Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

A month had passed since Guiying's last confrontation with Cai Lingyun. The initial days felt melancholic, thinking of her brother as a prisoner. But slowly and steadily and with Zixin's constant support, she overcame the period of guilt.

She was gradually coming to terms to Zhan Yahui's death as well but now and then, that void would hit her. There was nobody to guide her writing anymore and though Yating assured that he would assign her the best editor possible, Guiying couldn't feel she was ready to face writing again.

It wasn't like she didn't try.

She would sit in front of her computer everyday, thinking about her next story but that page always remained blank.

Maybe I need to take a break…

"What do 'you' say? Do 'you' think I need some time before I can start writing again?"

She asked for 'her' opinion, but 'she' remained silent as if 'she' wasn't interested in this conversation. Guiying sighed with 'her' lack of motivation.

"'You' should encourage me at times. I see 'you' have become quite lazy," she pouted.

Her phone buzzed with a call and she checked. She beamed to see that it was Ai.

"Ai!"

"Guiying!"

The two friends chirped as if they had separated for a long time.

"What are you doing, Guiying? I called to ask if we could hang out? It feels like it has been forever."

Her gaze softened. "Yes, Ai. After our talk during Sky's anniversary, we didn't get the chance to just meet and talk. I like it! Let's catch up."

"Cool! Let's meet for lunch then! We will have a blast!"

"Sure!"

—

"Yummm this salmon is so delicious!" Ai popped in another bite of the sizzling grilled fish into her mouth.

Guiying enjoyed her delicacy of the lobster which was quite expensive to her pocket for her but with Ai's insistence, she discarded that inhibition.

"We should give ourselves such expensive treats once in a while. Writing takes up all of our brain juice, after all," Ai nodded.

The mention of writing made Guiying escape a heavy sigh. "Don't remind me of writing. I came to indulge myself so that I can run away from it."

Ai looked puzzled. "What's wrong? Ran out of your creative juices?"

"I don't know," Guiying leaned back on her seat, her eyes holding a wistful gaze, "I feel like I am still stuck at that night when Zhan Yahui…I want to write. I try hard. But when I realize that she isn't behind me anymore to scold me, to nag at me, to sometimes wryly mock me, I feel a strange void. I just cannot come up with anything."

Guiying bit her tongue and apologized. "I am sorry. I know you wouldn't like to hear about her. She has been your and Jun's biggest enemy…"

"You don't have to apologize," Ai placed her hand over hers, smiling with understanding. "Zhan Yahui to you is how Xing Bi is to me. I cannot imagine anybody else but her. It was the most difficult time for me to leave Dream High and join Sky because I knew that I was leaving Xing Bi behind. I didn't know what I was supposed to do without her. She was and is my anchor for writing. So I understand your relationship with Zhan Yahui. It went beyond just a writer and editor."

Her eyes ached, but she steeled herself to not cry.

"I want to write a good story for her," she whispered.

Ai beamed. "You definitely will. It will come to you. So don't force yourself. It never works with writing."

Guiying bumped her head on the table. "I feel like that inspiration will never come to me. How do you manage this blank state of mind, Ai?"

Ai blushed. "My fiance."

"..."

"He is my greatest motivation and inspiration. The way he talks, the way he acts cute, the way he sulks…everything. I just look at him and suddenly, I feel this rush of ideas inside my head. Don't tell him though. He doesn't like it when I base my characters off him."

Why do I feel that I am eating dog food? I am supposed to be enjoying my lobster, her brow twitched.

The line of conversation triggered Ai, and she happily recounted all the adorable experiences, especially his relationship with the feather duster.

"He always gets mad at its sight, that's why I keep using it," Ai sheepishly grinned.

"When…did you become a sadist, Ai?" She gasped with disbelief.

"I-I cannot help it. He is just too cute to not bully him at times hehe~"

Her jaw dropped. "You bully him? Remember the time he threatened to burn down my house just because I offered you to stay with me at the time your house was burned? He was so cold and rude! How do you bully a man like that and be alive?"

Ai sheepishly grinned once again. "Jun is very possessive of me, so he didn't want me to leave. Now that I think back, maybe he was starting to have feelings for me since then. It was the same for me. I didn't like the thought of leaving his house and him either.

"Ughh stop, stop with the dog food!"

"How is it dog food?" She frowned. "You must be having your own sweet moments with Zixin, don't you? You must be the source of dog food for everybody else the same way."

"..."

"W-we are not like you and Jun…! Y-yet…" she blushed furiously.

"But Zixin confessed to you and you love him too. You two live under the same roof too. So where is the problem?" She tilted her head. "Oh! Is it perhaps that 'she' doesn't like him?"

"No, no. It's not like that. 'She' likes Zixin too. I-It's just that I am clueless on what to do…I mean of course I lo-love him…" she said that almost inaudibly, "but my mind just freezes whenever he comes before him. I think about all sorts of things. Sometimes, I get anxious if I am the right person for him…"

Ai smacked her on her head and fumed. "You are the only woman for Zixin. Don't ever doubt that. Zixin, too, loves you more than anything in this world. He will readily become your servant if you just utter that wish. Just like how Jun and I are fated to be together, so are you and Zixin. That's why Zixin found his way to you as MrPerfect, didn't he?"

Her heart raced thinking about all those sweet letters that Zixin had sent her. It brought a warm smile on her lips.

Ai gave it some thought and her face sparkled with an idea. "I have an idea! Come with me!"

"Where?"

She chirped. "To meet Zixin."