“Hiss…”
Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and her hands felt pinned down, unable to move. After struggling for a moment, Jiao Jin snapped her eyes open.
Buried against her neck was a woman. Soft, ink-black hair was scattered across Jiao Jin’s face, the dark strands making the woman’s skin appear even fairer by contrast. Even in disarray, a beauty remains captivating; as Jiao Jin gazed at those picturesque features from such close proximity, her breath hitched for a heartbeat.
Then, reality crashed in. Why was Cui Yu lying in her arms?
Memories slowly resurfaced. Last night, they had been sitting shoulder to shoulder watching the projection. Cui Yu had gradually drifted off, leaning against Jiao Jin’s shoulder, and then Jiao Jin herself had been so exhausted that they…
They had slept like this, embracing each other all night?!
Flustered and nursing a headache, her arm numbed from the weight, Jiao Jin tried to slip her hand out like a thief in the night. It was then that she saw Cui Yu’s eyes open.
In an instant, they seemed to fill with starlight. Under the warm yellow glow of the morning sun, her gaze was bright and tender. The woman didn’t seem surprised at all, instead, she spoke with earnest joy: “A-Jin, good morning.”
Jiao Jin was in no mood for pleasantries. She forced her expression into a rigid mask, coldly withdrawing her arm, which had served as a pillow all night and scrambled off the bed as if escaping a crime scene. “Sorry, this was an accident. I was too tired last night.”
“It’s alright, you don’t need to apologize.”
Realizing she had spent the night in Jiao Jin’s arms had put Cui Yu in a wonderful mood. She smiled as she got out of bed, her voice soft and sweet. “I’m going to go wash up. Let’s go for the physical exam in a bit; you promised to accompany me last night.”
She headed to the bathroom without lingering. Finally alone, Jiao Jin covered her face with her hands, her stoic expression finally crumbling.
What on earth… how could she have held Cui Yu all night?
Moreover, her expression tightened as her gaze lowered. Why was she dreaming about the past?
Those things happened five years ago. Looking back now, their first meeting actually seemed quite beautiful. Back then, though Cui Yu was proud, she wasn’t malicious. Yet, it was precisely because of that positive first impression that they had remained entangled until now.
She let out an involuntary sigh, realizing she was becoming increasingly soft-hearted toward the post-amnesiac Cui Yu. Especially last night, she had actually fallen asleep holding this woman without even noticing. This was something the old Jiao Jin would never have done.
As the distress in her eyes deepened, the bathroom door opened. Jiao Jin tucked all her thoughts away, looking up with a flat expression. “Wait for me to wash up, then we’ll go for the exam.”
“Okay.”
The reply was vibrant and delicate. Fresh from her morning routine, the beauty looked like a lotus rising from the water, her face clear, clean, and glowing, with a pink-tinged nose and tender lips. After losing her memory, Cui Yu actually looked younger than she had five years ago.
Perhaps it was a matter of mindset and personality. Before, the woman had been cold and abstinent at twenty-three, she looked thirty, exuding a heavy “older sister” vibe.
But now, though she was twenty-eight, she was naive, sincere, and adorable, giving off a “younger sister” energy that was quite endearing.
Jiao Jin shook her head to stop these thoughts. Realizing her mind was entirely occupied by Cui Yu, she sighed again and looked at herself in the mirror.
The bloodshot veins in her eyes looked almost like a painting, not just showing exhaustion, but appearing somewhat bewitching. Having pulled three consecutive all-nighters, the dark circles under her eyes were impossible to hide. She looked haggard. Seriously, how was it that she was the one who looked old now?
She gave a helpless smile, using the ice-cold water to chill her wandering thoughts. Walking out, she said flatly, “Let’s go. Time for the exam.”
“Mm.”
Cui Yu was taken inside for blood tests and CT scans. Jiao Jin handled some work on her phone until she received a call from Jiao Ran.
“Ran-ran, what’s wrong?”
On the other end, it sounded as though she had been crying piteously for a while before her trembling voice finally spoke. “Sister, where are you right now?”
“I’m at the hospital. Ran-ran, why are you crying? What happened?”
“Sister, why are you at the hospital? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, I’m just here for work. Ran-ran, never mind me, why are you crying? Did someone bully you?”
“Sister, I just… I just ran into a pervert. He exposed himself to me and… and he released his pheromones. It smelled so bad, so disgusting. Sister, can you come stay with me? I’m so scared.”
Hearing the description was enough to ignite Jiao Jin’s anger. She wanted to rush over immediately, but she had promised Cui Yu she would stay for the exam. She couldn’t just leave right this second. She hesitated. “Ran-ran, can you wait a moment? I’m accompanying Cui Yu for her check-up. She’s in for blood work right now. I’ll tell her and then come over, okay?”
“Cui Yu? It’s Cui Yu again…”
There was a long silence. The sound of crying stopped. Jiao Jin was trying to push through the crowd to get inside when she heard Jiao Ran’s voice again. “Sister, don’t bother. I’m fine now, I’m not scared anymore. Don’t go running around.”
“Ran-ran, don’t force yourself. Are you really not scared? I’ll tell Cui Yu and head over from the teleportation point immediately. It’ll be fast.”
“Sister, can you tell me why you’re with Cui Yu again? You clearly said you don’t like her and wouldn’t get back together, but every time I contact you, you’re by her side…”
The aggrieved tone sounded like someone whose favorite person had been stolen. Understanding Jiao Ran’s dependence on her as her only sister, Jiao Jin’s voice softened. “Ran-ran, this is just work. You know about Cui Peining being kidnapped, right? More and more people are targeting the Cui family. Since I promised Director Cui, I have to ensure Cui Yu’s safety for the time being. It has nothing to do with liking her. Besides, Ran-ran, we are each other’s only family in the world. Don’t be jealous of an outsider like Cui Yu, okay? I’ll come find you right away. Are you at school?”
“Sister…”
Seemingly realizing she was making a mountain out of a molehill, yet still feeling fragile after the incident, Jiao Ran stopped being stubborn and nodded. Her voice was heavy with a post-crying nasal tone. “I’ll wait for you at school.”
The call ended. Jiao Jin entered the blood drawing area, but it seemed Cui Yu had already finished that section; she was nowhere to be seen.
Jiao Jin moved on to the CT room. The woman lying on the equipment was familiar. She waited, catching the spark of joy in Cui Yu’s eyes when she looked over.
It was as if Cui Yu was genuinely thrilled that Jiao Jin had come looking for her.
However, she was about to be disappointed.
As Cui Yu finished her scan and came skipping over, Jiao Jin spoke: “Something happened with my sister. I need to head to her school now. You’ll have to finish the rest of the exam on your own. I’m sorry, it’s an emergency.”
Without waiting for a response, Jiao Jin’s heart was already with Jiao Ran. She turned and left.
Consequently, she missed the look of utter devastation in Cui Yu’s eyes.
After walking with Jiao Ran around the school and having breakfast, Jiao Jin waited until her sister’s smile no longer looked forced. Still feeling that breaking her word wasn’t right, she mentioned she had to get back to work.
Jiao Ran knew her well and could tell that “work” meant going back to Cui Yu. Her expression dimmed for a moment, but she kept smiling. “Okay. I hope you find Cui Peining soon so you can get some rest. The dark circles under your eyes are about to hit the floor.”
“Is it really that exaggerated?”
Jiao Jin laughed helplessly. She knew her current state was poor, but work came first. As long as Cui Peining was missing, her team couldn’t rest. She stood up from the bench, preparing to leave.
But then, driven by a possessive streak, Jiao Ran grabbed her wrist. Her voice was soft. “Sister, I still feel a bit scared. Can you take me to the hospital? I want to see a psychologist.”
“A psychologist? Ran-ran, you were forcing yourself to be brave just now, weren’t you?”
“Sister, don’t be so harsh. I just didn’t want you to worry, but every time I close my eyes, that image comes back. I want to see someone.”
“Alright. Let’s go to the hospital together. I can pick up Cui Yu while we’re there and take her home.”
“Mm.”
The sisters arrived at the hospital via the teleportation point. Less than an hour had passed since Jiao Jin left, and since the results usually took at least an hour, Cui Yu should still be there.
After dropping Jiao Ran off at the psychological clinic, Jiao Jin turned around and saw the person she was looking for. But Cui Yu was in a terrible state, her eyes were red, and her lips were pale.
“Cui Yu? Why are you here? Why do you look like this?”
Having just come out from seeing the psychologist, Cui Yu had witnessed the intimacy between Jiao Jin and that woman. She saw the tenderness Jiao Jin gave her and then, blurry, stinging images flashed through her mind.
“Hiss…”
“Cui Yu!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously. Jiao Jin rushed forward to catch the collapsing woman. Cui Yu’s brow was furrowed tightly as if she were being consumed by infinite pain. Her body shuddered violently from time to time, seemingly unable to bear the agony.
“Cui Yu? Cui Yu!”
Jiao Jin looked down at the pale woman in her arms with concern, but she received no response. She hooked her arms under Cui Yu’s knees and sprinted toward the emergency department.
Her heart remained in her throat until, finally, a familiar doctor stepped out and saw Jiao Jin pacing by the door. “Deputy Director, don’t be so worried. Deputy Director Cui just suffered a sudden bout of extreme emotional distress. It’s not too serious.”
“Extreme emotional distress?”
Jiao Jin frowned deeply. “Did something happen after I left? Why would she suddenly be so distressed?”
“I asked around; she went to see a psychologist. As for what they discussed, I don’t know, that’s patient privacy.”
“A psychologist?”
Jiao Jin’s head began to ache. Had this woman become so sentimental after losing her memory?
As they were both pondering the situation, another attending physician ran out. “Deputy Director! What exactly happened to Deputy Director Cui? Her… her memories are starting to return!”