Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi was confused. She suspected the shock from last night might have done something to her brother's brain.

"But that's the most rational action to take at that time," she argued. "Xiaohua was already unconscious and in a dangerous state, so following his whim was our only choice. Brother, isn't that what you think as well?"

"Even if that's the case, there will not be any meaning if something happens to you in the process. No one should be hurt, although I admit that it will be hard to achieve in that situation. You did well for delaying him until the police came."

This was beyond her expectation. She wasn't sure if he was trying to reprimand or compliment her. For Li Junjie to say so much, was he worried about her?

"I couldn't do anything back then, so I had no right to say anything to you, but I hope you will be more careful in the future. You thought too lightly of yourself."

"Brother, what happened to you? You usually never care about me, so why are  you suddenly acting like this?"

Li Junjie shook his head. "I don't know either. Everytime I see you, I get annoyed. It takes me some time before I realize the reason. Be it as it may, I have no qualification to say anything to you. It frustrated me, and in the end, I lashed out at you. That was my bad."

"What do you mean? What is the reason you are talking about?"

"About the matter with Lu Ruan. It would be best if you returned once her harassment began to get out of hand. Does the idea of living with your family repulse you that much?"

He said something similar to that last night. So it wasn't because he was angry at her for involving Xiaohua, but he was annoyed at her recklessness? That was so misleading! She felt stupid now for getting worked up all by herself.

"How come you also say the exact same thing as Xiaohua?" Li Caiyi laughed dryly. "I have decided to live independently, so I thought I should solve my problem alone. Besides, aren't you the one that says I can do anything I please after our parents' divorce?"

Li Junjie looked away with an uncomfortable expression on his face. "Yes. I remember saying that. Because you have suffered for a long time, I want you to live freely. But now, I'm not so sure anymore. Even after Lu Ruan was gone, I can't seem to calm down."

"Brother, I appreciate your concern, but please just return to the usual you. It feels weird."

"I know, right?" Li Junjie chuckled. "I think so too. This isn't like me at all. Just forget what I said before."

"No, you don't have to go so far. You talked a lot, but to summarize your point, you are worried about me and want me to rely on you more, right?"

Li Junjie was stunned. "Where did you get that idea? I said no such things. If something happens to you, Mother will be sad, and I want to avoid that at all costs."

"Oh, really?" Li Caiyi rolled her eyes, somewhat irked by his blunt response.

"Anyway, just be careful. If it's too much for you to bear, ask for help immediately. Don't be stupid and suffer unnecessarily. You also...."

Li Caiyi meant to question him about things, but in the end, he nagged her about various things. He continued talking as if relieved that he could throw up words that had been stored inside him. It was a bizarre sight for someone as quiet as him.

***

"Something like that happened?" Detective Tang exclaimed while throwing a sympathetic gaze at Li Caiyi.

"Yeah. Thanks to that, the last few days have been like a nightmare for me," Li Caiyi heaved a long sigh. The end-term exam was just around the corner, but she couldn't even put her mind to her study with so many things happening.

"Young Miss, you seem to get more wrinkles every time I see you. Don't burden yourself with unnecessary thoughts; just focus on caring for yourself and your sister. I hope she will recover soon."

Li Caiyi smiled a bit, hearing his words of comfort. "Thank you, Detective. However, the more we dilly dally, the bigger the risk we will face in the future."

"Xiaoyi is right." Meng Renshu, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.

They were currently in the VIP room of a five-star restaurant, per Meng Renshu's recommendation. It was the same room where he and Li Caiyi came to discuss Li Chunhua's poisoning case the other day.

"Detective, would it be too much for you to do an additional investigation on top of our current plan? This Hu Jian is dangerous, and I want more information about him."

"Young Master Meng, I already decided to investigate without you telling me. If what the Young Miss said was true, then there is a high possibility that this person might be the key we need to get closer to that organization," Detective Tang smirked.

"As expected, you are quick on the uptake," Meng Renshu smiled in satisfaction. "We have two possible leads now. The first is my father, and the second is Hu Jian. I will monitor my father closely, and in the meantime, I want you to help Xiaoyi with this. I have arranged for some men to follow her to keep her safe. If Hu Jian makes his move, they will inform me immediately."

Li Caiyi had a defeated expression on her face. "I know this is necessary, but it makes me self-conscious to have some unknown people following me."

"Sorry for making you uncomfortable, but I can't calm down knowing you can be in danger anytime. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll eventually get used to it," Meng Renshu said consolingly.

Considering his position, it wouldn't be weird if he had some people keeping an eye on him all the time. Li Caiyi only experienced it for a day and was already stressed; she couldn't imagine how Meng Renshu could stand it.

Talking about surveillance also reminded him of Dai Zhiqiang. They hadn't spoken since they parted ways in her house that day.

Out of habit, she raised her hand to touch her necklace, only to realize it wasn't there.

Li Caiyi still had mixed feelings about how Dai Zhiqiang secretly spied on her. She didn't know what to think about it, so she took it off and kept it in her drawer instead.

A part of her knew that he must have done that to protect her. He gave it to her as his first gift shortly after their school trip, so it must be heavily related to how she almost went missing in the mountains. With a tracking device, it would be easier to locate her.

Li Caiyi understood that in her brain, but her heart couldn't accept it. Having him constantly watch over her without permission made her feel controlled. She had had enough of that in her previous life.

The necklace she used to cherish now felt like a collar, and she hated herself for thinking that way.

In the end, she decided to keep it away for now. After she resolved the misunderstanding with Dai Zhiqiang, she probably would have an idea of what she wanted to do with it.

"Xiaoyi? What are you thinking?"

"Huh?" Li Caiyi jolted in surprise, hearing Meng Renshu's voice so close to her ear. They looked at her worriedly, and she felt terrible for zoning out in the middle of an important conversation. "Sorry, I was thinking about something else just now. What did you say?"

"We are talking about one more person that plays a significant role in this case. Your father, Xiaoyi. He hasn't done anything out of the ordinary so far, but have you heard anything from your brother?" Meng Renshu repeated his question.

"Ah." Li Caiyi recalled their conversation yesterday and pondered whether she should tell them or not. Everything Li Junjie said was just a mere theory with no solid evidence. However, the 'research' mentioned in her grandfather's journal did bother her a bit.

"Based on your expression, you already have something in mind." Meng Renshu commented, looking somewhat intrigued.

"Well, I did hear something from my brother. He told me about his crazy and messed up theory, but I don't know where to start."

"How about we start with why his theory bothers you?" Detective Tang suggested.

"Very well. Actually…"

Li Caiyi told them everything because three heads were better than just one. She had a nagging feeling that what Li Junjie said yesterday must have some significance to the current case; she just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Meanwhile, Meng Renshu calmly listened to Li Caiyi's explanation and had a pensive look on his face. His father mentioned Li Caiyi's great-grandfather, but this was the first time he had heard about Li Quan. He agreed with Li Caiyi that this piece of information might get them somewhere.

"Xiaoyi, based on what you said, then this supposed 'research' was once what your great-grandfather did while he was still working for Meng Pharmaceutical?"

"Yeah, that's correct."

"Then the answer for what kind of research is probably still somewhere in the company." Meng Renshu commented thoughtfully.

"And not only that," Detective Tang added, "Young Miss' father is probably aware of that too; that's why he willingly quit his previous job and switched to Meng Pharmaceutical."

Li Caiyi's back was tense. She couldn't help but glance at Meng Renshu.

He was the one who offered that position to Li Jirong. Did he allow him to have that position because he knew this would happen?