Rebirth: Once Again With You

Lots of things happened today, and Li Caiyi was so exhausted. She threw herself onto the bed with her hair still wet after taking a shower. She didn't even bother to dry her hair and wanted to sleep just like this.

But no, she couldn't settle down until she asked Detective Tang about the thing she had in mind.

Li Caiyi forced herself to sit up and grabbed her phone, which was currently being charged on the bedside table.

She blinked when she saw two unread chats as long as she turned on her phone. The most recent one was from Meng Renshu, which was received around 10 minutes ago. The other one was from Dai Zhiqiang, received about 3 hours ago.

It was the first time she communicated digitally with Dai Zhiqiang, so she opened his chat first.

[Dai Zhiqiang: Have you arrived at home safely?]

She smiled warmly, seeing his chat. He didn't look like it, but he really was a worrywart. Li Caiyi could feel her body lighten up a bit.

[Li Caiyi: I'm home now. Thanks for worrying about me :D]

It seemed Dai Zhiqiang was close to his phone, considering how fast he replied.

[Dai Zhiqiang: Good, but why did the reply come late? Did something happen?]

[Li Caiyi: My sister collapsed and had to be admitted to the hospital. I was there up to an hour ago. I didn't see your message because my phone battery was dead].

[Dai Zhiqiang: I see. How is Li Chunhua's condition? Is she okay?]

[Li Caiyi: The doctor said she would recover after a few days of rest, so don't worry ^^]

The reply took longer this time. Li Caiyi could see the sign of him typing, but she received no response, as though he was concerned about what to say. When the reply came, it was surprisingly short, considering how he took his time typing earlier.

[Dai Zhiqiang: It's not your fault. Don't overthink it, and have a good night's rest (.-ω- )zzz…].

Li Caiyi giggled when she saw the emoji at the end. She hadn't expected him to be an emoji person because he was so stoic in real life. It couldn't be because he took so long to type because he made that emoji. If yes, what an adorable and sweet person he was.

If it weren't for the time, she would love to chat with him more. Alas, she had to wait for the next opportunity.

[Li Caiyi: Thanks! You too. Sleep well, Zhiqiang (-◡-✿)]

Next, she opened the chat from Meng Renshu. Unlike Dai Zhiqiang, this one was longer.

[Meng Renshu: Xiaoyi, I was so happy we can talk peacefully in the hospital today. I hope we can remain like that until the end. Don't forget to dry your hair before you go to bed, or you will catch a cold tomorrow. Sleep tight and have a pleasant dream :)]

Li Caiyi looked at his chat with a complicated look. If only she could avoid him, it would be the best for her. However, past experiences proved that Meng Renshu would still come to her, even if she tried to avoid or push him away. Rejecting him had proven to be counterproductive so far.

She thought it might be better not to avoid him anymore but kept a moderate distance instead. This would be super awkward for her, but it was better than having to fight with him whenever they met.

[Li Caiyi: I will. Thank you for all your help today, Brother Renshu. I hope you can have a good sleep tonight.]

'This should be okay, right? It's not too cold or too warm of a response.' Li Caiyi mulled over it a bit before she pushed on the send button. This time, she didn't wait for a reply and tapped Detective Tang's contact next.

[Li Caiyi: I'm sorry for bothering you this late, but I need to know if evidence gathered using a hidden camera or wiretap is admissible in court?]

The reply came five minutes later. By that time, Li Caiyi had finished drying her hair.

[Detective Tang: It is, but it couldn't be used unless you have other physical evidence to prove your claim, which in this case, you have a lot. Thankfully].

[Li Caiyi: It sounds like you have gathered a considerable amount of physical evidence. Then, do you have those kinds of devices at your disposal?]

[Detective Tang: Are you going to move on your own? Draw me impressed. You got guts].

[Li Caiyi: Have you ever tried it before? I mean, planting these devices at your target's house or something].

[Detective Tang: I did. However, the target this time is tricky. He is very paranoid and locks his office whenever he goes out, even when he only goes to the toilet. Unless I break in the door, I can't find a chance to get in at all. But no way I'm doing that with the amount of money you promised me].

[Detective Tang: There is no smoke without fire. He acts too suspiciously even if he wants to hide his affair. I would plant the hidden device in that room if I were you. There might be significant evidence inside that he didn't want other people to know].

Huh? That was strange. Li Caiyi could enter his office just fine the last time she went there. Even in her past life, Li Jirong could threaten her precisely because the door was unlocked, and she opened his office door mindlessly.

Did he begin to frequently lock the door after her last visit?

Come to think of it, when she first caught his affair red-handed, he prohibited her from coming to his office unless he asked her to. When he wasn't in his office, he would tell her to put the things she brought at the front desk. At first, Li Caiyi thought it might be because he didn't like to be interrupted like last time, but what if that was not the only reason?

As Detective Tang said, it was indeed very suspicious.

[Li Caiyi: Can you lend me the devices? I'll see if I can plant it at his office].

[Detective Tang: Is it necessary to go that far? If you want to prove his affair, you already have a lot of evidence here. One misstep and you might blow your plan and ruin your chance of taking the upper hand over him].

He was right, but Li Caiyi just couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling she had. She was her father's partner in crime in her previous life, and knowing he hid something that even she didn't know made her feel uneasy.

[Li Caiyi: I'll take care of it. Don't worry, you will still get paid even if I got found out.]

[Detective Tang: It's very easy to talk with an intelligent lady like you. I'll give you the equipment soon after I ensure its quality].

Li Caiyi shook her head helplessly. It sure was easy to convince him.