Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

For a long time, Chyou didn’t know what to speak because she was too busy placating her rapid heartbeats. There were the commercials to be done and now Director Murong insisted on doing the movie together too.

Huh, huh, huh?

What should I say? What should I even say to him?

A movie with Yating…can I even do it? But wait. Why am I so worried?

A message hit her phone and she read it was from Sun Jiang.

‘Oh my gosh, Chyou! I heard from Director Murong that he wants to cast Gu Yating as the lead actor! That’s freaking amazing! I am telling you the movie will be a blockbuster even more than when Cheng Yin was in it. People really adore the way Gu Yating carries himself you know~’

Chyou peeked at Yating but she was too mesmerized by the sun’s soft glow lighting up his side profile. Yating felt her gaze and looked at her.

She stiffened and stumbled.

“Hey!” He quickly caught her arm and gently pulled her.

He gazed down. “Are the heels uncomfortable for you?”

She robotically shook her head.

“That’s good then,” he smiled.

She instantly averted her gaze.

“…”

“Is something the problem?”

I don’t know, she thought. But I am not able to look at you for some reason.

“No problem…”

Yating figured out the source of her tension and smiled with assurance. “It’s okay, Chyou. I won’t act in the movie. It’s impossible for me anyway.”

“Huh, what? It’s not impossible,” she blinked at him, confused. “You definitely have the talent!”

He paused, surprised. He was expecting a different reaction from Chyou.

“Aren’t you…bothered if we work together?”

She blinked twice and then it hit her. Things were at an odd place between them. They cared for each other but with how she herself had asked to end their friendship, she didn’t know where they stood.

Yin wasn’t in the picture anymore. She had no reason to think and act cautiously around Yating.

Her face fell.

Wouldn’t it…be incredibly selfish of me now?

Yating’s eyes slightly widened. “Hey, hey. You don’t have to look so troubled. I was just-”

“No, no!” She quickly said, “I am not worried in that sense.”

His head tilted. “Then?”

Chyou hesitated. She was trying all sorts of permutations and combinations in her mind when Yating said, “Chyou. I always liked the way you spoke freely to me. I will seriously never get offended over whatever you have to say so you really don’t have to think so much.”

Chyou slowly met his gaze. It felt so peaceful and assuring that all the chaos in her mind halted from disrupting her mind further. His pleasant smile washed over a comforting feeling in her heart that lifted off a burden from her shoulders but also brought tears to her eyes.

“I am really sorry, Yating.”

He blinked. “Sorry for what? Wait, did you steal the cookies I bought?”

“…”

He then patted his coat’s pocket and found the small cookie packet was safe and sound. “Oh, you didn’t. My bad,” he sheepishly grinned.

Her brow twitched. “I am not a thief.”

He shook his head. “One can never say about a woman when it’s about sweets.”

Her nostrils flared. “I think as a compensation for you falsely accusing me, I deserve to get those cookies.”

“Aha! I knew that you would eye my cookies,” his eyes narrowed.

“I wasn’t until you accused me,” she harrumphed in her defense and suddenly stiffened.

She bantered so naturally as if all the confusion she was facing was just an illusion. She raised her trembling finger at him “Y-you…don’t try to change the atmosphere!”

He chuckled. “The gloomy atmosphere doesn’t suit the Queen. Bright and chirpy and cheeky is what is right for you.”

Her shoulders slumped and a tear fell on her cheek. “Why are you so nice to me?”

He said with all sincerity, “Do a loyal subject need a reason?”

She threw him a soft glare. “Yes, you do need a reason especially when I was the one who selfishly asked you to break our friendship. You…” she sniffled, “despite that you are still standing by my side as if nothing happened…”

Yating thoughtfully touched his chin. “Yes because nothing has happened in the first place. Hmm, what is this memory that you have but I don’t?”

“…”

“Seriously?”

“From the last stored record in my database, the Queen and this loyal subject were and still are always good friends. I never had a reason to not care for you.”

Tears pooled in her eyes and her voice choked. “But I remember.”

He nodded. “Seems some fault has entered your harddisk. You are retaining memories that never even happened.”

“…”

“I must say you should skip those faulty memory records,” he grinned.

Her cheeks puffed up as she was trying hard to not cry. “Y-you should just walk out of this movie proposal. You shouldn’t think about it or me or feel responsible to save it when I made some foolish choices for the sake of the wrong man…Please don’t help me anymore when I have o-only ever hurt you.”

Yating tilted his head. “Hmm, this loyal subject still doesn’t remember the Queen ever hurting him. Perhaps a benevolent virus hacked my memory and wiped it out.”

“…”

“You are super knowledgeable about computers right? How was my knowledge? Pretty impressive, right? I studied hard.”

Chyou could only tremble in grievance.

He chuckled. “As far as I remember Chyou. We were always and still are good friends. Nothing ever ended between us. I am just too shameless to let go of hugging the Queen’s thigh~”

At that point, Chyou felt like she was talking to a wall. “You…! You are seriously such a good man! Why are you such a good man?”

“Only because you are so awesome,” he laughed.

Chyou felt dizziness surrounding her brain. His eyes, his laughter, his sweet words and his unwavering support were proving to be too lethal for her heart.

Her helpless expression made Yating pinch her cheek. “The Queen can be as selfish as she wants with me. Gu Yating will gladly fulfill all of it.”