Chapter 16: Changing Cars Like Changing Women

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Dr. Liu said cautiously, “Based on what we know at present, Second Young Mistress’s condition is still not entirely clear. However, the possibility of a psychiatric disorder can almost certainly be ruled out. In my opinion, even if there is something wrong with her, it is psychological rather than psychiatric. She may have suffered a physical and emotional blow after the miscarriage. Afterward, she adopted an avoidant attitude toward the problem, psychologically convincing herself that what had happened was not real and that her former self had never truly existed. As a result, it is entirely possible that she might do things unlike what she would have done before.”

Whether it was a psychiatric disorder or a psychological problem, neither possibility was acceptable to Madam Meng.

She said to Dr. Liu, “All right, I understand. The driver will take you straight home shortly, and the check will be delivered to your residence afterward. But you must not tell anyone that you came to examine Second Young Mistress.”

Dr. Liu was frequently in contact with prominent and influential families, so he naturally understood the rules. Taking the money, doing the job, and not uttering a word more than necessary were all part of his professional duty.

When Kong Lingxin returned to the villa, she went straight to the study on the third floor. She turned on the computer, opened a search engine, and typed in the name “Dr. Liu Xitong.” The results showed that Liu Xitong was a psychiatrist, and the accompanying photographs displayed the same face Kong Lingxin had seen. There was no doubt that the man who had come to examine her really was a psychiatrist.

Why had Madam Meng sent a psychiatrist to examine her? What was she planning?

As long as Madam Meng did not suspect that the current Kong Lingxin was an impostor, Kong Lingxin felt she could handle the situation.

Then what had made Madam Meng associate her with insanity?

Peng Nan!

Yes, that had to be it. Kong Lingxin clearly remembered that when they had been sitting in the living room earlier, Madam Meng’s expression had changed strangely at the mention of Peng Nan. Besides, Peng Nan had ample motive. She was in love with Meng Zexiao, and Kong Lingxin, his lawful wife, was the greatest obstacle in her way.

But how had a woman like Peng Nan, with little experience and an ordinary family background, managed to enter the Meng household as a family doctor and nutritionist?

There was certainly more to this than met the eye.

For the moment, however, the most urgent matter was not investigating why Peng Nan had come to the Meng household. Her immediate priority was to clear herself of any suspicion of mental illness.

Kong Lingxin did not feel relaxed in the slightest. During the day, she had to keep herself from giving away the truth; at night, she had to guard against being violated by Meng Zexiao. In order to avenge her younger sister and repay the Kong family’s kindness, she kept encouraging herself. She had to hold on.

To ease the pressure weighing on her, Kong Lingxin walked to the window and gazed at the blue sea in the distance. Her mood immediately opened up. At the same time, she saw Meng Zexiao change cars. He no longer drove the blue Porsche but left the villa in a Bentley instead.

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That man changed cars as often as he changed women!

Not long after Meng Zexiao left, a servant came to report that she had a telephone call.

Kong Lingxin was filled with doubt. If someone from the Kong family were looking for her, they should have called her mobile phone. Who would be calling the landline? What if she accidentally gave herself away?

Uneasily, Kong Lingxin picked up the antique solid-wood telephone. After taking a deep breath, she said, “Hello, this is Kong Lingxin.”

A warm male voice traveled through the telephone line and into her ear. “Hello, this is Liu Hanyi.”

Kong Lingxin froze. It was him! How had he obtained the Meng family’s telephone number?

Liu Hanyi said, “Don’t ask how I know your number. Let’s talk in person. I also happen to have something to return to you—the item you lost at the shopping mall yesterday.”

Only then did Kong Lingxin remember that she had lost an especially expensive piece of clothing at the mall the day before. Back when she had been working as a kindergarten teacher, losing something so costly would have pained her for several days. Yet now that she had lost such an expensive garment, she did not feel anything at all.

Capitalism really could numb a person’s nerves!

When she did not respond, Liu Hanyi said, “What’s wrong? Is it inconvenient for Second Young Mistress Meng? In that case, I’ll have someone deliver it to you.”

Second Young Mistress Meng? Hearing those words come from the mouth of the sunny, handsome Liu Hanyi sounded utterly bizarre.

Kong Lingxin pursed her lips. “Who said it was inconvenient? Tell me where you are, and I’ll come right over.”

Liu Hanyi laughed. “Then let’s meet at the French restaurant not far from where we first met that day. It’s less than fifty meters north of the intersection.”

A French restaurant? Good grief! She was twenty-one years old and had never eaten Western food before. She did not even know how to use all those knives and forks. Wasn’t she going there only to make a fool of herself?

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Still, humiliating herself in front of Liu Hanyi was more acceptable to Kong Lingxin than humiliating herself in front of Meng Zexiao, though she could not explain why she felt that way.

“All right. I’ll come right over.” Kong Lingxin tried her best to sound especially casual.

But after hanging up, she did not feel relaxed at all. She opened her younger sister’s wardrobe, unsure what she ought to wear.

Jeans and a T-shirt had once been her favorite attire. But times had changed. As the Second Young Mistress of the Meng family, the way she dressed represented the Meng family. Wherever she appeared, countless eyes would be fixed upon her. Otherwise, her mother-in-law would never have received news so quickly that she was “insane.”

If someone called her insane today, tomorrow someone would call her an impostor. In every matter, caution was the wisest course.

In the end, Kong Lingxin chose a white dress. Its tag was still attached, which suggested that her younger sister had never worn it.

The white dress was paired with a purple belt, adding a vivid touch of color to its simplicity. Her straight hair fell over her shoulders, further accentuating her serene temperament. Looking at herself in the mirror, Kong Lingxin felt as though she had become an entirely different person. Her whole body seemed to radiate a charming, alluring femininity.

She could not help sighing inwardly: Clothes truly made the woman.

The seaside villa halfway up the mountain was wonderful in every respect except for its inconvenient transportation. Kong Lingxin had intended to drive herself into town, but Sister Qi refused to let her go alone, saying that Madam Meng had given strict instructions: for the sake of her safety, Second Young Mistress had to have a driver whenever she went out.

Kong Lingxin could not insist any further and had no choice but to let the Meng family’s driver take her into the city. Dressed in elegant clothes and sitting in a luxurious car filled with cool air, she thought of the days when she had squeezed onto buses to get to work and was overcome by a flood of emotion.

But the feeling did not last long before she remembered the problem awaiting her. From the conversation between Liu Hanyi and Meng Zexiao that day, it seemed the two men knew each other. If Liu Hanyi discovered that she was a wealthy young mistress who did not even know how to use Western tableware, he would surely suspect her identity.

Kong Lingxin quickly took her tablet from her bag and searched for instructions on how to order and eat Western food. She also visited a review website to learn about the specialties of the French restaurant she was about to visit, making sure to prepare herself thoroughly.

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