Rebirth: Once Again With You

When Dai Zhiqiang opened his eyes again, he was in the middle of the street.

There was a loud commotion around him, but it felt like he was in a separate space and time from everyone else.

He couldn't seem to remember why and where he was.

"Big Brother! Are you alright!"

Someone shook his body while screaming beside his ears. Dai Zhiqiang was woken up from his daydream and mechanically turned to his side.

Kneeling beside him was Dai Shenqiang, with his chin bleeding a little and tears filling his eyes.

What exactly happened?

While Dai Zhiqiang was still trying to collect his wits, Dai Shenqiang hugged him tightly while sobbing.

Dai Zhiqiang grimaced in pain at the contact. He didn't realize it until now, but what had happened to him? Why did his body throb all over?

"Thank goodness. Don't scare me like that." Dai Shenqiang whined in the middle of his sobs. "I don't know what to do if something happened to you too."

"Young man, perhaps you shouldn't cling to your brother like that. Don't aggravate his injuries," said an unknown middle-aged man who kneeled by Dai Zhiqiang's other side.

Dai Shenqiang carefully let go of him before wiping the tears from his eyes. "Right. Big Brother, we will bring you to the hospital immediately. Hang on just a little bit more!"

Dai Zhiqiang wanted to ask about what happened and why Dai Shenqiang was there.

He wanted to tell his brother that this place was dangerous, and he had to run as soon as possible.

Huh? But what kind of danger?

He clearly thought of something just now, but it slipped his mind fast, like sand slipping through his fingers.

From a distance, he could hear the ambulance coming this way and Dai Shenqiang's exclamation of relief.

"Big Brother, you will be fine. Please don't fall asleep again. You must hold on!"

Soon, Dai Zhiqiang was moved to the stretcher and brought to the nearest hospital, where he received first-aid treatment. While his brother was busy moving back and forth, Dai Zhiqiang only stared blankly at his surroundings.

It didn't feel real. All of this didn't feel real.

"Student, how could you run towards an approaching car like that? That's dangerous." The doctor who was examining him shook his head helplessly. "You should be more careful next time."

Dai Zhiqiang suddenly remembered. On the way home, he saw his brother, who had just returned from the hospital.

They came from opposite directions and waved at each other so Dai Shenqiang didn't notice a car driving fast behind him.

It was about to crash into him, and Dai Zhiqiang had run frantically before he could think about anything else.

Dai Zhiqiang yelled at him to dodge, but it was already too late.

Using his maximum speed, he jumped and tackled Dai Shenqiang, so both of them tumbled down the street.

Since Dai Zhiqiang used his body as his brother's shield, he took the brunt of the impact and passed out for some time.

The middle-aged man with them earlier was a witness who happened to be around there. Apparently, he was the one who called the ambulance in place of Dai Shenqiang, who was panicking.

Dai Zhiqiang rubbed his forehead, which had bandages wrapped around it.

After recalling everything, he finally felt grounded in reality. The shock after the crash must have influenced his brain a bit.

When he looked to the side, there was Dai Shenqiang, who sat while having a nurse patch him up. Although Dai Zhiqiang cushioned their fall, his brother still suffered minor injuries.

Dai Zhiqiang clenched his fist while anger bubbled up inside him.

That wasn't an accident. The car was clearly trying to run Dai Shenqiang over. He saw it with his own eyes.

Someone had just tried to kill his brother, but who could that be? Was it those loan sharks again? But the debt shouldn't be a problem anymore.

"Big Brother, is your wound hurt that much? You are frowning hard."

"Ah," Dai Zhiqiang was too immersed in his thoughts; he didn't notice Dai Shenqiang had finished his treatment and moved beside him. "No, it's not that hurt."

And Dai Zhiqiang wasn't lying. At first, it hurt like hell, but he gradually got accustomed to it.

Dai Shenqiang cast his gaze on the ground, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, this is because I don't pay attention to my surroundings."

"This is just an accident. If there is someone to blame, then it should be that car driver who drove too fast in the narrow street."

Dai Zhiqiang decided to keep quiet about how the crash was a deliberate attempt to hurt Dai Shenqiang, or his brother would blame himself even more.

"More importantly, why did you go home so late?" Dai Zhiqiang attempted to shift the topic.

"Oh. Father's condition suddenly dropped this afternoon. I was waiting beside him until he fell asleep."

"He did?" Dai Zhiqiang straightened his back in alarm. His brows creased in worry. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"It's nothing big. Father was examined shortly by the doctor and got better immediately. I didn't want to disturb you, so I didn't tell you."

"Shen, you should still inform me about things like this."

"It's really okay," Dai Shenqiang smiled reassuringly. "I should do at least this much, considering there aren't many things I can do anymore…."

There was a mist in his eyes, which made it difficult to decipher his mood. However, Dai Zhiqiang knew he must be talking about his hand again, which was permanently injured due to a loan sharks assault.

Dai Shenqiang took a great hit and couldn't smile for months after the news was revealed. He occasionally gazed emptily at nothing and never picked up his pencil again.

Dai Zhiqiang was worried about his brother, but he couldn't stay by his side forever. Thus, he usually returned to work after saying some words of comfort.

They agreed not to tell their father about this, and Dai Shenqiang slowly started to accept the harsh truth.

Dai Zhiqiang was relieved at first, but looking at his face now, he should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

"Shen, about your hand. If you want, I can look for someone to fix it for you. I have an acquaintance who knows a lot about this. It's too early to give up."

Dai Zhiqiang also mentioned this before, but Dai Shenqiang refused. This time wasn't an exception either.

"We already talked about this. I don't need any surgery. The doctor said the success rate is slim, and I will probably need a few follow-up surgeries to see some results. How much do you think it will cost? We barely have enough to pay for Father's medical expenses."

He forced a smile on his face before continuing. "Besides, I have been thinking of quitting anyway. Drawing is just a hobby, and I can't earn anything from it. It's useless even if I continue."

Dai Zhiqiang knew he said that just to ease his worries, but it was hard to see him trying so hard to let go of the things he loved doing the most.

However, the reality was harsh, and what Dai Shenqiang said was correct. They didn't have that luxury, and Dai Zhiqiang blamed himself for not being able to say anything to his brother.

Because he felt like any kind of words wouldn't be enough to make him feel better.

If only he could trade his hand with his, Dai Zhiqiang would give it without a second thought.