Rebirth: Once Again With You

'What does it mean to find happiness within myself?' Li Chunhua asked herself inwardly. 'What's the difference between finding happiness by yourself or through another person? As long as you are happy, it doesn't matter how you acquire it, right?'

Li Chunhua couldn't understand what Shao Jingfei was telling her, but the latter had already picked up Yue from the ground to play with her, utterly oblivious to her confusion.

"Hmm, you have gone fatter than yesterday. Good, very good!" He said as he lifted the kitten up in the air.

Talking about being happy, Shao Jingfei seemed genuinely happy right now. How could a person be so happy just from playing with a cat? Li Chunhua couldn't relate at all.

'But then again, perhaps feeling happy about small things like that was what you called to find happiness within oneself,' she thought inwardly.

It might feel nicer than just waiting for other people to care for her.

Shao Jingfei noticed the stare on him and asked her, "Hmm? Do you want it too?"

"What is?"

"A lift like this." He said as he shook the kitten in his hand slightly.

"No, thanks. I'm afraid the cat will jump on me again." Li Chunhua sighed and took a sip of her mango smoothie again.

"I'm talking about you. Are you jealous of Yue? Do you want me to lift you up like this?"

"PFFT!!!"

Li Chunhua didn't expect that at all. She accidentally swallowed too fast and coughed violently. Shao Jingfei, who saw that, laughed at her in amusement.

"Hahaha, you are easier to tease than I thought!"

"Cough, cough! Y-you little…. Cough!" Li Chunhua glared at him while desperately trying to utter some words, but even breathing felt hard for her now, let alone talking.

"Hey, hey, you alright there? Man, that's why you shouldn't drink too fast." Shao Jingfei walked over and gave her back some pats.

"Who… do you think… at fault here…? Cough!"

"My bad, my bad. It's just you looked at us with an envious stare. You should have just honestly said you want to play, too."

After a series of violent coughing, Li Chunhua finally could regain a steady breath again.

"This is all your fault. Why do you have to surprise me by saying disgusting things like that?"

"Calm down. It's just a joke. I don't know you will react so strongly like that."

"And I don't feel envious at all. I was just wondering what's so fun playing with cats like that."

"What do you mean? Cats didn't have to do anything. Their sole existence is enough to lighten up the world!"

Li Chunhua grimaced. "So you are one of those cat maniacs I ever heard. Forget I said anything, then."

"Wait, you must think I'm a weirdo just now, right?!"

"So what if I did? Be thankful I wasn't heartless enough to insult your hobby outrightly."

"But I already felt insulted from the way you look at me, though?! I will sue you for emotional damage!"

The sound of bickering could be heard even from outside, where a young man wearing a red shirt and black jeans stood with a crooked smile on his face.

"Hm? There is a customer inside? It's a rare day indeed."

The young man pushed open the door, causing the chime to let out a pleasant sound. Shao Jingfei, who was familiar with the sound, immediately turned around with a business smile on his face.

"Welcome!"

However, his smile faded when his gaze fell on the face he didn't want to see. His eyebrows immediately creased in a disapproving frown. "What are you doing here?"

The young man with a red shirt shrugged his shoulders as he walked closer. "Why are you asking that? Of course, I'm here as a customer. The business doesn't seem to do that well, so I took pity on it and decided to come over. Where's my red carpet?"

Shao Jingfei clicked his tongue impatiently. "You already wore the carpet on your body. Now do me a favor and go back to wherever you come from."

The young man looked down at his red shirts before chuckling. "Haha, you got me with that one. But are you seriously going to kick me out? I don't see this place going to make any money soon. Don't be too prideful and accept it when your cousin is trying to help you, okay?"

Li Chunhua, who was witnessing the scene in front of her, glanced at Shao Jingfei's face slightly and detected a hint of resentment on his face by the way he pressed his lips together into a hard line.

'Hoo, it's an expression I have never seen from him. Did they have some kind of bad history or something?' Li Chunhua thought curiously.

She was sitting behind Shao Jingfei all the time, so the young man didn't notice her presence until he moved closer. Upon laying his eyes on her, her beauty immediately mesmerized the young man.

Come to think of it, the other voice he heard from the outside earlier must be hers.

"I see you have a customer right now. Isn't that great? You finally have your first customer of the day, or perhaps in forever? Pfft."

"Mind your own business," Shao Jingfei replied darkly.

"What a scary expression. You are going to scare the pretty girl behind you if you make such a face," the young man said before shifting his gaze to Li Chunhua. His tone became noticeably more tender as he spoke. "Hello, there. Are you alone right now? How about I buy you some coffee, and perhaps we can have a little chat?"

Shao Jingfei spread his arm, blocking Li Chunhua from his line of vision. "Hey, leave her alone. She is here to have some relaxed time, not to entertain your bullshit."

"Are you playing the knight in shining armor now? It's up to the girl whether or not she wants to join me, isn't it?"

Li Chunhua rolled her eyes inwardly. She had seen this scene so many times in the past that she got tired of it.

However, she found it a bit amusing to see Shao Jingfei agitated like this. It was so satisfying watching him being riled up like that after every prank he had done to her today.

Li Chunhua smirked as an evil idea came to her mind.