novelraw Chapter 395: The First and the Last (Part 1)
Chapter 395: The First and the Last (Part 1)
On the other end of the phone, Ji Rui was holding up the sweater in front of the mirror, comparing it with his reflection.Although the style wasn’t what he usually wore, just by holding it up like this, he could imagine that it would look quite nice on him. Outdoors, he could pair it with a blazer, and indoors, if it got a bit warm, he could just take off the blazer. The sweater with a shirt underneath would also look pretty good.
"No need, I really like it!"
While comparing the sweater, Ji Rui was contemplating whether to fire the stylist who helped him with his wardrobe choices. The stylist’s taste wasn’t even half as good as Le Tong’s!
In fact, that stylist was quite innocent. Even the most fashionable stylist can design things, but the problem is that President Ji has to be willing to wear them.
He either complained it was too flashy or too fashionable, and after all the back and forth, the end result in his wardrobe was still the same as before: suits with shirts in the monotonous black, white, and gray color scheme.
In the end, the stylist was even embarrassed to boast about being President Ji’s stylist.
Fortunately, Ji Rui himself was inherently impressive, and no matter if he wore brand-name suits or just a sack, he’d probably still exude his own rugged charm.
"As long as you like it. By the way, Baobao seemed to have snuck something into your briefcase. You should check it, just in case it’s something troublesome. It wouldn’t be good to embarrass yourself in the meeting."
Le Tong suddenly recalled that when Ji Rui was leaving in the morning and bending to change his shoes, their little rascal stuffed something sneaky into his briefcase. Ji Rui was in a hurry to leave, and Le Tong had forgotten all about it until now.
Holding the phone, Ji Rui’s face showed a slight smile. He went back to the bed with the sweater, put it down, picked up his briefcase, and reached in with his big hand, pulling out a small box aside from his laptop.
"Did you find it? What did that little rascal put in there?"
Le Tong didn’t know what the little guy was up to, fearing it might be a prank that would cause trouble for Ji Rui.
Ji Rui fiddled with the small box in his hand and laughed, "It’s nothing, just a box of chocolates."
"That kid! Doesn’t he know you don’t like sweets?"
Le Tong was a little speechless. Ji Rui didn’t like sweets, and the little guy definitely knew that.
"When you bought these chocolates the other day, you mentioned that chocolate can relieve stress and boost morale. I guess Baobao must have listened to every word of it."
With the box in hand, Ji Rui’s smile grew wider. He realized that maybe he was enchanted, but a simple sweater and a box of chocolates lifted his spirits so high.
He didn’t know when it started, but he often felt life was dull and couldn’t help but wonder how to endure the long decades ahead.
But now, he suddenly found life incredibly interesting. Perhaps it’s because that woman and Baobao were accompanying him on the other end of the phone, making everything different.
What was once a picture in black and white was now painted with vibrant, colorful hues by the woman’s and Baobao’s casual touches.
Even the simplest of things filled him with anticipation and easily brought him overflowing surprises.
"Tsk, Baobao really treats you well!" Le Tong glanced at the little one immersed in his pile of models, kicked off her shoes, sat cross-legged on the sofa, adjusted to a comfortable position, and sank into the couch.
"What’s this? Are you jealous?" Ji Rui kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed, looking ready for a long chat.
"..." Le Tong was speechless. What did that have to do with anything? Was she jealous of anyone?
"Don’t worry, the one Baobao cares about most is you, not me." Ji Rui wasn’t upset at all about dropping a rank in his beloved son’s eyes. Instead, his tone was clearly joyful.
"So you’re not jealous?" Even if that wasn’t the most important phrase for her, Le Tong didn’t doubt it for a second.
From the first moment she met him, she and Baobao seemed to get along exceptionally well. She remembered seeing him in the Luo Family Garden, and although he was cautious, he followed her around looking for the cat’s mom. At the time, she thought he was just an ordinary child with no wariness towards people. But as they spent more time together, she gradually discovered that his lack of caution extended only to her and Ji Rui.
Perhaps this was a mother-son instinct. Even though neither knew they were the closest to each other at the time, subconsciously, they wanted to be close.
"Of course I’m jealous, unless you share a little love back with me?" The man’s way of asking for love was direct and never verbose.
Le Tong was at a loss for words again. She wasn’t seasoned in romance, and Ji Rui’s direct pitch left her with no room for counterattacks. The direct pitch "smacked" her on the head, and her mind exploded.
"Le Tong?" The man on the other side of the phone called out when he didn’t hear a response, puzzled.
"Mm..." Le Tong was slightly flustered, her heartbeat irregular.
"You might not believe it, but I’ve never been in love, nor have I ever tried to pursue anyone. You’re the first woman to stir my heart, and you’ll be the last."
The man’s magnetic voice unfolded his feelings through the receiver, seemingly dissatisfied with Le Tong’s heartbeat not racing enough.
If Le Tong hadn’t heard these sweet words with her own ears, she’d never have believed they came from the cold, expressionless, and rigid President Ji.
On the other end, Ji Rui, although he had never spoken such words before and had always found them overly sentimental and exaggerated, never thought he’d ever say them to anyone.
But these overly sentimental and exaggerated words slipped right out of his mouth without a second thought, and as he said them, his heart was full of sweet honey.
This kind of sweet talk, once again, did not receive a response from the woman on the other end of the line. Strangely enough, Ji Rui wasn’t upset, as he accurately guessed that the woman was probably too shocked by his words to respond.
"Le Tong, everything I said to you last night was true!"
Le Tong, nestled in the couch, was still overwhelmed by President Ji’s startling sweet talk, and as Ji Rui changed the subject to last night, her mind went blank.
"Last night?" Le Tong looked puzzled, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"I said, the reward I want is you. I also said I would wait. All of that was true."
With years of success in the business world, Ji Rui attributed his achievements not only to his extraordinary ability but also his quick, decisive, and precise decision-making.
In matters of the heart, although he had no experience, from the moment he realized his feelings, he had already made his move.
His pace slowed down due to her resistance, but that didn’t mean he had any intention of backing down.