Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu-Chapter 1163: Emergency

"Yes, is there a problem?" Lin asked. "You drew so well. I don’t think they were meant to be just kept in drawers. Don’t you display your paintings in the art gallery?"

Shui scratched her chin. "Those are finished paintings. These are just rough sketches."

"Beautiful nevertheless. It doesn’t always have to be complete. There is something appealing about the unfinished too."

For some reason, the image of Alix flashed past his eyes. Though his love was unrequited and their story unfinished in a sense, he strangely didn’t feel hurt about it. He didn’t know where his life was meant to take him, but for now, he was happy that at least Alix had met her shore with Jin.

Unfinished...

Like Lin, she couldn’t help but think about Jin. Their story had remained unfinished too, whether it was the past or present. It rippled her chest with a numbing ache she didn’t like.

Why am I still feeling like this...So much time has already passed.

"Are you in a hurry?"

Her daze broke and she looked at him, surprised. "Hurry? No, not really? Why do you ask?"

"I don’t know. Your expression seemed a little uncomfortable, like you were in a hurry for something."

Huh...Did I look like that? Maybe I just want this prickly feeling to go away soon.

"I guess so."

"Haste makes you trip and fall," he said, "We must allow things to go at the pace they are meant to be."

"The slow pace kind of...hurts at times," she smiled wryly.

Lin glanced at her. He had a feeling he knew what she was talking about...or rather whom.

"Bro!"

Cai came rushing from the kitchen. "Your phone was ringing constantly so I picked it up."

"Oh? Who is calling?"

"I-I don’t know who it was but that old man who has been trying to adopt you all this time? Zhong Sihan? He is in the hospital!"

—

While Cai managed the cafe, Lin rushed to the hospital along with Shui. Though she wasn’t related to Zhong Sihan much in any way, she still decided to accompany him.

"Excuse me. Where is Zhong Sihan admitted?"

The nurse pointed in the direction and Lin dashed off.

"There is somebody already meeting him-"

He had already disappeared from her view by then. His heart was racing back and forth and until he would see Zhong Sihan healthy, he knew he wouldn’t be able to calm down.

There was nobody outside the room waiting for him, so he rushed in without knocking.

Zhong Sihan raised his head and so did another man, who turned toward the door, surprised.

"Mr. Zhong!" Lin was left breathless and panicked.

"Hey Lin!" Zhong Sihan beamed.

Behind Lin, Shui caught up to him too, left dumbfounded by the other man’s presence.

"Grandpa?"

Han Tian’s eyes widened. "Shui? What are you doing here?"

They approached the bed and Lin quickly asked, his chest still heaving breathlessly, "How did you collapse? What happened?"

"I was poisoned?"

He looked blank. "Poisoned?"

He sneered. "What else do you expect from my family who aren’t too thrilled with my prison release and had always hated my guts?"

"So-Somebody tried to kill you...?"

Han Tian grimaced. "Stop it with the nonsense, Sihan."

He looked at Lin, whose expression was too indescribable at the moment. "He wasn’t poisoned. Just collapsed after eating too much cheese and salt."

"Cheese and salt?" Shui looked confused.

"Pizza. He ate two pizzas last night, completely forgetting the fact that he is an old man now, not the arrogant young prick he was."

"Your tongue is as prickly as ever, Tian," he sneered. "See? This is why I was always against marriage. I thought marriage would sweeten you up, but you are still as tasteless as ever. Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you had gotten divorced at one point. What else could be expected from a bland artist?"

Han Tian smiled. "At least I got married and have a family, unlike you who are under the illusion that you never believed in marriage when the truth of the matter is you knew that no woman would have tolerated you as her husband. You were that insufferable. Sure, I was divorced for a spell but boy, your marriage wouldn’t have lasted for even a month."

Where have I seen this before? Shui wondered.

Oh wait, they look like Uncle Zhou and Aunt Xie fighting like cats and dogs.

Wait a minute, but I thought...

"Grandpa, I thought you hated him so why would you be here?"

"He was outside when he collapsed and because he is such a pathetic, lonely man, his emergency speed dial was set on my number. I guess the other number is Hou Lin. Just imagine, Shui. His speed dial is my number - his friend from college he hated so much for being, in his words, trapped by the nonsense called art."

"I won’t change my stance. Are you still playing with colors, Tian? Aww, do you need some warm milk too?" Zhong Sihan scoffed.

Suddenly, a cold chill settled in the air, the source which he found to be none other than Lin.

"Hey, that’s a nasty look on your face. I like it."

"Why would you eat junk food when you know you have dietary restrictions?" Lin asked in a quiet voice, his gaze even quieter.

From the years they had spent in prison, he was aware of how his health worked in this age. Too much salt and oil was a big no-no. Pizza was just that. Two pizzas at that.

He shrugged. "I was hungry."

The severe expression on Lin’s face was enough to tell him that he won’t tolerate his nonsense answer. At this point, even Shui felt concerned for Zhong Sihan’s life.

"Fine, I know my restrictions, but I just had the urge."

Han Tian smiled at Lin. "We shouldn’t stop him, Hou Lin. If he willingly wants to die then we should let him do this honor. The world would be such a happier place to live in."

"Lifeless and colorless you mean."

"Why do you care about lifeless and colorless when they hold more meaning in art? Aww, had Zhong Sihan been lying to himself all this time?"

He ignored his sarcasm and shone at Lin. "Since you came rushing here, I assume you agree to become my grandson! Right, right?"