Standing Right Next To You - Chapter 349

‘Eh? They went silent?’ Lina wondered in confusion when she could no longer hear a single sound.

Her ear which was stuck to the gap in the door to hear their conversation now moved away as she stood straight.

‘Ruby gets stopped everywhere he goes, poor guy!’ Lina pitied her boyfriend who met people who wanted to talk to him at every turn.

The only reason she had stopped to eavesdrop on them was to hear this person who had initiated the conversation with Reuben.

She did not know who it was on the other side of the door but she had made some deductions after listening in on their interaction.

‘From what I have heard, she’s someone who Reuben knows and even worked with?’ She speculated after hearing them talk about a project.

Lina shook her head at the man who had not spoken more than five words to the woman who most likely was a colleague or business partner.

‘This silence is so awkward!’ She sneered at her boyfriend who became so stingy with his words.

Adjusting her jacket, she decided that it was best to save the poor woman who must be struggling to maintain the conversation while this boyfriend of hers was not bothered to reply properly.

This time she pulled the door open and stepped out, turning in the direction of the voices she had been listening to until now.

However, her feet halted when she saw who it was, the person who had been talking to Reuben all along.

‘Isn’t that…’ She froze with her eyes widened as she stared at the woman who stood before the man as he still leaned on the wall.

The woman standing a few feet away from her boyfriend was wearing a steel grey business suit that hugged her figure.

Long platinum blonde hair was tied in a low ponytail, showing off the length which reached her butt.

Though she was a beauty on the leaner end of the spectrum, she was a beauty nonetheless.

Lina’s fists clenched when she saw the smiles on both of their faces as they stood in front of each other.

‘Ruby’s first kiss…’ She recalled the familiar face she had seen before.

Lina remembered the teenager she had seen in the picture hung in his bedroom and also the news article she had read about them being caught kissing in a parking lot.

The two pictures were of this woman… The woman who had an undeniable connection to Reuben.

She had always been insecure that she was not his first kiss and now looking at their smiling and happy faces, fear crept into her heart.

Fear of losing the man whom she was beginning to get attached to.

Reuben noticed a figure standing at a short distance away from the corner of his eyes.

Turning in that direction, this time he smiled wider when he found that it was his Kitten who had finally graced him with her presence.

However, in the next second, his eyes narrowed when he saw the pale look on her face.

Disregarding the woman who was standing before her, he stepped in his Kitten’s direction and stopped when he was before her.

Lina broke free from the crippling fear that had taken over her when she felt warmth on her cheeks.

Reuben looked into her eyes as he cupped her cheeks, making her look up at him.

“Are you alright?” He inquired with concern apparent in his tone.

Helen snapped in their direction only to find her Senior Ming using such a mild and indulging tone to speak to another woman.

This time it was her turn to clench her fists and grit her teeth when she saw the lack of distance between them.

Lina felt the glare coming from the other women which increased the worries that had taken over her heart.

‘He said that his first kiss was important and he will never forget about it…’ She looked at the man whose attention was on her but the strange emotions in her heart were making it hard for her to remain calm.

Her silence only made his anxiety intensify as he touched her forehead to check her for temperature.

“Baby, tell me what is wrong!” He insisted, worrying that she met with some troubles while in the restroom.

Helen could feel her heart clench when she heard the endearing term he had used for this new woman.

‘He called her…’ She glared at the woman in his arms.

Lina shook her head at his inquiry and smiled at him.

‘Stop being so weak! He told you that he likes you so you should trust him!’ She chided her inner self who was being insecure so easily.

If her mother had seen her acting weak without even trying then she would have smacked Lina without restraining the power she put into the strike.

This reminded her that she was a strong individual and a thing of the past was not worth jeopardizing what she and Reuben had in the present.

Taking a deep calming breath, she smiled at him and held his hands which were cupping her cheeks.

“I’m just hungry, Ruby.” She chuckled sheepishly while giving him an absurd excuse for her weird behavior.

‘She’s lying.’ He caught her bluff in a second just as he had caught the fear that had appeared in her eyes when he had first seen her.

Lina’s eyes turned towards the woman standing in the same position as before.

Their eyes met, Lina’s hazel irises locked with Helen’s blue-colored lens that she had been wearing.

Reuben was quick to understand what the issue here might be.

‘She is jealous that I’m talking to Junior Gu?’ He felt like laughing at how cute his Kitten was behaving when she was like this.

As much as he was excited to see her being jealous for his sake, he did not like the insecurity that had flashed through her eyes.

Therefore, while the two women were in confrontation with each other through their eyes, he decided to make the first move here.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her to where Helen remained standing.

Lina glanced down at the strong arm which was guiding her forward and then at the woman who was staring at them with her eyes wide open.

“Who is this, Senior Ming?” Helen interrogated as she tried to keep her voice from fluctuating too much due to the anger surging in her heart.

Reuben pulled Lina closer to him which resulted in her body clinging to him and she had to place her hand on his chest to support herself.

“Baby, meet Junior Gu. She used to work for Ming Enterprises a while ago.” He introduced the woman to Lina without bothering to answer her first.

Lina smiled at Helen and nodded after hearing his words.

‘Am I not even considered as a friend?’ Helen pouted when she observed his words which drew a strict line between them.

Lina’s smile was a genuine one when she caught how he had made sure to let the other woman know that they had a strictly professional association and nothing more.

Pleased with her smile, he turned to the once colleague as he had more to say.

“Junior Gu, meet Lina Yang. Lina is my girlfriend.” He declared with resolution causing the other woman to gasp in surprise.