Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

An Guoting took the water can and walked towards the bed of beautiful lilies and roses. He tilted the can and let a sparkling fountain gently rain on them.

He smiled. "The flowers are very pretty, right?"

Chyou faintly smiled back. "Yes."

"Take that other can and water them too. It will feel so refreshing~"

She paused and nodded. She took the extra can lying in the shed and joined An Guoting with tending to the garden. As the water droplets sprinkled on the flower petals like a pleasant drizzle, she noticed a small rainbow forming as the sun's golden light merged with the droplets.

"Oh my so pretty!" An Guoting appreciated it with a bright grin.

Chyou expressionlessly stared at the small and vibrant disperse of colors in the air. They beamed beautifully but that joy didn't reach her heart. It was as if the only colors she could see was the dull and gloomy grey. Last night snatched every bit of color there existed in her world.

"It feels so magical to see the white light lighting up with so many colors. But I guess…you are not able to see them."

Chyou lowered her gaze.

"Tell me little pumpkin. What are you thinking?"

"...I don't know," she quietly whispered. "Everything feels a mess."

"Okay then. Let's take it step by step."

An Guoting got an idea and he beamed. "Let's plant some flowers today. I just cleaned up that area a few days ago. It's the perfect day for gardening hoho!"

He eagerly grabbed the tools and necessities and asked Chyou to wear the gloves and apron. They kneeled near the empty bed of soil that was already tended to.

"So let's do it this way. Gardening is a step by step process. Whenever we complete a step, you tell me what goes in your mind. Anything. Whatever is the first thing that comes to your mind."

Chyou softly furrowed her brows. She wasn't sure if it would work. But she went along.

"Hmm so the first step is choosing the right place to plant the flowers. Where should we do it?"

Chyou looked left and right and pointed at a distance. "I think that's a good place. It has good sunlight."

An Guoting studied it and nodded. "I agree. Choosing the right spot is crucial or the rest of the efforts might go to waste."

Chyou froze. She clenched her apron into a small fist. "I guess then…I was an idiot to choose Yin in the first place."

"No, you weren't," An Guoting said while gently patting the soil. "There is no right or wrong about falling in love. Choosing is just one of the aspects. You fell in love with him based on the version of himself he presented to you. You don't have to feel guilty about it."

Her eyes slightly stung. The old days were beautiful to her. Yin and Chyou struggled together. They became good friends and supported and understood each other through the tough times. It was fun being with Yin but…

An Guoting said, "Take the shovel and let's remove any weeds or debris lying around."

Chyou silently cleaned up the area. The soil looked fluffy and airy now.

He chirped. "We completed the second step~ So tell me what do you think now?"

"I don't understand since when things started falling apart…" her eyelashes quivered. "Everything felt so right to me."

"Things were falling apart right from the beginning, dear," he replied. "And no. It's not because you made a wrong choice of a partner. It's because he kept things from you. You see the soil now? This flower wouldn't bloom if there were still weeds and debris hindering its growth.

If the base itself would be all wrong then the flower is bound to wither one day. Just like that, trust is the base of any relationship. Lies are like these weeds. You lie and hide about your life or you keep piling more lies onto it. That love is bound to crumble one day."

Chyou felt her eyes ache. Indeed, it was only lies and deceit so much so that she wondered just when Yin was truthful to her.

An Guoting patted her hand with a doting smile. "Let's continue. We chose the right spot and we prepared the soil. Now let's add the compost. What does compost do, little pumpkin?"

"Improves the soil's fertility."

He nodded. "What are you thinking about now?"

She trembled and couldn't help from letting her tears slide. "I don't know…I don't know, Grandpa. What did I do so wrong? I did everything I could to help him. To save this relationship. I made decisions I didn't want to.

Still…still everything fell apart."

An Guoting looked ahead as if he fell into a trance. "Because it was only you who were putting in the effort, dear. A relationship is a process as much as planting this flower. It needs compost to bloom so does a relationship. You did what you had to but did Cheng Yin do what he had to? He was quick to give up on becoming clean.

He was quick to cheat based on a few pictures. He was quick to dismiss all compromises you made. So where exactly did he try to improve his relationship with you?"

He shook his head. "Both partners need to work and sail through the sea together. The boat will sink if only one is paddling all along. The person will get tired one day."

Drops of tears plopped on the back of her hand as his words resonated hard.

"Aish don't cry dear. Now comes the most exciting part~!" He hopped like a little child. He handed her a little flower and said, "Go ahead and plant it. Then we will water it."

Chyou sniffled and wiped her tears. She carefully placed the small, delicate flower in the dug hole and backfilled the soil. They thoroughly watered it and he grinned. "Perfect! Now we wait for the flower to blossom. I am sure it will be a spectacle to behold!"