CHAPTER 416: CHAPTER 416 HE IS NOT AFRAID OF HER

Actually, I have memories of my past life...

When Yun Shifei’s words reached Cheng Lie, he pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Yun Shifei felt a wave of unease in her heart, but she also knew that once she’d spoken, there was no turning back.

"I have memories of my past life. I actually just returned to this time through rebirth... Mu Chengzhu is the same as me, so sometimes when he plots against you, he’s using knowledge about things that will happen in the future." Yun Shifei wasn’t sure if Cheng Lie would understand her explanation.

Cheng Lie listened to Yun Shifei’s words and, after a long moment, said, "Your past life? So that means it’s actually this current life."

Yun Shifei nodded. "After I died, I came back to this point. That’s why you see me studying so hard, trying to live well every single day—because in my past life, I missed out on all of that."

Her past life had been nothing more than the life of a forgotten background character.

Cheng Lie found it exceptionally bizarre. This kind of strangeness had already gone beyond what the natural sciences could explain.

But since it was Yun Shifei who said it, he chose to believe her.

In fact, he had felt something peculiar about Yun Shifei from very early on—her suddenly acquired English fluency, the sudden ability to play the piano, her abrupt enthusiasm for learning—all of which were stark contrasts to her previous personality.

If he accepted Yun Shifei’s explanation about living another life, it seemed to make sense.

However, he had only ever heard of people crossing through time into the future, not returning to the past.

Cheng Lie couldn’t help but ask, "So, the shared secret between you and Mu Chengzhu—this is it, isn’t it?"

Yun Shifei nodded, her nerves tightening, her fists clenched so tightly that she feared Cheng Lie might see her as a monster or think she was crazy.

But she trusted him—trusted that, even knowing her deepest secret, he would not hurt her.

Cheng Lie could sense the girl’s nervousness. Even though her figure was still blurry in his sight, he was always acutely sensitive to emotions.

Noticing Yun Shifei’s anxiety, he couldn’t help but reach out, take her hand, and gently unfold her clenched fist, discovering that her palm was damp with sweat from tension.

How much courage must she have had to choose to share this secret with him without being forced?

Was it because she saw that he was injured now, afraid that Mu Chengzhu might harm him further, so she chose to tell him this secret?

For a girl to muster such bravery to share something like this with him—how could he possibly feel afraid?

Cheng Lie said, "I’m not afraid."

When she heard him say this, Yun Shifei blinked her eyes, her heart—like a frantically beating rabbit—gradually slowed down in that moment.

Yun Shifei gazed at Cheng Lie. "You truly don’t think I’m a monster?"

"Feifei is so adorable; how could you possibly be a monster." Cheng Lie spoke as he reached out to pull Yun Shifei into his embrace.

The girl’s hair was soft to the touch, her body light and pliant, and Cheng Lie loved this feeling intensely.

"Thank you for being willing to share this secret with me."

Having summoned the courage to say such words, Cheng Lie knew it must have taken everything out of Yun Shifei.

She must care deeply for him to choose to confide in him.

Even if Yun Shifei hadn’t openly expressed it, Cheng Lie could sense it all.

Yun Shifei obediently nestled in Cheng Lie’s arms, extending her arms to wrap around his waist.

The man’s lean waist carried a strong, reassuring sense of power, making her feel extraordinarily secure.

He wasn’t afraid of her.

Yun Shifei curved her lips into a smile. She thought to herself, she absolutely had to love Cheng Lie well too.

"Cheng Lie, don’t worry. Your eyes will definitely be fine."

Cheng Lie let out a light laugh and asked, "Since you know everything about this life, do you know what kind of person I was in my past life?"

Her past life...

Yun Shifei curved her lips into a smile and said, "You were a very remarkable figure."

Cheng Lie made a sound of acknowledgment. "So you’re saying you chose your protector ahead of time, huh?"

Exposed by Cheng Lie’s bluntness, Yun Shifei felt a bit embarrassed. "Mhm, mhm. At the time, I actually wasn’t thinking about getting close to you."

After all, at first, she had thought Cheng Lie was a big villain who had messed up her family’s lives.

But as they spent more time together, she realized he wasn’t what she had imagined him to be.

"But Uncle Cheng kept urging me to be your friend, so I didn’t have much of a choice."

Back then, she hadn’t dared to resist, afraid of upsetting her parents. And gradually, she realized Cheng Lie was different from the person she’d initially imagined—so pitiful, just like her, and she wanted to be his friend.

Of course, she had her own selfish motives too. If he really became a powerful figure in the future, perhaps he wouldn’t forget her. Just a crumb of help would make her happy.

Who would have guessed that he’d end up liking her?

Cheng Lie listened to Yun Shifei’s words, recalling the memories of the past.

At the very beginning, Yun Shifei did seem to have been pushed toward him by Cheng Guomin.

At that time, he had thought she was Cheng Guomin’s accomplice and had felt incredibly resistant toward her.

As he thought about it now, Cheng Lie suddenly felt deeply grateful to Cheng Guomin. If it weren’t for him, he might never have discovered such an adorable girl.

Yun Shifei saw how quietly Cheng Lie listened to her speak and thought, Well, my secret’s already out—might as well tell him everything.

Cheng Lie pondered. No wonder Yun Shifei had encouraged him in his darkest moments, telling him he’d have a bright future ahead.

She had already foreseen everything.

Cheng Lie asked again, "So before, when you wouldn’t show that you liked me, was it because..."

"Because I thought I wasn’t good enough for you. You’re such an amazing person—how could someone like me deserve to be with you?"

She had always been self-conscious, and after living through a lifetime and returning anew, her insecurity had only deepened.

Cheng Lie couldn’t help but pinch her cheek. "You are good enough."

Yun Shifei winced from the pinch, quickly understanding that he wanted her to remember this. She hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes. Actually, I’m totally good enough."

Ah, even great figures can have a bit of arrogance!

Cheng Lie paused for a moment and asked again, "And you, in your past life... since we had no connection, what kind of life did you lead?"

Yun Shifei thought about her past self, whose life had taken a cruel turn at the age of fifteen, leaving her stumbling and struggling thereafter.

Thinking of this made her feel somewhat reluctant to open up, but she still confessed honestly to Cheng Lie, "I didn’t have much of a later life. I died young."

Cheng Lie’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the sorrow flowing through Yun Shifei’s aura.

Just as he was about to say something, Yun Shifei’s phone rang.

Yun Shifei glanced at it—it was her father calling.

Yun Shifei turned to Cheng Lie. "I have to go now, or my dad will beat me up."