Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

*Flashback continued*

The day of Jin and Shui’s wedding was unlike any other normal wedding. A wedding was supposed to be filled with brightness and laughter, but the bleak atmosphere rang with nothing but hopelessness.

Jin, who was ready in a white tuxedo, had an expression completely devoid of any joy. He blankly stared at himself in the mirror, plotting how he would punish Shui for forcing him into his marriage.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, but Jin didn’t react.

Nian watched his little brother’s blank eyes and felt helpless. “Jin…It’s time.”

Jin chuckled. “Time for what? To make that bitch my wife-“

“Jin!” He sighed in frustration. “Don’t…don’t curse her like that.”

“Oh? But she is cursing my whole life here, Bro, and I cannot even give her names?”

Silence.

“Strange, right? Everybody is against this marriage, but nobody can even lift a finger against her. Just to save her pathetic life…I have to marry the woman I hate the most,” his eyes reddened.

Nian pulled his head against his chest and patted his hair with his trembling fingers. “I am sorry, Jin…I am sorry that I cannot help you…”

Outside, the gloomy atmosphere kept worsening, especially when Siying and Nuo crossed paths. They froze and remained silent.

But soon, Nuo mockingly smiled. “I guess you must be happy now, right? Your precious sister is getting married after all.”

Siying balled his fist. “Nuo…”

“No, it’s okay,” she wiped the corner of her eye as she chuckled, “It was completely wrong when Bro Jun acted selfish and possessive. But it’s fine when Shui acts the same way for Jin. How rules change.”

He trembled. “Nuo, even we are against-“

But she didn’t give him any chance to speak as she passed right past him, cutting him off.

The same chilliness crackled in Jian’s heart too as he met Leina. The only question he asked her was, “I wonder who you stand with now?”

She said nothing.

“Oh, I am sorry. Whether Shui rejects Jun’s more than thirty years of his love or whether she threatens Jin into marrying her, you would never see any fault in her, right? Everything was Jun’s fault before, and now it must be Jin’s.”

Leina met his cold gaze and said, “I never supported Shui in this, and I still don’t. Nobody does.”

He faintly smiled. “It doesn’t matter anymore. But hey, be happy. Even if everything is broken between us and our families, Shui wins today. At least somebody is winning. You should celebrate.”

His sarcastic words twisted her heart with pain she felt unable to bear.

The skirmishes between the Liu and Han families echoed in the eerie silence.

Nana, who waited for the inevitable to happen as she sat on a wheelchair, weakly coughed.

“Nana!” Jinhai rushed to bring a glass of water for her and bent on his knees. He anxiously helped her hold the glass in her hand. “Here. You haven’t drank anything yet.”

She looked at her husband with tears from her eyes falling atop his fingers. “Can I when I am watching my children suffer like this?”

Jinhai pressed his hands against hers and tried to smile. “Everything will be fine, Nana. One day…everything will turn alright.”

She stared at Jinhai, her sobs echoing between them. “I don’t see that day coming, Jinhai. My children…everybody is broken and I…I cannot do anything to help them. I cannot do anything to ease their grief. I am their mother, but I am not able to protect them at all. Jun, Jian, Nuo, Jin…they are in so much pain,” she trembled with her cheeks turning wetter, “But I am so useless. This wasn’t the future…I wanted to see.”

“No! Don’t you dare take the blame for all this! I won’t allow you to!” He gritted his teeth. “Nana, I will fix everything. I will definitely…”

Nana pressed her forehead against his and let out a helpless smile at his attempt to reassure her. Not only her children’s grief pained her but seeing her mighty husband reduced into accepting defeat like this was simply unbearable for her.

When the time arrived for the wedding to begin, Jin and Shui stood opposite each other. Both families were present, but none of them were smiling. Jin stared at her wedding gown with hostility and disgust, and his hand shook with rage to strangle her.

You wanted to marry me, right Shui? Fine. You win today. But not for long…Your victory won’t remain forever.

As the ceremony began, Jun’s enraged voice roared as he barged in. The air suddenly went still as he walked towards Jin and punched him on his face. “JIN!!!”

The strong impact from the punch knocked Jin out of balance, and he stumbled. He stared at Shui’s wedding gown in a stupor and a broken chuckle escaped his lips. “Ah…”

“Jun…” Shui’s gaze fell back at him, filled with disbelief. “Y-You are…”

“I am here. Yes, Shui. I am here. But…”

Jin slowly got up on his feet and slowly walked towards him. “Bro.”

Jun alternated his gaze between him and Shui and tilted his head, his eyes shining with the moistness left by their betrayal. His heart felt like an empty shell to him. “That was some nice game you played…”

“Bro…” Jin’s heart raced in trepidation as he anxiously tried to explain, “T-this is not what it looks like-“

Gasps then echoed as Jun suddenly pointed his gun at him.

“J-Jun!” Nana shrieked as she cried. “What are you doing? Put the gun down!”

Jinhai and the twins rushed forward, but Jun warned them. “Don’t take a step near me, or the bullet will really fire off.”

They froze.

He stared at his mother, who shed tears and smiled. “Why are you telling me to stop, Mom? I thought…” he blankly stared into the distance, “you still cared about me. But seeing them ready to marry today…Ah, I finally got my answer.”

“Bro…?” Jin dazedly tried to reach him. “Y-you want to…”

You want to really kill me?