After Losing My Memory, I Was Targeted by the Obsessive Movie Queen [gl] - Chapter 27

It was several dozen minutes later by the time Yan He finished her shower and headed downstairs. After changing into clean clothes and feeling refreshed, she didn’t see Lu Youqing immediately, but instead caught the scent of delicious food drifting toward her.

Yan He instantly felt famished. Following the scent, she saw Lu Youqing’s figure busy in the kitchen.

Sensing footsteps behind her, Lu Youqing turned around, her exquisite, flushed face brimming with a smile. She wore simple loungewear with an apron over it, her waterfall of long hair tied in a low, neat ponytail behind her. She tilted her head and smiled at Yan He, the light falling perfectly beside her, casting a faint, ethereal glow around her frame.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Lu Youqing said, her crimson lips moving as she spoke in a beautiful, lingering voice.

Yan He was unconsciously captivated by her voice and gaze. she didn’t know why Lu Youqing looked so different at this moment; she recalled the title “Exiled Immortal” that the media often gave her.

“You made dinner?” Realizing how dazed her gaze was, Yan He hurriedly lowered her head and looked away, glancing around restlessly.

“I’ll help,” she added quickly, afraid Lu Youqing would tease her again.

As the dishes were brought to the table, Yan He, mindful of yesterday’s experience, checked them specifically. She felt relieved to find that some were not spicy. Lu Youqing couldn’t handle spice, and Yan He didn’t want her to make herself suffer just to accommodate her.

Yan He hadn’t eaten all day, so she enjoyed the meal immensely. In contrast, Lu Youqing didn’t have much of an appetite; she spent more time propping her chin on her hand and watching Yan He than she did actually using her chopsticks.

Yan He naturally noticed the abnormality. “Not hungry?”

Lu Youqing shook her head. “I ate a bit too much at lunch. I’m not very hungry yet.”

So this meal was made specifically for me, Yan He realized. When she looked at Lu Youqing, her eyes were filled with complex, heavy emotions.

Lu Youqing forced herself to stay alert, resting her chin in her hand. “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your taste?”

Yan He lowered her head, hiding the churning emotions in her heart. “No, it’s delicious.”

Lu Youqing smiled suddenly. “Eat more if it’s good. It was my oversight; I forgot that A-He wouldn’t know how to cook after the amnesia.”

Yan He set down her chopsticks, thinking of the “dark cuisine” she had dumped in the kitchen earlier. “So you knew.”

Lu Youqing took a tissue and wiped the corner of Yan He’s mouth. “It’s okay. A-He used to be a great cook; you just forgot because of the amnesia. Take your time.” As she leaned closer, a sweet fragrance drifted over. For some reason, the skin of her hand felt hotter than usual when it brushed Yan He’s cheek.

Yan He felt something was off and tried to touch Lu Youqing’s hand, but before she could, Lu Youqing quickly pulled back.

Yan He frowned slightly, realizing Lu Youqing might be hiding something. A wave of irritation rose in her heart. Just as she was about to stand up and check on her, Lu Youqing rose first, smiling at her gently.

“You keep eating. I’m going to go get the laundry from the machine.” With that, she turned and walked away, putting distance between them.

Yan He watched her enter the laundry area near the bathroom, her brows knit. She felt something was wrong. Before she could think further, she suddenly heard a loud thud. Yan He sprang up, her legs instinctively carrying her toward the sound.

In the bathroom, Lu Youqing’s thin, fragile figure was sprawled on the cold tiles. She was trembling all over, struggling in vain to get up only to collapse again. Clean laundry was scattered messily around her, and her long hair was disheveled.

Yan He rushed over to help her up. The moment she touched her, a wave of scorching heat surged from Lu Youqing’s body into her own. Yan He froze for an instant.

Feeling the cool temperature beside her, Lu Youqing burrowed into Yan He’s arms like a traveler in the desert who had finally found water. She slowly opened her eyes, which were misty with fever. She looked terrible.

Despite being in enough pain to shake, she still forced a smile upon seeing Yan He’s deep frown, trying to comfort her: “A-He, I’m fine… I just slipped. The clothes just need to be washed again.”

As she spoke, she struggled to rise from Yan He’s embrace to prove she was okay, but she collapsed back against her halfway through.

Her messy hair tickled Yan He’s skin. Yan He felt as if her heart were being squeezed by a giant hand. She could only feel the abnormal heat of Lu Youqing’s body. Her own chest trembled with every shiver from the woman in her arms. When she heard Lu Youqing trying to comfort her despite her obvious suffering, her composure finally snapped.

Without a word, she scooped Lu Youqing up. Amidst Lu Youqing’s soft gasp, she carried her up to the second-floor bedroom. She opened the door and laid Lu Youqing gently on the bed, tucking the quilt around her with extreme care, fearing any movement would increase her discomfort. Throughout the process, Lu Youqing remained silent like a beautiful doll, her eyes fixed solely on Yan He.

“Where are the medicines kept? I’ll go get some.” Yan He finished tucking her in, her mind racing through what needed to be done. As she turned to leave, her wrist was caught in a tight grip. She turned back to meet Lu Youqing’s watery gaze.

“I drank alcohol at lunch. I can’t take medicine.” Lu Youqing’s lashes trembled, her voice raspy and weak. Combined with her fragile expression, she looked incredibly vulnerable. Her eyes, filled with tears from the fever, shimmered as they reflected Yan He’s image.

Perhaps due to the illness, Lu Youqing became extremely insecure, terrified of Yan He leaving her side for even a few minutes. Even though she was so miserable she wanted to pass out, she used all her strength to grip Yan He’s wrist to prevent her from leaving.

Yan He felt a lump in her throat. Her heart ached so much she could hardly breathe. She let out a long breath, controlling her emotions, and crouched down so her shadow fell over Lu Youqing. She reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Lu Youqing’s ear, revealing her clean, exquisite face.

“I’m just going to get you some water. I’ll be right back. If you close your eyes and open them again, I’ll be here.” She spoke as if coaxing a child, softening her voice to sound more convincing.

Lu Youqing obediently closed her eyes and then opened them. “There, A-He is here.” Her grip on Yan He’s wrist tightened, like a petulant child refusing to let go.

“You promised today that you wouldn’t leave my sight without permission. Are you going to break your word so soon?”

Yan He: “…”

Being so close, Yan He could feel the scorching heat radiating from Lu Youqing, burning against her own chest. The beauty mark at the corner of Lu Youqing’s eye was even more prominent due to the fever, and her pale skin bore an unnatural flush. She looked fragile yet elegant, like a priceless, breakable gemstone.

She stared at Yan He with red-rimmed eyes, as if terrified that if she let go, Yan He would vanish.

Despite the tremors in her own heart, Yan He forced herself to break free from Lu Youqing’s grip. She whispered, “I’ll be right back,” and hurried out of the room.

Lu Youqing watched Yan He disappear until the door closed, cutting off her view. Her misty eyes instantly fell into darkness.

She turned her head and lay there dejectedly. Her body burned and shook, yet her heart felt desolate. Without Yan He, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. She curled up in the quilt. Yan He’s scent on the blanket had begun to fade, replaced by her own, yet she wanted to keep that fragrance with a desperate madness.

Perhaps the fever made her muddled, but as Lu Youqing stared at the ceiling, her mind full of Yan He, she suddenly recalled a time back in school when she had a similar fever.

During their senior year, the school organized a hiking trip. It had rained that day, and she had been feverish since her return.

She had taken leave from school and stayed alone in her massive villa. Loneliness and darkness were her constant companions. In the past, she could at least huddle with Lu Ningyun for warmth; though she was usually the one taking care of her sister, at least she had someone to talk to, so she wasn’t completely alone.

The nanny at home was terrified of Lu Ningyun’s episodes and never dared to interact much with either of them. After her sister passed away, the nanny’s fear shifted from Lu Ningyun to her. Lu Youqing eventually fired her, only hiring a cleaning lady who came occasionally.

She was the only one left in the house.

Lying on her bed, her body racked with chills and lacking all strength, the dark and silent room felt as if it were squeezing the air out of her lungs. She was truly afraid she would die like that.

Darkness felt like encroaching threads, trapping her precarious consciousness. Lu Youqing let herself sink into the pain, silently enduring the physical and psychological torment as she always did.

In the quiet room, only her breathing could be heard. Lu Youqing knew her mind was blurring from the fever. She clearly felt herself falling into an abyss, dropping further and further until her consciousness faded and she fell into a hopeless sleep.

When she woke up again, the sky was still dark. Nothing had changed. Lu Youqing felt slightly better and tried to get up, when a wet towel suddenly fell onto her forehead. Then, the mattress beside her shifted. Before she could react, a familiar voice spoke.

“You’re awake.”

Lu Youqing froze. she turned her head sharply to find Yan He sitting by her bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning.

“You…” Lu Youqing was too shocked to speak, her lips trembling violently. She remembered this clearly; it was the only vibrant color in her barren memories. In that instant, she heard her heart pounding like a landslide, driving away the darkness that had occupied her soul.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

Yan He rubbed her eyes, picked up the wet towel that had fallen, and placed it back on her forehead. The coolness felt wonderful.

“My seatmate of only a few days hasn’t shown up to school for so long; as your seatmate, I had to come see you. Now, lie down. Your fever hasn’t broken yet.”

“How did you get a fever? Was it from the rain during the hike? Then you need to rest properly.”

The girl kept rambling as if she never tired. Lu Youqing’s mind was in a haze, and in her disbelief, her first words were quite unpleasant.

“What are you here for?” The moment she said it, Lu Youqing regretted it. she didn’t want to drive Yan He away at all, but she said it anyway. Lu Youqing at eighteen was prideful above all else; even though her heart was desperate to hold Yan He’s hand and beg her to stay, her face remained impassive.

Sure enough, Yan He’s voice stopped abruptly. After a long pause, she gave an annoyed laugh.

“I’m here to get my jacket back.”

Lu Youqing suppressed the bitterness in her heart and sat up. The wet towel fell onto the quilt, soaking it, and her heart felt soaked through as well.

See, she thought. No one truly thinks of me. Even if I vanished from this world one day, no one would notice. She must be muddled from the fever; for a moment, seeing Yan He, she had dared to hope she might actually be remembered.

How ridiculous.

Lu Youqing pulled back the covers, her voice returning to its usual coldness.

“I’ll get it for you.”

But before she could get out of bed, her wrist was firmly gripped. she looked at Yan He and saw a frown deeper than her own.

“Lie down,” the girl said coldly, pressing her back onto the bed with a strength Lu Youqing couldn’t resist. Her body ached from the force, but her heart was full of joy.

Yan He let go and turned to leave. “The porridge is done, I’m going to check on it. Don’t you dare move. If I come back and you aren’t in bed, you’re in trouble.”

The girl’s clear voice echoed in the room. Even though the lights weren’t on, Lu Youqing felt an endless warmth. She did exactly as Yan He said, waiting for her return.

Yan He returned with a bowl of porridge, blowing on each spoonful to cool it before offering it to Lu Youqing’s lips.

“Eat some.”

Lu Youqing obediently opened her mouth and swallowed. “Thank you.”

Yan He huffed. “You’re welcome. So you can talk.”

Lu Youqing lowered her head. After her sleep, the fever had subsided significantly and she felt better. Realizing Yan He was still angry with her, she lowered her eyes and curled her fingers, digging her nails into her palm.

“Eat more,” Yan He said, unaware of her distress. she kept feeding her, talking non-stop.

“You probably haven’t eaten all day. There was nothing in your fridge.”

Lu Youqing looked up. “You went into the kitchen?”

Yan He: “How could I make porridge without going into the kitchen? My top student, you should rest more and not let the fever burn your high IQ away.”

“We should have changed clothes sooner during the hike. It was thundering and raining, and you were on your period. Even though we found the teacher shortly after the thunder, we were still in the rain for a long time. I should have noticed your jacket was torn sooner.”

Lu Youqing took another spoonful of porridge. Listening to Yan He’s rambling, she felt the void in her heart filled with tenderness. she loved this feeling and instinctively wanted to prolong it.

“You know how to make porridge?”

Yan He raised an eyebrow. “Of course. It’s good, right? Mother Li taught me. She’s the nanny at my house.”

Lu Youqing: “Thank you, Mother Li.”

Yan He frowned in protest. “What? Shouldn’t you thank me?”

Lu Youqing smiled, her heart flooded with sweetness. For the first time, she felt her home was warm; it felt almost unreal.

“Thank you, Classmate Yan.” she said again, her tone firmer and more sincere than ever before. An eighteen-year-old girl, youthful, yet possessing a courage that could encompass the world.

A cool touch on her forehead broke Lu Youqing’s memory. Her vision focused, and she saw Yan He’s anxious face.

“Is it very uncomfortable?” Yan He looked at her nervously. Compared to seven years ago, Yan He had grown up; her face was more mature, yet she was still the existence that made Lu Youqing’s heart leap just by standing there.

Lu Youqing shook her head. She reached up to hold Yan He’s hand, which was resting against her cheek, and gazed at her with deep affection.

She thought to herself: I will probably never let go in this lifetime.