Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

“Ah Lui, why don’t you come back for dinner the day after tomorrow?” Song Wan put her chopsticks down and asked her son as she looked at him. “Your Uncle Sun is coming.”

“Mom, you know my situation.” Chu Lui was not going to talk about marriage. “I don’t want to cause harm to another person. Any woman would want to have their own child.” If he married another woman, she would have to go through the fate of not having her own child. He was resigned to his fate, but that didn’t mean he had to bring another to his life. He wasn’t being a kind person; he just wasn’t up to another relationship filled with arguments.

“Ah Lui.” An ache filled Song Wan’s heart. “Maybe your Uncle Sun’s daughter wouldn’t…”

“Mom, I don’t want to.” Chu Lui persisted. “I’m not a handicap, and I don’t need anyone’s pity or sympathy.”

“But… you can’t be alone your whole life.” The more Song Wan said, the sadder she felt. Where had her son gone —the one who was full of purpose with his life? Now, Chu Lui seemed calm, but it was difficult for the others to go near him.

It didn’t matter that he had to spend his life alone. Chu Lui was no longer willing to accept another woman. One Li Manni and another Xia Yixuan. Weren’t they enough? His heart was still like water. In fact, his heart was dead like the Dead Sea.

“Ah Lui.” Song Wan was going to try and persuade her son, but Chu Jiang shook his head at her. He was signaling for her to stop talking.

“Mom, you know my situation.” Chu Lui was not going to talk about marriage. “I don’t want to cause harm to another person. Any woman would want to have their own child.” If he married another woman, she would have to go through the fate of not having her own child. He was resigned to his fate, but that didn’t mean he had to bring another to his life. He wasn’t being a kind person; he just wasn’t up to another relationship filled with arguments.

“Ah Lui.” An ache filled Song Wan’s heart. “Maybe your Uncle Sun’s daughter wouldn’t…”

“Mom, I don’t want to.” Chu Lui persisted. “I’m not a handicap, and I don’t need anyone’s pity or sympathy.”

“But… you can’t be alone your whole life.” The more Song Wan said, the sadder she felt. Where had her son gone —the one who was full of purpose with his life? Now, Chu Lui seemed calm, but it was difficult for the others to go near him.

It didn’t matter that he had to spend his life alone. Chu Lui was no longer willing to accept another woman. One Li Manni and another Xia Yixuan. Weren’t they enough? His heart was still like water. In fact, his heart was dead like the Dead Sea.

“Ah Lui.” Song Wan was going to try and persuade her son, but Chu Jiang shook his head at her. He was signaling for her to stop talking.

Alas, Song Wan could only hold her tongue as she gave more food to her son with her chopsticks.

“Thank you, Mom.” Chu Lui said. He was picking up the pile of food with his chopsticks and putting them into his mouth. However, they tasted bitter.

There was a lump in Song Wan’s throat. She simply lowered her head as she kept putting food into her mouth. In the future, she thought, there would not be much laughter in their family.

Knock, knock…

The sound of knocking could be heard coming from the outside. Song Wan set her chopsticks down and got up to open the door. She wondered who would be coming when it was dinner time. Usually, people wouldn’t choose this time to visit.

The door opened. A woman with her face as white as a ghost stood outside, shivering. It was Li Manni.

“Mom…” Li Manni called softly. Saying this word had caused her most of her energy.

Song Wan slammed the door, shutting Li Manni outside immediately.

“Who was it?” Chu Jiang asked Song Wan. How could her face become as long as a horse’s just by opening the door?

“They got the wrong door.” Song Wan answered in frustration. Chu Jiang pressed his hand against his forehead. Alright. They got the wrong door. He didn’t expose Song Wan’s lie. He didn’t wish to know who that was outside. However, not many could cause Song Wan to have a bad mood like this.

Chu Lui merely continued to eat. He didn’t interrupt his parents’ conversation. He could vaguely guess who was the one knocking on their door, but there was no ripple of any emotions in his heart.

After dinner, he changed out of his slippers and left.

“Ah Lui, why don’t you move back and stay with us?” Song Wan pulled her son’s sleeve. She would feel better if he was to move back with them. There was no one to take care of her son in that house. Was he having enough to eat, and was he wearing enough clothing to keep himself warm?

“Mom, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m almost thirty years old, and I know how to take care of myself.” Chu Lui consoled his mother so she wouldn’t be that worried about him. In the past, her husband and herself had left him to his own device the minute he came of age. Now that he was a grown man, they were beginning to worry about him.

“But, Ah Lui.” Song Wan couldn’t bear for her son to leave. He was staying alone, and no one was to take care of him. She couldn’t help but worry. No amount of reassurances could put her at

ease.

Chu Lui smiled as he held his mother’s shoulders. “Mom, you and Dad have left me to figure things on my own since I was fifteen because you wanted to have time to yourselves. Now that I am thirty years old, I am a bigger light bulb than I was. We don’t need anyone to get in your way.”

“This child.” Song Wan pinched her son’s elbow. Was he trying to make a joke out of her?

“Go. Go back to your home.” She gave her son a shove. This time, she didn’t bother to keep her son here. On the contrary, she was brushing him off.

Chu Lui caressed his elbow where his mother had just pinched him. He wondered how his father had survived such a violent woman all these years. He opened the door and let the cold wind in. Compared to the warmth inside, the cold had made one wish one hadn’t let go of that warmth.

He straightened his tie, closed the door, and walked with the wind blowing in his face.

“Lui…” Suddenly, a voice called out for him. It stopped Chu Lui in his tracks.

Li Manni came out from aside. She was shivering from the cold. Even her lips had gone purple from the frost.

“Lui… you… you have come out.” She was so cold that she was struggling to finish her sentence.

A ruse to win his sympathy. Chu Lui’s heart was cold so how could there be any ripples of emotions? Even if there were, it wouldn’t be because of this woman. Just the thought of his lineage ending was enough for him to hate her for a few lifetimes.

Chu Lui wouldn’t even blink his eyes even if she was to freeze herself to death. Neither would he have any emotions for her again.

He strode away as though he had not witnessed that woman standing before him in her embarrassed state.

“Lui…” Li Manni suddenly reached out and grabbed Chu Lui’s sleeve. “Can we talk? I can explain. I really can explain what is going on.”

“Explain?” Chu Lui turned around. His upright collar held his chin as those mysterious dark eyes of his looked exceptionally aloof.

“Tell me. Will your explanation help me with having my own biological child?” He lowered his eyes and laid them over Li Manni’s stomach. “Or are you able to turn that baby of your into my own?”

Li Manni was stumped beyond words. She couldn’t do that.

“Then, what use do I have for your explanation?” Chu Lui pressed on with his questions until Li Manni was retreating in her steps. She couldn’t answer any of his questions. They were too direct that they had pierced her heart.

It stabbed Li Manni in her heart the same way it was stabbing into Chu Lui’s heart.

“Why? Cat caught your tongue?” Chu Lui sneered. He pushed both of his hands into his pants’ pockets. It was the only way to get his fingers warmed up.

Li Manni was shivering from the frigid cold. Her weak body couldn’t stand the cold as she stood in the frosty wind.

Chu Lui smiled in indifference, but suddenly, his vision started to blur. He seemed to recall a woman had also stood in the freezing cold in the past, wearing very little as she stood before him. She looked so fragile.

He was going to leave, but he stood rooted at the spot. Then, he removed his coat.

Li Manni could feel her shoulders warming up, and she raised her head. She could see the man from afar wearing only a long-sleeved shirt. The wind was blowing constantly at his hair. A gloom washed over her.

She pulled the coat tighter around her. Suddenly, an ache welled up inside her as huge beads of tears started to fall from her eyes. He still cared about her, and it pained him to see her like this. Didn’t he? As long as she didn’t give up

-as long as she changed for the better, he would surely forgive her.