Accidentally Picked Up a Rich and Amnesiac Alpha (GL) - Chapter 23

Yan Qingqi finished her deliveries around the community and was back in half an hour.

When she got home, she saw the two people were indeed still waiting by the door. Under the shade of the trees, they were talking about something, their eyes shining, smiling happily at each other.

Yan Qingqi recognized that look—her Songsong looked at her the same way. She suddenly felt that the two of them might not be bad people after all.

“Cousin, you’re back.”

Yan Qingqi said, “Call me Miss Yan.”

Jing Michu was agreeable. “Sister Yanyan.”

Yan Qingqi: “…” Sure enough, if you have no shame, you can be as familiar as you want.

“Come inside,” Yan Qingqi said. “What do you want to drink?”

“Coke for me, and sparkling water for her.”

Qiao An quickly added, “No need to go to any trouble. Plain water is fine.”

Yan Qingqi brought out two bottles of sparkling water. “Sorry, no Coke.”

Jing Michu pouted, took the sparkling water, and drank it. “Sister Yanyan, what are we eating?”

“Golden garlic spare ribs, and I’ll cook some noodles.” This was the lunch Yan Qingqi had set aside for herself.

“Perfect, that sounds great. Your handmade noodles are the best.”

Yan Qingqi’s heart stirred slightly at the mention of “handmade noodles,” but she said nothing more. She put on her apron and started kneading the dough.

Qiao An said, “Cousin—no, Sister Yanyan, let me help you.”

“Thank you, but it’s alright. It will be ready soon. Where are you two from? I can tell from your accents that you’re not from L City.”

While delivering takeout, Yan Qingqi had decided to ask them about themselves. Since they kept claiming to be her cousin and spoke to her so naturally, as if they really knew her, Yan Qingqi decided to get some information from them first.

Jing Michu said, “An An and I are from S City. I just arrived from S City, and An An is here with a friend for a break.”

Yan Qingqi said, “Oh. Since she’s your girlfriend, why didn’t you come with her for the vacation?”

Jing Michu: “…”

My cousin is truly hard to fool, both then and now.

Qiao An smiled with her lips pressed together.

“Well, I’ve been busy with work and didn’t have time to join her until now. I just came over the last couple of days.”

Yan Qingqi smiled. “And you came straight to find me, right?”

Jing Michu’s smile became even more unnatural. She quietly whispered to Qiao An, “She still says she’s not my cousin, but this habit of smiling while being so relentlessly mean—who else could it be but her?”

Yan Qingqi quickly rolled out the dough, expertly cut it into strips, and set the water to boil. On the other side, she started cooking the topping in a wok.

Soon, three bowls of noodles were ready. Jing Michu and Qiao An each got a piece of golden garlic spare rib on their noodles, while Yan Qingqi’s had ham slices.

“Sister Yanyan, why aren’t you eating the ribs?”

“I gave them to you two.”

Jing Michu’s eyes crinkled with delight. “Sister Yanyan, you’re so good to us even though you don’t remember us. An An and I won’t stand on ceremony then.”

They were genuinely hungry and ate quickly. Jing Michu praised her while eating. “Cousin, your noodles taste exactly like I remember. They’re so delicious!”

“You’ve had them before?”

“Yes, at least once a month. Sometimes I’d go over three or four days in a row and ask you to cook for me. You would only cook if An An was there. If An An didn’t come, I was out of luck and had to settle for Chef Zhao’s food. Chef Zhao is your family’s head chef. If he was busy, then it was just whatever Mama Wang cooked.”

“My family has a chef?”

“More than a chef. You have a butler, eight servants, two drivers, and a gardener.”

Yan Qingqi gasped. “That many people?”

“That’s not even a lot. When Auntie and Uncle were alive, there were even more servants. Later, you saw they were getting old and wanted to retire, so you gave them a pension and let them go back home to enjoy their twilight years.”

Yan Qingqi was stunned. A thought suddenly occurred to her. “My family is very rich?”

Jing Michu laughed, not bothering to be humble. “They are one of the most prominent wealthy families in S City. Does that answer your question?”

Yan Qingqi was utterly shocked. “That rich!!”

“However, you keep a very low profile and rarely appear in public. I handle most of the external business and social engagements for the corporation.” Jing Michu glanced at her. “I’m one of the board members, having taken over for my mother. My mother is your aunt.”

“Who else is in my family?”

“Your aunt and uncle—your mom and dad—passed away very early. Your second uncle was a playboy who liked to party and travel. He passed away unexpectedly after a few years of marriage, even before your parents. Your second uncle has a daughter who is brilliant.” Jing Michu gave a thumbs-up. “She’s studying abroad.”

“Oh, and your aunt and uncle adopted a child, Yang Yifan. He’s a few years older than you and also works at the corporation.”

Jing Michu paused, then hesitated before adding, “You also have a biological younger sister named Wen Shuman.”

Yan Qingqi was startled. She found it strange that Jing Michu had said she was looking for her because she had suddenly disappeared and had only found a lead in the last two days. If her cousin was so desperate to find her, why wasn’t her own sister here with her?

Jing Michu seemed to read her mind, her expression regretful. “Your sister, Shuman, has been missing for three years.”

Yan Qingqi’s heart lurched. She felt a sharp, stabbing pain deep within her. The image of a young girl flashed before her eyes almost instantly. The girl’s figure was graceful, but her face was blurred. Yet, Yan Qingqi could sense the deep sadness and loss in the girl’s eyes.

Yan Qingqi almost unconsciously whispered two syllables. “Manman.”

Her tone was full of melancholy.

Jing Michu and Qiao An exchanged looks. Jing Michu turned to comfort Yan Qingqi. “Cousin, don’t worry too much. We will definitely find Manman.”

When they finished eating, Qiao An’s bowl had only a little soup left. Jing Michu’s bowl was spotless; she had even licked the bones clean.

Jing Michu pulled out a napkin and wiped her mouth. “Cousin, if you don’t believe us, we can do a DNA test. Once the results are out, you’ll know you’re a member of the Wen family.”

Yan Qingqi simply hummed in agreement, noncommittal.

Qiao An asked, “Sister Yanyan, how did you meet Song Tingxue? And how did you end up living in a house under her name?”

Jing Michu was curious about this too.

Yan Qingqi smiled faintly. “She’s my wife. We’re already married.”

Jing Michu’s eyes widened in shock. Qiao An: “!!!”

The two of them walked through the Hidden Mountain complex. Qiao An asked, “What should we do now?”

Jing Michu said, “My cousin seems mentally unstable. She seems to have completely forgotten everything from before, even Shuman.”

Qiao An said, “Sister Shuyan was almost driven mad looking for Shuman. She always blamed herself for not taking good care of her. In the three years Shuman has been missing, I’ve never seen her truly smile. Now, seeing her, I feel like Sister Shuyan is much more relaxed.”

Jing Michu sighed. “My cousin has been taking care of little Shuman since she was a child. My mom always said she was still a kid herself, but she acted like a little adult taking care of her younger sister. Now that she doesn’t remember, the pressure and self-blame must have eased considerably.” Jing Michu let out a breath, her gaze complex. “Perhaps this isn’t entirely a bad thing for my cousin.”

Qiao An nodded. Three years ago, when she first started dating Jing Michu, she had coincidentally seen Wen Shuman once, and only once. She was beautiful, pure, sweet, and lovely, like a little princess from a comic book, clinging tightly to her older sister, Wen Shuyan.

“An An, can I ask you a favor?”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“I think my cousin’s attitude toward us has changed a little. We shouldn’t pressure her. We should wait for her to think things through and come to us to confirm. But I can’t stay in L City forever. I have to go back and keep an eye on that Yang Yifan. I’m also worried that if I stay here too long, someone will follow me and find her. We still don’t know how my cousin got injured, so it’s better to be careful.”

Qiao An readily agreed. “I understand. What do you need me to do?”

“I want to rent a villa in this complex. Can you move in and keep an eye on my cousin for me? I’m not sure what this female star, Song Tingxue, is up to by marrying my cousin while she’s mentally confused, and I don’t know if she was involved in my cousin’s accident.”

Qiao An immediately agreed. “Okay. Cousin is a very good person. She used to cook delicious food for me all the time.”

“Then you can also support my cousin’s takeout business,” Jing Michu said, holding up her phone. “We’re all in her takeout group anyway.”

Jing Michu quickly rented a villa in Hidden Mountain. She chose the one closest to her cousin’s house, practically diagonally across the street, though separated by an internal road.

Qiao An signed the lease agreement. The owner didn’t allow short-term rentals and only agreed to a one-year lease. Jing Michu didn’t hesitate and immediately transferred a year’s rent to Qiao An.

Qiao An said, “No need. I have enough money for this.”

Jing Michu said, “Don’t bother splitting such a small amount of money with me.”

Qiao An blushed, a shy, shallow smile on her lips.

After renting the house, Jing Michu paid the property management to clean it and do a full house cleaning. Then she and Qiao An went back to Xiangxue Court to move Qiao An’s luggage.

Qiao An’s friend saw Jing Michu and asked with a smile, “Qiao An, is this your friend?”

Jing Michu introduced herself confidently. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Qiao An’s girlfriend. My last name is Jing, as in ‘well-ordered’ Jing.”

Her friend quietly whispered to Qiao An, “Is she your ex-girlfriend? Are you two back together?”

Qiao An blushed. “We just got back together today.”

Her friend smiled. “She’s beautiful, she has such presence, and she spoils you rotten. No wonder you couldn’t forget her.”

The bodyguards and driver helped move the luggage to the new house. It was starting to get dark.

“An An,” Jing Michu said, full of apology. “I’m leaving you here alone. Will you be bored?”

“No, I used to live alone.”

Jing Michu suddenly hugged her, a tense, brief embrace, and then slowly let go. “I’ll come visit every few days and spend the weekends with you.”

The reunited couple seemed to have reverted to the beginning of their relationship. Their eyes were filled with joy and happiness when they looked at each other.

“An An, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have argued with you that time. My cousin was right. No matter what, I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you.” Jing Michu looked at her intently. “Can you forgive me?”

Qiao An paused, then wrapped her arms around Jing Michu’s neck and kissed her, answering the question with action.

After half a year apart, the two quickly found the familiar feeling again.

Qiao An was pulled into her embrace. Jing Michu’s lips were tightly wrapped around hers, gentle and sweet, passionate and demanding.

Qiao An’s heart pounded. She held Jing Michu’s neck tightly, completely lost in her intimate embrace.

Many people on the set had also attended Mr. Jin’s dinner the day before. Seeing how the man became increasingly reckless and vulgar toward Movie Queen Song, everyone knew what he wanted. But he was rich, reportedly the biggest investor in the next film, and no one dared to offend him.

Many people in the industry knew about Song Tingxue’s rules: she never filmed explicit scenes, never courted rumors or controversy, and didn’t rely on gossip for marketing. She was a rare, self-respecting female star in the industry.

Because of this, her path to becoming a movie queen was difficult, unlike some female artists whose resources flowed easily after their debut.

On the contrary, Song Tingxue’s road to becoming a movie queen was very winding.