189 Pleased to meet everyone
Jun’s declaration left everybody aghast except Jinhai.
“You cannot be serious, Jun!” Zhiyuan exclaimed in fury.
It was hard reining Zhiyuan’s temper that was flaring up with every moment. No matter how much he seemed to oppose Jun and Shui’s relationship on the outside, he did support them from the bottom of his heart because he knew that nobody could love his daughter as much as Jun did. Jun’s whole world started and ended with Shui, which was what he wanted for his daughter.
A man who would treat her precious and closest to his heart. A man who would give her all the love he had to give.
If he was being honest to himself, Zhiyuan knew that Jun would never even think about cheating on Shui. The Liu family hadn’t raised their son like that. He had seen him grow up from a little brat to a responsible adult. He didn’t want to believe it, but listening to Jun’s confession that he now loved some other woman made him feel unjust for Shui.
Grandma Liu curled her fist. “Love her? Love someone named Zhou Ai? You suddenly love Zhou Ai now?”
“It’s not sudden! You…”
“Then what should I make of this, Liu Jun?” She took deep, restless breaths. “You never got tired of saying how much you loved Shui. Nobody could replace her in your heart. And now you want me to believe that someone who you might have met just two months ago made such a deep place in your heart that you forgot all about Shui? You want me to accept this woman as your girlfriend or someone you want to marry? Is it really love or has she bewitched you somehow!?”.
Nuo hurried to her side and gently said, “Grandma, please calm down. You will get sick like this.”
“Then tell your brother to stop speaking nonsense! I am telling you, Jun. I-I won’t accept Zhou Ai for you!”
The temperature took a sudden drop, Jun’s countenance turning frighteningly cold. “Not accept her? I accept her as my woman, and that is enough!”
Jin squinted his eyes. “When did you become so possessive of Zhou Ai? Just over a matter of two months, and you are head in heels for her? And then you say she is not the reason for turning everything into a mess?”
“What nonsense are you spouting, Jin!?” Jun’s loud voice roared in the villa akin to a beast let out from his cave. “I hadn’t even met Ai back when I broke up with Shui! I didn’t even know her! Why will I break up because of Ai!? Don’t you fucking dare drag Ai into this when it’s got nothing to do with her!”
Nana intervened between them. “Enough for now! You two-“
Jin ignored his mother’s intervention and incredulously questioned him back. “Nothing to do with her? You let a woman into your house and life for a whole month. You personally stepped in between as the Sky CEO to fight for her during the whole plagiarism scandal. She came all the way to the anniversary banquet to hand over your gift. You attended the Authors Summit even though you dislike events like such. Why? Because Zhou Ai was going to be there. And you say that your breakup has nothing to do with her?”
Jinhai warned. “Jin, you should stop it. Don’t go too far.”
Shui quickly came forward. “Jin, Even if Jun and Zhou Ai are together, I don’t think it’s like what you are-“
Jin smiled. “It’s exactly like that, Shui. You have been fooled so what you say doesn’t mean anything.”
She stiffened.
What…Why does Jin feels so different today?
The twins grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. Jian was on his left while Nian was on his right.
Jian narrowed his eyes. “This is not like you, Jin. I know things have taken a steep turn here, but calm down.”
Nian’s eyes showed no signs of what he was exactly thinking. “Jin, enough.”
Jin tilted his head. “Enough? He broke up with Shui, and he already found someone else. Isn’t he so quick to jump over to the next ship?”
Jun froze. He didn’t realize what happened after that, but he only felt a light feathery wind touch him and then heard a loud slap echo in the hall.
Shui gasped in shock while the others could only look, speechless.
That sound of a slap broke his daze, and he saw a figure standing between him and Jin. His lips parted, appalled.
“Ai…?”
Jun stared at Ai, whose figure looked smaller before him, yet her small shoulders were straight. Her back faced him, so he didn’t know what expression she wore right now.
The slap that resounded in the hall had hit Jin, tilting his face to the right by the impact. Silence followed for several moments after the slap’s sound diffused.
Liu Hai and Nana widened his eyes. “You.”
Jin slowly raised his head and stared at her figure who stood still and poised, but her eyes were anything but calm. They held hostility that Ai had never felt before, not even when Yating and Guiying betrayed her.
Ai parted her lips to confront Jin, but she stopped and turned to face Jun. “I thought about it a lot, and I concluded that you are wrong Jun,” she stated. “You shouldn’t be alone in facing anything. I disagree with you that I should meet your family when everything has calmed down. If I am not with you when the situation is tough, then I shouldn’t be there when it’s settled down either. That’s not how a relationship works.”
He stiffened. “You…Didn’t I tell you to stay back!”
Jun felt utterly helpless. Things had reached the point where people were misunderstanding Ai as a homewrecker, and he didn’t want her to bear such accusations at any cost!
“You did. But I disagreed. So, I came here.”
“…”
“Leave, Ai!” He glared at her. “You…please just leave.”
Ai stared at him. “Sure. If you want it so much, then I will leave. But then you won’t accompany me to meet my parents either.”
His gaze darkened. “Of course, I won’t let you go alone!”
“Then be quiet now.”
“…”
Ai turned and as her gaze fell on everybody, she bowed. “Hello. I am Zhou Ai. I would like to formally introduce myself as Jun’s girlfriend. Pleased to meet everyone here though I understand you don’t return the sentiments. I will ignore that for now.”