Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Guiying touched the base of her throat and faintly scratched it with her nails.

Zhan Yahui narrowed her eyes and shook her hard, noticing her condition. "Stop shaking like that, Guiying! CherryBlossom don't have to be afraid of anybody. You are Dream High's star. Zhou Ai cannot beat you no matter what anybody is saying."

Guiying stiffened and nervously laughed. "W-what are you talking about? I am fine. I am really fine…I loved Ai's story! I really wondered if it was her!" Her eyes sparkled. "She has improved so much, hasn't she? Gosh, it's unbelievable!"

"You-"

"I will come back in a moment, okay?" Guiying quickly got up from her seat, making Zhan Yahui widen her eyes. "Guiying!"

She watched her walking hurriedly towards the washroom, her eyes glinting with suspicion.

Guiying…

—

On the other side, Yating was shaken up just like anybody else but in a different way. His eyes strained towards the stage where Ai was just standing until a few minutes ago.

Where everybody else was seriously thinking hard about Ai's story and the suspense she had built, Yating wondered if the woman from her story was meant to be Ai herself.

There were her parents who had separated just like how Ai's parents had.

There was a best friend she met in high school who would be Guiying and promising to fulfill their dreams together. There was a man who she fell in love with who should be him who was supposed to propose to her under the Christmas tree.

But it didn't make sense because there was no way he was going to betray her.

So what did she mean by betrayal? What despair?

Yating clenched his fist, fear gripping his heart. What unnerved him the most was the part when Ai had begun talking about the male protagonist - the nameless man just like her.

He had observed how her mood and tone had changed. A soft and gentle smile was lit on her lips that reached all upto her eyes. The joy that permeated from her expression was genuine and just like how one looked when someone was in love.

When the protagonist did confess how she wished to be the woman in his heart, Yating had seen her trembling. It was faint where Ai was trying her hardest to control herself. But her quivering lips and the blush on her neck gave her away.

He felt as if not the female protagonist in her story but Ai was herself confessing her love. She looked skittish as if the man was right in front of her. The nervousness when somebody confessed their love was distinctly visible on her face.

That was when Yating paled.

Ai…you cannot…

The eeriness crippled him as if he lost his ability to talk and walk. The question if Ai loved somebody else pierced his heart and tore it into shreds. Just the imagination made him unsettled and agitated.

This cannot go on. No, this cannot go on!

He had to clarify this and throw away this seed of doubt that had taken root in his heart.

I cannot bear to lose Ai. I don't want to lose you, Ai…

His eyes ached with tears threatening to spill but shining with a resolve too. He knew what he had to do before talking to Ai.

He stared at the direction in which Guiying had left. With an extremely frigid expression, Yating followed the way, adamant to end the feelings Guiying had for him once and for all.

—

On the third floor, Yunru sharply breathed in, sensing the silence in the air. Jun had strangely gone reticent during the whole time Ai was on the stage but even more so as she was reaching the end of her story.

Something had changed in him. His lips parted and shut. His eyelashes trembled. His dark brown gaze stared unblinkingly ahead. His expression was indecipherable.

Without speaking a word, Jun turned on his heels and headed straight out.

"Br-Bro where are you going…"

Why am I even asking that question? Yunru thought to himself. I know where he is going.

Though Jun and Shui had broken up, Yunru held complicated feelings in his heart. Everything still felt unreal to him about Jun and Ai.

A different woman besides Jun…nobody was used to see anybody else but Shui.

He never imagined that things would take such a turn one day. But now that it did, Yunru only hoped that all would go well.

As long as Bro is happy…

—

Ai ran outside as fast as she could. There was a lavish garden in the premise where the Summit was held. Her chest heaved rapidly, taking short and messy breaths. Sweat trickled down the sides of her ears and she frequently swallowed her saliva down her throat.

Her heart was hammering in her chest with the double dose of her confession and all the running around the garden.

He finally heard it…He knows now.

She touched her warm and red cheeks with her trembling fingers.

This was the reason why Ai was so jittery about tonight's Summit. It was not only important to redeem herself through this competition, but it was also a way to confess the deepest feelings for Jun hidden in her heart which she decided to pour all out tonight.

After this, everything would change for better or for worse. Either Jun would accept her or reject her.

If it was the former, she would be the happiest woman on this earth.

If it was the latter, then she had broken the friendship between them tonight.

She jolted sharply when a message ding sounded from her phone. She let out a deep breath which stuck in her throat soon enough when she read that it was a message from Jun.

'Where are you?'

Ai stared at his message with mixed emotions. Her heart skipped a beat but then she felt as if there was an ominous ring to the question.

Is he mad at me?

She couldn't help but let her thoughts go in the negative direction. She was way too apprehensive about his reaction and way too of a coward to face him now.

She quickly typed her reply and hit the Send button.

—

Jun, who was waiting for her reply, heard a ding. He quickly opened it, and his gaze darkened dangerously. His mouth twitched heavily, and his face contorted in a grimace.

'Where are you?' was his question.

To which Ai's reply was,

'Nowhere. I have merged with the infinite cosmos now.'