*Present*
Ai was in a deep stupor as she listened to Jun's past. But now that she heard everything, it made sense to her why Zhan Yahui would thirst for revenge.
"She thinks you killed her father and…"
Jun truly smiled. "When I saw her childhood picture, it all came to me. Dad and the twins were stubborn to convince me that nothing was my fault. But so what…? Even if it was self-defense, I killed her father and snatched her happy family from her. Of course, I don't think for a second that what Zhan Yahui is doing is right," his tone grew icy, "She has crossed way too many limits and brought way too many innocent people to drag me down.
Bro Zixin, who had nothing to do with her, suffered a deadly accident. Cai Guiying's feelings and trust was played with. Shui was used, Xing Bi suffered her death and…so did you," his voice slightly shook.
"And since that night I recognized her to be the same girl, I cannot…I am not able to forgive myself, Ai…" his eyes reddened
Ai's eyes widened. "You…why are you feeling guilty!? You of all people had been the victim of Ouyang Haitao's kidnapping! How can you…" she pressed her lips, "you are an idiot, Jun."
She buried her face in his chest and sniffled. "I cannot imagine how terrifying it must have been for a nine year old boy to be kidnapped. You were a child, Jun. It wasn't your fault."
"But I cannot help but blame myself, Ai," he hugged her tighter, "Even back then when I came to know about his death, I kept feeling that maybe I shouldn't have resisted and gone with him instead. I trusted Dad. He would have rescued me anyhow. Then the accident wouldn't have happened and Zhan Yahui wouldn't have been filled with such hatred…It's all because of me that this started and she used everybody as her pawns! I now know that…your death was also somehow related to her revenge for me! You and Xing Bi somehow got entangled in all this mess and-"
Ai put her finger on his lips and puffed her cheeks with disappointment. "Now you are taking all the blame upon yourself, Jun and I don't agree to this. You are overthinking this."
"No, Ai. I am not overthinking. It's you who are just like Dad and the twins. You want to console and convince me to think that I am innocent. But after so many people have gotten affected because of one mistake, I cannot sit back and be arrogant about the whole thing."
Ai flared her nostrils. "Okay, so it's all your fault. Now what? What do you plan to do? Apologize to Zhan Yahui? Forgive all her wrong deeds and excuse her because apparently, you killed her to-be father."
He lowered his gaze. "No, Ai. Zhan Yahui will definitely pay for her sins. I won't forgive her for causing all the domino effect and hurting so many people along the way. But I…also cannot…not apologize for my…" he bit his lip, not able to voice out his feelings.
"Do you know why you aren't able to explain it properly? Because you didn't make any mistake, yet you stubbornly believe that you did. Jun, are you seriously the same man who didn't even bat an eye before killing the thief in that alley that night?"
He said nothing.
"First of all, it was an accident. Secondly, Ouyang Haitao wasn't an innocent man either. If he really was going to become Zhan Yahui's father, then where was he going to take her when she was unconscious? What did he want to do with her? Why did he kidnap you because he feared that you would tell everything to Dad? His heart hadn't been so pure either, Jun."
"Ai-"
"Ssh! I won't hear a single disgracing remark about yourself from you anymore," she stood firm with her words, "Now is the time to stop Zhan Yahui, not play the blame game. Now you close your eyes and sleep."
Jun smiled and kissed her forehead. "You look cute when you are angry."
She gave him a displeased look. "Today is my first day living at your house, and you are already making me fight with you."
"I am sorry," he earnestly said.
"I am not feeling your sincerity."
"How do you want to feel my sincerity?" He was hoping to have another round with her to which she deflated that balloon quite ruthlessly.
"Close your eyes and sleep."
"..."
"I was expecting something else."
"I know, but you are not gonna get it because you have disappointed me. Now if you won't sleep, then you will disappoint me even more."
"But I am not sleepy-"
"Should I shift to live in another room then?"
That made Jun promptly shut up. "I will sleep."
He closed his eyes, and Ai patted his head until he really dozed off. She released a small sigh of satisfaction.
When she saw that Jun was already in deep sleep after some time, she noiselessly got up, wore her clothes and tiptoed out of the room.
She stood before a door and knocked on it. But she heard no response. In the end, she let herself in Jian's room, who was busy playing a video game with his headphones on. Clearly, the sound was at full volume.
She walked up to his side and poked his shoulder. Jian looked up and gasped. He almost stumbled off his chair. "You! When did you come inside?"
"When you didn't open the door despite my incessant knocking."
"You scared me!" He complained.
"..."
Can I really scare the twins?
Jian grinned. "What are you doing here by the way?" He gasped again. "Wait, don't tell me that you got tired of Jun and fell for me instead? It's just your first day here and my charms have already got you?"
"..."
Jian sighed. "I am sorry, Ai. I appreciate your feelings for me, but I am deeply in love with my girlfriend. Also, you cannot break my little brother's heart so cruelly," he seriously and responsibly explained.
"I think I should let Mom hear you out too."
He broke into cold sweat. "Haha Ai! I am just joking! Of course I know how much you love Jun!" He gulped back his saliva.
"Can you call Nian here too? I want to talk to you two about something."
"Cool."
Nian popped in two minutes later, and he beamed seeing Ai. "My dearest sister-in-lawwwwww!" He jumped to her side and squished his cheek against hers. "You are in Jian's room like this. Don't tell me you got tired of Jun? Wait, you didn't come to my room so does that mean that I am not charming enough for you!?" He cried fake tears.
Her brow twitched. "You twins are always so in sync."
"Hehe, I know right?"
"Which will entertain me a lot when Mom will punish you two in sync too."
"..."
Nian wiped his forehead. "I was just joking, hehe…"
Ai then faced them and said, "I have something important to ask you two."
"Yes?" They tilted their heads simultaneously and blinked.
Really in sync…
She cleared her throat and looked at them with a grim countenance. "Jun told me about the kidnapping incident of his childhood."
"Oh…" their expressions didn't change much. "And?"
"I feel there is a big part of a puzzle missing which Jun doesn't know."
They cocked their brows up.
"Did something happen during the time Jun was unconscious?"
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