Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

This, to a man, was equivalent to a death sentence. Moreover, a man like Chu Lui.

He set the report down. The corners of his eyes were dry as was his lips. From time to time, he could taste the bitterness in his mouth which tended to intensify.

He was in agony—one made from his own hands.

Many people had told him and scolded him.

They said, “Chu Lui, you will get your own retribution.”

That’s right. He knew now that his retribution was here, and it was also from his own doing.

Bang! He punched the table hard with his fist. That bone-cracking pain had not offered him any peace or quiet.

...

Du Jingtang felt he was walking on clouds as he held the document. He started to make the preparations. In the past, he had not felt it; but to hustle a business deal and hijack it away from the others had caused an indescribable excitement to well up inside him.

All of a sudden, he was behaving as though he was high with adrenaline. For a lazy person like him, he seldom worked so hard. He had made the calls to schedule appointments for a business meeting.

The next day, the smile on his lips had broadened. He was smiling from ear to ear. Anyone who saw him would have known that he was in an exceptionally good mood today. One could say anything to him, and he would still be smiling. However, the other person seemed to be staying in a pressurized chamber. It was especially so when Du Jingtang arrived at the eighteenth floor. He could feel the suppressed atmosphere on the whole floor. It almost rendered one incapable of breathing.

One felt like fire while the other, like ice; one could burn a person to death while the other could freeze a person to death.

It had always been this way working at the Chu Enterprise. One was constantly subjected to this poison of icy fiery.

“Brother, I’ve done it!” Du Jingtang entered bearing the document and presented it to Chu Lui as though it was some sort of treasure. “It’s naturally a success with me involved. You didn’t see those people’s faces when they heard about our company. They were practically weeping with joy while waiting to sign the contract. Although the price was slightly lower than our initial offer, we will profit more in the long run.”

“Thanks,” Chu Lui said simply as he took over the document.

A cackle.

Du Jingtang looked up at the ceiling.

Was he hearing things? His cousin had actually thanked him. Thanks. Thanks. Oh god. Had the wind blown in the wrong direction? Or did his cousin wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Du Jingtang sat by the side quietly as he stared at his cousin with eyes as wide as a bull’s that almost bulged out of his eye sockets.

“You have nothing to do?” Chu Lui looked up gloomily, and Du Jingtang shuddered unconsciously. He got to his feet and ran out of the office hastily as though he had seen a ghost.

The moment the door closed, the calmness on Chu Lui’s face finally crumbled bit by bit. He picked up the document that Du Jingtang had left on his table and tossed it aside. In that instant, all sorts of emotions went through his body.

Viciousness, gloom, and even vengeance with a hint of boredom.

A shallow smile appeared on the corner of his lips as he switched on his computer and logged into a website with ease. It was one of a love so earth-shattering and everlasting which was catered for the dreams of youngsters.

However, in this world, even the seas would dry up; and the rocks would erode. No one would love till death do them part.

Suddenly, there was a pain in his heart. It was a dull and piercing pain which seemed like something was stabbing slowly at his heart. He broke into a cold sweat that as his hands covered his chest. His face turned deathly white, and the pain tore at the corners of his eyes.

Looking at the picture on his computer screen had caused that piercing pain and heartache. It was a naive-looking young woman holding a bouquet of inexpensive wildflowers. Her eyes curved into a pair of crescents as she smiled. It reminded him of a woman from long ago who had also smiled at him in the same manner. In the end, it became a disillusion which was destroyed and vanished.

The wind blew constantly from outside at the documents on the table. The flapping sound from the papers was irregular as was his heart which revealed layers and layers of turmoil. Deep inside, there was hidden despair which had been exposed in the unclean air.

That heartache and indescribable regret.

Alas, he knew what it felt like to be wrong, to have regrets, and to be in pain.

In the meantime, at the Li family...

Li Manxuan barged in. His face was so twisted with anger that he looked gloomy and scary.

“What is it?” Mr. Li asked, puzzled. When his son left in the morning, he was full of confidence even boasting that he would achieve great results that would impress everyone. Since young, Li Manxuan had been pampered as he grew up in the family. He enrolled in an elite school, wore the best clothes, and ate delicacies. However, it was precisely why he became an arrogant and impatient man. He wasn’t as calm and outstanding as Chu Lui. In fact, one wouldn’t be wrong to say that a talent like Chu Lui was one in a million. If it wasn’t for Chu Lui, a man like Li Manxuan might have been considered good as a rich second-generation even though he wasn’t as affluent or wealthy. Well, one would always lose out when compared to another.

No one had expected the Li family to have such an excellent son-in-law like Chu Lui. It made Li Manxuan seemed like he was on the lowest end of the social elite circle. The more outstanding Chu Lui was, the more incompetent Li Manxuan looked; and the more capable Chu Lui was, the more useless Li Manxuan looked.

This time, he was thoroughly embarrassed by Chu Lui. No man would be able to swallow this bitter pill in silence. He swore to repay Chu Lui in full for this. He might not be able to do the same to Chu Lui, but as his brother-in-law, Li Manxuan would make sure that Chu Lui was there when he became a successful businessman. He wanted the world to know that Chu Lui was not the only prodigy in the business world. He, Li Manxuan, could be one as well.

Mr. Li should be glad to see the transformation in his son. Lately, he had been happy to see the progress in his son, and their company was making quite a bit of profit as well. He seemed to have gained more weight, especially around his stomach. Perhaps, it was because of the amount of nutritious food he had been eating. The layers around his fat-laden stomach were increasing day by day as was their family’s bank account. Compared to a few years ago, it had increased more than ten times. Enough to last them a few lifetimes.

Mr. Li was still feeling complacent. He had just negotiated another business deal. It was almost a done deal just short of signing the contract. Once that was done, not only would they make a huge profit, they would also be able to solidify their company’s status and even open a new branch soon. However, he wondered what had happened to his son. Li Manxuan was turning green. Who had he fought with?

“Dad, Chu Lui has taken away the contract for Ling Qiang Technology.”

“What?” Mr. Li did not understand what he was saying. “Taken what? What has he taken from us?”