NOVPUBJin closely stared at the picture until his eyes began to ache. "She did this…to bring them together?"
Ailun beamed. "Yes! Pastry aunt said that they love each other so much that they would die for each other. Like Mom and Dad."
He froze. It was a painful chapter from Ai's past where Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying had died by Zhan Yahui's hands after they refused to bury the matter of their daughter's murder. She had killed them to protect herself. But now…
"Hehe pastry aunt also did some other cool stuff too~ Grandma would receive some flowers now and then and she would come to know that Grandpa secretly left it at the door. Grandpa got some cakes and pastries and he would come to know that Grandma secretly baked it for him. But it was actually pastry aunt who was doing everything so that Grandma and Grandpa come together."
He trembled.
Not noticing Jin's expression, Ailun continued with his cheery self.
"Pastry aunt is super nice. She also helped Grandma - Grandma Nana!"
"...Mom?"
"Uh-huh. Our school had a big festival three months back with a super big health check-up fair."
"I remember that."
"Un! Pastry aunt told me to not tell anybody but she said to definitely definitely take Grandma and Grandpa with me to the fair!"
His breath froze in his throat.
Wait, is he talking about…
"Pastry aunt said that health check-up is super important for Grandma and Grandpa," he gravely nodded. "And she was right! When it was Grandma's turn, the doctor said that there seem to be some…some…" his brow twitched, not able to remember that term.
Jin quietly said, "Blockage."
"Yes! That!" He nodded hard. "It was small then but it was getting bigger."
There was no way for Jin to forget how Nana had undergone a minor heart surgery at that time. A small complication was caught during her health checkup at the school fair which after proper testing at the hospital confirmed to be an artery blockage. It was fortunately caught in time or it would have increased to a dangerous level that could have proved fatal. Naturally, Jinhai had wasted no time to schedule the surgery.
But this incident made him remember the dark time of Nana's death in the past life - death due to cardiac arrest after Jun had passed away.
With shaking hands, Jin grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Ailun's school number.
"Hi. This is Liu Jin, Liu Ailun's uncle. I have something to ask."
"Yes, please go ahead Mr. Liu. Is there a matter with the kids?" She anxiously asked.
"No, it's nothing like that. I…" he breathed uneasily, "I wanted to ask who had held the health checkup fair at your school's festival three months back?"
"Ah! Actually, it wasn't just the health checkup fair but she had asked us to organize the entire festival. The entire cost was out of her pocket."
"...She?"
The receptionist choked on the other side. "I-I am so sorry! Actually, I am not supposed to say who they are. They wanted anonymity."
"But it was a woman?"
She coughed. "W-Well…I mean…" she sweated anxiously but eventually gave up, "Yes. But I cannot reveal her identity! Please, please don't say that I said anything to you or I might lose my job," she begged.
"Did she…say why she was doing this?"
"She mentioned how it would be beneficial for everybody, especially for elders for whom things can suddenly take a wrong turn. Many parents deal with stress, relationship and mental issues too so she was very passionate about relationship and mental health counseling."
Jin stared ahead, thinking about Yahui's mother who had left her at a young age when she ended her life.
"She also said she wished for the elders to watch their children and grandchildren grow for as long as it was possible. Though she had organized the entire school festival, she was very particular about the health fair. She is a kind-hearted woman."
Jin thanked her and hung up, slowly lowering the phone. A chime from the tab brought his attention back and he saw that Alix had replied after quite a few long minutes.
'Well then stay by your uncle's side and try to make him happy. Grumpiness suits his face more.'
Tears brimmed his eyes with an ache that spread across his cheeks.
"Uncle, you are crying?" Ailun gasped, immediately jumping on his lap.
The cats cuddled closer too as he covered his face, allowing his tears to wet his palms.
She had been doing nothing but repenting all this time…Jin broke down.
Though he had realized it in his heart that Alix was a changed person, it was now that it dawned upon him how she had never been sitting still since the beginning. In her own way, she was trying to make everything right, to help everybody she had hurt at one point. Quietly. Silently.
Suddenly he realized why she always took such a deep interest in uniting him with Shui in the beginning. She forced him to join Shui's art classes only so she could create more chances for them to face each other and confront their feelings. And she did everything because she had used Shui against the brothers and separated her future with Jin.
In this life and redemption, she wanted Jin and Shui to live happily together where they couldn't do so in the past.
"Uncle…"
Ailun tugged his arm, his expression panicking upon seeing him cry with all his heart. It was his first time to see his uncle's vulnerable side.
Jin silently took him in his arms and cried in his little nephew's warmth.
"I am sorry…" he couldn't hold back his tears. "I am sorry to show you this side. Buta please keep this a secret. Please…don't tell anybody that I cried."
Ailun hugged him and patted his back. "It's a secret, Uncle! But why are you crying?"
He shut his eyes hard, tears plopping on the bed sheet.
"I like your pastry aunt very much," he trembled. "I like her so much that I want to marry her."
He blinked. "Like Mom and Dad?"
"Yes."
He beamed. "So pastry aunt will become my aunt and she will live with us here?"
"...I wish but she…doesn't like me. She says we cannot be together…"
His brows scrunched. "Why?"
"It's just very complicated…"
Ailun flared his nostrils and his pats turned even firmer with determination.
"Pastry aunt will definitely like you, Uncle, because you are super cute and fluffy! Mom says girls like cute and fluffy boys so pastry aunt will like you too. But maybe you always show her your grumpy side so she cannot see your cute side."
"..."
He sparkled. "But I will show her your cute side, I promise! I will help you get together with pastry aunt!"
