After Ji Li had someone investigate, he found out there was indeed a person named Kang Qiao. There was also substantial evidence to show that during the time he was with Gu Anqi, Kang Qiao was indeed attending classes at the university. Could he really have made a mistake? If there really were two people who looked so alike, then perhaps the person in the photo wasn’t Gu Anqi after all! When Ji Li saw the photo, he was consumed by anger, and during his investigation, he only checked if the photo was Photoshopped, but he didn’t look into its origin. If the photo was fake… he would be so angry, and the primary reason for Gu Anqi’s miscarriage and heavy bleeding was these photos, along with Gu Anqi herself volunteering to entertain clients, which was something he couldn’t bear. Ji Li gave a bitter smile, now what was the use of pursuing all this? Currently, Gu Anqi, or rather Kang Qiao, was locked in a room upstairs, and Ji Li wouldn’t let her go until he had thoroughly verified her identity. However, now, all evidence pointed to the existence of someone named Kang Qiao, who looked exactly like Gu Anqi, yet he still refused to believe it. Or perhaps he wanted to continue deceiving himself, deciding to treat this woman as Gu Anqi. He went upstairs, where Gu Anqi was sitting on the bed, her face full of anger. Seeing him enter, she immediately stood up and said, “When are you going to let me go? I haven’t been home for two days, my family will be worried!” “Your family? Don’t you just have a mother who’s seriously ill and unconscious in the hospital?” Ji Li mocked coldly. “Because my mother is ill, I need to go back and take care of her! Let me go once you’ve figured everything out!” Ji Li pondered for a moment, then said, “You need money, don’t you?” Gu Anqi looked at him warily, “Why are you asking this?” “Since you’ll be going out to entertain those old men, why not stay here? I’ll cover your mother’s medical expenses, and I’ll give you a monthly allowance.” “What? You want to keep me? I’m not the Gu Anqi you know.” Ji Li frowned, “I say you are, you are. You have one minute to decide.” “I refuse,” Gu Anqi said without hesitation. “Why? Are my conditions not good enough? Or do you just enjoy selling yourself?” Ji Li’s anger was beginning to show again. “Why should I accept your terms and stay here as a substitute? Besides, when I go out as a companion, I just attend parties, it’s not as sordid as you think.” The appearance, voice, and even the feeling she gave were identical, yet the person before him was not Gu Anqi. How could that be? “Maybe I didn’t express myself clearly,” Ji Li stared at her, emphasizing, “You don’t need to decide, just do as I say. From now on, you live here. Except for going to school, you must report to me wherever you go.” Gu Anqi was rendered speechless by this man’s shamelessness and tyranny, she could only retort loudly, “On what grounds?” “On the grounds that with one word from me, no hospital in this city would dare to admit your mother!” “A CEO of a big corporation like you could have any woman, why target me, a mere student?” Ji Li reached out to stroke her cheek gently, whispering, “Who told you to have such a face?” Seeing the turmoil in his eyes, Gu Anqi was momentarily stunned. Wasn’t Ji Li supposed to hate her to the bone? So why keep her, as Kang Qiao, by his side? Her heart started racing; those suppressed feelings seemed about to surface.
Chapter 18: Do You Love Her?
Gu Anqi couldn’t help but probe, “I didn’t choose to look like this. Why don’t you just go find the real Gu Anqi instead of forcing an unrelated person like me? What’s the point?” As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Li grabbed the back of her head and leaned close, saying, “Do you think I now believe you aren’t Gu Anqi?” His warm breath mingled with hers, creating an unexpected intimacy between them. “Then you’re just fooling yourself,” Gu Anqi said, fully trusting in the meticulousness of the organization she belonged to. The real Gu Anqi was dead, killed by Ji Li. As the two were locked in a silent battle of wills, Ji Li’s phone rang, breaking the tension. Gu Anqi glanced down and saw the caller ID on Ji Li’s phone. Suddenly, she felt quite ridiculous. How could she forget, Ji Li had Chu Youyou as his fiancée? To think she had a moment of anticipation earlier was truly embarrassing. Ji Li looked at Gu Anqi and noticed no change in her expression, feeling somewhat disappointed. After leaving the room, he answered the call. “Li, are you busy?” Chu Youyou asked, her voice tinged with tears. Ever since the incident with Gu Anqi, Ji Li had stopped mentioning their engagement, brushing off her mentions casually. Initially, she thought that with Gu Anqi gone, it was only a matter of time before she married Ji Li. But yesterday, she heard that Ji Li had taken a female university student from a banquet! Suddenly, she felt a sense of crisis; even without Gu Anqi, Ji Li, as such a man, would always be the target of many women, and she could no longer afford to be complacent. “What’s wrong, Youyou? What happened?” Ji Li was patient with Chu Youyou. After all, when he had his car accident, if it weren’t for Chu Youyou donating blood to save him, he wouldn’t be here today. “I’m not feeling well, and I’m alone at home. If you’re not busy, could you come and keep me company?” Ji Li was in a dilemma; although he had promised to get engaged to Chu Youyou, he didn’t have feelings for her. Half out of gratitude for her life-saving act, and half to provoke Gu Anqi, he had gotten himself into this mess, which was now giving him a headache. “Please, Li, I’m really feeling terrible, come see me!” Chu Youyou pleaded further. He really couldn’t bear to ignore his benefactor, so he agreed to visit her. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking; before leaving, he specifically instructed Gu Anqi, “I have something to attend to, you better not think of escaping. Remember, in this city, bringing you back would be as easy as pie for me.” “I promise not to run away, can you at least not lock me in this room anymore?” While Ji Li was away, she could investigate further, perhaps find some leverage against him. If possible, she still hoped to be the one to send Ji Li to prison. Ji Li thought for a moment, deciding to have her assistant come over to watch her, and with the housekeeper around, she wouldn’t be able to run away easily, so she agreed. Before Ji Li left, Gu Anqi suddenly stopped him and asked, “Who is that Gu Anqi to you? Are you putting so much effort into keeping me here because you love her?” Ji Li paused, not turning back, and said, “Don’t ask things you shouldn’t!” Then he slammed the door and left.
Chapter 19: Hating Her Love
Gu Anqi sneered coldly. With Chu Youyou around, he was still pretending in front of her, even forcing an unrelated person to stay. This was the man she once loved. She must have been blind to fall for someone like Ji Li. And just now, before he went to see Chu Youyou, she actually asked such a ridiculous question. She must have been out of her mind.
