Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi was shocked to hear his supposedly 'crazy' theory, but actually a bullseye. It made her realize once again that Meng Renshu was not an opponent to be underestimated.

'Does he remember something from his dream that helped him to reach that conclusion?' Li Caiyi thought became awry as she tried her best not to panic.

"W-what do you mean? That story is a pure fantasy even though I picked the concept from the real belief in the world."

Meng Renshu shook his head. "No, I think it's not that simple. That description you poured into that was as if you were a person who had experienced it yourself. Adding that to the significant change in your behavior and your reaction when I told you about my dream…."

'Bad, this is really, really bad!' Li Caiyi's body was tense all over, listening to his theory that became closer to the truth with each second.

".....It made me think those dreams were probably something that happened in the past. Something about the previous life in the future intertwined with your past self. A rebirth concept."

Li Caiyi wanted to run away so badly right now. She was speechless and felt like she was exposed naked in front of Meng Renshu. What kind of face was she making right now? She hoped her face didn't make it look too obvious.

"After that idea got into my mind, everything seemed to make more sense. I know this is crazy, but those dreams I have are definitely fragments of my memory. If not, I wouldn't feel burdened by indescribable emotion every time I wake up."

"Wait! Brother Renshu, what are you talking about now? I appreciate you looking up to my work that much, but it was fiction in the end. I made it because the concept interests me, but it's nothing to be taken so seriously." Li Caiyi hurriedly interjected.

Meng Renshu fell into silence as he stared at Li Caiyi deeply, and cold sweat ran through her back. She dared not to tear her gaze away from him because that would make her look suspicious, so she nervously waited for him to talk again.

Meng Renshu opened his mouth, and Li Caiyi had to hold her breath because of uneasiness.

"I see. Maybe you are right."

"Huh?"

Meng Renshu smiled. "I'm sorry for saying something strange. I just want to prove that I have become one of your fans now; that's why I said those things."

"So that theory of yours…."

"I made that on the spot." Meng Renshu chuckled. "I'm not that delusional to believe something like that."

'Well, your theory is scarily accurate for something you made on the spot. You with your genius gene, stop attacking my heart like this,' Li Caiyi grumbled inwardly.

"I'm serious when I say I want to know about you better. If there is an instance in the past that makes you feel I do not properly see you as a person, then I will apologize for that. But I honestly care about you, Xiaoyi, more than you think."

Li Caiyi was unsure what to say to that. She couldn't possibly forget what Meng Renshu in her previous life had done to her, so she didn't feel like promising anything. They probably could be friends, but even that wouldn't be as close as before, or she would feel uneasy.

"Brother Renshu, I'm sorry if my guess is wrong, but when you said you want to know me better, do you mean it as a friend, sibling, or something more?"

Meng Renshu stared at her with an inexplicable gaze before flashing a faint smile. "I also wonder about that."

"Aren't you in love with Xiaohua? I even saw the two of you kissing a while back."

"I also wonder about that."

"Are you even talking seriously right now?"

"It's because I'm really unsure about this. I once thought that I was in love with Xiaohua too." Meng Renshu smiled bitterly. "And you actually misunderstand the situation. What happened that day was purely an accident because Xiaohua almost fell then. None of us initiated or expected that to happen."

"But it made your heart race, right?" Li Caiyi wouldn't give him a chance to make an excuse. It didn't happen in this timeline, but Meng Renshu told her about his first kiss in her previous life, and he was thrilled about it. She wouldn't believe it even if he denied it now.

"Hmm, it certainly made my heart race."

She totally thought he would make an excuse, so his honest reply took her aback. "Then why are you so fixated on me?"

"Because I realized along the way that probably even that heart-racing moment was just my misunderstanding. If I love Xiaohua, then why do I feel so restless when you are not by my side?"

Li Caiyi felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured on top of her head. Her instinct told her she shouldn't continue this conversation, or it would get out of hand.

"Brother Renshu, I think we should end this conversation here. You already said it yourself, you are unsure about it, so let's not talk about this anymore."

"No, I will let you know this loud and clear now." Meng Renshu said firmly. "I don't want to let you go, nor did I want to see you worrying over another guy, Xiaoyi. Believe me or not, it's up to you, but I'll prove it to you one day."

'Lies. That must be a lie. There is no way that Meng Renshu, who coldly pushes me away, can be in love with me.'

These lines echoed in her head, convincing her not to believe him. It didn't matter anyway because the one she loved was Shen Qiang, who was most likely named Dai Zhiqiang in this timeline.

The Li Caiyi who loved Meng Renshu dearly and selflessly was already dead, and she wouldn't ever come back to life anymore.

The atmosphere was heavy, with both of them at a loss of words to say, when Li Caiyi's phone received a new message.