The Cage Of The Past

"What are you doing here?" Xiaoxi Chen was surprised, last time at Gu Corp she saw him and suddenly now she meets him again inside GU mansion, does he have a relationship with the Gu Family?

"Mr. Jones, can you tell me where my son is? You must know where that man lives, don't you?" she plead.

Tom Jones was surprised when he heard Xiaoxi's words. Suddenly from nowhere Rouzhen Gu appeared and she saw Xiaoxi and Tom standing in front of their house talking with each other. Fear comes in his mind, and in horror, he walked faster towards their direction.

Tom Jones sight sweep over to call for help as he has seen Rouzhen coming in.

Rouzhen Gu slightly shakes his head to him to stop him from revealing something. Tom sighed hard, "Miss Chen, honestly I don't know anything. I haven't even seen that man's face, so I can't give you any information about him! I'm sorry!"

Xiaoxi sigh desperately, "You never have seen him before? How could it be, when I remember you said that he is in contact with you!" She felt as if her heart had been hollowed out, mumbling and tears cannot help but flow down quickly.

Tom Jones couldn't bear seeing her crying and Rouzhen approached them to cut their awful situation. He knows Tom needs his support at this moment. "Hi! Mr. Jones! You finally came!" Rouzhen said.

See them greeting each other, Xiaoxi carelessly wipe her tears, and a few questions lingered at the back of her mind. Last time, Rouzhen said he didn't know someone named Tom Jones after she asked him. He avoided her after telling that no one among his employees having Tom Jones's name, but suddenly today it turns out they know each other.

Rouzhen Gu looked at her in a pitiful expression, he seems to say something but he quickly clenched his fist and handed her his handkerchief, "Xiaoxi, are you okay?" his voice is full of concern.

Xiaoxi stares him seriously and did not take his handkerchief and then wipe her tears with the back of her hand. She immediately turns to him then asked, "Do you know each other?" suspicion can be heard from her voice.

Hearing Rouzhen's words Xiaoxi feels bad, she is not convinced with what he said, "He is not one of your managers from Gu Corp? Last time I've asked if you know someone named Mr. Jones, you said that there's no one you happened to know! I remembered clearly that he came to Gu Corp!"

"Miss Chen, I am not one of Gu Corp managers, just recently when CEO Rouzhen went abroad a colleague of mine introduced us with each other for some business matters!" He quickly explained.

Xiaoxi remains suspicious but she did not have enough evidence to prove it, she wanted to ask more questions about the masked man but with Rouzhen around she felt a little lost and she decided to leave without a word.

As she walked away Tom Jones asked, somewhat worriedly: "Rou Rou, is this really good? We've lied to her and as you can see she's suffering too much!"

Rouzhen sighed hard. "I will find ways to correct everything, we can't undo what have done. Starting today, avoid appearing near the company and here. I know she's not convinced with what we've told her!"

"Okay! Then I'll go to Austria for business, give me a call whenever you need me and when I can come back here! I still have a few unfinished things here but with the sudden encounter with Miss Chen, I need to follow your order! Fix everything soon before it's too late!" Tom said and tapped his shoulder.

"Sorry about that. Thanks for helping me all the time!" Rouzhen Gu patted him back.

Xiaoxi walked back inside Gu mansion but before she can settle in a hidden corner she heard a voice calling her name.

"Xiaoxi, what happened to you?" Arnold Wood saw her crying while she's entering the hall. He went to check her and for a moment he was worried seeing her in a messy teary-eyed face.

"Xiaoxi!" Arnold Wood holds her tightly. "You don't look good. Can you spare me a little time so we can talk?"

"Let go, sir!" she said with emphasis and flung away her hand in a fit of pique. "What are you doing? Do I know you? Who are you?"

"Xiaoxi, I know I got mistaken, saying those words in front of my wife and daughter is not forgivable! They don't know my old family existence! I've changed my whole identity!" he explained.

A mocking smile showed in Xiaoxi's beautiful face. "You pretend a lot Mr. Wood, disgusting! Changing your whole identity won't change the real you, a man who abandoned his family in exchange for fame and money,"

"I know I've done a lot of worst things but I need to explain myself. I wanted to tell you something and the truth about your Mom and I. Hear me out and give me a chance because it concerns about your future!" Arnold said.

"I don't want to hear your lies again. You brought pain to my Mom and that's enough!" she sneered.

Arnold still holding her wrist. "Who bullied you? Why you are crying?"

"It's none of your business Mr. Wood!" she snapped. Why should he care about her? She heard an hour ago that this man denied the truth that he knows her personally. And now suddenly he wanted to show his mercy and care to her and tried to approach her saying he wanted to explain.

"Let go! Leave me alone Mr. Wood! We don't know each other!" she said coldly.

"I am not afraid that someone will report to your wife. I haven't done anything awful in front of them, you are the one who approached me. Now let me, Mr. Wood!" She feels bad seeing this man who was full of lies. "We are total strangers with each other!"

"Xiaoxi, take this business card. Find time to hear me, I will tell you everything!" he handed him a small business card.

"Let go! I said let me go!" she hissed.

Arnold Wood's eyes were full of mixed emotions. "Xiaoxi, I have my dilemma. I didn't mean to hurt you and your Mom. Will you let me explain?"

She laughed hard. "I don't want to hear from you anymore!" She was being forced to gasp. Why is fate so unfair? She thought!

Arnold looked at her with sympathy while holding her wrist even tighter and quickly said, "Your Mom and I are not real couples. And your Dad is ---"

"I said let go. Don't create another lie that will make me hate so much!" She was stiffened when she heard what he said. Quickly pry her hand and she saw Rouzhen Gu walk towards their direction. He saw what had happened and Xiaoxi pushing hard Mr. Wood. He was shocked and a wave of raging anger comes into his mind.

"What's wrong here?" Rouzhen Gu stride over.

Arnold Wood saw that Rouzhen came and his face was full of anger. He quickly releases Xiaoxi's wrist and a little nervous surged in.

"Does Mr. Wood know this woman?" He asked in suspicion and his sight fell on Mr. Wood's face who looked terrified.

Hearing his question, Mr. Wood was a bit embarrassed and hurriedly said: "Rouzhen, I mistook her for someone! I don't know her personally!"

Obviously, it is a lie and Rouzhen didn't believe what he said.

"Is that so, Mr. Wood?" Rouzhen replied but he knows he was lying. Rouzhen was puzzled and thinking why Arnold Wood lies and what's his connection to Xiaoxi?

"Excuse me!" Xiaoxi left them immediately.

Rouzhen's eyes followed Xiaoxi who had just left them and he looked back again at Mr. Wood who became silent.

"Mr. Gu, let's get inside, my daughter has been looking for you!" Arnold quickly adjusted his mood and put on a decent smile. "What's your impression on my lovely daughter?"

"She is not the woman fit to my wife!" He brutally said his comment.

He then turned and went back inside. He saw his father, Lui Gu, waving his hand and calling his attention. He comes to him and quickly picks up a glass of wine when a waiter passes by.

"I went to our garden to take a breath!" he said coldly.

"I saw you with Mr. Wood. What have you told him?"

"Dad, enough for this game, I am tired!" he snapped.

Lui Gu wanted to roar but he had to control himself as there are a lot of visitors inside their mansion.

Amy and Amanda were sitting not far away from them. And people around were looking at them with anticipation. Lui Gu had announced their engagement an hour ago, but Amy noticed, Rouzhen wasn't interested at all. She still remembers him saying that he doesn't like her and she's not suitable to be his wife.

"Dad, what's wrong? You look not happy," Amy asked her father as soon he seated back in their table.

"Nothing!" I just went out for a while to take a break. Inside this huge mansion, the atmosphere is too suffocating," Arnold said.

"Is there something wrong? I saw you with Rouzhen!" she asked again.

"Nothing just a few talks with him!"

Rouzhen Gu sat down, his vision swept the entire surrounding, and his eyes fell on the delicate figure that stood beside his friends, Weicheng and Zion. He saw Zion handed a handkerchief to Xiaoxi to wipe her tears. A wave of sudden anger and jealousy crossed his heart, this little woman test his patience. He offered her his handkerchief but she refused, but now she willingly accepts Zion's offer. He frowned and his eagled eye flew towards Xiaoxi. "I will not let you and no other man should come your way!" He said silently.

"Rouzhen, what do you think about Miss Wood?" Lui Gu asked him in a loud voice while looking at Amy.

He wanted to get his opinion immediately, he like this woman to be his daughter-in-law. Arnold and he also talked about Rouzhen and Amy's marriage and the possibility of another business partnership after the wedding.

Rouzhen Gu laughed coldly at his father but his eyes narrowed at Wood's family, "Dad, marriage is not possible for me and Miss Wood!"

"Why? I saw that you had a good talk with Miss Wood!"

"Did I talk to her? Father, you've misunderstood something!" Rouzhen raised his eyebrows. His voice was cold, so conceited and provoking that make Lui Gu's face sink in embarrassment.

"Say it again?" Lui Gu almost roar.

"Father, Miss Wood is a good woman but I don't like her to be my wife. I will bring back Han's biological mother back to our house. Don't ever force me into an arranged marriage because I will go against you! This would be the last matchmaking date that you can do for me. Either you like it or not, Han's real mother will be my wife, not this woman!" he said in anger.

"Han's mother?" Lui Gu was surprised to hear what he said. His voice a little bit sounds dangerous but he had to say it in a low tone, avoiding to create gossip. "No way! I won't accept that woman!"

"Dare to stop me? Father, I am no longer a little child who is afraid of you!" He holds his wine glass tightly and the glass cracked immediately.

"I will not accept a surrogate woman to be a mistress of the Gu family. She will stain our reputation and a woman like her is not suitable for you!" He said it with a deep confirmation. Lui Gu is a man who traditionally followed the old Chinese family tradition to expand his power and connection.

He added, "You can contact her, I will allow you to secretly keep her and grant you to have an affair with that woman but the mistress of our family should be Amy. A woman that dignity has no flaws," Lui Gu whispered his son.

"Father, stop insulting Han's mother, she's a clean woman. I've investigated her background. She suffered so much because of me. This time around, I will go against your will and I will stand with my own decision. I will bring her back to my life for the sake of my son. I will tell you this, stay away from us. My personal life had nothing to do with you. I love that woman, and I will fight for her!" He stood up and patted his father's shoulder and look him directly with a strong determination.

"You piss me off!" Lui Gu's face looks very angry. He strode away in a hurry and never say something to the Wood family.

Amy was shocked and she walked over towards Rouzhen. "Bother Rouzhen, where have you been? I tried to look for you anywhere but you've gone!"

Rouzhen Gu's sight falls on her faking face, smile faintly. "Amy, you don't need to force yourself to me, no way that I will accept you as my wife!"

"Brother Rouzhen, what do you mean?" Amy Wood was in dazed and pretending not to understand what he had said.

"Miss Wood, you know what I mean. You even tried to bribe those reporters to come to this banquet to get public attention!" Rouzhen Gu put down his wine and the corner of his mouth outlined a mocking smile and look at her in disgust.

Amy Wood's facial expression stiffened and said: "Brother Rouzhen, I don't know what you are talking about. Those reporters had just come in and my family has nothing to do with them!"

Rouzhen slowly holds his temper and furrowed his angered eyes while looking at Amy and lower down his face then whispered, " Your lies don't suit your tender personality. Stop lying and pretending. Now, leave this house together with your parents!"