Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  They spoke as if no one could hear them, without any clue that the Chu Lui they spoke of was sitting nearby.

  Du Jingtang raised his head, looked at Chu Lui, and then looked at Li Manni. It definitely seemed true.

  “I said before that a woman’s heart can sometimes be many times scarier than her appearance, and this applies to that Li Manni, too. You can never fully know a person.” Customer B chuckled. The sarcasm in his voice was not difficult to detect.

  The smile that had just started to form on Li Manni’s face froze. What do they mean by that? Her face turned dark instantly. Did she offend them? Why did they have to talk about her like that?

  “Why, do you have some inside story?” Customer A’s interest was piqued. Even Du Jingtang pricked up his ears to listen. As for Chu Lui, his face was expressionless as always as if it was all none of his business, though his black eyes flashed with deep displeasure.

  “Do you still remember that sensational news from four years ago?” Customer B looked around at the surrounding and said secretively. “Regarding two of Chu Lui’s women?”


  Customer A asked, “You mean Xia Ruoxin and Li Manni?”


  “Yup.” Customer B nodded and lowered his voice.

  “The newspaper reported that Li Manni’s car accident was caused by Xia Ruoxin, but that wasn’t it. I was right there at the scene and saw it with my own eyes. It was the exact opposite.”


  When he said this, he did not know that the woman near them had blanched immediately, her face a deathly white. Chu Lui put down his cutlery, his face dark and stoic. Even Du Jingtang let go of the fork and knife in his hands, evidently unable to stomach another bite. Should he continue eating, he feared he might choke to his death if they say something again.

  What happened four years ago was something they did not know and had neglected to know.

  “So, so, what did you see?” Customer A got impatient and started to press for answers.

  “Patience. I’ll say it.” Customer B’s still talked extremely slowly as if trying to keep his friend in suspense.

  “Four years ago, the two women met; but Xia Ruoxin wasn’t like what the news had reported. She was surprisingly calm, but Li Manni, however, was unexpectedly agitated…… maybe because she was the mistress, and it caused her such emotional turmoil. At that time, a car was heading towards them. Xia Ruoxin wanted to save Li Manni, but guess what……”


  He said with disdain. “Someone tried to save her out of kindness, but she pulled Xia Ruoxin in front of herself, sending her to her death instead. Isn’t she selfish? Then again, the car still hit her in the end anyway. It must be karma.

  “I still don’t believe that a woman who would instinctively save even the mistress of her husband would be as promiscuous as what the news reported. And a mistress who intrudes in others’ marriage is said to be kind? I wouldn’t believe even if it did turn out to be so.”


  They continued speaking, but the people at another table fell into a scary silence.

  “Excuse me, I’ll shift to another table. Enjoy your meal.” Du Jingtang took his plate up hurriedly and ran to another table. The further he got away from them, the better. He really felt like he would not be able to eat sitting together with that kind of woman.

  So such a thing happened four years ago. The customer was recalling so vividly that it did not seem like he was lying. He himself had always felt that his cousin-in-law was too perfect, almost too perfect to be true.

  What a selfish woman. So Dong Fangjing was really correct when he said that she was not perfect at all. Her kindness was all an act, and so was her perfection.

  Living together with such a woman was really scary. Wasn’t she tired of wearing a mask all the time?

  “Done eating? If you’re done, let’s leave.” Chu Lui looked at the watch on his wrist without saying or asking anything else as if what those people had said just now were not related to him at all.

  “I’m done eating.” Li Manni choked out. She stood up and slid her hand across his arm uneasily.

  Would he be angry?

  Would he blame her? It was just that she really couldn’t say it at that time. She really loved him and wanted him completely, and she also wanted Xia Ruoxin out of his life and their world. Was that wrong, too?

  She sat in the car and wrung her fingers together.

  “You……” She drew out the word, unsure of what to say. His silence just made her uneasy and fearful, for she did not know what he was in his mind.

  “Lui, don’t you have anything you want to say to me? About that, I can explain. I really can.” Li Manni placed her hand on Chu Lui’s hand, which was holding on to the steering wheel, urgently.

  “Let go.” Chu Lui said calmly. It was like a slap to Li Manni’s face. She released her hand immediately, tears welling up in her eyes.

  “I’m driving.” Chu Lui spoke again, then freed one hand, and placed it gently on Li Manni’s shoulders. “There’s nothing I really want to ask…… or say. Just take it as I’ve never heard a single word, understand? Manni, don’t mention such things anymore. I don’t wish to hear it.”


  Li Manni paused and then wiped away her tears hurriedly. “I understand. I won’t talk about it again.” She looked at Chu Lui’s hand on her shoulder, feeling relaxed and at ease. He had forgiven her and would not investigate what happened four years ago.

  Li Manni’s lips quivered, and she leaned against his shoulder, her emotions stabilizing.

  Chu Lui retracted his hand. No one noticed the pain that had flashed in his eyes. He did not blame her, because he had once done things a thousand times worse than that.

  He had even sent his own wife to another man’s bed. She wasn’t a good person, but so was he. It had been four years since then, and time could never turn back. Even if it did, what else could be done?

  What else was true in this world, and what was fake? Was Li Manni really that perfect? What kind of wife did he really pick for himself?