Meng Renshu snickered darkly. "You finally showed your true color after finding out the truth. I'm amazed you can hide so much hate and anger from me all this time."

"Why, of course. After all, I didn't spend years by your side for nothing. Acting in the opposite of what you feel inside is your speciality. I should be thankful to you for showing me the way." Li Caiyi smiled coldly. Her tone was gentle, but her words were laced with poison everywhere.

Meng Renshu almost couldn't help but snort in amusement. The sight of Li Caiyi trying to dig her claw and fang at him was interesting for him, who was used to her kindness and indulgence.

Although he knew she was seriously hating him right now, he still found her retort lovely.

"I'm flattered you think so. As a husband, I feel proud that my wife follows my steps closely."

Li Caiyi's countenance turned uglier at the mention of their past relationship. She clenched her hands tightly under the table. A sickening feeling swam in her gut, seeing him mentioning those things lightly after how he abandoned her mercilessly.

"Meng Renshu, are you resorting to this petty trick to reminisce about the past to me? If you have something to say, then say it out loud."

Meng Renshu's eyes twitched when Li Caiyi suddenly used his full name to address him. But a second later, a layer of frost covered his usually warm gaze.

"What if I said that's exactly what I want to do? There are a lot of things that we have to speak about."

"Seriously? What changes would it bring even if we talked about it? We both have our new lives and future ahead. So let's just pretend we don't know each other from now on and not cross each other anymore in this life."

"I refuse."

Li Caiyi could feel her blood pressure rising while talking with a thick-skinned person like him.

"Is this your way of revenge? Because I ruined everything in our previous life, you want to get back at me by ruining my life this time?"

Meng Renshu stared at her without words. His face was rigid and betrayed no emotion. Looking at him like this reminded her a lot of the adult Meng Renshu who used to stand by the side, watching her fend for herself as everyone pointed their fingers at her.

She was so agitated and angry before, but now her heart was like a frozen lake in the winter.

"You might not know and care about it, but I also have my fair share of difficulties in my previous life. I will not hold you responsible for anything, so I hope you can let the past go too. Let's just treat it as a horrible nightmare and move on. You don't have to worry because I will never use my previous life knowledge to hinder your way."

"Xiaoyi."historical

A word from him was enough to stop her from blabbering. Raising her head, she found Meng Renshu staring at her intensely. It was the same stare he gave her when he asked her to tell him everything he knew about Li Junjie's plan the other day.

It was very distant, mixed with traces of regret and a sense of futility. Like he was looking past through her and saw something else.

"I never had such a thought about you. And I never blamed you for everything that happened in the past. Don't think too much."

"If you aren't blaming me, what else do you want to talk to me about?"

"Let me tell you this first. Although I said I remember the past, my memories are actually very fragmented, and I still haven't regained every piece yet."

Li Caiyi's eyes widened in surprise. "What? So you didn't have a complete memory of it? How much did you remember?"

Meng Renshu nodded. "That's why, although I can't understand the complete reason you want to avoid me like the plague, I at least know you have driven into the corner because of my distrust."

Li Caiyi averted her eyes, refusing to have eye contact with Meng Renshu. "We should just forget it—"

"I can't, and I don't want to forget."

"Why are you so hung up about it?"

Meng Renshu closed her eyes slowly. "It was a reminder of my sin that I should never forget. Xiaoyi, I know this is late, but I'm very sorry for everything."

Li Caiyi jerked her head in surprise at his sudden apology, and her mouth gaped even wider when she saw him bowing his head to her. "What are you doing right now?"

"I sincerely wanted to apologize to you. You don't have to forgive me, but let me say this much. I'm sorry for doubting you and hurting you so much in the past."

At a loss on what to say, Li Caiyi could only blink her eyes in disbelief. She never thought that cold and prideful Meng Renshu would ever bow his head to her like this.

It was her first time seeing him bow his head to anyone in both of her lives.

"Stop that. I don't need you to apologize to me," Li Caiyi rubbed her forearm as a strange feeling filled her chest.

Meng Renshu returned to his previous posture before leaning forward to look at her better. "You are still so soft, even though I have prepared myself to receive a few slaps on my face or some hot tea spilt on me."

She would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted, but that wasn't the issue now.

At least with this, she knew that Meng Renshu wasn't actually plotting anything against her. He looked calm, almost peaceful even, with no resentment or grudge toward her.

This eliminated any thought of a horrendous revenge plot he could come up for her. Li Caiyi refused to be his friend, but she certainly didn't want to be on his bad side either. Only loss and suffering would await her if she challenged Meng Renshu straight on.

Li Caiyi put her hands together and squeezed them tightly. "I didn't want any apology or redemption, nor did I hope for reconciliation between us. I just want to live happily for myself this time. My father is not here anymore, so I doubt there will be any engagement between the two families now. Rest assured because there will be nothing that can tie the two of us together this time."

"I see. You must be happy about that," Meng Renshu smiled mirthlessly. "But hearing you say that last sentence makes me sad."

"Ah?" Li Caiyi tilted her head in confusion.

"Xiaoyi, I never wanted to go separate ways with you."