After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: The Answer

When Lu Wu appeared at the entrance of the private dining room with Xiao Yin, Tan Xingxue immediately stood up, looking as if she were relieved.

“You’re finally here! Everything is resolved, right?”

“Do you know how worried Ji Youyan and I were about you? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

A genuine smile the first of the day appeared on Lu Wu’s face as she explained.

“It’s been resolved.”

“Sorry, the police were asking questions at the time. I made you worry.”

Tan Xingxue rolled her eyes at her: “You’re still the same; you never tell us when you run into trouble. I’m just glad it’s over.”

Lu Wu followed her lead: “My fault. Dinner is on me tonight; order whatever you want.”

Tan Xingxue finally smiled.

“That’s more like it.”

“It’s hard to get a taxi near the film studio, right? Ji Youyan and I were just talking about whether we should drive over to pick you up.”

Lu Wu paused, not saying anything.

Xiao Yin, sensing nothing amiss, chimed in from the side.

“Yes, yes, Sister Tan!”

“That area is very remote. If it weren’t for President Li kindly driving us over, we probably would have had to wait a long time for a ride.”

As soon as those words fell, the room went quiet for a split second.

Tan Xingxue thought she had misheard and asked: “Xiao Yin, you just said who drove you here?”

Xiao Yin, not overthinking it, repeated: “President Li, the investor sister from the crew. She’s incredibly pretty and a really nice person.”

Tan Xingxue went through a mental storm, and when she looked back at Lu Wu, her expression turned serious and she frowned.

“Lu Wu, the person Xiao Yin is talking about… it couldn’t be that person, could it?”

Lu Wu was just about to order, but her hand froze in mid-air.

“Mm.”

Tan Xingxue’s eyes widened, clearly shocked. She put down her cup and sighed several times, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

“Ms. Lu, Miss Lu, beautiful Lu did you forget what I told you?”

Lu Wu’s tone remained light, even capable of joking with her.

“I remember.”

“A good horse doesn’t eat the grass behind it [doesn’t look back to old pastures]. Don’t worry, I have no feelings left for her.”

Just as those words were spoken, Li Jin pushed open the door to the room. Her expression stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.

Tan Xingxue had been planning to launch into a long lecture, but when she looked up and saw two uninvited guests standing at the door, her attitude took a 180-degree turn. The corners of her mouth curled downward in undisguised disdain.

“Who is this? I don’t recall anyone else being invited tonight.”

Tan Xingxue had been a teacher for many years and was naturally well-versed in basic etiquette. However, she truly disliked Li Jin and found it difficult to put on a pleasant face for someone she loathed.

Lu Wu noticed Tan Xingxue was unhappy and knew she was standing up for her, so she whispered: “Xingxue.”

In truth, she didn’t want Li Jin appearing at the dinner and ruining their rare reunion. But the woman had helped her, and if she didn’t settle this debt of gratitude, there was no telling if it would lead to more entanglement later. It was better to handle it today and get it over with, cleanly and decisively.

Tan Xingxue clearly realized this too and said nothing more, though her face remained sour—so sour it looked like she could make a bowl of Changsha stinky tofu right on the spot.

Lu Wu felt a bit helpless and turned to Li Jin and Du Lin, offering a very official, polite greeting.

“President Li and Assistant Du, please feel free to sit anywhere. It’s just a casual get-together today. If the food isn’t to your liking, I hope you’ll forgive us.”

Li Jin maintained her calm and collected demeanor, merely nodding slightly.

“Sorry to intrude.”

Du Lin, accustomed to Li Jin’s brevity, smoothed things over.

“Not at all. We are already grateful that Miss Lu invited us to dinner.”

Everyone took their seats, each with their own hidden thoughts. With two extra people in a small four-person gathering, the atmosphere became subtle. The pot bubbled away, and while the room should have been lively, by the end of the meal, few people had spoken a word.

As it was drawing to a close, Tan Xingxue’s mood improved slightly, and she asked Lu Wu:

“What are your plans for tonight?”

“Why don’t you come to our place? We haven’t seen each other in a long time; we can chat.”

Lu Wu thought about it. Her luggage was in the car, and if she went home now, she’d have to scramble to find extra bedding. She turned to ask Xiao Yin: “Do you want to go hang out, or just go back and get some rest?”

Xiao Yin was buried in her food. When called, she looked up, her lips swollen and red from the spice, looking completely bewildered.

“Go where?”

Lu Wu laughed and handed her a napkin.

“Wipe your mouth first, it’s covered in oil.”

“Oh, oh…”

Xiao Yin blushed bright red and hurriedly wiped her mouth.

Lu Wu watched her scramble, then said to Tan Xingxue: “Maybe next time. Let’s just head home and recuperate today.”

Tan Xingxue didn’t insist: “Alright, then get some good rest when you get home.”

She rested her chin in her hand, watching Xiao Yin blush to the tips of her ears, and couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Xiao Yin is really easy to embarrass. It’s rare to see a girl this cute. If I were a man, I’d definitely marry her and bring her home.”

Xiao Yin was a local from the Tibet region; she had grown up on the grasslands until she was seventeen, helping her family look after cattle and sheep while attending school. She had accidentally met Lu Wu, who was visiting her school for a book signing, and started working part-time for her. After graduation, she just became her full-time assistant. The young girl was innocent, simple, and always serious and responsible at work—and couldn’t handle being teased.

Lu Wu ignored Tan Xingxue’s “straight girl” commentary and just smiled: “Stop teasing her all the time.”

She added to Xiao Yin: “Don’t listen to Sister Tan; she’s just talking nonsense, she says that to everyone.”

Tan Xingxue raised an eyebrow: “What? Is she yours just because she takes your salary? I’m not even allowed to talk to her?”

Li Jin sat opposite them, watching Lu Wu naturally reach out to stroke the hair of the young girl named Xiao Yin. The group laughed and played, their posture incredibly intimate.

The feeling of rolling turmoil in her already uncomfortable stomach intensified. But the more her stomach ached, the more awake her mind became clear and sharp, slowly sinking into memories.

Her appetite wasn’t big. Once the mealtime passed, she usually didn’t eat, and she rarely touched heavy, spicy foods like hot pot. So, Lu Wu used to avoid spicy dishes when she cooked for her every day, always changing things up to make healthy, light meals. Occasionally, when they went out for dates, she would thoughtfully choose the highest-rated restaurant with the mildest flavor, avoiding everything she disliked.

If this were the old Lu Wu, she definitely would have noticed that she hadn’t eaten much today, and she would have noticed her unusually pale and sickly complexion.

But…

Du Lin, with sharp eyes, noticed fine beads of sweat on Li Jin’s forehead. He thoughtfully poured a glass of warm water and asked with concern:

“President Li, is your stomach bothering you again? Shall I call a doctor?”

Li Jin lowered her gaze and gripped the water cup until her knuckles turned white. Finally, she just shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

As the dinner ended, Tan Xingxue and Du Lin went to get their cars. Ji Youyan stepped aside to take a call from a client, and Xiao Yin was still in the restroom.

With nothing to do, only the two of them were left. Lu Wu had a feeling Li Jin might say something, so she simply waited. Before long, the other party took the initiative.

“I want to talk to you, may I?”

Lu Wu didn’t know what “talk” referred to. But since she held the idea of not seeing each other again, settling things early was exactly what she wanted.

She asked: “Sure, what does President Li want to talk about?”

She answered crisply, but Li Jin fell silent the moment she got her answer. It was a long time before she spoke.

“The first thing I want to say is…”

“The words I said back then were very hurtful, and I want to apologize to you.”

“I’m sorry.”

If she had to say, for a long period in the past, Lu Wu had imagined reconciling with this person, and she had also imagined never seeing her again. The only thing she never imagined was that the other party would formally apologize to her in such a way.

This apology had little value; its only purpose was perhaps to provide some level of psychological comfort to the person at fault.

Lu Wu nodded and accepted it generously: “Alright, I accept your apology.”

Li Jin paused for a few seconds and added: “I heard you came to the company to find me many times. I was out of the country on business at the time; it wasn’t that I intentionally refused to see you.”

‘Out of the country.’

Lu Wu looked up. The emotions that had only just calmed down began to surface again. After several years, this was the excuse she came up with to explain the lack of contact? She didn’t know whether to say Li Jin thought she was too stupid, or that she had arrogance so deeply ingrained in her bones that she couldn’t even be bothered to put effort into an excuse.

Lu Wu exhaled softly and blocked any further explanation.

“I see. You don’t need to explain to me. Whatever the reason, I accept it.”

Li Jin’s eyes dimmed slightly. Her emotional fluctuation was intense, causing her stomach to spasm again. She subconsciously reached up to cover it, her breathing becoming heavy.

Lu Wu caught a glimpse of this, her peripheral vision lingering for a few seconds before moving away.

“If you’re unwell, go to the hospital. I’m not a doctor; I can’t cure you.”

Li Jin went silent. Her face seemed even paler under the streetlights.

In the distance, Tan Xingxue’s car was slowly driving over. If she saw them standing alone together, she would surely nag her about it for a while.

Lu Wu moved a little further away and asked one last question.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

Li Jin’s lips trembled slightly. Suppressing the pain, she asked in a soft voice:

“If I said that in all these years we’ve been apart, I never once forgot you, would you consider getting back together with me?”

“You don’t need to give me an answer now. You can take some more time…”

Lu Wu could feel Li Jin’s gaze fixed on her. The other party seemed truly nervous and deeply concerned about her reply. In a sense, Li Jin’s acting was quite excellent. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so easily deceived in the past, falling for her so recklessly.

But unfortunately, that was all in the past.

Lu Wu looked up, smiling, with no extra emotion in her eyes.

“If that’s what you wanted to say, then I can give you an answer right now.”

“Li Jin, we were never really together in the first place.”

“So there is no such choice as ‘getting back together’.”

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