Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

It was a few days later that Ren Luoyang and Ren Cuifen were back to picture perfect health. Jin's interference has ceased the unnecessary tax investigation and Alicia's media press had also proved Ren Designs innocent. She publicly apologized for the misunderstanding which brought back the company's lost reputation.

So now Alix was legit sweating as she now faced the Liu villa. She could feel her heart in her throat that rang loudly in her ears like a blaring siren. She was constantly clasping her hands together that shivered and trembled with cold though it was relatively hotter outside.

The door to the car's passenger side opened and Jin said, "Come on in."

He lost the count of how many times Alix had now thrown her murderous glares at him as if imagining she was drowning his head in the water. She hated that Jin had so much money. She hated that he was born in a family swimming with money. At this point, she now hated the basic concept of money.

"I am fine living in the car."

"Not me so step out."

"Aren't you getting a little too gutsy to talk to me in that tone?"

"If you don't step out in the next five seconds, I won't hesitate to princess-carry you all the way in," he said with a no-nonsense expression.

Grudgingly and cursing the hell out of him until the dictionary fell short of course words, Alix stepped out. She followed Jin with such a deathly slow pace that even a turtle could win a race against her.

Jin released a breath. "Either you walk normally or I princess-carry you. Pick one."

She picked the former because she was sure her hands would reach out to strangle his neck the moment he would carry her.

After what seemed like forever, they reached the entrance and the color began to fade away from her face. This wasn't like all the previous occasions where she visited the Liu family as Ren Alix. Now everybody was aware she was Zhan Yahui.

Zhan Yahui as Ren Alix as Liu Jin's wife.

Her throat went dry and the floor seemed to spin in front of her eyes. She turned on her heels to leave when Jin quickly caught her wrist.

"I don't wanna go in."

"Can you please breathe first?"

It was then she realized that she had practically forgotten to breathe.

Jin held her hands in his, wrapping her cold fingers into his warmth. He said as gently as he could, "Nobody will come at you or hate you. You are overthinking their reactions."

She glared at him and shook his warmth away. "Easy for you to say because you don't understand my position at all!"

"I do-"

"No, you don't."

He released a breath.

Alix was right. He might want to console her with his understanding but the truth remained that he wouldn't exactly get her emotions at this moment.

"No, I don't completely understand your feelings but the solution cannot be to escape either."

She gritted her teeth. "Why do you think I am in this situation in the first place?"

"It's the fraudulent tax investigation that Kang Yuze planned on your company, not me," he raised his palms to prove his innocence.

"No, it's because you are a cash cow and I'm not!"

"..."

How is that my fault?

"I remember somebody was pretty happy to use this cash cow and squeeze a twenty million check from him."

"I didn't have to marry you then."

"You didn't have to marry me now either."

Which was true. Despite all the contract fiasco Jin had pulled off earlier, as soon as he heard about Ren Designs' predicament, he didn't hesitate to pull out the money.

'That contract. I'll sign it. Let's get married.'

Jin wished he could fly at that moment when those sweet words fell on his ears. But he didn't. He couldn't. Despite this being his golden chance to grab what he wanted, he said,

'I'll help you regardless. You don't have to marry me out of necessity.'

'You are pathetic. You don't even know how to play leverage.'

'You would say that when it concerns yourself too?'

'I lost. Plain simple. I'm being practical. I cannot magically get the money to pull my family out of this unless there is a convenient cash cow besides me. Oh, wait. There is. Ding, ding.'

'You don't have to-'

Her gaze darkened. 'I'm sorry. No matter how much of a deplorable villain you thought I was in the past, I still had my class and dignity. I took twenty million from you because I guaranteed profits on your investment in Ren Designs. And you got them. I won't accept free money like some gold digger.'

Which brought them to the present where Alix stood as Jin's wife right in front of the Liu villa.

Fuck my dignity, she was quick to change her stance at this moment.

"Whatever. I cannot-"

"Pastry aunt!"

Ailun's head popped out of the door, his eyes shining with pure joy. "Yay, you are here! I was waiting for you!"

He happily trotted to her side with all the joy in the world and grabbed her hand. "Why are you and Uncle still gossipping here? Let's go in!"

"What?" She froze. "No, wait-"

"Mom! Pastry aunt is hereeee!!!" Ailun eagerly announced and merrily dragged her inside.

The moment she desperately wanted to escape from finally arrived as she saw everybody's silhouettes. She hadn't raised her head yet to see them in the eye but did see their outlines.

"Pastry aunt!!!"

Ailun's other cousins, Aang, Taio and Mina came hopping in with excitement. The four energetic kids surrounded Alix on all sides with a sparkle in their eyes as if they were worshipping a cult.

"Alix, here here!!! I'm here!"

She barely raised her head and saw Ai seated on the couch, waving her arm at her with an equal intensity of sparkle in her eyes as it was in her son's. Being very close to her delivery date now, Ai's movements were considerably constricted.

But the problem was her husband beside her, who by even not looking at him, Alix could guess he was shooting some gloomy glares at her. Her panic returned and her heart sped.

"Pastry aunt, pastry aunt, let's play games!" Ailun chirped, tugging at her.

"Games, games!" The other joined the chorus.

Her stupor broke and she blinked at him. "Games?"

"Yay!"

A knuckle landed on Ailun's head next.

"Ow!"

"Shoo, brat! How dare you already hog her away with your childish games!" Liu Hai's voice bellowed. "This is the time to have a feast and load our bellies with unlimited food hohoho~!!!"