The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 61

Qiao Tan Yuan barged into Zhang Hang’s office.

Zhang Hang signalled his secretary to close the door.

‘Executive Qiao, what brings you here?’ Zhang Hang asked and gestured for Qiao Tan Yuan to sit.

‘I’m not staying long,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She was in no mood to sit. ‘Tell me who’s pressuring you to turn your back on ten percent of Qiao’s company?’

‘Executive Qiao, instead of coming here to interrogate me, why don’t you think about who you offended,’ Zhang Hang said.

‘Who could I offend that’s powerful enough to pressure you to cancel the loan?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Someone from Gu’s company,’ Zhang Hang said.

Gu’s company? Qiao Tan Yuan immediately pictured Gu Jiao Wu’s face in her head.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t doubt Gu Jiao Wu sabotaged her work so she would take the initiative to find him, and beg him to help her. He would blackmail her to give him Xiao Bao. She stormed out of Zhang Hang’s office, and drove to Gu Jiao Wu’s office.

At Gu Jiao Wu’s office, Li Lam sat on the sofa opposite Gu Jiao Wu. She put a small gift on the coffee table.

‘This is a small gift to say thank you for dropping me off at my work building,’ Li Lam said.

Two days ago Li Lam’s car broke down again, and Gu Jiao Wu’s black car was pa.s.sing by while she was calling for road service.

‘You don’t have to thank me,’ Gu Jiao Wu said coldly. ‘If there’s nothing else, leave my office.’

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t bother to glance at the small gift.

‘Have you stopped loving me?’ Li Lam asked.

‘We have no relations.h.i.+p,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu loved Chu Da, not Li Lam.

‘No relations.h.i.+p?’ Li Lam asked. She stood to sit next to Gu Jiao Wu. ‘Aren’t you the man I gave my virginity to? The man who gave me a necklace for my birthday? The man who wanted to introduce his family to me, and marry me?’

‘Um, I’m the right man,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘A pity, you’re the wrong woman.’

Gu Jiao Wu had a photographic memory. Li Lam wasn’t Chu Da.

‘You’re breaking my heart,’ Li Lam said. She showed Gu Jiao Wu a phone strap. ‘Why won’t you believe me?’

Gu Jiao Wu was shocked to see Chu Da’s phone strap in Li Lam’s hand.

‘I thought it wouldn’t matter what I look like because you would still recognise me,’ Li Lam said.

Gu Jiao Wu composed himself and stood.

‘Miss Li, I have work to do,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Feel free to leave my office.’

‘Why won’t you believe me?’ Li Lam asked. ‘Jiao Wu, you’ve made me really sad.’

Li Lam’s face and voice resembled Chu Da’s face and voice. It confused Gu Jiao Wu’s heart.

Li Lam stood and held onto Gu Jiao Wu’s hand.

‘Jiao Wu, I love you,’ Li Lam said. ‘I never stopped loving you. I waited to become more confident and beautiful so I can come back to you. Is it because I’ve changed, you don’t love me anymore? Why don’t you love me anymore?’

Gu Jiao Wu clenched his hands, and stared at the face that looked like Chu Da’s face.

Suddenly Li Lam hugged Gu Jiao Wu’s waist.

‘Jiao Wu I love you,’ Li Lam said. ‘I believed you would recognise me even though I’ve changed. Do you really don’t love me? Did you forget all the promises you made me?’

The face, voice and fragrance that were similar to Chu Da’s face, voice and fragrance in his memories, blurred his head. He remembered Chu Da’s smile, and hugged the person in front of him.

‘Why did you leave me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Li Lam bit her lips to make herself cry.

‘Tell me why,’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

For more than four years, Gu Jiao Wu wanted to know why Chu Da left him without a word.

‘I… I have a reason I can’t say,’ Li Lam said. ‘I’m begging you not to ask me. You only need to believe the person I love is you.’

‘Chu Da, why won’t you tell me why?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘I…’ Li Lam said. She sniffed her nose, and thought of an excuse. ‘Honestly I left you because I…’

In that moment Qiao Tan Yuan slammed the door opened.

‘Gu Jiao Wu!’ Qiao Tan Yuan called.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t expect to see Gu Jiao Wu hug Chu Da in his office.

‘Executive Gu, I asked this lady to wait for me to inform you of her visit,’ the secretary said. ‘But she barged into your office before I could stop her.’

The secretary was confused why a beautiful woman in a blue dress would barge into Gu Jiao Wu’s office, and why Gu Jiao Wu was hugging another woman who had visited Gu Jiao Wu’s office before.

The secretary remembered a rumor Gu Jiao Wu was married. Was the beautiful woman in the blue dress his wife, and the other woman he was hugging was his mistress? She noticed he was glaring at her, and knew it was her cue to leave.

Li Lam let go of Gu Jiao Wu, and stood next to him after the secretary left.

Gu Jiao Wu’s head cleared, and he realised the person standing next to him was Li Lam, not Chu Da. He took a step back from Li Lam. He didn’t want Qiao Tan Yuan to misunderstand he was in a relations.h.i.+p with Li Lam.

‘Don’t come here to find me again,’ Gu Jiao Wu said coldly.

‘I’m sorry I disturbed you while you’re working,’ Li Lam said. ‘Honestly I was pa.s.sing by, and I wanted to see you. Don’t be angry.’

End of Chapter Sixty-One