After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 22.1

A few piercing rings echoed through the gate and courtyard, reaching the ears of the two women on the second floor. Both Yan He and Lu Youqing were startled by the sudden noise; the lingering romantic atmosphere was instantly shattered, and the bedroom returned to a quiet stillness.

Ignoring her previous shyness, Yan He looked up and met Lu Youqing’s equally confused gaze. They both rose instinctively and headed toward the door.

It was pitch black outside. A thick layer of dense clouds covered the sky, and the heavy air, combined with the dark mist, made it hard to breathe. Yan He twisted the doorknob and saw figures gathered outside the villa gate. Frowning, she began to walk forward.

Just as she reached the gate and raised her hand to unlock it with her fingerprint, a hand caught her wrist. Yan He turned to see Lu Youqing, whose gaze was sharp as she scanned the area outside. Only after ensuring it was safe did Lu Youqing unlock the gate. Her hand then slid down to lock fingers firmly with Yan He’s.

Yan He: “…”

Seeing the two come out, the people outside stepped back to make way. Yan He realized they were security guards from the villa complex. A woman in the center of the group, seeing them, rushed forward as if grasping at a final lifeline.

“Miss Yan, Miss Lu, please, I beg you, save my grandmother.”

Yan He was stunned by the scene. Facing the girl’s streaming tears, she felt helpless and at a loss. For some reason, a wave of panic rose in her heart. The grip of Lu Youqing’s hand tightened; Yan He looked at her and felt a strange sense of peace from that warm contact.

Lu Youqing looked first at the guards, then at the girl, and asked, “What happened?”

A security guard stepped forward to explain. It turned out the girl was not a resident here. Since this was a high-security villa area, the guards couldn’t let her in alone, especially after dark, so they accompanied her to verify if Yan He and Lu Youqing knew her.

Yan He naturally didn’t recognize her, so she looked to Lu Youqing for help. She remembered Lu Youqing saying her friends and family were all abroad, so she assumed this person must be a friend of hers.

To her surprise, Lu Youqing lowered her head in thought for a moment before nodding to the guards. Once the guards had left, she turned back to Yan He.

“A-He, this is the granddaughter of Granny Li, the nanny who used to work at your house.”

Yan He: “Ah?” So she’s my acquaintance.

“My friend?” Yan He said incredulously, her eyes falling on the young woman. The girl was wearing a simple white T-shirt and shorts, looking barely in her early twenties, sobbing so hard she couldn’t string a sentence together.

The wind was whistling outside, and even the two of them felt cold in their light pajamas, let alone the girl. They led her into the courtyard. During the short walk, Yan He learned the girl’s name was Li Taoyi.

Li Taoyi explained that her grandmother—the Granny Li who had worked as a nanny for the Yan family for over a decade—had suddenly fallen seriously ill and was hospitalized. The doctors said it was grave and required a specialist in the provincial hospital, but they didn’t know any specialists or how to find one.

Li Taoyi thought of the Yan family where her grandmother had worked. She wanted to ask for help but had no contact information, and her grandmother didn’t want to trouble them. Originally, Li Taoyi suppressed these intrusive thoughts, but as her grandmother’s condition worsened and her periods of unconsciousness grew longer, she became desperate. She remembered that when she was admitted to Qingcheng University, the young lady of the Yan family had treated her to a meal and told her where she was currently living, saying she could reach out if she ever needed help.

Though it was a huge imposition, her grandmother’s illness was critical. Li Taoyi lived in fear every day that the grandmother she depended on would leave her. Having run out of options, she came here today to try her luck, not expecting Yan He and Lu Youqing to actually be home.

“Miss Yan, Miss Lu, I truly have no other way.” Li Taoyi broke into fresh tears. Days of fear had exhausted her spirit; even crying seemed to take a physical toll. Her hands trembled as she gripped her clothes, trying to maintain some semblance of composure.

Yan He handed her a tissue and looked at her gently. “It’s okay, take your time.” She poured a glass of warm water and placed it before Li Taoyi.

Li Taoyi took the tissue and stammered a thank you. She was desperate today; if she hadn’t come to find them, she would be completely helpless. She drank the warm water, finally feeling a bit of heat return to her body as her tears subsided.

Lu Youqing stood by the sofa, head lowered in thought. She called out, “Student Li.”

“Yes.” Realizing she was being addressed, Li Taoyi quickly set down her glass and looked up, her hands tightly clenched.

“Did the doctor tell you what your grandmother’s illness is, or which specialist needs to see her?”

Li Taoyi wiped her eyes and fluently recited the information she had rehearsed in her mind.

After listening, Lu Youqing pondered for a moment and headed upstairs. “I’m going to get my phone. Student Li, please sit and rest for a moment.”

Lu Youqing’s figure soon disappeared around the corner of the stairs, leaving Yan He and Li Taoyi facing each other.

Seeing Li Taoyi’s body still shaking, Yan He reached out and squeezed her shoulder to make her look up. Her gaze was steady. “Mother Li will be fine.”

Even though she had amnesia and remembered nothing, her physiological instincts remained. When she heard Li Taoyi mention “Mother Li,” the instinctive throb of warmth in her heart was real, as was the sharp pain she felt upon hearing about the illness.

She realized that this nanny who had served her family for over a decade must have been very significant to her. Ten years—most of Yan He’s youth—had been spent under Granny Li’s care. Their bond was clearly deep.

Even with amnesia, the physical reaction of distress proved that this woman was like family to her. Furthermore, since losing her memory, she cherished every emotional connection she had left. She truly didn’t want to see something terrible happen to someone close to her.

Perhaps because Yan He’s voice was so firm, Li Taoyi’s shaking subsided. she nodded back fixedly, her tears falling again.

“Thank you, Miss Yan. Truly, thank you and Miss Lu. My grandmother will definitely be okay.” Even though they were technically just employers and much time had passed, Yan He and Lu Youqing were willing to let her in and listen. Although the outcome was uncertain, Li Taoyi no longer felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. Her complexion regained some color. The two sat there in silence, not knowing what else to say.

Yan He scratched her head awkwardly. She wondered if she should say something more, but being an amnesiac, she decided to ask Li Taoyi about her past first. She remembered Li Taoyi saying she had treated her to a meal.

“Taoyi, when did you get into university?”

“Two years ago. I’m a sophomore now,” Li Taoyi said obediently, her voice still raspy.

Yan He nodded and poured her more water, calculating her own age at the time. “Do you remember what I said when I treated you to that meal? My memory is a bit fuzzy.”

Li Taoyi was a bit taken aback by the question but answered honestly. “I remember I had just been accepted to Qingcheng University. I came from my hometown with the admission letter to surprise my grandmother. When I found her, Miss Yan happened to be there too. You were so happy I got into Qingcheng that you treated us both to a meal.”

Yan He nodded, faking a look of realization to hide her inner confusion. “I see.” Just as she was about to probe for more details about her past, she heard footsteps descending the stairs.

Both of their attention was drawn to Lu Youqing. She had draped a shawl over her shoulders. She smiled softly at the two women sitting on the sofa, who were looking up at her with eyes bright like small animals.

“Student Li, your grandmother’s transfer shouldn’t be a problem. I have a friend who happens to know a specialist in that field.”

Li Taoyi sprang up from the sofa in excitement, her eyes filled with such gratitude she could hardly speak. “Really? Thank… thank you, Miss Lu!”

Lu Youqing smiled and took out her phone. “This is my friend’s contact information. Add her first. If anything comes up, just talk to her. Send her a message tomorrow, and she will arrange the transfer.”

Li Taoyi quickly scanned the QR code. When she spoke again, her voice was thick with a sob. “Thank… thank you, Miss Lu. Thank you, Miss Yan, Miss Lu.”

Yan He rose to support Li Taoyi, and they sat back down. Looking at the contact on her phone, Li Taoyi wept. Yan He’s eyes also reddened. She looked up at Lu Youqing, her moist eyes shimmering.

“Thank you,” she mouthed silently.

The corners of Lu Youqing’s mouth curled up. She checked the time. “It’s already ten o’clock. It’s at least a ninety-minute drive to Qingcheng University. The dorms will likely have the lights out by the time you get back. Student Li, why don’t you stay here for the night?”

Li Taoyi stood up quickly, wiping her tears. “It’s okay, I’ll go to my grandmother’s place. I took leave from school to stay at the hospital and care for her. I’ve troubled you enough already.” She moved to leave but was held back by Yan He.

“It’s so late, stay here. It looks like it might rain tonight; it’s not safe for you to travel such a long distance alone,” Yan He said.

Lu Youqing’s eyes darkened as she glanced at Yan He’s hands gripping Li Taoyi’s arm. She walked over unobtrusively, looped her arm through Yan He’s, and leaned her weight against her. Supporting Yan He’s suggestion, she said to Li Taoyi, “By the time you get back to the hospital, it will be after midnight. Tomorrow there will be a lot of things to handle regarding your grandmother. You should sleep here and get some rest. I’ll take you to meet this friend tomorrow morning on my way to work. Meeting in person is better for explaining the situation than chatting on the phone, and it will speed up the transfer.”

Li Taoyi was clearly convinced. Realizing that arriving late at the hospital would only disturb her grandmother, she lowered her head, gripped her phone, and nodded. She didn’t know how to express her gratitude and could only keep bowing in thanks.

Lu Youqing smiled at the girl’s disheveled state. “Want something to eat? We have some tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) in the house.”

Even if she were hungry, Li Taoyi knew she couldn’t be a killjoy. Seeing their attire, it was obvious they were heading to bed. She shook her head firmly. “Thank you, Miss Lu, I’ve already eaten.”

Lu Youqing had nothing more to say to her. She turned her burning gaze back to Yan He. Unable to handle the intensity of the look, Yan He turned away, only to remember something.

There was only one guest room. Where would Li Taoyi sleep? Did this mean she really had to sleep with Lu Youqing tonight? Yan He’s heart began to race again.

As she thought this, Lu Youqing’s grip on her arm seemed to tighten. Yan He could feel a soft warmth pressing against her arm. She realized Lu Youqing didn’t like wearing a bra while sleeping… which meant right now…

She quickly looked away to stop the thought, but she didn’t dare move the arm Lu Youqing was holding. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she felt her cheeks heat up.

Neither Lu Youqing nor Yan He spoke, causing a sudden silence in the living room. It was Li Taoyi who broke the tension by offering to sleep on the sofa, bringing Yan He back to her senses.

“Okay,” Yan He agreed without further protest. She nodded to Li Taoyi and stiffly pulled her arm out of Lu Youqing’s embrace. She thought she heard a few soft chuckles from Lu Youqing as she hurried upstairs, leaving the two behind.

Li Taoyi stared blankly at Yan He’s hasty departure, worried her words had upset her.

Lu Youqing looked at Yan He’s back and smiled dotingly. “It’s not your fault. I teased her and made her angry again. She’s just going to get a blanket for you.”

“Angry?” Li Taoyi looked foolishly at Lu Youqing, who was smiling sweetly at Yan He’s retreating figure. Lu Youqing’s eyes were so full of overflowing love that it didn’t look like a quarrel at all.

Li Taoyi, a twenty-year-old student whose only interest was studying, had no idea what flirting was. Watching them, she frowned and wondered to herself: Is this what a fight looks like? Something feels off. She wondered if she should mediate, but seeing Lu Youqing’s sweet smile, she figured it wasn’t necessary. Li Taoyi wisely kept her mouth shut.

Soon, Yan He came downstairs with a fleece blanket. She placed the soft blanket on the sofa and showed Li Taoyi where the downstairs bathroom was. Seeing how late it was, she prepared to head up to bed.

Lu Youqing followed her. As they went up, she thoughtfully turned off the brightest hall lights, leaving only one small lamp to light the way.

Yan He noticed the gesture. It reminded her of when she was in the hospital and Lu Youqing had similarly left a small bedside lamp for her. Lu Youqing was always so gentle, always looking out for her feelings.

A sweet tide rose in Yan He’s heart, and she couldn’t help but smile.

At the bedroom door, Yan He looked back at Lu Youqing, then down at Li Taoyi, who had taken some disposable clothes to the bathroom. She spoke softly.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was clear and pure, like the first rain of spring, falling into Lu Youqing’s heart and causing a tremor.

Lu Youqing’s heart softened. She took a step forward, resting her head on Yan He’s shoulder, looking at her with longing. She reached out and twined a strand of Yan He’s loose hair around her finger. Yan He once again smelled the faint scent of her shampoo.

“Thanking me for what?” Lu Youqing asked softly, her finger accidentally grazing Yan He’s ear as she smiled. “Because I helped Granny Li?”

This time, Yan He didn’t pull away. She stayed still as Lu Youqing teased her, feeling a slight itch at her ear and a faint electric tingle where they touched. She heard Lu Youqing chuckle.

“If it’s because of that, you’re overthinking it, A-He.”

Yan He turned her head and unexpectedly met Lu Youqing’s eyes, which were as dark as the deep sea. Lu Youqing’s eyes seemed to have a magical power, capturing her gaze with ease.

“Why do you say that?” Yan He asked.

Lu Youqing simply tapped the tip of Yan He’s nose, smiling brilliantly. “Because Granny Li was also kind to me.”

She only told half the story before letting go of Yan He’s hand. She opened the guest room door and leaned against the frame, waving to the dazed Yan He. “Goodnight, A-He. Remember to dream of me.” She looked every bit the enchanting vixen.