It had been so long since she last received such meticulous care. The last time was when she was very young, still living with her biological mother.
Back then, before she was sent to the Shu Family, she stayed with her birth mother. Though life was impoverished, her mother treated her exceptionally well, spending what little money she earned from odd jobs to buy her favorite foods. Every day back then, just like now, she would sit at the dining table biting her spoon, waiting for the food her mother would bring.
Life was simple and poor, yet filled with happiness.
Later, however, due to various reasons, her mother desperately tried to send her to the Shu Family, hoping it would change their lives.
Unfortunately, the conflicts within wealthy families were more than their simple mother-daughter pair could bear. In the end, she suffered greatly in the Shu Family, while her mother developed mental illness and was personally sent to a psychiatric hospital by the Head of the Shu Family.
It wasn’t until her suicide in her previous life that her mother, imprisoned in the psychiatric hospital, followed her in death upon hearing the news.
This remained an unresolved knot from her past life after she departed.
“Thank you, Aunt Li.” Unconsciously, her throat grew hoarse. Shu Qianzhi lowered her gaze to compose herself for a moment before smiling sincerely.
“Oh, what’s there to thank? It’s just a small effort.” Aunt Li waved her hand dismissively, then handed Shu Qianzhi a tissue. “Crying at your age, aren’t you ashamed?”
Shu Qianzhi took the tissue, her eyes curving into smiles. “I’m not crying.”
Holding the steaming bowl, she scooped a spoonful of white fungus soup, blew on it, and felt its warmth spread through her stomach—reminiscent of her mother’s care.
It also made her plan how to find an opportunity to visit her mother.
“Can I call you Xiao Xi?” After serving the white fungus soup, Aunt Li turned back to her tasks, occasionally chatting with her.
As the person in charge here, she had naturally heard about the girl who suddenly appeared.
Her own daughter was around the same age, making her more sympathetic to the girl’s plight. Even without Master Ji’s instructions, she would have taken good care of her.
“Okay.” Shu Qianzhi sipped the white fungus soup, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt over her lie but stubbornly continuing the act. “I don’t remember my name, but my brother said I’m called Ji Zexi. Isn’t it a lovely name?”
Aunt Li fell silent, her expression stiffening slightly, as if both were ashamed of their concealment.
“Aunt Li, when will my brother be back?”
After the emotional moment, Shu Qianzhi regained her composure. She looked at Aunt Li, her eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
“Hard to say.” Aunt Li answered truthfully, continuing with her work. “We just follow orders. Master Ji sometimes comes and goes within a day, other times he doesn’t show up for several days or even months.”
“Ah.” Shu Qianzhi’s eyebrows drooped, perfectly portraying disappointment.
If he only returned after months, wouldn’t it be a very long time before she could see him again?
“Is my brother usually very busy?” she asked again.
Aunt Li replied, “Yes, Master Ji is basically buried in work all year round. He’s extremely busy.”
Shu Qianzhi watched Aunt Li’s movements thoughtfully. “Then how does my brother manage his meals?”
Aunt Li shook her head. “I only handle miscellaneous matters around here. I have no say in Master Ji’s company affairs. His daily meals are probably just hastily managed, and I only prepare something fresh for him when he’s here. You young people never take good care of your health—this won’t do in the long run.”
She murmured to herself, and Shu Qianzhi felt a warmth in her heart.
She was undoubtedly glad that there was someone so kind and sincere taking care of Ji Zechen.
She got down from the chair, walked over to Aunt Li, gently tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, “Aunt Li, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Does someone go to my brother’s company from here every day?” Shu Qianzhi’s eyes lit up, sparkling with mischief.
“Sure does,” Aunt Li continued with her tasks. “They’re terribly busy—sometimes making several trips back and forth in a single day.”
A sudden smile spread across Shu Qianzhi’s lips, carrying a sense of relief, as if she had thought of a perfect approach.
The next moment, she continued asking, “Then, Aunt Li, do you know what my brother likes to eat?”
“Him? He’s not picky, eats just about anything. But I usually stew some nutritious stuff for him—helps replenish his energy.”
Aunt Li’s smile was affectionate, clearly treating Ji Zechen as her own son.
“I see,” Shu Qianzhi said cheerfully, explaining her idea to Aunt Li. “Brother never eats properly, and that’s not good for his health. I want to prepare three meals for him and have the bodyguards deliver them.”
That way, even if he couldn’t see her, he would still get to eat her cooking on time, and every mealtime would remind him of her.
Aunt Li looked at her in surprise. “Really? Little Xi, you know how to cook?”
“For brother, I can learn,” Shu Qianzhi declared firmly.
In truth, she could cook—not only that, she was highly skilled, no less capable than anyone else.
But now she was supposed to be someone who had lost her memory and completely detached from her past. Even with Ji Zechen absent, she had to keep up the act.
Aunt Li smiled kindly and patted her shoulder. “Alright then, if you need anything, just ask me. I’ll do my best to help you.”
Shu Qianzhi nodded. Leaning against the table edge, she idly swung her legs, watching Aunt Li’s busy figure against the light. The curve of her lips remained gentle, much like the sunlight outside.
For a moment, it felt as if they had returned to a time long, long ago.
She suddenly spoke up again, “Aunt Li, what kind of person do you think my brother is?”
“Well, that’s hard to say,” Aunt Li didn’t elaborate much. “But in my eyes, he’s just a child.” Shu Qianzhi tilted her head, pondering the words, but didn’t press further.
Instead, she asked another question, “Is there anything I should be careful about? I’m worried I might do something wrong and make brother angry.”
Aunt Li chuckled, and the atmosphere lightened again.
“Nothing in particular to watch out for. You’re free to move around the first floor as you please, anywhere is fine,” she advised. “Just don’t go upstairs. The second floor is Master Ji’s private area.”
Shu Qianzhi nodded, seeming to take it in, yet also as if she hadn’t quite registered it.
Aunt Li looked at her with a gentle smile. After finishing her tasks, she untied her apron and hung it up before turning around. “Stay here and behave yourself. I’m done with my work and going to rest now.”
“Okay.” Shu Qianzhi remained as lively as ever. After a moment, she remembered something and tugged at Aunt Li’s sleeve. “Will brother be coming back tonight?”
“Hard to say.” Aunt Li glanced at the time. “If he does return, sometimes there’ll be a message, but it’s not that time yet.”
“Oh.” Shu Qianzhi felt somewhat disappointed at not getting any information, but she quickly seized the opportunity to win over those around her. “If brother does come back, could you let me know too, Aunt Li? I want to be the first to see him!”
“Alright.” Aunt Li always granted her requests. “You’re really attached to your brother, aren’t you?”
But as Aunt Li turned to leave, Shu Qianzhi could still hear her muttering to herself: “Likes her brother so much… I wonder what kind of feelings she had for him before losing her memory to remember him this way. Ah, fate plays cruel tricks.”
Shu Qianzhi’s expression froze, her eyes lowering slightly.
The kinder Aunt Li was to her, the more guilt she felt.
She wondered how Aunt Li would feel if she knew there was no amnesia at all – that pretending to lose her memory and deceiving everyone was just to stay by Ji Zechen’s side.
Shu Qianzhi let out a soft sigh.
Sorry, Aunt Li. I never meant to deceive you.
But in this lifetime, holding onto the person she loved and making up for the regrets of her previous life were what mattered most.
…
Shu Qianzhi spent the entire afternoon not in her bedroom, nor pestering to see her brother, but staying alone in the main hall watching the door, idling away the time.
When dinner time arrived with no sign of Ji Zechen, Aunt Li told her he probably wouldn’t be returning, but she stubbornly continued waiting.
As night deepened, it cast an eerier atmosphere over the silent, empty villa. Shu Qianzhi had never liked overly quiet spaces, and now alone in the main hall, she became particularly sensitive to every rustle and whisper.
She brought a blanket from her bedroom, curled up on the sofa, turned the television volume to maximum, and let cartoons play – slightly neutralizing the villa’s oppressive atmosphere.
Eight o’clock, nine, ten… still no Ji Zechen.
By eleven there was no sign of him, and by midnight, Shu Qianzhi was exhausted.
She wanted Ji Zechen to see her waiting for him when he returned, but she didn’t know when he’d come back, if he’d come back at all, or how long it would be until she saw him again.
Shu Qianzhi struggled to keep her drooping eyelids open.
Fine, she’d wait just one more hour. Only one.
Yet the very moment she made this resolution, she fell fast asleep.
Late at night, a black car pulled into the compound. A figure emerged, pushing open the door from outside with movements betraying fatigue, but pausing in clear surprise at the sight of the illuminated main hall.
His gaze gradually lowered, landing on the person curled into a ball on the sofa.
Ji Zechen frowned, his feet already moving uncontrollably toward that figure.
Shu Qianzhi fell asleep just like that on the sofa. She seemed to be sleeping soundly, her thick eyelashes fluttering slightly. Under the light, shadows fell on her eyelids, casting slender traces that shimmered faintly.
She looked exactly like a well-behaved little kitten.
To be fair, she had always been a very obedient kitten, but at this moment, she was even more adorable.
I want to pet her.
Perhaps because the surrounding light was suddenly blocked, making everything dark before her eyes, Shu Qianzhi sensed something amiss and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the person she had been longing for day and night.
Instantly, her reflexive reaction was an exclamation of delight, “Brother!”
It struck Ji Zechen right in the heart.
Ji Zechen didn’t respond, allowing the turbulent emotions inside him to surge.
The person on the sofa eagerly scrambled up, directly wrapping her arms around Ji Zechen’s hand and resting her head against his arm. She looked up at him with sparkling eyes, “I thought you weren’t coming back. I was so scared staying here alone.”
“If you were scared, why did you stay in the living room?” Ji Zechen spoke, glancing at the hand she was holding but not pulling away.
“Right,” Shu Qianzhi replied, “Because I was waiting for you to come back!”