Chen Jie stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, her voice trembling with disbelief as she pressed, “You… you really have amnesia?”
Li Wanbai nodded honestly.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Jie whirled around and rushed out the door.
This was exactly why Li Wanbai had chosen to reveal the truth at this moment – after all, they were in a hospital, where scientific explanations could be provided all at once.
The other girl, however, didn’t leave. Watching Chen Jie’s hurried retreating figure, she covered her mouth and giggled, then said as if suddenly realizing something, “Since you have amnesia, does that mean you don’t recognize me either?”
Li Wanbai nodded, “Who are you?”
“I’m your best friend, Ye Xiruo.” The girl’s eyes curved like crescent moons, sparkling like autumn streams. But whether it was Li Wanbai’s imagination or not, she felt there were deeper emotions hidden in those eyes that she hadn’t yet discerned.
Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Li Wanbai stood there stunned.
Ye Xiruo’s smile faded slightly, “What, don’t believe me?”
“No, no—well, yes, yes.” Li Wanbai shook her head, then nodded awkwardly, “I just didn’t react immediately. I only remember that my one and only closest girlfriend is named Su Chengzi.”
“Ah, so it’s her.” Ye Xiruo deliberately drew out her words, smiling faintly, “I thought you wouldn’t remember her at all.”
“You know her too?” Li Wanbai felt somewhat confused. There was something uncomfortable about the other’s tone – was this sarcasm? It absolutely was sarcasm!
“Of course I know her.” Ye Xiruo’s smile was utterly sincere as she sat by the bedside, her voice as clear and gentle as a mountain spring. “I remember you once told me that you two were best friends in college, but she stole your design drafts to steal the spotlight for herself. After that, she even deliberately sabotaged your date with your crush, pushing you toward Yu Baichuan… I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that’s what you told me.”
Hearing the first part, Li Wanbai’s expression turned unpleasant, her eyes hiding deep confusion as she looked at Ye Xiruo.
If what Ye Xiruo said was true and they were best friends, then their conversations about Su Chengzi wouldn’t have been limited to college experiences. After all, Su Chengzi and she had known each other since kindergarten – with so many shared memories before college, how could they only talk about university days?
Moreover, wasn’t Yu Baichuan her crush? Why would she say Su Chengzi broke her up with her crush and pushed her toward Yu Baichuan?
This didn’t make any sense. Only with the addition of that last sentence did it begin to form some explanation.
Countless questions accumulated in Li Wanbai’s mind, dancing on the tip of her tongue.
Ye Xiruo seemed to casually turn on the TV channel, and a face all too familiar to Li Wanbai suddenly appeared on screen.
“Yu Baichuan’s new movie ‘Farewell, My Love’ hits theaters nationwide! Our little fish husband is handsomer than ever!”
The media report, careful not to block Yu Baichuan’s handsome face, had the text slowly scrolling above his head.
The screen was filled with bullet comments almost exclusively praising Yu Baichuan’s looks, with the few negative remarks quickly buried by swarming fans!
Looking at that handsome face on the big screen, Li Wanbai nearly drooled.
Having seen countless handsome men and beautiful women, there was no one like Yu Baichuan whose every feature and inch of skin perfectly aligned with her preferences.
From their first meeting in junior high, Li Wanbai was certain this still-developing young man would grow into an exceptionally handsome man. Even though Yu Baichuan maintained a stern expression throughout junior high, high school, and college.
Li Wanbai persistently chased after him.
To get into the same university as him, she studied relentlessly, driving herself so hard that Su Chengzi suspected she might be possessed by a ghost, until she finally succeeded.
Su Chengzi, to accompany her, turned down the opportunity to study abroad and attended the same university.
Those once deeply cherished friends, that profoundly loved person, had become mere passersby in the blink of an eye.
How could Li Wanbai not care about this?
She secretly resolved to get to the bottom of it all!
Of course, before that, she needed to properly admire Yu Baichuan’s handsome face!
When she first saw him abruptly, she hadn’t noticed anything amiss, completely stunned by the time travel and hadn’t yet recovered.
Now, looking at the glamorous Yu Baichuan on the big screen, she realized the man she had seen not long ago was exhausted and haggard, quite different from the Movie Emperor on screen—if not completely unrecognizable, the contrast was indeed significant.
An indescribable ache spread through her heart.
Ye Xiruo coughed lightly, her fingers trembling slightly.
Yu Baichuan’s face disappeared, replaced on the big screen by someone even more familiar to Li Wanbai.
So familiar that she would see it every morning in the bathroom—it was Li Wanbai herself.
Although she had already learned from Chen Jie and Ye Xiruo that she was indeed a big star, seeing her own face suddenly appear on the big screen still made her heart clench inexplicably.
As Chen Jie had said, Li Wanbai’s popularity was known throughout the internet, with few able to rival her. What Li Wanbai hadn’t expected was that this so-called “internet fame” was actually internet infamy!
Just like when Yu Baichuan appeared earlier, the screen was flooded with comments.
But these were completely different from Yu Baichuan’s comments!
The scrolling comments were without exception all insults directed at Li Wanbai.
“What qualifies her to be my husband’s wife? Just because of her face?”
“No acting skills, no moral character—husband, please divorce her quickly, I’m begging you!”
“Can my Baichuan just shine alone? Get lost, you clout-chaser!”
“…”
Ye Xiruo exclaimed softly, lowering her head and saying apologetically, “Sorry, I forgot you’ve lost your memory and don’t remember the previous situation. Facing the entire internet’s hatred toward you so suddenly, are you upset?”
After not hearing Li Wanbai’s response for a long time, Ye Xiruo looked up in confusion.
She saw Li Wanbai touching her chin, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her own image on the big screen. There was no trace of sadness or heartache from being hated by the entire internet—only appreciation for her own appearance.
Ye Xiruo gasped sharply: “You… you… why are you reacting like this?”
Only then did Li Wanbai turn to look at Ye Xiruo, smiling as she said, “Were you just talking to me? Don’t worry, what’s there to be upset about? I’m so beautiful, it’s only natural that I’d be this popular as a star!”
Ye Xiruo was left speechless, merely smiling without saying another word.
Li Wanbai glanced at her expressionlessly. She had only lost her memory, not her intelligence dropping below zero. Claiming to have forgotten accidentally? No matter how you looked at it, it seemed intentional!
After all, she was a top student who had gotten into Kyoto University through her own abilities—how could she not see through such an obvious verbal trap?
“What are you laughing at?” Ye Xiruo looked strangely at Li Wanbai, whose face had suddenly broken into a smile. The latter coughed lightly and waved her hands repeatedly. “No, no, it’s nothing—by the way, you mentioned earlier that you know Su Chengzi. Do you have her contact information? She blocked me, so I can’t get through to her phone.”
“You want to contact her?” Ye Xiruo looked at her with a half-smile.
Li Wanbai felt a chill under her gaze, blinked, and said with a smile, “Yes, there are some issues that need to be resolved.”
“That makes sense, especially since you’ve lost your memories of the past ten years.” Ye Xiruo smiled openly and sincerely. “In that case, I’ll help you meet her directly.”
Girl, don’t do this! You’re making my earlier suspicions seem like judging an honorable person by the standards of a petty mind.
Of course, Li Wanbai only thought this to herself. Her feelings toward Ye Xiruo grew even more peculiar, but she didn’t say anything more, simply thanking her with a smile: “Thank you!”
“I can only arrange for you two to meet. Whether you can resolve the issues between you is something I can’t guarantee.” Ye Xiruo’s smile remained unchanged.
Ye Xiruo arranged their meeting—the rest was up to Li Wanbai.
Not long after, Chen Jie walked in looking disheveled and helpless.
It seemed she had already confirmed Li Wanbai’s condition with the attending physician.