Marrying My Ex-Wife's Mortal Enemy (GL) - Chapter 20

In Dou Huan’s memory, Chu Li had always been someone who stood far above her. She was the golden girl—blessed with beauty, a powerful family background, and exceptional talent.

It was like the heavens had given her everything—she thrived in business, was effortless in love, and had probably never once tasted the bitterness of humiliation or defeat.

Even in their past life, though she had favored Tong Yi, Chu Li never once lowered herself like this.

But now, Chu Li was on her knees before her, tears streaming down her face, begging for another chance.

If this had happened in the past, Dou Huan might’ve been overjoyed. She would’ve thought her patience had finally paid off—Chu Li had finally turned back to her.

But now? All she felt was a deep, bitter irony.

There was a time when she longed for everything Chu Li had to give—her attention, her love, her emotions, every part of her. She wanted it all.

But everything she had once yearned for, everything she had been denied… now it all just felt like trash lying on the floor. Not even worth picking up for a second glance.

Dou Huan exhaled slowly, forcing down the surge of hurt in her chest. She crouched down in front of Chu Li and asked in a calm, almost detached voice, “Chu Li, do you love me?”

“I do,” Chu Li wiped her face and looked at her, dazed. “Huanhuan, I love you.”

“What exactly do you love about me?”

Dou Huan pressed, “Do you love that I have a bad temper? That I’m pretty? That I come from a good family? Or that I once loved you?”

Her voice grew louder with every question, as if with each word she was peeling back the truth of why Chu Li had married her.

But none of that was love.

“I don’t know,” Chu Li clutched at her chest, her brows furrowed in frustration. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I thought I could walk away, I really did—but later I realized I couldn’t. Everything changed when you weren’t there anymore. Nothing felt like it had any meaning.”

“Then tell me,” Dou Huan grabbed Chu Li by the shoulders, forcing her to meet her eyes. “Tell me what exactly it is that you love about me.”

Chu Li was drunk, her head spinning. She looked at Dou Huan with flushed cheeks and, after a long pause, said quietly, “I love your bright smile. I love your beautiful face. I love your occasional temper. I love… everything about you.”

That made Dou Huan laugh—but it wasn’t a joyful laugh. It was hollow, and as it spilled out, tears followed, running down her cheeks.

“Even when you’re drunk, you still know how to sweet-talk, huh?” she said between laughs. “I’m such a joke. Letting myself be fooled by your words for a whole damn lifetime… Ha… ha ha…”

She laughed so hard her eyes turned red, as though trying to laugh away every emotion she had bottled up inside.

She had thought that divorcing Chu Li would be the end of it—that she could finally move on and start fresh.

But she couldn’t. It still hurt so much.

The memories of pain and frustration rushed back to her, tearing at her heart like claws. She clutched her chest, the tears falling freely now.

“Huanhuan, I’m sorry…”

Chu Li tried to pull her into an embrace, but Dou Huan shoved her back. “Don’t touch me!”

They both ended up collapsed on the floor, staring at each other—one laughing through tears, the other crying with heartache in her eyes.

When Dou Huan had laughed enough, she wiped her face, steadied herself, and stood up. Without sparing Chu Li another glance, she walked toward the elevator with a blank expression. Her tears blurred her vision, smudging her makeup, but all she felt now was exhaustion. She just wanted to sleep.

Her phone buzzed relentlessly in her bag, but she didn’t even bother to answer it.

When she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Tong Yi waiting outside. Dou Huan glanced at her, said nothing, and walked right past.

“Where’s A’Li?” Tong Yi asked from behind.

Dou Huan acted as though she hadn’t heard her. She kept walking, neither slowing down nor speeding up.

Tong Yi hurried after her. “I know you don’t like me, and you don’t want to see me—but A’Li’s drunk. You can’t just leave her alone like that, can you?”

Still, Dou Huan said nothing.

Tong Yi grabbed her arm. “Didn’t you love her? Say something!”

Smack!

Dou Huan slapped her across the face. Her voice was cold. 

“Move.”

Tong Yi clutched her cheek, eyes glistening. “I deserve that. But A’Li really cares about you. She left a room full of executives and business partners just to chase after you. Please, I’m begging you—just tell me where she is. She’s drunk. What if something happens to her? Can you really live with that?”

Tong Yi had followed quietly after Chu Li had left, not wanting to upset Dou Huan by letting her see them together. She waited for the elevator, searched all over the lobby when she didn’t see anyone, and finally guessed they might still be upstairs.

She didn’t dare call Chu Li, afraid of interrupting, but when she couldn’t wait any longer, she called anyway. No answer. That’s when she panicked and came upstairs—only to see Dou Huan coming out of the elevator alone.

She hadn’t been surprised that Dou Huan didn’t like her—but she hadn’t expected her to be so utterly indifferent, to not care at all about Chu Li and just leave like that.

The elevator doors opened again, and Chu Li staggered out, bracing herself against the wall.

Tong Yi cried out, “A’Li!”

Dou Huan paused for a second—but didn’t look back.

“What are you doing here?” Chu Li looked at Tong Yi, but her eyes followed Dou Huan’s silhouette as she left. “What did you say to her?”

“I asked where you were,” Tong Yi said, still holding her cheek. “She wouldn’t tell me. She slapped me.”

Chu Li glanced at her—the redness on her face was clear—but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she forced herself to walk outside.

Seeing that Chu Li didn’t even comfort her, Tong Yi felt even worse. She followed, trying to support her. “She doesn’t care about you anymore. Why are you still chasing after her?”

“Tong Yi, stay out of this.”

Chu Li brushed off her hand. “Go back. If Huanhuan sees you with me, she’ll be even more upset.”

“Is she all you think about now?” Tong Yi cried behind her. “She doesn’t even love you anymore. Why can’t you just let go?”

“I can’t,” Chu Li said. “She used to be the one holding on. Now that she’s let go, I’m the one who can’t.”

When Dou Huan stepped outside, she saw her car waiting at the curb. Jiang Shan rolled down the window and called out, “Miss Dou! Good thing we caught you.”

That’s when Dou Huan remembered the missed calls. She pulled out her phone and saw they were all from Jiang Shan. She walked over and gave a small nod. “Sorry for the trouble, Assistant Jiang.”

“Not at all,” Jiang Shan replied. “President Jing just got off work and came to pick you up.”

That’s when Dou Huan noticed Jing Yu sitting in the backseat. She said nothing, just opened the passenger door and got in.

From behind them, Chu Li called out, “Huanhuan!”

Jiang Shan hesitated, unsure whether to drive off.

“Drive,” Dou Huan said calmly. “Ignore her.”

Jiang Shan glanced at Jing Yu in the rearview mirror. Jing Yu gave a slight nod, and the car pulled away.

Panicked, Chu Li tried to run after them, but she was in heels and didn’t get far before she stumbled and fell.

Dou Huan saw her fall through the rearview mirror. She sat up and looked back, just in time to see Tong Yi running over to help her. She let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

Why feel guilty? Chu Li had someone to catch her.

“Since you care so much, why not take her with you?” came a voice from the backseat.

It took Dou Huan a moment to realize Jing Yu was speaking to her. She leaned back in her seat, watching the city lights blur past, and answered offhandedly, “I don’t care.”

Seeing she was in no mood to talk, Jing Yu didn’t press further. She simply watched her from the shadows—watched her silently falling apart.

It made her heart ache.

By the time they reached Jing Yu’s home, Dou Huan had already fallen asleep. The wine she’d drunk earlier, combined with the emotional crash, had worn her out completely.

Jiang Shan looked at Jing Yu. “President Jing, should I take Miss Dou home?”

“Do you know where she lives?”

Jiang Shan shook her head. “Should I wake her and ask?”

“No need.”

Jing Yu got out of the car, walked around to Dou Huan’s side, and opened the door. With one arm under her back and the other under her knees, she carefully lifted her out.

Dou Huan was completely out cold, not even stirring as Jing Yu carried her all the way inside.

Zhao Yu spotted them at the door and immediately lit up—finally, someone had made her emotionally stunted daughter carry a woman home.

But as she got closer and recognized Dou Huan, her smile froze. Panic set in.

“What happened to her?” she asked.

Jiang Shan quickly explained in a low voice, “Miss Dou’s fine. She just had a bit too much to drink and fell asleep in the car. We wanted to send her home, but we didn’t know the address—so President Jing brought her back.”

“Oh…”

Zhao Yu let out a breath of relief. “Good, as long as she’s okay.”

Jing Yu carried Dou Huan into her own room and gently laid her on the bed. As soon as Dou Huan turned over, she was back to sleep, completely unfazed by the unfamiliar environment.

Jing Yu couldn’t help but worry—what if someone tried to kidnap her in the middle of the night? Would she still sleep through it? She let out a sigh.

Though Dou Huan wasn’t particularly heavy, the bridal carry was exhausting. Jing Yu had given it everything she had, afraid of dropping her. Her arms were aching now.

Rubbing her sore arms, she adjusted the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature, then stepped out and found Zhao Yu waiting at the door. She extended a hand. “Mom, help me massage this.”

Zhao Yu chuckled as she took Jing Yu’s hand, gently kneading it. “I honestly didn’t think you could carry someone that big.”

“Well, I already had her in my arms—what was I supposed to do, drop her on the floor?”

Jing Yu let out a sharp “Ow!” and frowned. “Mom, a little gentler, please.”

Zhao Yu eased up on the pressure as they headed downstairs. “What happened to Huanhuan? How’d she get that drunk?”

Jing Yu didn’t want to go into details about Dou Huan and Chu Li, so she simply said, “Office dinner. I guess they partied a little too hard.”

“Good thing you were with her. If she’d been alone, that could’ve been dangerous.”

“It’s fine, Mom. You should get some rest. I need to shower—I’m all sweaty and uncomfortable.”

“Where are you sleeping tonight?”

“There’s still a guest room, right?”

Jing Yu replied, “I’ll sleep there.”

Back in her room to grab a change of clothes, Jing Yu glanced over at Dou Huan, who was curled up on her side, fast asleep. The hem of her T-shirt had ridden up, revealing a slim, fair waist. Jing Yu quickly averted her eyes, grabbed her clothes, and stepped out.

Dou Huan slept soundly through the night. When she woke up the next morning, she felt strangely well-rested. Odd, wasn’t her alarm supposed to go off?

Still half-asleep, she groped around for her phone but couldn’t find it. Instead, she noticed how silky-smooth the blanket felt. She finally opened her eyes and was startled to find herself in an unfamiliar room.

The warm, cozy décor didn’t look like a hotel. In fact, it felt oddly familiar. Just as she was trying to piece things together, the bathroom door opened and Jing Yu stepped out in pajamas.

Dou Huan’s eyes widened. She swallowed hard.

She remembered—this was Jing Yu’s room!

In the same instant, her mind started filling in the blanks. She imagined herself sleeping in Jing Yu’s bed, and maybe something… inappropriate… had happened between them.

“You’re awake?”

Jing Yu, noticing her dazed expression, casually pulled a fresh pair of pajamas from the wardrobe and tossed them over. “Go take a shower. You reek.”

“But… how did I end up here?” Dou Huan asked, pointing sheepishly at the bed.

“You tell me.”

Jing Yu left it at that and turned to pick out her clothes.

Dou Huan clutched the pajamas in her hands, wracking her brain for answers but coming up with nothing. All she could mutter was, “I don’t remember.”

“Go shower.”

Jing Yu glanced at her. “Hurry up—I need to change.”

“Oh. Right.”

Dou Huan took the pajamas and headed into the bathroom—only to suddenly remember she had work today!

She flung the door open. “What time is it?!”

Jing Yu had just put on her underwear and was in the middle of fastening her bra with her back turned.

The sight that met Dou Huan’s eyes was stunning—Jing Yu’s long, slender legs, smooth and pale, and her graceful back fully exposed beneath her tousled hair.

Hearing the door open, Jing Yu turned slightly, eyebrows lifting in mild surprise. Then she heard Dou Huan’s panicked voice: “Sorry! Didn’t mean to!”

The door slammed shut again.

Jing Yu’s expression relaxed into a slight smile as she fastened the clasp.

Dou Huan was mortified. She’d accidentally walked in on Jing Yu changing. Her face burned red, her mind a mess of embarrassment.

Shaking her head to banish the image of Jing Yu’s back, she tried to focus. Right—shower.

Since Jing Yu wasn’t panicking, it probably wasn’t that late yet. Relieved, Dou Huan relaxed a little, even humming as she showered.

🎵 “Honestly, could it be I’ve been possessed by a ghost…” 🎵

She was thoroughly enjoying herself, even dancing a little—until the bathroom door suddenly opened.

“Ah!” she shrieked as water sprayed into her face, making her cough and sputter.

Wiping water from her eyes, she glared at Jing Yu, standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Jing Yu hadn’t expected that scene either and nearly burst out laughing. But she kept a straight face. “Hurry up. We’re going to be late.”

“I know,” Dou Huan snapped.

Just as the door closed, Jing Yu popped it open again. “You saw me earlier, and now I’ve seen you. Let’s call it even.”

“I know!!”

Dou Huan nearly hurled her face wash at her. Thankfully, Jing Yu shut the door just in time.

Jing Yu headed downstairs, humming the tune Dou Huan had been singing.
🎵 “Honestly, could it be I…” 🎵

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Zhao Yu asked, noticing her cheerful demeanor. She glanced upstairs. “Is Huanhuan up?”

“She’s getting ready. She’ll be down soon.”

After showering, Dou Huan stepped out and saw a dress laid out for her on the bed. She held it up—it looked like it would fit. With no other clothes to wear, she put it on without hesitation. After all, it wasn’t her first time borrowing Jing Yu’s clothes.

When she came downstairs, she saw Zhao Yu waiting with breakfast.

Smiling sheepishly, Dou Huan apologized, “Auntie Zhao, sorry for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” Zhao Yu said warmly, pulling her to sit. “Jing Yu’s father travels a lot for work, and she’s always busy with overtime. I actually like having someone around. You’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you, Auntie Zhao. Maybe next time I’ll bring my mom along, and we can all hang out.”

“That sounds great.” Zhao Yu turned to Jing Yu. “When do you have time to join us?”

Jing Yu slowly munched her breakfast. “We’ll see.”

Dou Huan shot her a playful glare, then turned back to Zhao Yu with a bright smile.

When they arrived at the office, they just barely made it in time. As soon as Dou Huan parked, she bolted out of the car.

“Slow down!” Jing Yu called after her.

“There’s no time!”

Dou Huan dashed into the elevator without waiting.

Sure enough, she was the last to arrive. Even Director Zhao, who had been completely wasted the night before, was already at his desk.

Dou Huan plopped down next to Zhou Wei, panting heavily. Zhou Wei stared at her like she’d seen a ghost.

Dou Huan was too hot to care. She grabbed some wipes and dabbed at the sweat on her face and forehead.

“Wow, Huanhuan,” Zhou Wei said, eyeing her outfit. “You in a dress? You look like a little fairy. This old lady’s heart can barely take it.”

“You better take it easy,” Dou Huan replied, twisting open a bottle of water. “There’s already a line of people waiting to date me. I’d hate to break your heart.”

“Heh, just kidding.” Zhou Wei leaned in and whispered, “Be careful today. I have a feeling those two are coming for you.”

“If they come, I’ll deal with it.” Dou Huan said coolly. “No big deal.”

Meanwhile, Jing Yu had just arrived at her office when her phone rang—it was Chu Li.

She picked up with a deliberately cheerful tone. “To what do I owe the honor, President Chu?”

“I need a favor.”

“What’s in it for me?” Jing Yu leaned back in her chair, casually inspecting her nails. “We’re all business people. I don’t get out of bed for free.”

“I want you to fire Dou Huan. Name your price.”

“Name any price?” Jing Yu laughed softly. “Are you sure about that? What if I ask your company to withdraw from the East District? Will you agree to that?”

The East District was the top-selling area for jewelry—also the most fiercely competitive. Clearly, she was putting him in a tough spot.

“Jing Yu,” Chu Li said seriously, dropping the niceties, “I’m genuinely trying to make a deal. Name another condition.”

“Then I’m afraid we’re at an impasse,” Jing Yu said calmly. “I think Dou Huan’s a great asset. I’ll be keeping her.”