Li Caiyi couldn't ignore that statement. Was there something she had forgotten?

"What do you mean? Have we met before Shenqiang's accident? Where? When?"

Dai Zhiqiang slowly released his hold on her before staring at her thoughtfully.

"I expected you won't remember, but knowing and accepting it is different. But well, it just means you did that sincerely."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I have a poor memory, you see?" Li Caiyi smiled awkwardly.

No matter how much she tried to remember, she couldn't seem to recall when she ever met Dai Zhiqiang before Shenqiang's accident, except in the library a few times.

It could only mean one thing. Dai Zhiqiang talked about the event that happened before the point when she got re-birthed.

In her previous life, at some point, she had met Dai Zhiqiang!

"It was the first day of school when we were just freshmen. Some seniors who tried to pick a fight blocked me, then you came and saved me, like a hero."

Li Caiyi's brows creased as she tried to dig into her memory.historical

It happened so long ago, so it took a while for her to finally clear up the foggy memory in her mind. She seemed to recall something that happened on the first day of high school days.

She gasped in disbelief. "So the boy at that time, it was you, Zhiqiang?"

"Heh. You finally remember me," Dai Zhiqiang smiled helplessly. "For you, helping someone is your natural calling, so it's not surprising if you don't remember me. But now that I have reminded you, I won't let you forget about it again. It was then I began to pay attention to you, after all."

Li Caiyi was still drowned in her reverie as that day's chain of events slowly returned to her. She had just returned from the bathroom when a boy ran past her with a grim face like he had heard a piece of bad news.

Everyone was supposed to gather in their respective classrooms, but that boy was carrying his backpack as he walked toward the school entrance.

Maybe because the sight was out of the place, it made her curious about what could have made him rush like that on the first day of school. Her eyes subconsciously followed his figure. Then, she heard a commotion and found that the boy was in a pinch.

She heard a few things about him wanting to check on his father's condition. Based on his grim expression earlier, she could tell he was serious about that.

At that time, Li Caiyi was intimidated by those seniors, but she couldn't just leave the boy alone. So she mustered her courage and jumped in.

After that, they parted ways and never met each other again, and Li Caiyi gradually forgot about that incident.

To think the boy at that time was actually Dai Zhiqiang. Fate really had its own way of surprising you sometimes.

Dai Zhiqiang chuckled at her blank expression. "You looked so surprised. I'm waiting for you to remember it by yourself, but since you have asked me nicely, then there's no need for me to hide it any longer."

"It's just.. I still couldn't believe how coincidental it was."

Dai Zhiqiang smiled weakly. "I always have been grateful to you. That day was one of the hardest days in my life, but it was also the day I met you."

Li Caiyi noticed the sadness in his eyes and tone. She reached out to grab his hand as she asked carefully, "What happened, then?"

"I had a bad feeling ever since I left the house, and I felt restless throughout the opening ceremony. After it finally ended, I grabbed my bag and immediately went home. Thanks to your help, I could return without causing any trouble."

He paused briefly before continuing with a gloomy face, "When I arrived home, I found my father collapsed on the floor and wouldn't wake up, no matter how much I called out to him."

Li Caiyi's heart ached when she heard the story of that day. She remembered Dai Bolin's condition during her last visit to the hospital, and it broke her heart. She couldn't even imagine how Dai Zhiqiang must have felt to find his father giving into his illness like that.

"If it weren't for your help, I might arrive much later, and something worse might happen to my father. It was the same case with Shenqiang, too." Dai Zhiqiang clenched Li Caiyi's hand tightly. "For me, you are my lifesaver. Because I can't live without my father and brother by my side."

Ah.

A new piece of the puzzle fit into its place again. Perhaps that was the reason Shen Qiang chose such a drastic measure. Because he had lost the two people he wanted to protect the most in this world.

Dai Bolin and Dai Shenqiang had died even before Dai Zhiqiang reached his thirties.

It was a saddening thought, and Li Caiyi couldn't help but get teary. If even she felt heartbroken by just imagining those twos death, then what about Dai Zhiqiang, who had to suffer the grief all by himself?

"You mean so much to me. I can't even describe your importance to me. There is no other person for me besides you." Dai Zhiqiang said before resting his forehead on Li Caiyi's shoulder, like a kid asking to be comforted.

Li Caiyi's heart squeezed in pain, so she held him tight.

Just like he was her anchor, she wanted to be that for him.

"I'm here with you. Don't be afraid." She said as she stroked his back gently.

"En. Thank you." Dai Zhiqiang mumbled in a soft voice. "You don't know how happy I am whenever I get a glimpse of you in the library."

"Why didn't you talk to me then? Since then, we should have bumped pretty often if we met in our first year."

Dai Zhiqiang didn't answer and only snuggled closer to her, enjoying the softness of her shoulder.

"Because I'm afraid I will fall too deep into you. I can't have myself getting distracted when I still have so much on my plate. At least, that was my resolve before Shenqiang's accident. The more I spent time with you, the greedier I became."