After leaving Ye Wang, they returned using Meng Renshu's car, but a suffocating silence hung in the air. Like the calm before the storm, he was eerily quiet, making Li Caiyi anxious.
"Brother Renshu? I realized I hadn't thanked you for helping me out back then. Thank you."
Meng Renshu turned his gaze from the window and stared sharply at her. "Do you understand what you have done?"
"Huh?"
"The current Dai Zhiqiang is already threading on the same path as he previously was. Even knowing that, are you still going to stick with him?"
It seemed this topic was unavoidable no matter what. Li Caiyi had seen this coming, but it still felt complicated inside.
"I won't let the same tragedy happen to him again."
Meng Renshu sneered. "What can you do against a big group such as Ye Wang? You are just a regular girl. You are lucky this time for coming out safely after being kidnapped. Still, eventually, you will get dragged into the bigger mess."
"Whether you like it or not, I am already involved in this anyway. It's too late to go back now."
"I don't understand where your confidence comes from. If it wasn't for me, you would not be sitting here talking back to me like this. Junjie is right. I shouldn't have helped you."
Li Caiyi pursed her lips. "I know I have been nothing but a nuisance for you, but Zhiqiang is definitely not a bad person. There must be a reason why he did that."
Meng Renshu's eyes darkened as he grew more impatient. "I know that love can blind a person, but you are the worst case. Can you still say that when he deliberately tries to avoid you?"
"No matter what you say, I will believe in Zhiqiang that I know." Li Caiyi argued stubbornly, and it made him feel more uncomfortable.
Meng Renshu scoffed. "You are still a romanticist even now. I thought you had improved from your stupidly loyal self, but you are still the same deep inside. Chasing after a man must be your biggest hobby. How pathetic."
Li Caiyi felt anger bubbling up inside her. She clenched her hand into a fist as her gaze turned colder.
"Call me whatever you want, but I at least know Dai Zhiqiang would never abandon me."
Meng Renshu's frown deepened. He could tell she was trying to mock him by saying that, which made him furious. He wanted to push her down and make her retract that statement, but he quickly drowned that dark thought.
Instead, he chuckled sinisterly. "Silly Xiaoyi, you don't even realize you are making the same mistake twice. Then, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet?" Li Caiyi looked at him warily.
"Yes. Let's see which one of our assessments of Dai Zhiqiang is correct. If you win, I will never doubt him again. However, if I win, I want you to stop thinking about me that way."
"In what way, you mean?"
"Like I will abandon you again." Meng Renshu glared at her, but his eyes showed a hint of sadness. "I wouldn't deny that I have mistreated you in the past, but it will never happen again."
Meng Renshu yanked her by the arm and pulled her closer. Her pupils widened slightly in surprise.
Their faces were so close together, and she instinctively wanted to pull away. However, Meng Renshu's other hand held her back, locking her in place.
"I will make you look at me again, so watch me closely."
Li Caiyi gulped. She was worried he would do something to her, so she dared not to provoke him further.
Meng Renshu stared at her deeply. He could feel the warmth and softness of her body under his palm. Yet, before her frightened eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do anything.
Eventually, he released her from his hold. Li Caiyi immediately scooted back and created some distance between them. The scene made him amused and lonely at the same time.
"You don't need to be so alarmed. I won't do anything to you here."
After that, he returned his gaze to the view outside the window. The heavy silence permeated the air again.
He acted as if nothing had happened, throwing her off the loop.
Li Caiyi was still offended and angry, but looking at him like that, she suddenly lost the mood to continue the conversation.
After their regression, Meng Renshu showed her a lot of sides of him she never knew before. However, he had never blatantly insulted her like this. It proved that he must be extremely disturbed.
Li Caiyi brushed off that thought as soon as it emerged. She wouldn't sympathize with a person that mocked her and Dai Zhiqiang.
Meng Renshu was the last person she wanted to hear that from.
While both were deep in their thoughts, Mr. Mu, who watched and listened to their conversation, stepped on the gas pedal harder. He couldn't stand to be in that suffocating silence any longer.
***
Another week had passed since then, and third-year students' graduation was already around the corner. However, Li Chunhua still had yet to show any sign of waking up, and Dai Zhiqiang still had not contacted her.
Everyone was in a festive mood since they were preparing a graduation event for the third year as per school tradition, but Li Caiyi felt none of that. She absentmindedly arranged the chair until she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"What's wrong with you? You are spacing out more often these days."
Feng Nian stood beside her with a concerned look. "Are you still worrying about your sister?"
"Well, there's that, too," Li Caiyi replied gloomily. "But there are a lot of other things going on too."
"Come to think of it, Dai Zhiqiang didn't even attend the final exam this time, and he still hasn't returned to school. Did something happen to him?"
"I think he is busy, but he won't talk to me."
Feng Nian patted her back a few times to comfort her. "He'll come around. You can give him a punch or two for ghosting you like that when that time comes. You'll feel better after that."
"Haha, you are right. I should teach him a lesson next time."
"That's my friend!" Feng Nian gave her a thumbs up before spreading her gaze to the big auditorium, where the graduation event would be held. "A year passed by so fast. We will be in our third year in less than a month. I hope Li Chunhua and Dai Zhiqiang will be with us, too, when that time comes."
"Yeah, I hope so too."
"And I know you are worried about them, but you can't neglect yourself. Remember, you still have your body and dream to take care of. Have you been writing recently?"
Li Caiyi shrunk in place. "I haven't written anything for a few days now. I can't seem to think of anything."
"Actually, it makes sense, considering all kinds of stuff you are going through. Don't give up, though."
"I know. I'll try my best. Thanks for reminding me."
"Anyway, your brother will deliver the parting speech at the graduation ceremony, right? You must be proud of him."
"I guess so," Li Caiyi replied half-heartedly. When she thought of Li Junjie these days, she could only think of how troublesome he was. If it weren't for preparing for his college entrance examination, he probably would still follow her around until now.
"A lot of girls are crying because two of their school idols will be graduating. Shouldn't they feel happy? Or do they prefer them to be held back a year or something? I really can't understand."
"Brother Jie and Brother Renshu are too popular. Those fangirls will calm down after some time."
"Oh yeah, have you prepared anything for them? Like a graduation present or something?"
Li Caiyi didn't even think of that. "No, I didn't prepare anything."
"Is that so? All girls keep talking about preparing a gift for them or something like that, so I thought you were preparing something too."
These days, Li Caiyi kept moving back and forth between the hospital, school, and Ye Wang. She had no space to think about graduation, much less prepare a gift.
Feng Nian's words stuck in her mind, making her seriously consider picking some gift. After all, graduation was an occasion worthy of celebrating.
But then, her mind wandered to the last time she 'argued' with Meng Renshu, and it dampened her spirit.
'Well, he offends me first, and it's not like he lacks anything, so it's okay if I only prepare one for my brother, right?'
Li Caiyi felt her thought was reasonable and continued to arrange the chair while thinking of a suitable gift for Li Junjie.
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