Rebirth: Once Again With You

"Zhiqiang!"

Li Caiyi's exclamation of surprise notified everyone of her presence immediately. Zhou Ya, Feng Nian, and Chen Ruolan were zoned out for a moment before they snapped their heads to look at the young man in the suit more clearly.

"Oh my god, it's really him!" Zhou Ya covered her mouth in disbelief.

Although Dai Zhiqiang was pretty handsome, people barely knew him except that he was one of the top students in school because of his hard-to-approach nature and low-profile behavior. He rarely showed up at school events or socialized with other students, so he practically went out of everyone's radar.

Of course, this revelation brought a wave of uproar to the crowd. The girls who only had eyes on the handsome young man were flabbergasted.

"Zhiqiang? As in Dai Zhiqiang, the rank 1 student in our year?"

"No way! He is so different when he wears a suit, and did he cut his hair? He is so cool!"

"I know, right? Previously, I could only look at him as a nerd with a slightly better look than the rest, but the outfit really makes a man."

"How come I never notice that such a hottie is wandering below my nose? Ah, I missed the chance to discover the hidden gem!"

Like they said, being cold and aloof had its own charm, but being cold and aloof in a suit had the otherworldly charm. Dai Zhiqiang's new appearance hypnotized everyone to the point that they couldn't take their eyes off him.

However, Dai Zhiqiang paid no heed to those admiring stares and turned his head to the source of the voice. The corner of his lips raised slightly, making the girls swoon at how charming he was.

Of course, Li Caiyi was not immune to his charm either. On the contrary, now that she realized she loved him for who he was, the effect of his subtle smile on her was tremendous.

Her heart beat furiously in her chest, and there was a sense of achievement knowing that he only made that expression after seeing her. He barely glanced at the other girls and only looked at her in the middle of this crowd. It made her feel special.

When he strode over to her using his long legs, Li Caiyi's body was tense because of nervousness.

"Caiyi," Dai Zhiqiang called out to her in his deep voice, which strangely sounded huskier than usual. Added with how he donned himself in a suit today, he looked really sexy in her eyes.

Li Caiyi shook her head to push away the unnecessary thought. She subconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear before smiling shyly, "Y-you're late. The exam has already ended."

Li Caiyi meant for that line to sound more reprimanding, but she was so overwhelmed by his manly charm that it sounded like a coquettish complaint instead. She felt embarrassed somehow, especially when she recalled the bold move he made on her last time.

Contrary to her fluster state, it was almost unfair how unfazed Dai Zhiqiang was. After the subtle smile he showed the first time, his face reverted to his neutral expression. But it only made him look even cooler than before.

The other girls couldn't stop gawking at him, and Li Caiyi didn't like that. She grumbled inwardly about why Dai Zhiqiang had to show up in a get-up like this? This wasn't his workplace but school, so he should have come in his uniform.

'And what's with that new hairstyle? His previous one was already good, so why did he have to change it?'

"Caiyi, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" Li Caiyi cried out in surprise. Especially when Dai Zhiqiang's face suddenly blocked her line of vision from looking at those girls behind him.

"Why are you zoning out? I was asking if the exam went well for you."

"Oh, haha, I'm sorry. Yeah, it went well," Li Caiyi laughed awkwardly while scratching her cheek.

"Good."

"But, why did you come so late? You missed the first day."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's why I came to report to the teacher to give me a make-up exam. I just finished it, actually."

"Is that even possible?"

"Yeah, because I have someone to testify for my lateness." Dai Zhiqiang glanced at the bald man who stood not far from them.

Based on his outfit, Li Caiyi could only assume that the bald man was one of Dai Zhiqiang's co-workers. She nodded to the man politely, which made the bald man flinch for a second, but later he nodded back, albeit stiffly.

"He looked scary, but he must be a nice person if he went through the trouble to accompany you here." Li Caiyi smiled.

Dai Zhiqiang scoffed. "He is just doing his job. Don't give him too many credits."

"What do you mean it's his job?"

Dai Zhiqiang's eyes shook for a moment before saying, "Nothing. More importantly, are you feeling better now?"

"I think so? Why do you ask?"

"Well, you act differently from usual that night. I want to know if everything is okay after that?"

There was a hint of concern in his tone, and it warmed her heart, knowing that he cared so much about her.

Li Caiyi nervously tucked her hair again before replying. "Yes, everything is fine after that. Um, how is your exam going?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Dai Zhiqiang smirked smugly. He looked even more dashing when smiling like that. His handsomeness blinded Li Caiyi that she was at a loss for words.

While they were immersed in their own little world, Chen Ruolan nudged Feng Nian, who stood beside her before whispering, "Were the two of them always this close?"

"No, but I think I have an idea," Feng Nian said with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Do you think the same as me, Nian Nian?" Zhou Ya chimed in with sparkling eyes, more or less the same as the rest of the girls there, but clearly for different reasons. "The eyes Caiyi has right now it's clearly the eyes of a girl in love. What an exciting development!"

Chen Ruolan's jaw dropped when she heard that. "Seriously?"

"I even have a hunch that the friend she keeps talking about all this time is actually Dai Zhiqiang all along," Feng Nian added.

"What? Really?"

"That will be wonderful, then. His expression visibly grew softer when he talked to our Caiyi, so I don't think he is completely uninterested in her."

Chen Ruolan pressed her temple with her palm. "Wait, my tired brain can't keep up with all this information at once."

Feng Nian chuckled. "Don't worry, we will make Caiyi spill all the beans later."