Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Back in the condo, Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying were all ready and set to leave for Liu villa to meet Jun's parents. Until Jun returned to pick them up, Zhou Yichen chirped and decided to play some games with Ai to pass time.

"Mom, do you want to play?"

Xie Nuying was tempted with the offer but also not so tempted because of Zhou Yichen at the same time.

Zhou Yichen pulled Ai away. "No need! I cannot bear her anymore after the whole mess she made behind my clothes! She hid my suit that I was gonna wear. So cruel!"

She looked unfazed and not so guilty about it at all. "All for Ai's sake. Do you want them to love Ai or hate her? Your clothes are not clothes. They are blasphemy. I won't let you do anything that jeopardizes this important meeting."

"You are not my wife to interfere in my choices anymore," he strongly harrumphed. "Did I interfere with what clothes you wanted to wear?"

"You didn't have to because I am wearing normal clothes. I am never any cause for complaints between us."

He gasped in shock mixed with horror. "See Ai-chan? Did you see that? She is lying! She is a respectable professor but she lies! This is her true face!"

Ai glanced at them. "If you fight like this in front of Jun's family, then you know…"

They stiffened and looked away while coughing slightly.

The door then opened and Jun walked in - or more like stomped his way in, standing before Ai and facing her with veins popping on his forehead. His emotions were a mixture of anger, frustration and helplessness.

"Why do you look so upset?" Ai asked. "Did it not go as planned?"

She was referring to sending the troublesome gang of four away.

"Oh yes, it did. But I learned something else from Jin, which I kinda already knew but I am angry about what consequences it brought!"

Ai tilted her head. "I don't understand your puzzle."

Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying bobbed their heads in agreement too.

"You…" he pointed his trembling finger at her, "Why did you have to write a bittersweet ending for your story 'My time with you?' Do you know…do you know that you actually won the competition that year?"

Ai blinked and slowly widened her eyes. "The high school one?"

"Yes!"

He quickly gave an account of what Jin told him almost an hour ago.

Ai was taken aback with surprise. She had certainly not expected that there was a story behind the result of that competition.

"Cai Guiying only won because your story didn't fall into the theme properly. And…" he gritted his teeth, "this frustrates me. Everything would have been so different if you had won. Even your fate in the past-"

Ai signaled him with a sharp gaze, and he immediately cleared his throat. "I mean yeah…past…when you entered Dream High. Things would have been so different for you."

Ai nodded with relief.

On the other hand, Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying beamed with brilliance. "Oh my."

"My Ai-chan is actually the real winner? That's so cool! As expected of my daughter!" Zhou Yichen proudly grinned. "She is so talented just like me."

Xie Nuying's mouth twitched. "I have some hand behind her talent too."

They glared at each other, not liking the other one having any credit at all behind Ai's success.

Jun was in a bitter mood though. He only focused on what Ai could have achieved and how much more she could have gone ahead with her career.

Ai understood the reason behind his frustration and hugged him. "Jun, you are really so cute. You always care about me so much," she bumped her forehead on his chest, "I am so glad I met you."

His gaze darkened. "There was no need for the first line."

"There is always a need for that sentence."

She chuckled, seeing his ugly expression and softly kissed his lips. Jun stiffened because Ai's parents were right there.

"*Cough cough*"

"I am not sad about it at all. I loved what I wrote. I knew there was a possibility of my entry not being considered at all. That's why I am grateful that I still won the Best Newcomer Writer Award. That's enough for me."

Jun pursed his lips and mumbled. "Not enough for me though…" then he loudly remarked, "It's just so frustrating. You could have been recognized years ago."

"But I won the Summit, and now I am recognized, right?"

He glared at her. "You are being too positive and lax about this."

"Yes, because I cannot blame anyone for the choice I made for that competition," she smiled.

Jun felt helpless, a feeling which he disliked the most. So, he pinched her cheeks hard to punish her. "Sometimes, you are just so…"

"Not shometimesh. I am alwaysh aweshome," she spoke through her pinched cheeks.

"..."

Zhou Yichen laughed. "That's my girl," he then patted Jun's shoulder hard. "Aiya, I like you even more now, Jun-cute! Such a loving boyfriend you are. But I agree with Ai-chan. Writing is art and creativity. An artist should do what his or her heart tells them to. They should always follow their hearts because that's how masterpieces are created."

For a rare moment, Xie Nuying agreed with Zhou Yichen too. "I lament Ai for not winning the competition too. But we shouldn't delve into the past and instead work towards our future."

Jun pursed his lips. "I understand all of that. But it doesn't hurt if you take my side…As in-laws, you are supposed to dote on me more than Ai."

Ai - "..."

"Hey, don't look at me like that. Once we are at the villa, my own family is gonna completely forget my existence and surround you like hooligans," he grimaced. "You are going to be the apple of their eyes. So much that I will be sidelined."

Zhou Yichen laughed and patted his shoulders again. "Of course, I won't let them do that. We will all party together! I am so excited to meet your parents, especially your father. I am sure that as fellow fathers, we will bond a lot! I am so looking forward to having fun with him hoho~"