Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi was taken aback when she saw Meng Renshu standing at the door. Since when was he there? She was too drowned in her emotion to notice someone approaching.

He was the last person she wanted to see now. She still remembered how he said he was already on the path of abandonment.

In the end, everything he said was true. Li Caiyi was dumped once again by someone she loved the most. And Meng Renshu just had to witness it when she was in her most vulnerable state; it was humiliating.

Li Caiyi quickly wiped her tears and withdrew her gaze. "Why are you here, Brother Renshu?"

"Xiaoyi, what happened to you?" He asked in a concerned tone. "Why are you crying here alone?"

"Nothing."

It didn't look like it was nothing. Meng Renshu bit his lips before guessing, " Does it have something to do with Dai Zhiqiang?"

"No. Why would you think like that?"

"I just know because I have been watching you all this time. Only he could elicit such a strong reaction from you," Meng Renshu said bitterly before approaching her. "Look at you. Your eyes are all swollen. How do you plan to get out with that kind of face?"

Li Caiyi hugged herself tighter when she saw him reaching out his hand to her. "Don't touch me, please. I'm not in the mood for another fight with you. Can you pretend you don't see anything and leave now?"

Meng Renshu retracted his hand but refused to move from his spot. It was painful to see her like this. There was no way he could leave her alone.

Then he sat beside her while saying nothing. He didn't say a word and only silently accompanied her.

Li Caiyi had stopped crying, but her mind was still a mess. Having Meng Renshu beside her like this didn't help her.

"Brother Renshu, I'd like to be alone right now."

"With your current condition, I can't pretend to not see anything and leave you to suffer alone."

"I will be alright after some time…."

"Then it doesn't matter if I'm here or not, right? I want to stay by your side."

Li Caiyi was too lazy to argue more, so she left the conversation like that. She buried her head in her folded legs as her mind replayed what Dai Zhiqiang had told her today. Her heart felt like it would be torn into pieces.

The thought of being unable to see him again was horrifying.

"Xiaoyi, I know this isn't the right time, but I'm sorry for speaking harshly to you the other day. I didn't mean to belittle you." Meng Renshu said regretfully.

They were the only ones in the room, and his words sounded remorseful and sincere.

Li Caiyi didn't raise her head, but she was listening.

Meng Renshu also seemed to understand that as he continued talking, "I still don't trust Dai Zhiqiang, but if you believe him so much, then I will try to understand and respect your opinion. It makes me sad that we haven't talked much in the past few days."

She twitched at the mention of Dai Zhiqiang and felt like she wanted to cry again.

In the moment of vulnerability, she blurted out, "Did you come here to mock me again?"

"Huh?" Meng Renshu was surprised by her sudden hostility. He didn't know what he had said wrong this time.

"You are right. I'm just that pathetic woman who had her head in the clouds. Someone like me who disregards herself and tries her best to please the man is just pitiful. There, I admit it. Are you happy now?"

Meng Renshu frowned deeply. "Did he say that to you?"

Li Caiyi was so frustrated she raised her head and glared at him. "You two said the same thing! Is playing with my feeling really that fun? Now that I have been dumped twice, are you satisfied now? You can laugh at me, so just leave me alone!"

Then, she broke down in tears again. It was so embarrassing to be seen crying after she snapped out for no reason, but she couldn't help it.

Li Caiyi was just so angry, upset, and sad. She didn't want anyone to see her pathetic self, so she hid there, but Meng Renshu kept pushing her button.

Meanwhile, Meng Renshu was dumbstruck. Hysterical Li Caiyi was a sight she had never seen.

The shock only lasted for a while until the severity of her words fully sank into him. "What did you just say? Dai Zhiqiang dumped you?"

She didn't answer and continued to choke back on her sob. It was all the answer he needed.

Meng Renshu felt conflicted inside. A part of him was in pain seeing her cry so much, then there was anger towards Dai Zhiqiang for hurting her like this. However, the most prominent was an expectation he had for the future.

He hated himself for feeling like that when she was crying her eyes out, but it came naturally to him. With Dai Zhiqiang out of the equation, Li Caiyi would be safe, and he could slowly help her stand on her feet again.

His heart beat fast in his chest as he carefully patted her back. "Now I understand why you look so sad. It's okay to cry it all out. And I wasn't serious about what I said that day. You are not pathetic at all."

Li Caiyi didn't know what to think anymore. It was like she had lost her footing and fallen into endless darkness again. Without Dai Zhiqiang to hold her down, she could feel the old Li Caiyi she had locked deep inside her fight back to the surface.

She didn't know how long she cried, but by the time she finally calmed down, her head was heavy, and her throat was parched from crying too much.

Meng Renshu was still there with her. Even though she had repeatedly told him to get lost, he still waited by her side.

"You should go, Brother Renshu. This is the last day of your high school life. There must be a lot of people waiting for you outside."

"I already graduated once anyway, so I don't care. I used to neglect and leave you by yourself in the past. Now I want to use my time for you and you alone."

Li Caiyi raised her head in confusion. By that, did he mean when they were still a married couple? She couldn't understand why he wanted to bring that matter up again, but having someone by her side during her darkest time comforted her a bit.

It would be better if that person wasn't Meng Renshu, though, so she wouldn't have mixed feelings about this. She recalled a lot of unpleasant memories just by looking at him.

Before this situation became awkward, Li Caiyi slowly stood up and said, "I think I will leave now. I'm sorry, Brother Renshu but let's talk next time."

She had just taken a step when dizziness warped her vision and made her slip.

Meng Renshu quickly caught her before she fell onto the floor. His arms wrapped around her waist tightly as his eyes widened in shock. "Careful! Are you alright?"

No, she wasn't alright. Her head hurt like crazy, and she felt sluggish somehow.

When she noticed their intimate position, Li Caiyi felt bitterness rise inside her again. Dai Zhiqiang also helped her in this room once before.

But now he was gone. They won't be able to meet anymore.

She quickly pushed Meng Renshu back before steadying herself. "I'm okay. Thanks for helping me, but I can walk by myself."

"Are you sure? Your body is staggering." Meng Renshu pressed her palm on her forehead and felt a scalding heat under his palm. "Xiaoyi, you got a fever!"

A fever? The last time she was sick was on the first day of her regression. She remembered it was because she was too shocked to see Meng Renshu and Li Chunhua kissing and felt heartbroken.

Now that Dai Zhiqiang had broken her heart, she had a fever again. Even though she was usually very healthy. No wonder her body felt heavy and sluggish.

"Let me take you home, alright?" Meng Renshu offered.

"No. I want to go back alone."

"Don't be stubborn. You are not in good condition to do that."

Li Caiyi wasn't trying to be stubborn for no reason.

Being around Meng Renshu made her restless as she didn't know what would happen if she collapsed in front of him. The prerequisite was that they had to sleep together, but with how things turned out now, who could guess what would happen next?

What if she forgot about Dai Zhiqiang again when she opened her eyes next?

Just thinking about it was scary.

"Brother Renshu, I will say this just in case. I have no intention of going back to you even if Dai Zhiqiang and I aren't lovers. We both had a chance in the past, and we kept missing each other. We have the same chance now, but my feelings for you are not the same anymore."

Meng Renshu's face hardened upon hearing that. "Do you have to say that now? I didn't even mention anything about that."

Li Caiyi rubbed her throbbing forehead. "It's better to clear the air before a misunderstanding happens."

Meng Renshu's jaw tightened as he looked at the girl in front of her darkly. Her eyes were red and moist after crying. He could hear her breathing heavily, and the sweat rolling from her temple to her flushed neck had an alluring charm to it.

Meng Renshu quickly looked away as his body grew hot. It was unfair of her to show him such a delectable view. Now he couldn't even get angry even if he wanted to.

"....I will call Junjie so he can pick you up."