom, becoming increasingly full and substantial. Lu Wu began to cherish every morning, lingering in the warmth before Li Jin woke up, and looking forward to the arrival of six o’clock starting from the afternoon.

The passage of time seemed to have been put on fast-forward, and in the blink of an eye, it was September 19th.

Before leaving, Li Jin had specifically informed her that she would likely return very late that night. Consequently, Lu Wu treated today as an ordinary day—sitting on the sofa reading a book in the morning and going to the pavilion as usual to write her manuscript in the afternoon.

After five o’clock, she went out right on time for her appointment. Tan Xingxue’s car was parked at the gate, and Ji Youyan was standing outside on the phone.

Lu Wu got in the car. Tan Xingxue immediately turned around to look at her with a radiant smile. “What does the 25-year-old Ms. Lu want to eat today? Just say the word; even if it’s a restaurant outside the Third Ring Road, I’ll make it happen.”

The three of them spending their birthdays together was a yearly tradition. On the day of the birthday, the birthday girl was naturally the most important. Lu Wu leaned back against the seat and said casually, “Let’s just have that hot pot from last time.”

Tan Xingxue gave a “tsk.” “Today is your birthday; how can we eat something so inexpensive? I heard a high-end Japanese restaurant opened in the Baiyang district. The reviews are good, shall we go see how it tastes?”

Lu Wu thought about it and nodded. “Sure.”

Tan Xingxue noticed her lack of enthusiasm and teased, “What? Since Li Jin isn’t here, our Ms. Lu doesn’t even have the heart to eat?”

Her thoughts having been hit spot-on, Lu Wu stubbornly replied, “That’s not it.”

Tan Xingxue checked the time; it was still early. “Fine, we won’t eat just yet. We’ll go play somewhere for a bit and see if President Li can catch up later. Is that okay?”

Lu Wu paused. “That works.”

Tan Xingxue rolled her eyes at her. “As if I don’t know you.”

While Lu Wu kept up a poised exterior, her hands honestly pulled out her phone to message Li Jin.

“I’m out having dinner with Tan Xingxue and the others now.”

“When will you be finished? Do you want to come join us?”

After a while, Ji Youyan returned from finishing her call. “Work is handled. Let’s go.”

Tan Xingxue shrugged. “Your work might be handled, but we still don’t know where we’re going.”

These two had been having a conflict recently, but then they had inexplicably made up. Normally, Lu Wu would have asked what happened, but right now her mind was on other things.

Sitting in the back, she suddenly spoke up: “Let’s go to Times Square.”

Times Square was in the city center. The location wasn’t far, but it was a highly commercialized place with not much to do to pass the time. Tan Xingxue didn’t understand why Lu Wu wanted to go there, but Ji Youyan beside her had a look of realization. She fastened her seatbelt and said calmly, “Just drive.”

The two of them were quite in sync, as if speaking in riddles. Tan Xingxue couldn’t stand being kept in the dark and couldn’t help asking, “What’s fun at Times Square?”

Lu Wu answered vaguely, “Nothing… I just want to go look at something while it’s still early.”

Tan Xingxue insisted on getting to the bottom of it. “What thing?”

Ji Youyan glanced at her and revealed the answer: “There are many jewelry stores in Times Square.”

Tan Xingxue was stunned, finally realizing. “No way? Lu Wu, are you going to skip the dating steps and propose directly?”

Lu Wu’s ears turned hot at the words. “How is that possible… I’m preparing to confess to her, so I wanted to customize a pair of couple rings in advance.”

“CONFESS?!!” Hearing those words, Tan Xingxue’s excitement surged. “Tonight? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Luckily I brought my camera today, otherwise I would’ve missed such a rare scene.”

Lu Wu hesitated for a few seconds. “It’s not today. The specific time hasn’t been set yet.”

Tan Xingxue felt like a filled balloon losing air. “Ah… why?”

“Today is perfect! It’s your birthday, we could celebrate it together.”

Lu Wu smiled and didn’t explain the reason. She felt that the anniversary of confirming their relationship with Li Jin should be more solemn, rather than an optional attachment to her birthday. But that kind of talk was too cheesy; there was no need to say it in front of her friends.

Ji Youyan spoke first: “She doesn’t need a third wheel.”

Tan Xingxue frowned. “How am I a third wheel? I’m witnessing a beautiful love story from the front lines, okay?”

Ji Youyan said nonchalantly, “Is that so? Then are you mentally prepared to watch the two of them kiss in front of you?”

Tan Xingxue’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong with kissing? It’s not like they’re having sex in front of me. Ji Youyan, I told you long ago, my thinking has kept up with the times; I’m not some radical homophobe!”

After running back and forth between several stores, Lu Wu finally settled on a platinum ring just before the last store closed. The lead time wasn’t long; it could be delivered in three days.

By the time this was handled, it was already past nine o’clock. The three of them ultimately went to the nearby hot pot restaurant they frequently visited. Since it was a weekday, the restaurant still had private rooms available.

After ordering, Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan went out, likely to buy a cake nearby. Lu Wu sat alone for a while.

Ding-dong—

Her phone lit up; it was a reply from Li Jin.

“Not finished yet.”

“Don’t wait for me. Have fun with your friends.”

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