Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu



Ai cleared her throat and took a step aside. "It's nothing. I am just talking to Shui."

Jun took a step towards her, making the distance she created pointless. "And exactly what were you talking about? Or should I ask, what you were teaching her?"

"What would I teach?" Ai shook her head with lament, "I am just a simple writer. Sadly, I don't have anything to teach her."

He smiled. "Writers are the ones with a lot of imagination, shouldn't I say?"

She pursed her lips. "Why are you looking at me with those doubtful and suspicious eyes? I am your fiance. It hurts you know?"

He grimaced with her dramatic acting. He pinched her chin and softly bit the tip of her nose.

"..."

"Stay away from the twins. They are infecting you."

"How rude. They are not some viruses."

"No. They are even worse than them. Now…" he narrowed his eyes, "Tell me more about these teachings, Teacher Zhou. I think there's some interesting stuff going on."

She coughed. "There is nothing interesting. Shui and Jin are on a trip as you know and she was just sharing her grievances to me as to how Jin is being grumpy."

His mouth twitched.

"As somebody who has faced similar hardships, I feel it is my duty to help Shui," she nodded with all sincerity.

His gaze darkened. "Excuse me? Similar hardships?"

"Of course. I have dealt with a fair share of your grumpiness. Jin, being your younger brother and also as somebody who really adores you, displays the similar traits."

"..."

She beamed. "The lesson of jealousy worked pretty well. He is taking Shui for lunch now. I knew it will work because I have had first hand experience. Whether you saw me closer to Jin or Yating, you always refused to leave my side. Remember how you taught me to dance and then that night too where you stayed at my apartment for the night because you saw Yating leaving? Or Valentine's night when you saw us talking and confessed to me? You were even jealous of Xing Bi too when she offered me her house to stay in. Same with Guiying."

"..."

She bobbed her head. "Jealousy works really well with the Liu family men."

Jun suddenly felt an urge to lash out and scream out for his defense, but he couldn't upon contemplating. "Y-you…are you saying that we are easy to deceive!?"

Ai thoughtfully looked at her side once and then back at him with her answer. "Yes."

Gritting his teeth wasn't enough to express the grievances he felt at this point.

"Jin being a carbon copy of you, this method was bound to work," Ai taught him the ropes as if he was a student of hers too. "I have already thought of the next move in case Jin refuses to budge," she brightened.

She kissed his cheeks and merrily hopped away. "I should ask Mom and Grandma too. They are the veterans. They surely must have tricks of their own for Dad and Grandpa."

He watched her leave with his jaw dropped wide. She was planning in broad daylight to deceive his younger brother like a hooligan and yet for some reason…

Why do I find her so cute?

He slapped himself and woke up.

I have gotten totally blind in her love, his brow twitched. Should I warn Jin?

But he didn't wish to face Ai's wrath and her puffy cheeks and her ignoring him. So he decided to keep his lips zipped.

He shrugged.

Sorry Jin but you are on your own.

—

Jin felt really all alone as he and Shui were seated in the restaurant and for him to have no place to escape. He wished for the lunch to arrive faster so that he could eat faster and leave equally faster.

Shui noticed the restless tapping of his foot on the floor and smirked. "Why are you so anxious, Jin?"

He scowled. "Why will I be anxious? I am just waiting for lunch."

"By burying your head in the phone for the whole time?" She cocked her brow. "Are you afraid of looking at me?"

He shot her a defensive glare. "Why would I be afraid of looking at you? I have looked at you since my whole childhood."

"As a friend first, then as a sister-in-law and now that Jun and I have broken up a looong while ago, I wonder how you look at me NOW?" She rested her palm on her chin and gave him a lazy look.

Shui wasn't holding back with her punches. She knew that subtle, soft balls were not going to work against him so she went for the fast and hard ones.

That hard ball hit straight to his heart with a bang because it was as unexpected as it was a fast move. But he maintained the poise in his gaze and faced her with a smile. "Wouldn't it mean that you would simply go back to being my childhood and annoying and frustrating friend?"

She chuckled. "Is that why you tolerated your annoying and frustrating childhood friend by not failing to come to her house to play with her even once?"

"I was there only for Bro."

"You really know how to always hide behind Jun's excuse, don't you~?"

"I don't need to hide!"

By then the lunch arrived, and Jin swiftly grabbed his plate before the waiter could even place it on the table. The waiter quickly left after serving Shui, feeling the tension in the atmosphere.

Jin hastily gulped down large bites, forcing Shui to scold him. "I am not going to eat your food so relax. And I am not allowing you to leave until I am done anyway."

Shit! I thought I could make up an excuse and leave!

He swallowed another large, angry bite which immediately made him choke and cough hard. 

"*Cough, cough! Cough cough!*"

Shui's eyes widened and she quickly sprung up to help him. She patted his chest and rebuked him. "Now look what happened! That's why I was telling you to slow down. But no. Liu Jin doesn't know how to listen at all! Now drink some water first!"

She held the glass of water near his lips and helped him drink it with slow, easy gulps while she simultaneously gave a few hard pats on his back to ease his coughing.

Jin began to feel much better after a few sips, and he inhaled a deep breath, feeling finally relaxed. "Thanks…"

He expressed his gratitude but froze as he lifted his gaze, feeling the proximity against her chest.