Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

So does Alix like Hou Lin? Is that why her expectations are based off of him?

"Ahhhh!"

Jin collapsed on the chair, his heart burning with envy.

"I can also make good coffees…" he saltily murmured.

He looked at Ailun with a second tinge of envy. "Aren't you enjoying your classes with Alix?"

Ailun beamed. "A lot! Pastry aunt is very strict but she is super cool."

Grievances overwhelmed his heart and his head dropped on the table again. "I want to be there too…"

He pouted. "So why is Uncle not there too? How will pastry aunt like you if she don't see you?"

Jin lifted him and hugged him hard. "Because right now, it's more important for her to like our family and also know that everybody here likes her too. I cannot interfere in that. Plus, she doesn't want to see me…" he whispered the last point to himself.

He tilted his head. "But everybody likes pastry aunt already."

Ah how I wish I could tell you the truth…

He smiled. "Yes everybody likes her but she doesn't know that yet."

"So we should tell that to pastry aunt," Ailun seriously said. "Mom and Dad always say how they love each other so so much."

"Well, you have a point but this is…different."

"You…"

They turned their heads with Jin's reaction stiffening. Alix stood at the kitchen's entrance, staring at the uncle and nephew duo.

"You were at home?" Alix blinked rapidly.

Jin silently took a breath and smiled. "Yup."

"You were not at the office?"

"...That's what it means."

Her gaze fell on the kitchen countertop and she froze. She paused thoughtfully and then asked, "What are you doing in the kitchen?"

Ailun raised his arms. "Uncle made spring rolls for us!"

Her eyes widened.

The ones that I praised to be so delicious right now?

"...But didn't Mrs. Liu make them?"

"Make what?"

"Grandma!" Ailun ran towards Nana and hugged her legs with his bright, sunny gaze.

"Ah, and you strike yet another arrow to my heart," she chuckled.

Nana looked up at Alix and shone. "Were you asking something, dear?"

Ailun said, "Uncle made spring rolls for us!"

"Oh! That's great! Jin is quite busy in the kitchen these days, isn't he?"

Jin let out a cough.

"These days?" Alix narrowed her eyes.

"Didn't he make chicken popcorn yesterday? And then tacos the day before? Right, Jin?"

"Yes, Mom."

Alix threw an unreadable stare at Jin to which he didn't respond.

"Did you like the snacks he made?" Nana asked Alix expectantly.

She slightly swallowed a gulp, holding a burning indignation in her heart.

"Yes…"

Ailun giggled. "Pastry aunt thought that Grandma made the snacks, not Uncle, hehe."

"By the way Mom, are you heading out somewhere?" Jin asked, seeing her dressed for a trip.

She made a face. "Doctor's follow-up appointment. I wanted to skip since I am feeling fine now but Jinhai is not allowing me to skip…"

She scooted closer to Jin. "Can you talk to him?"

A flash of horror passed across his face. "Talk to Dad about skipping your appointment? Okay first of all, even I don't agree to skipping anything, not a doctor's appointment because this is about your health and second of all, Dad will skin me alive if I even utter something like this from my mouth."

She pouted. "You are too scared of your father."

He held a deadpan gaze. "Aren't you lucky to be his wife?"

"You…should not skip the appointment," Alix quietly said.

She stiffened when the attention turned to her. "I mean I heard about your heart surgery that happened a few months back. Things turn worse when you get complacent."

"Hm. That is why no ifs and buts," Jinhai's deep voice echoed as he stood behind Nana.

She immediately let out a cough but turned with a sunny expression. "Jinhai, I am ready!"

"After failing to brainwash your son?"

Her brow twitched.

Alix saw an incoming call and stepped aside to attend it.

"Sis, sis! Come to the hospital right now! M-Mom fainted!"

"What!?" Her eyes stretched wide. "Mom fainted? When? How? Why?"

"Ugh, I don't know," Mui was crying with all her might, "she just fainted that's all I know…S-Sis what happened to Mom? Dad is panicking so much…"

Alix felt like her heart dropped from Mount Everest straight into the depths of hell.

"Stop crying first of all. I am coming."

She hung with quivering hands and turned. "I am sorry I have to leave."

"We happened to hear it too. Where is Mrs. Ren admitted?" Nana asked anxiously.

"The main city hospital."

Jinhai said, "Come with us. We are heading there for Nana's appointment anyway."

Jin shrugged off his apron and said, "I am also coming."

"No, you won't," Alix sharply said.

"I am coming," his eyes narrowed as he declared in an unyielding voice. "No ifs and buts."

—

"Mrs. Ren slightly got anemic, that's all," the doctor said with reassurance. "It's not so serious but yes, she has an iron deficiency so she does need the supplements and eat food rich in iron. I am giving my prescription. Please follow it accordingly."

"Oh my gosh…" Mui collapsed back in relief while Ren Luoyang finally stopped crying.

Ren Cuifen pursed her lips. "See, I told you it wasn't so serious. You were crying over nothing."

"Mom, you fainted!" Mui glared. "How is fainting not serious!?"

Alix bore her burning gaze into the doctor.

"So it wasn't a heart attack?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, no. Mrs. Ren's heart is perfectly healthy."

"It wasn't a brain stroke?"

The doctor sweated. "Why are you suggesting such complicated conditions? I don't see such conditions in your mother's medical or family history. Trust me, Mrs. Ren is fine. She just have to work upon improving her iron levels."

Alix stepped out of the doctor's office and breathed out. She suddenly lost her strength and stumbled, but Jin swiftly caught her arm.

"Alix!"

She lifted her eyes and peered into his worried gaze. A wave of fatigue washed over her body and her head dropped against his shoulder.

"I thought she..."