Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

800  Not one-sided

At the entrance of the Zhu villa gate, Chyou stepped out of the car and looked back at Yating. "Thanks for dropping me home."

"I should thank you. Thanks a lot…for just being there," he smiled. "And of course, the fireworks were fun too."

She smiled back. "Yes. It was awesome."

"See you later. Good night."

"Good night."

He drove away while she remained standing at her place, watching him leave.

'What if I want that woman to be you?'

Chyou found it difficult to breathe. She knew what those words meant but her mind resisted believing in them.

Had Yating really fallen for her?

"I think I misread his words. I am still not an expert in lip reading," she awkwardly smiled. Though even with this reassurance, her heart wasn't at ease.

She opened her clutch and held out the delicate pendant chain in her palm. The Q letter pendant sparkled gracefully.

'But he confessed to you. He wouldn't have done that if he wasn't confident in himself.'

Chyou recalled all those times when she had noticed Yin's discomfort with the gift. Whenever the pendant came into his view, he curled himself distant from it as if it made him extremely bitter. She later came to realize why he fumbled on the takes that day.

Yating's gift bothered him.

Was it because it was an expensive gift or that it was given by another man? Or both?

Chyou didn't know, but she stopped wearing the chain in public. Instead, she kept it in her purse. She neither told Yating what she thought. She didn't want him to feel that his gift with good intentions was discomforting Yin. She didn't want him to look guilty and apologetic when it wasn't his fault at all.

"It's cold outside, dear."

Xiaosi spread a warm shawl over her shoulders and stood by her side. He smiled. "You have been standing here for quite some time. What are you thinking so deeply?"

"Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing. It just felt very pleasant outside," she grinned.

"It's colder rather than pleasant."

"A little cold doesn't affect the Queen."

"But a troubled heart can falter the mightiest."

She coughed. "My heart is all chirpy and cheery ho ho. There is no trouble anywhere."

He bored his gaze into hers, apparently easily reading her lie. But he went along with what she said. "Then as always, I am the happiest to know that."

He looked down at the pendant and asked, "That's Yating's gift, right? I don't see you wearing it anymore. Has it broken?"

"Oh…oh, no, no. It's fine. I…keep forgetting it haha."

"Does Cheng Yin have a problem with it?"

Xiaosi's question struck straight at the heart of the matter, making her choke. "N-Not at all."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't have to lie. Honestly, I understand his position. An expensive gift from a male friend could make a boyfriend insecure." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chyou began to sweat.

"His feelings are valid in a sense but the question is how far those uncomfortable feelings reach?"

"It's r-really not like that, Dad."

"Chyou."

She stiffened with his voice taking a slightly deeper and sterner note.

"Burying uncomfortable decisions and emotions is not a way to secure any relationship. Understand that very clearly."

She pressed her lips. His words resonated with her hard as she recalled her childhood days when Xiaosi and Caihong's marriage was nothing more than a lifeless skeleton. It was later on as she grew up that she learned the full story.

"...You had also buried your feelings, Dad. A long time back," she whispered.

Xiaosi smiled a gentle smile. "My feelings would have only dragged down your mother at that time, Chyou. She didn't need me. So I kept my silence because I cannot hurt her. I would have rather killed myself."

Her eyes ached as tears brimmed in them. "You…must have also felt insecure thinking about Uncle Zhi and Mom's…feelings for each other…"

He shook his head. "I was never insecure. Yes, it hurt that the woman I loved didn't return my feelings. But that's not the same as being insecure. I simply accepted to live my life without her love. I was happy to. As long as I could see her smiling, nothing else mattered to me."

He looked back at the pendant. "That's why I am not invalidating Cheng Yin's feelings if he doesn't appreciate the gift. But…"

His eyes narrowed. "Equally, I don't want those feelings to grow into something nastier that would chain you into doing something that you don't want to. He shouldn't have a problem if you wear the pendant on your neck if he trusts that your heart only lies with him. In the end, it all boils down to trust. Does he trust you?"

Her promise of keeping only a business relationship with Yating flashed in her mind. "...Yes."

"That wasn't an immediate answer, I am afraid."

"That was immediate only. My throat went dry for a second," she looked away.

He stared at her. "Then we should head back. I don't want you to catch a cold."

As they walked back towards their house, Chyou threw frequent glances at him.

"Just ask what you want to."

She coughed. "Nothing. Just a casual question."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you agree with Uncle Gu's proposal? About…Yating and my possible marriage I mean…"

"Why not? Gu Yating is one fine man. I know Gu Rong as a person and so I know how he has raised his son. Gu Yating didn't disappoint at all."

"I don't think Uncle Gu has to say that."

"That doting father is very rigid in some wrong ways but we can ignore that," he waved his hand in dismissal.

"..."

Xiaosi asked, "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged or at least pretended to. "Just had a thought in mind."

"Are you worried if your mother and I would accept Cheng Yin the same way as Gu Yating?"

Why is Dad being so perceptive today?

"Of course not. Like I said, it was a casual question."

Xiaosi faced her and said with an ultimatum, "Chyou. We accept the man who makes you happy. If that man is Cheng Yin, then we don't have a problem with it. But we just don't want that happiness, love, trust and compromises to be only one-sided. If it's like that, then your parents will have a big problem. Understood?"

Chyou gulped and nodded her head. "Understood."

Happy 800th chapter, my dearest readers~! I have never written such a long novel before and honestly I feel dizzy now coming so far. Thanks a lot for all your love and loyal following till now (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) My heart feels overwhelmed! Love ya all loads and loads ❤️❤️❤️