Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi had no intention of dragging the matter. One moment of delay meant more chances for Lu Ruan to harass her again.

She was ready to go out to war. Lu Ruan probably would have her cronies with her all the time, so she needed to lure her out alone. Li Caiyi wanted to hear what she had to say before she reported to the police.

That was her intention, yet when she arrived at the school, something unimaginable happened before she could take action.

Ever since she stepped into the building, she could feel people staring at her back. At first, she thought she was only imagining things until she heard someone 'whispering' something behind her back.

"I can't believe she can still walk shamelessly like that."

"Well, what can we say? She had Senior Meng and Senior Li behind her back. Plebeians like us don't stand a chance."

"But doesn't it mean she had been playing behind Dai Zhiqiang's back? So the rumor about her and Senior Meng is true after all? I heard there is a third man too."

"Whoa, she has such a pure face but three-timing them? Maybe I have a chance, too, then. Hahaha!"

Li Caiyi felt her ears would bleed listening to their conversation. She turned to look at those people, but they dispersed immediately while snickering.

'What happened? What is this about three timing?'

Li Caiyi hadn't the foggiest idea of what happened. She tried to ignore the people talking about her, but their stares made her uneasy.

"Caiyi!"

As soon as she stepped into the classroom, her friends sprang from their seats and approached her, with anxiety and distress written all over their faces.

"Guys, what happened?" Li Caiyi asked them, her eyes unknowingly landing on what was behind them.

She was shocked to find her desk had been scribbled all over with mean and cursing words. Among them was the word 'Leave!', 'Slut!', 'Die!' written boldly.

Li Caiyi covered her mouth, eyes widened in disbelief. It didn't take a genius to guess who was the culprit behind this. She thought of confronting her today, but it seemed Lu Ruan had taken a step ahead of her.

Li Caiyi bit her lips while peering at her friend's worried expression. "Can one of you tell me what happened here?"

They exchanged glances before Zhou Ya reluctantly opened her mouth. "This… We also don't know what happened. When we arrived at school, your desk was already like that. And also…"

She trailed off, and the suspense put Li Caiyi on edge, "Zhou Ya, it's okay. Just tell me everything."

Zhou Ya glanced at Chen Ruolan, in which the latter slowly showed something she had behind her back all this time. "We…found this being stamped on the whiteboard this morning."

Li Caiyi looked down and was stunned to see the collection of her pictures in Chen Ruolan's hand. She took them and flipped through them thoroughly. With each flip, the colors were drained from her face.

The pictures captured her in various locations, seemingly taken in secret. However, the problem was she wasn't captured alone in those pictures. Meng Renshu and Detective Tang were also included in it!

Another baffling thing was that these pictures were taken in a way that insinuated an ambiguous relationship with those men. There was a picture of Li Caiyi getting out of Detective Tang's car at night when he stroked her head in the restaurant and many others.

Other pictures with Meng Renshu showed them at the anniversary party's venue the other day. It captured Meng Renshu, who affectionately offered the flower to her below the stage, and the scene where they were alone on the balcony.

As the person in the picture, Li Caiyi could say in clear conscience that those were all just coincidences and meant nothing at all. But who would believe her? When the hard evidence was here for everyone to see? It didn't help that these pictures looked extra convincing.

"Th-This is…"

"Caiyi, I don't want to doubt you. B-but you aren't having a relationship with three people at once, right? I-It was just a misunderstanding, right?" Chen Ruolan stuttered.

"You fool!" Feng Nian slapped her back before shifting her gaze to Li Caiyi. Although she didn't say anything, Li Caiyi could see the hint of uncertainty on her face. Zhou Ya also appeared to be very conflicted.

There was no mistaking it. They doubted her.

Li Caiyi looked around, and she could almost feel the sense of distrust in everyone's gaze on her. A cold shiver ran down her spine as her tongue stiffened.

'This is the same…as back then….'

The sight of people's cold stares, waiting for her explanation. The apparent accusation and judging look on their faces as they pointed their fingers at her. It was like she was in the middle of a public trial.

The loneliness and helplessness she felt back then, she still remembered well. Everything came back to her at once.

"A-Ah… I-I.." Li Caiyi stuttered.

She wanted to explain, but an immeasurable amount of fear blocked her throat like a rock. She couldn't seem to get any words out.

"W-why didn't you say anything?" Chen Ruolan asked again. "Please explain what actually happened to us. We…we will help you!"

Zhou Ya reached out to grab Li Caiyi's hand firmly. "Yes, you can tell us the truth. We will listen to everything you say!"

Feng Nian: "...."

Li Caiyi looked at her friends one by one. They were very close, so they surely would believe in her.

'But what if they don't? After all, even my closest one didn't believe me then….'

That thought went through her mind for a split second, but it was enough to erase any kind of explanation in her mind. It felt like her brain, and whole body had grown numb.

Her heart beat rapidly; it felt like it could explode. Cold sweat ran down her temple, and it was hard to breathe.

No matter how she told herself everything was fine, and those bad memories were already in the past, she couldn't stop trembling. She could scream for her innocence all she wanted, but no one paid heed to her.

No one bothered to listen to her.

No one wanted to be by her side.

In the end, everyone would leave her.

Li Caiyi could almost see the world in front of crumble. The happiness she had painstakingly built dissolved like a sandcastle being washed by seawater.

"A-Ah... Stop…Just stop looking at me…." Li Caiyi said weakly as she raised her hand to cover her face.

"Caiyi? What's wrong?" Zhou Ya held her shoulder in alarm.

Chen Ruolan and Feng Nian were also startled. Li Caiyi's reaction wasn't normal by all means. They had never seen her this vulnerable and frightened. On top of that, she looked extremely unwell, like she could collapse anytime!

"Hey, calm down!"

"Caiyi, snap out of it!"

Li Caiyi could see them moving their lips, but no sound reached her ears. Soon, her visions became blurry as well. Scared to her core, she couldn't help but mumble raspily.

"It's not me. I didn't do it. I'm not the culprit. Believe me. Help me."

Her voice was barely audible, but Zhou Ya could hear it clearly. "Caiyi, you…"

She hadn't finished her sentence when Li Caiyi suddenly collapsed onto her and almost made both topple to the floor.

"She fainted! We have to bring her to the infirmary!"

Zhou Ya's shout was the last thing she remembered as everything turned black before her.