My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 158

Vivienne’s POV

The building was a perfect example of Gothic architecture, with towering spires, sharp lines, and a majestic, clean design. Its grandeur was matched by large domed windows and slender, column-like structures standing on either side, each supporting a finely sculpted figure.

Ariana took the shopping bag from Sophie’s hands and pointed at me. "Let Vivienne take your picture!"

Ariana was a professional photographer, and she could tell I wasn’t exactly in the mood. She wanted to help me relax and get more involved.

"Vivienne, take my picture!" Sophie handed me her phone before I could protest.

I sighed, then found an angle and snapped a few casual shots of Sophie.

When Sophie saw the pictures, her eyes widened. "Wow! This is amazing, Vivienne! You made me look so good!"

Ariana leaned over to take a look and smiled. "Vivienne’s got talent! Maybe we should hire her as our personal photographer from now on!"

"Wait, what?" I raised an eyebrow.

Sophie eagerly jumped in, "Yes, yes! You can be our photographer! You’re here to travel, but you’re not taking any pictures, so you can just be our official photographer instead!"

"Fine," I said, figuring it was a good way to distract myself.

For dinner, Sophie picked a hotpot restaurant after browsing through several guides.

Her exact words were, “On a cold day like this, a hot, spicy hotpot is the best choice!”

The majority of the customers in the restaurant appeared to be of Asian descent.

After picking out a few ingredients, we went over to get our dipping sauces.

Suddenly, someone bumped into me.

I turned to see a young man, his face slightly flushed, looking at me with an apologetic expression. He glanced at my clothes and said, "Sorry! I didn’t mean to. Really sorry."

I looked down to see sauce splattered on my coat.

"It’s okay, just be a little more careful next time," I said.

I returned to our table with my dipping sauce, grabbed a few napkins, and tried to wipe the sauce off, but a brown stain remained, glaringly obvious on my white down jacket.

The young man followed me, his face hopeful, and asked, "Sister, are you here for sightseeing?"

I gave him a surprised look. "Uh, yes."

"Why don’t you add me on WhatsApp? Just let me know how much the cleaning will cost, and if the stain doesn’t come out, I’ll buy you a new one. I’m really sorry."

"No need," I replied.

I wasn’t one to be extravagant, and this jacket wasn’t expensive compared to my salary.

The young man hesitated, unsure of what to do.

Just then, Sophie walked over with her dipping sauce, nudging me lightly. "Vivienne, just add him. He’s being sincere. Besides, we might even hang out later this week."

The young man nodded eagerly and pointed to a nearby table where two other young men, about his age, were sitting.

“We just got here yesterday and haven’t had a chance to explore. How about you guys?”

“We arrived this afternoon,” I answered.

Sophie followed his gaze and noticed the two men at the other table. Curious, she asked, "Are you guys college students?"

The young man smiled shyly. "Yeah, we don’t have class right now, so we decided to travel together. Do you have any plans? If they’re similar, we could rent a car together. It’ll be cheaper, and we can look out for each other." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Sophie grinned. "Let’s see. Why don’t you add me on WhatsApp first?"

The young man glanced at me, saw that I wasn’t interested in adding him, and reluctantly added Sophie instead. "Alright, I’ll head back now."

Before leaving, he turned to me and said, “Sister, if the stain doesn’t come out, just let me know.”

“Okay,” Sophie responded for me.

After the man left, Sophie glanced at me. "Come on, Vivienne, don’t be so cold!"

I raised my eyes. "Am I?"

"Not?" Sophie widened her eyes. "He was so sincere, and you stayed completely expressionless. Isn’t that cold enough?"

I paused for a moment. "I just didn’t think it was necessary."

I was already aware of my issue. Maybe I’d grown too used to being independent. Aside from clients I needed to maintain relationships with, I was more passive when it came to friendships.

I didn’t have much desire to make new friends; unnecessary socializing, like what just happened, was something I’d avoid if I could.

Becoming friends with Sophie and Ariana had only happened because we worked well together.

And Alexander... he was probably the only one I’d make an effort to maintain a relationship with.

Sophie said, "What’s necessary or unnecessary? Just treat it like some fun while you’re on vacation. Once you go back, you’ll part ways."

Sophie had a point.

"So, should we hang out with them?" I asked.

"Depends on the schedule. Most people come here and head straight to Tromsø. The longer you stay, the more it costs. They’re university students, so they might not stick around Oslo for long."

With that, Sophie glanced at her phone, a playful smile forming on her face. "He added me on WhatsApp and called me ‘sister.’"

"What? You planning to hook up tonight?" Ariana teased.

Sophie rolled her eyes at her. "If anyone’s hooking up, it’ll be Vivienne."

I looked up, confused. "What does that have to do with me?"

"He was going to add your contact first! He even called you ‘Miss!’"

"He just wanted to pay me back for ruining my clothes," I said matter-of-factly.

"Any normal person would just pay and run, but this guy seems way too eager," Ariana said.

"I told you, with that angle, how could he possibly bump into Vivienne? I think it was intentional. He probably just wanted her number."

I thought they were reading too much into it, but before I could speak up, Sophie chimed in again. "Vivienne, haven’t you heard the saying? The fastest way to move on from one relationship is to start a new one. You’re single, and someone’s interested in you. Isn’t that a good thing? Or are you still hung up on that jerk Alexander?"

I immediately denied it. "No."

"Vivienne, don’t be so resistant. Just go with the flow. If there’s a chance to travel together, meeting a beautiful romance under the dazzling Aurora would be pretty magical," Ariana said.

I stayed silent.

Sophie checked her phone again. "He says his name is Nathaniel."

Just as Sophie had guessed, Nathaniel and his friends were heading to Tromsø the next day to chase the Aurora, while we would stay in Oslo for a few more days.

Nathaniel sent a regretful emoji. "Maybe we’ll meet in Tromsø."

"Yeah, have fun!"

"Hey, Miss, what was the name of the girl whose clothes I accidentally ruined? Could you send me her contact?"