Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ruoxin looked at the amulet in his hand, her eyes reddening. This was Xia Yixuan's—no, Chu Lui's, but it was never hers. So he had found out everything, but there was no use. Everything was too late now, twenty-years late. There was no point in mentioning it anymore.

"Why didn't you tell me that the little girl I met was actually you? Why didn't you tell me that the amulet was yours?" Chu Lui clenched his hand tightly, the corners of the amulet digging into his palm.

"What about you?" Xia Ruoxin looked at him, a white glaze across her eyes making her unable to see clearly. "You said that you would come back and look for me, but you didn't. You were only looking for Xia Yixuan."

"No! I waited for you for years. If the amulet wasn't with Xia Yixuan, I wouldn't have mistaken her for you. He explained urgently. This man was no longer the cold and heartless CEO of the Chu Enterprise who had everything under his feet anymore. He was just a man who needed to redeem himself. He had committed so many wrongdoings; he didn't know whether he could atone or make up for it.

"Stop explaining. Everything is over." Xia Yixuan blinked forcefully, clearing her vision again. "It doesn't matter whether I was the one you were looking for. The one you love is only Xia Yixuan. Even if I had told you then, would you have believed me?" Would he? Her mouth filled with bitterness and sarcasm.

Even if he knew, nothing would have changed. The things that have happened have passed, and those that shouldn't have happened occurred anyway. She had already paid too much in the name of loving him. She didn't want to love him anymore.

"Nothing's over." Chu Lui rushed forward. "I know I did you wrong. I'm sorry." The high and mighty Chu Lui had never apologized to anyone before, and he had never lowered his noble head to anyone. He was always overweening and self-centered, without a care for anyone else; but this time, he humbled himself to apologize to a woman… he had really done wrong.

"I can't rewind time, and I will never be able to make up for all the pain I have inflicted on you, but I still have the rest of my life. I will do everything in my power to compensate—as long as you can give me another chance. Nothing is too late."

He was glad that he had found out the truth. He was glad that he could still find her. They had let each other slip by for just four years, but they had many more than four years to go.

"Everything, including your marriage?" Xia Ruoxin loosened her hand. If he had told her all this four years ago, she would have died happily; but now, she was so happy she wanted him dead.

Chu Lui nodded his head. "Yes." He was willing to give her everything. As long as she wanted it, he would do it. All he wanted now was for her to stay. He had always thought that he hated the woman, but he couldn't forget her even though he loathed her. The immense hatred was but another form of love.

"But what about her?" Xia Ruoxin pointed behind him. "What are you going to do with her?"

Chu Lui's body stiffened. He turned around to see Li Manni's ashen face. His black eyes flashed with conflict and deepened. Li Manni's lips were quivering relentlessly. She wanted to know the answer, but she was afraid to know the answer.

What about her? She was his wife, not anyone else. Yet, what was he doing now? He was willing to marry another woman so what was she to him?

"What are you going to do with her? Will you, like four years ago, let someone into her bed and let her lose all standing and reputation while you divorce her and marry some other woman without care? Or, do you want to start over again with me as your mistress, your 'prostitute'? What else do you want?" She wasn't willing to belittle herself again and let others trample all over her.

He had already said those words countless times. She felt nothing.

She finished. Chu Lui's lips parted as he stood rooted to the ground, and behind him, Li Manni was on the verge of collapsing. He couldn't do that to her. No. She didn't want to be a second Xia Ruoxin. She hurried forward and tugged Chu Lui's clothes tightly, her delicate makeup washed away on her tear-streaked face as she looked up at Chu Lui pitifully.

"Lui…" She called out Chu Lui's name, but Chu Lui's black eyes were fixed on the other woman. She knew that he was the one who did it, and he could not deny it because that was the truth. He was finally paying the price for what he had done in the past.

"Some people like being the mistress in a relationship, and some people like breaking apart others' families, but I won't." Xia Ruoxin said blandly. Her long eyelashes quivered as she wrapped a hand around her left arm. Did they know? The situation was the same as four years ago, but the roles have changed. She wasn't interested in it anymore though, not even having the urge to mock them.

Her words made Li Manni blanched as if someone had given her a fierce smack on the face. It was true. No matter how much time passed and no matter how well and perfectly Chu Lui handled the situation at that time, she could never escape the reputation of being a mistress in the past.

"I'm doing very well now." Xia Ruoxin looked directly at Chu Lui's face and smiled. Some things wouldn't return once it was let go. "I've already repaid everything I owe you using my body, four years of my time, and everything I have. I want to hate you, but I won't love you anymore."

She finished and turned around, not noticing the pain that flashed across Chu Lui's eyes. Everyone thought that Chu Lui had never experienced heartache, and if he hadn't known what it was then, he knew it now.

He didn't chase after her, for he had no reason to and because his wife was the woman standing beside him. Moreover, he still couldn't give her what she wanted.

He placed his hand against his chest. It was still hurting. The pain only surfaced recently. His heart was aching for another woman, but no one knew that this heart of his was already hurting four years ago.

"Lui, why? Didn't you detest her? Didn't you say that it was all just for revenge? Why are you treating her like this now? In the past, she seemed like she was indebted to you; but now, it's like you're indebted to her."

Li Manni's voice pierced through his eardrums, pulling him out from his train of thoughts.

"You want to know why?" He did not pull Li Manni's hand away and asked faintly.