Rebirth: Once Again With You

Li Caiyi took a quick wipe on herself. Just enough so she wouldn't smell like blood mixed with alcohol before changing into a more comfortable outfit.

Even after washing her face, she still looked tired, but she couldn't keep her father-in-law waiting forever, so she applied light makeup to make it brighter.

After making sure her appearance was pretty decent, she went downstairs.

Meng Yaoshu was sitting alone in the living room. Unlike Meng Renshu, who had a beautiful, almost fairy-like disposition, he had a square-shaped head with masculine facial features, like a warrior. His eyes were deep and calculative, and his skin was slightly tanner than the rest of his family.

"Father, I'm sorry for making you wait." Li Caiyi politely bowed at him.

"Take a seat, Xiaoyi. Today's incident must have shocked you so much."

"...Yes." Li Caiyi sat down on the sofa across from him. "Father, have you heard anything about my sister's condition?"

Meng Yaoshu sighed. "The operation was a success. Thankfully, she was treated early, so the damage didn't spread far. However…"

"What is it, Father? Please speak comfortably."

"It's hard for me to say this, but the doctor said there is only a small chance that she would regain consciousness. And if a miracle does happen, it'd be hard for her to live her life normally after this."

Li Caiyi's heart sank. She couldn't think of anything but the horrible scene of her sister dying in front of her. She couldn't even do anything at that time and only stared at her dumbly.

It wasn't until the Meng siblings barged into the room did she snap to her senses.

"It can't be…." Li Caiyi hugged herself as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Xiaoyi, don't blame yourself. I was in shock before, but I know you are not the kind of person to do such an evil thing. I have known you since you were little, and you are a kind child."

"Father!" Li Caiyi couldn't hold back her tears, so she covered her eyes with her hands as she sobbed until her whole body shook. "Thank you for believing in me. I didn't do it. I really didn't."

"Your complexion looked terrible. Have you eaten anything since you returned?"

She shook her head, still too overwhelmed to answer. Meng Yaoshu sighed again. "This is the time when you should take care of your body the most. Although I believe in you, you'd still need to prove it to everyone so you will be free from all accusations."

"But I don't know what I must do. Even I still couldn't understand what was actually happening. I wasn't allowed to take a step out of the house, so I have been sitting in my room, worrying about my sister's fate."

"Relax, child. Take a deep breath first. Renshu will not allow you to suffer any injustice. He was just too shocked earlier to make a rational judgment."

Deep down, Li Caiyi couldn't bring herself to believe that. The look of utter disgust and the accusation he directed at her was real. He saw her standing in a daze when Li Chunhua was dying, so it wouldn't be weird if he suspected her.

However, she couldn't possibly tell her father-in-law that, so she nodded compliantly.

"But why isn't he here? Don't tell me he's still waiting in the hospital?"

"Yes, it seems so."

Meng Yaoshu massaged his temple. With an apologetic tone in his voice, he spoke again. "Child, I understand if you feel upset. But for Renshu, Xiaohua is…very important. However, I believe he will not abandon you. He just needs time to cool his head now. Can you please let this one go? He will return as soon as he makes sure Xiaohua is safe."

The more he tried to find an excuse for his son, the more Li Caiyi believed that Meng Renshu had no intention of returning home.

She had hope before. It was a very tiny hope, but it is still a hope nonetheless. Li Caiyi believed that if she waited a bit, her husband would eventually come home and help her. But she should have seen this coming.

The light in her eyes got dimmer, but she forced herself to put on a smile. "It's fine, Father. I feel reassured knowing Brother Renshu will be by Xiaohua's side."

Meng Yaoshu smiled. "I know you are a reasonable and virtuous wife. My son sure is lucky to be married to you."

Li Caiyi's heart felt like it had been pricked by an ice pick whenever they talked about Meng Renshu, so she tried to avoid the topic. "Father, I will cooperate with any kind of investigation. I'm innocent and have nothing to hide. I will gladly answer any questions about the incident."

He nodded approvingly. "I'm glad to hear that. The rumor had been spread and reflected badly on our company's stock, so it'd be helpful if you could help us clear up the misunderstanding. I will vouch for your innocence, too, so don't worry about anything and just testify truthfully."

Li Caiyi felt warm inside. Even though her husband and her family didn't care about her, she was grateful that she still had her father-in-law. It gave her the strength to fight for herself.

"Father, thank you very much. I was at a loss on what to do before, but now I know what I must do."

"You are my proud daughter-in-law. I have to protect you from scheming people who tried to set you up." Meng Yaoshu leaned his body forward. "But why did you go to that room?"

She was startled by his sudden question. She cast her gaze down before hesitantly replying, "There's no particular reason. I felt a bit stuffy and overwhelmed by the crowd. I wanted to rest in an empty place and happened to come across that room."

Meng Yaoshu rubbed his chin with a pondering expression. "Is that so? Then how did you get that glass of wine in your hand?"

"A waiter asked me if  I wanted to have some, so I took the glass from him."

"Do you perhaps remember what that waiter looked like? He could be an important witness in this incident."

Li Caiyi thought hard. However, her state of mind at that time was pretty chaotic, so she didn't pay attention to a random waiter who appeared in front of her.

"I'm not sure. I don't remember his face clearly, but I think I can recognize him if I hear his voice once again."

"I see. Then I will gather all the staff on duty tonight and bring them all to you. But in the meantime, please try to remember his face if you can."

"Yes, I'll try, Father." Li Caiyi smiled. Having a person beside her really felt reassuring.

"Aside from those things, is there anything out of the ordinary that night? Or something you remember?"

Li Caiyi pondered thoughtfully, but nothing came up in her mind. "No, I don't think so."

Meng Yaoshu seemed disappointed, but he didn't ask her any more questions.

"I'd love to stay and accompany you some more, but this is already very late. You should go upstairs and rest well, Xiaoyi."

"Father, let me see you out first!"

Meng Yaoshu chuckled. "There's no need to do that. The air is cold outside."

"No, I insist! This is the least I can do for Father."

The father and daughter-in-law pair broke out in laughter as they walked to the entrance together. It was a beautiful picture of a peaceful and harmonious family.

Unbeknownst to Li Caiyi, that would be the last time she laughed together with her father-in-law.