After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Happy Birthday

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

After seeing off the team from Yuanqing Technology, the managers responsible for each stage of implementation returned to their posts to work overtime.

Li Jin did not leave either. While Yuanqing’s project and planning were excellent, there were still various issues regarding actual implementation that required her personal oversight to mitigate risks in advance.

It was nearly ten o’clock. Most of the staff had finished their work and headed home, but the lights in the CEO’s office remained bright.

Knock, knock—

Someone knocked from the outside.

Li Jin said flatly, “Come in.”

Du Lin walked in carrying a stack of files. “President Li, the documents for this phase have been categorized, organized, and sent to your email. These are the printed hard copies; they can be used directly for tomorrow morning’s meeting.”

Li Jin looked up. “Good. Thank you for your hard work. You can head home now.”

Seeing her still sitting there upright, Du Lin instinctively advised, “The major parts have been handled. Why don’t you rest for today as well?”

In truth, Li Jin had a rigorous and serious personality. She was always responsible with her work; she never left today’s tasks for tomorrow. This cooperation with Yuanqing Technology basically laid the foundation for the Li Group’s development for a long time to come, so she valued it immensely.

Thus, Du Lin didn’t expect her to actually listen to the advice. To her surprise, in the next second, Li Jin nodded slightly.

“Very well. Let’s call it a day then.”

Du Lin was a bit surprised but didn’t show it. “Then I’ll wait and leave with you.”

Li Jin picked up her coat and stood up. She paused, then asked, “What kind of gifts do people usually give for birthdays?”

Du Lin froze for a moment, then dutifully acted as an encyclopedia. “If the recipient is an elder, it’s usually health supplements. If it’s a junior, learning tools or toys might be appropriate. If it’s a peer—”

Naturally, the attitude toward a loved one and a friend would differ. But Du Lin didn’t say it directly, merely stating diplomatically, “One must consider multiple factors like gender, age, and the level of intimacy.”

Li Jin walked out in her high heels, her gaze calm. “A young woman in her early twenties.”

Even though her tone was nonchalant, as if she were just mentioning it in passing, Du Lin understood perfectly. Was this not Miss Lu Wu? Her boss’s ‘bed-warming’ partner.

Du Lin pretended not to notice the special identity of the birthday girl, her expression solemn. “At twenty years old, preference is naturally the priority. If the preference is unclear, one could also give something precious yet practical.”

This was an easy sentence to understand, but for someone raised in an environment of abundance and privilege, the definition of “practical” was quite vague.

Li Jin listened and asked, “What kind of thing counts as practical?”

Du Lin answered ambiguously, “There is no reference answer for that. It depends specifically on what the other person needs.”

Li Jin stepped into the elevator. “Is that so?”

Clearly, she wasn’t satisfied with the answer. A person who could remain calm and unfazed in the face of a multi-billion dollar deal seemed to be facing a difficult problem when it came to a small birthday.

Du Lin watched her boss’s back, her footsteps hesitant. As a secretary, she could give the most appropriate and objective advice regarding work, but in matters of the heart, she was truly helpless. Ultimately, the question of a gift can only be answered by the person involved.

Du Lin tested the waters. “Why don’t you proactively ask Miss Lu Wu?”

Li Jin paused for a few seconds, hesitating, then lowered her gaze. “I’ll think about it more.”

The location of the hot pot restaurant Lu Wu sent was in the city center, not far from the Li Group.

Li Jin drove over, but she encountered the evening peak. It was stop-and-go, taking some time. While passing a commercial center, she hit a long red light.

The crowd chattered as they crossed the zebra crossing. Cheerful music filled the air, and the colored lights from the billboards atop the buildings shone through the car window. Li Jin waited quietly, her eyes sweeping over a staff member in a mascot costume on the street.

A mascot…

Lu Wu had mentioned a movie she liked at home the other day. That ugly black cat plushie…what was its name?

Thoughtfully, she turned the steering wheel slightly and entered the turn lane.

In the first twenty-odd years of her life, Lu Wu had experienced many calm and happy birthdays. Before eighteen she had family; after eighteen she had friends. She never felt lonely or ignored.

Yet, when she saw Li Jin appear here, having not even had time to change out of her work shirt, the “feeling of being loved” she felt at that moment was still intensely beyond words.

She didn’t care about blowing out the candles; she couldn’t see anything else. She ran over with small steps and embraced the woman without hesitation.

Lu Wu buried her face in the crook of Li Jin’s neck and whispered, “Weren’t you working? Why are you here?”

With others watching, Li Jin wasn’t used to such intimacy; her body stiffened for an instant. But she chose to indulge Lu Wu at this special moment, letting the girl wrap her arms around her waist, slowly tightening her hold.

She said, “The work finished. I was passing by and came to pick you up.”

Clearly a carefully prepared surprise, yet she insisted on saying she was just “passing by” to pick her up. But that cool, quiet voice was beautiful; even the most ordinary words coming from her mouth surpassed the best sweet talk.

Lu Wu sniffed the fragrance on Li Jin and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me in advance? Have you eaten? Do you want me to order a bowl of fried rice to fill your stomach?”

Li Jin shook her head, saying concisely, “No need. I’ve eaten.”

Lu Wu let out an “oh,” still wanting to linger in her arms. But Li Jin had already stepped back half a pace, and that reassuring cold fragrance grew distant. In its place, a shopping bag appeared—square and looking very exquisite.

Realizing what it was, Lu Wu’s eyes lit up instantly. “Is this a gift for me?”

Li Jin: “Mhm.”

Lu Wu looked on expectantly while asking for her opinion, “Can I open it now?”

Li Jin nodded in permission. “You may.”

Lu Wu’s heart throbbed as she carefully unwrapped the gift, her hands trembling slightly. It was an all-black cat plushie, curled up lazily. Its round eyes were half-open, looking as if it were smiling or intentionally playing cute—it was completely adorable.

This was an offline collaboration plushie from the movie that had only been out for two days. It was currently a hot item on the market, and nearby physical stores were already sold out. This was the gift Li Jin had prepared.

Lu Wu’s eyes widened slightly, and she couldn’t help but gasp. ” I just happened to want this! Hasn’t this been snatched up in so many stores? How did you buy it?”

Seeing that she liked it, the corners of Li Jin’s mouth curled slightly, though her tone remained casual. “It’s nothing. I passed by there on my way here tonight and bought it.”

Assistant Du, who had run to a seller’s building in the middle of the night for a local pickup from a second-hand app, felt a chill down her back. She looked around but found nothing. She turned back to the person on the phone. “Mom, I’ll take you on a trip in a couple of days. Don’t worry, all expenses are on me. I didn’t win the lottery; my boss gave me a bonus.”

Lu Wu didn’t believe Li Jin’s words. This plushie was already being resold for around six hundred yuan online—it was a high-demand item with no supply. How could it be bought so easily?

Clearly, this woman was being stubborn again. Lu Wu raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, “So, the fact that I like this movie… you also just ‘happened’ to remember it?”

Li Jin’s expression remained unchanged. “Mhm.”

Lu Wu leaned in relentlessly, saying word by word, “Happened to remember my preferences, happened to pick me up, happened to buy the gift? Li Jin, love is love. How can there be so many coincidences in the world?”

Li Jin watched Lu Wu draw closer. Perhaps because she had been drinking, her face was flushed, and her eyes shimmered with the light of surprise. She seemed to be pressing for an answer, but her aura wasn’t aggressive; instead, she looked somewhat cute.

The corners of Li Jin’s mouth curved slightly. She looked away, not answering the question. Lu Wu frowned and reached out to turn her face back.

In the moment their gazes met, she saw clearly that those eyes held a smile that hadn’t been retracted yet. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

Staring at each other for a few seconds, the sweet atmosphere of passion was so thick it seemed to overflow. Lu Wu pursed her lips, hearing her own heartbeat—louder than the voices outside. She wanted to kiss her; she wanted to proactively confess. But the ring wasn’t ready yet, and the current setting wasn’t formal enough.

In the end, she merely swallowed. “Today is my birthday. Is this the only thing you’re giving me?”

Li Jin answered, “Mhm.”

Lu Wu wasn’t satisfied and used her fingertip to lightly tap the other’s face. “Oh.”

Li Jin leisurely caught the hand that was causing trouble and took something out of the discarded shopping bag, placing it in Lu Wu’s palm. Lu Wu instinctively looked down and saw a car key; the shield-shaped logo belonged to an expensive luxury car series.

Her eyes widened, and she instinctively wanted to refuse. But Li Jin spoke first.

“In terms of significance alone, I believe you would be happy to use it as your first car for commuting. But if you have other concerns or thoughts and choose not to accept, I respect your wishes.”

Her voice was peaceful, like a fragment of clear flowing water, calm and inclusive. Enveloped by such a voice, Lu Wu’s stance finally wavered.

There was a difference in their spending habits; this had been true all along. It was she who wanted to reach for the moon in the sky; naturally, she should be the one to adapt to Li Jin, not the other way around.

Her voice softened. “Thank you. I will cherish it.”

Tan Xingxue coughed affectatiously from behind. “Ms. Lu, finished with the sweet talk? It’s almost midnight, the candles are nearly burnt out. When are we cutting the cake?”

Lu Wu looked at Li Jin, somewhat embarrassed. “Then… I’m going?”

Li Jin smiled, her features peaceful and relaxed. “Mhm. Happy birthday.”

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