Rebirth: Once Again With You

"Xiaoyi, the water is cold!" Meng Renshu screamed in joy when the wave hit her feet. He looked like a boy playing on the beach for the first time. She wondered why he was so excited.

Perhaps because he only partially regained his past life memories, so he still had some of his teenager self in him. Or was this actually his true self all along?

The Meng Renshu she knew was a composed and manipulative man. She rarely saw him lose control before, but after she returned to the past, she slowly witnessed his other sides one by one.

It made her think that she probably didn't know him too well.

"Aren't you going to come here? It's really refreshing!" Meng Renshu called out to her again.

"No, I'm fine. I'll stay here." Li Caiyi said. She was wearing a long skirt, so playing in the water was a little inconvenient.

Suddenly, he stopped playing and walked over to her. Li Caiyi was surprised, so she quickly spoke to him, "It's okay if you want to have some more fun, you know? I can wait."

After all, he was still very upset just a few minutes ago. Playing on the beach like that probably could lift his mood.

He didn't answer but instead hugged her thigh and lifted her. It happened so fast she didn't have time to dodge.

Li Caiyi let out a yelp in surprise. Even more so when Meng Renshu walked closer to the sea again. With him moving so much, she had no choice but to put her hands on his shoulders for balance.

"It's no fun to play by myself. I will hold you so your skirt won't get wet. Play with me, will you?" Meng Renshu looked up at her as he asked mischievously.

Li Caiyi could feel her cheeks heat up, causing a reddish hue to color her face. "You! You sly fox! Didn't you say you would be mindful of our distance?! Put me down!"

She repeatedly smacked his shoulder and trashed around. Meng Renshu's hold abruptly loosened, and she shrieked again, looking at the water under them. Thankfully, Meng Renshu swiftly tightened his hold, and thanks to his height, she only slightly wet her legs.

"That's dangerous. But I don't mind if you want to go down so badly." Meng Renshu said deviously.

"Y-You!" Li Caiyi was so frustrated she was at a loss for words. "I can't believe you–Kyaaa!"

She was about to scold him when he suddenly shook her around like he was about to throw her into the sea. The idea of having to go on a bus dripping with seawater made her panic, so she clung to him for life.

"Stop, stop! If you throw me here, I swear I won't let you go!"

"That's kind of a romantic thing to say. I'd prefer it if you would hold me tight and never let me go forever." Meng Renshu replied in a sickeningly sweet tone, with a hint of teasing.

Li Caiyi felt goosebumps all over her body. "Don't joke---Aaaahh!!"

"Hahaha!"

Meng Renshu laughed so hard while Li Caiyi was suffering. As they bickered (or, to be precise, it was only she who seemed ready to kill someone), he walked further, so the water level was already on his thigh in the blink of an eye.

If Li Caiyi scolded him, Meng Renshu would trash her around again, so she reluctantly kept her mouth shut and firmly grabbed him. It was humiliating, but this guy got her at his pace again.

Meng Renshu smiled victoriously when she became obedient. He enjoyed watching her as the dusk sunlight illuminated her face and her beautiful hair played by the wind.

He could feel the heaviness inside his chest slowly disappear. This was a pretty romantic setting, but the female lead didn't seem interested. How nice would it be if she would look down on him while smiling prettily?

Li Caiyi noticed Meng Renshu no longer moved, so she turned to him. She found him staring intensely at her, which made her heart skip a beat.

'Seriously, that face of his should be illegal,' she grumbled inwardly.

"Wh-what are you looking at? If you're done playing, then quickly take me back to the shore."

"Xiaoyi, I feel like I could breathe again now. Thanks to you."

"....You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Xiaohua. It was all our father's fault. There's no way you can figure it out when none of us are aware of it. We are her family, but that man successfully put wool in our eyes. I swore I'd never let that man do as he pleased anymore."

Li Caiyi's grip on his shoulder tightened. Meng Renshu's heart aches, thinking she has to endure so many things alone.

"That's why you orchestrated the plan to kick him out of the family? You know he'll take all the Li family fortune, or worse, take Xiaohua from you had you confronted him about it."

"I was just one person. I couldn't have done it without help from people around me." Li Caiyi gazed at him with so much sincerity in her eyes, "That's why I need your help. I don't care if you think of me as pathetic. I was the one who told you to leave me alone, but I still came to ask something from you."

Meng Renshu smiled mirthlessly. "Then we both can become pathetic people together. I won't let you fight alone now. Not anymore."

Li Caiyi could feel a lot of emotions behind those words. Regret, sorrow, and guilt were mixed together. His gaze on her was unwavering, as if he had just made a lifetime vow to her.

Inexplicable feelings surged inside her. She felt bitter yet weirdly comforted by his words. If only he had said that before everything became too late.

None of them spoke a word. The sun slowly went into hiding behind them, but they stayed unmoving.

Meng Renshu wanted to keep her close like this, but he was worried the night wind would affect her health, so he reluctantly brought her back to the shore. He slowly put her down and peered at her face, but it was getting darker, and he couldn't see her clearly.

"Thanks for playing with me. Shall we go home now?"

"Yeah."

They hadn't taken two steps further when a funny sound came out from her.

Meng Renshu stopped in his tracks and looked at her in amazement as she covered her belly with her hands. Silence fell between them again.

He couldn't see clearly, but he could feel how mortified she must have felt. He tried hard to stifle his laughter before saying, "On second thought, I think I'm feeling a bit hungry after moving around. It's lonely to eat alone, so can you accompany me?"

How he wished he could see her expression right now. What kind of face did she make? Was it an embarrassment? Happiness? Relief? Anger?

Meng Renshu had so much fun right now he didn't know what to do about it. And she was the one who made him feel like this.

"Ahem. I don't mind having a meal before we go home."

Li Caiyi tried to play it cool, but her hurried tone betrayed her. She was so cute, trying to hide her fluster like that. He wanted to whisk her away to the place where no one could find them.

"Sure. Then how about some seafood? Since we have come this far." Meng Renshu pointed to a stall not far from where they stood. "How about there?"

"Sounds good."

Meng Renshu smiled before walking ahead of her. If he stayed longer, he probably couldn't hold back and tease her again.

"Uhm, Brother Renshu?" Li Caiyi called out behind him.

"Yeah? What's wrong?"

Li Caiyi: "...."

Meng Renshu waited for a while, but no words came out of her. "Xiaoyi?"

"Nevermind. Let's go and eat. I'm hungry.

Li Caiyi ran past him after saying that, leaving him hanging and confused. Her steps left small tracks on the sand, bringing a smile to his lips.

He slowly walked, deliberately leaving his trail beside hers, and oddly felt proud of it. He even took out his phone to take a picture of it.

This date didn't end as he expected, and the female lead surely would never think of it that way, but this small gift was already enough for him.