Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

Summer’s Not Over: “People say the opposite of hate is love. Since I no longer love him, there’s nothing left to hate. He’s just a stranger to me.”

A Sunny Day will Come: “Can’t he get a second chance?”

Summer’s Not Over: “Boss, why are you asking me so many weird questions?”

A Sunny Day will Come: “Are they? I’m trying to beg for a woman’s forgiveness. However, I feel that it’s an impossible feat after what you’ve just said.”

Summer’s Not Over: “Boss, don’t give up. A day will come, and she will forgive you. Absolute sincerity will move a heart of stone. Am I right?”

A Sunny Day will Come: “I’ll take your word for it.”

Xia Ruoxin closed the message box, leaned against the sofa with half her easel resting on her lap, and started drawing. She liked to immerse herself into the world of painting. This was another world of hers filled with beautiful and wonderful things. There was no pain in it.

Rainy opened the door and ran out on her chubby legs with her doll in one hand. Then, she stared with a pair of wide eyes and climbed onto the sofa as she squeezed her little head into her mother’s arms.

“Mommy, will you draw a painting of me?”

Rainy nuzzled against her mother’s neck before she climbed down the sofa. She positioned her doll into and waited to be a little model.

“Okay.” Xia Ruoxin pinched her daughter’s cheek. After that, she changed a fresh sheet of paper and started drawing.

Rainy was a diligent little model. She stood there unmoving without her mother’s reminder and took the initiative to strike a pose, which she considered to be good, while she waited for her mother to draw her picture.

Although all her friends had photographs, she was the only one with photographs painted by her mother.

Soon after, a small silhouette appeared on the drawing paper. It was a chubby face with a pair of big, round eyes and delicate eyebrows. Rainy might be young, but she already had the stage presence.

This felt somewhat similar.

Xia Ruoxin’s fingers paused for a second. She moved the easel aside and put the paper up in front of her. It’s true. Rainy’s serious expression looked very similar to that man’s.

Rainy might have her looks, but she had gotten her temperament from that man.

Suddenly, she remembered what ‘A Sunny Day will Come’ had said. If that person had repented, would she forgive him? Forgive? She had never thought of it before. However, there were some things which couldn’t be forgiven with a simple ‘sorry’; and not everyone could forget with ‘it’s okay’.

She put the sketchbook down, carried her daughter, and used her hand to measure the girl’s face. The little imp had grown bigger and looked much chubbier.

She took Rainy’s hand and took her into the kitchen to make her a bottle of milk.

Rainy held the bottle as she pouted. “Mommy, can I not drink this?”

“No.” Xia Ruoxin carried her daughter, gently touching her forehead with Rainy’s. “Rainy, you are still young. You must drink more milk so that you can grow up fairer and more beautiful.”

“Really?” Rainy grabbed a bunch of her short hair. “Will I really become beautiful? Will my hair grow longer, too?” She was still mindful of her hair and worried other people would find out that she used to be a baldy.

“Of course.” Xia Ruoxin comforted her daughter. “Soon, it will grow and look long like it used to be. You will be able to pleat your hair into braids and wear lots of bow ties.”

“Then, I’ll drink.” Rainy held the bottle up and started drinking. Her mouth puffed up with each mouth as she sucked hard at the nipple and drank seriously. Both her hands were clasped tightly around the milk bottle as though she was worried that someone would take it away from her. However, with the way she was holding, no one would be able to pry it out of her hands. She was using the energy she had gained from drinking milk. She had not understood how it worked, but now she did.

Xia Ruoxin supported her head full of short silky hair. In her heart, she could feel the pain from the past that had finally subsided. Their toughest times had passed. In the future, she would be able to earn enough money to give her daughter a better life.

Rainy obediently drank her milk with her little head leaning against her mother’s shoulder. In fact, she was practically a baby at just three years old. She was also the smallest in the kindergarten. Due to the fact that she had been living only with her mother, she wasn’t as pampered as children her age. She was much more mature when she was surrounded by other children.

Soon after Rainy finished her milk, she began to feel sleepy as she held the doll tightly in her arms. Now, Xia Ruoxin was able to buy another doll for her daughter, but this remained as Rainy’s favorite. She had treated the doll as an extension of herself. No matter how many new dolls she had, Dolly was irreplaceable in Rainy’s heart.

Xia Ruoxin brought her daughter to the room and put her in bed. She gently caressed Rainy’s face which had become chubbier as compared to the time when she was sick. Gao Yi said she had recovered well, and she would be able to live for a very long time.

Heaven wouldn’t be so cruel to the mother and daughter. They had survived hunger, slept on the streets, being penniless, and were almost separated by life and death. Gao Yi said their tough times had passed. More and more good days would come to them. Was he right?

She went back into the living room, put the painting for Rainy away carefully, and continued to draw the one which was meant for the website. From being an unknown artist to finally making a small name for herself, she had done everything by being hardworking as she worked as an illustrator for two websites. Both of them had promised to give her more work opportunities. That meant more chances to earn more money. At the same time, she would also be able to solidify her artistic accomplishments.

A message notification appeared on her computer screen.

She clicked on it—a familiar interface and portrait.

A Sunny Day will Come: “Still awake?”

Summer’s Not Over: “Mmm, not sleepy yet. I’m working.”

A Sunny Day will Come: “Try to sleep earlier. You can never earn enough money.”

After that, the portrait became dimmer which indicated the other party had gone offline. Xia Ruoxin switched off her computer and continued painting. She wanted to draw more. This was a job that she liked. However, she was unaware that the portrait for ‘A Sunny Day will Come’ had always been lit up.

“Lui, aren’t you coming to bed?”

Li Manni was wearing her pajamas as she stood uneasily at the door. It was almost midnight. He shouldn’t overwork himself no matter how busy he was. In the past, regardless of how much work he had, he would put everything away and gone to bed whenever it was time to sleep... unless it was something important from the company that required him to work overtime.

“I need a while more. You can go to bed first.” Chu Lui rubbed his forehead gently. He was unaware of how superficial his words sounded.

Li Manni bit on her red lips. Finally, she turned around. In that instant, no one noticed the twisted look on her face.