The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 308: 22 Years Ago, Love Triangle!

Chapter 308: Chapter 308: 22 Years Ago, Love Triangle!

"Madam, your performance just now was absolutely outstanding!"

"The applause was thunderous, I saw quite a few people recognized you, and they were surprised at how well you played the piano."

In the dressing room, Mrs. Lan Xiang sat at the vanity, accepting warm water from her housekeeper.

She took a small sip and smiled, pursing her lips, "How could it be as good as you say? The audience was just showing respect for Barrett, and by extension, cheering for me."

"Not at all, madam. Your piano skills are taught by Mr. Barrett himself, a master leading a disciple indeed."

Mrs. Lan Xiang’s lips curved up in pride, feeling very good.

She wasn’t staying long in North City this time, aside from participating in today’s performance, she would meet with Jiang Man and Lu Xingzhou tomorrow, then she would return to Paris.

This trip to Country Z had lasted nearly a month, mainly spent lingering in Harbour City.

The Foreign Minister said he missed her and had made several calls urging her to return.

Knock knock... knock knock knock...

While they were chatting jovially, the door to the dressing room was suddenly knocked upon.

The knocking was very urgent, as if someone came to collect a debt.

"Who is it?" The housekeeper frowned and couldn’t help but raise her voice.

The moment the door was twisted open, it was aggressively pushed open.

The housekeeper staggered back a few steps, seeing the person who barged in looking fierce, she thought of calling the bodyguard immediately.

But before she could speak, another old lady followed, carrying a very strong presence.

"Ye Xiangling, I thought you were dead!" Lu Xuemei said furiously.

Mrs. Lan Xiang was stunned for a moment, but the next second, she composed herself and signaled to the housekeeper, "You all go out first."

"But madam..." The housekeeper was very worried.

She felt that the women and the old lady who barged in didn’t seem like easy people to deal with.

"It’s fine, we are old acquaintances." Mrs. Lan Xiang remained calm, but still exuded an aura of commanding authority.

The housekeeper, holding back her words, nodded slightly, quickly left with the servant, and closed the door.

The moment they stepped out, she immediately called for the bodyguards, guarding the door.

The moment the madam gave an order, they would rush in and subdue those two people!

"It’s been a long time, Xuemei." Mrs. Lan Xiang slowly stood up, placing the teacup in her hand aside on the vanity.

She stepped forward to greet the elder Mrs. Lu, "Auntie."

"Don’t call me auntie!" The old lady glared, furious.

Lu Xuemei, with her hands on her hips, involuntarily raised her voice, somewhat hysterically, "I really underestimated your talent for ensnaring men! Back then, you had Li Jin completely bewitched; I thought you two would be together forever! Who would have thought, you’d instantly transform into the wife of a Foreign Minister?"

Lu Xuemei had learned about Mrs. Lan Xiang’s identity from other guests in the audience.

She had heard of Mrs. Lan Xiang before, but didn’t know much about her.

She had never imagined that the now renowned top jewelry designer was once her rival in love!

"Xuemei, I wronged you back then." Mrs. Lan Xiang pursed her lips, not explaining much for herself, but her attitude was very gracious.

"Knowing I had wronged you, I tried my best to avoid seeing you over the years. If it hadn’t been for Barrett’s invitation, I wouldn’t have come to North City."

"B*tch! Your mouth sure is sweet! What’s the use of apologizing? What’s the use of apologizing?! Had it not been for you, Li Jin and I would have children in college by now! It was you who made me lose my love! Lose the chance to be a mother! Lose a lot of happiness!"

Lu Xuemei suddenly got agitated, lunging forward, grabbing Mrs. Lan Xiang’s shoulders, and shaking them forcefully.

Mrs. Lan Xiang, delicate in build, presented a stark contrast to the middle-aged image of Lu Xuemei.

She was so frail, as if she might shatter from the shaking.

"I am so sorry..."

Mrs. Lan Xiang bowed her head.

Lu Xuemei was annoyed by her constant apologies, "Where’s Li Jin? Since you’re not with Li Jin, where is he?"

"I don’t know." Mrs. Lan Xiang gave a bitter smile.

Memories flashed through her mind quickly, like a slideshow.

The story goes back twenty-two years, when she and Lu Xuemei were attending a teacher training school, inseparable best friends.

By a twist of fate, Lu Xuemei met a man named Li Jin.

One night, when she was out, some thugs harassed her, and it was this man, Li Jin, who played the hero and rescued her.

To thank Li Jin, they started contacting each other more frequently.

At that time, she wasn’t called Lan Xiang; her real name was Ye Xiangling, and she came from a family of scholars.

Knowing that Li Jin was involved in the underworld, she had advised Lu Xuemei countless times.

But Lu Xuemei wouldn’t listen, deeply attracted by his reckless charm and aura of danger.

A lady of wealth fell in love with a street thug.

Like many melodramatic plots, natural opposition came from her family.

For a while, Mrs. Lu even confined Lu Xuemei at home, grounding her.

Yet Lu Xuemei desperately wanted to see Li Jin, pining day and night, so she asked her to be the messenger.

She tirelessly shuttled between the two.

Lu Xuemei mentioned that Li Jin loved cream cakes, so every day after school, she would go to a cake shop near the school, buy a cream cake, and deliver it to Li Jin.

Lu Xuemei said Li Jin often got into fights, and after the fights, he’d need someone to dress his wounds, so she was again asked to play ’nurse’.

During the days Lu Xuemei was grounded, she ran back and forth.

As she ran, she began to sense that something was amiss.

One evening, beneath the girls’ dormitory, someone arranged candles in a heart shape and stood inside it to confess their feelings.

"Ye Xiangling, I like you!"

The young man’s confession was earnest and passionate, awkward, yet it couldn’t hide the love in his eyes.

The girls’ dorm erupted in excitement, the young women envying the girl called Ye Xiangling.

Lu Xuemei stood at the balcony, shocked to see her own love interest, Li Jin, confessing to another girl.

She broke down at that moment, returning to her room in a fury.

Mrs. Lan Xiang pursed her lips, recalling her own response at the time—avoidance, cowardice.

She ran downstairs, slapped Li Jin, and scolded him, accusing him of aiming too high.

Afterwards, she cried like a wraith.

Because she knew, from their daily interactions, that she and Li Jin had gradually fallen in love.

Lu Xuemei told her that between love and friendship, she had to choose one.

She chose friendship, and from then on, spoke harshly to the young man named Li Jin.

Soon, Lu Xuemei used emotional blackmail—crying, causing scenes, and threatening drastic actions, forcing her family to agree to her being with Li Jin.

Mr. Lu, who loved his daughter dearly, agreed quickly.

After much internal conflict, Mrs. Lu also consented to the marriage.

But the protagonist Li Jin disagreed, saying he only saw Lu Xuemei as a friend, and the person he truly loved was Ye Xiangling.

In front of the Lu family, Li Jin said, "Xiangling, will you accept me? If you will, I’ll shield you from the storms; I’ll be your haven. If not, I’ll vanish, never to disturb your life again."

As Li Jin turned around to leave, heartbroken, her heart felt as if it were struck by something.

Without looking back, she broke through the restraints and chased after him.

The decision she regretted the least was that day—she chose Li Jin, bravely, for once!