Rebirth: Once Again With You

Mustering her courage, Li Caiyi encircled her arms around his neck to pull him down and landed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

It was just a brief kiss and didn't linger enough for one to be able to feel it enough, but Dai Zhiqiang felt like his head was about to explode.

Li Caiyi was utterly embarrassed and disappointed in herself because she had failed that kiss. She intended to give him a peck on the lips, but she chickened out and changed her direction at the last moment, so her lips landed on the corner of his lips instead.

It was her first attempt at kissing someone. Previously, the other person always kissed her first, but she never took the initiative like this. And that lack of experience was shown in her action just now.

Her face burned in embarrassment, and she felt like digging a hole and hiding in it. The shame escalated further when Dai Zhiqiang didn't give any reaction except for the flabbergasted expression on his face.

Li Caiyi covered her face with her hand before saying, "Say something! Anything. You are killing me here."

Dai Zhiqiang still couldn't retain his wit back. His mind kept replaying the close-up scene of Li Caiyi's face closing into him. Then, there was her lips' brief but incredibly soft sensation on his skin. His brain malfunctioned, and his mind floated in the clouds.

Li Caiyi stared at his gaping face, thinking that he was exaggerating. Sure, it must be surprising, but it shouldn't be that shocking that he couldn't even react, right? He already knew her feelings for him, after all.

However, since his dumbfounded look was cute, Li Caiyi was willing to forgive him just this once.

She awkwardly cleared her throat before saying, "Did you hate it so much that you can't even react right now?"

"Huh? No, of course not!" Dai Zhiqiang quickly snapped out of it, hearing the sulking tone in her voice. "It just happened so suddenly, that's all."

"So, do you like it or not?" Li Caiyi asked. She tried to put on a relaxed face, but the red hue on her cheeks betrayed her. Dai Zhiqiang wanted to laugh seeing that.

"I like it. Very much. But why on the corner of the lips? I won't mind if you slide the direction more to the right."

Li Caiyi's face and neck turned beet red at his teasing. "Don't say that. It took every ounce of my courage to do that! This is payback for what you did that night!"

Dai Zhiqiang couldn't contain his laughter anymore. He really liked it when she tried hard to keep up with him. No matter how much she played it cool, she failed at it miserably. Her hard-working nature was what made her lovely and endearing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's not my intention to make fun of you. You are just so cute. I can't help it."

Li Caiyi couldn't handle the embarrassment after all. Her skin was so thin that she chickened out at the last moment, and being laughed at by him was like a soft hit to her pride as a mentally adult person.

'Pathetic. You are so pathetic, Li Caiyi,' she berated herself inwardly.

"Don't hide your face." Dai Zhiqiang chuckled as he grabbed her hand and tried to pry it away from her face. "Let me see your cute face more."

Li Caiyi reluctantly let him pry her hand. When she raised her head, she saw Dai Zhiqiang smiling warmly at her, making her heart skip a beat.

"Don't hide the face I like so much." Dai Zhiqiang chuckled before he dipped his head and claimed Li Caiyi's first kiss in this timeline.

"Mm!" Li Caiyi was so surprised she yelped, but his kiss muffled the sound.

Her heart picked up its pace again as it drummed loudly in her chest. His lips were soft and slightly at a lower temperature than hers, but its intensity was enough to make her legs weaken.

Dai Zhiqiang held both of her hands, and it limited her movement. Li Caiyi found herself trapped in his sweet kiss. Her mind went blank like a sheet of paper, but her overwhelming feeling for him made her subconsciously raise her head for closer and more intimate contact.

He changed the angle a few times before releasing her lips, which were now slightly red from the passionate kiss. Dai Zhiqiang's eyes were hazy as he caressed her lips using his thumb.

"Pretty, as expected. Next time, do it like this." He said in a husky voice, sending shivers down her spine.

"Haa…" Li Caiyi couldn't utter a word since she was still in the middle of recovering from his suffocating and long kiss. His kiss was passionate and full of yearning, like a hero who finally could claim his reward. It left her breathless, and her head was dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

"Heh. I also like it when you stare at me dreamily like that. It makes me think you are craving for more."

"Zhi-Zhiqiang," Li Caiyi called out to him while desperately clinging to his hands, trying to steady herself.

"Hm? Do you want more? If you ask, then that will be what you get. However, I prefer you to take the lead next time."

Li Caiyi always knew he was handsome, but this level of handsomeness was just illegal. Hidden in the wall's shadow, his eyes shone with mischief and affection. His lips curled up in a charming smile, and he looked like a devil who was here to tempt her, a mortal.

If he was the devil, then she was his to take.

Li Caiyi slowly regained her wits together, but her heart still couldn't calm down. That kiss was nothing to the many deep and wet kisses she shared with Shen Qiang, yet the effect it brought to her was exactly the same.

"W-why did you do that? What if someone sees us?" Li Caiyi complained in a small voice that it sounded a bit coquettish.

"Why would I let anyone see the cute expression you were making? It was only mine to see."

"Stop saying such things. It's embarrassing."

"Get used to it because it will only be more embarrassing from now on." Dai Zhiqiang chuckled before dipping down to smooch her cheeks, making another wave of heat surge over her face.

"You understand what I mean, right? Be prepared." He whispered in a low voice beside her ears.

It instantly caused her whole body to tremble, and she had an urge to curl herself into a ball.

"Hehe, you are really weak in the ears. Definitely never let others know about this."