Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Chapter 173 The Valentine's Day Arc (29) : The Most Dreaded Answer

Nian might not have noticed it, but Jin did. There were many parts in Ai's story which pointed out that the 'He' she was talking about and who she confessed was none other than Jun.

Jun didn't like children that much. But he regularly donated and gave gifts to various orphanages, especially the one where their mother had grown up - Sun orphanage.

So, Ai was right. He didn't particularly like children, yet he secretly spoiled them from time to time.

Being his brother, Jin naturally knew Jun's tastes in ice cream. Chocolate scoop with blackberry on top. In the whole Liu family, only he had this particular liking.

Jun was very reserved with his words. Nobody knew that better than Jin. But the only time Jun would genuinely converse was when he talked about books.

Jin knew that because Jun had read a lot of stories to him when they were children. That was the only time when Jun would have a genuine smile on his lips.

Connecting all this to the fact that Ai especially came to the wedding anniversary banquet to deliver Jun's gift to Nana and Jinhai meant only one thing.

Ai was talking to Jun. Ai was confessing to Jun. _{wasn't keeping tabs on what was going with Sky Publishing. But the fact that Ai was MissImperfectlyFine garnered his interest. He had seen her books in Jun's collection and knew about the sort of his love-hate relationship with the author.}

For a moment, he was in disbelief about the coincidence.

During the Summit, he came to know about the whole mess with the mistaken identities regarding Butterfly and MissImperfectlyFine.

But the thing that took him completely off guard was that Jun personally involved himself in this matter. He charged at Dream High and tried to protect a certain someone.

For whose sake? Butterfly?

She was a nobody.

Until he learned that Butterfly was Ai herself.

Why would Jun do this? It was Yunru's job to handle matters like these. Yet Jun came in between to protect Ai. Once again, everything came back to Ai.

Ai came to the banquet to give Jun's gift.

Jun tried to protect Ai with the plagiarism scandal.

Both were protecting each other in their own way. That's when Jin realized that something was not only going on with Ai's side but Jun's side as well.

At first, he was confident that Jun wouldn't be a part of this Summit. He refrained from being a part of any banquet or party. But knowing that Ai was here, he began to doubt that was Jun really not present at the banquet?

He could have dropped a message to Yunru, but he didn't want Yunru to accidentally spill it to Jun that Jin was asking about him.

So, when Ai left the Summit after her story, he quietly followed her from the shadows. And through that, he saw his brother. _​

Jun was indeed at the Summit. He was rushing outside with an expression that sent shockwaves from within him.

Jun had understood who Ai was confessing to, and now he chased after her to confront her.

But confront what?

Would he tell her that it was impossible between them and that he didn't love her?

Or…

That presence of 'or' and doubt in Jin's heart unnerved him. Jun's answer should be a resounding rejection because nobody could take Shui's place in his heart.

But Jin didn't feel so sure about it, and he didn't like that feeling gripping his chest.

Jin followed him and witnessed the whole conversation that went down with Ai, Jun and Yating. Jun had punched Yating. He saw the anger and jealousy erupting in his eyes as Yating asked Ai out. He witnessed Jun kissing her, giving him the answer that Jin dreaded the most.

At present, Jin took another sip of the whiskey as the whole turn of events slowly rolled in his mind like a movie.

"Not done…This is not done."

He kept the glass on the table, releasing a breath. Without looking, he stretched his hand and took a photo frame from beside the glass.

His gaze was fixed at the picture. A picture of him and Jun when they were around teenagers. In that picture, Jin was hugging his brother, his arm around his neck with the brightest smile on his face. The smile on Jun's lips was not very noticeable as he didn't like to take pictures. But since Jin had insisted, he agreed to it.

Jin stared at the picture silently with an unreadable gaze.

"Why…did things have to turn this way, Bro?"

He lifted his hand, and the tips of his fingers grazed along his chest.

"Was it here where I was hit with the bullet?" He tilted his head. "Feels like it was just yesterday."

A wry and forlorn smile laced his lips. "There was this time between us when our bond was the strongest," he said as he brushed his thumb along the picture. "Then there was the time when your bullet struck me. It might be accidental, but the fact that you brought a gun meant that at one point, you really wished to kill me, didn't you, Bro? Which really doesn't matter honestly. What matters is…your feelings for Zhou Ai that shouldn't exist in the first place. It's supposed to be you and Shui and you together."

A glint of fury passed by his eyes which swiftly vanished as well.

"Isn't that why I tried so hard until now to bring you two together?" He tilted his head and smiled. "I made Shui talk to you so many times to resolve all your differences. When that didn't work out, I sent Mom and Aunt Xinyi shopping around that jewelry store area to catch you 'buying' the ring that day though I knew you were there to cancel it. It was a good way to make them misunderstand your intentions, right?"

Jin's eyes flashed a calculated glint. "But I knew that it wasn't enough. I had to corner you from all sides. So, I urged Mom to tell Yunru to announce your engagement in Sky. Everything only to pressurize you from not talking about your breakup with Shui. But it seemed you had made up your mind to come out with it at all costs."

He shook his head. "Seriously, Bro. Why were you so stubborn? If I had not seen your message on Dad's phone, I would have never known that you were coming home to announce your breakup. Even Great-Grandma. She stirred the conversation to make you and Shui get engaged, but all my efforts to make her do so went to waste."

Jin sighed and bored his gaze at the picture again. "Why do you always take me by surprise, Bro? This won't work. You love Shui so much. Do you want to change your fate just because you are also reborn? That cannot do. After all this time and after all that happened in the past life, there cannot be another woman beside you. And if there is then this…is what I won't stand for."