Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

"Dad…"

Nana watched Alix's expression turn to all different shades of colors, clearly showing that she wasn't keeping up with Liu Hai.

Ugh, she is not used to our family's craziness.

She coughed. "There is no secret son I am secretly raising, Dad."

He pouted. "Are you sure? Did you not get tempted into the corrupt path even once and had some mushy mushy time with another man? Don't worry, I promise I won't utter a word of it to Jinhai," he nodded.

"Dad!" Nana looked horrified. "How could you even insinuate something like that?"

He grinned. "As long as I get a secret grandson~"

Her mouth twitched. "Did you ask Jinhai about a secret son from his side?"

His nostrils flared. "As if that stupid of a son would even dare to think about cheating on my precious daughter-in-law! Would I not chop off his arms and legs myself and dump him to the sharks!?"

"..."

The sons in this house are really pitiful…

Suddenly, he beamed with an idea and clapped once. "Oh I know! Xinyi's nephew, Soo Yijun is also single, right? How about I adopt him into the Liu family and then Alix can marry him~?"

"..."

Nana held his shoulders and started pushing him away. "How about you try to save your marriage first, Dad? Be sure to properly grovel at Mom's feet."

He burst into tears. "Will you accompany me to soothe her bursting lava, my dear?"

"After you sincerely apologize to her yourself."

He squished his cheek against hers. "Yay, my daughter-in-law is the best!"

Liu Hai furiously waved Alix goodbye with a sparkling gaze as he was hopping away. "Don't worry dear! This handsome and charismatic Liu Hai will definitely find a way for you to marry into my family!"

Nana let out a breath of relief.

The storm has passed.

She looked back at Alix, who was simply staring at them this whole time without saying a word.

Nana cleared her throat. "I am sorry for that. Please don't mind Dad. He is always goofy like that."

She looked at Nana with an unreadable expression. "It was a joke, right?"

"Hm?"

"About the whole daughter-in-law thing. It was a joke, right? He was kidding, right?"

"Ah well…" she scratched her head, "Not really I would say? I mean we all ended up marrying into this family. Whether it was me, Yukito or my children's partners - we all came under Dad's…radar so to say. He liked us enough for us to marry into this family and somehow, it always happened," she coughed.

Alix laughed self-deprecatingly. "I am sorry to say that his radar is wrong this time. Very wrong. I am the last person to become a part of this family. But it's fine. Ignorance is bliss at times."

Nana blinked.

"I will take my leave," she held a slightly cold expression.

"Oh wait!" Nana held her arm and beamed. "You didn't eat the cookies I baked, right? Have some before you go."

Nana's sunny countenance brought a little discomfort in her chest.

"...I am fine."

"It won't take much time," she chirped.

Alix ended up following Nana's pace somehow as she was brought in the dining area. Nana served her three delicious chocolate chip cookies. Alix stared at her plate. She slowly took a bite of one cookie and paused.

"How is it?" Nana eagerly asked. But she noticed her expression turning a little shaky.

"...It's good," she replied, exhaling a trembling breath.

"That's great!" Nana clapped her hands once in delight.

Alix then gazed at her, a very burning concern in her mind.

"Do you have to say something, dear?"

"Yes, but I am contemplating whether to ask or not. You can find it offensive."

"What is it about?" Nana was puzzled.

"Your family. It's weird."

"..."

This is definitely about Dad, she lacked tears to shed.

"I met Mr. Liu Jing today. For some reason, he was very interested in finding Liu Jin's secret so that he could threaten him himself. Then again for some very strange reason, he happily agreed to help me - a rival of the same industry - in exchange for only his husband's confession video."

Nana waved her hand with a grin. "As one would expect from him. He loves Yukito a lot so anything related to him and he flies all the way to the moon."

"Even if he has to help his rival?"

"When compared to love, helping a rival is insignificant for him," she chuckled.

Alix frowned.

How does that equation work really?

Sure Alix had used it to manipulate him but a part of her wasn't sure if it would even work because it was definitely stupid.

"Then what about wanting to know Liu Jin's secret to take advantage of him? Mr. Liu Hai was the same, all shining and sparkling as if he found a treasure chest."

Nana laughed. "That is just pulling each other's legs. Dad, Jing and the twins are made from the same mold. They always look for ways to have fun and goof around especially at Jinhai, Jun and Jin's expense because they are quieter as compared to them. So they like teasing and poking them to get a reaction out of them. Then the latter group does react and settles the score with them and takes their revenge. It's a never-ending cycle."

Alix blinked.

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious. It's just their way of expressing their love, which is bringing chaos," she sighed.

How does this equation work really?

"...And Mr. Liu Hai's way of expressing his love is…allowing you to cheat but killing his son for the same thing?"

At that point, a drop of sweat formed on Nana's brow. "Well…daughters and daughter-in-laws are really doted on in this family haha…"

Alix stared at her. "Is Mr. Liu Hai really Mr. Liu Jinhai's father?"

"..."

"Y-Yes, my dear."

"But he is fine with you cheating and not his own son…?"

Nana slightly wiped her temple. "Maybe…? Anyway, he was also just goofing around with those remarks."

"Is it that you are perhaps his real daughter and Mr. Liu Jinhai, his son-in-law?"

Nana choked. "No, dear. Jinhai is really his biological son."

"So how does a father-in-law ends up being like Mr. Liu Hai?"

She smiled. "The Liu family was always this way. Super doting on daughters and daughter-in-laws. Of course, he loves his sons too but is a little more biased for us hehe. He always takes our side against our husband's~"

Alix stared at the cookie plate, thinking to herself, still genuinely confused.

How does this equation work either?

Just what is up with this family?