After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 24

Lu Youqing’s voice remained as enchanting as ever, like water striking a mountain stream, sending a shiver through Yan He’s heart. Perhaps the lingering echo of the rain had stirred a deep softness within her, for the sense of rejection Yan He felt during this embrace was no longer so severe. She submissively held Lu Youqing’s body, allowing her to lean against her shoulder.

“So, can A-He sleep with me now?” Seeing that Yan He didn’t reject her hug, Lu Youqing couldn’t help but push her luck. Her words carried a tone of consultation, but her hands gripped Yan He tightly, possessing an aura that suggested she wouldn’t let go unless Yan He agreed.

Seeing that Yan He remained silent for a long time, Lu Youqing didn’t forget to continue displaying her softness and vulnerability.

“In the past, A-He would hold me like this to coax me to sleep. It was like this every time it rained heavily. Is even a hug not allowed now?”

“I was too impatient. I only thought of myself and didn’t realize that A-He has amnesia now. To you, I’m just a familiar stranger; I’ve been too forward. I’m sorry.”

She spoke in a low, weak voice, her every word blaming herself. Her grip on Yan He’s clothes gradually loosened, like a withered lotus leaf in a bitter wind. This undoubtedly struck Yan He’s wavering heart. With just these few sentences, Yan He’s desire to leave vanished by more than half, and she believed Lu Youqing’s words about her past companionship without a doubt.

It was already the early hours of the morning. The rain had started falling since the two separated. Lu Youqing, afraid of the thunder and unable to sleep, had sat at the head of the bed alone to endure the dark hours. If she hadn’t woken up because of the thunder tonight, would Lu Youqing have sat there in a daze until dawn?

Just thinking about it made Yan He feel a wave of bitterness in her chest. A person’s most instinctive reaction wouldn’t lie; she must have truly coaxed Lu Youqing to sleep like this before. So why couldn’t she do it now? Should she avoid caring for her fiancée just because of the shyness stemming from her amnesia, leaving Lu Youqing alone and sad in the dark? What kind of fiancée would that make her?

After all, they had already kissed—and she was the one who initiated it. She should be able to manage coaxing Lu Youqing to sleep.

Yan He questioned herself and, after receiving an affirmative and self-reproaching answer, she gathered her courage, tossed aside her shyness and tension, and looked at Lu Youqing again.

“Okay, I’ll stay with you.”

A smile bloomed on Lu Youqing’s lips. Clearly happy, she still pretended to be concerned about Yan He’s state: “But won’t A-He feel repulsed?” Her voice lowered again, sounding very aggrieved in the dim room: “If A-He is truly unwilling, I can fall asleep on my own. I don’t want to trouble you.”

Yan He was almost laughed at by her antics. The one who wanted her to stay was Lu Youqing, and the one telling her to leave was also Lu Youqing. How could this person be so contradictory yet cute?

“I’m willing.” Yan He raised her hand to gently stroke Lu Youqing’s restless head. “It’s nothing, just sleeping. And we’re already engaged. Before I lost my memory, we probably did this every day.” Her voice grew lower and lower; she found her own words strange and quickly shut her mouth, but in the small room, her voice still fell accurately into Lu Youqing’s ears.

Leaning on her shoulder, Lu Youqing couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh at Yan He’s words. She no longer found the annoying rainy night bothersome.

“Okay,” she agreed. “We did indeed hold each other to sleep every day before.” She ran her fingers across Yan He’s trembling back, pulled back the quilt to let them both lie down, and took the opportunity to roll over and find a comfortable position in Yan He’s arms.

“This time, A-He should hold me to sleep, too.” She settled securely beside Yan He, shrinking herself into Yan He’s warm embrace. She had already taken the first step by hugging Yan He tightly, not forgetting to wrap her legs around Yan He’s, clinging to her like a koala.

From Yan He’s perspective, she could only see a fluffy head in her arms. Her heart softened completely. Without even realizing her own inner trepidation, she stiffly raised her arms to return the hug.

She comforted her anxious heart, rationalizing that the panic she felt was simply because it was her first time sleeping with Lu Youqing. Just like her intimate contact with Lu Youqing in the hospital, it was an instinctive avoidance of the unfamiliar by her amnesiac body. It would get better in time.

Yan He’s heart gradually calmed. Though she knew they wouldn’t do anything and they were engaged, being pressed so closely together—with the woman’s softness right against her, and the thin fabric providing almost no barrier—made the tips of her ears turn red. Yan He couldn’t help but wonder if she and Lu Youqing used to sleep like this before; it was likely even more intimate than this.

She actually began to look forward to their interactions once her memory returned.

Yan He pursed her lips to hide her heartbeat and looked out at the window where the storm was still raging. She said extremely softly over the top of Lu Youqing’s head: “Goodnight, sweet dreams.”

The night was silent, and the sound of the rain eventually turned gentle. The pitter-patter on the leaves was extremely conducive to sleep. With a dependent and reliable person by her side, the unfamiliarity and unease in Yan He’s heart dissipated. She became incredibly drowsy. Though she was the one who said she would accompany Lu Youqing to sleep, she actually fell asleep before Lu Youqing did.

Her consciousness gradually sank. In her daze, she seemed to feel the person in her arms moving gently. Yan He instinctively hugged her tighter to stop her from moving, then fell completely into a deep slumber.

A long time passed—long enough for Yan He’s breathing to become shallow—before the sound of rustling fabric finally broke the silence. Lu Youqing raised her head from Yan He’s arms, her dark eyes gazing at her deeply. Yan He’s sleeping face looked peaceful; her breathing through pursed lips was gentle.

Lu Youqing couldn’t resist the fluttering in her heart. She raised her hand, wanting to stroke her cheek, but fearing her movement would wake Yan He, who had finally fallen asleep, she had to patiently trace Yan He’s features with her eyes from a distance. she wanted to etch her appearance into her heart, frame by frame, not wanting to miss a single thing.

Thinking back, it had been a long time since Lu Youqing could lie in Yan He’s arms so peacefully. After the car accident, Yan He’s injuries meant she had to be mindful of Yan He’s physical safety. During that time, even when she wanted to be more intimate countless times, she had to restrain herself.

But what about before the accident? Lu Youqing’s gaze suddenly darkened. Recalling Yan He’s cold, decisive words and her own mistakes, her heart, which had finally warmed slightly, froze again. In the silent darkness, she curved her lips bitterly, then hugged Yan He tighter and closed her eyes, unwilling to remember any further.

A-He said she dreamed of some things from high school. How could her memory be returning so quickly? Would she dream of what happened after that as well? Would she remember the things that made A-He despise her, even to the point of not wanting to look at her? Lu Youqing didn’t dare think further; she only felt as if her heart were being slowly sliced.

If only time could stay forever at the moment A-He lost her memory, Lu Youqing couldn’t help but fantasize, though she knew she was wishing for the impossible. Her mood suddenly sank. Dark thoughts rose in her mind—to trap A-He, to keep her by her side. Just like before, being yours alone, seen only by you, belonging only to you.

How ridiculous. She wanted to start over with A-He, yet at the first sign of a crack in the plan, she wanted to burn all bridges. Lu Youqing laughed at herself mockingly, feeling she was becoming more and more like Lu Ningyun.

The rain continued outside, the storm bringing claps of thunder into her ears. Lu Youqing curled up in Yan He’s arms, as if trying to melt her entire being into Yan He’s body. The sentence she told A-He wasn’t actually finished; she wasn’t just afraid of thunder—she also suffered from constant insomnia, especially when she made A-He angry. Back then, without A-He’s company, she would sit in a daze just like today. Even when she used forceful means to hold A-He, she only obtained a warm embrace. She would hold Yan He like that, fearing gain and loss, until dawn.

Medication didn’t help. Her mind was full of Yan He; she only wanted to touch Yan He, only wanted to be with Yan He.

Against her chest was the steady beating of a heart. She leaned against Yan He, like a predator that had finally captured delicious prey but didn’t dare take the next step for fear of disturbing a treasure. She only dared to listen to the heartbeat. Her movements were so careful and practiced that she recalled many previous days and nights when she counted Yan He’s heartbeats to support herself until the arrival of the red sunrise.

On rainy nights, thunder is always exceptionally loud. Lu Youqing hugged Yan He tightly, hiding in her embrace. Using her fear of the dark and thunder as an excuse, she found solace in her arms time and again. Just like every time before, except this time, Yan He was no longer as resistant to her behavior.

And she could finally get a good night’s sleep.

“A-He, sleep well.” Her voice was low, filled with complex emotions, finally answering Yan He’s pre-sleep words.

The next day, when Yan He woke up, she felt as if she had been awakened by a brilliant white light. She raised her hand to block the sunlight and, aided by the light filtered through the curtains, recognized the room’s decor.

Her consciousness gradually returned. She realized this wasn’t the hospital or the master bedroom, but the guest room with Lu Youqing.

The woman in her arms also seemed to notice her movement. After a few dissatisfied nudges, she returned to stillness. Yan He froze, looking down at the woman in her embrace as the memories of last night flooded back.

She had remained in the position of holding Lu Youqing all night until dawn. It was a bit difficult to get up now; the arm Lu Youqing had been using as a pillow was numb and weak.

Lu Youqing was still sleeping deeply. Her earlier movement seemed to be just an instinctive sleep-mutter. It appeared the car accident had left a deep psychological scar on Lu Youqing as well; even in sleep, she was gripping Yan He’s clothes tightly, as if terrified she would leave. Yan He looked at her peaceful, sleeping features, and her own movements naturally grew quiet.

The Lu Youqing she had seen before was gentle and considerate; the Lu Youqing on TV was radiant, with a charm that could capture anyone with a single smile; the version of her last night and today was fragile and in need of someone to lean on. But no matter which version of Lu Youqing it was, Yan He seemed to have never felt true repulsion. She had always been quite dependent on Lu Youqing; otherwise, she wouldn’t have fallen asleep so quickly last night.

Allowing Lu Youqing to keep holding her, and ignoring her numb arms for now, Yan He looked up at the ceiling, her mind blank. The tickle of the woman’s hair lightly scratched her skin. Being so close, she could even see the faint blue veins beneath Lu Youqing’s porcelain skin.

After letting Lu Youqing hold her for a bit longer, she checked the time and saw it was getting late. Yan He began to carefully maneuver her way out of bed to prepare breakfast. Although she hadn’t truly cooked before, she thought she could manage a simple breakfast.

Just as she was thinking this, Yan He gently moved Lu Youqing’s hands off her and slowly sat up. As she was stretching her aching neck and arms and preparing to stand, she suddenly felt a slight breeze behind her, followed by a full embrace from the back.

“Good morning.” A woman’s weary morning voice drifted over. Lu Youqing murmured against her shoulder.

“Did A-He miss me? I was dreaming of A-He all night.”

Yan He’s stretching motion stopped. She turned her head slightly to look back. The woman’s hair was a mess, and her nightgown was hanging loosely and disheveled on her frame. Yet, she seemed completely unaware of this, looking at her with eyes full of longing.

Yan He turned her head away, her eyes darting around as her heart skipped a beat. She spoke evasively: “I didn’t dream. I slept through the night.”

“Then A-He’s sleep must be very good. To not even feel out of place on your first night home. I woke up several times while holding A-He,” Lu Youqing continued. She leaned into Yan He’s ear, intentionally using a breathy voice to ask her questions, only stopping when she saw Yan He’s ear turn red.

Half of Yan He’s body felt numb from her words. She lowered her head, returning to the “quail-like” state she always adopted when facing Lu Youqing. It seemed as if their dynamic would always be Lu Youqing advancing and her retreating.

Just as Yan He was about to escape Lu Youqing’s words and get up to put some distance between them, they both heard a knock on the door from the next room, followed by a girl’s cautious inquiry.

“Miss Yan, Miss Lu, are you awake? I’ve made some breakfast… would you like to eat together?”