It had been three days since the last time Mu Jianyu visited Li Chuntao and she wasn"t surprised when he showed up again, unannounced, outside her door. Su Ling and Hou Chen didn"t stop him this time and led him to the balcony where Li Chuntao was having her breakfast. Hou Chen opened the gla.s.s door leading to the balcony and let him step out to meet Li Chuntao. She left at once, not wanting to see the man who betrayed her friend"s trust. She could only hope that Miss Chuntao would seek justice and revenge Ying wasn"t able to get when she was alive.
The view outside was absolutely stunning as he saw the cityscapes from where he was standing. Unlike previous days, this morning the sky was bright and there wasn"t any sign of the impending storm that was about to hit the city. The cold morning breeze greeted him.
He was reminded of how rich the Li twins were. This place reminded him of a presidential suite he once stayed in during one of his business trips overseas. This scenery and luxury, he could only enjoy it once in a while, but the Li twins had been used to it all their lives.
Although they didn"t flaunt their wealth extravagantly, the place itself and the way the Li family dress speaks money. That was actually the first time he"d seen "Ying" wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a beautiful gray cashmere sweater completed by a set of black flats.
"Please sit down and join me for breakfast, Mr. Mu," Li Chuntao said before taking a sip on her mug of hot black coffee, watching as he took a seat across her.
Mu Jianyu inwardly flinched as "Ying" continued to treat him as a stranger. He was also shocked to see her drinking a cup of black coffee as Ying wasn"t used to the bitter taste of it.
Li Xiuying had once complained to him that she couldn"t tolerate its taste no matter how much she tried. So why the h.e.l.l was she able to drink it without making any fuss?
Unbeknownst to him, Li Chuntao was testing him once again. Wouldn"t he find it suspicious that the woman he claimed was his wife, who he loved, was acting a bit strange than usual? Looking at his face, he"d noticed but why wasn"t he saying anything?
Li Chuntao sighed inwardly. He was really a fool. He was married to Li Xiuying for years and he couldn"t tell them apart?
Hou Chen returned with another set of plates and cutleries for Mu Jianyu and their conversation waned. It wasn"t an awkward silence since Li Chuntao and Mu Jianyu were both preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Li Chuntao was aware that she and Mu Jianyu knew very little about one another and what connects them together was Li Xiuying, who wasn"t here anymore, to act as a wall between them.
Mu Jianyu gave the woman across him a good look. He noticed that she had lost a lot of weight compared to the last time he"d seen her, even her long hair was obviously shorter than before.
"Ying, have you been eating well lately. I think you"ve lost some weight." He told her.
Li Chuntao raised a brow at him, not expecting he would be able to compare her now to Ying, who was his wife. Was that all that he noticed?
Couldn"t he notice how her voice wasn"t as warm and joyous as Ying"s? That her height, a few centimeters taller than her sister? Her skin was paler than her twin as well as the preference when it comes into their cups of coffee.
Li Chuntao then started to wonder if her sister had tried to introduce or talk about her to Mu Jianyu but from the looks of it, Ying didn"t.
"I did?" She asked in return.
"Yes, I remember seeing you gaining weight making you look plump and healthy during the anniversary party of the company." He replied.
Li Chuntao brought her cup to its saucers and sighed. "I see."
Li Xiuying was already pregnant by then and had been faring well after accepting the fact of his betrayal. She was on her way to mend her broken heart and was ready to move on if only she didn"t meet her demise in that accident.
"I don"t remember anything about it. Brother Zichen has told me that this could be a selective memory loss and the chances of regaining my memories are quite slim. All of my memories after my 20th birthday are lost to me. I don"t remember who you are, how we met and what happened since then." She said dejectedly which made Mu Jianyu hold his breath.
"My family has already explained to me everything and has confirmed the marriage between us but there"s something I don"t understand, Mr. Mu," Li Chuntao continued, acting pitifully in front of her brother-in-law. She hugged her midsection and looked away as if she was ashamed of what she was about to say.
"Ying, it"s alright. You can tell me anything. What is it that bothers you?" Mu Jianyu asked worriedly. He also wondered if the Li family tried to convince his wife not to return to him.
"I-I...I don"t understand. You said we are married… are we happily married?" she paused and looked straight at him with eyes glistening with tears. "Then why, why are you divorcing me? Did we have a fight that was irreparable? Did I do something wrong that displeased you? Have I done something you didn"t like or is it the opposite?"
These were the questions Li Xiuying had when Li Chuntao watched the videos her sister left for her. There were several questions that she couldn"t help but ask.
"What have I done wrong, Chuntao?"
Anger, shame, disgust— all of these, Ying confessed that it swirled within her like a cyclone. She wasn"t only furious with him but also disappointed with herself.
Mu Jianyu felt like someone poured a cold bucket of water when he heard her question. He was visibly surprised. He"d expected that this question would come to him sooner or later but even if he knew, he still didn"t know how to answer her properly.
His jaws hardened and refused to break his gaze towards "Ying" who"d been waiting expectantly to his answer. Guilt seeping from his person as he looked at his wife"s puzzled expression and teary eyes. What was he supposed to say?
That initially he wanted to divorce her because she couldn"t give him a child and her bright countenance and personality cast a dark shadow on his entirety? That wherever he goes, people wouldn"t stop comparing him to Shen Zichen, who was her childhood friend? That he betrayed her trust and impregnated another woman who wasn"t worthy at all?
"I-I… didn"t your uncle tell you?"
"No, I suppose they couldn"t tell me the truth. It must be something painful for my uncle not to tell what it is." Li Chuntao shook her head.
If it was another time and she didn"t need to pretend as Ying, she would have given him a scrutinizing look and looked away in disgust. As she waited for Mu Jianyu"s explanation, Li Chuntao suppressed her emotions that"s threatening to bubble to the surface.
"Ying have asked you several times. Did you remember how many times you"ve lied to her?"