Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu-Chapter 1255: Final riddle

The last round was around the corner and by then both Teams Red and Blue had reached neck to neck in the game. Both teams had scattered to find the last puzzle of the treasure hunt.

’The treasure rests where people argue the most, laugh the loudest and return no matter how far they wander.’

Shui read it twice as the riddle hung heavy in the air scribbled in bold marker on the final card.

"...argue the most," she murmured. "Laugh the loudest..."

"And return no matter how far they wander," Lin finished quietly on the other side with his team.

They both fell silent. Then almost at the same time, they looked up and broke into a run. The Liu mansion buzzed with chaos as both teams raced past corridors and staircases, footsteps echoing loud and messy and voices chattering through haste and panic.

Lin and Shui didn’t shout or signal their teammates. It was as if the rest of the game had faded into the background, air knocking in their chests with excitement to find the treasure before anyone else.

By the time they reached the living room, Shui was already slightly out of breath, hair slipping loose from its tie. Her arrival synced right with Lin’s, both skidding to a halt at the same time. For a split second, they only stared at each other, chests rising and falling in unison, the noise of the mansion muffled behind the thudding of their hearts.

Then their gazes shifted instinctively to the living room itself - The Liu family hall. The wide space looked deceptively calm in contrast to the chaos it had witnessed over the years. The long sofa where arguments had erupted over dinner plans and life choices. The center table that had been struck in frustration during heated debates and cleared again with Liu Hai’s booming laughter.

Shui breathed, slowing her steps.

Lin whispered. "Hm. It fits."

Though for a short time, Lin, too, had been a part of this family. The golden times when he worked with Jun not only had his days spent with his Boss but which extended to his family too. After the chill and despair left by his parents that has wedged a void in his heart, the Liu family, for the first time in his life, felt like it was his own family. This hall was as important to him as to Shui.

They two moved at the same time, circling the room from opposite sides. The game was still on and so was the search for the treasure. Shui crouched near the sofa, lifting a cushion, while Lin checked beneath the low cabinet, fingers brushing along the edges. The spirit of competition was still stoked and all alive, but their movements were careful and considerate.

Meanwhile other voices also echoed across the corridors. Jian exclaimed that they were close while Jing yelled that they were definitely right this time.

Shui slid her hand under the central coffee table. Her fingers brushed against something wooden, and her breath caught when Lin grabbed its edge at the same time. Their eyes locked, then narrowed.

"Lin."

"Shui."

"It’s very clear."

"Yes."

"That I touched this wooden chest first."

"That’s a point of contention. I grabbed it first."

"No, I did and I even crouched first so naturally, I reached first."

"That’s not a very sound logic when I leaned in at the same time."

Impasse.

Shui knew how competitive Lin could get in games. Not even a spark of mercy was granted even to his own girlfriend.

So impasse.

None was going to let go of the wooden chest.

"Okay, we can pull the box together," she suggested.

"Sure," Lin agreed to the reasonable suggestion.

So they did and a medium-sized wooden box revealed itself in the light as they carefully dragged it out. Then Lin was about to open when Shui slapped it away.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"We only agreed to pull the chest out together, not open it. Team Blue will open it because we won."

"Hah!" She scoffed. "That’s some shamelessness! Clearly, Team Red has won!"

By then, footsteps thundered closer, and the noise surged into louder decibels, spilling into the living room as both the teams poured in with their voices overlapping and protests and accusations already lifting the atmosphere with chatter.

"We knew it!"

"That’s cheating!"

"Who found it first?!"

Shui raised her arm. "I did! Team Red did!"

"It was Team Blue," Lin calmly countered her claim, making her glare at him.

"Clearly, it’s Team Red," Nian nodded sincerely.

Nuo snorted. "And why is that so?"

"Shui has all her five fingers grabbing the treasure chest while Lin has only two fingers caught to the edge! It’s our win!"

"..."

Chyou gasped. "Hey this isn’t about the number of fingers holding the treasure chest, okay?"

"It is when your side is claiming false truths," Leina’s chest puffed up.

That started a whole nother heated debate and sparks went flying until Nana had to finally step in between.

"Okay, okay, that’s enough. No more fighting."

"Sister-in-law, you have to give justice," Jing sniffled. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Well, if both teams claim they found the treasure chest together, then how about we open it together?"

"But then who won?"

"Continue that debate for later."

The two teams, while still sending glares to the other team, grouped up near Lin and Shui. The two slowly opened the chest while also not allowing any victory edge to the other side.

Jin was the first to point out the contents inside the chest. "Hey is that my video game from childhood!? The ones that the twins broke!"

"Hey don’t you accuse us when we were completely innocent and it was your fault in the first place for troubling Mom," Jian pouted.

Jin knelt and grabbed the video game, lips parting, stunned. Then tears formed in his eyes out of pure emotion.

Alix blinked, making her take a curious look. "Seems like it was your favorite game."

Jin wiped his messy eyes. "My most favorite! Bro Jun and I used to play for whole days with it until Mom had to drag us out of our rooms," he sniffled. "I cannot believe it that it’s still here..."