Resting her forehead against one hand, Wen Lan watched the little girl play by herself in the toy room until she was drenched in sweat. Only after the child had thoroughly enjoyed herself did Wen Lan beckon to her.
“Let’s go.”
Wen Wu tilted her head up obediently, letting Wen Lan wipe the sweat from her face. Her little cheeks were flushed bright red from the heat.
After wiping her clean, Wen Lan effortlessly picked the little girl up.
Although this body of hers looked pale and slender, it was actually surprisingly strong.
The villa was quiet.
Wen Lan had just seen Lu Zhixing earlier. Since he seemed busy, she decided not to disturb him and simply carried the little girl downstairs.
“Master, would you like something to drink?” Uncle Xiao had just replaced the flowers in the living room. Seeing Wen Lan come downstairs, he immediately smiled and asked, “And what about the young miss? Would you like some freshly squeezed orange juice?”
Wen Wu shook her head and replied in her sweet, childish voice,
“No thank you. My tummy is already full. Thank you, Uncle Xiao.”
It was obvious that Uncle Xiao genuinely adored the little girl. The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile.
“All right, all right. If the young miss doesn’t want any, then she doesn’t have to drink it.”
Then he turned to Wen Lan.
Wen Lan calmly shook her head as well.
She was not thirsty either.
“Very well.” Uncle Xiao nodded with some regret. “Then I’ll go ask Zhixing.”
As Uncle Xiao turned to leave, Wen Lan suddenly called out,
“Uncle Xiao.”
“Yes, Master?” Uncle Xiao looked at her in confusion.
“…Don’t add ice.”
Wen Lan cleared her throat, mumbling the words somewhat awkwardly.
The place where Lu Zhixing worked was not on the sunny side of the house. It stayed cool and shaded there.
Looking at his master’s awkward way of showing concern, Uncle Xiao could not help laughing.
“All right, all right. I’ll remember.”
Only after Uncle Xiao disappeared from sight did Wen Lan look away.
The living room was pleasantly cool, so she set the little girl down. She turned on a cartoon channel for her to watch while she herself searched for some information on Qiandu.
Although her phone was an older model from several years ago, the man had taken excellent care of it. It still felt almost brand new.
Resting one arm protectively beside the little girl, loosely encircling her, Wen Lan lowered her head and browsed through the photos on her phone.
Most of them were landscapes or pictures of buildings from the School of Architecture.
There was not a single portrait.
As her finger continued scrolling, Wen Lan sensed that something was off.
Remembering what Lu Zhixing had told her, that she was the eldest daughter of the Wen family from neighboring Wujiang City, she searched for the family on Qiandu.
After reading the results, her expression became rather strange.
According to the information online, the Wen family of Wujiang City, her current family, was nothing more than an ordinary wealthy family. Their fortune had only been built over the past few decades. They did own several companies.
Her mother, Wen Wei, was the chairwoman of a construction company. It was said that she had started from scratch. When the Wujiang City government heavily promoted real estate development years ago, Wen Wei caught the opportunity just before it peaked, made a substantial profit, and established her company.
Her mother’s legal husband, Wu Shushu, came from a local family that owned a small business in Wujiang City. After the two families became in-laws, their combined capital and connections expanded considerably, allowing them to firmly establish themselves in the city.
Thinking back to what she had learned about the Lu family in the toy room earlier, Wen Lan’s emotions became even more complicated.
Her legal husband came from one of Shang City’s most prestigious old families, one of the foremost elite clans in the imperial capital. Their business empire spanned real estate, finance, and the entertainment industry. They also owned numerous medical institutions and educational enterprises. They were a long-established family strongly supported by the state, with impeccable standing and influence.
Compared to them, the Wen family of Wujiang City was worlds apart.
And Lu Zhixing himself was the current head of the Lu family.
So… did I actually marry a wealthy CEO?
The thought left Wen Lan momentarily dazed.
Looking up at the luxurious crystal chandelier overhead, she felt for the first time as though she were a kept husband living off someone else’s wealth.
The disparity in status was simply too great.
Her original family’s background was insignificant compared to the Lu family.
Yet recalling what the little girl had said about the company, Wen Lan felt even more that her legal husband had it difficult.
In this world, men were always subject to prejudice. Holding such a high position inevitably attracted people with ulterior motives. Moreover, the Lu family was enormous, and every move they made was closely watched.
There was simply no room for complacency.
Thinking of the man working so hard, Wen Lan frowned almost imperceptibly.
Should she go help at her legal husband’s company?
Wen Lan herself had grown up in comfort and privilege. As the only child in her family, she had been dearly loved by her parents, but they had also sent her into the family business at an early age to gain experience. When it came to handling work, Wen Lan was confident she could manage with ease and would not become a burden to Lu Zhixing.
The only question was what her legal husband thought about it.
As Wen Lan was lost in thought, the front door of the living room was suddenly pushed open.
“Master.”
Leng Feng, tall and powerfully built, crossed the room in just a few strides and stopped beside her.
“What is it?” Wen Lan looked up and asked.
“One of your friends is here to see you.”
Whenever Leng Feng saw her master sitting so composedly, she instinctively lowered her voice.
“She said her name is Zhou Nian.”
Remembering the handful of friends she had on her Moments, Wen Lan nodded.
“Please show her in.”
Perhaps seeing Zhou Nian would help her remember something.
Leng Feng had a handsome face, though the scar running across the bridge of her nose spoiled it somewhat. Combined with her close-cropped hair, she looked rather intimidating. Fortunately, her eyes were clear, her bearing upright, and she walked out with her back perfectly straight.
“Auntie Leng Feng wears so many clothes every day. Doesn’t she get hot?”
The little girl tilted her head as she watched Leng Feng leave, curiosity written all over her face.
Before Wen Lan could answer, the child stuffed a strawberry into her mouth.
“Mama, you eat. I’m going to find Daddy.”
After saying that, Wen Wu darted away.
Swallowing the strawberry, Wen Lan looked up, only to find that the little girl had already disappeared.
Wen Lan: …
She runs way too fast!
Putting her phone away, she quietly waited for her friend, Zhou Nian.
Before long, the door opened, and an energetic female voice rang out, overflowing with enthusiasm.
“Lanlan!”
The affectionate greeting caught Wen Lan completely off guard.
Was she really this close with a woman named Zhou Nian?
She had only just stood up when she was pulled into a hug before she even had a chance to see Zhou Nian’s face. A broad hand vigorously patted her back as the cheerful voice sounded again by her ear.
“Lanlan! It’s been so long!”
The force of the pats nearly knocked the breath out of Wen Lan.
She could not understand it. On Duoxin, Zhou Nian had called her “Sister Lan,” yet the moment they met, she switched straight to “Lanlan.”
She was far too familiar.
Wen Lan quickly reached back and grabbed Zhou Nian’s arm. Remembering that Zhou Nian was a tall, sturdily built woman, she applied a little force.
Sure enough, Zhou Nian’s grip immediately loosened, and the warm hand left her back.
Is this woman made of a furnace?
Even after she let go, Wen Lan could still feel lingering heat on her back.
“Lanlan, ow, ow! That hurts! Let go already!”
The woman standing before her grimaced dramatically, pointing at the right wrist Wen Lan was still holding.
Looking at the woman opposite her, whose face carried a faintly roguish charm, Wen Lan released her hand.
This Zhou Nian did not quite match the impression she had from her Moments profile picture. In those photos, she had looked completely ordinary.
Outwardly, Wen Lan remained calm.
Inwardly, however, her thoughts were running wild.
Zhou Nian’s eyes were longer than most people’s. Whenever she narrowed them slightly, she resembled a sly old fox. Rubbing her wrist, she looked at Wen Lan with exaggerated grievance.
Wen Lan found her strangely familiar, yet no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember anything.
“Lanlan, you’re so heartless. I came all the way here just to see you. I didn’t even spend time with my boyfriend.”
Zhou Nian sprawled across the sofa in an unrestrained manner, her voice full of mock complaint.
Without thinking, Wen Lan blurted out,
“Sorry. I don’t have a heart.”
The moment the words left her mouth, even she was startled.
It felt as though she had traded countless verbal jabs with this woman before.
Zhou Nian froze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. She made another attempt to hug Wen Lan, only to be stopped by a single finger pressed against her forehead.
“Zhou Nian, you’re too hot!”
The words came naturally, carrying a trace of unconcealed disdain.
Raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin, Zhou Nian snorted.
“I’m a perfectly healthy, mature woman. Being this warm just proves my kidneys are in great shape!”
She looked immensely pleased with herself.
Wen Lan stared at the shamelessly flirtatious Zhou Nian in speechless silence.
Although she still could not remember anything, she was now certain Zhou Nian really was her friend.
Otherwise, there was no way she could have spoken to her with such effortless familiarity.
At last, Wen Lan relaxed a little.
“Oh right, Lanlan, are you completely recovered now?”
Leaning closer, Zhou Nian looked at her with pitch-black eyes filled entirely with concern.
“Four years ago, you suddenly lost your memory. You scared all of us half to death.”
Rubbing her chin, Zhou Nian still could not understand how someone could suddenly develop amnesia for no apparent reason.
Wen Lan immediately caught the phrase four years ago.
Keeping her expression unchanged, she nodded.
“I’m fully recovered now.”
Casually grabbing an apple from the table, Zhou Nian bit into it with complete abandon. Lounging on the sofa like a spoiled rich heir, she said,
“That’s good. Now that you’re better, the three of us can be just like we used to be.”
Wen Lan frowned.
Could it be that her past self had been badly behaved?
The way Zhou Nian phrased it sounded suspiciously like she was about to say something along the lines of, “Drinking, smoking, and chasing men.”
Instead, after swallowing another bite of apple, Zhou Nian continued,
“Just like before, building our one-of-a-kind media company. The company was already set up. Not long after it officially opened, you lost your memory, so we had no choice but to put everything on hold. You were sick, and both He Luo and I felt terrible about it, so we just left the company as an empty shell.”
Wen Lan let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it was not about drinking, smoking, or chasing men.
Still, Zhou Nian clearly looked like someone who was not short of money either.
Suddenly recalling something, Wen Lan turned to her and asked,
“Our company doesn’t have any artists signed to it, does it?”
After all, a media company was closely tied to the entertainment industry.
Wen Lan remembered that Lu Zhixing owned Xingyao Entertainment, a company dedicated to discovering and managing celebrities. One of the hottest young male stars recently was under his agency.
His name seemed to be… Yi Yi.
Wen Lan quietly sorted through her thoughts.
Zhou Nian’s visit today had given her a great deal of important information.
Before she realized it, Zhou Nian had slung an arm around her shoulders again.
Wen Lan glanced at Zhou Nian, who was grinning like a sly fox, completely unable to understand what she found so amusing.
Lowering her voice conspiratorially, Zhou Nian looked even less trustworthy than before.
“We don’t have any artists signed!”
Looking at the mischievous smile on Zhou Nian’s face, an ominous feeling suddenly rose in Wen Lan’s heart.
“But we have you, Lanlan!”
“Back then, you signed in black and white that you’d join our own company.”
Looking at Zhou Nian’s utterly confident expression, Wen Lan had intended to say that it was impossible.
She knew herself.
She had never been someone who liked being in the spotlight.
Then, all at once, she thought of her parents from her previous life.
Could it be that, before I lost my memory, I planned to become a celebrity so I could gain fame and let my parents find me?
Her appearance was exactly the same as it had been in her previous life.
If her parents saw her, they would definitely come looking for her.
The more Wen Lan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
The refusal that had reached the tip of her tongue suddenly would not come out.
She was certain that she did not belong to the Wen family of Wujiang City.
She was the daughter of Wen Qian and He Jiu.
She remembered her parents’ names.
Frowning, Wen Lan began piecing everything together.
Perhaps she had been switched with another child when she was very young. As a child, her memories would naturally have been confused at first, making her withdrawn and difficult to get close to. That would explain why the younger version of herself in the family photo had looked so gloomy.
Then, after growing up, she must have somehow recovered all of her memories.
In order to find her real family, there was only one thing she could do.
She had to make her face known.
She had to become recognized by as many people as possible.
Something must have happened afterward, causing her to fall back into that confused, muddled state.
Only four years later had she finally awakened again.
What exactly happened four years ago?
For the first time, Wen Lan felt she had finally touched the edge of the truth.
She believed in her own reasoning.
Suppressing her pounding heartbeat, Wen Lan forced herself to calm down.
Zhou Nian’s visit had truly helped her tremendously.
“So, Lanlan?” Zhou Nian scratched her head. “Have you thought it over? If you don’t want to do it, then forget it. Don’t force yourself.”
If her best friend truly did not want to, she would never pressure her.
She could always find someone else.
She could not let her friend feel wronged.
Looking at the concern and worry on her friend’s face, Wen Lan’s eyes softened slightly as she smiled.
“I’m willing.”
“No.”
A woman’s voice and a man’s voice sounded through the living room at the same time.
The woman’s voice was cool and composed.
The man’s voice was gentle and refined.
Though they blended together harmoniously, they expressed completely opposite opinions.
The living room instantly fell silent.