After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 56
Chapter 56: You Deleted Me?
A unique perspective?
No one should know better than Li Jin that she likes women.
Yet now, the other party was using such a high-sounding excuse to pressure her.
Unfortunately, she was the type to yield to kindness but not to force.
Lu Wu replied in a direct, straightforward tone.
“If President Li feels I am not up to the task, you can always look for someone else. There are plenty of excellent screenwriters in the country; you don’t need to settle for me.”
Xiao Yin, who was feigning sleep in the passenger seat, felt a tsunami of shock in her heart.
The smell of gunpowder is so heavy…
How does it feel like Sister Lu and President Li know each other, and their relationship doesn’t seem very good?
Is this job going to end before it even begins?
Sister Lu is so pitiful, making this trip for nothing.
But President Li looks like a nice person; surely she’ll pay the penalty and travel expenses?
She didn’t dare say this out loud; she only dared to think it in her heart. After all, they were at the mercy of others and still needed President Li’s car to get back. Xiao Yin pulled her legs back, trying her best to minimize her presence while these “gods” were fighting.
Li Jin was lost in thought, then lifted her eyes to look at Du Lin, who was driving.
“Du Lin, have the results of the Hengyuan internal meeting from yesterday come out?”
Du Lin understood. As he brought the car to a halt at a red light, he replied:
“President Li, some shareholders believe that short-form dramas require less investment while yielding equally impressive returns. They proposed withdrawing two-thirds of the funding from Echoes.”
“They suggest changing the high-quality film project which was aiming for awards into fast-paced, market-friendly short dramas. Several well-known web drama writers have already submitted their resumes; they are waiting for your final decision.”
Since when could information with such a high level of confidentiality like a shareholders’ meeting be discussed so openly in front of an outsider? Unless Li Jin deliberately wanted her to hear it.
Lu Wu was as clear as a mirror, but she looked out the window as if she hadn’t heard a word.
Li Jin sat beside her, asking unhurriedly: “Which writers are they, and have their qualifications been vetted?”
Du Lin introduced them seriously.
“Preliminary assessments have been done. These writers all have popular hits currently streaming, with even the least successful ones having over 100 million views.”
Xiao Yin, still in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
One had to know that the current short-drama market consisted of “fast-food” style goods sold on the basis of being cheesy, sensational, or awkward. Very few actually gained popularity or critical acclaim for the work itself, though plenty of “bizarre” videos went viral.
If the cinematic adaptation of a serious work were replaced by a short drama, let alone whether Sister Lu could handle it, the fans would surely be mocked by passersby until they couldn’t hold their heads up. Although she didn’t know what conflict existed between the two, this move by President Li was clearly ruthless.
Just then, Li Jin deliberately steered the conversation toward Lu Wu.
“What does Screenwriter Lu think?”
Lu Wu suppressed the upheaval within her and remained calm on the surface.
“Since the cooperative relationship between us has already been terminated, President Li can use whoever you please.”
Li Jin lowered her eyelids.
“Is that so?”
“Du Lin, tell me about the representative works of those writers.”
Du Lin nodded.
“They include The Overbearing CEO Sister Falls in Love with Me on Tomato Short Dramas, The Rich Sister Takes the Child and Runs on Kiwi TV, and The Runaway Sweetheart: The Cold Movie Queen’s Gaze Locks Onto Me on Watermelon Video.”
Li Jin nodded slightly, as if pondering, then looked over at her again.
“As the original author, do you have any good suggestions, Screenwriter Lu?”
Lu Wu: …
She sneered.
“If President Li is as casual with your work as you are with your relationships, then I have nothing to say.”
The air was silent for several seconds.
Until they reached their destination, Li Jin didn’t say another word.
The car stopped in front of the hot pot restaurant. Xiao Yin got out first.
Lu Wu was sitting on the side closer to the street; there were cars coming by, so she couldn’t get out yet. She waited quietly for the traffic to pass. During the wait, Li Jin finally broke the silence.
But what she said caught Lu Wu off guard.
“I’m sorry.”
Could such an arrogant person actually bow their head?
What was this? An apology for having once treated her as a “pastime”?
Lu Wu tried to ignore it, but after a few seconds, she still turned to look at her.
“What is President Li referring to?”
Li Jin explained: “The Echoes film adaptation was decided long ago, and you are the only screenwriter. About what I just said… please don’t take it to heart.”
She had thought the other party would apologize for their past behavior; it seemed she had expected too much. Lu Wu’s expression grew even colder, and when she spoke, she was extremely polite.
“President Li is joking. You are the investor and the copyright holder of the film; no matter what decision you make, I understand.”
Li Jin paused: “Are you angry with me?”
By this point, the theme of the conversation had completely derailed. Du Lin in the driver’s seat had long since seized the opportunity to get out of the car, leaving the space for the two of them.
Lu Wu looked at Li Jin, puzzled.
“Does a screenwriter have the right to be angry with an investor?”
“Or does President Li like to say such vague things when discussing business with others as well?”
Li Jin was always rigorous in her work and naturally didn’t like hearing such an assessment. She said without hesitation: “Lu Wu, you know I wouldn’t do that.”
The other party’s tone was a bit heavy, and Lu Wu no longer held back her emotions.
“Does President Li think I know you that well?”
“On what grounds? Just because we once slept in the same bed?”
Li Jin frowned subconsciously: “That’s not what I meant.”
Going back and forth with those same few lines, Lu Wu suddenly felt exhausted. She didn’t want to continue debating with Li Jin, but she also didn’t want to be entangled with her anymore. She took a deep breath.
“Li Jin, let’s not play these social-circle games anymore.”
“Let’s be direct: what is it that you actually want?”
Li Jin hesitated for a moment and confirmed: “I tried to send you a message just now, but it wouldn’t go through.”
“Did you delete me?”
Lu Wu didn’t deny it.
“Yes, I deleted your WeChat.”
“And then?”
Li Jin used that excuse again.
“You are the screenwriter for the production; it is necessary for us to keep communication channels open.”
“And the study materials… I really do need them…”
Lu Wu felt that Li Jin wasn’t trying to communicate with her sincerely at all. Perhaps this person was doing it on purpose. In the past, she had liked her with all her heart, and the other party had been hot and cold, treating everything as a mere pastime. Now that she was politely keeping her distance and not asking about the past, the other party was again deliberately blurring the lines between them, avoiding the serious and focusing on the trivial.
So, all these years had passed, and Li Jin still thought she, Lu Wu, had no backbone and still wanted to be a toy that could be summoned or dismissed at will?
Lu Wu’s patience was reaching its limit, so she decided to indulge Li Jin and follow the topic.
“Does President Li know what ‘study materials’ means?”
Li Jin looked at her and asked.
“What does it mean?”
Lu Wu gave her the answer.
“Lesbian movies. Two women falling in love, kissing when the time is right, and going to bed when the desire hits.”
It seemed Li Jin hadn’t expected her to say those words so bluntly. Li Jin’s lips parted slightly, and a flash of astonishment crossed her eyes.
Lu Wu was satisfied with Li Jin’s reaction. She reached out, grabbed the collar of her trench coat, and leaned forward proactively. As the distance closed, Li Jin’s calm and steady breathing was disrupted. Li Jin’s eyelashes trembled, and the snow-white skin on her neck flushed with a hint of red.
Lu Wu stopped just before her nose.
“President Li must have had many lovers in the past few years, right? Or perhaps bed partners?”
“With that beautiful face of yours, and no shortage of money.”
“As long as you wave your hand, plenty of people will rush to spend an unforgettable night with you.”
Li Jin’s body stiffened, and her breathing paused for a moment. She didn’t refute it immediately.
Lu Wu became even more certain of her guess. She curled her lips, though there was little genuine smile in her eyes—only obvious sarcasm.
“Someone like President Li.”
“Do you really need so-called ‘study materials’?”
Having said that, the frustration in Lu Wu’s heart dissipated a little. She intended to put a period to this unpleasant evening and put on a polite expression again.
“You don’t need to take tonight’s words to heart, President Li. Just treat me like a stranger from now on.”
“I have things to do, so I’ll leave first.”
After she finished, Lu Wu opened the door, preparing to get out.
Just then, a hand gripped the hem of her shirt with a light but immovable force. Lu Wu felt irritated and spoke with a hint of anger as she turned back.
“Was there something I didn’t make clear enough? Li Jin…”
Lu Wu looked at Li Jin’s face again. The other party was frowning and biting her lower lip. Those beautiful thin lips had lost their color, flushing white. She looked embarrassed, even wronged.
She said word by word: “Lu Wu, I haven’t had any.”
No lovers? No bed partners?
Lu Wu didn’t know what Li Jin meant by saying this. But in the dim yellow light of the street, the woman was just staring at her stubbornly. The cold and distant look in her eyes had faded, leaving only a fragile, thin vulnerability.
Lu Wu’s voice went hoarse for no reason.
Li Jin probably felt that her words weren’t clear or explicit enough, so she continued:
“I haven’t had any lovers, and I haven’t had a sexual relationship with anyone.”
Her voice was always clear and cold, but now that it was trembling at the end, it easily stirred up a haze of mist.
The air was silent for a long time.
A feeling of regret suddenly rose in Lu Wu’s heart. Regardless of what had happened in the past, she actually shouldn’t have said such things; it was a matter of basic courtesy. But the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to fix it.
She hesitated, then leaned down.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Li Jin looked at her and refused to speak. This time, she was in the wrong. Lu Wu braced herself against the car, her fingers tensing anxiously.
“The thing you just mentioned… I agree.”
“I will add you on WeChat, and I will send you those… study materials.”
Li Jin whispered in response: “Okay.”
Lu Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then I’ll leave first. You and Assistant Du, be careful on the way back.”
Li Jin nodded and asked: “Are you going to eat hot pot?”
Lu Wu instinctively sensed that what this person was about to say next might not be what she wanted to hear. But those eyes of the other party were still red. She hesitated, then asked: “What’s wrong?”
Unexpectedly, Li Jin lowered her eyes and didn’t use the opportunity to make any demands.
“It’s nothing, my stomach is just feeling a little uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten this late.”
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