It was a happy weekend, but there was a grim silence in the Liu villa today. Two figures were carefully sizing up their opponent and the last piece of dumpling on a plate.
Jian gravely covered touched his chin, staring between the dumpling and his grandfather.
Liu Hai's sharp gaze also refused to leave the dumpling out of his sight.
Nuo, who was doing some online shopping with her grandmother, Liu Chunhua, helplessly sighed. "It's just one dumpling. Finish it already."
Jian exhaled. "You don't understand the gravity of this situation, Nuo."
"Indeed," Liu Hai agreed.
"The only gravity of this situation is that you not freeing up that plate since fifteen minutes now," she scowled.
She looked around and found Nian lying on the couch all lethargic and lost. "Bro, why are you acting like a tragic Romeo?"
Nian was close to tears. "I might have struck my own foot with the ax! Leave me alone!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Jing sneered. "He has landed into deep trouble with his lady love~"
Everybody's attention sharply fell on Nian. Jian took the advantage, grabbed the dumpling and popped into his mouth. This content belongs to NoveI★Fire.net
But Liu Hai didn't bother for the first time. His eyes sparkled. "I am hearing about this the first time! Who is this lady love? Where does she live? How old is she?
Are you worthy enough of her?"
Jin entered, wheeling the eldest member of the Liu family, Grandma Liu. She looked slightly pale and in a daze but hearing upon the mysterious woman Nian liked, she forgot about it and curiously looked at him. "Oh what is this I hear? Nian found himself a woman?"
Jin narrowed his eyes. "Bro, you got time from eating cakes to actually look at a woman?"
Nian scowled. "Shut up, Jin! Your brother is in misery, and you are making fun of me?"
Nana came in, carrying a tray of freshly brewed tea for everyone. Jinhai was already at the other side, ignoring all the chatter. Instead, he was quietly staring at his phone.
Nana asked, "What are you all talking about?"
Jian answered as he licked his fingers, "Nian fell in love but his love story already ended before it could even begin. He is modern day's Romeo now."
Liu Hai clicked his tongue. "I knew it. You always get yourself in trouble. Useless."
Liu Chunhua smiled. "You are the last person to say that, Mr. Liu. You haven't been any less of a troublemaker. At one point, I even wondered if I was doing right marrying you."
The attack straight hit at his heart, draining all his HP in a single blow. "My wife, how can you…"
Nana was speechless. "Nian, what did you do!? You finally did something decent for the first time, and you messed it up too?"
"Pfft…" Nuo burst into laughter.
Nian was cornered by all sides. "I…I…didn't know it would turn into such a mess!"
Jing sneered and gave a short account of what transpired in the wedding anniversary evening between Nian and Xing Bi.
Jing laughed. "He is dead. Once she learns that he is the young master and was fooling around that got her into trouble needlessly, she is gonna kill the shit out of him. She looked so mad that night too~"
Grandma Liu pinched his ear hard. "Stupid great-grandson!"
"Owww!" Nian cried. "It hurts!"
"Hurts? I wanna slap you!" She glared at him.
Jin sneered. "Pinch it harder, Grandma. He deserves it."
Nana asked, "Jing, I hope you-"
"Worry not sister-in-law. Nian paid the debt with interest~ He dared to use my dress without my permission. Of course, he should pay the price. I didn't punish her once Nian confessed the truth. But oh boy, she is never gonna forgive Nian, muahahahahah!"
Nana was relieved as long as Xing Bi wasn't in trouble.
Nian gritted his teeth. "Just wait you all! I will definitely turn the tide around!"
At that point, a figure stepped inside and Nuo brightened as she saw him. "Bro Jun!"
She ran towards him and hugged him. Everybody else cheered up too. Only Jinhai was the one who was quietly staring at his son.
Nana beamed. "Jun!" She kissed his cheek. "You finally got the time to visit your family?"
Jun tried his best to smile. He glanced at everyone once and as his gaze fell on Jin, Jin eagerly raised his hand to wave at him, but Jun glazed his sight over so quickly that Jin froze mid-air.
His gaze dimmed and he lowered his hand, a pang of sadness enveloping his heart.
Jun said, "I…I have something to say to everyone."
Grandma Liu beckoned him to her side, her eyes slightly misty. Jun widened his eyes and quickly bent on his knees to her wheelchair's level. "Why are you crying?"
"Then what else should I do? You suddenly left this house. Even if it was to focus on your company, couldn't you do it from here?"
It wasn't possible, Grandma. I couldn't live here anymore not only because it was Dad's decision.
But I felt ashamed to face everyone after how I hurt everybody in my past life.
When Jun thought about it, he realized that maybe he confessed to Jinhai not only to share his burdens and guilt but somewhere in his heart, he wanted his fury.
He wanted Jinhai to punch him. He wanted his father to throw him out of the house. He wanted him to punish him the worst possible way.
He left because he felt he deserved to live a lonely life.
Jun softly held her hand, tears threatening to slip from his dark brown pupils. He remembered how she passed away in his past life. It was natural death that happened due to her age. It occured an year later after Shui's twenty-fifth birthday.
By that point, Jun had turned into a complete mess and disregarded everybody's feelings. He was thrown out of the Liu villa as his obsession towards Shui grew instead of accepting the truth.
After he was reborn, what he regretted the most was Grandma Liu and Nana's deaths. Nana's death was directly linked to him. But he wished Grandma Liu didn't have to witness such tension and sadness in her family before she passed away.