Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

951  Black and white

"What did you want to talk about your company?" Yuze asked as they strolled along the gallery.

Alix adjusted Ailun's position in her arms and replied. "Nothing."

He blinked in confusion. "Nothing? Then why did you call me out?"

"For Shui and Liu Jin to talk."

Yuze stared at her. "Why do you want them to be together?"

She smiled. "I don't think you are that clueless about their dynamics."

"...You are creating chances to get them closer? Why?"

"Well it's quite simple math. A loves B and B loves A so it makes sense that A and B get together?" She shrugged and adjusted Ailun's position again a little.

Yuze raised his arms and offered. "Let me hold him."

Ailun tightened his hold around her neck and frowned. "I want pastry aunt to hold me."

"Your pastry aunt is tired-"

"I am fine," she cut him off. "I can hold him."

Ailun pursed his lips with a downtrodden expression. "Am I heavy, pastry aunt?"

"Better than to be malnutritioned like my sister," she sneered.

Ailun beamed and hugged her back. "Pastry aunt is the best!"

Alix's eyes slightly widened and she furrowed her brows. She remained absolutely still with a puzzled countenance as he hugged her.

Strange…

She then felt Yuze's stare at her and asked, "What?"

He faintly smiled. "I understand why you wanted Liu Jin and Shui to be left alone, but I think this is the right time to say now that I don't appreciate what you did."

"Huh?"

He squinted his eyes and said, "I confessed to Shui."

Alix slowly turned and faced him. "...What?"

"I confessed my feelings to Shui today. I asked her to consider me."

She kept her gaze fixed at him for a long time, unresponsive.

"Why? Do you…really like her?"

"Why does it seem like you cannot believe it?" He blinked once. "I think my interest towards Shui was pretty clear for some time."

But wait…

Won't this play out in my favor? Alix tilted her head. No matter how much Liu Jin has been avoiding her, there is no way he could ignore this confession, right? This would actually wake him up to make a decision.

Alix knitted her brows.

Provided he decides to confess his own feelings rather than running away again…

Yuze's question broke her daze. "You don't seem very thrilled with my confession to Shui."

She smiled sarcastically. "You are aware of Shui and Liu Jin's feelings for each other, yet you want to become the bone in the chicken. So yeah, I am not exactly jumping around in joy."

He smiled. "Then what is stopping Liu Jin from taking the lead?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"I have been waiting patiently, even after Liu Jin returned from Paris. Honestly, I had lost all hope when I heard the news of his return. I really thought the day was not far off that they might actually get together. But he doesn't seem so interested in pursuing Shui is what I saw. Then why should I wait for any longer?"

She said nothing.

"Another thing I don't understand is why you seem so particularly invested in getting them together?" He asked with a pointed stare.

She sneered. "Being cupid is a side business that I have just started. Any problem?"

Alix then turned and walked a little distance, coming face to face with a giant tree at the center of one exhibition room. The tree was a part of the gallery's interior design to have a more relaxing atmosphere for the guests to stroll around.

But it was far from relaxing for Alix as she felt a dull pain in her head.

"Pastry aunt," Ailun whispered. "What did that uncle mean by confession? Will Aunt Shui not be with Uncle Jin anymore?" He asked with a tense face.

His question didn't quite reach her ears as she stared at the tree before her and people standing underneath it, clicking selfies and pictures. She closed her eyes, her brows tightening and bringing creases to her forehead.

"...say…you…not…truth…"

"Cannot…ridiculous…change…trust…"

She inhaled shakily with some strange black and white images of two figures coinciding with the tree in front of her. She saw a similar big tree in her visions and voices whispering to her.

What the hell…

Ailun poked her shoulder. "Pastry aunt?"

Alix continued to see the two figures talking and clashing as if they were violently arguing with each other. The taller figure then seemed to grab the smaller figure's arm and pull them harshly.

Yuze frowned, seeing Alix unmoved and in a daze. He held her arm and tugged her. "Alix?"

Her eyes suddenly stretched wide and she harshly shook her arm off. "Don't touch me!"

Her shriek was so sudden and abrupt that it brought the nearby crowd's attention to them. Yuze stood stiffened, confused by her extreme hostility and reaction.

"You were not looking well so I was just…"

Despite his reasoning, the iciness in her eyes didn't settle down. "Don't…touch me again like that. Never."

He parted his lips, incredulous.

Ailun worriedly patted her cheek. "Are you feeling sick, pastry aunt?"

Alix's messy breaths were beginning to calm down. She stared at the floor in a daze and confused.

What was that? Who was talking in my mind?

She looked left and right and the strange black and white images were gone. Her gaze fell on Ailun, who had scrunched up his brows in anxiety.

"I am fine. You don't have to be worried about me."

His nostrils flared. "I like pastry aunt so I will worry!"

She frowned but let it be. She then looked at Yuze's perplexed expression and squinted her eyes. "We broke up a long time ago so keep your distance from me."

He stared at her. "Can I not worry about you even as a friend?"

"No, because we are not friends."

She shot him another cold look and turned to walk away with hasty steps. She eventually slowed down after creating some distance between them.

"Are you scared of that uncle, pastry aunt?" Ailun tilted his head.

"Scared?" She knitted her brows.

The hell I will be afraid of Kang Yuze?

He pouted. "But you looked really afraid of the uncle just now. It was just like how I get scared of bad dreams," he nodded. "But Mom and Dad hug me and then I am not scared anymore. So I will hug you too!"

He beamed and wrapped his chubby arms around her neck with a grin. "Bad dreams, go away hehe~"

Alix stared into his bright, pure eyes and an uncomfortable feeling pricked her chest.

Very strange indeed…

But she had to focus on another important subject for now.

I need to find Liu Jin right away.