The sunlight from outside, filtering through the half-closed bamboo blind, gently sprinkled onto the couch inside the room. A faint scent of herbal medicine permeated the air.
Jiang Yao stared at the figure slowly sitting up on the bed.
She was dumbfounded.
Her first reaction was to wonder if Xie Yunian had heard what she had just said.
Xie Yunian’s gaze swept over everyone in the room. Just as he was about to speak—
Suddenly, his neck was grasped tightly, and a pair of delicate arms hugged him firmly.
Then, a fuzzy head burrowed into his chest. “Xie Lang!”
He was slightly stunned, but quickly reacted, his voice hoarse. “Cough, cough! Who… who are you?”
The person in his arms seemed not to hear, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as if using all her strength, unwilling to let go.
“Xie Lang! You’ve finally woken up! They all said you wouldn’t make it, and I was so scared! Truly terrified!”
Jiang Yao’s cheek was pressed tightly against his chest, and her fuzzy head made him feel a little ticklish.
Her body trembled slightly, clearly trying hard to suppress her emotions.
But she was truly scared.
Jiang Yao hid in Xie Yunian’s chest, not daring to look up.
She was terrified that he hadn’t actually damaged his brain.
Madam Xie saw the scene and reached up to wipe the corners of her eyes.
“Heaven is merciful! He’s finally awake!”
“Get up, you’re pressing down on me…” Xie Yunian’s voice was hoarse, and he repeated himself.
Jiang Yao lifted her head, her bright eyes filled with tears. Her face was delicate, her skin fair, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, clearly having just cried.
“Xie Lang…”
Please, please, lose your memory… Don’t expose me…
Perhaps her prayer worked, as Xie Yunian looked at Jiang Yao with confusion, his voice bewildered. “Who are you? And… where is this?”
His tone seemed to carry a hint of weakness.
A flicker of surprise crossed Madam Xie’s eyes. “What did you say?”
“Yunian, you don’t remember anything?”
Jiang Yao subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Madam… let’s call the estate physician over first,” Yuanzheng regained his composure, looked at the young master on the bed, and reminded her softly.
“Madam, although the Young Master’s pulse is weak, he is no longer in serious danger. The memory loss may be due to the severe trauma to the head and requires slow recuperation,” the estate physician arrived quickly, felt Xie Yunian’s pulse, and stated in a low voice.
“The top priority is to first regulate his body. I will write a prescription, focusing on promoting blood circulation, resolving blood stasis, and clearing the meridians, supplemented with medicine to calm the nerves and stabilize the mind. I hope the Young Master can recover his memory soon.”
The physician walked to the table, dipped his brush in ink, and began writing the prescription.
“Young Master Xie… you don’t even remember me?” Jiang Yao wrung her handkerchief, her face full of grievance.
Tears slid down her cheeks, and her body swayed precariously. Her appearance evoked pity, making it seem as though Xie Yunian was a heinous, ungrateful man.
Xie Yunian looked at the person standing by the bed, his expression complex.
He frowned slightly, as if trying hard to recall, but finally shook his head helplessly.
“You don’t even remember Miss Jiang?” Madam Xie asked sympathetically.
Xie Yunian had been in a coma for days, and he woke up as soon as Jiang Yao arrived. Madam Xie was now a hundred percent convinced of their “relationship.”
Yet, he remembered nothing.
Xie Yunian clenched his teeth and shook his head again.
Jiang Yao raised her eyes, swiftly glancing at Xie Yunian.
Her lower lip was gently bitten, as if she was trying hard to control her emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes, looking as though they could spill over at any moment.
“You truly don’t remember when we used to watch the snow, stars, and moon on the rooftop, discussing everything from poetry and prose to life philosophy?”
Upon hearing this, even Madam Xie’s gaze toward Xie Yunian held a touch of dissatisfaction.
She had finally found a suitable daughter-in-law, and now he had forgotten everything.
Xie Yunian frowned. “I didn’t—”
Jiang Yao whimpered twice. “Have you forgotten all the vows we made?”
Madam Xie glared at Xie Yunian, wishing she could answer for him.
Xie Yunian: “…”
His hand slowly clenched into a fist beneath the quilt.
Jiang Yao shook her head in disbelief, her voice carrying a slight sob, as if blaming herself: “It’s all my fault. It’s my fault for not stopping you from going hunting…”
As soon as her voice fell, her tears again rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks, making her look exceptionally fragile and helpless.
A look of utter bewilderment flashed across Xie Yunian’s eyes.
He lowered his eyelids, looking at the slender, pale hand fiddling with the handkerchief. He slightly raised an eyebrow, let his gaze linger on Jiang Yao’s face for a few moments, and a subtle curve lifted the corner of his mouth. “I think I do have some impression.”
“Huh?”
Jiang Yao froze. She had just made that up on the spot; what impression could Xie Yunian possibly have?
After a brief flurry of activity, the physician finally finished writing the prescription. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed as he spoke, “These herbs must be decocted according to the specified amounts. Take it three times a day, after meals.”
He paused, then added, “At the same time, Young Master Xie needs to rest quietly and avoid emotional fluctuations to prevent his condition from worsening.”
Yuanzheng stepped forward to take the prescription. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“Since you need to rest quietly,” Madam Xie looked at the time, “then Yunian, you should rest well. It’s getting late, and I’ll see Miss Jiang out first.”
Yuanzheng escorted Madam Xie and her party out. Only when their figures disappeared from view did he breathe a long sigh of relief.
He turned back to the room and found the Young Master had already sat up in bed.
Xie Yunian leaned back, his back against the bedpost, his brows slightly furrowed, contemplating something unknown.
Sunlight filtered through the half-open curtain and fell upon him. A few unruly strands of hair swayed gently with his shallow breaths.
He looked perfectly calm and composed, not at all like a man who was indebted in love.
“Young Master, when did you and Miss Jiang…” Yuanzheng looked troubled, unable to believe that his own Young Master had such a romantic affair.
As the Young Master’s personal attendant, how could he not have known about this?
“A string of lies,” Xie Yunian said.
Recalling the commotion moments ago, Xie Yunian reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“But how did Miss Jiang know you had an injury on your waist?” Yuanzheng looked at Xie Yunian’s expression, scratched the back of his head, and asked softly.
He knew that his Young Master had not lost his memory at all, and even the fall from the horse while hunting was faked.
The plan was to pretend to have amnesia to better carry out his actions.
He hadn’t planned to “wake up” today, but Miss Jiang had suddenly appeared on the scene.
“Then, Young Master, why didn’t you let me testify for you and expose the true face of the Third Miss Jiang?”
“Not yet,” Xie Yunian pondered for a moment, feeling that this whole matter was highly peculiar.
“Go and investigate her first.”
Yuanzheng nodded.
“Also,” Xie Yunian removed his outermost jacket, “take this and wash it.”
What kind of perfume does that woman usually wear? Now, his entire chest carried a subtle, lingering fragrance.
It simply wouldn’t dissipate.