Rebirth: Once Again With You

"You said it as if we are naturally born with a lot of confidence and courage. I was once like you too. Too afraid to make decisions on my own. Too afraid to know more about people around me. Too afraid to pursue something I truly like." Li Caiyi smiled bitterly, recalling the past.

"But I still take that first step because I want to change. You don't have to feel ashamed at all. I bet it's not easy, but just know that your brother and I are always here to support you! I believe you can do this!"

Li Caiyi could tell Dai Shenqiang was still in doubt, so she added. "You are scared because you knew they would agree if you talked about it with them, right?"

Dai Shenqiang was stunned. "How do you know?"

"Then, instead of feeling bad, you should do your best to answer their expectation of you. Do you think they will just agree without reason? You are underestimating them, and more importantly, you are underestimating yourself. If they agree, it's because they see hope in you!"

Dai Shenqiang listened closely to her and let her words sink into his heart. There was a ripple in his heart as he stared at his saviour's resolute face. However, he didn't dare to let that small ripple widen, so he quickly averted his eyes.

"Sorry for talking about something depressing like that. I feel motivated now that I have listened to Mrs. Mei's story. Big Brother Shao is very generous in offering me this opportunity. Moreover, my sister-in-law has put so much belief in me. It will be a shame if I don't meet your expectations. I have nothing to lose anyway!"

"Hey, don't do it because of that reason. Jingfei's right. You should believe in yourself more."

Li Caiyi and Dai Zhiqiang never clarified their relationship with Dai Shenqiang. Still, unlike before, she never denied or acted embarrassed when he called her 'sister-in-law' anymore, as though she had accepted it as the truth.

"Caiyi, is your relationship with my brother well?"

"Huh? Why are you asking that?" Li Caiyi asked lightly, but that slight blush on her cheeks didn't escape Dai Shenqiang's eyes.

"Nothing. I happened to notice that you and my brother seem closer these days. Have the two of you officially become a couple now?"

Li Caiyi thought Dai Shenqiang should have already known about it, but it seemed she and Dai Zhiqiang never really declared their relationship. This was an excellent chance to tell him.

"Well, yes. We have been dating for two months now." Li Caiyi spoke softly. Her eyes glittered as though she kept stars inside, and the pink hue on her cheeks became more apparent.

Li Caiyi was beautiful, and Dai Shenqiang acknowledged that. She was so lovely that it stung his heart.

"I see. That's good. I can finally call you sister-in-law without getting beaten anymore!" Dai Shenqiang grinned, making her chuckle in amusement.

"You're right."

Throughout the rest of their trip, they kept talking about various things. Unbeknownst to her, Dai Shenqiang couldn't bear to speak while looking at her anymore.

***

Li Caiyi stared vigilantly at her apartment's entrance. The last time he received that 'surprise box', she was too scared to leave her house. If it weren't because she was worried about Dai Shenqiang, she probably wouldn't go out for the rest of summer break.

Only after she looked around and ensured the coast was clear did she finally enter her house and lock the door behind her.

She heaved a sigh of relief once inside. However, she knew that she couldn't be complacent just yet.

"I can't live like this forever. This is too tiring."

She had the heart and mind to do whatever it took to find out who was the one behind this. Sadly, she knew too little about this person, and she couldn't possibly catch them without any lead.

Li Caiyi sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about what she should do next, when her phone buzzed inside her bag. She took it out and almost leapt when she saw the caller ID. Without hesitation, she picked up the call.

"Hello, Detective Tang?!"

"It's been a while since we talked to each other, but it seems you have missed me terribly."

Unfortunately, Li Caiyi had no time to respond to his joke like usual. "Have you seen my email?"

Detective Tang quickly noticed the tension in his client's voice and decided to cut the chase. "I saw it. I'm sorry for not responding to you for days. Are you alright? Did the culprit send you anything else after that?"

Li Caiyi shook her head, even though she knew Detective Tang wouldn't see her anyway. "Thankfully, they haven't made any move yet after that one time. But still, I'm perturbed about this. The culprit is too aggressive."

"That's understandable. For now, you should lay low and not wander around outside carelessly. Don't go outside at night alone, and make sure some people are always around you."

"En. I understand. Detective Tang, aside from that, is there anything else I can do?"

"You can start by telling me everything. Was this their first harassment, and do you have any idea who the culprit may be?"

Li Caiyi didn't hold back and told Detective Tang everything, including her encounter with 'Hu Jian' on the mountain during a school trip. She didn't miss a single detail, and Detective Tang replied in a grim voice after she finished explaining.

"Young miss, you are clearly being targeted by one troublesome person. Even if I'm amazing, I will still need time to crack the case, and in the meantime, you are alone and helpless in your house. How about you go back to your family house in the meantime?"

It wasn't like Li Caiyi hadn't thought about it, but she didn't want that creep to lay their eyes on her family members. This person was too sinister, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't hurt her family member if she went to take refuge there.

Besides, her decision to move out of the house was firm. She couldn't go back every time something like this happened, or there was no point in moving out. She sought independent life, and that's what she would do.

"I'd appreciate the thought, but I won't return to my family house. Not only is it risky, but I also have my own personal reason for that."

Detective Tang sighed. "Then you should be careful. If you see any other boxes, don't open them carelessly; call me instead. We don't know what other dangerous things they will send you next time."

"En. Got it."

Then, Detective Tang also asked her a few things, like the security in her apartment and other stuff that might help him investigate the case. Li Caiyi cooperated well and told him everything.

"Got it. I will start looking into this immediately."

"Yes, thank you." Li Caiyi replied in a slightly lighter mood than before.

There was a brief silence from the other side before Detective Tang spoke again hesitantly.

"Actually, I'm calling you not only to talk about that. I know this is sudden and quite shameless of me, especially when I know what kind of situation you are in right now, but I need your help."