Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

“Xia Ruoxin!” A demonic voice continued to roar as though someone was trying to catch up with them. Rainy hugged her mother’s neck weirdly. She heard someone call out her mother’s name, but she kept running. Rainy’s long eyelashes fluttered gently as she asked curiously, “Mommy, are we playing hide-and-seek?”

“Yes, we are.” Xia Ruoxin smiled at her daughter. How could such a young child know about the dangers? She couldn’t possibly expose her daughter to these dangers.

She hid Rainy behind a carton box which was just the right size for a standing child.

Xia Ruoxin got down to her knees and rested her palm against her daughter’s cheek. “Rainy, remember. We are playing hide-and-seek now. Do not come out until I tell you to, or I will be very angry.”

Rainy clutched her doll to her chest, nodded her head hard, and replied softly into Xia Ruoxin’s ear, “Okay, Mommy. Don’t worry. I will be good. I won’t come out.” She clutched her doll tight as she made a fist with her hand to show that she was a trustworthy child.

She must be obedient, or her mother would be really upset. Besides, hide-and-seek was her favorite game.

At last, Xia Ruoxin got on her feet. Two women had approached her from behind. She turned around and blocked their view with her body, not wanting them to see the little child who was hiding in the corner.

“It’s really you. I thought you have died of shame. So you still have the nerve to live.” Li Manni came closer, her chin raised as she spat out in loathing and sarcasm. “You should be dead long ago. A filthy woman like you being alive only dirties the air we breathe. It’s such an eyesore to our eyes.”

Every word that came out of her mouth was filled with viciousness. When a woman became blinded by jealousy, all she could think of was being aggressive and hurting others. That was the only way she could vent herself to achieve satisfaction.

“You are a slut.” An older woman approached and gave her a slap. Her palm hit Xia Ruoxin directly on her face. Xia Ruoxin covered her face with her hand as she bit her lip. She must endure. She had to in order not to scare her daughter.

“Mom, don’t waste your time with her. This woman is depraved and a thorough slut. Lui said she is working as a prostitute now. She’s a woman who was willing to sell her body for money. She’s unworthy to be touched by you. Don’t dirty your hand.”

Cold words spat from Li Manni’s exquisitely well-drawn lips. Like her daughter, Mrs. Li was irate. She measured Xia Ruoxin with her eyes and thought of what a slut this woman was.

She spat with disdain. Her image of an aristocratic lady was thoroughly shattered. She did not look like a well-educated and rich lady now, more like a shrew.

Xia Ruoxin looked at them and laughed suddenly. The corners of her lips curled up gently as she stared at them with tears gathering in her eyes. She pitied and sympathized with them.

“What are you smiling at?” Li Manni became uncomfortable with her laugh. Is this woman crazy? How can she be laughing at a moment like this?

“I’m laughing at both of you.” Xia Ruoxin replied faintly as she put her hand down. She looked at Mrs. Li. “Madam, you accused me of seducing another woman’s husband, and this behavior is depraved. Have you forgotten who I used to be? If it wasn’t for your daughter, I wouldn’t have become someone else’s ex-wife. If this was depraved, then your daughter is more terrible than me. You’re right. I am depraved. However, I learned all these from your daughter.”

Her tone was light. However, her words were filled with a strong sense of sarcasm. Her heart has been numbed after working in that place for so long. If she had not learned to defend herself, how could she survive in that kind of harsh environment and earn money? She needed to survive to take care of her daughter.

They were not Chu Lui, and they couldn’t save her daughter’s life. She neither owed them nor had the need to compensate them for anything.

“Y-you…” Mrs. Li choked, beyond words as her accusations were totally refuted by Xia Ruoxin. She was embarrassed because Xia Ruoxin had spoken the truth, and she could not find the words to counter back. After all, everyone knew about Xia Ruoxin’s status. Four years ago, she was indeed Chu Lui’s wife while Li Manni was also the third party involved. Chu Lui had known her while he was still married. Li Manni would forever be known as a third party no matter what the divorce was like for Chu Lui and Xia Ruoxin.

“That was because you had so shamelessly seduced another man. Chu Lui loves my daughter, not you. Only my daughter has the right to become the young mistress of the Chu family.”

Mrs. Li raised her chin again and sneered with despised. Li Manni, too, was scorning while she stood by the side.

The pair of mother and daughter was staring at Xia Ruoxin with vicious looks.

How they would love to tear her apart to drink her blood and eat her heart.

“Love? If it was love, would you have appeared before me?” Xia Ruoxin felt ridiculous by the way they described love. She caressed her cheek again and wondered how many people had slapped her. Was it really that nice to slap her? Did her face attract those slaps? Or was it really calling out for them?

Those people actually came to her with the thought of beating her.

Li Manni was shut wordless by her question while her mother was shaking with anger. What they had failed to notice was, at that moment—hidden in a small corner, a child stood there and bit down hard on her lips. She was clutching her doll, but her eyes stared unblinkingly at Li Manni and her mother as she memorized their looks.

They were bullying her mother. She took a tiny step forward. However, she retreated.

“I am a good girl. I won’t go out because I promised Mommy. If I do, she will be upset,” she mumbled softly as she tucked her doll under her chin. She shuddered. Beads of tears as big as pearls began to roll down her face swiftly from her moist eyelashes.

“Xia Ruoxin, I won’t allow you to appear before Chu Lui again. Or else, my family will not let you off.” Mrs. Li spat out the words of caution before she pulled Li Manni’s hand and left.

“Manni, let’s go. If I find out that she has appeared shamelessly in front of you and Chu Lui, I will get someone to break her legs and smash her face.” Li Manni smiled and nodded. She gave Xia Ruoxin a disdainful look and a smile to show her power.