Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Alix leaned her head against the car's window, staring out at the night street with a gaze that expressed nothing.

"Did they bother you too much?"

She turned to face Jin. "Who bothered me?"

"Grandpa, Uncle Zhou, the kids. They just forced you into the games, right?"

She shrugged. "It was fine I guess. Though I sincerely question just what is the source of their endless energy."

He grimaced. "Wish I knew how to turn off that switch, especially with Grandpa, Uncle and the twins."

Alix slightly tilted her head. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"You are the youngest in the family, yet you are very calm and measured. The elders are the hyperactive ones. Isn't it usually the opposite in a family?"

He shrugged. "It's just the gene distribution I guess? Uncle Jing and the twins are Grandpa's Xerox copy while the rest of us are more like Dad. We like to conserve our energy."

"You have a very colorful family. I feel jealous."

Jin tilted his head. "You have a nice family too…well except for your sister. But your parents love you. Isn't that why they gave you the company's responsibility?"

Alix slowly looked back outside the window again.

"Only if they were my parents…"

She muttered it under her breath which Jin couldn't hear.

Jin stopped his car at the signal and waited. Alix stared at the park in the distance where families and couples had headed out for a nice, long evening walk. Couples walked hand-in-hand beneath the trees, making Alix's brow slightly furrow. She opened and closed her eyes, her eyelids feeling heavier.

Out of nowhere, black and white images suddenly sprang in front of her sight that took her by shock. Under the same tree where a couple flirted with each other, she now saw two stranger black and white figures arguing with each other.

'Don't even think of…'

'Let me go! I don't want this anymore!'

'What do you mean you don't want anymore?'

'Exactly what you hear. I had enough of this! You are just too much!'

'Too much? Am I too much? You don't understand my feelings at all!' The taller figure gritted his teeth.

'Feelings? Are they feelings or just your attempts in controlling me? That's why I have had enough. I want to have my space!'

The tall dark figure took a threatening step towards her. 'You cannot do this. You cannot do this…'

Alix clutched her head, a sharp pain buzzing back and forth as if somebody was hammering hard upon it. The jumbling memories crashed like tsunami waves that baffled her.

"Alix!"

She jolted and looked up, feeling a sudden pressure on her shoulder. Her blank gaze fell upon Jin, who stared at her confused and shocked.

"What's wrong? You suddenly started trembling and gasping for air. You are sweating too."

"I am…?"

Alix touched her temple and felt the moistness of her sweat. She looked back in the park's direction, not seeing the black and white images anymore.

"Alix?"

*Honk Honk!*

"Hey start moving dude! The signal turned green ages ago!"

"Yeah, don't block the road!"

The drivers of the cars behind Jin were starting to get agitated and impatient with the wait. Jin glared at the drivers through the back window.

"Hold on. Let me park at the side."

Jin pressed the accelerator and found some space ahead to park near a convenience store. He stopped the car and quickly headed out. Two minutes later, he exited the convenience store and went back in the car.

"Here. Have some water. I have brought some juice too," he unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to her.

Alix took a few sips and said, "Thank you. I am okay now."

His gaze darkened. "What okay? You looked like some train ran over you. Why did you suddenly get a headache?"

"I don't know."

His brows knitted thoughtfully. "You have gaps in your memories, right? Did you remember something?"

She rubbed her temple. "I guess so. It was all black and white and so noisy…Anyway. I am doing fine now."

He scoffed. "Yeah sure. Just sit obediently."

Jin restarted the engine and drove back into the lane but he didn't take the turn that led to Alix's house.

"Where are we going?" She frowned.

"Where we should be going."

—

"Blood pressure is normal," the nurse unwrapped the blood pressure cuff off Alix's arm after taking the reading.

Alix stared at Jin. "Of course it is normal. I am not sick."

"It was a different story a few minutes ago so stop talking," Jin sourly said. "You think I was supposed to drop you home in that condition?"

"What condition? I can walk and talk."

"Will you stop talking?"

The nurse's brow twitched. They were at the hospital right now where Jin insisted for Alix to have a checkup.

"Please wait for a moment. The doctor will be here soon."

The nurse left and Alix immediately said, "This is a waste of time. The headache was temporary."

"It could be related to your memory so it's not a small deal. Why are you taking it so lightly?"

Alix made a face.

"...I hate hospitals."

Jin glanced at her. "It is just a checkup, not like you have to sleep the night here."

"You are being a busybody."@@novelbin@@

His face blackened. "That's what I get for showing concern?"

"I don't deserve any concern."

"You deserve concern as much as the next patient in the ward here so zip it."

Alix frowned. But she zipped her lips for real this time.

The doctor came in and greeted her with a smile. "Miss. Ren. Long time." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire

He was the same attending doctor during the entire time Alix was in coma.

"You finally remembered your way here."

Alix's brow twitched.

Jin blinked. "Meaning?"

"She has been skipping on her regular follow up appointments despite the numerous reminders."

Jin stared at her, his lips lifting into a sneer. "No wonder you felt this was a waste of time. Somebody just wanted to escape."

Alix just shrugged. "Look, I am still out of coma, alive and kicking. Why do I need followup appointments?"

The doctor replied. "Because we need to understand if your memory gaps are coming back to you or not. It could be dangerous if not monitored regularly. So Miss. Ren. Did you recall something today?"

"Yes. About my ex-boyfriend."