After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 23

The sudden opening of the door left Yan He momentarily speechless. The door drifted open slowly before her just as lightning flashed and thunder roared. It seemed the window in the guest room wasn’t fully closed; raindrops splashed through the gap, swirling in with the wind. Standing by the door, Yan He felt the faint, cool mist settle on her skin and dampen her hair.

The temperature in the guest room was even colder than in the hallway. Yan He frowned and looked inside, surprised to see a slender figure sitting on the bed. She hurried over and reached out to shut the window tight.

The clatter of the window frame seemed to startle Lu Youqing, who had been lost in thought. She flinched amidst the thunder and lightning, then looked up at Yan He standing before her.

“A-He…” She blinked, pretending she had just woken up. She seemed very surprised by Yan He’s presence, her voice raspy as if scorched by a desert sun: “Why are you here?”

“Are you uncomfortable, or can’t you sleep? I just woke up a moment ago.” Lu Youqing didn’t seem to realize how strange her words sounded; even though she was clearly the one in a less-than-ideal state, her first instinct was still to check on Yan He.

Yan He stood by the window, staring at her fixedly. The Movie Queen’s masterful acting had finally slipped. Yan He could tell Lu Youqing hadn’t slept at all. Her thin pajamas offered no protection against the cold, and she had tossed the light fleece blanket aside. She sat there in only a thin nightgown, having endured the cold wind and drizzle for who knows how long.

Since Yan He entered, Lu Youqing had remained propped up against the headboard. The damp chill made her shiver slightly, her long, loose hair trembling with her. Yan He was suddenly reminded of the dream she just had.

The same cold, damp rain; the same Lu Youqing, shivering from the wetness; and the same fact that she was the only one who saw it. A thought flashed deep in Yan He’s mind, but she calmly suppressed it before it could take shape.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Yan He exposed Lu Youqing’s lie directly. She pulled the curtains shut, completely blocking out the sound of the wind and rain, then reached out to switch on the bedside lamp. The dim yellow light instantly filled the room, dispelling some of the chill and unease.

The soft light fell on Lu Youqing’s porcelain skin, making the small mole on her left collarbone look particularly alluring. She hugged her knees and looked up at Yan He. Her waterfall of hair cascaded down with her movements like a moving scroll. Her ink-dark eyes could only reflect Yan He’s image, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye was breathtakingly beautiful.

At Yan He’s question, Lu Youqing simply buried her head back down. Listening to the sounds of movement by the bed and the door closing, her heart hitched; she almost rushed out to stop Yan He from leaving. Fortunately, after only a few seconds, she heard footsteps returning. Lu Youqing leaned back against the headboard once more.

Yan He had only stepped out for a moment. Seeing Lu Youqing still in the same position, she noticed how different she looked from her daytime self, which radiated mature charm with every movement. Right now, huddled at the head of the bed, she looked incredibly piteous. This was a Lu Youqing that Yan He had never seen since her amnesia—or rather, a version she had only seen in her recent dream: the youthful, fragile Lu Youqing, the eighteen-year-old version, a side she had never truly encountered.

Yan He looked down, feeling her heart soften completely. She sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking slightly. She gently pulled apart Lu Youqing’s hands from her knees, holding one of her ice-cold hands with one of her own, while the other hand pressed a water cup into Lu Youqing’s palm, guiding her fingers to grip it.

They were very close; one could faintly sense the other’s warmth and the lingering dampness. In the dim light, Yan He carried an air of quiet authority that brooked no refusal. She squeezed Lu Youqing’s hand, pulled the light blanket over her, and used her own palm to transfer warmth.

Lu Youqing looked up at her, one cheek still damp from the mist. Her eyes, which usually seemed seductive and deep, were now focused solely on Yan He. At the question, Lu Youqing only looked down at their joined hands and leaned forward to take a slow sip of water.

Yan He wasn’t in a hurry. she watched Lu Youqing’s shivering slowly stop, her mind filled with the blurred memories of the dream. The yellow light bathed them both; Lu Youqing’s long, raven-wing lashes trembled slowly, like a butterfly’s wings stirring ripples in Yan He’s heart.

Once the water was finished, Lu Youqing moved her hands within Yan He’s grasp. Seeing this, Yan He prepared to let go, but the woman suddenly gripped her back with surprising force.

Yan He couldn’t help but smile. In this environment, she no longer felt that shy. She reached out with one hand to gently tuck a strand of hair behind the woman’s ear: “Can you tell me why now?”

Lu Youqing finally looked up, her voice no longer as raspy as before: “I couldn’t sleep. My mind is a mess, I was thinking about things.”

Yan He was puzzled—what kind of things required leaving a window open to the cold wind and rain to think about? But before she could ask, Lu Youqing continued.

“In the past, whenever it rained, A-He would always hold me in her arms to coax me to sleep. Just like this.” Before Lu Youqing could finish, she suddenly lunged forward and embraced Yan He. Before Yan He could react, her arms were filled with soft, fragrant warmth. Losing her balance, she fell back onto the bed with Lu Youqing held tightly to her.

A woman’s body is always soft; even colliding together didn’t hurt much. However, as Yan He fell, her back hit a hard part of the bed frame. She knit her brows, almost crying out in pain.

Lu Youqing leaned against her chest, listening to Yan He’s heartbeat. The void in her heart was suddenly filled. She couldn’t help but tighten her arms, wishing she could melt into one with Yan He. Several strands of her hair fell onto Yan He’s neck, tickling her as Lu Youqing nuzzled against her.

Yan He’s pajama top had been pulled up halfway, and her exposed waist was being held tightly by Lu Youqing. She had no choice but to suppress her inner resistance, first making sure Lu Youqing wouldn’t roll off the bed. Her mind was filled with the warm, soft sensation of their close embrace.

The woman in her arms seemed to stop moving. Recovering from the pain, Yan He looked down and saw Lu Youqing watching her, her clear eyes reflecting the dim yellow light. Yan He finally couldn’t hold back the question in her heart.

“Then, in the past, when I wasn’t by your side… how did you spend the rainy nights?” She actually wanted to ask if, in the memories she just dreamed of, Lu Youqing had been afraid of that rain.

“A-He is so silly.” Lu Youqing suddenly burst into laughter. She let go and returned to her usual self, reaching out to tap Yan He’s cheek.

“Don’t we have phones? When we weren’t together, we would stay on video calls all night.”

Yan He was speechless. Thinking about it, she realized she was right; with phones being so convenient, a simple call meant there was no such thing as a long separation. She gave a small smile and took the opportunity to sit up with Lu Youqing, then released her hold to create some distance.

As the sensation of being enveloped in warmth vanished, Lu Youqing lowered her head with a hint of dejection.

“Still cold?” Yan He asked.

Lu Youqing shook her head and asked back: “It’s so late, what was A-He doing?”

Yan He: “I was thirsty, I came for a glass of water.” She was telling the truth, though she didn’t know if Lu Youqing believed her. Yan He realized her understanding of her fiancée was still shallow; for instance, she still didn’t know what Lu Youqing was thinking about so late. Was it just her amnesia?

Yan He didn’t understand, and she didn’t want to keep overthinking. She spread the blanket over Lu Youqing and checked the window again to make sure it was sealed. Only when she was certain everything was in order did she feel at ease.

Lu Youqing lay obediently on the bed, watching Yan He bustle around the room. Her A-He had always been like this—good to her without limits. Even after losing her memory, she still cared about everything concerning her. Lu Youqing’s fingers curled slightly under the blanket; she couldn’t stop staring at Yan He, her heart overflowing with sweetness.

She couldn’t help but want to hide A-He away again.

Yan He pulled the curtains closed once more and turned back to the girl lying on the bed. Her heart softened as she walked to her side: “I’m leaving now. You rest well, and no more opening the window.”

Though she tried to sound firm, her tone was clearly filled with care. Truly cute, Lu Youqing thought, smiling as she nodded.

Just then, another clap of thunder echoed from the horizon. The sharp sound tore through the sky. Almost instantly, Yan He was pulled back to the dream she just had, and she instinctively looked at Lu Youqing. Under the yellow light, she saw Lu Youqing’s eyes squeezed shut and her brows furrowed. The next second, Yan He felt her pajama sleeve being gripped tightly.

Lu Youqing was afraid of thunder.

Looking at her gripped sleeve, Yan He became even more certain of this thought. She reached out to gently hold Lu Youqing’s wrist, freeing her crumpled clothing, but suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She remembered that the last fragment of her dream ended at that clap of thunder; had the Lu Youqing of that time also been afraid?

“Can’t sleep?” Yan He asked in a husky voice.

Lu Youqing looked up, her lashes drooping slightly. Her clear, cool voice sounded: “I can’t.” It seemed the dark night granted her endless courage, allowing her to voice her true thoughts.

“Can A-He stay with me? I’m so scared.”

Yan He’s breath hitched. Her heart felt as if a gust of wind had swept through it, causing a persistent roar. For a moment, she forgot to answer.

Lu Youqing continued: “In the past, whenever it thundered, A-He would stay with me whether she was by my side or not. It’s been so many years… can you do it this time?” Her voice was very low, but it was enough to stir waves in Yan He’s heart. Yan He had no memory and couldn’t recall anything from that short sentence, but she could sense Lu Youqing’s helplessness in this moment.

She turned her head away, her heart burning. She couldn’t find the words to refuse. Out of shyness, she could only ramble: “R-really? Was it like that back when we were in school, too? Were you afraid of thunder back then?”

Lu Youqing’s heart jolted. A massive wave of panic filled her chest. Did Yan He remember something so soon? She suppressed the panic, but when she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of bitterness. she spoke as gently as possible, trying to hide the intensity behind her words: “A-He, have you thought of the past? How much have you remembered?”

The dynamic between them shifted subtly. Yan He didn’t notice the abnormality in Lu Youqing’s tone; she only shook her head, using the motion to hide her burning ears: “Not much. It’s probably because I just got home. I dreamed a tiny bit about high school, but I forgot most of it as soon as I woke up.”

She looked up into Lu Youqing’s gentle eyes, her lips moving: “So, were you also afraid of thunder in high school?” In Yan He’s muddled dream, she could only think of that single clap of thunder. Across years of time, she found herself worrying about the Lu Youqing of that moment.

Lu Youqing stared at her fixedly, seeing no trace of pretense in Yan He’s expression. Her racing heart settled significantly. Hearing the question, she gave a soft laugh, sat up, and lightly embraced Yan He, leaning her weight against her. When she spoke again, her voice was as pleasant as tinkling jade.

“I’ve always been afraid of thunder. But as long as A-He is here, I’m not afraid anymore.”