Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi looked above and gasped when she found out that she had fallen from such height. It was almost a miracle she could get through it without significant injuries. She had to thank the tree branches for cushioning her fall.

Stabbing pain in her ankle almost made her scream out loud. She looked down at her foot and found the right one swollen. No wonder it was so painful.

"Out of all places, why must it be my feet?" Li Caiyi sighed before carefully taking a step while putting all her weight on her left leg. She managed to walk forward while leaning on the tree, even if she had to jump a bit to reach there.

With painstaking effort, Li Caiyi managed to find her bag with her things scattered around it. It landed not far from where she fell, and she was happy that the snack she prepared was among them too.

She lost her tumbler, which made her concerned about having no water for a few hours ahead, but she calmed herself down.

"I'm sure someone will come to get me soon. I just need to hold on until then."

The orange sky began to darken, and the wind became chilly. Li Caiyi wore a shirt under her jersey but still shivered when the cold wind hit her.

The summer was almost here, but it was still this cold on the mountain. She probably would freeze to death if she spent a night out there.

Li Caiyi didn't know if she walked in the correct direction, but she was relieved when she found a small cave after walking for a while. The cave was covered by the vine, and it almost went unnoticeable if not for the wind.

Carefully, so as not to alert any living being inside, Li Caiyi threw a small rock inside to test. Only after several tries and she heard no movement from inside did she dare to peek inside.

"Thank goodness, it's empty," Li Caiyi exhaled deeply.

The cave was small, and she couldn't move freely once inside. She had to slightly duck when she walked, and the width wasn't enough for her to lie down. She assumed she had to rest while sitting. Thankfully the cave was pretty deep.

Li Caiyi wished she didn't have to spend a night here, but a beggar couldn't be a chooser.

Throwing her bag gently to the ground, Li Caiyi grimaced as she slowly lowered herself to sit down. Her side and swollen ankle throbbed painfully, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.

There wasn't enough space to lie down, so she leaned her back against the cave wall and sat with her legs folded. Her phone still showed no service, and her battery was almost dying, so she couldn't kill time with it.

Left with nothing to do, Li Caiyi ate her snacks to restore her energy. Doing so made her throat feel more parched, but at least her body felt warmer now.

If only her condition wasn't this poor, she would go out to find dry branches to make a fire.

Staying alone in a secluded place like this depressed her. Li Caiyi was worried about Li Chunhua's condition and wanted nothing but to grow wings right now to descend the mountain. But forget about wings; she couldn't even walk properly in her current state.

"I'm sorry, Xiaohua. Just wait a little longer." Li Caiyi buried her head on her thigh while sighing deeply.

Being in the cramped and dark place suddenly reminded her of the past. Once, she also hid in a hole inside the tree with limited space, just like now.

Li Caiyi remembered waiting for her family to pick her up, but no one came for her. She didn't come out or even make the slightest movement in fear that the big dog would find her.

The young and helpless her believed that someone would come if she just waited for a bit more.

Just like now.

Li Caiyi hugged herself tighter, trying to chase away the negative thought in her head.

Senior Hu should have informed the teacher about this by now, but even if he didn't, her friends must have noticed her missing after some time had passed. This time, everything would end differently.

'But are you sure? Maybe they even forget about you and are having fun on their own. Or everyone must be busy caring for the sick Xiaohua and have no time for you anymore. After all, how can someone like you be compared with her?'

Li Caiyi shook her head vigorously to repel the voice inside her heart. "That's not true. I'm sure my friends will remember me. I'm not alone anymore now."

After she muttered that, the wind blew harshly, followed by roaring thunder. It startled Li Caiyi because it sounded so close to her. Perhaps that was natural when you were on the mountain, but she still couldn't get used to it even after it happened twice and thrice more.

As expected, rain soon fell down, and she felt relieved and disappointed simultaneously.

She was relieved that she had found this place before the rain fell. Yet the rain would cover her track, thus making it difficult for people to find her. The thought of being trapped here discouraged her.

"I hope the rain will stop soon."

She probably should try to move if the rain stopped and no one came to her after waiting for a few hours. There was no guarantee that anyone would bother to check below the cliff, and she was restless.

Li Chunhua must be in pain, yet she couldn't be beside her to be her moral support. She only hoped that Meng Renshu would be there by her sister's side and accompany her.

The sky was dark, and the chilly wind easily penetrated the gap between the vines. Li Caiyi rubbed her palm together and curled herself more to generate more heat, but it barely made any difference.

The sensation felt so different from when Dai Zhiqiang hugged her. He had a tall and big body.

When he wrapped his arms around her, he was like a blanket or shield that protected her from cold and threat.

There was no safer place for her than his embrace, yet he wasn't here at the moment. Exhausted and weakened by her tattered body, Li Caiyi suppressed the urge to cry.

"I miss him. Zhiqiang, I want to see you."

Li Caiyi's eyelids were heavy, but the chilling air made it impossible to fall asleep. She felt like she shouldn't fall asleep here, or she probably wouldn't wake up again.

Then, she heard a rustling sound.

It was different from the sound of vines rubbing against each other. It was more like the sound of something going past the bushes.

Li Caiyi raised her head while feeling tense all over. Her eyes stared vigilantly towards the entrance of the cave.

'Is that a person? Or perhaps a wild animal?' She thought inwardly.

The rustling sound kept getting louder, and encouraged by her curiosity, Li Caiyi scooted her body closer to the entrance, trying to take a peek at the view outside. She couldn't move well, and this cave wouldn't protect her if it turned out to be a wild mountain dog or bear.

However, before she could take a peek, something big suddenly parted the vine, prompting a surprised shriek from her.

"Aaah!"