CEO's Stand In Lover

The Lingering Scent and Unspoken Goodbyes

As Lucy passed by Kevin, their shoulders brushing against each other, he caught a whiff of a delicate floral scent—a fragrance both lonely and tinged with sorrow, as if it carried a fragile emotion within. Unbeknownst to him, that subtle aroma slowly seeped into his very being, settling deep in his heart without his realizing.

In the brightly lit, silent room, Kevin watched as Lucy gradually faded from his sight. A dreadful thought took root in his mind: what if she did vanish from his life?

"I can’t let that happen. Even if she isn’t Bella—if she isn’t meant to be mine—I won’t let her go!" he vowed silently.

He never bothered to analyze exactly what kind of feeling churned within him, or perhaps he simply did not want to. For if he were to uncover its true nature, would he be spared from future regrets? Alas, he lacked the power to foresee the future.

"Are you angry?" Kevin asked, his tone laced with genuine concern. "If so, then I apologize for my earlier behavior."

He grasped her hand firmly, his eyes fixed on her as if fearing that in a single blink, she might disappear forever.

Lucy turned her head, a wry smile tugging at her rosebud lips as her dark eyes met his.

"Truthfully, the person you want to keep is that woman you call Bella—not me! If you loved her so dearly, why not go find her? If love were true, why must I suffer so?"

Kevin froze. In his ink-black eyes, a trace of grief shone through as Lucy’s gaze dropped slightly, her long lashes casting delicate shadows.

"I don’t want any connection with someone like you. I only long for an ordinary life—one with a husband who loves me. My life should revolve around loving him, and it’s clear we belong to different worlds. It’s best if we have as little to do with each other as possible."

Kevin fell silent. Outside, the sky was ablaze with brilliance; the night draped over the earth, and countless stars spilled their clear, flowing light upon the land.

Lucy raised her eyes, her expression resolute.

"So, President Kevin, after our three-month internship, let’s treat each other as strangers," she declared.

Then, with a heavy heart, she turned and left—her departing figure cloaked in loneliness and sorrow that pierced Kevin’s soul.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something unforgettable had once happened in her life. No matter what, she belonged to him!

Watching her recede into the darkness, a determined, almost possessive smile played on his thin lips. Under the faint starlight, his proud, chiseled features resembled a modern Apollo—radiant and indomitable.

Inside the elevator, however, Lucy’s heart was anything but light. Memories crashed over her like relentless tides—vivid, painful images of the day her mother sent her to the orphanage, of how her mother left with a wealthy man just two months after her father died in a car accident when she was only five. That day, the sunlight had been dazzling, yet no matter how loudly she called out, her mother still left with that man. The luxurious Rolls-Royce faded into the distance along with all her happiness.

Over the years at the orphanage, Lucy had learned that nothing came without a fight. In this world, besides oneself, there was nothing one could truly trust.

Leaning against the cold elevator door, Lucy slid down slowly. Though her heart ached terribly, not a single tear fell—perhaps because her tears had long since dried up on that brilliant summer day.

Sometimes, she mused, we all feel so insignificant, so desperately dependent on others just to ease our loneliness.

On Monday morning, Lucy arrived at class in a dispirited daze, barely managing to sit in her seat during Chinese class. Strangely, though, Kevin’s violet eyes—always sparkling with an enigmatic light—haunted her thoughts.

Why am I so angry? she wondered. Was it because when he kissed me, his mind was on someone else? Or because he treated me as nothing more than a substitute?

In the early light, dewdrops clung to the branches, reflecting her silhouette. After another sleepless night tormented by nightmares—she had only managed a few moments of sleep at dawn—Lucy folded her tired hands on the desk and buried her head, drifting off as the gentle morning sun warmed her.

At that moment, Du Zixiu, sitting nearby, turned his head to watch her peaceful, baby-like face. He stared, utterly mesmerized, as if the world had shrunk down to just the two of them. He longed to wake her, but the words caught in his throat, too precious to disturb such a beautiful moment. Perhaps he feared losing her—or perhaps it was the nature of his employment that made him so hesitant.

Maybe it was fate. On the first day back at school, that fleeting, radiant smile had etched itself into his memory, stirring a special feeling for the cold, distant girl he could not forget.

Suddenly, Lucy’s eyes fluttered open, and her dark orbs met Du Zixiu’s deep, moss-green gaze. For an instant, a warm blush crept across her face. She rose and deliberately avoided his gaze, ignoring both the time—after all, class was in session—and the admonishing Chinese teacher on stage. With determined independence, she walked out.

The teacher said nothing, knowing that despite her truancy, Lucy’s grades remained the highest in the school. Meanwhile, a group of onlookers below began their idle chatter:

"Lucy has walked out again, hasn’t she?"

"Are you jealous? You could be as outstanding as her if you tried!"

"Every year, she scores first!"

"Yeah, she makes the rest of us look dull."

"And she’s always so cold—what a weirdo!"

Before their idle banter could escalate, the Chinese teacher barked sharply from the stage, "Silence! We are in class!"

Her face turned ashen with anger, but what could she do?