An hour after Zheng Shuxuan was rushed into the operating room, the doctor emerged with a dejected expression. He eventually offered me some words of comfort, urging me to accept my loss and be strong.
As I listened, my mind went blank for a moment, and then I stormed into the room.
Lifting the white sheet covering Zheng Shuxuan, I felt for her carotid artery. There was no pulse, and her skin was unnaturally cold.
I was somewhat in disbelief; Zheng Shuxuan was dead?
Hadn't she been said to be immortal?
Could this whole thing have been a scam?
I found it hard to accept this reality, not truly believing that Zheng Shuxuan could be gone.
After completing the necessary procedures, I loaded Zheng Shuxuan's body into the car. Fatty, still unaware of what had happened, turned to me and asked, "Master Xiang? Is Miss Zheng alright?"
For a moment, I didn't know how to answer. I simply placed Zheng Shuxuan's body in the back seat and said, "Let's head back to the hotel first."
"Alright."
When we arrived at the hotel, I carried Zheng Shuxuan to my room.
Closing the door, I pulled up a chair and sat by the bedside, gazing at Zheng Shuxuan on the bed, my emotions a complex mix.
After an unknown period, fatigue weighed down my eyelids. I dozed off in the chair without realizing it.
When I awoke, I found myself lying on the bed, covered by a quilt. Zheng Shuxuan, who had been on the bed, was nowhere to be seen!
I jolted upright and heard the sound of running water. Soon, Zheng Shuxuan emerged from the bathroom, holding a towel.
Seeing that I was awake, she smiled.
I felt as if I were dreaming and pinched my thigh. The pain confirmed that I wasn't.
This meant that Zheng Shuxuan's immortality was real?
My mind reeled with shock as I looked at the woman moving freely before me, unable to utter a word.
Our eyes met, and her gaze was filled with a hint of confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Coming back to my senses, I swallowed and asked, "Are... are you alright now?"
"Me?" Her confused look seemed genuine. "What's wrong with me?"
I took a sharp breath, suddenly remembering what she had told me before: each time she "reborn," her previous memories would be wiped clean. This meant she likely had no recollection of who she was, let alone who I was.
To confirm this, I asked, "Do you remember who you are?"
She frowned slightly, trying hard to recall something. Seeing her pained expression, I was about to speak when she clutched her forehead and collapsed onto the floor.
I quickly got out of bed and hurried to help her up, patting her cheek. "Are you okay?"
There was no response. In the end, I could only carry her back to the bed.
When Zheng Shuxuan woke up again, her eyes were filled with wariness as she looked at me.
This was my first experience with something like this, and honestly, I had no idea what to do.
After a moment's thought, I stood up and poured her a glass of water. "My name is Xiang Fei..."
"Xiang Fei?" She frowned, seemingly having forgotten everything about me.
I nodded. "You were injured, and perhaps you have amnesia..."
A living person, declared dead by the doctor, now awake again – if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.
I had done my best to adjust my mindset, to accept what was happening before me.
"Amnesia?" She took the glass and after a moment asked, "Then who am I?"
I instinctively replied, "An Ying..."
As I spoke the name, I suddenly felt a pang of regret.
"An Ying? Then what are you to me?"
"I... I am your friend."
"Friend? Why am I injured?"
"You were bitten by a venomous snake while saving me." As I said this, I pointed to the bandage on her shoulder.
She glanced at it, then remained silent for a long time. "I was bitten by a venomous snake saving you? And then I lost my memory?"
I nodded, unsure how to explain anything further.
"Then does that mean I like you?" An Ying said.
I blinked, momentarily stunned.
"If I didn't like you, why would I risk my life to save you..." Her voice was soft, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Then do you like me?" she asked, blinking her large eyes.
I felt as if I had been electrocuted, frozen in place, unsure what to say.
Just over ten hours ago, she was Zheng Shuxuan, and we had a somewhat antagonistic relationship. Now, she was still herself, but no longer Zheng Shuxuan.
She remembered nothing, and had even developed a misunderstanding about me.
My mind was a jumble, and I couldn't answer her question.
"Looking at you, it seems you don't like me?" Some disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Can you tell me more about my situation? Did the doctor say when I might regain my memory? Where is my family?"
A thought suddenly surged through my mind. Now that she remembered nothing of the past, could I make her "An Ying," the woman I had met in Guangling?
The thought itself startled me.
If I did this, would it...
"What is it?" she asked. "Is there something you find hard to say?"
I took a deep breath. "Your name is An Ying. You have no family. I am your only friend, your best friend... We are in the antique business. We came here for an antique. We went into an underground tomb where you were bitten by a venomous snake. I brought you to the hospital, and after you woke up, you couldn't remember anything."
As I spoke, my heart pounded. I even dared not meet her gaze.
I wasn't sure why I was saying this, but I knew that from this moment on, she would likely trust no one but me. Indeed, I was now her sole support.
"Antique?" Hearing the word, her head throbbed again. "My head hurts so much..."
I quickly helped her lie down to rest.
In the following days, I barely left the room, spending every moment with An Ying.
Her condition gradually stabilized. From the initial frequent headaches and fainting spells, and occasional fevers, she returned to normal over the course of a week.
It was during this week that "Sister Ying" made her return...
I didn't know how long this lie could last, but I knew that to stabilize her identity, there was still much for me to tidy up...