Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

"Dad!"

Yating stormed in Gu Rong's office with a voice that reverberated with frustration.

"We were supposed to do three commercial shootings?"

Gu Rong looked up and frowned. "Is this a way to enter your father's office? So much disrespect!"

Yating threw back a glare. "Forget about my manners now. Let's talk about what you did!"

"What did I do?"

"Don't act so innocently now. How did the ads grow from one to three? We just completed the shooting and the director there breaks the news that we have to be ready for two more."

"Yes, that's right. What's the problem with that?"

A vein popped up on his temple. "You didn't tell me about this, Dad."

Gu Rong stared at him. "Are you an idiot? Of course you knew about it."

"Would I have barged in here if I did?"

"That's not my problem if you don't listen to people which you never do!"

His gaze darkened.

"That evening when we were together with the Zhu family, we had discussed that you and Chyou would be doing some commercials for the project. Commercials. Advertisements. With an s. It's plural."

His brow twitched hard.

Was that the case?

"How could we just rely on a single ad? We have to think farther and have a multitude of options ready. Gu Yating, how can you be ignorant in business matters!" He scowled. "You should know how businesses and marketing works. Why are you acting as if somebody dropped a bomb upon you? So what if there are two more ads?

And let me tell you. It's not just ads. It's pictures, interviews, everything. You two are the faces for our cooperation, after all."

Yating collapsed on the seat, defeated.

Damn did I really misunderstand all of this?

Gu Rong's brows furrowed seeing his son pressing his temples and releasing deep sighs one after the other.

"Is everything okay?"

"...Yeah."

His eyes narrowed. "Everything is not okay. Why are you so agitated if you have to work with Chyou? And please stop bringing the marriage discussion excuse every time."

"It's not that Dad."

"Then? Something is definitely the problem."

Gu Rong could smell that something suspicious was going on and his gaze went cold. "Who is bullying you?"

Yating coughed hard. "Bullying me? Dad, I am not a kid for anybody to bully me."

"Can you really be sure? Is anybody making things difficult for you at the set because you aren't from the entertainment industry?"

"No, Dad."

"Then is the work too difficult?"

"It's fine."

"Then why does it bother you so much?"

Another sigh escaped and he smiled. "Nothing. My bad for misunderstanding the whole idea. I am sorry. I will take my leave."

He got up when Gu Rong's voice roared. "Sit down!"

He jolted and did so. "What?"

"You come here all barging and shouting at me and accusing me and now you just want to leave?"

"I did apologize."

"That's not enough. You have to tell what's going on."

Then he said with a mixture of caution and hesitation. "You can…you can talk about the things that bother you. We might have h-had our differences but you are still my son."

Yating blinked and honestly, he was a little pleasantly surprised too. Gu Rong had always been demanding so this tone was foreign to him. It wasn't just new to him but to Gu Rong too, who clearly looked awkward.

Yating contemplated for a long moment. "I don't want to cause problems between Chyou and Yin."

"What? Who is Yin?"

"Cheng Yin. Chyou's boyfriend."

"Ah…I had forgotten about him."

His mouth twitched. "How could you?"

"Why are you giving me that look? Why should I remember him in the first place? He is not important to me."

His jaw dropped. "It's…not about importance. He is a famous actor and the boyfriend of the woman you wanted as your daughter-in-law so much. There is nothing to forget about him."

Gu Rong shrugged. "Whatever. So what is this problem with this Yin guy? Is he bullying you?"

"Ah for God's sake, nobody is bullying me. Chyou and Yin are together and you know…about the recent scandal."

"Of course. I have never been so disappointed in you," he sneered. "You seriously gave me hope that you were confessing to Chyou. I thought there was some reality in those pictures."

He stiffened.

"Th-That's ridiculous. I already told you a million times that Chyou and I are just friends."

"Fine, fine! You can never see me in peace even for a moment, can you? Anyway so go on. There was that scandal, so?"

Yating grimaced. "Join the dots together, Dad. It will be problematic if Chyou and I continue to work together amidst all the nonsense accusations that were pointed at her that she was cheating. Plus, there were marriage talks between us before and the scandal just made it worse. It will only bring more problems between Chyou and Yin."

Gu Rong stared at him and burst into a peal of hearty laughter.

"Dad! This is not funny," Yating couldn't believe his reaction.

"It is funny. The same man who boldly declared that people should end their friendships if they are judging you and Chyou is now afraid of repercussions for their relationship?"

Yating cleared his throat.

"First, you should be clear on what your stance is. Then there are two ways. First is what you did before. You don't give a shit about what others say because you know that your conscience is clear.

Second is what you are saying right now. Take a step back in fear of gossip and potential problems in Chyou's relationship. Now my question to you is why are you suddenly wavering from your first decision?"

He looked away.

"Yating," Gu Rong squinted his eyes. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me every fine detail about the problem. But I will tell you this. Backing off is cowardly. I have not raised my son to be a coward."

Yating clenched his fist.

"And if a meager problem like this is already threatening Chyou's relationship, then why is she with that Chang Yin in the first place?"

"Cheng Yin."

"Whatever."

Yating agreed one hundred percent with his father but that didn't make the reality disappear that they couldn't be friends anymore.

"Thanks Dad-"

"She should dump him and marry you," he snorted.

"..."

Yating sighed exasperated.

There he goes again!