Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi had fun talking with Dai Bolin. He would occasionally crack a joke and tell her a story about the past, which fascinated her. She was incredibly attentive when he started mentioning the brother's trivia she had never known before, which was funny and exciting.

She never knew that Dai Zhiqiang used to be afraid of lightning. When she imagined how the mini version of Zhiqiang, with a stoic face curled under the blanket when lightning struck outside the house, she felt sorry and amused at the same time.

Li Caiyi wanted to know his whereabouts, but she had to be careful not to reveal anything to the sickly older man, lest it would shock and worsen his condition.

'Shenqiang takes a pretty long time outside. Did he go to the bathroom? I need to ask him about Zhiqiang,' She thought inwardly when Dai Bolin suddenly asked a startling question.

"This might be weird to say, but I hope Zhi will someday have a nice girl like you to accompany him for a long time," Dai Bolin said with a buoyant expression.

His sentence took aback her for a second, but when she considered his age and condition, it was understandable why he would say something like that. She felt heartache for him.

"Zhiqiang is a good guy. I'm sure he will find himself a good girl someday," Li Caiyi replied gently.

"Hohoho, why do you say it like you are an uninvolved person? Are you not interested in our Zhi?"

"Mr. Dai, you are such a tease. Zhiqiang and I were just friends, and he doesn't look at me that way."

"I might be old, but I understand my son better than anyone. Zhi is not the type that would open up with any women." Dai Bolin sighed worriedly.

Li Caiyi recalled that Dai Shenqiang also once mentioned the same thing. Both seemed to have the same aversion to females, whether it was the older or the younger one. She wondered if this had something to do with their mother, but she knew better not to ask that.

"Zhiqiang is pretty reclusive not only to women but men, too. I think he only considers me as a good friend."

"Then what is your opinion about him, young lady?"

"I…"

Li Caiyi was about to say she wasn't interested in him that way but realized quickly that she probably would be the biggest liar if she said that.

If she wasn't interested, how should she explain her accelerated heartbeat whenever he was close to her, the anticipation when knowing he would contact her, or the anxiety she felt at the thought of him getting hurt?

Li Caiyi was clearly attracted to Dai Zhiqiang more than a friend. However, was that feeling stemming from her assumption that Dai Zhiqiang was possibly her Shen Qiang? Or was she attracted to him naturally as a person?

Li Caiyi still hadn't found her answer yet. But whichever it was, the fact that she cared a lot about him wouldn't change.

"I don't know yet, Sir…" she replied while smiling sadly.

Dai Bolin was stunned at first but later studied her expression and nodded his head sympathetically. "I understand. You are still young, so there is no need to worry. Spend as much as you can with whoever you want. Don't let the regret come back to bite you later."

"Yes, thank you, Sir."

"Young lady, don't fret. If my Zhi someday hurts you with his insensitivity, you can come to me, and I'll teach that inflexible kid a lesson." Dai Bolin giggled humorously at his own joke, which eased Li Caiyi's mood.

"Haha, then I will certainly come to you when that time comes."

"Oh? What is it? Are you guys talking bad about me behind my back?" Dai Shenqiang, who had just come in, walked over with an intrigued expression.

"Yeah, we are talking about how you still wet your bed until you are five years old."

"Ah! Father, I told you not to spread my dark secret to anyone!" Dai Shenqiang flushed in embarrassment before glancing cautiously at Li Caiyi. "That's just a stupid story from my childhood. Please forget about it."

"Hmm? I don't want to, though?" Li Caiyi smirked.

"Why are you guys bullying me…?"

"Pfft! Hahaha!"

Li Caiyi laughed together with Dai Bolin, enjoying Dai Shenqiang's aggrieved expression. She was delighted to see the older man look like he was having a lifetime of himself, albeit briefly.

***

Some time passed, and Dai Bolin was currently talking with Meng Renshu about the recent news, while Li Caiyi pulled Dai Shenqiang to speak with her.

"Okay, now it's time for you to spill everything you know," Li Caiyi urged him to sit beside her while whispering in a hushed tone, so it wouldn't reach Dai Bolin.

"H-hey, calm down a bit," Dai Shenqiang tried to pull his arm out of her grasp, but Li Caiyi only held it tighter.

"Nuh-uh, don't think you can escape this time. Where is Zhiqiang? He didn't come to school today."

She was too close for his liking. He gulped nervously before saying in a fluster, "I will say it, so can you take a step back first? It's distracting me."

"Really? Good, then."

Dai Shenqiang heaved a sigh of relief when she finally let him go. "My brother is just too busy right now. He took more shifts than usual because we needed additional money for Father's treatment."

Li Caiyi frowned in disapproval. "Again? But he already has so much on his plate. What is he thinking?!"

"I don't know either, but no one could stop my brother once he had made his mind," Dai Shenqiang said in certainty, but then realized something when he looked at her, "Well, there IS an exception…."

"What is it?"

"....Nevermind. Anyway, you don't need to worry because my brother will be fine."

Li Caiyi squinted her eyes skeptically. "This is suspicious. Are you hiding something from me?"

"What did I do? You overthink it."

"No, you have a habit of blinking faster when you are lying, so I know there must be something you haven't told me yet."

Dai Shenqiang sweated a bit under her pressuring gaze. However, he had promised Meng Renshu he would say nothing about it, and a good man always kept his promise!

"What should I do if you don't believe me? I have already told you everything I know. Oh, I just remember that my brother said your dinner is delicious, and I should relay that message to you."

Li Caiyi grinned victoriously when the fish had eaten her bait. "Liar. Why would Zhiqiang tell you that when he had already said it himself via message?"

"What? There is no way!" Dai Shenqiang retorted.

Li Caiyi didn't want to explain, so he just shoved her phone in front of him, showing the chat she had with Zhiqiang last night.

"See for yourself. You are 100 years too early to fool me."

Dai Shenqiang read through the chat from up to down in disbelief. "He even asked you to wait for him to message you. Can't you take pity on a single dog like me by not throwing dog food on my face?"