"Did you think I am still in love with you?"

"When did I say that? But you are indeed acting like a sick ex," She scoffed, "And don't call it love. It was just puppy love. Humph! If I had been a bit mature, I would not have to face such troubles today," Her darling's brother would also not have turned out to be her ex-boyfriend.

​​

The corner of his lips twitched. This woman is so hateful! Why did he even date her back then?

He regretted coming here. Massaging the spot between his brows, he turned around to leave.

"Wait Wait..." She called out to him and his footsteps came to a halt.

He immediately turned around to look at her, "Yes?"

"Tell me, did you bully Zixuan?" She glanced at him seriously, "Baby Zixuan, I mean."

"What?" Jun Zihao felt like he was having hearing issues.

"How was your relationship with him when you were kids?" She changed the format of the question looking at his confused expressions.

"We were like how brothers are supposed to be," He tucked one of his hands in his pocket as he answered her.

"So, you shared hugs and toy cars?" She raised an eyebrow.

He pursed his lips, "No."

"You protected him from bad boys?"

"No."

"You used to share secrets?"

"No."

Then, how could he say that they were like normal brothers? She rolled her eyes, "So, did you bully him like other people?"

"No, he used to be more aloof than he is now.''

"So, it was just your grandparents who bullied him?"

Jun Zihao frowned, "What nonsense are you talking about?" His voice turned cold, "He was punished when he made mistakes. They are his grandparents too. Why would they bully him?"

"Punishment? Which child is punished by being locked in the basement?" She narrowed her eyes.

Jun Zihao sighed. Back then, he too used to wonder that why Jun Zixuan was treated so harshly. But as time passed by, he realized it was because his mother was never accepted in the family which is why he too became the object of the elders' wrath.

Just as he turned around to leave, his footsteps came to a halt, "You care that much about him?"

"Mmm. Yes, he is my boyfriend. Who should I care about if not him?" She replied without raising her head from her phone.

'Boyfriend?' The word continued ringing in his mind even after he walked out of her room. The tabloids said that Jun Zixuan was her boy toy, someone she was fooling around with. But he knew that all of this was not so simple.

And this half-brother of his who was called a trash by everyone was also not simple. Be it his aura or his personality, nothing was ordinary about him.

When he first got to know that they were together, he thought she was using Jun Zixuan to enter the Jun Family to get his attention. But after what she confessed today, what was he supposed to believe?

His footsteps came to a halt when he saw Su Ning running towards him, "Zihao, I was looking for you. The maid told me that she saw you going to Miss Yu's room..."

"So?" He interrupted her coldly, "Do you want me to give explanations of my whereabouts to you? Aren't you overestimating your worth in my life?"

The smile on her face died down as she extended her hand towards his arm, "Zihao, what are you talking about. I was just curious-"

"Shut up," He swatted away her hand and walked away only to pause when he was a few steps ahead, "Stop hovering around me like a disgusting fly, would you?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at his retreating back. It has been more than four years since they were engaged but will he never love her? What did she do to deserve his disgust and hatred?

Su Ning covered her face in her palms for a few moments. She wiped her tears and raised her head before looking around. She let out a sigh of relief knowing that no one was around to witness what happened between them.

Putting on her usual happy smile, she walked away.

Later that day.

On a certain tree in the garden, Yu Mei sat with one of her legs dangling off the branch while the other remained on it. One of her elbows remained on her knee supporting the phone near her ear.

"Luoluo, why were you calling me yesterday?" Given the way Jun Zixuan was silent around her yesterday night, she thought he was angry at her for some reason. With all that in her mind, she forgot to call Shi Luo.

Yu Mei sighed. Luckily, he was not angry and whatever cold war was going on between them was over before they slept.

"Uhhhh...Mei, I...Nothing...I was just missing you," came Shi Luo's voice from the other side of the phone.

"You sound suspicious, you know?" Detective Mei blew a bubble with the chewing gum as she lowered the shades from her eyes before straightening up on the tree branch, "Your tone sounds like you are guilty. Say Luoluo, did you do something behind my back?"

"O-Of course not," came Shi Luo's instant reply, "How can it be? I just called to inform you that I'd be coming over to Amaranthine soon. We can meet. And yes, Mu Shen will also go with me."

Yu Mei raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"What why? I have some health campaign related meetings in our university and Mu Shen has to shoot a scene of his upcoming movie in the Leirin' hills of Amaranthine."

"That would be good. We can meet when you are here," Yu Mei smiled, "Why don't you bring Li Shuang with you?"

"Li Shuang is busy with the company. She has just taken over the position of the CEO after all...."

"Mmm...That's true. I have a lot to discuss with you-" Yu Mei paused, something...More specifically someone caught her attention in the garden, "Luoluo, I'll call you later okay?" She whispered before hanging up.

"....Once she is here, I just have to drag her by her hair and slam her head onto the wall so that she can realize her mistakes. That woman will just never learn," Old Madam Jun frowned as she talked to her trusted maid who was walking beside her, "I never wanted Shen Lihua to marry into our family but Zishen stubbornly insisted on marrying her. But look how that woman has raised the child of the Jun Family. Jun Zixuan is even willing to serve a woman. I am so disgusted," She pressed her palm on the tree as she panted softly after her evening walk.

Sitting atop one of the high branches of that same dense tree, Yu Mei raised an eyebrow as she blew a bubble with her chewing.

The current Shen Lihua is no less than a she-devil. Yu Mei was sure that her mother-in-law won't let herself be bullied by anyone. If only she was here, there would have been a good amount of drama.

Yu Mei sighed regretfully. Anyways...

Talking bad about her mother-in-law? Only she was allowed to do that.

She blinked innocently, looking at the old lady standing under the tree she was sitting on.