“Have you already decided that I’m your wife and Jiang Tuantuan is your daughter? That the paternity test doesn’t even matter?”
“I…”
Jiang Qingmi said, “I want you to be honest. Speak from your heart.”
Qing Yanshen nodded and gave a quiet response.
If they weren’t his wife and daughter, then who could they be? In the two months since he lost his memory, they were the only ones who came looking for him. And the child looked so much like him.
Besides, he had dreamed about her last night.
“Look at me.” Jiang Qingmi’s tone was calmer than ever before.
Qing Yanshen crouched on the ground and lifted his eyes slightly to look at her face. In less than three seconds, he wanted to look away, his ears already burning.
“Don’t avoid me.”
Jiang Qingmi reached out and held his face in place. “Stay like this. Look at me and listen to everything I say.”
Qing Yanshen felt her soft, slightly cool fingers. His body tensed and his face began to flush.
Jiang Qingmi did not notice. Her expression was serious and focused.
“Listen carefully. I came from a remote county in Nancheng to find the child’s father and ask for child support. But right now, I’m almost like someone who has lost her memory too. I only remember the child’s father’s name and date of birth. I don’t even remember what he looks like.”
Hearing this, the man looked at her with concern. “Were you hurt too? Where are you injured?”
Jiang Qingmi felt complicated inside. Most people would think she was making things up if they heard this. Losing memory was not something that happened so easily. It was not something everyone just had.
Even she found it absurd. If someone told her the same thing, she might not believe it either.
But Qing Yanshen believed her instantly and even worried about whether she was hurt.
So foolish.
“I’m not injured. I just woke up one day and couldn’t remember anything,” Jiang Qingmi said calmly and sincerely.
It was the truth. She had simply woken up and found herself inside a book.
“I’m not arguing with you, and I’m not taking advantage of your memory loss, and I’m not trying to abandon you because of it.”
“I really don’t know whether you are Tuantuan’s father. Everything has to wait for the paternity test results. I won’t accept you giving blindly right now. I still have a bit of conscience. Do you understand?”
Qing Yanshen fell silent. After a long while, he asked, “What if I am?”
“If you are, then whatever you buy for Tuantuan, I’ll accept. If you give money, I’ll take it too.”
Qing Yanshen pressed his lips together and looked at Jiang Tuantuan, feeling a little uncomfortable.
At first, he thought the woman was just upset with him and refusing to acknowledge their relationship. He thought she would forgive him after some time.
But it turned out she had lost her memory too.
Maybe he had been imagining things again.
Yet deep down, he still felt that Tuantuan was his daughter. He did not know why he was so certain. It was as if there was a voice in his heart firmly telling him that she was his child.
Even the paternity test would prove she was his.
Thinking this way made him feel a little better.
Then he frowned slightly. Why had Jiang Qingmi lost her memory? Could someone have harmed her?
Thinking about his own memory loss, he felt a sense of urgency. He needed to recover his memory as soon as possible. Being in this state of not knowing anything was too dangerous and too passive.
“Let’s go. We’ll visit the underground shopping center you mentioned.”
Jiang Qingmi had already picked up the steamed buns and started eating again. Since they were already bought, it would be wasteful not to eat them.
They closed the door and went downstairs. Qing Yanshen carried Jiang Tuantuan and walked in front, while Jiang Qingmi followed behind.
They did not go far before Jiang Qingmi refused to take a taxi. Qing Yanshen did not dare say anything now and simply listened to her.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived. Along the way, Jiang Qingmi kept observing everything.
Breakfast shops, restaurants, mahjong parlors, clothing stores, and even a small square where older women would probably dance in the evenings.
When they reached the underground shopping center, Jiang Qingmi was startled. It was packed with people, crowded everywhere. The mall sold everything. Children’s clothes, elderly clothing, trendy women’s fashion, men’s clothing, cheap earrings, nail salons, and barber shops.
Shop owners shouted nonstop, making the place lively and noisy.
Further ahead, there was a large open space filled with street stalls, and there were fewer people. Jiang Qingmi noticed that everything laid out on the ground was handmade.
There were knitted flowers, hair clips, knitted shoes, sweaters, hats, and children’s socks and shoes. Everything looked very cute.
Jiang Qingmi noticed that most of the people browsing here were women, and they were dressed more carefully.
Next to them, a woman in her thirties was selling children’s knitted shoes and socks. She was slightly plump with fair skin and was enthusiastically promoting her goods.
“Miss, I made all of these stitch by stitch. I can tell you’re not an ordinary person. I used the best yarn too. I’m not lying to you. The weather is getting colder day by day. Beicheng is colder than other places. Your baby will be warm and comfortable wearing these.”
“My son is eight years old. He has worn shoes I made since he was little. Look, this is a photo of him when he was young wearing them. I can see you’re sincere, so I won’t overcharge you. Two pairs for one hundred fifty. What do you think?”
Jiang Qingmi’s eyes widened. Just two small knitted shoes for one hundred fifty?
And the woman actually bought them, along with other items.
In less than three minutes, she watched the seller pocket four hundred yuan.
What was going on?
Since when was making money this easy?
After putting away the money, the seller turned and saw Jiang Qingmi. She was about to greet her with a practiced smile, but then her expression changed slightly as she hesitated.
“Qingmi?”
Jiang Qingmi was stunned. “You know me?”
As soon as she spoke, the seller became certain and clapped her hands. “You are Qingmi, Jiang Qingmi. Don’t you remember me? I’m Li Lanyan. Didn’t we work together at the yarn factory before?”
So she was someone the original host knew, a former coworker.
Li Lanyan saw Qing Yanshen holding Tuantuan and paused before saying, “You’re married now. Your child is already this big.”
“I and him…”
Li Lanyan waved her hand with a knowing smile. “No need to explain. Married couples just live their lives. What’s your phone number?”
Coincidentally, Li Lanyan lived nearby.
Jiang Qingmi exchanged phone numbers with her.
She had finally met someone who knew the original host, so she naturally wanted to talk more and see if she could recover any memories. Also, she was very interested in Li Lanyan’s business. If possible, she wanted to learn how to knit and sell things too.
And since Li Lanyan had worked with the original host years ago, she might have seen Qing Yanshen before. If she had, they could even save the cost of the paternity test.
But Li Lanyan’s next sentence shattered her hope.
“Brother Yanshen, nice to meet you for the first time. Later, come with Qingmi and bring the child to my home for a meal.”