Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

Li Manni rested her hand on the doorknob and turned it gently. She had the impression that Chu Lui was not in there. He might have gone to the bathroom or was even asleep. However, she had not expected to meet his somber eyes the instant she opened the door. The look in his eyes was so intense that it shook her small frame. It was as if she was a young sapling with her leaves scattered everywhere in the thunderous storm.

“Oh. Lui, you are here,” she blurted out in embarrassment. His stare unsettled her. She approached him cautiously and placed the coffee on his desk. “I made you some coffee. It’s still hot.”

Chu Lui took it and placed the cup at his lips. He could smell the pure black coffee fragrant from under his nose.

“You didn’t add anything special in there?”

He asked indifferently.

“Huh?” Li Manni’s heart started thumping. “Add anything special? Like what?” She lowered her eyes. At this moment, she dared not let her thoughts wandered. Instead, she used her confused expression to hide the guilt perfectly.

“Nothing.” Chu Lui put the coffee cup down. He hadn’t taken a sip at all. Now, he hated this.

“I...”

Li Manni was going to continue talking, but Chu Lui cut her off curtly. “I have work to do. If you have nothing to do, go to bed early.” His voice was monotonous as though he wasn’t speaking to his wife but one of his subordinates or employees.

Li Manni did not feel good inside. However, she chose not to argue with him. Lately, he was obviously in a bad mood. She wasn’t a stupid woman, and she knew it was not the time to argue with him.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to work,” she said considerately. “Drink your coffee soon. It won’t taste good once it turns cold. Also, try not to work too late. You must take care of your health.” She rambled on and on, but Chu Lui’s eyes remained glued on his computer screen. He did not bother to spare her a second of his attention. Her hands were clenched tightly by her sides as she tried to stifle the rising annoyance within her chest.

She forced a smile and felt it was for nothing because that man didn’t even bother to look at her.

“Is there anything else?” an emotionless voice asked. Li Manni realized pathetically that this might very well be the way they would be spending the rest of their lives this way. They were husband and wife and the closest ones. Very soon, they would be welcoming a child into their lives together.

She tried her best to restrain her wandering thoughts, to focus on making herself sound like her usual self—that nothing was different.

“My parents want us to go back for dinner this weekend.”

“Okay.” Finally, this time, Chu Lui agreed. Li Manni breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she was going to have a mental breakdown. When she remembered her father’s constant complaints, she could feel a headache coming.

Mr. Li had originally intended to give Chu Lui the cold shoulder for a few days. He had called Li Manni and asked her to return home to stay for a few days. He didn’t believe that Chu Lui would be able to leave his wife and unborn child alone. Li Manni had thought the same, too.

That was why she had listened to her father’s instruction and moved back to her parents’ home. However, they were in for a disappointment. A day passed; Chu Lui did not show up. There wasn’t even a telephone call after two days. By the third day, Chu Lui continued to follow his daily routine and went to work as usual. He was behaving as if there was no difference in his life with or without Li Manni.

Mr. Li started to lose his patience. Although Li Manni did not show it outwardly, she was also beginning to panic. It seemed that Chu Lui had no intention to come and pick her up, too. She was the first one to give in. Naturally, her father was flustered as well. Lately, the accounts in the company were in a mess. Losing the Ling Qiang contract was a huge blow to them. Whatever preparation they had done for the past one year had been in vain, not to mention the manpower and the finances they had poured in. The Lis’ company was beginning to see red. They would be doomed if they didn’t receive another big contract.

Mr. Li could no longer sit and wait idly. He urged Li Manni to bring Chu Lui back no matter what, hoping he would gain some information from his son-in-law on the pretense of having dinner. Nevertheless, he had not forgotten that Chu Lui had taken the contract with Ling Qiang Technology away from them. It might not be easy to get back into Chu Lui’s good graces this time.

Moreover, he also needed to maintain his stature of being a father-in-law. He wondered if anyone would buy it.

Chu Lui opened his car door and stood once again outside the Lis’ door. His dark eyes had been calm, but after alighting from his car, they were inscrutable. He opened the door.

“You’re here.” Mr. Li snorted.

“Yes.” Chu Lui’s thin lips parted. He didn’t sound very friendly, too. His attitude seemed to agitate his father-in-law. “Well, you needn’t show me, an old man, any respect now that your company is getting bigger and bigger. I—Li Chengqiang—may not be very capable, but I can still afford to feed my daughter and grandchild.”

“Suit yourself.” Chu Lui responded nonchalantly with those two words. He merely stood there not sitting. He stood tall and proud in an imposing manner, which almost caused his father-in-law to choke to death in anger.

“Chu Lui, what are you trying to say?” Li Chengqiang was really getting upset this time. His palm slammed on the tabletop with a loud bang. This son-on-law of his was never an easy person to converse with, but not once had he behaved like he had today. Chu Lui had been throwing his words back at him and embarrassing him.

“Nothing. I was merely giving in to you. Whatever Dad wanted to do, I will follow your lead.” Chu Lui simply replied. Li Chengqiang was under the impression that Chu Lui was mocking him. That sent him into a fit of anger. His chest was beginning to hurt as though he had just absorbed the direct impact of someone’s fall.

“Old man, what is it that is causing you to be so upset?” Mrs. Li came over hurriedly to soothe her husband’s feathers. At the same time, she also wanted to penalize Chu Lui. “Chu Lui, your father has been in a bad mood lately. Can’t you give in to him? He speaks a bit too harshly because he is getting on in years. You, being his child, should try to pacify him. After all, as our son-in-law, you are equivalent to being half of a son to us.”

Chu Lui turned his attention to Mrs. Li. His eyes suddenly lit up as though he had recalled something. It unsettled Mrs. Li and made her uncomfortable as goosebumps covered every part of her body.

Li Manni rushed over and laid a hand on Chu Lui’s arm. Instinctively, he had wanted to fling her hand away, but in the end, he put up with her. It wasn’t a good feeling. It felt like a viper had latched onto his arm and was waiting for its moment to strike.

He wondered how many times a viper like Li Manni had bitten him. How much of his blood had she drank and how much had she been feasting on his flesh?