After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 45

By the time Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan returned, the dishes were nearly all served. The waiter had just added some mushrooms to the pot; now that the broth was boiling, they bobbed one by one to the surface.

Lu Wu sat to the side, staring blankly at her phone screen. Tan Xingxue watched her for a moment before asking, “What are you looking at? Did President Li reply?”

Lu Wu nodded, lifting her eyes. “She hasn’t finished work yet. She can’t make it.”

Tan Xingxue clicked her tongue. This person’s tone sounded casual enough, but the corners of her eyebrows were drooping; clearly, her mood had taken a significant hit. It was understandable—couples in the honeymoon phase always want to be glued together, and special milestones are no exception.

Stepping into the rare role of an emotional mentor, Tan Xingxue patted Lu Wu on the back with the same “life lessons” attitude she used with her students. “Don’t overthink it. Managing such a large company isn’t easy. President Li is a woman, and a young one at that; it must be exhausting when things get busy.”

Saying this, she turned and shot a look at Ji Youyan. “Don’t you agree?”

Receiving the hint, Ji Youyan chose not to contradict her for once and offered a solemn consolation: “That is true.”

Lu Wu wasn’t actually being stubborn; she was just momentarily disappointed. With Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan’s interruption, that bit of gloom vanished. She laughed helplessly. “I’m not overthinking. Stop staring at me and sit down.”

Seeing Lu Wu’s mood improve, Tan Xingxue sat down with relief, sterilizing her utensils with boiling water as she spoke. “If you really feel regretful, hurry up and confess. Once you’ve officially confirmed the relationship, you can spend every birthday together legitimately, right?”

Lu Wu smiled and opened the QR code ordering interface again. “What are you drinking? Beer or Coke?”

Tan Xingxue didn’t hold back. “Beer. It has to be ice-cold.”

Ji Youyan said, “I have a temporary meeting later, so I’ll stick to plain water.”

Lu Wu nodded and handed over a glass of hot water after placing the order. While waiting for the drinks, both Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan stared at their phones, seemingly handling work messages. Lu Wu remembered she hadn’t posted on Weibo in a while, so she took a photo of the hot pot from a good angle and posted it with a caption.

The fans were enthusiastic, and the comment section was filled with blessings. Lu Wu picked a few interesting comments to reply to. Just as she set her phone down, the screen lit up again.

‘You have a new message from WeChat’

Lu Wu opened it quietly.

“Is it your birthday today?”

It wasn’t Li Jin. It was a message from Qu Wan, likely sent after seeing her Weibo post. Lu Wu replied politely.

“Yes, it is.”

After signing with Liucheng Publishing House, the relationship between Lu Wu and Qu Wan had fallen into a subtle stalemate. As an ordinary friend, it was perfectly reasonable for Qu Wan to pull strings and give her an opportunity to meet Huo Jing. However, regarding the later contract royalty split, that level of assistance exceeded the limits of normal social interaction.

Lu Wu had tried to invite Qu Wan out for a meal to express her gratitude and clear things up, but perhaps sensing her intentions, the other woman had declined. They hadn’t been in contact since.

After the message was sent, Qu Wan called. Lu Wu picked up, and the person on the other end spoke with a tone as familiar as a longtime friend.

“Are you out eating?”

“Why didn’t you tell me in advance? I haven’t had time to prepare a gift for you.”

Lu Wu maintained a sense of distance. “Thank you for your kindness, but there’s no need.”

Qu Wan went silent on the other end for a few seconds before speaking again as if nothing were wrong. “We’re colleagues at the same publishing house now; why are you still so formal with me?”

Lu Wu explained, “It’s not formality; I just didn’t want to trouble you to make a trip.”

Qu Wan didn’t play by the rules. “It’s no trouble. Where are you eating? I just finished my work; can I come and join the fun?”

Lu Wu hesitated, unsure whether to agree or refuse. Sensing her silence, Qu Wan laughed. “What? Afraid I’ll confess to you?”

The sentence was spoken as a joke, but a hint of seriousness could be heard. By now, those fuzzy intuitions had become very clear: Qu Wan liked her.

Lu Wu paused. She felt she should thank Qu Wan for her previous help and clarify other matters simultaneously. With Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan both present today, it was a good time. She sent over her location.

“Since you have time, let’s get together. I’ll wait for you.”

The call ended, and Tan Xingxue looked over curiously. “What happened? Is someone coming over?”

Lu Wu nodded. “The friend who invited me into Liucheng Publishing.”

Tan Xingxue knew about Lu Wu signing with Liucheng. “Her? Then we must take this chance to thank her properly. When is she arriving?”

Qu Wan arrived faster than Lu Wu expected. As usual, she wore a Bohemian-style long dress with leather kitten-heel slides. Her chestnut curls cascaded down her back, and her temperament was gentle yet unique. What was impossible to ignore was the bouquet of pale pink Cappuccino roses she held in her hands.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

Tan Xingxue knew a friend was coming, but she hadn’t expected such an entrance. After all, the flower language for Cappuccino roses is “unexpected love.” She glanced at Lu Wu; seeing that Lu Wu’s expression didn’t look completely unaware, she settled in to watch the drama unfold.

Lu Wu introduced them. “These are my friends, Tan Xingxue and Ji Youyan. This is Qu Wan.”

Both sides exchanged greetings. Lu Wu spoke with a normal expression, “The food is ready. Sit down and let’s eat.”

Qu Wan sat on her left, keeping a polite one-seat distance, and handed over the flowers. “Happy birthday.”

Lu Wu nodded slightly, her words still maintaining a sense of distance—polite and detached. “Thank you, but I’m allergic to pollen.”

Listening from the side, Tan Xingxue couldn’t help but snort. Having been friends with Lu Wu for so many years, she had heard her use all sorts of reasons to reject people; now, a new one had been added: pollen allergy.

Seeing gazes converging from all sides, Tan Xingxue coughed and pretended to be watching a short video. “It’s nothing, carry on. This clip is just too funny.”

Qu Wan hadn’t expected Lu Wu to use such a reason to reject her. She froze for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. “It seems the preference list compiled by fans on Weibo isn’t very accurate. they said you liked roses.”

When Qu Wan mentioned seeing her preferences on Weibo last time, Lu Wu thought it was a coincidence; she hadn’t expected the other woman to truly be following her all along. She explained awkwardly, “Information on the internet can indeed be prone to errors.”

Qu Wan asked gently again, “Then if it’s not through the internet, and I ask you directly what you like, would you tell me?”

Lu Wu didn’t answer directly. “What are you drinking?”

No answer—meaning the answer was “no.” Qu Wan understood perfectly. “Orange juice is fine.”

After placing the order, Lu Wu looked back at Qu Wan. “Actually, since signing with Liucheng, I’ve been wanting to find a chance to invite you for a meeting. Liucheng is a great publishing house. If you hadn’t recommended me to Editor-in-Chief Huo, she might not have considered signing me given our previous friction.”

Qu Wan’s expression shifted slightly, but she shook her head. “You are excellent. Even without me, others would have seen your potential.”

It was a blatant pleasantry. Lu Wu didn’t take it to heart, saying earnestly, “Regardless, thank you. Having a friend like you is a very lucky thing.”

Qu Wan went silent for a few seconds, the smile on her lips fading. “Is there no other possibility?”

Just then, the orange juice arrived. Lu Wu took it and handed it to her, her gaze pure and honest. “Isn’t being friends good?”

Being looked at by such a gaze made it difficult for negative emotions to arise, and hard to say anything more persistent. Qu Wan only asked one question: “Is it still the person you met at la point?”

The sentence reminded Lu Wu of her kiss with Li Jin on the bar terrace. It was from that night that their relationship began to undergo a qualitative change… She touched her ear; her earlobe felt a bit hot.

“Yes. I am pursuing her.”

People in love always have an unhideable sweetness in their eyes. Qu Wan’s gaze flickered; she withdrew the flowers and spoke with feigned lightness. “Then we are still good friends, right?”

Lu Wu replied, “Mhm. Still friends.”

The conversation came to a close, and the air fell silent. Ji Youyan kindly spoke up to break the tension. “The food is mostly cooked.”

Tan Xingxue also came to the rescue. “There are serving chopsticks here. Blanch the beef and tripe yourself. Don’t be shy!”

At 23:30, everyone was nearly finished eating. Ji Youyan went outside for her meeting. Tan Xingxue also took a call and went to get the cake. Once again, only Lu Wu and Qu Wan were left.

The heat was turned off on the pot, but steam still rose in waves that the air conditioning couldn’t quite suppress. Lu Wu wanted to step out for some fresh air. Before she could stand, Qu Wan called out to her.

“As a friend, can I give you some advice?”

Lu Wu paused and turned around. “Please speak.”

Qu Wan spoke thoughtfully. “If you just recklessly give your heart away, it’s inevitably easy to get hurt. Before truly confirming the relationship, you should try to learn about her past. It would be safer that way.”

It was indeed just a kind reminder. Lu Wu gave a polite smile. “Thank you, but I have confidence in the feelings between us.”

She turned back around, placing her hand on the doorknob. But at that very second, the door suddenly opened from the outside, and the lights in the private room were abruptly extinguished.

“Surprise!”

Tan Xingxue squeezed in with a beaming smile, singing the birthday song, followed by Ji Youyan carrying a cake. Six candles were neatly arranged on the cake, symbolizing smooth sailing. Setting the cake on the table, Tan Xingxue urged hurriedly, “Quick, quick! Close your eyes and make a wish!”

Without thinking much, Lu Wu obediently closed her eyes and folded her hands. Amidst the “Happy Birthday” song, she made the only wish in twenty-five years that involved two people simultaneously. She hoped to walk with Li Jin until the end of time.

Ji Youyan spoke up from the side: “You can open your eyes once you’ve made your wish.”

Lu Wu opened her eyes, prepared to blow out the candles. But before she could, a familiar cold fragrance drifted to the tip of her nose. She froze, instinctively looking toward the door.

Beyond the surprise, there was the real surprise.

The candlelight flickered. In the hazy, warm glow, Li Jin stood at the doorway, gazing at her with a gentle look in her eyes.