Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

“Ah Lui, when is Manni coming home? She has been staying at her parents’ place for so many days.”

“She will be back when she wants to,” Chu Lui simply replied. The car stopped moving. He alighted and opened the door on the other side. Song Wan stretched her head out and wondered why the car had stopped. Oh, they were home.

The tea gathering today was not enjoyable at all. She could forget about it the next time. Anyway, there was nothing much to say between her and Shen Yijun.

After Chu Lui sent Song Wan back, he finally made his way back to his home. He was used to returning to a cold and quiet house. However, when he opened the door, he was surprised to hear the sound coming from the television.

“You’re back,” he said softly. At last, she couldn’t contain herself.

“Lui, I’m back.” Li Manni heard the door open, and she knew Chu Lui had returned. She was dressed fashionably today. Her stomach was not showing any sign of pregnancy so she was still retaining her slim figure. Like a dancing butterfly, she fluttered over to Chu Lui.

However, Chu Lui shifted a step to the side. All Li Manni caught was air.

Lui. Li Manni stared unbelievably at him with wide eyes. He actually avoided her. He wasn’t even concerned that she would fall.

“Why?” Her face paled. “I know. I know she is the one you have been searching for—the one in your heart all this time, but you lost her in the end. Lui, I’m your wife. You felt love for me once, too. Besides, we are having a child soon. On account of our child, are you really willing to let our baby grow up in a home that is not harmonious?”

Chu Lui walked over to the sofa and picked up the remote control conveniently. The television turned off with a press of the button. The enormous living room became silent. The only sounds came from both of their breathing and also Li Manni’s constant sobbing.

“Manni, do you have something to tell me?”

Chu Lui crossed his legs. His voice was mild, but it was crushing Li Manni’s heart, breaking it into pieces. He was giving her another chance. It was up to her whether she wanted to seize this moment.

Something to say to him? Li Manni’s heart skipped a beat. What to tell him? What could she possibly say to him?

“No, nothing.” She lowered her head. Her hands went to her stomach and gripped tight. Then, she walked directly over to Chu Lui and sat beside her husband.

“Lui, is something wrong? Why are you asking me such a question?”

“Nothing.” Chu Lui stood up, turned around, and made his way to the study. The chance was given. Since she didn’t want it, she couldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

Li Manni’s hand went to her chest. She could feel the anxiety rising inside her as though a hand was gripping tightly at her heart until she was having difficulty breathing. This man who had been sharing a bed with her for the past four years was getting more mystifying and harder for her to understand. She couldn’t accept it. He was so near and yet so far.

On top of that, her father wanted her to bring Chu Lui back for dinner again. The last they had parted on bad terms. Hadn’t he learned his lesson from that?

“Lui, my parents want us to go back for dinner this weekend.” She observed his expression carefully, but she realized there were no signs from his face. She couldn’t read his mind. After spending the last four years on the same bed as husband and wife, they were—in reality—practically strangers to each other. Was there even love between them during their four years together? She no longer had the answer.

“I’ll decide when I have the time.” He gave Li Manni an equivocal reply and stood up. He picked up his briefcase and left for his office without another word.

Li Manni suddenly felt mistreated. Was he going to give her the cold shoulder whenever she’s around him? Was he treating her with sarcasm without a word, or was he issuing her a warning? Everything that had happened thus far was that all her doing? Her fault?

No. Not everything was her fault. Chu Lui had to bear most of the blame. Otherwise, with his temper in the past, he would have found a way to strip Li Manni’s family off everything they owned by now. They wouldn’t be able to survive with what they had until now.

...

“Cousin, aren’t you going to do anything about it?” Du Jingtang braced himself with both his arms folded on the table. After a while, it became too uncomfortable for him; and he rested his chin on top of his folded arms.

“Do what?” Chu Lui shoved a stack of documents on the table and went back to the sofa. He gave a warning look at Du Jingtang.

“Is there something on my face?” Du Jingtang’s hand started caressing his smooth face. It felt better than a woman’s. He took out a mirror in a foxy manner, just short of applying some makeup.

“How can I be so handsome? I look better than those handsome young men on television. Look at my figure. I’m perfect with all these muscles.”

“Get lost!” Chu Lui gave him a kick. He couldn’t take the teasing from his cousin any longer.

Du Jingtang kept his small mirror and put his hands in his pockets. Then, he said softly as though he couldn’t care less if he was dead or alive.

“Cousin, your father-in-law’s company is going bankrupt. Aren’t you going to do something?”

“Why should I?” Chu Lui smiled. He looked so evil that he resembled a ball of fiery fire about to burn everything in his path.

“Why shouldn’t you?” Du Jingtang felt like a thorough idiot. That was his father-in-law. How could a son-in-law not do anything when his father-in-law’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy? Besides, it wasn’t because Chu Lui did not have the means. On the contrary, all he had to do was flex his finger and point them in the right direction, and the crisis that his father-in-law was facing would be resolved. However, now, he was showing indifference. In fact, he was even helping to contribute to their crisis which was definitely abnormal.

Du Jingtang eyed his cousin suspiciously. His instincts were telling him something must be amiss. That’s right. There must be some issues that he was unaware of.

“They will spit out whatever they have eaten.” Chu Lui sounded emotionless, and Du Jingtang couldn’t help but shudder. Oh, god. Did he hear his cousin correctly? Chu Lui had indeed done this on purpose. He was deliberately trying to cause his father-in-law’s company to go bankrupt. He didn’t need a scientist to tell him this was not logical. With Chu Lui’s character—even when Xia Ruoxin was involved, he had not caused his ex-father-in-law into bankruptcy which was followed by a divorce.

No. Something was wrong.

Du Jingtang cracked his skull, trying to come up with a reason; but he couldn’t.

His cousin might not be a good man, and yet he basically was not an evil one, too. He had his own principles. His temperament might not be desirable, but he wouldn’t go to the extent of causing his father-in-law into bankruptcy. Moreover, Li Manni was pregnant. Whatever the old man had done wrong, it shouldn’t implicate his children. He most definitely shouldn’t do anything to a pregnant woman. He didn’t need a scientist to tell him that was wrong.

He held his head which had begun to throb. What the hell was wrong?

He had no idea. Whatever Chu Lui was doing to the Li family, this couldn’t be all. If he had known all the things that had been going behind his back, he would have asked how deep was Chu Lui’s vengeance. What could have made him do all these inhumane things?