Gu Jiao Wu drove to a restaurant.
At the restaurant Gu Jiao Wu ordered a bowl of congee. His stomach ached and he winced.
‘Gu Jiao Wu?’ Li Lam asked. ‘Are you OK? Do you have a stomach ache?’
‘I’m OK,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu acted like his stomach didn’t ache, but Li Lam didn’t leave and sat opposite next to him.
‘Are you here to eat dinner?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
‘Um, I worked overtime today,’ Li Lam said.
A waiter came and gave Li Lam a menu.
‘Give me a bowl of seafood congee,’ Li Lam ordered without looking at the menu.
The waiter nodded and walked to the kitchen.
Gu Jiao Wu was annoyed Li Lam sat at his table when the restaurant had many empty tables because it was past dinner time.
‘Are you here on your own?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
Li Lam nodded. ‘Why? You don’t want me to sit with you?’
Gu Jiao Wu didn’t receive any new news about Li Lam’s past. He tolerated Li Lam because he suspected she knew where Chu Da was.
‘Gu Jiao Wu, how can you be cold hearted toward me?’ Li Lam asked. ‘The other day you undressed me and took advantage of me.’
Gu Jiao Wu glared at Li Lam. Li Lam spoke loud enough for the other customers and workers to hear.
‘Do you see a dog biting?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
If Li Lam didn’t look like Chu Da, Gu Jiao Wu would have let Li Lam fend for herself that night. Yet Li Lam twisted his good deed, and bit him like a crazed dog.
Dog? Li Lam was furious Gu Jiao Wu called her a dog.
‘Why are you such a petty man?’ Li Lam asked.
Gu Jiao Wu ate enough congee to satisfy his stomach. He stood and walked to the counter at the door. But Li Lam grabbed his arm.
‘Gu Jiao Wu, how can you be this cold hearted to an old lover?’ Li Lam asked.
Gu Jiao Wu was annoyed Li Lam wouldn’t let go of his arm.
‘My old lover was Chu Da, not you,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘I know you’re not Chu Da, you can stop acting.’
Li Lam let go of Gu Jiao Wu, wrapped her arms around his neck and blew into his ear.
‘Are you sure?’ Li Lam asked. ‘Do you remember that day I worked overtime at school? You drove me home, I cooked dinner for you and I gave you my virginity. We kept our relationship private, because we weren’t married and living in a small town. I didn’t want to you to have a bad reputation because of me.’
Gu Jiao Wu pushed Li Lam away from him and glared at her.
‘Enough,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu sat down again. He knew Chu Da was a private person, and wouldn’t air their private relationship to strangers. If Li Lam knew about his and Chu Da’s private relationship then he was certain Li Lam knew where Chu Da was.
Li Lam sat and ate the bowl of seafood congee she ordered.
‘Why aren’t you leaving?’ Li Lam asked.
‘Where is Chu Da?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘What’s your real relationship to Chu Da? Why do you know Chu Da’s secrets?’
‘I am Chu Da,’ Li Lam said. ‘Why won’t you believe me? You gave me a necklace for my birthday. You asked me to marry you and meet your family…’
‘Enough,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘If you are Chu Da, why did you leave four years ago?’
‘I…’ Li Lam said.
‘Why did you leave me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.
Gu Jiao Wu didn’t believe Li Lam was Chu Da. But he thought perhaps Li Lam knew why Chu Da left him.
‘I had a reason,’ Li Lam said. ‘Do you think I wanted to leave you?’
Li Lam covered her eyes and sobbed.
‘What reason?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘Why did you leave?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Li Lam said. She sniffed her nose. ‘I can’t tell you why.’
‘I’ll believe you’re Chu Da after you tell me why you left four years ago,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu only wanted answers, he didn’t want to hear Li Lam’s fake sob.
Li Lam waited for Gu Jiao Wu to leave before she stopped crying. After she finished eating, she walked to the counter but the floor manager said a man paid for her meal. She nodded and smiled while walking to her car. She wasn’t surprised Gu Jiao Wu was a generous person. She knew what explanations Gu Jiao Wu wanted to hear, but she wasn’t going to tell him. She planned to slowly torment him.
The following day, Gu Jiao Wu visited Zheng Jia Ju’s shop again because he heard news Cheng Yi was alive.
End of Chapter Forty-Two