Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

The birthday celebration went without a hitch as Zixin acted completely normal. Though what happened at the office had eroded the joy from his heart, he couldn't bear to show the same dispirited demeanor in front of his family.

He looked at his mother, father, grandparents, siblings. This birthday meant a lot to them. He felt it in their gazes where the twinkling never ceased to stop. How could he let them down by expressing his own predicament?

I have to smile. For their sake, I cannot appear like I am bothered by something.

From the corner of his eye, he traced the silhouette of Guiying's figure and froze. He knew she was watching him and taking small steps to reach him. His hands trembled. An urge to just turn away engulfed within him.

I cannot…

Neither had he the heart to avoid her nor the guts to face her. The more she came closer, the more disarray spread in his chest.

"Zixin…"

Even amidst the celebration, he heard her soft voice crystal clear. He didn't see what expression she wore on her face. He didn't know how she looked in her dress. But he imagined it would be nothing less than stunning.

Zixin gave a slight nod to her. At that moment, he desperately wished for somebody to call out to him so that he would get a reason to escape. But with a common understanding, nobody bothered Zixin since they saw Guiying stand next to him. They left the two lovebirds alone.

Serena and Chen Liling took special care of that. They are drooling on the hope that today would be a high chance for everyone hearing the official good news. He noticed his family giggling, but he couldn't understand why.

"After the celebration is over…"

He slightly stiffened as Guiying continued.

"Can we talk? I…I have a place in my mind. W-we can go there and talk for sometime."

Zixin felt his heart stop. His expression dropped as if a bomb fell upon him. A plethora of negative and self-deprecating thoughts invaded his mind as if everything was over.

She waited for an answer but his struggle was evident. He was torn apart between saying yes and no.

"I will wait for you," she softly whispered.

She stood still for a few moments, her eyes aching to see Zixin so desolate. His lack of response ushered a deep sense of doubt if her request would even be fulfilled or not.

From afar, Ai anxiously looked at the two where it seemed that only Guiying was talking while Zixin maintained his distance. It was the first time for him not blooming at Guiying's sight and instead wishing for a chance to avoid her.

"Is it only me or does Bro look odd tonight?" Jun asked, his brows frowning. "He looks disturbed for some reason."

Ai sighed. "I talked to Guiying. There has been a little misunderstanding between them…Well actually between him and Guiying's other self."

Jun's eyes slightly widened in surprise. "Is it something serious? It definitely seems that way. Bro looks a little awkward there with Guiying. Actually a lot.'

"It is indeed a serious concern, but as long as they talk about it, everything can get sorted. But it looks like Zixin is hesitating to have that conversation."

He paused and solemnly nodded. "If both of them keep silent, then things will always be a stalemate."

"Yes. That's why I hope his birthday ends on a happy note that we always wished for."

—

The birthday celebration had long been over and as Guiying decided, she arrived at the place where she asked Zixin to meet her. She looked up at the night sky which was devoid of any stars. It stretched like a vast, endless blanket of nothingness that evoked a strange tightness within her heart.

She had also been trying to talk to 'her' since she lashed out at 'her' a few hours ago. But the silence was so deafening that Guiying felt a chill run up her spine. She didn't wish to hurt her feelings, but she also couldn't bear Zixin's broken gaze.

She stood under the night sky, anxiously waiting for Zixin to arrive. She wanted this prickly thorn-like feeling to disappear as soon as possible. She wanted to mend things between the three of them once again and hopefully still salvage Zixin's birthday.

Guiying didn't see any figure nor heard any footsteps. Every passing minute felt like an agonizing hour. Her patience and hope was wearing thin as her eyes began to shine with tears.

"Please don't cry."

Guiying blinked twice and looked up in a stupor. Accompanied with that soft and pleasing voice stood Zixin in flesh. A pleasant gust of cool wind fluttered his coat in the air. He had her cheeks in an attempt to wipe her tears, but he froze and forced himself to stop midway. Lowering his gaze, he promptly withdrew his hand.

Guiying randomly waved her hands in an awkward posture, not knowing where to start even though she had practiced it a million times in her heart. Only twenty odd minutes remained until Zixin's birthday would end.

"Thank you for coming, Zixin!" She spoke raspily.

Zixin didn't meet her gaze. But in his heart he knew that he could have never ignored Guiying's request to meet. He was incapable of denying her anything as long as it even remotely had anything to do with her. Despite his mind desperately pulling him back to safety of his room and where he wouldn't have to face his guilt once again, he eventually let himself be led by his heart.

"You…wanted to talk about something," he spoke with a shiver in his voice, knowing all too well what it was going to be about.

Guiying forced her heart to calm down and stared at him with steely determination. "I called you here because I wanted to give you my answer, Zixin. Under this very tree that started everything for us."

Zixin blinked and looked up for the first time. It was then that his eyes widened, coming to the realization that they were standing under a huge and mesmerizing cherry blossom tree. The beautiful petals waved and danced sideways with the rhythm of the gentle wind. It reminded him of the first time he met Guiying at the hospital under a similar cherry blossom tree.

And tonight on his birthday, they stood underneath it once again.