Rebirth: Once Again With You

"That man… isn't dead? Really?"

Lin Xiang nodded vehemently. "That's right! It's common for the wound on the head to ooze a lot of blood, but that guy isn't dead!"

'He is probably half-dying, though,' Lin Xiang finished his own sentence in the heart.

Li Caiyi looked unsure, so Lin Xiang hurriedly added, "Miss Li, I'm sorry for letting you see such an unpleasant scene, but trust me, Zhiqiang is a good man. He still has his family to think about, and a smart guy like him won't dare to take extreme measures."

The doubt on her face eased a bit thanks to his desperate attempt. His decision to bring up Dai Zhiqiang was a big success. Sure enough, this little girl only stayed here to find out more about her boyfriend.

"Then, what is Zhiqiang's actual job? I always have my doubts, but after witnessing the earlier scene, I can't hold back anymore. What did you guys make him do?"

Lin Xiang didn't know how to explain. First, he didn't know just how much this little girl knew about their group.

He believed Dai Zhiqiang wouldn't reveal any crucial information, but he could still tell her a thing or two. Lin Xiang was probably the only one who knew how much that kid treasured this girl.

"Uncle, why did you just stay silent?"

"This is a tough question for me. I heard from Zhiqiang about you, and even if I know you mean a lot to him, I still can't divulge any information without his permission. I'm sorry, little lady. But my hands are tied here."

"As expected, it must be illegal if you can't answer it directly."

Li Caiyi became even more daring after Lin Xiang showed her an opening. He kind of regretted it. He should have just pushed her away by keeping a hostile facade.

'No, bad idea. If Zhiqiang finds out, he will come to settle the score with me!'

Lin Xiang still remembered the first day Ye Huizhong introduced Dai Zhiqiang to the group. He was among the group who were against the boss' decision and ended up paying the price for it.

Even to the eyes of veteran thugs like him, Dai Zhiqiang was an unorthodox fighter. It was like he had no fear and moved based on instinct, like a wild animal growing up in a savage land.

And that wild animal was a putty in the hand of this girl.

Li Caiyi could wave her hand, and Dai Zhiqiang would beat him up mercilessly. It's terrifying to imagine that this girl held his life in her palm.

"Miss Li. If Zhiqiang still hasn't told you anything, don't you think that means he is still not ready to let you know about it? Please respect his decision. I'm asking you this as his colleague and brother as well."

Li Caiyi: "..."

Under her deep stare, Lin Xiang felt like a fish on the land.

When they first met, he had a feeling that Li Caiyi was different from other girls her age. But now, he was confident that this girl probably wasn't that scared of him.

Mixed within the vigilance in her eyes were deviance and tenacity, enough to make him think he shouldn't take this girl lightly.

Lin Xiang had learned his lesson after Dai Zhiqiang won against him in a fair fight; that was not to underestimate those younger than you. To be able to catch the attention of a peculiar kid, Li Caiyi must not be a regular girl either.

"Then please take me with you!"

"Yes, come again?" Lin Xiang stared at her with widened eyes.

"Uncle, you don't have to tell me anything. Just take me to where Dai Zhiqiang worked, and I'll find out for myself. I don't believe his job is only to be a bodyguard!"

"Miss Li, that's a bit…."

"If not, I will ask about what happened today to Zhiqiang. I can't stay still when my boyfriend can be in danger anytime."

'Eh, your boyfriend is not the one who is in danger right now. It's me!' Lin Xiang screamed inwardly.

"Please help me out just this once, Uncle. I promise I will do it as sneakily as possible. If I got found out, I would tell no one you are the one who brought me there."

"That doesn't matter. Zhiqiang will know immediately if you are around or not."

"What? How would he know that if both of us keep quiet about it?"

Lin Xiang had said too much. He quickly clamped his mouth shut and curbed the urge to spill everything right there and then.

"No, I misspoke. I mean, Uncle is not adept at lying, so he'll know right away if I'm lying or not. I don't think this is a good idea, Miss Li."

Li Caiyi opened her mouth and wanted to say something again, but Lin Xiang had gotten ahead of her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I still have an important matter I should take care of. It's nice to meet you today. Goodbye, Miss Li."

"Ah! Uncle, wait for me!"

Lin Xiang would be stupid if he stopped and got caught by her again. With all his might, he dashed out of the dumpster, leaving the flustered Li Caiyi behind without looking back.

There was no way a girl like her could catch up with his trained leg, so it didn't take long before Lin Xiang was out of Li Caiyi's sight.

"Huff," Li Caiyi sighed in relief after he was gone.

That interaction took a few years out of her life. When Lin Xiang glared at her, she seriously thought she would turn into a meat paste!

At any rate, she just made the most dangerous bet she had ever made. If Lin Xiang didn't remember who she was, she honestly wouldn't have any idea what to do next.

Dai Zhiqiang almost never talked about his job unless she asked him first, so she couldn't gauge how deep his relationship with this colleague was.

Judging from how quickly he changed his attitude towards her, it seemed that the man thought highly of Dai Zhiqiang. At least good enough for him to cast away his suspicion of her.

After she steadied her rapid heartbeat, Li Caiyi took out her cellphone and tapped the play button on the screen.

Lin Xiang's voice, who interrogated her, was played from it. She prepared this just in case he killed her and left her corpse to rot in the middle of the dumpster. This record would be enough to be the evidence.

"Thank goodness I wouldn't need to use this."

When she was about to leave, her eyes caught something sparkling on the ground. Li Caiyi's steps halted before she crouched down to take that thing.

"This is a ring?" Li Caiyi stared curiously at the small ring she found.

It didn't look like an expensive item but something commonly found in street vendors.

Did this belong to one of the men from earlier?

If yes, it would be strange because the ring size wouldn't fit into any man's finger. It was undoubtedly the size of a woman's finger.

Li Caiyi couldn't say for sure, but her gut told her to keep this ring with her. So she put the ring into her pocket before leaving that place for good.