Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu-Chapter 1174: Underground (1)

Zhong Sihan stared at Cai acutely.

Xieren wasn’t much impressed though. "Glad that you understood because my sister wa stupid."

"It’s not like that!" Ru Yi exclaimed.

"Not like what?" His eyes narrowed. "He said that you were just friends."

"But it ended only because you pressured me...! Cai and his brother are good people-"

"Good people? A person going into prison can never have good intentions! How can you be so naive!? And don’t you see? Grand-uncle wants to adopt him," he chuckled. "Do you think Hou Lin is innocent either? He met Granduncle in prison and now he suddenly wants to adopt him? Out of a nobody, Hou Lin will become an heir of such a wealthy family and fortune? Obviously he has all this planned! He and his brother want to usurp everything from us!"

Shui’s gaze darkened. "If that were the case, then he would have accepted Mr. Zhong’s offer ages ago. But it’s Hou Lin himself who is against this adoption so what are you even talking about?"

"That’s all just a farce he is putting up to fool us. And his brother went as far to fool Ru Yi. What? Did he think that snatching our money and business would become easier if he just-"

Lin took a sudden but quiet step toward Xieren that made his eyes widen.

"Cai has never thought of using Ru Yi," he said quietly but each word he pronounced came out like a stab of a knife.

"I know you have problems with me but don’t drag my brother into this. Why I went to prison is completely my fault. I am responsible for everything I did. Cai has nothing to do with it. If it makes you and your family happy, then I’ll be glad to distance myself from Cai if that would let him be with her."

"Bro, what are you-"

Lin raised his palm that signalled that he wasn’t done talking.

"I am fine walking away from his life but only if you respect Cai the way you are supposed to. Cai was in the dark of whatever I did and there is nobody I have hurt more than him with my actions. I feel miserable knowing that my mistakes have become a roadblock in his life. So you can curse me however you want, but don’t accuse him of anything. Mr. Zhong wanting to adopt me and Cai’s friendship with Ru Yi is a complete coincidence. There is no need to connect two things which never had any base to it."

This was probably the most Lin had ever spoken in his life at one stretch, but every single word carried its weight. He would listen anything against him, but the warning was clear in his voice - Any nuisance against Cai wouldn’t be tolerated.

Zhong Sihan smiled. "Wow, on one side there is Lin, willing to walk away from his brother’s life and then there is you, who keeps defending that stalker Da-Fu for some reason over your sister who is being harassed. And then you have the audacity to call out people for being criminals. Haish, hypocrites have become such a common occurrence in our country, Right Anrui?"

Xieren’s expression was worsening.

Zhong Anrui held Ru Yi’s hand and said, "You go to your room and rest, dear. We will talk about this later. You must be tired."

"But I want to-"

"Ru Yi," Zhong Heng sternly looked at her. "Mom is right. Just go to your room for now."

She pressed her lips hard. She threw glances at Cai now and then but he never once looked at her. Tears pooled in her eyes and she ran upstairs.

Before Xieren could say anything further, Lin himself took a step back.

"We will take our leave."

Zhong Heng held no particular expression. Though he appreciated that his daughter was safe, there was no way that was enough to bring any change to his mindset about the brothers. Whatever the truth was, Lin had a messed up past that made him go to prison. He wasn’t going to let Ru Yi in such a company.

As the trio left too, Lin said, "You head back to the cafe. I have some work to do so I will return later."

Cai pursed his lips. He knew there was no work and Lin was just making up excuses. But instead he asked, "How much time will it take?"

He blinked twice. "Not much. Why? What’s wrong?"

"N-No, nothing," he coughed. Though he had a lot of things to say to him, he couldn’t muster the courage to say them now.

Lin turned and bowed before Shui. "Thank you for your help, Miss. Han."

Shui contemplated as he left. Cai asked, "Should I drop you back home?"

His question broke her stupor and she said, "No, not home. Somewhere else."

"Where?"

"Wherever your brother is going."

—

A boxing arena?

Shui watched her surroundings in a daze where hundreds of people had gathered to watch boxing matches some place underground. Two men were already in the boxing ring, throwing vicious punches at each other, one deadlier than the previous. It was so loud and noisy that she took a moment to orient herself.

People were cheering for the ones they supported quite fiercely, to the point of cursing the loser and she understood why.

Betting.

People were betting like crazy over the participants they think would win. Naturally, losing sucked.

This is like betting in horse racing I have seen...

The current match between the participants was over and the winner’s side was cheering loud and clear. The loser’s side booed.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, now we have an interesting lad coming up! Who is excited for Lin?"

Shui’s eyes widened and she struggled to believe her ears for a long time.

Who?

The cheers grew so louder that she felt her ears going deaf. But there he was anyway, entering the boxing ring with his boxing gloves on. Her lips parted, stunned.

He is going to fight?