“Husband?” she murmured softly, as if lost in confusion. “Am I married? Why don’t I remember?”
Her expression was filled with bewilderment and helplessness.
Now it was Duan Yanxing’s turn to be puzzled. Could it be that the chip debugging had been too intense, wiping all her memories and preventing new ones from being implanted?
He frowned. “Wanwan, look at me. Do you really not remember me?”
He tentatively reached out to touch Chi Mu’s chin.
But Chi Mu shrank back in fear, her eyes wide with grievance. “Wh-what are you trying to do?”
At this moment, Chi Mu resembled a wounded deer, her gaze full of wariness.
Looking at her, Duan Yanxing suddenly felt a pang of heartache. He leaned in close to her, so near that Chi Mu could smell the pleasant and familiar scent on him.
Yet, for some reason, her heart still instinctively wanted to resist.
“Sir, you… you’re too close…”
She spoke timidly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, as if she were somewhat afraid.
But she still held to her principles. After all, it was only when sensing danger that her body instinctively wanted to retreat.
And her instincts told her that the person before her was dangerous.
This reaction left Duan Yanxing somewhat frustrated. He could clearly sense that she still rejected him.
“Wanwan…”
“Sir, my name is Chi Mu. You must have mistaken me for someone else…” Chi Mu turned her head away, explaining softly.
Seeing her deer-like look of panic, Duan Yanxing felt a tightness in his chest. It seemed she had even forgotten that she was once called Bai Muwan. The chip debugging had indeed gone too far.
Afraid she might remember, he had been cautious, but now it had backfired. She had forgotten everything related to him.
However, this might not be entirely a bad thing. At the very least, he could now craft a new narrative himself.
He was fully confident he could win her over!
At this thought, a flicker of morbid darkness flashed in the man’s eyes.
“There’s no mistake. Wanwan is your nickname,” he said gently, a faint smile curling his lips.
But Chi Mu shuddered inexplicably, feeling an inexplicable unease about the man before her.
Chi Mu continued to watch him with wary eyes, finding it hard to believe a single word he said.
Yet Duan Yanxing remained unperturbed, continuing to coax her:
“We’re already married. You were the one who said you wanted to stay with me forever. We even have a son named Chi Yu. Have you forgotten all of that?”
Chi Mu shook her head, her face filled with fear and unease.
Married? And with a son?!
This information was too shocking for her to process.
She was only 22, having just opened a small theater. Though it was on the verge of closing, she was still at an age to embrace her youth. How could she suddenly be married with a child?
And while the man before her did look handsome and wealthy…
Was he really her husband?
It was all too sudden.
“Um, you… please don’t get so close to me. This is too unbelievable. I need some time to process it.”
Chi Mu shrank back, putting more distance between herself and the man.
She couldn’t understand. If he was her husband, why did she feel such intense fear toward him?
“You’re afraid of me?” Duan Yanxing sensed it.
“N-no, sir.”Chi Mu insisted it wasn’t the case, yet when the man merely drew a bit closer, she instinctively began to retreat. Her clear, bright eyes instantly misted over with a thin haze, and even her two small ears flushed red.
Her actions left Duan Yanxing with a sense of helplessness. Here, he controlled all of Country M, yet he couldn’t control the girl before him.
And now, of all times, he couldn’t bring himself to force her. Even the slightest pressure made him fear he might make her cry.
“Alright, alright, I won’t touch you. Don’t cry.”
Duan Yanxing reluctantly stepped back, his gaze filled with utmost affection. He hadn’t expected the chip’s aftereffects to be so strong.
In less than a day, his Wanwan had become this pitiful state, seemingly even more afraid of him than before.
He could only exercise patience, speaking slowly and deliberately as he explained: “My name is Duan Yanxing. If you really can’t get used to it, just call me Yanxing. Calling me ‘sir’ is too distant—it would make me sad.”
He wore a look of grievance, which, in Chi Mu’s eyes, made her feel utterly wicked.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.” After a moment, Chi Mu lightly pursed her lips and apologized softly.
Though she couldn’t remember what had happened, causing the other person distress was not her intention.
The girl’s voice was soft and sweet as she apologized, making Duan Yanxing unable to resist imagining…
…
The scene at this moment was, to say the least, somewhat…
Well…
A man standing 1.9 meters tall beside the bed, while she, at 1.6 meters, was already petite and delicate. Now, curled up under the covers with only her fluffy little head and a pair of watery eyes peeking out, she looked rather pitiful.
Anyone who didn’t know better might think Duan Yanxing had bullied her terribly.
He took a deep breath, softening his tone as much as possible to make his voice sound less stern: “Be good, listen to me. Come a little closer and let me hold you.”
Hearing this, Chi Mu slightly raised her eyes to look at the tall figure before her, hesitating.
“I promise, just a hug.”
Duan Yanxing reassured her gently once more.
He had never been this patient with anyone before.
Listening to his tone, Chi Mu thought to herself that he must be a kind and gentle person…
Perhaps because of his reassurance, she finally nodded and asked in a tiny voice: “Okay… but… just a hug, okay? Nothing… else…”
“I promise, absolutely nothing else.”
He reassured her again and again until she completely let down her guard. Only then did the man slowly lean in closer.
And she, obediently, crawled toward him, slowly and cautiously, like a little fox.
Her unconscious movements nearly captivated Duan Yanxing’s very soul.
When her delicate, pale hand inadvertently rested on his waist, he felt his entire body go numb, almost losing control…
With great effort, he suppressed the surge of emotions within him and lifted her with one arm.
It was the familiar feeling—she was so fragrant, so soft, just as he remembered.
Yet he dared not take any further action or even speak, afraid that a single impulsive move might frighten her again.
Held firmly in the man’s embrace, she clutched the front of his shirt with her small hands.
She didn’t dare move a muscle, even holding her breath.Her eyes wide with panic, she stared unblinkingly at the handsome face so close to hers.
“C-can we stop now?”
Her voice remained soft, carrying a hint of timidness.
Duan Yanxing endured the restlessness in his body, struggling to calm his emotions. “Mm.”
It was clear he was not satisfied, but he had to restrain himself, fearing he might scare her away again.
She seemed even more delicate now than before, more in need of his protection.