The same night, Jun grimly listened to Ai as he learned the gist of what happened on Jin and Shui's trip.
"Should I talk to Jin?" He asked, brushing his fingers through his hair with frustration and helplessness.
Why did only Jin seem to be so stuck in the past?
"I know Jin has his own regrets just like how I had. But something is wrong…" His dark brown irises carried a hint of suspicion. "Jin cannot be so unreasonable. What would have gone so wrong in the past that is pulling him back so hard? Why is he being so stubborn about this?"
Ai had no answer to this either. She looked at the cats Jun-cute and Ai-chan playing on the other side of the room.
"Shui sounded so defeated, Jun…" her shoulders collapsed sorrowfully. "She is doing every possible thing to break Jin's walls, but nothing is working. She was trying to hide it from me, but she was crying. I just knew it."
"That's it. I need to talk to Jin and figure out what is bothering him. I have been having the feeling that he knows something more than us. And now I want to know what he is keeping us in the dark about. It's not just about Jin's happiness but Shui's happiness too. They are both suffering!"
Ai held his wrist and softly shook her head. "Not now, Jun."
"Then when Ai?" He pinched the space between his brows, his body mildly trembling. "This cannot go on. I cannot see them . I-Is it because of me? Is Jin still feeling guilty that he doesn't deserve this because Shui and I were together in the past?"
"No, Jun," she placed a soft kiss on his forehead and smiled. "I don't think that's the reason. We have all moved on from that darkness. The blame and shame, the bitterness between two brothers - we are definitely past that."
Ai lowered her head, twiddling with her thumbs. "Sometimes, we don't know the bigger picture. Sometimes, we don't know everything about our loved ones. I never knew that Yating always had the best interests in his heart when we were in a relationship. I don't know what he suffered in those five years when I was back in my hometown. I just assumed he was happy with Guiying. But the truth was far from different."
She looked back at Jun. "In the same way, you might not know everything that happened to Jin in those five years you lived separately from the family. Where his emotions and hatred for Shui took him, we don't know. There might be wounds he could be hiding from all of us."
"Then all the more I need to convince him-"
"What if he feels the truth will disappoint you?"
"That's absurd! I will never be disappointed with Jin," he firmly said.
"But that is not what he is feeling. Shui told me this story one day. You were all kids and you and Jin were at the Han villa. She was drawing pictures to show you, and Jin purposely dropped paint on them and ruined them. Jin got so panicked when you were about to come back that Shui didn't complain you about it because she knew you would have scolded him."
"Something happened?" He cleared his throat.
"I wouldn't have really scolded him though…"
"But you would have definitely felt a little disappointed for sure. Don't lie."
Jun mumbled something inaudible.
With a poignant smile, she said, "Jin respects you a lot. Out of all the siblings, he is the closest to you. He is not ready to share the full extent of his pain and we cannot force him either. We shouldn't. He might be carrying his own regrets that we don't know. That's why I agree with Shui. I feel we need to give Jin some time. We cannot weigh Jin's problems on the same scale as us. We moved on. It was indeed difficult, but we cannot put his struggles on the same page as ours."
She shook her head again. "It's not a sound argument for him to move on just because we were able to. Of course, I want him to let go of the past. But some things need time. We should give Jin that. Let's not hurry him. Time will slowly heal everything. I think Shui has understood that somewhere too and has steeled her heart to wait for him."
His eyelashes slightly fluttered. "Will the wait end?"
This time, Ai's lips curled into a confident smile. "Definitely yes! The miracle that gave us a second chance at happiness would not leave Jin alone. It might take time, but fate will lead Jin to Shui one day for sure. I just know it in my heart."
Her bright and optimistic smile made Jun's heart feel lighter. He bumped his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I hope so too."
The cats jumped on the bed, staring at the couple with their beautiful, watery irises. Ai grinned and placed the cats in her lap. "Tell me Jun-cute, Ai-chan. Do you feel the same as me? Your favorite Jin would definitely be happy, right?"
Ai-chan softly meowed as if giving her nod of agreement. Jun-cute was struggling to jump out of her lap and kept throwing deadly glares at her.
"Hahaha! Look, the cats feel the same, Jun. The cats are the ultimate bosses so now it's confirmed~"
Jun chuckled and ruffled the top of their furry heads. "I feel even more assured now."
The cats jumped away, making Ai pout. Jun pinched the tip of her nose and said, "Let's do as you say. Let's wait for Jin to defeat his own monsters. I know he will do it."
"Yes! And we will always be there for him."
He placed his arm around her neck and pulled her against his chest. "I will definitely look after Jin but what about you looking after your novel?"
She sheepishly grinned. "I have been procrastinating for a bit but I promise I will get back tomorrow!"
"You better because…" he kissed her lips, "I cannot wait for MissImperfectlyFine's brand new book to hit the shelves~"