Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu-Chapter 1236: Prove the claim

It was around dead in the night when the birthday celebration ended and everyone was too passed out to even lift even a single finger. Zhiyuan wanted to kick the guests out but Xinyi stopped him.

"They can stay the night here."

"What do you mean we should allow a bunch of drunkards to sleep in our home?"

"The drunkards are our family and they all came for Shui’s birthday."

"Fine. But drunkards don’t get respectable guest rooms. They sleep on uncomfortable couches!"

Her brow twitched.

So petty.

Just then Lin approached them, dropping a slight bow. "Thank you for inviting me tonight, Mr. Han. Mrs. Han. It was a great celebration. I will take my leave now."

Hiding behind a pillar, Shui was poking out her head, peeking into their conversation.

Zhiyuan nodded. "Good decision."

Dad! No! Shui inwardly protested. You should say the opposite!

Xinyi jabbed an elbow at his chest. She smiled at Lin. "Everyone is staying the night here, so you sleep here too. Besides, it has gotten really late now. Better to leave in the morning."

"No but..."

"No ifs and buts. You are staying means you are staying," she harrumphed. "Let me have the guest room ready."

"Why the guest room?" Zhiyuan rubbed the point at his chest, still aching from Xinyi’s jab.

"Do you see him drunk? On the contrary, he is completely sober."

He nodded. "I had decided to drive back. Cai gets too tempted with alcohol."

Zhiyuan grumbled. "Fine..."

Shui brightened.

Lin is staying the night!

She then cleared her throat.

Not like I am gonna do anything...

She quickly came out of her hiding place and said, "I will show him the guest room. Come on, Lin."

Xinyi’s eyes narrowed. "You were still up?"

"...I was just about to go to bed when I heard you all talking," she averted Xinyi’s probing gaze.

"Well, if you offer so. But don’t stay up anymore late."

"Yes!"

Shui quickly dragged him upstairs and once they were away from their view, Shui grinned. "So how do you feel?"

"Feel?"

"Staying the night here."

He pursed his lips. "I didn’t want to impose myself."

"What? Aren’t you happy that you will be staying the night in your girlfriend’s house?"

He slightly tilted his head. "But we would be sleeping in our own rooms. Then it will be morning."

"..."

"I-I mean yes, we will be in separate rooms, but doesn’t your heart race just a little bit?"

Lin placed his hand over his chest, trying to ascertain the speed of his heartbeats.

"They feel normal to me."

She glared. "Isn’t Alix your best friend? She has been an editor so how has she not been able to cultivate some sense of romance in you?"

"I can be romantic," he blinked.

"Right now, you aren’t!" She fumed.

A question mark floated on top of his head. "Will you be happy if I drag you inside the guest room and close the door, pinning you against it while I lift your chin and huskily whisper in your ear ’I don’t want you to go, stay the night with me’?"

Shui imagined the exact situation unfolding in her mind, and she covered her blushing face in her palms.

"I thought so. You would faint if I did that," he plainly stated.

"I would not...! Do you think I am so weak to fall for your charms?" her nostrils flared.

Lin took a step towards her, then another and another until it made her retreat herself step by step.

"It wouldn’t?" His low voice stirred something ticklish and fluttering in her chest. She didn’t know what, but she couldn’t look away from his eyes that stared with a strange piercing gaze.

"Don’t I affect you?"

"...U-Uh-huh."

"Is that so? But..."

Shui had no place to retreat anymore when her back bumped against the wall.

"Your face told me a different story just a few hours ago when I was going to kiss you."

The corner of her lip twitched. "That was just..."

He bridged the gap between them even further even though there was barely any space left between them, which made Shui’s mind spin countless times until she felt dizzy. Dizzy because his face was dangerously inching closer to hers, his gaze glinting with an unspeakable light.

"Are you sure you don’t feel anything...Shui?"

She wanted to collapse so bad. It was she who insisted on calling her by name, yet it was her who now regretted handing such a lethal weapon in Lin’s hands. She had only taught her by saying her name, not guiding the ropes to such a real-world application dangerous for her heart. The name whispered through his deep voice crackled in the small air like electricity.

Is it only me or does it feel really stuffy here? I ca-cannot breathe...

"O-Oh will you see how late it has gotten?" She laughed while her gaze darted left and right.

Lin raised a brow.

"S-So I should leave."

"Mhm."

"...So will you let me go?" she coughed.

He tilted his head. "I am not holding you back, am I?"

"Huh?"

Shui looked around her and had expected that her way out was blocked by his arms pressed against the pillar. But now she saw that she was actually always free to step away on her own. The assumption that she was locked within his arms brought a deep red shade to her face.

Why was I thinking that?

She took a step to the left to walk past him when he raised his arm on the way, halting her.

"..What is it?"

"I..."

Shui swallowed a silent gulp, feeling her heart drum right into her ears..

"Ye-Yes?"

"...don’t want you to go. Stay with me."

She stiffened.

"Just like the time you slept in my bed that night."

Her jaw was close to dropping.

"Tightly holding onto my hand."

Her brow twitched.

"Not letting me leave your side by even a single inch."

"..."

"And so passionately-"

He found his lips covered in the mouth of her palm.

"I-I got it!"

Lin stared at her, then his eyes twinkled just a bit. He leaned by only a fraction, pressing his lips to her soft palm.

Her hand shivered as she jolted with the lingering tickle and warmth of his peck.

"Does this count as our first palm-kiss?"

"You..." She looked speechless. "You are shameless...!"

"That’s fine, but do you accept that I can be romantic?"

"..."

"I don’t know!" She said frustrated, apparently annoyed at being played at his will.

"Hm? That’s not good," he looked serious. "I might have to further prove my claim."

If a simple palm-kiss was enough to make her heart go wild, then she didn’t want to imagine the rest of the tricks up his sleeve.

"Fine, fine!" She breathlessly acceded. "You are very romantic..."

Lin softly gleamed. "Really? I am glad you understood it."

Her gaze darkened.

I...I will kill this man one day...