Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Zixin watched her expression with wonder. He thought she would feel joyous to know that he appreciated her work. For any author, it was a huge compliment for readers to love their work.

"Did I say something wrong?" He blinked, slightly anxious.

Guiying felt her voice going hoarse. "You...read my books?"

"Yes."

"You liked them?"

He nodded. "Yes."

The Summit had shaken up her confidence but a few simple words from Zixin felt as if those dark clouds of uncertainty and doubt were fading away. She glanced at Ai and for the first time, she thought she could breathe a little.

"Thank you," she sincerely said. "I am glad you liked my books."

"I like them a lot," he smiled. "You are extremely talented."

Zixin felt her hand shivering in his. He couldn't understand what was the reason behind it. But he grasped it firmer to reassure her until the shivering had stopped. "Your fingers are trembling."

"I-Is that so?" She exhaled. She stared at his hand tightly holding onto hers.

Zixin pursed his lips. "You seem a little in distress."

Guiying didn't know what to say. She herself had trouble dealing with her own emotions. On top of that, Zixin wasn't a writer like her. She wasn't sure if he would understand her struggle.

"I...have to come up with a new story."

Zixin gleamed at that.

A new book from her?

She wryly smiled. "But I feel lost these days. I try to write my ideas on paper. But I don't get any..."

He twirled her around his finger and immediately caught her waist before she could stumble. Guiying bit her lower lip, feeling his palm clutch onto her back. Her gaze got stuck at his chest level as she swallowed a gulp.

"Are you afraid of something?" He softly asked.

She froze.

Zixin stared ahead as if in a trance. "I don't remember anything. While I work, I feel blank at times. I understand what I am doing. I understand my responsibilities. But sometimes...there is a nagging feeling in my heart," he whispered. "What if I screw up? I am not the previous Zixin who knew everything. I have a supportive family, yet I am afraid I would disappoint them if I don't learn my work fast enough. If I don't gel with the family soon enough."

Guiying furiously shook her head. "You don't have to be worried about that. You said you have a loving family, right? You went through such a horrible accident and lost your memories. They would never put such pressure on you. You should do things at your own pace."

Zixin lowered his gaze at her. "Yes. It's the same for you, right? You shouldn't be too worried either. You are talented. You know what you are writing, and your readers will love your work. You have many loving readers to support you. I am one of them. I will always be your loyal fan."

Her breath got stuck in her throat, and she was unable to respond. Especially when the last sentence from him was whispered closer to her ear. His low and deep voice sent her heart into a frenzy.

MrPerfect used to convey the same thing through his notes at times.

'I will always be your loyal fan.'

Why am I thinking about MrPerfect at this point...? I don't want to.

She threw a quick glance towards Jun, making her feel complicated.

But there were also Zixin's soothing words who kept her turbulent heart in peace.

"Thank you so much. I will try my best," her eyes ached.

Zixin gave it a thought and came up with an idea. "If you don't mind, how about we work together?"

"Sorry?"

"I mean for your new book. If you feel you are lacking ideas, how about we brainstorm ideas together? I will do my research," he solemnly said. "Then we can list them out and you might get some inspiration."

The more he said, the more eager he looked. "Since I read your books, I have been interested in the whole process of writing and publishing. I want to know how you work. I want to learn more about you."

Guiying stiffened.

The last line was usually meant in terms of getting to know a person from a relationship's perspective. That's why her heart skipped a big beat for a moment when she assumed this.

But looking at him now, she understood that he meant it in a professional sense.

Which made her exhale a breath of relief.

Idiot, Guiying! He didn't mean it that way. What were you thinking?

"Shall we?" His eyes were subtly sparkling, expecting a yes from her.

Zixin looked like a person who wouldn't talk much but right now standing in front of her, Guiying had a completely different impression of him.

"S-sure."

Guiying thought it wasn't a bad idea. It might even prove helpful to get a fresh perspective from someone who didn't know much about books.

"Okay," he nodded with a sense of satisfaction.

Guiying couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement. She then had a thought and apologized. "I am sorry I didn't tell you that evening about my writer identity. I," her heart flushed with embarrassment, "I had lost a big Summit just a month before so...I didn't have the confidence."

Zixin tilted his head. "But you reached the finals, didn't you?"

"Ah? Yes."

"Isn't that awesome then? You reached the final two amidst such tough and intense competition. You already won by a wide margin. Of course, the final prize would make anyone happier. But standing second in any competition is never a loss. It just means that you are one step away from winning a big prize the next time you try."

She blinked her eyes rapidly.

"Be proud of yourself," he leaned in face ever so slightly. "There is no reason for you to feel like a loser at all."

Suddenly, Guiying's heart flooded with a downpour of emotions she never felt before.

Be proud of yourself.

Can I...really feel that way?