Amnesia Trap (GL) - Chapter 21

Sheng Zhi had only told Jiang Wanyin that she was pretending to have forgotten Ji Qingfan. Her other friends were unaware of the truth.

It wasn’t the kind of thing one could tell too many people. After all, it was a lie, and if too many people knew a lie, it might be exposed one day.

Thus, publicly, everyone only knew she had forgotten Ji Qingfan.

It was only now that Sheng Zhi remembered she hadn’t replied to Jiang Wanyin’s messages.

With so many things stacked up today, her attention was limited, and she genuinely hadn’t thought of it.

Afraid she would forget again, Sheng Zhi quickly opened her chat with Jiang Wanyin while it was on her mind.

Jiang Wanyin must have seen the photo she posted on her social circle with the necklace, complimenting her on how good it looked. Below that were a few voice messages.

Sheng Zhi instinctively played one and, upon hearing a low, tearful “I’m sorry,” realized the speakerphone was on, and immediately turned the volume down.

Ji Qingfan, who was driving, seemed to glance her way, or perhaps she didn’t: “Zhi Zhi, who are you chatting with?”

Sheng Zhi rummaged through her bag, pulled out her earphones, and connected them. She said casually: “A friend.”

She hadn’t expected Jiang Wanyin to be crying. Listening to the voice message now, she felt a bit uneasy.

She sent a hugging emoji, feeling that typing wouldn’t be as effective. So, she sent a voice message telling her not to cry, awkwardly trying to comfort her.

Immediately after sending it, she felt the car distinctly stop.

At the same time, Ji Qingfan turned to her and smiled: “Zhi Zhi, we’re here. Let’s get out.”

Sheng Zhi looked at the flashing “Typing…” above the chat box, figured everything was fine, sent a final message saying “I’m going to eat first,” and then got out of the car with Ji Qingfan.

The place they arrived at was a club-like restaurant, owned by Xia Xiyan. Sheng Zhi had invested a small amount in it and had some shares here.

Sheng Zhi wasn’t worried that her friends wouldn’t “host” Ji Qingfan well, as the information she had given them was exactly what Ji Qingfan had told her: Ji Qingfan told her they actually had a very good relationship, but she felt it wasn’t quite real.

Sure enough, when they heard this, Xia Xiyan laughed out loud: “She really told you that? You two have been arch-enemies since school, okay? Forget it, leave her to us. If she dares to show up tonight, we’ll definitely get her drunk.”

Sheng Zhi felt reassured upon hearing this.

But she realized she hadn’t seen Ji Qingfan drink much and, worried about her being completely drunk, offered a subtle warning.

She wasn’t worried about Ji Qingfan herself; she was worried about explaining things to her mother if something happened.

Ji Qingfan walked to her side and opened the car door for her. But just as they reached the private room door, she glanced at her phone and suddenly said: “Zhi Zhi, you go in first. I forgot something in the car.”

With that, she turned and walked back.

“…?”

Sheng Zhi looked at her retreating figure, hesitating for a second between following and not following.

Ji Qingfan’s words sounded too much like an excuse to leave temporarily. Sheng Zhi had a feeling she was about to text her in the next second, saying she couldn’t make it.

Sheng Zhi thought about it, went into the private room first to greet Xia Xiyan and the others, relayed what Ji Qingfan had said, and then followed her.

This way, if she came back alone later, whether Ji Qingfan was genuinely busy or just pretending, Ji Qingfan would definitely look like a clown who fled at the last minute.

Thinking this, Sheng Zhi wasn’t in a hurry anymore. She walked leisurely in the direction Ji Qingfan had left, checking her phone from time to time, wishing to see a message from Ji Qingfan saying she had to leave due to a sudden issue.

However, before she walked too far, she ran into Ji Qingfan coming back.

When she left, she had nothing in her hands, but this time she was carrying several bags.

Seeing Sheng Zhi, Ji Qingfan paused for a second, then immediately curved her lips into a smile: “Why did you come out to look for me?”

Whether intentionally or not, she barely gave Sheng Zhi a chance to speak, her eyes sparkling: “What’s wrong? Were you worried about me?”

Sheng Zhi couldn’t stand Ji Qingfan’s mouth anymore. She looked at her opening and closing, rosy-red lips and felt like she needed to shut her up with something, just so Ji Qingfan would stop saying things like that: “Stop talking nonsense.”

Ji Qingfan chuckled, walked to her side, and walked forward with her, her gentle voice almost carried by the evening breeze to Sheng Zhi’s ear: “It’s alright. I know Zhi Zhi is too shy to admit it, but feeling that Zhi Zhi worries about me makes me genuinely happy.”

“Even though you’ve forgotten about our past, my love for you increases every day.”

Sheng Zhi scoffed, turning her head and pressing her hand to her face.

Listening to Ji Qingfan’s voice, she thought that lies simply sounded better than the truth.

And Ji Qingfan was the kind of person who could make lies sound the best.

Just imagine: a capable and incredibly beautiful person who is aloof and distant to everyone else like a lotus on a high mountain, yet expresses love sweetly to you, always initiates closeness, and shows her need for you in every action. Even if you don’t particularly like her, and even know she is a thorough, cunning liar, you would still feel a sense of pleasure facing all this. It’s unavoidable.

“Don’t overthink it. Why would I worry about you? … Never mind. What are you carrying?” She remembered Ji Qingfan didn’t have these things before she went back.

So, Ji Qingfan went back just to get these things?

Ji Qingfan’s gaze followed Sheng Zhi’s voice down to the items in her hands, and she responded: “These are some small gifts for Zhi Zhi’s friends.”

In the brief time these words were exchanged, they had already walked back to the door of the private room.

Hearing Ji Qingfan say this, Sheng Zhi was truly taken aback.

Gifts?

She thought Ji Qingfan was using an excuse to flee at the last minute, but Ji Qingfan had gone back to get gifts?

Sheng Zhi finally took a serious look at the bags Ji Qingfan was carrying and, with just one glance at the logos, confirmed the value of these gifts.

She had to admit that Ji Qingfan was even better at dealing with people than she had imagined. She was truly generous with these gifts, and some weren’t things that could be simply bought with money.

Ji Qingfan raised her wrist and looked at her watch: “Zhi Zhi, are all your friends here? My going back and forth probably made your friends anxious. Let’s hurry in.”

The air conditioning in the private room was set very high.

When Sheng Zhi and Ji Qingfan entered, they were drinking and playing a game.

Xia Xiyan must have lost, as she raised her glass and downed it in one go. Noticing Sheng Zhi was back, she instantly stood up and walked over to give her a big hug: “Oh, you’re finally back. I was so anxious waiting for you.”

Sheng Zhi smelled the alcohol on her and felt a bit disgusted. She put her finger on Xia Xiyan’s shoulder, stopping the hug: “Don’t say ‘waiting.’ You guys started drinking just in that short time. If I came in any later, would you have finished it all?”

“It’s just too boring waiting alone,” Xia Xiyan finished with a giggle, then paused, making a sound of surprise as she curiously touched the clothes Sheng Zhi was wearing, “I didn’t even notice earlier. What are you wearing? Business attire? That’s unprecedented.”

“That’s right. Zhi Zhi and I didn’t go back to change. We came straight from the company,” Ji Qingfan finally spoke.

Xia Xiyan acted as if she had just noticed Ji Qingfan. She glanced at her, then suddenly turned to everyone and smiled: “Hurry up, everyone! Get up and say hello to President Ji.”

In the next second, a chorus of “Hello, President Ji” echoed.

But rather than a genuine greeting, it sounded more like a drawn-out provocation. They were all lounging lazily, and their gazes weren’t particularly friendly. Not to mention the cynical atmosphere that came from their long-term life of debauchery.

Even the most oblivious person could tell that this dinner was not going to be a simple meal.

Sheng Zhi didn’t make a sound. She blinked, somewhat looking forward to Ji Qingfan’s reaction.

Nearly every detail in this private room would be a minefield for Ji Qingfan. Ji Qingfan absolutely looked down on every single one of them and was probably repulsed deep down.

But looking at her, Ji Qingfan truly stood out as not being one of them.

For example, though Sheng Zhi was also wearing business attire, she didn’t possess the same aura as Ji Qingfan.

From Sheng Zhi’s angle, the woman’s long, wavy hair was casually tied up, with only a few wisps falling down, revealing her beautiful jawline. Perhaps because she had just finished work, she was wearing rimless glasses. She had a high nose bridge, a thin blazer, a charcoal grey shirt paired with a low-saturation pencil skirt—elegant and intellectual.

Ji Qingfan was completely unprovoked by the malicious opening. She smiled lightly: “No need to be so formal. I was the one who caused the delay today, so this meal is on me—”

As she spoke, she placed the various bags in her hands on the table: “I brought some small gifts for your friends. Just a small token of my regard. I hope you like them.”

The gifts clearly showed thoughtful preparation. Not only was there one for everyone, but she had even prepared two extra in case of any unexpected guests.

The saying “not to strike a smiling face” holds some truth. Her posture disarmed this group of loud people, causing them all to stand up involuntarily. They looked at each other, silent.

Xia Xiyan coughed. She hadn’t expected this situation. In their plan, Ji Qingfan was supposed to be extremely proud and wouldn’t speak more than a few words to them. She looked at Sheng Zhi, asking with her eyes what they should do next.

“…” Sheng Zhi glanced at the composed Ji Qingfan, secretly gritting her teeth.

She should have realized earlier that it was no surprise this group of heirs, who thought only of pleasure every day, would be intimidated by Ji Qingfan, this old fox who had been immersed in the business world for so long.

She couldn’t show too much displeasure at this situation. So, Sheng Zhi just feigned confusion and beckoned to them: “Why are you all standing around? Didn’t you say we were going to drink? Pour the wine.”

Hearing her voice, the atmosphere in the room livened up again.

Soon, various kinds of liquor covered the table, making the food look like mere garnish.

And they weren’t just drinking. They were mixing the drinks themselves.

After all, mixed drinks are easier to get someone drunk on than plain liquor.

After they finished mixing, Sheng Zhi poured the drinks. When she reached Ji Qingfan, it was the last cup, filled to the brim, almost spilling over.

“No problem, right?”

Although she asked, Sheng Zhi raised the glass she poured for Ji Qingfan and leaned slightly, offering it to her lips, with an implied stance that Ji Qingfan wouldn’t be allowed to stop until she drank it.

Separated by a wine glass, their eyes met.

Sheng Zhi looked at her, her bright red lips slightly curved.

Ji Qingfan was momentarily dazed.

The light in the private room wasn’t too bright, but she was like the most eye-catching rose blooming in a thorn bush.

Free, passionate, and ostentatious.

Just like the night she burst into Ji Qingfan’s world without warning.

An almost fatal attraction that made Ji Qingfan want to keep her secret.

After waiting for a while with the glass held up, Sheng Zhi’s patience began to run out. She made a sound of impatience: “Ji Qingfan, are you going to drink or not?”

Ji Qingfan snapped back to attention.

She tilted her head up slightly, her eyelashes long and thick. Her affectionate gaze looked already drunk, even without drinking: “I’ll drink. As long as it’s from Zhi Zhi, I’ll drink poison…”

The last few syllables were spoken very softly, and Sheng Zhi didn’t quite catch them. But before she could ask, Ji Qingfan’s lips were already against the rim of the glass.

She didn’t take the glass; instead, she drank the wine directly from the position Sheng Zhi was holding it to her lips.

Her already intense lip color looked even more captivating, stained with the liquor.

“Zhi Zhi… I can’t reach it. Get a little closer to me.” The corner of her eyes crinkled charmingly as she spoke, her tone sounding like sweet, coaxing flirtation.

Sheng Zhi had been planning to use some method to make Ji Qingfan drink if she refused, but she didn’t expect Ji Qingfan to willingly drink it all.

Not only that, but her gaze was fixed on Sheng Zhi the entire time, even when swallowing the alcohol.

She seemed unaccustomed to the taste of alcohol, her eyes hazily narrowing slightly, and a seductive faint blush steamed from the skin around her eyes.

It was only when only the last few sips of wine were left in the glass that Sheng Zhi realized the surroundings had become so quiet that even breathing could be heard.

—Everyone was looking at them.

Or rather, mostly at Ji Qingfan.

The kind of completely undisguised captivated gaze.

Sheng Zhi’s hand paused, and she lost control of the feeding speed. Ji Qingfan choked slightly and covered her mouth, coughing.

Hearing Ji Qingfan cough, Sheng Zhi suddenly pulled her up fiercely: “No more drinking.”

“And you all, stop looking. What are you looking at? Drink your own wine.”

She pulled Ji Qingfan out to the outer compartment.

The light outside was much brighter than inside the private room. In the room, Sheng Zhi had only noticed Ji Qingfan’s eyes were a little red, but now she saw that the flush had spread to her cheeks.

“Zhi Zhi…” Ji Qingfan blinked. Her speech seemed to slow down with her thoughts, drawling: “What are you looking at? Why can’t I look?”

As she spoke, she seemed unable to stand steadily, tilting slightly and leaning against Sheng Zhi, burying her head against her neck: “Hold me, I’m so hot, and I don’t feel well.”

Perhaps due to the alcohol, her breath was hot, almost scorching.

Sheng Zhi reached out and wrapped her arms around Ji Qingfan’s waist.

She realized Ji Qingfan was very different when she was drunk. Especially with her still wearing her work clothes, there was a sense of an unexpected contrast.

“Ji Qingfan, aren’t you very capable?” she spoke mockingly, but she herself didn’t realize she was smiling: “How did you collapse after just one drink?”

The words fell, but when Ji Qingfan didn’t answer, Sheng Zhi patted her face and hummed: “I’m asking you a question. Are you too drunk to speak?”

She knew very well that with the alcohol content of that mixed drink, anyone who didn’t drink often and had low tolerance would definitely be drunk after one cup.

Ji Qingfan looked even more blurred. She probably didn’t understand what Sheng Zhi was saying and was just nodding along instinctively.

She nodded to everything Sheng Zhi said.

Sheng Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, finding it amusing, and teased her: “Then if I call you a puppy, will you nod too?”

Ji Qingfan seemed to pause, processing the meaning of the sentence, then clearly uttered: “Yes…”

Perhaps because of the intoxication, she seemed to have some cognitive issues and genuinely called Sheng Zhi her master, like a puppy.

Her drunk eyes looked hazy, and the low-pitched syllable she made gave Sheng Zhi a sudden, clear yet fuzzy contradictory feeling.

She called her, rubbing against her very affectionately.

Sheng Zhi looked at her and suddenly remembered the multiple times before they arrived when Ji Qingfan had given her the illusion that she wanted to kiss her but didn’t.

That single syllable of address was so vague and fleeting that she suddenly felt a tinge of regret.

She should have taken out her phone and recorded it earlier.

This rare situation definitely wouldn’t happen when Ji Qingfan was sober.

“Ji Qingfan, what did you just call me?” She turned on the recording function, softened her tone, and tried to coax her to say it again.

Ji Qingfan looked up at her following the sound. Although drunk, her gaze toward Sheng Zhi was incredibly focused. She obediently repeated the word.

Sheng Zhi hadn’t expected her to call her that again.

She took a few seconds to react, then pinched Ji Qingfan’s chin, forcing her to look up from her embrace, and examined her condescendingly.

Ji Qingfan’s face was red, and her eyes were red, like a peach blossom petal dampened with dew in the spring morning. Her eyes were moist and captivating, returning Sheng Zhi’s gaze, looking as if she would shed water if squeezed.

How strange. Ji Qingfan was the one drunk, not her, yet in this moment, she was still being led by her emotions—even though she had just decided she absolutely wouldn’t be led by her emotions, that she would ignore Ji Qingfan, and she had even angrily pulled her out of the private room earlier.

She inexplicably didn’t want anyone else to see Ji Qingfan in this state.

Just as her initial thought of examining her was a spur-of-the-moment decision to see how drunk she was, but as she looked, she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

She thought that if Ji Qingfan were sober right now, her actions would be too embarrassing, but fortunately, Ji Qingfan was not sober.

…Fortunately, she was this drunk. She would definitely forget everything tomorrow.

Sheng Zhi lowered her gaze and watched her for a while.

Her eyes lingered over her eyelashes, skimmed past her nose, and finally rested on her lips.

She didn’t move away for a long time.

Ji Qingfan hadn’t completely closed her lips, leaving them slightly parted. Her obedient and hazy gaze looked as if she was soliciting a kiss, even offering a subtle hint.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Sheng Zhi gave in. She pinched her chin and abandoned herself to her desire, leaning in to kiss her.

After all, Ji Qingfan would forget everything tomorrow—

Ji Qingfan lost her footing even more and slid down uncontrollably, just like during their last kiss. Sheng Zhi wrapped her arm around her waist, pressing her into her embrace.

At the peak of the uncontrollable kissing, she opened her eyes and sought out Ji Qingfan’s gaze as if to confirm something.

She was truly afraid of seeing a conscious look in Ji Qingfan’s eyes.

If she looked up and saw Ji Qingfan’s sober gaze at that moment, it would be even worse than being slapped in the face.

Fortunately, she didn’t.

But Sheng Zhi still freed a hand and covered Ji Qingfan’s eyes.

The faint scent of alcohol mingled between them, and all the frantic breathing was completely sealed off.

She was so incredibly aroused that she couldn’t control herself. The more reckless she was, the more control she lost.

She completely forgot that such recklessness would leave marks.

—Marks that would make it obvious even if the person woke up the next day with total amnesia from the intoxication.

But at this moment, she had no time to think or care.

She only felt that something was missing, but she didn’t know what to do.

Other than kissing her even more intensely, she didn’t know how else to find release.

A combination of pleasure and frustration made her feel even more agitated all over.

Just then, she felt Ji Qingfan take her hand. She held Sheng Zhi’s hand and actively straightened her upper body, speaking intermittently, “It’s too hot, Zhi Zhi…”

She looked like she was only uncomfortable because of the heat and wanted Sheng Zhi to help her unbutton her clothes.

But in the process, Sheng Zhi inevitably touched her.

Ji Qingfan completely collapsed into her arms.

Her face was flushed with intense color. She was breathing erratically, practically allowing Sheng Zhi to have her way with her.

Sheng Zhi’s fingers trembled from the excitement. She admired her appearance, feeling like she had found something even more interesting.

She was so sensitive.

Just a light touch would make her tremble, like a flower waiting to bloom.

“Ji Qingfan, do you still recognize who I am? Look at me.” Sheng Zhi applied a little more pressure and squeezed her waist, making her turn her gaze back.

The person in her arms had a bigger reaction.

Her gaze landed on Sheng Zhi’s face in response, but it took a long time for her to focus.

Sheng Zhi found it incredibly amusing and spoke even more wickedly: “Someone might walk by here. Why are you making such a lustful face?”

Of course, no one would walk by here, but that didn’t stop her from saying it to Ji Qingfan.

Ji Qingfan seemed to be tormented by her. Her voice also became watery: “Zhi Zhi.”

She whispered her name, leaning almost entirely into Sheng Zhi’s arms: “Let’s go home, okay? I want to go home…”