Qi Rui was in a car accident. The accident took away his memory, leaving his mind a blank slate. He remembered no one.
His mother was busy. She came to see him two or three days later. She was surprised to learn he had amnesia, but beyond that, she showed no strong emotions.
From this, he understood that perhaps his relationship with his mother was not very good.
The doctor said he had been in a coma for half a year and the accident had nearly cost him his life.
During his hospital stay, Tong Xue visited him many times.
The first time he saw Tong Xue, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, a desire to be close to her.
Tong Xue was a very shy girl, easily blushing. In his blank memory, it was Tong Xue who had always stayed by his side, telling him about past events.
In the cold hospital room, Tong Xue was the only spark of life.
Perhaps it was dependence, or perhaps something else, but when Tong Xue confessed with a blush, he agreed.
Yet, the two of them weren't very intimate. Qi Rui had always respected Tong Xue deeply.
The first time he saw Shen Yue, he felt a strange, unfamiliar sensation. His chest felt tight, and the background seemed to blur, leaving only that person in his sight.
It was very odd. He didn't even know this woman's name, but he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
This emotion quickly vanished, and he chose to ignore it.
However, this woman seemed to know him very well.
Though her beautiful, gentle face was smiling, it looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
"Do... do you remember me?"
Qi Rui didn't remember. His mind was a blank. Moreover, he didn't think he would have known someone of Shen Yue's disposition.
Shen Yue was too pure and gentle, like a blank sheet of paper, seemingly without a single stain.
He, on the other hand, had been honed in the business world for years, knowing too much of its dirt and desires. He felt like ink, ready to stain that white paper at the slightest misstep.
But what he hadn't expected was for Shen Yue to become a habit in his daily life.
Due to irregular eating habits, he developed stomach problems. Shen Yue would wake up early to prepare breakfast for him, even knowing what his favorite food was.
And no matter how late his social engagements ran, there was always a light left on for him at home. This was a feeling he had never experienced before.
It was warmth.
A warmth that belonged to a home.
Her tone was so gentle.
"You're back?"
Like a virtuous wife.
At first, he felt quite uncomfortable. After all, in his memory, they had only met a few times, and their conversations were few and far between. But for some reason, he still softened.
Shen Yue said she had come to the city to find someone. Qi Rui felt a sense of vexation and restlessness. He didn't understand why he felt this way, but he assumed that person must be very important to Shen Yue, having traveled such a distance just for one person.
Perhaps it was her lover.
As this thought arose, his heart began to ache, throbbing with pain, even igniting a spark of anger.
His expression turned cold again, and he left abruptly.
Regarding his relationship with Shen Yue, Qi Rui had specifically called his mother to ask.
His mother said she wasn't very clear either. She only recalled sending him to the countryside for a year four years ago. As for what specifically happened then, his mother wasn't very knowledgeable.
Qi Rui had also sent people to investigate, but they found no results.
Perhaps, she was truly just a friend he wasn't very close to.
—
Shen Yue was so fragile.
He actually detested people who cried incessantly, whether they were men or women. He found crying individuals as annoying as flies.
But Shen Yue was different.
She was beautiful when she cried, her lashes damp, her thin eyelids flushed red, looking so pitiful.
Instead of feeling annoyed, his heart beat even faster, and he felt a bit flustered.
A dangerous thought crossed his mind: he wanted to kiss away her tears.
—
Shen Yue was very sensitive to pain.
Even a small scratch would make her cry for a long time. She wouldn't make a sound, but would just squat on the ground, silently shedding tears.
Qi Rui watched, his heart aching. He would playfully chide her for being pampered, then gently bandage the wound on her hand.
—
When Shen Yue learned of Tong Xue's existence, he could clearly sense Shen Yue's sadness.
Shen Yue wore all her emotions on her face; it was impossible not to see.
Qi Rui was somewhat baffled, not understanding why she would show such an expression.
They weren't even that close, were they?
Shen Yue herself had said so.
Looking at Tong Xue, his restless heart calmed.
Tong Xue's kindness felt like an instinct, a comfort that eased the ache in his empty heart.
But strangely, he found himself unable to meet Shen Yue's eyes.
—
Going shopping with Tong Xue was quite boring. When he returned home that evening and learned Shen Yue hadn't eaten, he felt a surge of anger and frustration.
Shen Yue had gotten so thin, and she still wasn't eating properly!
She couldn't even take care of herself, yet she was always thinking about taking care of him!
When he arrived at Shen Yue's room with the porridge, he could clearly sense that Shen Yue's attitude toward him had changed significantly. Her tone and expression were tinged with a sense of distance.
Qi Rui fell silent, feeling helpless, and dared not speak.
Shen Yue's demeanor made him want to rush forward and hold her tightly.
But Shen Yue, disregarding his feelings, spoke several cold words to him.
Qi Rui disliked hearing them. Since losing his memory, his emotions had become rather muted, never fluctuating much. Yet, when facing Shen Yue, he couldn't control himself, his face turning cold, filled with anger.
He clearly expected that Shen Yue, seeing his reaction, would perhaps come and appease him, given how much she cared.
But that did not happen.
—
Recently, Qi Rui had been prone to spacing out. Even when on dates with Tong Xue, Shen Yue's face would involuntarily appear in his mind.
He wondered what she was doing now, whether she had eaten on time.
Moreover, Shen Yue had been so distant with him lately. He felt deeply saddened.
—
Seeing Shen Yue intimately shopping with another man, his expression slowly darkened, and a profound sense of melancholy filled him, growing into annoyance the more he thought about it.
He even felt the urge to rush over and drive away that scoundrel.
Consequently, he drank. He had a high tolerance for alcohol and retained some of his reason.
Perhaps out of a desire for revenge, he deliberately acted intimately with Tong Xue in front of Shen Yue, even saying things he had never uttered before.
His heart ached so much; he wanted Shen Yue to feel the same pain.
The moment Shen Yue touched him, an unprecedented, electric numbness surged through his entire body, making him jolt.
Almost instinctively.
He said coldly.
"Don't touch me."
But in reality, his heart was filled with an insatiable, desperate longing, screaming for more, more touches and caresses.
His bones itched at the thought.
—