After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Li Jin is Leaving

Like most instances of a broken heart, the body didn’t have much of a reaction at first; there was only a momentary skipped beat. When truly stunned and sorrowful, what manifests instead is a flash of eerie calm.

Lu Wu stood frozen in place. She wanted to say something to question her, but her nose felt sour, and her eyes grew hot first. Her vision blurred, but the coldness and confusion in Li Jin’s tone still echoed in her ears.

They had spent so much time together. In all those days and nights, every smile and every look from Li Jin had been real. How could it just be a pastime? It must have been words said in anger.

Lu Wu didn’t dare look into Li Jin’s calm eyes again. She squatted down to search for the ring that had long since vanished, trying to hide her disheveled state this way. She needed a moment to react. Once she calmed down, she would think seriously about why Li Jin said such angry things and reflect on what she had done wrong.

She just needed a little time. That was what Lu Wu thought.

But Li Jin did not stay. While Lu Wu was hunched over on the ground, before she even had a chance to turn on her phone’s flashlight, footsteps rang out. Li Jin turned and walked upstairs.

Lu Wu stood up abruptly, her forehead striking a wooden corner with a piercing pain. But she didn’t care; she scrambled to her feet and followed behind her. Sensing the sound behind her, Li Jin didn’t stop, only saying flatly, “Don’t follow me.”

Lu Wu bit her lower lip hard, acting as if she hadn’t heard the command. The former’s footsteps were steady and calm, making the latter’s sounds seem even more chaotic and hurried. Li Jin stopped in front of the elevator doors and turned back, looking at Lu Wu with a cold gaze.

“Did you not hear what I said?”

Lu Wu sniffed, trying her best to make her voice sound natural and relaxed: “I’ll be very quiet. Can I please follow you?”

“Lu Wu.”

Li Jin had called her name many times, but this was the only time her tone dropped low, carrying an impatience that was beyond words. Lu Wu opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but she seemed to have forgotten how to speak; she could only emit a muffled, indistinct sound from her throat.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open slowly. Clean, bright light spilled from the gap, adding a rare brightness to the space—and putting her miserable state on full display.

The makeup on Lu Wu’s face had long since run, a mixture of foundation and streaks of tears. Her white clothes were wrinkled from her previous movements, and the remains of flower petals clung to her elbows. Li Jin scanned her briefly, her brow furrowing slightly.

“You are a smart person.”

“Don’t make me say it a second time.”

After saying this, she gave her no further looks and stepped into the elevator. Lu Wu was pinned to the spot. The elevator doors closed again, and the living room fell back into darkness. A wind from nowhere blew out the remaining candles, and the familiar cold fragrance dissipated.

There was only silence. No sound remained. In the dead stillness, a warm liquid seemed to flow down, dripping along her chin. She instinctively raised her hand to touch it; her hand was stained with a sticky feeling.

It was blood.

She didn’t know how long she stood there until the elevator moved again, the digital display transitioning from 2 to 1. Lu Wu looked over in disbelief, a sudden light appearing in her eyes. The elevator doors truly opened again, and behind them was Li Jin’s figure.

Hope indeed rose, but before she could feel relieved, that hope was instantly shattered. There was an extra item in the other woman’s hand—a suitcase.

Lu Wu panicked completely. She wanted to block her, but remembering the wet blood on her palm, she raised her hand and then dropped it. “Where are you going?”

Li Jin didn’t speak. She walked past her side, stepping out with an expressionless face. Lu Wu tried to chase after her, but her body chose that moment to fail her; her vision went black in waves, and her limbs lost all strength.

That figure grew more distant. Amidst the subtle sound of the suitcase wheels rolling, there was a crisp mechanical sound. The front door opened.

Li Jin was leaving. This realization had never been as clear as it was now, but leaning against the wall and crouching on the ground, there was only one thing Lu Wu could do. She called her name humbly, her voice almost inaudible.

“Li Jin…”

The response was a thud. Li Jin was always decisive; this was her strength, and Lu Wu had once been fascinated by it. Until this moment, when decisiveness turned into cruelty.

Forcing back the dizzying discomfort, Lu Wu struggled to get up and chase after her, which cost her a great deal of effort. She began to breathe heavily instinctively; cold air poured into her chest, and she coughed incessantly.

But Li Jin was no longer by the roadside. Not in the garage, not in the garden. She was nowhere.

Calling her resulted in a busy tone. “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently busy…”

It was just before the start of the night life, and the entrance to Rongjiang was very bustling, but among the various faces, Li Jin was the only one missing. Lu Wu clung to a shred of hope, stumbling forward to grab the sleeve of the security guard on duty.

“Do you know where Li Jin went?”

Her forehead was bleeding, her face was abnormally flushed, and her voice was terrifyingly hoarse. The guard was startled and said with a face full of concern, “Miss Lu, you don’t look well. Do you need me to call an ambulance for you?”

Lu Wu acted as if she hadn’t heard, repeating with red eyes, “Do you know where Li Jin went?”

The guard had no choice but to answer dutifully, “I’m sorry, I don’t know where Ms. Li went.”

Lu Wu refused to give up, asking persistently, “She just went out from here. I just need to know which direction she went.”

The guard paused, looking conflicted. “I’m sorry, we cannot reveal the privacy of the owners.”

At that moment, her phone vibrated twice. “You have a new WeChat message.” Lu Wu held her breath, as if seeing hope again, and immediately opened the message. It was Tan Xingxue @-ing her in the group chat.

It wasn’t Li Jin. That gathered spirit collapsed instantly, leaving only a dazed helplessness. Lu Wu stared blankly at the phone screen for a while. A faint metallic scent surged up, oxygen was compressed and withdrawn, and she belatedly felt difficulty breathing. She swallowed, but her heart was pulled by a dull ache.

Lu Wu’s vision gradually lost focus. Until a certain moment—

Thud.

“Miss Lu!”

“Miss Lu?!”

Ji Youyan was in front packing things, while Tan Xingxue sat by the hospital bed, rambling on.

“The doctor said you should drink more hot water. Have some congee for these two days; don’t eat anything too spicy or irritating.”

“The medicine on your forehead needs to be changed once a day; any longer and it will get inflamed.”

“If you still feel unwell and show signs of a relapse, drink some warm salt water first—don’t let the fever dehydrate you.”

Lu Wu lay on the bed, her lips having regained some color, and her face finally didn’t look as terrifying as when she first arrived at the hospital. At this moment, she was just lost in thought, and it was unclear how many words she actually heard.

Tan Xingxue watched her, unable to control her heartache, yet not knowing how to help her. She paused and then shared a bit of good news with a smile.

“Auntie Xu called just now and said she’s coming to see you and will stay for a few days. She can help change your bandages then.”

Lu Wu’s expression finally changed. She replied with a hoarse voice, “I can take care of myself. She needs people to look after her more. There’s no need for her to make the trip.”

Tan Xingxue didn’t say anything. She also knew it was a bit much to have a middle-aged pregnant woman take care of a patient, but the school wouldn’t let her take any more leave, and she wasn’t at ease leaving Lu Wu alone at home.

Lu Wu lifted her eyelids and looked over calmly. “Give me my phone.”

Tan Xingxue hesitated for a moment before handing the phone over. Lu Wu took it and dialed that string of numbers.

Beep—

After the standby tone, that familiar middle-aged female voice answered on the other end. Because of the noise from the crowd around her, her voice was louder, carrying the flavor of her memory.

“Xiao Wu? Why are you calling?”

Lu Wu paused. “Mom, I’m already better. You don’t need to come specifically.”

Xu Xiaoqiu seemed to be carrying something, breathing heavily as she laughed: “Ai! It’s fine. Mom hasn’t seen you for a long time. I just happened to bring some things for you to help nourish your body.”

Lu Wu: “Your health is the most important. I really don’t—”

Xu Xiaoqiu didn’t hear her words clearly and shouted into the phone again.

“Xiao Wu? What did you say? I’m about to exit the Haicheng High-Speed Railway Station. Which bus should I take from here?”

Before Lu Wu could speak, Tan Xingxue took the phone.

“Auntie, taking the subway is usually the fastest way to get here, but it’s inconvenient for your body, so don’t take the subway. I’ve called a car for you; just wait in the waiting area in front of the station.”

“The waiting area? Usually, you just follow the signs from the exit, but you can ask the duty personnel at the door—that’s safer.”

The call ended, and Tan Xingxue announced the decision: “Alright, Auntie has already arrived. Let’s hurry up and pack so we can leave.”

Lu Wu remained silent for a long time, eventually just nodding slightly. “Okay.”

Tan Xingxue was satisfied with her attitude. She helped Ji Youyan pack the things, turning back during a break. “I’ll keep your phone for you for now, so it’s easier to communicate with Auntie when the driver arrives.”

She said that, but everyone present knew she was doing it to prevent Lu Wu from staring blankly at the phone waiting for a call. Lu Wu didn’t say anything. She cooperated by getting up, going downstairs, and getting into the car.

Midway through the drive, the car passed the Li Group’s office building. Lu Wu looked at it, remembering the days she spent waiting for Li Jin in the lounge and driving her home. It seemed like yesterday, yet it also seemed like a long time ago.

She took one last look at this familiar road, withdrew her gaze, and spoke softly: “Xingxue, give it back to me.”

Tan Xingxue frowned, about to find an excuse: “No, I still need to—”

Lu Wu interrupted her: “I won’t contact her anymore.”

Tan Xingxue was stunned and said cautiously, “…Really won’t?”

Lu Wu nodded slightly. “Mhm. I won’t.”

Tan Xingxue breathed a sigh of relief and then began to explain the logic earnestly. “You’ve finally figured it out. Life isn’t just about the current struggles; there’s also poetry and distant lands!”

“Ji Youyan has time this week too. How about we go to Wuniang Mountain together? You’ve wanted to go for a long time, haven’t you?”

Lu Wu agreed. “Okay.”

Actually, it had nothing to do with “figuring it out.” She had simply accepted a fact. Accepted that—

If Li Jin wants her to approach, she can enter the Li Group without obstacles and participate in her life. If Li Jin doesn’t want her to approach, it’s impossible for her to find her, nor will there be any way to get news of her again.

That was the fact.

Tan Xingxue was still talking. Outside the car window, buildings and trees constantly flashed by, and the noise of vehicles and voices rose up. Perhaps because she hadn’t recovered from her illness, Lu Wu suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion surge from her heart. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into a groggy sleepiness.

Thinking of nothing, just having a good sleep. Just for a little while.

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