Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

[0)ᴠʟ Jun and Ai were supposed to return to Beijing after dinner, but Xie Nuying insisted on spending the night at her home before which they could only agree. Zhou Yichen protested heavily against this but since the dinner was at his house, she was stubborn that the sleepover would be at her place.

“Tomorrow’s breakfast is at my house. Jun-cute and Ai-chan would have breakfast at my place before leaving for Beijing!” He declared.

Since Xie Nuying had to check some of her students’ assignments and other pending university work to do, she went ahead first while Jun and Ai decided to take a stroll along the neighborhood.

They had an early dinner, so it wasn’t completely dark yet outside. The sun’s orange-golden hue covered the sky with its gleam.

Holding Jun’s hand, Ai took the lead and fervently took him to places where she used to visit as a child and a teenager.

“You must have already seen the park. Mom, Dad and I used to play there all the time. I will take you to the shop where I used to eat steamed buns! They make the most delicious buns!”

With her eyes sparkling with delight, she took him to a local shop in the street where the owner sold delicious steamed buns.

“Ai, is it? Aiya, you have grown so much!” The owner of the shop recognized her. “Long time.”_.

“Uncle Peng,” she brightened.

Uncle Peng looked at Jun and asked, “Hoho, is he your…”

“Yes. He is my boyfriend.”

Jun smiled and gave his greetings.

“Excellent! We missed you so much Ai. Hehe, I remember how you and Guiying used to hop here all the time after high school. Wait here a bit. I will make your usual order! It’s a treat from me!” He chirped.

She beamed. “Thank you, Uncle Peng.”

After talking with him for a bit and carrying a freshly steaming bun in her hands, she eagerly asked Jun to take a bite. “It’s tasty, right?”

Jun watched the glee on her beautiful face and chuckled. “The one feeding me is tastier.”

She broke into a cough, and her cheeks turned rosy. “I am talking about the steamed bun.”

“And I am talking about you.”

She complained. “You are teasing me.”

He pinched her nose. “It’s nothing compared to your parents teasing me and giving me back to back heart attacks today.”

Ai guiltily cleared her throat. “L-let’s head over to the next destination.”

Jun narrowed his eyes.

The next place was her highschool which she attended. The school was empty apart from a few students who were behind to do club activities. Jun glanced across the school campus and imagined a teenager Ai quietly studying here. He had a sudden desire to know how she must have looked as a teenager.

She pointed at three windows. “Those were my classrooms for the years I was in.”

His gaze warmed up, and he thought of a serious Ai studying. “Cute…” he whispered.

Then he cocked his brow and bent towards her. “I wonder how it would have been if we had studied in the same school as a senior and junior?”

Ai blinked and imagined a senior teenage Jun. Her irises were filled with hearts as she spoke spellbound, “You must have looked so cute with a high school uniform.”

Jun’s face blackened. He was hinting about their possible love story, and her brakes were jammed at adoring his cuteness.

It’s useless talking to her!

One of the teachers noticed Ai and called out in delight. “Zhou Ai!” He was one of his homeroom teachers. “You are back?”

“Teacher San,” Ai bowed. “I came back for a day to meet Mom and Dad with my boyfriend. He is Liu Jun.”

Teacher San gasped. “You…You are Sky CEO, right? I watched the Summit. I was so happy to see Ai win! Congratulations! For winning the Summit and for getting such a handsome boyfriend too!”

“Thank you,” Ai scratched her chin in embarrassment.

He clapped once. “We are so proud of you! One of our school’s students won such a prestigious Summit. The principal and our staff celebrated it so much haha! Aish, you were always such a diligent student. Oh by the way how is Cai Guiying? Her entry was also great,” he nodded in appreciation. “You two make us feel so proud.”

Ai faintly smiled. “She is doing good too.”

She felt Jun squeeze her hand, not wanting her to feel down.

“My girlfriend was in your care. It’s nice to meet you,” Jun said.

After leaving the high school, he hugged her as they walked. “Don’t think about her and feel depressed, or I will punish you.”

Ai rested her head against his shoulder. “I don’t feel sad when you are there with me.”

“Good.”

As the last place of the day, Ai took Jun to a very special place that was dear to her heart. She softly smiled as she looked at the dilapidated building. “This is the library I told you about. The old librarian here used to give me his collections. He was a very kind person. I used to come here to study and read books.”

“Why is it not operational?”

“The old librarian, Mr. Xiong passed away. His children and grandchildren settled in different cities. So, it slowly shut down. He is still well respected in this area, so the library is still in place, and it wasn’t sold. The books inside were donated to orphanages.”

“I see…”

Ai’s gaze looked pleasant and tender as she stared at the now worn out building, reminiscing the good times she spent with Mr. Xiong.

They stood in silence, giving respect to Mr. Xiong.

Jun entwined his fingers against hers and whispered, “Thank you for showing me where you grew up. I am really happy to see the places and meet the people that were a part of your growing up years. Ai. You lived a good and warm life here. I promise you that the days filled with warmth and peace will always continue because I won’t let anything or anybody take that away from you.”