Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

She was in a daze for a while and then reacted. The doll was missing, and so Rainy must have woken up by herself.

She massaged between her brows. She felt like she had become decadent. She woke up when it was already so late. She wasn’t that tired and only slept and ate at home, but she still didn’t wake up early.

When she finished washing up and went out, there was a note on the table like she expected. She took the paper and looked at the lively and neat handwriting. Handwriting reflected a person, and the man’s easygoing nature was evident between the lines.

“I’m bringing Rainy out for a walk.”

Xia Ruoxin smiled comfortably and placed the note back. She entered the kitchen to prepare a pumpkin porridge for the father and daughter.

Hold on.

Father and daughter. Her expression became conflicted. She was starting to let her imagination run wild again. Hold it. She shook her head and started to cook the rice.

When Gao Yi and Rainy returned, they could smell the fragrance of the porridge as they walked in.

Rainy sniffed the air. “Mommy’s food is the most delicious,” she said and dashed into the kitchen, hugging Xia Ruoxin’s legs. She looked up and rubbed her cheeks against her legs. “Mommy smells good.”

“Cheeky brat.” Xia Ruoxin poked her forehead. “Where did you learn that sweet talk from?”

Rainy laughed heartily, seeming really elated.

Soon, Xia Ruoxin placed all the dishes on the table. They really resembled a family now.

A sophisticated father, a gentle and loving mother, and a beautiful and cute angel.

They were eating when suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Who could it be at this time?

Xia Ruoxin put down her chopsticks and went to open the door. When she saw the person outside, her cheerful expression instantly became cold. She closed the door behind her.

“Mr. Xia. What can I do for you?”

Her voice was distant and cold. It was a tone that she wouldn’t even use for strangers as she would at least greet a stranger with a smile.

Xia Mingzheng’s face was burning.

He had never lowered himself and begged anyone in his life, but he did this time. Their whole family owed her a lot, after all.

“Ruoxin, your mother is really sick, and she wants to see you. No matter what, she did give birth to you.”

Xia Mingzhen brought it up again—not because he was shameless, but because his wife was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She had been this way ever since Xia Yixuan returned.

Xia Ruoxin pressed her lips tightly together. She told him she wasn’t willing to. She turned around, twisted the doorknob, and walked in. The door closed with a thud and locked the man outside. It was impossible so he shouldn’t have gone the extra mile.

Rainy tilted her head strangely.

“Mommy, black face.”

She pointed at her own cheeks. She could sense her mother’s bad mood.

Gao Yi immediately carried the little girl to her room and stuffed the doll into her hands.

He coaxed her, “Stay here and play with the doll, Rainy. Remember to take care of her.”

“Okay.” Rainy nodded hard. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I will take good care of the doll.”

Gao Yi ruffled Rainy’s hair and closed the door.

Outside, Xia Ruoxin was acting as if nothing happened. She cleaned the house casually with a nonplussed expression.

“Ruoxin,” Gao Yi called out to her.

Ruoxin didn’t answer nor react as she continued on with her work.

“Ruoxin,” Gao Yi repeated and walked over, taking the rag from her hand. She had wiped the area eight times. If she went on, the table might peel.

“Ah!” Xia Ruoxin reacted when the rag was taken from her. “Hmm, what did you say?” She grabbed the rag from Gao Yi’s hands and continued to wipe the table. She didn’t want anyone to find out how troubled her heart was.

“Follow me.” Gao Yi pulled Xia Ruoxin away to the sofa, stopping her from mistreating the table.

“Ruoxin, who was that outside?” Gao Yi narrowed his eyes and searched Xia Ruoxin’s face. That person obviously stirred her heart. Maybe she couldn’t sense it, but it was indeed stirred.

“Him?” Xia Ruoxin pursed her lips. “My step-father. I know what you’re going to ask.” Xia Ruoxin didn’t hide anything from Gao Yi. “He’s here to ask me to visit my mother. If Xia Yixuan didn’t return and had really died like in the rumors, she wouldn’t want to meet me at all. I don’t care if she really repented or just wants herself to feel better. It has nothing to do with me.”

She knew Shen Yijun best. She was selfish, and she all she wanted now was definitely her forgiveness as well as proved that she wasn’t foolish enough to be played into someone else’s hand. She might have forgotten the past, but Xia Ruoxin hadn’t.

When she was pregnant without anyone to take her in, when her daughter was sick and hospitalized and her life was in danger, what did that so-called mother do? She would always remember every word she said, every scene from that time.

“You don’t care?” Gao Yi understood now. He gently caressed Xia Ruoxin’s head. She was just resenting.

“Yes, I don’t care anymore.” Xia Ruoxin smiled blandly. Her expression was stoic, and her complexion was light as if she really was talking about a stranger.

“Really?” Gao Yi asked again.

Xia Ruoxin turned her head, and her gaze stopped at the window as if she knew what Gao Yi was about to say.

“If you don’t care, then go take a look. Take it as a way to bring an end to things.” Gao Yi held her shoulders. “It isn’t like you to run away from things. It’s not a viable solution. He came here for you twice, and he could come here again for the third and fourth time. You can’t run away forever. If you really don’t care anymore, why not just go take a look?”

Gao Yi persuaded her, knowing she was listening. She was a transparent woman. His words were not hard to understand, and he believed she knew what he was trying to say.

The warm and golden light reflected into the room through the window glass, blinding them. In the distance, the wind blew, and the leaves fell.

...

It was the umpteenth time Xia Ruoxin stepped into the hospital. She didn’t like the place. She hated it, in fact, but was still grateful towards it.

She pressed her lips together. Her pale and plain face was void of color and expression, like her eyes which were a pure black but had started to deepen.

She entered without bringing anything along with her.

She listened to Gao Yi and put an end to things.