Rebirth: Once Again With You

After being shoved into the car and it took off, Li Caiyi hadn't uttered a single word yet since she was still angry for being played before. Meng Renshu shook his head helplessly.

"Are you still sulking?"

Li Caiyi: "...."

"I thought our relationship had gotten better, but why did it regress to a hostile point?"

"That's because you keep deceiving and forcing me to do things I don't want to."

Meng Renshu tilted his head innocently. "I will apologize if all my deeds cause you some harm, but that's not the case, isn't it?"

"You make me want to avoid you precisely because you keep doing whatever you want."

"It's a fact that I have the means and abilities to do that, so you are none of the wiser if you still think that fighting against me is good."

Li Caiyi couldn't talk with this guy.

It felt like Meng Renshu had some kind of filter in his ears that only allowed whatever he wanted to hear to go through his head. It was useless arguing like this with him.

"Previously, I tried to be considerate of your feelings, but I kept getting hurt by your rejection as a result. Since you will hate me either way, I'd better do as I pleased. I should have done this from the beginning." Meng Renshu smirked.

"You are….a psycho…."

"Heh, at this point, I'll take whatever insult you give me, but don't think you can push me away." Meng Renshu flashed an unsettling smile that made shudders run down her spine.

Li Caiyi had always known he had a bit of a black-bellied personality, but it was never this bad before. She felt like a mouse being preyed on by a hawk now. The thought made her uneasy that she unconsciously scooted away from him.

Meng Renshu enjoyed her flustered reaction while propping his chin with his hand, using the backrest to support his arm.

"You can expect more encounters with me from now on. I will find the answer I seek, no matter what."

"Huh? What answer?"

"Nothing. Just focus on your own problem right now," Meng Renshu replied with an indiscernible look on his face.

Then, silence descended inside the car, just like the last time he escorted her home from the party. It was a very awkward and stifling trip.

***

In retrospect, Li Caiyi felt she was indeed being too narrow-minded when she adamantly refused Meng Renshu's help. She was too focused on her anxiety that she probably would have killed her best option to solve her problem.

Meng Renshu was currently talking on the phone and had a pleasant smile on his face while conversing. He was contacting his family's acquaintance within the hospital to find out in which ward does Mr. Dai was treated.

Thankfully, it seemed there was only one Mr. Dai in the hospital.

After finishing his call, he had a refreshing smile as he looked at Li Caiyi. "I have gotten to ward's number and location. Shall we go?"

"A-are you going to come with me too?"

"Hmm? I think I have the right to go too, considering I'm the one who did all the work here. Don't you agree?" Meng Renshu smiled innocently, but it felt somewhat oppressive.

Li Caiyi gulped nervously, finding herself at a loss for words. He was so right she couldn't rebut him at all.

"Y-yes…"

"Good that you understand." Meng Renshu nodded in satisfaction.

"But… wouldn't it be awkward since you haven't known the Dai family that much?"

"Oh? You talked as if you already knew them forever yourself. I don't know what kind of relationship you had with the Dai family, but you are wrong about one thing. I talked a little with the older Dai the other day, and I found that we have a lot of similarities."

Li Caiyi perked up at the mention of Dai Zhiqiang. Of course, Meng Renshu didn't miss that subtle reaction of hers. His eyes narrowed down as his smile became colder.

"If you already understand, then waste no more time. Well, it's up to you if you don't want to come, though." He said and walked away without waiting for Li Caiyi.

"Ah, wait for me!" Li Caiyi quickly rose from her seat and chased after Meng Renshu.

Meng Renshu led her to the different wing of the hospital on the third floor, where patients who needed intensive care were gathered. Li Caiyi found it surprising that she had never bumped into Dai Zhiqiang or Dai Shenqiang in her past life, despite frequently visiting the hospital.

When she and Dai Shenqiang first met in the hospital courtyard, was it because he had just come back from visiting his father? If yes, then everything seemed to make sense now.

Li Caiyi's step came to a halt when Meng Renshu stopped in front of a ward in the deeper part of the corridor.

"Is it here?" Li Caiyi asked him.

"Yeah, it should be." Meng Renshu replied before taking a step forward and knocking on the door.

"Who is it?"

A hoarse but deep voice came from inside. It sounded like a middle-aged man who just woke up from his sleep. Li Caiyi was somewhat nervous when she realized she would meet with Mr. Dai, so she kept her back straight.

In the next second, there was another voice coming from inside. The voice was youthful, higher in pitch, and laced with concern as he exclaimed, "Ah, father. You shouldn't move around that much. Let me get to the door."

Li Caiyi heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that familiar voice. Sure enough, in a matter of seconds, the door was opened and revealed a teenage boy in casual clothes and training pants.

"Shenqiang!" Li Caiyi exclaimed in delight, seeing that face after spending the last 12 hours worrying.

On the contrary to her enthusiasm, Dai Shenqiang blinked his eyes a few times in confusion. "Caiyi? How come you are here? Not to mention, you are with your friend too…."

Dai Shenqiang stared at Meng Renshu, who just stood there with a polite smile plastered on his face. He didn't know why, but Dai Shenqiang felt pressured when their gazes met.

"Why aren't you answering my messages? I was so worried because I couldn't get a hold of you!" Li Caiyi didn't mean it to come out like a scolding, but the sense of relief made her blurt that out. Thankfully, Dai Shenqiang didn't seem to mind.

"Huh? You did? Sorry, I was preoccupied last night, so I didn't check my phone." Dai Shenqiang scratched the back of his head with an apologetic face. "But how did you know I was here, though?"

Li Caiyi suppressed the urge to glance at Meng Renshu before asking him again, "That's not important right now. What happened last night?"

Dai Shenqiang's face turned gloomier upon listening to that. "Well, that was—"

"Shen, who is it? Don't talk on the door and ask them to come in first."

Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged man's voice could be heard from inside again.

"Yes, Father." Dai Shenqiang replied before smiling sheepishly to the two people standing in front of him. "Sorry about that. Come in first, then we can talk."