Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

“You have come,” a hoarse voice suddenly said, and it caused Li Manni to scream softly. She immediately tried to repress her emotions as she turned her head around. She looked at the creepy man coming out from the side and said between clenched teeth.

“Why have you asked me to come to such a place?” She felt disgusted at the thought of what this man had done to her in the past.

“Tsk, why are you so fierce?” That man spat out a mouth of saliva. His eyes were roaming around Li Manni as though he was peeling her clothes off with his look. “I want to f*** you. Can’t I do that? Quit pretending. We have already done it once before.”

“You...” Li Manni rested her hand on her tummy and retreated a step in case the man had really had any ideas on her. She turned her extremely sullen face away. “I am pregnant. If you dare to do anything to me, I will kill you,” she sneered.

The man’s small eyes bulged abruptly with excitement. He rubbed his hands together.

“My son!”

Suddenly, Li Manni felt the acid reflux in her stomach. She turned around and vomited by the side. Unknown to her, the man was excited, filled with the adrenaline of revenge.

...

Li Manni walked into the eighteenth floor with her back straight and head held high.

“Madam, you can’t go in.” The secretary stood up hurriedly in an attempt to stop her. Naturally, everything about her including her voice was formalized. Li Manni gave the approaching secretary a once-over. She had a slim waist and slender legs. Who was she trying to seduce with those short sleeves?

The look from Li Manni’s scorching eyes put the secretary to shame. What was she trying to mean? That the secretary was nothing but a product waiting to be evaluated? Was she treating her as an imaginary rival? The secretary was sorry, but she had no interest in another woman’s man. Not every woman liked to be a third party just like the Mrs. Chu who was standing before her.

Everyone knew how she had come to marry into the Chu family.

“Do not think of something you shouldn’t be thinking about.” Li Manni warned in a low voice. Her carefully drawn eyes were bulging with disdain, which was hurtful.

The secretary wanted to retaliate. However, she managed to hold herself back. She steadied herself and put on a neutral expression as she spoke in a formal voice which was filled with a secretary’s professionalism. “Mrs. Chu, Mr. CEO is having a meeting right now. You must not enter. You may sit and wait outside until he had finished his meeting.”

Li Manni combed through her well-maintained hair. She had applied an extremely refreshing and nice-smelling perfume. She smacked her lips together. That was someone else; not her.

If she couldn’t even enter her own husband’s office, then how was she going to continue being the wife of Chu Enterprise’s CEO? She was not as stupid as that idiot, Xia Ruoxin.

The secretary could only stare with her eyes wide open as Li Manni strode ahead. She dared not obstruct Li Manni as the latter was carrying a prince in her stomach. Li Manni did not pause in her steps while the secretary took her seat again as she held a pen and jabbed it around. It was out of her hands now. She had done her part by warning the other woman.

“Lui...” Li Manni opened the office door abruptly with a bright smile on her face. When she saw the formation in the room, she suddenly felt her face burning. It went all the way to her hair roots with a crisp sound as though the blood had gushed straight to her head instantly.

“I’m sorry.” She hastily shut the door. Her face was turning into all shades of colors—first, green, then ashen, and followed by red. It was such a unique way of expression that not many could have done it.

The room of more than ten people, who had been interrupted, stared in unison at the door. Then, their visions shifted towards Chu Lui who was sitting in his own chair.

“Let’s continue.” Chu Lui didn’t seem to be affected by the commotion. His expression was calm, and his voice was deep as he rested his back against his chair, without his thoughts straying away.

Half an hour later, the office door finally opened with the high management staff exiting first, followed by Du Jingtang. He turned in the opposite direction as though he had thought of something and leaned against the secretary’s desk.

“Deputy...” the secretary asked Du Jingtang cautiously almost on the brink of tears. She seemed to recall that she, too, had done something wrong. “Will I be fired? You are also aware that I am saving up for my dowry.” If she lost this job, where was she going to look for another one that allowed her to sit idly and chat for the whole day? It was a high-paying job with good benefits and allowed her to sit in the office without exposing herself under the sun.

“Don’t worry.” Du Jingtang comforted the young secretary. “Your boss knows his wife’s temperament well. He won’t blame you for what happened. Your rice bowl is safe. It won’t spill. Even if he blames you, you can rest assured that I am here for you.” He patted his chest with the assurance.

The secretary listened to Du Jingtang and began to truly breathe in relief. Although the Deputy has spoken, his words didn’t represent the CEO’s. Nevertheless, if he had committed himself to speak kindly on her behalf, she would not be crushed bloodied in the event when the CEO’s temper exploded.

The office door opened once again, and Chu Lui walked out with his jacket in one hand. He looked forward steadily as he walked. He looked so hard and cold that the secretary couldn’t help herself from shuddering. This man was more than she could handle, and so she had never once tried to gain his favor. The Deputy, on the other hand, was so much better. He was the Prince Charming in all the women’s hearts.

“Deputy, you must have many women going after you.” The secretary gave Du Jingtang a compliment.

“Oh, yes. I do.” Du Jingtang broke out in a beaming smile which showed his teeth.

What good was it that he was very sought after? He was a man and a gay.

Li Manni stood up as she saw Chu Lui approaching. She tidied her clothes welcomed him as though the awkwardness from earlier had not happened; she had just arrived and had not shamed herself. She had done nothing.

“Lui, you have concluded your meeting.” She laced her arm around Chu Lui’s elbow and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I have come to see if you would like to accompany me to the check-up. Will you come with me?”

“Okay.” Chu Lui didn’t mention anything about earlier. He rested a hand on Li Manni’s head and smelled the perfume on her. He was not sure why, but the light in his eyes had dimmed.

...

Xia Ruoxin was holding her daughter’s hand as they made their way to the art studio.

Surprisingly, the Master, Su Li, had taken a liking towards her and was teaching her painting proactively. Rainy’s strokes might have looked immature, but she had shown great talent. This further attracted the master’s fondness towards her.

‘Little Beauty’, this was what the other students had nicknamed her. They were all very fond of her as well. Every day, everyone would bring along some fruits or candies and passed it onto Xia Ruoxin at the end of their classes to be given to Rainy. So her bag was always packed with goodies.