Reborn: Love You Again

"Whoosh Whoosh..." In the dark forest there were many lush trees, and the interlaced canopy of branches blocked the moonlight so that not even a trace of light filtered in. Amanda Yun was running headlong under the trees, quite breathless. Even though the forest was so dark that it was hard to see anything, her helplessness and panic could clearly be seen in her eyes. She snatched a backward look at the beams of light, drawing ever closer behind her from time to time. She didn't know who these people were, or why they were chasing her, or even where she was.

At this moment, the only thought in her mind was to run and to run with all her strength.

The wind roared past her ears, and her heart beat faster. The forest was like a huge black hole, swallowing her one limb at a time as she dashed headlong into the dark. She knew that somewhere ahead of her there was an abyss, but she still had to run on. Only by running could she have any chance of surviving.

Amanda Yun didn't know how long or how far she had run. She only knew that the killers were drawing near, and she was exhausted. As she stumbled along in the dark night, her body got scratched by the branches, leaving large and small cuts. She grew weak and fell to the ground, but she didn't feel any pain. She thought that maybe it was because her fear now occupied all her nerves.

The pursuing flashlights shone in her face. The strong light made her blink, and she was unable to open her eyes, so she shut them tightly against the inevitable. In this way, she would not see the gun and would not be afraid.

Indeed, the moment she closed her eyes, the fear that had so consumed her had disappeared, and it was replaced by a regret deep in her soul. She regretted that she could no longer see the person she had run from for ten years, and she regretted that she would not even have a final farewell.

She couldn't figure out how such a regret had been lodged in her heart, or why it had been buried so deeply without her knowing it. However, it seemed that there was no answer...

"Bang..."

As the gunshot rang out, Amanda sneered. It seemed that she would die with regret. That was good. At least, he could still hate the person she had been.

She closed her eyes and waited for the hot lead to end her life. But after a long moment, the expected pain did not come, and a scream rang out somewhere in the dark.

"Ah... Bang..." Gunshots and screams rose in a desperate melee. Amanda Yun's heart skipped a beat.

Who could have come to save her at this time? Who would care enough to save her? There was only one answer in her heart, but she refuted it at first. She smiled with self-mockery. "How could he come?" He wouldn't come. He had every right to hate her.

When she opened her eyes, she didn't know whether she should be surprised, shocked, or relieved; nor whether she should feel guilty, even though she didn't want to admit it. But no matter what she felt, she smiled because he was here.

The person who she hadn't seen for ten years finally came. She thought she had completely forgotten him, but she knew him so clearly when they met again. She had escaped from his sight for ten years, but she wanted to see him before she died.

She wanted to ask, "Why did you come, Felix Pei?"

Tears filled her eyes, but stubbornly, they did not roll down.

Seventeen years ago, when she had been ten years old, she had met him. He was twenty years old then.

In her eyes, he was more beautiful and magnificent than anyone she had seen or heard from TV, magazines, and fairy tales. His was so mature that he didn't match his age. She liked to call him uncle. She could tell that the smile on his face must be the most handsome one, so she fawned on him to make him smile.

He smiled. She saw the most beautiful image, which left her addicted like the strongest poison in the world. From then on, he was her one and only beautiful uncle, and she would never be able to detox from him.

He was like a creature living in a cold pool, which had left his world dark and lonely. Until he met her. The girl who gave him sunshine and colors convinced him that there was still warmth and color in the world. From then on... She became the motivating force in his life, the meaning of his world. She was his all, and his only redemption.

Over the past seven years, they played and grew up together. Everything was so beautiful.

Suddenly, one day, she woke up from her dream and saw him standing at the foot of her bed with a bloody knife in his hand. At his feet was her only family member's bloodied corpse. Screaming madly, she was deadly fearful. Disgusted with him, she ignored the wounds and pain in his eyes and sent him to prison.

She hated him and feared him. It was him who had killed the stepfather who took her and her mother in. He had still taken care of her after her mother passed away. Therefore, for all of the five years Felix Pei had been in prison, she didn't visit him. Five years later, when she heard that he had been released from prison, she ran away in a panic that night, fearing that he would find her. Over the next five years, she ran sporadically, and she only stayed in a place for less than three months.

In the past five years, she had traveled almost all over the country. She was exhausted after five years of wandering. She had no relatives, no friends, not even a stranger who could sit with her and talk. Her heart was so tired.

She didn't want to flee again. Tonight, she was at the mercy of God. When she was tired, these people helped her stay forever and stop running. And his appearance proved a gift from God to her, fulfilling her last wish.

It was enough.

Looking at the man who was now more mature than she remembered, she smiled so contentedly as if she had no regret in her life.

However, before a smile slipped onto her face, fear replaced everything. A bullet, flying from a devil's hand, mercilessly cut through his heart. He seemed not to know any pain and used his last strength to send the dagger in his hand spinning into the middle of the shooter's forehead as if he had completed a sacred rite and returned as a devotee.

The tall body crashed down in front of Amanda Yun with a loud bang. She felt that the sky above her head had also collapsed, and her heart trembled like a fearful beast.

She couldn't find any words to scream and struggled to breathe. She could only stare at his white shirt, which was slowly soaking in his heart's blood. It became a dazzling color in the flickering flashlights. Everything around them was silent. There had been no gunshots, no screams, and not even a heartbeat.

Amanda Yun stared blankly at his heaving heart and thought, 'Is he going to die?' Wouldn't she see him, hear him, and feel him again? There wouldn't be another Felix Pei in such a big world, would there?

It was so terrible. A world without him was too terrible. It was dark everywhere and cold everywhere, like a cold tomb. It was a terrible existence.

Her trembling limbs struggled, but she lacked the strength to stand up at all. She could only crawl to Felix Pei, who was lying on the ground, using her hands and feet. It was as if she was a cloud that could float away at any moment and could barely resist the wind.

She wanted to touch his face. She wanted to feel his warmth, but she had no strength. Amanda Yun opened her mouth and seemed to choke on something, unable to say a word. She could only look at him with helpless red eyes.

Felix Pei stared at the girl beside him, feeling sorry for her. He tried hard to raise his hand to brush away her tears, but his hand seemed to be lead-filled, and no matter how anxious he felt, he couldn't move it at all.

Only then did he realize that he couldn't be there for her anymore...

"Mandy... Don't cry. I can't watch over you anymore. Take care of yourself. Don't run anymore. It's too hard... I am so sorry for you. Find a place you like and live happily for the rest of your life. You must find someone who loves you... Get married and have kids. If possible... Don't forget me... Mandy, I love you."

The night became quiet again...

She looked at his closed eyes, which used to only look at her, but now would never open again. He said, "Don't cry..." Such loving and distant words. He had always comforted her, "Don't cry... Don't be sad... Don't be afraid... I am here..."

Now, he was gone, and she wouldn't hear his warm voice...

Holding Felix Pei's hand over her face, Amanda Yun knew the last thing he had wanted to do was to wipe her tears.

She laid her hand on his face. What she wanted was to feel his familiar warmth.

However, as his warmth slowly faded away, her heart cooled. After losing him in the end, she suddenly came to the realization.

She sent him to jail because of her hatred and fear, which she had used as an excuse to run. Death let her see the secrets hidden in her heart, and now she wanted to see him, even if for one last time.

It turned out that she not only hated and feared him, but she also loved him and felt guilty for him.

Now that she had really lost him, she discovered that only love and guilt remained for him.

How ridiculous of her! She had been paralyzing herself with hatred and fear this whole time, escaping all her regrets. She was not afraid of him but of her mistake.

She had been wrong, and it hurt so much.

She loved him more than she could imagine.

Therefore, she had stayed at the place where he was put behind bars for five years and never even thought of leaving.

But in the end, she still didn't have the courage to admit her mistake, and she had let herself repeat it...

Amanda Yun smiled sadly as tears glistened in her eyes. The price of her awakening was his life. How hateful she was!

How could she live a happy life after losing him!

She was now an empty shell without a heart. How could she hold on and live without him!

Find someone who could love her? Well, except for Felix Pei, who else in this world would love her, and who else would she want to marry?

She lowered her head and kissed his lips. They were cold and soft, just like her heart...

"Felix, if there is a next life, then my next life is only for you."

"Bang..."

A gunshot echoed through the quiet night. Nobody knew whether it was the end or the beginning.

Rain City had been named after the weather. It rained two thirds of the year here. It was an important city because it was the capital of A Country. It was also an international military, political, and commercial city.

However, no matter how prosperous a city was, there were still slums and civilian shanty places. The shabby cottage was so simple that there was only a bed and table left, and even the paint on them had already been stripped off. A wooden bar with clothes piled up on it hung in the corner. It was a wardrobe.

The room was windowless. It rained for most of the year, which filled the small shabby room with a damp and musty stink.

"Boom! Boom..."

A thunderclap sounded, waking Amanda up. The rain was released once more. Looking at the familiar and broken place, she was confused. Why was she here? Wasn't she already dead? She rubbed her painful head and looked at the calendar on the table. Her eyes widened. She had come back to nine years ago.

Was the scene of her own death she had just experienced real?

Or was she dreaming?

She pinched her arm hard and yelped at the pain.

"This is not a dream. Thank God for mercy. Ha-ha..." Amanda laughed shakily.

"Felix..." The only name that came to her lips belonged to the one man she wanted to see, and she wanted to see him immediately.

Amanda smiled and felt quite nervous. She rushed out into the rain without even putting on her shoes. She knew where he was.

However, her fear was inevitable. What if he was not there? What if she was lost in a dream? What if she had really lost him?

She had no choice but to plunge through the rain and wrestle with her raw nerves.

The pedestrians on the road were all rushing because of the heavy rain, but many people stopped to stare at Amanda running past. Perhaps they were wondering what made a girl run in the rain-completely oblivious to her surroundings. If she was looking for her lover, she must love him very much.

Entering the visiting room, Amanda was bedraggled and dripping with water, but she was in no mood to dry herself. Sitting by the window of the visiting room, she waited anxiously.

Minutes and seconds ticked along like a century. Her hands tangled together in frustration. It was clear how nervous she was. She was afraid that she was still dreaming, and she had already lost him.

"Crack..."

The sound of the iron door opening echoed. Hearing the sound, Amanda raised her head quickly and saw Felix being escorted inside by the prison guards.

It was him. He was alive! She could see him walking up to her, and his eyes turned to look at her with great tenderness.

Even though he was dressed in the prison uniform, he was still the most handsome man, and she was still obsessed with him.

Her heart began beating wildly as if it was about to leap out of her chest.

Felix hadn't expected that Amanda would come to see him. He was surprised, shocked, and excited when he had heard the news.

His joy was beyond words, and he kept asking himself if she was really there. Had she forgiven him? Would she come back to him?

He came to the visiting room, filled with expectation and raw nerves. From afar, he saw the familiar figure sitting by the window. It was her, the girl who he had taken care of since her childhood; it was really her.

Then he felt both relieved and confused.

However, when he noticed her dripping clothes and tangled hair, he couldn't help frowning. Most upsettingly, his Mandy had lost some weight.

He walked to the window in front of her and sat down with a gentle smile on his face-as warm as ever. "Mandy, are you all right? Did you eat on time? Is school tiring you out? Why didn't you take an umbrella? Please be careful not to catch a cold. You are a girl and shouldn't get wet in the rain, okay? You seem thinner than before. Is it because you are under too much pressure to learn? Take better care of yourself, okay? Don't make yourself so unhappy. If you don't like to learn, it doesn't matter. You'll still have me."

As usual, Felix cared most for her. He wanted to stroke her head and feel the tenderness of her soft hair sliding between his fingers. This had been his favorite thing to do before. He knew of nothing softer than this, because it symbolized her trust and support for him.

But in raising his hand, he discovered that there was not only a window, but also a heart dividing them.

He could only slowly lower his hand, trying to touch her hand through the window, hoping he could feel her warmth.

However, when he still reached out to her, she became like a frightened deer with wet and wide open eyes as she trembled with fear. Her body reacted, and she sprang back in panic. Her anxious action tipped the chair over to the ground, and it fell with a loud "bang."

In the empty visiting room, that voice was so loud that it seemed to cut through their defenses, freezing the two of them simultaneously.

Felix's heart felt like it was being scratched by a rusty knife. It inflicted no serious pains, nor did it show any mercy to let him go, and it merely tortured him like that.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry, Mandy. I didn't mean to touch you. Don't be afraid. I won't touch you. I won't touch you again. Don't be afraid."

Amanda witnessed everything clearly in his eyes. She felt guilty for hurting him again. She wanted to promise him that she was not afraid, that she had just been too excited and nervous.

When he spoke, she felt the warmth of his words. When her hand touched the window, she could feel his warmth, which was so real.

He was really alive; she hadn't lost him. How could she not be excited after experiencing a death vision!

Hence, she was too excited to speak.

She needed to calm down. Yes, she needed to calm down...

Therefore, she wheeled around and ran out...

Felix sank down feebly, drowning in helplessness and heartache. She still had not forgiven him. She still feared him and hated him...

When would his Mandy return to his arms?

"Bang..."

Turning, Felix vented his anger on the chair, breaking it into pieces at his feet. The prison guards trembled and jumped back, waiting for his anger to simmer down. They just hoped that he would not turn it on them.

Amanda dashed from the prison and ran into the rain again...

Rain was summer's gift, and it could wash her heart clear. Only in this way could she calm down.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

The horn of the car hooted hurriedly. Amanda had no chance to look back, and she fell to the shrill sound of brakes slamming on. At that moment, she was still wondering how she could be so unlucky as to have him only to leave him again.

The emergency hazard lights of the car flashed in front of Amanda. The people holding umbrellas stood still to watch and were talking about something. Amanda could hear nothing except the sound of her own heartbeat.

The constant thudding told her that she was still alive, and that God had not been so cruel to her. She smiled silently...

"Hey, are you okay? Are you too scared to speak? Or will only money wake you up now, huh?" A playful voice brought her back to reality.

She looked up at the man who had spoken to her with contempt. He had almost run her over, but he didn't apologize at all and was still so bossy.

It was easy to tell that he was from a rich family. Amanda didn't have favorable impressions of such people. It was not that she hated the rich, but that they were all arrogant and always looked down upon others in her experience.

It seemed that he had assumed she was a swindler. Amanda was speechless.

But looking down, she realized she was a mess, and she didn't even have shoes. It was really easy for people to get the wrong impression.

Amanda didn't feel like arguing with him. After all, she didn't get hurt.

She rolled her eyes at the arrogant man, stood up, and disappeared into the rain.

Stunned by her dismissive stare, Louie Cheng rubbed his chin and stared after Amanda thoughtfully.

He was just despised by her, wasn't he? As the son of the Cheng Family, he had actually been despised by a beggar. It was interesting. He flicked the rain drops from his clothes, sat in the driver's seat, and took off.

Amanda ran back to her shabby room, holding her breath. Her body's fatigue calmed her down. She felt lucky that everything she needed was still within her reach. She was grateful that he was still waiting for her, but she needed a little more time to adjust her mind. Once she resolved herself, she would have a vigorous love with him. In this life, she would only belong to him, and he would only belong to her.

After resting for a while, Amanda felt a dull pain in her head, a burning pain. It was in the exact spot where she had shot herself in her previous life. She took out a mirror and examined her reflection in it. She found that there was a faint pattern, very shallow, but very delicate on her forehead. "Is it the mark God left when I regained my life?"

Amanda laughed at herself. Today's joy and sorrow left her exhausted. She merely took off her wet clothes and fell asleep as soon as she lay on the bed.

She slept the whole night deeply as many things poured into her mind and then disappeared. The dream repeated endlessly in her mind. She was very tired and wanted to wake up, but she couldn't. When she thought she would be trapped in the dream forever, the phone rang at her bedside, waking her up to a great tiredness.

Exhausted, she opened her eyes and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she spoke sullenly.

Amanda hadn't looked at the caller ID and didn't know who was calling. Although the caller had disturbed her sleep, their merit was to have woken her up from her bad dream. She didn't feel angry as she got up.

"Mandy, are you still sleeping? Let me tell you-the manager is coming soon. If you don't want a salary this summer vacation, you can continue to sleep. By the way, I remind you that you only have twenty minutes to get here." Amanda recognized the voice on the phone. It was her high school classmate, who was her only friend, Zaria Li.

She and Zaria Li worked part-time in a coffee shop for the summer vacation. In order to survive, Amanda had to earn money as soon as possible. She studied hard and won a scholarship to go to college, but she didn't have enough money to cover her living expenses, so she spent her vacation working there to afford her living expenses.

Zaria Li, on the other hand, came from a rich family and had good grades. She was admitted to the same university as Amanda, and she just took this part-time job to keep her friend company.

Hearing her friend's reminder, the dazed Amanda suddenly came to her senses. She almost forgot her current predicament. An orphan completely abandoned, without parents, relatives, or friends, she relied on scholarships to study and worked to support herself. As soon as she heard that she was about to be late, the salary she had worked hard to earn for a summer vacation was about to be deducted, and she could no longer dally.

"Zaria, just wait a while. I'll be there soon." After hanging up the phone, she got up and randomly picked up an old dress to don. She only had a few clothing items, so she didn't have many choices, which saved a lot of time in dressing. She grabbed her hair, pinned it up, washed her face, and brushed her teeth at the tap, and she then rushed out of the room, carrying her only small bag.

Normally, it only took her half an hour to reach work from home. But today she'd gotten up late and there were less than ten minutes left. She had to be quick and rush to her destination.

As soon as she entered the shop, she saw the manager coming in. She shrank her head and ran into the dressing room quickly. Patting her chest to calm her heart, she was almost caught for being late!