Ai took a few deep breaths, and her poise gradually returned. "I thought I could never get so agitated like this, but you proved me wrong. Thank you so much."
The taunt in her words was crystal clear, making his brow twitch. But Yating admitted that Ai had a point. "I am really sorry. Maybe you are right. I would have kept these things hidden from you had we been together."
She faintly smiled.
It doesn't matter anymore, Yating. That life has already passed away. We could never have it back.
"I just want you to know that you cannot let people misunderstand you. You have your own reasons and intentions for doing something, but…" her eyelashes trembled, "you have no idea how much this silence could cost in a relationship. Two people can only be happy if they share their worries with each other. It is only fulfilling when two people are working together for a solution, not dealing with it all alone. That's why two people are together in the first place."
Yating looked solemn. "You are right."
Ai wiped her eyes. "Yating, you might have heard this a lot but I will still say it. You are not responsible for Ma Dong's accident."
He said nothing.
"You did everything you could to save him. What happened after that was an accident. So don't think you are to blame for it. I want you to consciously make an effort to believe so. There was no menace in your heart and so, there was no menace in your actions either. Ma Dong fell because he was drunk and was careless. You had nothing to do with it."
Yating didn't know why her words affected her so much. Gu Rong and his therapist had said this same thing to him countless times. But when she said it now, he felt as if he really got the reason to move on from that nightmare.
He hoarsely affirmed. "I will try, Ai…Thanks a lot," tears fell from his eyes.
She nodded.
—
Outside, Jun anxiously waited for Ai to come out. He kept looking at the hands of his watch, counting down the seconds to when the thirty minutes would be over.
If Gu Yating keeps her even for a second more, I will strangle him to death!
The door finally opened, and Jun felt as if it took forever for Ai to step out. Before she could even process anything, Jun blocked her view with his big bear hug. "I missed you."
"I was just inside the room with Yating."
"That's exactly why I missed you."
Her mouth twitched into a smile. She hugged him back and buried her head into his chest. "I missed you too."
"Good."
"Let's head out and you tell me everything that he said."
"Yes."
—
Learning about Yating's trauma made Jun feel that he couldn't be furious with him anymore. "I feel like I am angry, but I am not angry either. This is annoying. I don't want to hold any high opinion of your ex-boyfriend of your last life. All my rivals are supposed to be bad people."
"..."
"Why?"
"So that I can look the best in your eyes," he snorted.
She tapped on his nose. "You don't have to look the best in my eyes. You are already the best."
His expression brightened, and he felt extremely pleased. He held her face and asked, "Are you still feeling guilty after knowing this?"
She pursed her lips. "It's a complicated emotion, Jun. I know you have a point. He shouldn't have kept such important things from me. But…I feel I was lacking too in understanding him. I could see and feel that he was stressed out, but I didn't do anything to help him. I should have pushed harder and forced him to involve me if he wasn't doing it on his own. But I kept waiting for him to come out with it one day. I thought he would eventually tell me. But I just kept waiting and getting disappointed…"
Jun protested this with his full spirit. "Ai! I already told you not to-"
"No, Jun. What is my fault is my fault. You love me so you don't want to hear anything against me," she slightly puffed up her cheeks. "But I don't want you to dote and spoil me the wrong way."
He pouted and pulled her in his arms. "I cannot help but spoil you."
Ai expressed her serious concern. "I am now worried about our children."
"Don't talk about annoying children."
"How can our children be annoying?" She was speechless.
Jun sneered. "If they somehow end up with Grandpa's genes more than ours. I don't want an endless ball of energy disturbing our bed time."
Her brow twitched. "You are impossible."
Jun kissed her forehead and smiled. "Anyway, now that everything is sorted out, how about we do something fun? It was really stressful these days."
"Indeed. But Chen Zixin's laptop…" she worriedly asked.
Jun sighed. "We will figure out some other way to know the truth."
Ai nodded.
"Good. So, how about we go on a date?"
Ai's eyes shone with thrill. "Yes."
"Where do you want to go?"
Ai thought about it. "I saw a carnival poster on our way to the hospital. It will be a lot of fun."
He smiled. "Sure, let's go."
—
A decision which Jun immediately regretted.
"Jun, try this."
He looked at his beaming girlfriend with a cold countenance, who held a headband in her hands. But it wasn't a normal headband. It was a headband with cat ears on top of it.
"You want me to become a cat?"
"What's wrong with becoming a cat? You will be a cute cat," she innocently said.
He gritted his teeth. "I am telling you I won't ever wear something so embarrassing. Over my dead body!"
She frowned. "You are not so accommodating in a carnival."
"You-"
"Is that you baby brother?"
Jun froze. He turned mechanically with dread creeping in his heart.
Nian sparkled like stars. "Jun! It's me! Your most favorite brother is here!!!"