Nian pointed his trembling finger at Jun. "You…! Your brother's love story is at stake here, and you are enjoying it!?"
Jun lazily retorted. "Didn't you enjoy my misery since childhood? Now, it's my turn."
Nian wanted to smack Jun, but he couldn't do so when a certain woman was emitting dark aura. His gaze fell on Ai, who was staring back at him with her light brown irises filled with iciness. She looked exactly like Jun when he would emit black, dangerous fumes of anger. "You bullied Xing Bi?"
She looks even angrier than the time at the library when she scolded Jian and me!
"I-I wasn't bullying Xing Bi! I was just having some fun!" He sobbed.
"And that fun led Xing Bi to trouble?" Her voice lowered lethally.
An arrow struck right through the center of Nian's fragile heart.
"N-No…Well yes…But I clarified it with my Uncle! Zhou Ai! I really troubled Xing Bi a lot! And now she hates me because I lied to her."
"Naturally," Ai said in a pointed voice, making his brows twitch.
Nian burst into tears. "But I really want to make it up to her! I want her to forgive me, but I had no idea you two knew each other!"
Jun looked at him in disdain. "Even if you knew, what would you have done anyway?"
Nian gasped as if it was so obvious. "Of course, I would have welcomed Zhou Ai in my bakery showering her with flowers!"
"Hell, I would be her personal pâtissier if she wants me to be! If she knows Xing Bi and can help me butter her up, then I would gladly make her the exclusive customer of Natukashi Bakery!" His dam of tears refused to end. "Only if I knew sooner…But it's still not late!"
Nian hopefully looked at Ai and shifted closer to her, making Jun's face blacken. "Hey! Keep your distance!"
Instead of doing that, Nian grabbed her hand and begged her. "Zhou Ai. You have to help me. I beg you. I want Xing Bi to forgive me. How can I bear to live a lonely life without her?
I have already thought of our cute childrens' names!"
Jun and Ai gave him a blank look. He exclaimed, feeling speechless. "You haven't even dated her, and you have already planned your kids' names?"
Ai frowned and gave Jun a quiet look after which she said, "You are not in a position to say anything when you declared Han Shui to be your wife when she wasn't even born."
Nian swore he would have puked blood if hadn't stopped himself in time. He couldn't imagine the damage to Jun's heart.
Jun was rendered utterly speechless though he later sheepishly grinned thinking that she was feeling jealous. He liked seeing a jealous Ai too.
Nian clutched his stomach and rolled in laughter. "That was savage. I could feel Jun's embarrassment. I like it."
Ai glanced at Nian and narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to laugh so much because I am not helping you."
This time, Jun smirked at his brother's misery. "Please continue laughing."
"Why!? Do you not see my sincerity!?" Nian demanded. "I really, really like Xing Bi. She is amazing. She is strong. She is so cool!
I fell for her the moment she took me away like a Prince Charming."
"Yet you had fun at her expense," Ai was unforgiving.
Nian couldn't meet her gaze. "I-I really understand I was wrong. Please, Zhou Ai! You have to help me," he cried. "Now that she knows that I scolded you like a spartan that day, she hates me even more! She thought I was bullying you.
But that's not the truth! You were the one who were bullying me with your horrifying and not-so-pleasing-to-my-heart sweet making skills! Who bullied who here?" He asked, aggrieved.
Jun's gaze darkened. "Hey!"
Ai pursed her lips. "It wasn't so horrifying. You were crying unnecessarily."
Jun looked away and refused to comment on that.
Nian sniffled. "Sure, if that's how you want to soothe your heart."
"But you have to help me! You are my only hope!"
Ai sternly gave him a hard look. "You really like Xing Bi?"
"You will keep her happy? You won't ever hurt her? You won't betray her?"
Nian's eyes shone with utmost sincerity. "Never. The moment I realized my feelings for Xing Bi, I swore I only wanted her and nobody else. I will give her all the happiness she deserves. She has all of my heart. I will always protect her.
I won't betray her. I won't hurt her, and I won't let anybody else hurt her either."
Ai peered into his black eyes for several long moments and was satisfied with his earnestness.
"I see. Then I support you," she softly smiled.
Nian's face illuminated like the sun. His eyes radiated pure bliss. He was now crying tears of happiness. "You are the best, Zhou Ai!" He hugged her again. "Thank you so much!"
Jun's fingers twitched to tear him apart from her.
Ai nodded. "Indeed I will support you, but you started in the worst way possible."
Nian mumbled guiltily, "I know I shouldn't have fooled around like that…"
Ai shook her head. "I mean by scaring her with debt trouble. That's the last thing Xing Bi wants to deal with."
She gave a short account of Xing Bi's life and how she despised alcohol and debt.
Nian froze, his expression turning dark and cloudy. Thinking how Xing Bi suffered and bore all the debts by herself made his heart clench.
"She still has her last installment of debt to pay. That's why adding more debt is not welcoming."
Nian stiffened. Now, he felt even more horrible and ashamed for troubling Xing Bi with the thing she sincerely detested. But he was resolute. "I will make it up to her. I will clear all her debt," he gleamed. "Then she won't have to suffer anymore." Newest update provided by novel⚑fire.net
"No," Ai rejected his idea, "That will hurt her pride. Instead, she will think you are a rich brat who has too much money to spare. Xing Bi is frugal, and she also doesn't want anybody else to take her burden. I have tried to help her too, but she has always declined. Even if you help her with good intentions, it will only hurt her."