Li ZiChen eyed the raw emotions passing by AiLin's face. Truthfully she wasn't someone cold hearted however the people around her only knew her as wicked and crafty. In high school people called her Miss Fox, a name that still haunts her even after she was presumably called dead. Her actions had always been berated, some people told her that she was too self conceited and was someone who would do anything to achieve her goals but that wasn't because she desperately wanted to reach her goal, but because if she didn't… she would be facing another nightmare.
Li ZiChen's jaw clenched again. He felt the urgent need to destroy something to ease his anger.
"So," AiLin sighed briefly and her pink lips spoke up, "What plan do you have?"
"First to make sure that this is really what you want, I will introduce you to your birth parents," Li ZiChen saw her eyes that turned wary as to why he was so kind to her and smiled, "I need you to be sure that this is your choice so you won't suddenly back away from my plan."
"I won't do such a thing. I also think having your help isn't far too bad as for my grandmother, I don't care much about her," AiLin responded. "Your grudge against her is understandable and if it is revenge you want from her, I wouldn't stand in between that. Just like how I hope you wouldn't stand between my revenge."
Li ZiChen chuckled and pulled his lips into a grin, "You also have a plan in mind right? Who do you want to punish first?"
AiLin's eyes turned cold as she looked at the tree in front of her, "I do have a person in mind. I'll be meeting them today."
Li ZiChen was extremely intrigued but he wanted to see her revenge by his eyes, not hearing them so he would feel the satisfaction as well, "Alright. Can I add my phone number to you? So I could give you the details for your meeting with your birth parents."
"Sure," AiLin passed her phone willingly and Li ZiChen raised his eyebrows.
"You should be careful of giving your phone so easily to someone like that," and he added his phone number inside it.
AiLin could only see him tapping her phone but she responded, "It's fine. You will be my ally from now on, will you not?"
Li ZiChen wondered if he should be grateful that AiLin seemed to have trusted him so much now or be wary with how trusting she is. But he wondered why AiLin would trust him so much when she should have known how he had used all his resources to keep an eye on her even before she left the prison. It was odd, especially for AiLin who doesn't trust people so much. It was as if…
Li ZiChen looked back into AiLin's eyes and narrowed his gaze.
"Well I will be going now," AiLin took back her phone and stood up from the bench.
Li ZiChen's smile faded as she had walked again from the bench, making her way to the tree from afar and he watched how her thin figure shook between the tree which made him rush to stand beside her and held her arms as if fearing those winds would swept her away as well. He looked at her eyes, trying to find something but seemed vexed when he couldn't see it.
AiLin on the other hand, didn't understand that look on his eyes. But seeing his height tower her and if he smiled wider, he seemed like he would bring an air of that boy back.
AiLin pursed her lips, it's impossible. That boy's name wasn't the lustrous "Li ZiChen" after all.
"What's wrong?" AiLin smiled teasingly, "Do you still want to stay with me?"
Li ZiChen sighed as he released her hand, "Be careful. Don't do anything reckless would you?"
"Hey really? I've never been reckless," AiLin chuckled but saw that Li ZiChen on the other hand seemed to be serious with his warning. She pouted and patted his back, "Go on, we'll see each other again soon."
Li ZiChen only looked at her as she paced her way from the tree, dancing on her foot as she seemed to have brought herself a new happy revenge plan. He sighed as he walked away from the tree, entering into his car before sitting down with his teeth gritted so tightly that it almost clanked. The chauffeur who had seen his boss entering the car with an anger clearer than before find this a bit frightening and wondered why he would look so upset… unless he got rejected?!
Li ZiChen stared at the window, finding AiLin's figure as she had caught a taxi. She told him so proudly that she had never been reckless. But who was she fooling?
Never been reckless? No. AiLin always tend to put herself the second and that's the entire problem. Recklessness was a mild way to put her action into words.
In the past, every time she wanted to achieve her goal, she would always be careful but now that carefulness was out of the window.
It wasn't something she had learned from the prison, she wasn't so foolish to always achieve her goal without being careful. But… what he saw in AiLin's eyes was recklessness. She had no fear. No fear of being betrayed, no fear of being harmed, and as if deep down she didn't mind that she would get hurt.
The reason who she had agreed to his plan without thinking much wasn't because she felt she could trust him. But because she knew he wanted something from her and couldn't care much about it as long as it didn't hinder her revenge plan.
Yes. It was as if nothing, not even her life, mattered so much to her. As if her priority was only her revenge.
Li ZiChen felt even more annoyed and clenched his fists tighter than before.
What was he more angry about? The fact that AiLin was so uncaring to her own safety or the fact that she didn't actually try to trust or distrust him?
Li ZiChen could only calm himself down by telling himself that he could fix her but he wondered if AiLin was ever willingly to be fixed.
Meanwhile, AiLin who had entered a taxi noticed as she entered how there was a girl staring at her taxi with a furious glare. That young girl wasn't at all familiar but she was gorgeous enough for everyone to pay attention to her. AiLin wondered if she knew that girl but decided not to think much of it and turned to the taxi driver, "Can you drive me to this address?"