Rebirth: Once Again With You

After talking to Director Shen, Dai Zhiqiang returned to the meeting room used for the audition and found that the inside was already empty. He was a bit disappointed.

It probably was a bit too much to expect Li Caiyi would wait for her. Even if she didn't refuse him outrightly, he could tell she was still displeased with him.

The thought made him feel gloomy. However, those thoughts disappeared when there was a sound of the door closing behind him. He turned his head behind and found Li Caiyi standing with her back against the door, looking at him with a sharp gaze.

"It's about time we talk properly. I won't let you escape this time." Li Caiyi declared in an unfriendly tone.

Dai Zhiqiang's eyes widened in surprise at first, but later, he burst into laughter. This, of course, confused Li Caiyi.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, nothing." Dai Zhiqiang replied as he smiled at her. "I just found it funny how I keep feeling surprised whenever I'm around you. I'm happy you aren't trying to avoid me."

Li Caiyi could feel her heart waver again just from seeing him smile. Ugh, he and his handsome face should be illegal.

"I'm not here to talk about 'us' now. I accidentally heard what you were talking about with Director Shen. What do you mean that you 'recommended' me to him? What happened in the past six years that gave you such power now?"

"Li Caiyi, calm down. I have meant to tell you, even if you don't rush like that."

"Really?" Li Caiyi was skeptical, as he always tried to hide something from her. "Then, why don't you tell me now?"

"Can we talk while sitting down first?"

"No." Li Caiyi replied immediately. "I can't tell what you will do next, so let's just talk like this."

Dai Zhiqiang shrugged. "If that's what you want, then fine. Li Caiyi, Director Shen, and I simply made an 'agreement'. In exchange for giving him the information he wanted, I told him to reach out to you. Coincidentally, he was searching for someone to write a script for him, so I told him to go to you. That's all."

"But why? What's in it for you to recommend me like that?"

"Do I have a reason not to? I believe you will be able to satisfy Director Shen's difficult demands one way or another. I simply recommended you to him, but he chose to proceed using your script because he sees potential in you."

Li Caiyi didn't know whether she should feel flattered to hear that. She felt very complicated inside. "Dai Zhiqiang, why did you show yourself in front of me again after all this time? Did something happen to you?"

Dai Zhiqiang tilted his head. "Why did you think like that? Do you not want to see me?"

"Stop answering my question with another question. You said you would answer my question."

Dai Zhiqiang slipped his hands into his pocket, and Li Caiyi kept reminding herself not to get distracted by his coolness.

"If I tell you I came back because I missed you, will you believe me?" He asked with a serious look on his face.

"You are right. I can't believe you. You left without looking back even once six years ago." Li Caiyi clenched her hand into a fist. "Besides, I already knew you came back around the same time as Xia Rouyue. How can you expect me to believe what you said?"

Dai Zhiqiang flinched upon hearing that, but he didn't deny her words.

A tinge of pain struck her heart, but Li Caiyi managed to maintain her composure this time. "Anyway, you are living well abroad, so why did you decide to come back?"

"I don't live well at all." Dai Zhiqiang replied bitterly. "In the past years, I really am not well, Li Caiyi."

He had such a sad expression on his face that she couldn't help but feel concerned. "Why? What happened?"

Dai Zhiqiang forced himself to smile, making her feel more restless. "Do you have time after this? Rather than explaining, it's better to show you directly."

***

Li Caiyi had a bad feeling when she saw him looking so sad. However, she wasn't prepared for this answer.

They were standing in front of the Dai family's tombstone, and there was Dai Bolin's picture, along with freshly brought flowers, in front of it.

Li Caiyi's whole body shook as the realization hit her hard. she covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief. Tears had already poured down from her eyes. "It can't be….Uncle…."

"My father, he missed you until his last breath," Dai Zhiqiang explained. His voice quivered as he continued. "He said he wanted to return to S country and meet you again no matter what. But his body couldn't last that long."

Li Caiyi couldn't contain her emotion anymore as she angrily grabbed him by the lapel of his suit. Her wet eyes glared at him fiercely.

"Then you should have told me! I would throw away whatever I was doing and run to his place immediately. Do you think I won't care about him anymore because we have broken up? You don't even know how worried I was for Uncle!"

"I trusted you… Even if we broke up, I trusted you would tell me if something happened to him because you understood how much he meant to me. All this time, I consider no news as good news, and now you are telling me Uncle is gone?"

Li Caiyi's voice cracked by the end of her sentence. Her heart constricted so much that she had a hard time breathing.

Dai Zhiqiang didn't try to avoid or excuse himself. He focused solely on her crying face and used his thumb to wipe her tears. "I'm sorry, Li Caiyi."

Li Caiyi hit his chest with her fist weakly. She was just too frustrated and sad to say anything.

Everything just felt so useless. Her getting angry at him like this, and his apology to her. No matter what they did, time couldn't be rewound. The miracle wouldn't happen twice.

Dai Bolin would never come back, even if she argued with him like this. His disease was something that none of them could solve. It wasn't something she could prevent even if she wanted to.

That was why she kind of prepared herself for the worst. However, she wouldn't get a chance to see him off properly.

Losing all energy in her body, Li Caiyi slumped to the ground. Dai Zhiqiang held her shoulder firmly as if trying to send her some of his strength. "Li Caiyi, I'm sorry. I know you care about my father so much."

Li Caiyi shook her head as tears kept streaming down her cheeks. She raised her head and looked at him sadly.

"It must be hard for you and Shenqiang. Just thinking how you two must have felt, my heart was ripped into pieces."

In the next moment, Li Caiyi threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close, burying his head in her embrace. "I'm sorry for not being there with you guys when it happened. You don't have to hold back, for my sake. Just cry with me if you want."

Dai Zhiqiang brought her here, completely prepared to get scolded or to comfort her in case she broke down. But he didn't expect she would react like this.

Li Caiyi didn't try to comfort him. She cried as she shared the pain with him. It deeply resonated with him and tugged something he had kept hidden all this time.

Dai Zhiqiang didn't care anymore and desperately clung to her for life. He didn't even dare to cry in front of Dai Shenqiang, but it happened so easily with her.

He felt it was okay for him to cry with her. He was allowed to let his guard down in front of her.

Li Caiyi's heart ached so much his body trembled as his tears wetted her clothes. He didn't utter much sound, but it somehow felt even sadder. How long must he hide his sadness?

She tightened her hold on him, silently confirming that she wouldn't leave him alone.

The pair sat together on the dirty ground of a public graveyard, pouring all their sadness for losing the man who meant so much to them.