Cold sweat broke on Jin's forehead and his lips parted open and shut. He couldn't even swallow down his throat properly.
Shit…Did sis catch smoking!?
Wait, wait, wait. Calm down. I can still get out of this-
Alix smiled. "My bad, Mrs. Han. It's ," she slightly waved the cigarette in between her fingers, showing it to her.
"Ah."
"I am sorry. You are with your kid too," she quickly dispersed the slight traces of cigarette sll.
Jin stared at Alix and was wondering if Nuo really believed her or not. But it seed like she did.
She waved her hand. "No problem, no problem."
Muyang, who was fussy until now, brightened at Jin's sight.
"Jiiiiiiinnnnn…"
Muyang had started to learn and speak broken words. He flailed his arms towards him with sparkling eyes.
"Hey buddy…" Jin was half-relieved, half-stressed. He took him in his arms and the little boy imdiately nestled his head in the crook of his neck with a giggle and started slapping his chin.
"...How co you ended up here, sis? This place is quite far away."
"Ah! Don't even ask!" Nuo shook her head. "I just ca out for a walk because sobody was getting cranky here."
"Gaa?" Muyang gave an innocent clueless look. Alix stared at him quite intently for so reason.
"But ugh. This place is like a maze! I didn't even realize when I landed here," she sweated.
"Oh…"
"But I can ask you the sa question," her eyes narrowed with suspicion, "What are you doing here at this loneso place?"
He stiffened. "U-Um…"
"I called him here," Alix said without breaking her eye contact with Muyang.
Jin's brows crinkled.
Huh?
"I had sothing to discuss about my company with him, so I dragged him here to et ."
"Oh yes!" She clapped her hands. "Uncle Jing is helping you, right? Wow, I cannot believe you made that man move to your favor."
She smirked. "You just need to know the right strings to pull. Shui had that thankfully."
At that point, Muyang craned his neck to stare back at that gaze and he tipped his head to the side. "Baaa?"
Then he suddenly bead at her and laughed heartily. "Baaaaa!"
Alix looked at Nuo. "What does that an?"
She chirped. "He is happy to et you."
She frowned. "What is so happy about eting ?"
"..."
"Well, he likes you so he is happy!"
"People like ?" Her eyes slightly widened, genuinely puzzled.
Jin and Nuo almost choked. Nuo coughed. "T-That's quite a harsh assessnt you have of yourself. You don't think people like you?"
Alix smiled. "People hate and for very good reasons. I cannot really bla them."
Nuo thought she must be talking about the tis when she chased after Yuze endlessly and earned everybody's scorn and disdain.
"They might have hated you at one ti. But I see you are a good person. Everybody makes mistakes. You did your share of them. But what's important is to learn from them and keep going," Nuo smiled. "And you are doing exactly that. So be a little proud of yourself."
Alix didn't respond.
Nuo said, "Let's go! We are getting late! We did enough chit-chat here. Jin, you continue to carry on Muyang. Ah my arms are finally breathing."
"..."
"You didn't bring the stroller?"
"Siying forgot."
"aning you forgot."
Nuo glared at him. "You don't expose your sister like that. Now let's go. Oh and Alix, if you could please throw the cigarette away," she sheepishly grinned.
Alix shrugged and crushed it under her heel without any qualms. They followed Nuo, who was happily taking the lead.
"Baaa baaaa…" Muyang kept cooing.
Jin glanced at Alix and didn't know what to say.
Alix smiled. "It's okay, Liu Jin. I understand the wave of gratitude flooding through your heart at my heroic act."
His brow twitched.
"But don't get too emotional. Treat my save as a debt you owe ."
"..."
She sparkled. "At least I got one valid ticket to loot your favor for helping my family business if the need arises."
"I have already helped you enough!" He whispered with furious shaky breaths.
She innocently blinked. "But bad luck can crash down on anyti you know? Running a business is hard. I would need a rich hand to bless and solve my problems in one snap of his finger. Now who is this rich man that I know of?"
His body trembled in rage. "You…"
He couldn't believe the woman's shalessness.
Ugh, things just keep getting worse!
—
The exhibition had finally started with the guests already taking rounds of the gallery in awe and amazent.
As Jin, Alix and Nuo reached, the entire group waved at them eagerly from afar.
"Nuooo, where were you!" Leina harrumphed. "It's ti to unveil Shui's painting!"
"Sorry, sorry, I got lost!" She cried.
"Are you a kid?"
"It's not my fault this place is like a maze! Oh where are Ai and Xing Bi?"
"They are already at the front seats which is why I ca rushing to pick you up! Let's go!"
The space where Shui's painting was to be exhibited was slightly darker and the atmosphere felt cozy and mysterious. Shui stood at the side near the hanging handle of the veil.
Jin found Yuze's figure and for a mont he felt as if Yuze was staring at him until he looked back.
He is here too…
A wave of distaste gripped his heart.
Why does he always have to be everywhere where Shui is?
From the other side, Ai bead. "Alix! Co, co. Sit here!"
Alix didn't move from her spot.
Ai blinked. "What's wrong? Quick!"
After a long thought, she finally left her place and took a seat beside Ai's chair. "Why did you call here?"
"So that we can have the best view and enjoy!" She nodded.
"No, I an…Nothing," she left it at that.
Shui cleared her throat, slightly nervous. But she looked at her family and friends and gained her montum.
"Thank you all for coming here today. Today is a very special day for and so is my painting that I have worked so hard at completing. I…have been working on this for the past five years and this is…every bit of my heart and soul. This painting ans the whole world to and I think I am ready to show this to the whole world too."
Zhiyuan couldn't help but cry.
She pulled the curtain's handle and said, "I present to you - Falling petals."
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