Rebirth: Once Again With You

"You don't have to know that just yet. You'll gradually learn about it as you become the head of the family. Don't rush it." Meng Yaoshu leaned back on the couch as he picked up his newspaper again. In the next moment, he returned to his original position.

That was the sign for Meng Renshu to stop asking. It was a good chance, but Meng Yaoshu wouldn't reveal it as quickly as expected.

"If you have time to think about useless thoughts, why don't you think about your plan after this?"

"What do you mean, Father?"

"I'm talking about marriage, of course. Between Caiyi and Chunhua, which one would you take as your wife?"

Meng Renshu almost choked when he heard that. Although he had set his mind on Li Caiyi, he still had a high hurdle to overcome. "Father, don't you think it's too early to decide that? Besides, we must consider the twins' opinion about this too."

"You said that, but I think you already made your decision, no? I have already heard how you asked the Chairman of Glorious Days for a favor. Because you wanted to show off in front of the girl you like."

Meng Renshu felt a bit embarrassed for being pointed out like that. He awkwardly cleared his throat before he spoke,

"We are still young. Besides, she already has a boyfriend." Meng Renshu's tone became gloomier when he mentioned the latter part.

"If she rejects you for some ordinary guy, then she has no taste. And there's still Li Chunhua. They are the same, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"No." Meng Renshu denied it sternly. "They may look similar, but they are different, Father. I will never use one of them as a replacement for others."

Meng Yaoshu was a bit surprised. "But why are you talking so seriously? It's not even decided yet."

"That's because you are talking nonsense, Father."

The older man shrugged. "I have to say you are quick to change, though. I'm pretty sure you like Chunhua more than Caiyi before. But now your feelings have completely changed."

Meng Renshu couldn't answer immediately. Even now, he still feels awkward talking about his feelings for Li Chunhua. It made him wonder if he really did like her, or was it just an illusion?

"It's not like that. I was just a little confused before. I have never been close to any girls except those two, so I felt happy when they approached me first."

"So you will go with whoever comes to you first. I didn't know you were so fickle before."

Meng Renshu felt a blow on his ego. Li Junjie also said that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry in his previous life.

"I was dumb and young then. Now, I'm fully aware of my feelings and who is the person I want the most."

"Aren't you still young, though? You still have a lot of time to think about it. For now, just focus on your study and don't pressure yourself with unnecessary worry."

Meng Yaoshu folded his newspaper and rose to his feet. "I'll go upstairs first."

Then, he left without saying anything else. Meng Renshu watched him until he disappeared with conflicted feelings. When he talked to his father like this, he seemed like a normal father, although he could be strict and demanding sometimes.

However, not everything can be seen through the naked eye. He didn't want to repeat the same mistake and lose her again.

***

Li Caiyi had been feeling down since morning.

With a troubled look, she rechecked her phone, but there was still no message from Dai Zhiqiang. She had been waiting since the clock turned 12 for his birthday wish, but so far, everyone had wished her happy birthday except for him.

When the morning came, the first thing she did was checking on her phone but found nothing.

Li Caiyi was upset and disappointed. To think she even prepared a gift for him. On her birthday!

"Zhi, are you really busy with work? How come you don't even try to message me at all?" she muttered. She had just woken up, but her mood had already plummeted. "Is he that upset about how I have been ignoring him?"

This was their first fight, and Li Caiyi didn't like it. Ultimately, she had to go to school with a heavy heart. But he couldn't stop thinking about him.

When she felt a cold breeze on her arm, she finally felt that autumn was already close. Everyone started wearing layered clothes to warm themselves against the cold wind. Li Caiyi wondered whether Dai Zhiqiang dressed up warmly?

She would think about how he missed her study session with him during class. With so many things happening, Li Caiyi had been behind her studies, and she could use some teaching from him again.

At lunchtime, she would eat while thinking about whether he had eaten or not. He was very practical, so she could imagine he would just grab whatever to satiate his hunger. Even though it was not nutritionally balanced. How she wished she could make something for him.

Even when the birthday party was about to start, Li Caiyi's mind was still in the cloud. She had informed him about the party this morning, but considering how he hadn't responded to her yet, she doubted he would come.

Li Caiyi was sad but tried to keep her mind positive. The dress her mother prepared for her was pretty, and it was his loss not to be able to see it.

"Xiaoyi? The guest is here. You should come down now," Li Chunhua peeked into the room and announced excitedly.

Li Caiyi stared at her phone for a few more seconds before she put it into her handbag. "I'm coming."

***

For their birthday party, Li Caiyi actually didn't do much. Except for notifying Li Chunhua about people she wanted to invite, she barely did anything else. That was why she was amazed when she first entered their house and saw how much it had changed for the occasion.

It was a small-scale outdoor party, with only a few close people invited. Still, Li Chunhua managed to turn their simple backyard into a dreamy place in such a short time.

Li Caiyi was mesmerized by those small lanterns and tables covered with a satin tablecloth. She even invited a band to liven up the atmosphere. Su Suyin's flower garden looked like a place from a fairy tale.

"Xiaohua, you are really good at something like this," Li Caiyi smiled.

"Hehe, this place is perfect for a garden party. How about you greet your friends first? They came on time, and I asked them to wait on that table."

Li Caiyi followed her line of sight and found her three friends were already sitting down. Zhou Ya looked visibly nervous, Chen Ruolan couldn't stop taking a video of the performing band, and Feng Nian had already stuffed her face.

Their actions portrayed their personalities well, making her laugh a bit.

"I'll go to them first, then. You should wait for Jingfei. He should be here anytime soon."

Li Chunhua's face blushed slightly, but she didn't retort like usual. "Yeah, I should."