After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 22.2

Yan He was flustered by the sudden movement, and the tips of her ears hidden in her hair turned red. She lowered her head and couldn’t help but smile, pushing her bad mood aside. However, just as she was about to ask what she meant by “Granny Li was kind to her,” she heard a click—Lu Youqing had already closed the door. She seemed truly exhausted and ready for sleep.

Yan He checked the time and realized it was indeed very late. She could hear the faint sound of the shower downstairs; it felt as though she were the only one left breathing in the world.

She entered the master bedroom and stood by the window. Through the glass, she could see the churning dark clouds. She pulled the curtains shut; it seemed a heavy storm was coming tonight.

Perhaps because it was her first night sleeping at home after being discharged, or because she had met Li Taoyi and heard things about her past, Yan He had a rare dream.

The dream was damp, filled with a misty drizzle that never seemed to stop.

Wucheng No. 1 High School wasn’t overly strict. Aside from banning electronic devices and dating, there were no bizarre requirements. The school leadership cared about the students’ mental well-being, especially the seniors facing the college entrance exams, and didn’t want to keep them cooped up in school.

The second week after the monthly exams, the school organized a mountain climbing activity titled “Venture into the Woods, Victory in the Exams” for all seniors. Participation was mandatory to boost morale and build team spirit.

Yan He had only been home for a week and back at school for a week, and now she had to climb a mountain. She was speechless. The mountain was a moderately tall one in Wucheng, said to have centuries of history and having witnessed a hundred years of the city’s development.

Yan He didn’t care about the history; she only thought about packing enough food and water. After all, her hypoglycemia wouldn’t care about “team spirit.” When she arrived at the foot of the mountain by school bus and saw the peak, she felt her blood sugar dropping already. She quickly unwrapped a candy and ate it.

Her friend, Wu Yu, looked at the massive mountain and dragged Yan He by the sleeve to keep up with the class.

“It’s rare that we get to come out for an activity in our senior year. Cheer up a bit!” Wu Yu looked at the lush scenery and began taking photos with her phone.

Yan He had little interest in the view and silently accompanied Wu Yu, eating a few more candies to keep up her energy.

“Oh, no signal,” Wu Yu said, putting her phone back in her pocket, dejected. “I wanted to post these online. I guess I’ll have to wait until I get back.” They were halfway up the mountain. Because they had been wandering aimlessly, they were now quite far behind the rest of the class.

“Let’s catch up. I remember the teacher said there’s a roll call at the summit,” Wu Yu said, taking a sip from her water bottle.

The candy in Yan He’s mouth had been gone for a long time. She felt dizzy. The air was muggy, making her skin feel sticky. Yan He hated this environment; it felt like wet clothes clinging to her. She felt like her skin allergies would act up again by the time she got home.

Yan He looked at the sky and noticed dark clouds rolling in. It looked like rain. She frowned and was about to call Wu Yu over when she caught a glimpse of a blue figure in her peripheral vision. Her eyelid flickered. She looked again, but the path in the woods was quiet and empty.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Yu asked, following her gaze.

“That way… isn’t that outside the path the school told us to take?” Yan He asked, looking at the dense forest.

Wu Yu looked at the crowds of students in blue uniforms climbing up the main path and nodded. “Yeah, we’re supposed to stay on this trail. Did you see something?”

Yan He looked at Wu Yu and suddenly smiled. Wu Yu sensed trouble. “Don’t be like that. The girls from the other classes are waiting for you at the top. You’ve only been back for a few days; the teacher will have a headache if he doesn’t see you.”

Yan He scratched her head. “My blood sugar is a bit low, I need to rest. If the teacher asks, just say I’m resting because of my hypoglycemia. I’m sure he’ll understand.” With that, Yan He staggered over to a bench halfway up the mountain and unzipped her blue jacket to get some air.

Wu Yu looked at the class far ahead, then at Yan He. She sighed deeply, warned her not to wander off, and hurried to catch up.

As students continued past her toward the summit, Yan He stealthily stood up and headed toward the path she had seen earlier.

The trees in the forest were all the same, blocking the sun and making the air even stickier. Paths diverged in all directions. Lu Youqing walked slowly, leaning against a tree, her entire focus consumed by a sharp pain in her abdomen. Her brows were tightly knit. Finally, unable to bear the pain, she huddled down at a bend in the path, her body trembling.

She had known her period was due, but she hadn’t expected it to be this agonizing. The pain felt like countless icy needles stabbing her lower abdomen. She was drenched in a cold sweat.

She had told the teacher, who had told her to rest, but in her pain, she had lost her way. By the time she realized it, she was far from the group.

Lu Youqing couldn’t care about that now. Her stomach felt like it was being twisted by sharp knives. The pain was so intense she couldn’t think. Her forehead was wet, and sweat blurred her vision. Faint, cool drops of water began to fall on her.

She huddled there for a long time. Once the numbness in her limbs receded slightly, she used a tree to pull herself up, only to find it was drizzling.

Rain was supposed to wash away the heat, but for Lu Youqing—who was cold, trembling, and on her period—it was a nightmare. Hearing the faint roll of thunder in the distance, her pale face lost even more color.

She tried to move, but her abdomen throbbed. Her legs felt weak. As she stood, the world went black. Unable to struggle anymore, she let herself fall.

The rain continued to pitter-patter on the leaves. But the expected pain of the fall didn’t come. Instead, she was caught in a firm embrace around her waist. Her eyelashes, wet with rain, fluttered like butterflies. Lu Youqing looked up tremblingly into a pair of beautiful, clear amber-brown eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Yan He asked, her eyes lowered, rain dripping from her brows. The sudden proximity felt like a fire spreading from where they touched, actually easing some of Lu Youqing’s pain.

Lu Youqing stared blankly at Yan He’s furrowed brows. It took several blinks to see her clearly. Her thin lips trembled for a long time before she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

“How are you here?”

Yan He let go of her waist and grabbed her cold wrist instead. “My seatmate is here, so why can’t I be here?”

As the warmth left her waist, Lu Youqing felt the return of the agonizing pain. She hunched over slightly, but a sweet feeling bloomed in her heart.

Yan He noticed something was wrong and quickly crouched down. “What’s wrong? Why are your hands so cold?”

Lu Youqing shook her head. “It’s nothing… just my period.” But her whole body was shaking. Yan He saw the rain on Lu Youqing’s hair being shaken off by her tremors. Frowning, she let go of Lu Youqing’s wrist. Lu Youqing felt a sudden void in her heart.

She looked down at the wrist that had just been held, still able to feel the warmth.

The sound of a zipper echoed. Before Lu Youqing could react, a large thermos appeared before her, followed by Yan He’s clear, pleasant voice.

“Drink some hot water.” Without another word, Yan He unscrewed the thermos, poured a cup, and pressed it into Lu Youqing’s hands. She then turned to rummage through her backpack.

Lu Youqing stared at the steaming cup. The steam blurred her vision. At this distance, Yan He no longer felt like a distant, unreachable star. It felt as though if she reached out, she could touch the heavens.

Lu Youqing reached out to touch the steam. As her finger hit the vapor, it dissipated, revealing Yan He burrowing into her bag like a little hamster.

Lu Youqing lowered her head and took a sip of the hot water. As it reached her stomach, the pain seemed to lessen.

Yan He pulled a heating pad from her bag, shook it a few times, and turned back to Lu Youqing. Lu Youqing was huddled against a tree, holding the steaming cup. Her hair was wet, and her eyes looked moist through the steam, staring directly at Yan He like a lost, drenched little animal.

Yan He’s heart softened. She set down her bag and, resisting the urge to stroke Lu Youqing’s head, handed her the heating pad.

“Put this on first,” she said softly, not even realizing how gentle her voice had become.

Lu Youqing took it but didn’t move. Yan He was wondering why she didn’t apply it when she heard Lu Youqing’s weak voice.

“Are you going to watch?”

Yan He: “?” She was stunned, her brain a bit short-circuited by the rain. She didn’t immediately understand what Lu Youqing meant.

Receiving no reply, Lu Youqing finished the water, set the cup aside, and unzipped her jacket. She applied the heating pad to her lower abdomen over a thin layer of fabric.

Though they were wearing the class uniform T-shirts, the sweat from the pain had made the shirt cling to Lu Youqing’s body, revealing her slender waistline. Yan He finally understood what she had meant.

She looked down and scratched her nose awkwardly. She poured more hot water and handed it back. “Drink more, it’ll help with the pain.”

Given what had just happened, Lu Youqing took the cup and sipped slowly. Yan He sat with her under the tree to avoid the rain. She didn’t ask why Lu Youqing was there; she actually found the quiet environment comfortable. If it weren’t for the rain and her sick classmate, she would have liked to stay here longer.

The school uniform had three parts: a T-shirt, a standard jacket, and the windbreaker-style jacket they were currently wearing. The weather usually didn’t call for the windbreakers, but the teachers had made everyone wear them in case it was cold at the summit. Now, because of the rain, the windbreaker was perfectly fulfilling its waterproof role.

Although the rain was cooling, Yan He still felt a bit stuffy. She looked at Lu Youqing, whose face was less pale now, and reached out to brush a stray leaf from her head. Lu Youqing, lost in thought, was startled and looked at her with those deep, clear black eyes.

Yan He held the leaf between her fingers and smiled. “A leaf fell.” She toyed with the leaf in her hand, then looked at their soaked hair. Although Lu Youqing looked better, she must still be uncomfortable in the rain.

Yan He stood up and reached out her hand. But because she rose too quickly, her vision went black and she almost fell herself.

Lu Youqing quickly stood up and grabbed her clothes. She moved so fast she didn’t realize she had just been incapacitated by pain. “What’s wrong?” her tone was anxious, filled with an unspoken emotion she hadn’t yet recognized.

Yan He rubbed her forehead and pulled two candies from her pocket. She ate one. “Just hypoglycemia. It’s an old problem.” She placed the other candy in Lu Youqing’s palm.

“Let’s go. The teacher must be looking for us.” Yan He sighed. She took Lu Youqing’s wrist. Rainwater covered her face, making the teenager’s features look even sharper.

“Does it still hurt?” she asked.

Lu Youqing stared at their joined hands, feeling warmth spread from the point of contact to her entire body. She shook her head and gripped the candy, her ears twitching.

Yan He paused. She looked at Lu Youqing’s still-trembling body and then at the jacket Lu Youqing was wearing.

The rustle of fabric followed. Lu Youqing looked up to see Yan He taking off her own jacket. “What is it?” she asked.

Yan He pointed at Lu Youqing’s jacket. “Let’s swap.”

Lu Youqing followed her gaze and realized there was a large tear in her jacket. Cold wind was blowing through it. No wonder she felt cold even though her stomach pain had subsided.

Lu Youqing wanted to refuse, but Yan He had already draped the jacket over her. The girl stood there in her T-shirt, wet strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, smiling at her in the quiet woods. “Hurry up.” With that one sentence, Lu Youqing lost the courage to refuse. She took off her jacket and let Yan He help her into the dry one.

Yan He zipped it all the way to the top to trap the warmth. Lu Youqing stood perfectly still, watching her. Warmth enveloped her instantly. Flushed by the heat or the intimacy, Lu Youqing’s ears turned red.

Yan He put on Lu Youqing’s torn jacket, slung the backpack over her shoulders, and reached out to the dazed girl. “Let’s go, seatmate.”

Seatmate.

They had only been seatmates for two or three days, yet Yan He said it so naturally.

Through the misty rain, Lu Youqing stared boldly at her back. Truthfully, her pain had subsided enough that she could walk unaided. But Yan He’s eyes were so beautiful—gentle, clear, seemingly able to contain everything. Lu Youqing suddenly wondered if she was among the things Yan He could contain. Like a sailor drawn by a siren’s song, she reached out her hand.

The rain wasn’t heavy, and they could still see the path. Fortunately, their jackets were waterproof, or they surely would have caught a cold.

Yan He walked ahead with the bag. Fearing they might be separated, she held Lu Youqing’s wrist tightly. Lu Youqing watched her and wanted to ask why she had appeared there, but she didn’t dare. She was afraid her faint hope would be crushed by Yan He’s explanation. Yet Lu Youqing herself didn’t know what she was hoping for.

Lu Youqing lowered her head and subtly twisted her wrist so Yan He would hold it tighter. They walked in silence. But then, a dark cloud rose in the sky, followed by a crack of thunder.

The roar startled Yan He. She turned to check on Lu Youqing just as the rain began to pour harder, blurring her vision.

Yan He blinked, trying to wipe the rain away, when she felt a gentle touch on her forehead, cheeks, and eyes. She instinctively closed her eyes.

The faint scent of shampoo drifted to her nose. Though the scent had almost vanished from the jacket, she could smell it clearly now. Wrapped in Lu Youqing’s scent, Yan He let her wipe her face. Her heart pounded wildly, as if something were trying to burst from her chest—a feeling that was bittersweet yet something she didn’t want to end.

At that time, Yan He didn’t know what love or attraction was. She only wanted this heart-fluttering feeling to last forever. But hope is fleeting. Once Lu Youqing had wiped the water from her face, she pulled her hand away.

“Done.” Her voice was still weak, her eyes shimmering. Lu Youqing put the tissue in her pocket, only to feel a handful of hard candies. She lowered her head and smiled.

Yan He’s lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes to see Lu Youqing’s smiling gaze.

“Th-thank you.” Yan He’s heart was drumming so loudly it rivaled the thunder.

She cleared her throat to say something, but another crack of thunder echoed. The sound made her whole body flinch. She suddenly snapped her eyes open and sat up in bed, gasping for air, her head throbbing with a dull pain.

Yan He held her head for a while, slowly separating dream from reality. She leaned against the headboard, eyes half-closed, trying to recall the dream. But the thunder outside kept her mind in a jumble. The only thing she remembered clearly was Lu Youqing’s blurred smile.

Was that a dream of the past?

Yan He didn’t know. She looked out the window, hearing the harsh rain and thunder. The damp, wet environment of the dream seemed to match this dark night.

She sat there thinking for a while. She couldn’t remember much more, but her throat felt dry, so she got up to get a glass of water.

Though it was the home she had lived in for years, her amnesiac self still felt a bit unfamiliar with it. She awkwardly turned on the light, put on her slippers, and walked out.

The rain was getting heavier. Lightning illuminated the hallway. Yan He pulled her pajamas tighter around her.

She had intended to go downstairs for water, but remembering Li Taoyi was sleeping there, she didn’t want to disturb her. She decided to look for water in the bedroom instead, but ended up lingering in the hallway for a while.

Crack! Another thunderclap. Yan He flinched at the sudden noise. She frowned at the rain outside and was about to head back to the bedroom when she heard faint sounds through the rain. They were subtle sounds coming from the guest room.

Yan He looked up. In the midst of the storm and lightning, she slowly approached the guest room. The image of the drenched Lu Youqing from her dream flashed in her mind, tugging at her heart. Yan He reached out to the door, wanting to ask if Lu Youqing was asleep. But just as her hand touched the door, it swung open with a soft click.

The door hadn’t been closed; it was just slightly ajar.