Rebirth: Once Again With You

After their first date, Li Caiyi could feel that Dai Zhiqiang had become even sweeter to her. He would call her first thing in the morning and the last voice she heard before going to bed.

Previously, he had already treated her well, but he changed into a perfect boyfriend in a short time.

"Boyfriend has a nice ring to it." Li Caiyi giggled to herself, feeling ticklish inside. "I wonder if the day when I can openly call him my boyfriend will come soon. Aren't we basically dating already?"

They had confessed their feelings to each other and even kissed already. Dai Zhiqiang didn't officially ask her out, but they did make a promise for their future together. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think of him as her boyfriend, right?

"Right, there is no need to fear. Unlike in my previous life, this time, my love is not one-sided anymore. No need to feel small or discouraged. Just enjoy your current life, Li Caiyi. You are on the right track so far!" Li Caiyi told herself as she looked at the mirror.

Once, she really hated to look at her reflection in the mirror.

Li Caiyi couldn't love herself and didn't want to see her own face. It reminded her of Li Chunhua and how she was only Li Chunhua's substitute. The thought depressed her, and she would occasionally break the mirror into pieces because of that.

Li Caiyi cringed at the memory. She must have looked like a crazy person then. However, now there was only a smile adorned her face as she faced herself properly. She loved how she could love herself in this timeline.

Bzzzt

While reminiscing old memories, Li Caiyi's phone vibrated once again.

"Hehe, did Zhiqiang forget to say something to me?" Li Caiyi took her phone and accepted the call in one swift moment.

"What's wrong? Did you have something more to say?" She asked coquettishly, one of the things she learned these days. Apparently, Dai Zhiqiang liked it when she used this tone toward him.

"Interesting. I wonder who you are mistaking me for?"

Li Caiyi almost dropped her phone due to surprise. She quickly looked at the caller ID and almost groaned when she realized she had just made a big mistake.

Putting the phone back beside her ear, she said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Brother Renshu. I thought it was someone else."

"Yeah, I thought so too. You haven't answered my question. Who are you mistaking me for?"

Li Caiyi couldn't come up with a response in mind yet, but he had already continued.

"Can't you answer? Or do you just don't want to answer? Should I take a guess myself then?"

"M-more importantly! What do you call me for, Brother Renshu? It's still so early in the morning."

"Oh? So it's okay if that person calls you so early in the morning, but would you feel troubled if it was me who did it? Is that what you are trying to say?"

Meng Renshu's tone was light and playful, as if they had just exchanged a joke, but there was a certain pressure in it that caught her tongue.

"I wondered why Xiaoyi didn't ask how my condition was lately. I thought she was just too busy, but I was completely forgotten. Is all that talk about you being grateful for me saving you is just a lie too?"

Those lines were like a stab in her conscience, and they rendered her speechless. Because she was busy preparing for her book publish day and distracted by her relationship with Dai Zhiqiang, she had indeed forgotten about Meng Renshu's injury.

Li Caiyi had no obligation to take care of him. Still, because his injury was indirectly caused by her, she felt somehow responsible for it.

"Brother Renshu, I wasn't lying when I said I'm grateful to you. But you don't need me to care for you when you already have many people ready to do things at your beckoning."

"Why wouldn't I need it? I don't need some other people to care for me but you, Xiaoyi."

Because he was always saying things like that, Li Caiyi felt reluctant to contact, much less care for him.

Now that she already had Dai Zhiqiang in her heart, it wouldn't be right for her to show extreme care for another guy.

"If you keep pestering me like this, I will have no choice but to block you, Brother Renshu."

"Do that, and I will appear in Shao Jingfei's place every day. Just so I can quench my longing for you."

"Sure, I will just ignore you then. I'll lock myself inside my room."

"How can you say that? Don't you feel the least bit of sorry for me?"

"I owe you again, that's true. But it doesn't mean I will let you manipulate me with it."

Meng Renshu chuckled. "You became more adept in arguing. Well, joking aside, I did have something I want to tell you."

Li Caiyi felt like he deliberately changed the topic when the situation put him in a disadvantageous position. However, that might be better than listening to his whining and unreasonable demand.

"Say it."

"Today is D-Day, right? Congratulations on your new book. It's the first step toward your dream. I'm very proud of you." Meng Renshu said sincerely.

Li Caiyi was stunned because she didn't expect him to know that. Did he hear that from her siblings again?

Whoever he heard that from, Li Caiyi was still genuinely happy to hear that.

"Thank you, Brother Renshu." Li Caiyi replied softly.

"I want to be the first to tell you that, but I guess someone has beaten me to it." Meng Renshu chuckled. "But that doesn't matter now since I can hear your cheerful voice early in the morning. It's all worth it."

"Did you call me so early because you wanted to say that?"

"I have been counting down the days ever since I heard it from Jingfei. It would be easy for me to procure the book faster if I had used my connection, but I refrained from doing so. I want to read it on the first day it is published."

"Why? There is clearly an easier way for you."

"That way we can share our excitement. I'm not only your pursuer, but I'm also your fan, after all."

Li Caiyi knew this might be one of his schemes to influence her again, so she tried to suppress it. However, her lips had curved up into a smile before she knew it.

"You can look forward to it. I assure you this one will be better than the last one."

"I like your confidence. Keep up a great job, Xiaoyi. I'll let you know what I think about  it later."

"Sure."

"I'll see you at the school later then. I hope today will be an enjoyable day for you."

The line was cut after he said that. Li Caiyi looked at her phone with wonderment. Maybe because they had known each other for a long time, it was easy to talk to him.

Of course, that was only when he wasn't trying to do anything funny.