Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

A few days later, Alix was beginning to think that everything was slowly returning to normalcy. Though still at the very tender stage, Mui was gradually taking the company's reins back despite the setbacks and backlash.

And now Alix didn't know what she should do. She had far too much free time in her hands, which she usually spent in being a shut-in and playing games with Ailun. The only time she had headed out was with Kang Xiao for a shopping trip on her insistence. So Ren Cuifen decided to take matters in her hands today and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Let's bake some lemon blueberry bread," she clapped her hands once in delight.

"Why?" She frowned.

"Because it's a delicious bread and it's also good to see the sunshine once in a while."

"I like the dark."

"You age faster that way."

Ren Luoyang, seated on a chair at the other side, said while straining his eyes at the recipe video.

"Yes, yes, that's why your mother hasn't lost her youthfulness in the least."

Ren Cuifen blushed and waved her hand in dismissal. "You are just as handsome as ever too."

Alix's eye twitched. Being in the romantic and fluffy atmosphere wasn't her forte.

"Now go help him with the right ingredients' portion and until then I will set the oven for baking."

Alix took a chair opposite Ren Luoyang, who was carefully measuring the milk on the weighing machine upto the last decimal point.

"How about you measure the flour and baking powder?" He asked, his concentration refusing to stir by even a fraction.

"Oh gosh Dad did you see this big shopping sale!?" Mui came rushing in with her excited voice notes touching the roof of the sky.

Startled, his hand slipped and he ended up pouring a lot more milk in the bowl than necessary for the recipe. His gaze darkened, throwing a glare at Mui.

"I was so close!"

Mui slightly quietened with Alix's presence but didn't lose her cheeriness. "What are you doing?"

Ren Cuifen chirped. "Baking lemon and blueberry bread."

"Can it not be chocolate bread?" She furrowed her brows.

This time, Ren Cuifen cast a scowl at her. "How many times will you eat the same flavour cake? Have some variety in your life!"

"I don't need variety. Chocolate is already supreme."

"I was so close, Mui!" Ren Luoyang reminded her of his grievances.

"So take out the extra milk again. Not like you have already mixed in the other ingredients," she shrugged and took the third chair at the table, popping in a blueberry into her mouth.

"Bringing it to the right decimal point is a mountainous task!"

"Who is even asking you to count the decimals in the first place!? As if a fraction of a difference would ruin the cake!"

"Baking is an art of dedication and precision!"

"Ugh! That's why it was a torture with you taking our math classes!" Mui glared and popped in a few more blueberries out of spite.

Ren Cuifen smacked on top of her head. "Don't finish eating all the blueberries or there will be nothing left for the cake!"

"That's why you should bake chocolate bread."

Another slap landed on her head. "Zip your lips and help your father or you don't get any cake!"

"I just wanted to tell about the shopping sale! I don't want to help," she made a face but a deadly warning glare from her mother shut her right up.

Her gaze fell on Alix, who was staring at the flour cup like Ren Luoyang towards the milk bowl and concentrating at the level of the flour against the measuring needle with a deadpan, no-nonsense look.

"And here we have another decimal fanatic. You two should create a cult…" she murmured under her breath with a grimace.

Alix narrowed her eyes and shot her a glance. "Did you say something?"

Mui stiffened. "It was just your imagination."

"Heh," she sneered.

A call ringtone from Alix's phone buzzed to life and she asked, "Can you pick that up?"

Mui stiffly picked the call and said, "Who's this?"

"Pastry aunt!"

Mui frowned and looked at the unknown number.

"Wrong number." And she hung up.

The call buzzed again with the same number a few seconds later and Mui picked it up again with a dry look.

"Pastry aunt, why did you hang up?" Aliun asked, sniffling on the other side. "You don't like me anymore?"

"Like I said, you dialed the wrong number, kid. Who is pastry aunt anyway?"

Alix abruptly halted and looked at her. "Is it Ailun?"

"Who is Ailun?"

"Me! Me!" he exclaimed from the other side.

Alix said, "Liu Ailun. Liu Jun's son."

Her eyes widened and the phone almost fell from her hands.

Shit!

Ren Luoyang and his wife's movements paused simultaneously as they shared glances.

Alix took her phone back with Mui fearfully pushing her chair towards her father's side.

"Don't get too close. I am not getting the space to measure," He scowled, making her grit her teeth.

Here I hung up on the Liu family's son and you bother about the damn measuring!

Alix put the phone on speaker to continue with her flour measuring activity and said, "Hey."

"Pastry auuuuunt! Who was that before? She hung up on me!"

"That was my sister, Mui. She didn't recognize you."

"I don't like her."

Mui's expression darkened.

Well the feeling's mutual, kid!

"So what's up?"

Ailun chirped. "Pastry aunt, when are you coming home?"

She blinked twice. "Home? I am already at my home."

"Not your home, my home. You promised we would level up together!"

"I did? When?"

"Last week! Pastry aunt, did you forget?"

Alix then remembered it. She did, in fact, promise him as he was stuck at one level. But she didn't anticipate her visiting to the Liu villa.

"I remember it but…how about you come here?"

"I cannot, pastry aunt. I have to be by Mom's side!"

"Why?" She frowned. "Is she sick?"

"No. But she felt the baby's kick in her tummy so I want to feel it too and so I am waiting with Dad for the baby to kick again," he said with all sincerity that made the couple chuckle.

"I see…"

Alix wasn't sure if she should agree, not when she didn't know if Jin was at home or not. She wanted to ask but with her parents' scrutinizing gazes at her, she couldn't.

"It might not be possible today. I am helping Mom and Dad with baking a cake."

"Ooh!!"

"Yes so I can-"

"I like cake!" He cheerfully said, "Pastry aunt can bring cake with her too. We will eat and play together!"

"..."