Amnesia Trap (GL) - Chapter 39

Sheng Zhi listened to Ji Qingfan’s words.

She spoke with such consideration and gentleness that it was almost impossible to resist.

Reflecting on Jiang Wanyin’s suspicions over the phone, Sheng Zhi felt that Ji Qingfan’s current behavior didn’t quite align with that theory.

Actually, she felt that Jiang Wanyin was being a bit strange too, in a way she couldn’t quite put into words.

She had always thought Jiang Wanyin was quite easygoing, but lately, whenever things involved Ji Qingfan, not only was her tone off, but her reactions were somewhat excessive. Moreover, she could point out many details that Sheng Zhi herself hadn’t even noticed.

…Though, it could just be that she was worried. After all, Jiang Wanyin knew the truth—she knew the amnesia was a facade and that Sheng Zhi and Ji Qingfan didn’t exactly have a good relationship.

It made sense. They had been rivals for so many years; for Ji Qingfan to change so drastically the moment she “lost her memory” screamed “trap” no matter how you looked at it.

It was only natural for Jiang Wanyin to be worried. They were best friends, the closest of confidants.

They had raced cars together and shared drinks by the river in the dead of night. Once, on a whim in the early hours, Sheng Zhi said she wanted to see the ocean; Jiang Wanyin had shown up to find her carrying a single, half-wilted flower.

Sheng Zhi had been quite dismissive, thinking the flower looked half-dead, but Jiang Wanyin just chuckled and carefully planted it in the sand, saying, “Believe it or not, it’ll bloom right when the sun rises.”

Later, the flower did indeed bloom with the sunrise, but Sheng Zhi had fallen asleep.

It was early spring back then, and the mornings were biting cold. Yet, when she woke up, she didn’t feel cold at all; a jacket was draped over her. Jiang Wanyin, wearing only a thin base layer, was freezing to death beside her, biting a cigarette with fingers that shook from the cold.

She had missed the sunrise and the blooming of the flower. Sheng Zhi handed the jacket back, her mind still foggy from sleep. “You stayed here freezing? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Jiang Wanyin just looked at her for a long time. So long that Sheng Zhi thought she wouldn’t answer, before she reverted to her usual carefree, roguish self. “Who told you to fall asleep? I wasn’t going to wake you. I wasn’t going to let you see the sunrise or the flower. My romance has been killed by you; it’s beyond repair.”

After saying that, she looked at her and muttered, “Forget it, you’ve never been in a relationship, you definitely don’t know how to comfort people.”

Sheng Zhi felt there was more to her words. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face. “That’s because I didn’t want to. So what? It’s not like you’ve been in one either.”

“It’s enough that I know how to comfort you.” Jiang Wanyin patted her head, her smile reaching peak roguishness.

Sheng Zhi: “…Don’t touch my head! If I don’t grow tall enough and it affects me finding a girlfriend later, are you going to take responsibility?”

“Fine, fine, at worst you can pat me back,” Jiang Wanyin pulled out a cigarette, unbothered. “But surely you can keep me company for one smoke?”

Sheng Zhi took it along with the lighter. Just as she was lighting it, she felt Jiang Wanyin pat her shoulder, signaling her to look ahead.

In the distance, the first light of dawn scattered across the horizon. The sun was just rising, bathing the coastline in a warm glow.

Somehow, Jiang Wanyin triumphantly pulled the flower out again. “Actually, I lied to you. The flower just bloomed, and the sunrise is just starting.”

“My lady, is it beautiful?”

Sheng Zhi looked at the flower, hesitating for a moment. “You don’t… have feelings for me, do you?”

Jiang Wanyin’s hand holding the flower jerked. She immediately made an exaggeratedly disgusted face. “Wow! If you’re going to say that, I’m not giving you this flower. I don’t like your type. If I were to like someone, it would definitely be a gentle-as-water, emotionally stable Big Sister. Which of those traits do you even come close to?”

After a few seconds of silence, Sheng Zhi caught the hidden meaning and instantly became exasperated. “Jiang Wanyin!”

Jiang Wanyin begged for mercy while laughing even harder. “Mercy! I was wrong. I hereby declare that the Great Miss Sheng is the gentlest, most emotionally stable person in the entire world.”

…

Coming back from the memory, Sheng Zhi felt a bit distracted.

Despite their constant bickering, Jiang Wanyin’s care and concern for her had always been real, as was her worry.

And she felt that having Ji Qingfan come along for lunch wasn’t such a bad idea. It wasn’t that she thought Ji Qingfan had to explain herself, but their dynamic would be obvious to see. During lunch, she would just be a bit more distant with Ji Qingfan; after all, they weren’t in a real, intimate relationship.

Ji Qingfan hooked her finger into Sheng Zhi’s, noticing her drifting attention. She couldn’t resist rubbing her palm with her fingertip. “Zhi Zhi, why are you ignoring me?”

Sheng Zhi snapped back to reality. “Fine, let’s go together at noon.”

Seeing her agree, Ji Qingfan’s lips curved into a smile, but she didn’t stop there. Instead, she continued, “I still want to put on makeup and change my clothes. It won’t take long. Will you stay with me, Zhi Zhi?”

For some reason, hearing her use that persistent, wheedling tone made Sheng Zhi feel that this was how things should be.

However, the moment that thought surfaced, she crushed it down.

…Absurd. Truly absurd.

How could she think this felt right?

Sheng Zhi pushed the thought aside and checked the time. She didn’t say yes or no, only drawling, “Whatever. If you’re too slow, I’m not waiting.”

As she answered, she remembered she hadn’t told Jiang Wanyin yet. She sent a message while walking toward the walk-in closet with Ji Qingfan.

The closet had a changing area and a large full-length mirror. Seeing the mirror, Sheng Zhi couldn’t help but think of the ones in the bedroom and bathroom—they were all so large. She wondered why Ji Qingfan needed so many mirrors.

While she was thinking, she noticed Ji Qingfan picking out clothes, and a sudden thought popped into her head—

Ji Qingfan isn’t going to change right in front of me, is she?

She didn’t want to instinctively jump to that conclusion; it was purely a side effect of her recent interactions with Ji Qingfan.

However, Ji Qingfan didn’t tease her this time. She entered the dressing room as usual. Sheng Zhi didn’t even see what clothes she had taken.

How strange.

She felt awkward when Ji Qingfan didn’t play by the rules, yet she also felt awkward when she did. And because she couldn’t see, she couldn’t help but wonder what Ji Qingfan was putting on.

Sheng Zhi’s gaze lingered on the dressing room door. It wasn’t fully closed—whether intentionally or not—leaving a tiny, narrow gap.

It was truly… intriguing.

Sheng Zhi felt as if a cat were scratching at her heart. But the more curious she became, the more she looked away, putting on a bored expression as if looking would mean she had lost.

But she knew very well—she was, for some reason, looking forward to Ji Qingfan coming out.

Unfortunately, no matter how well she hid it on the surface, Sheng Zhi couldn’t help but steal a glance when Ji Qingfan finally emerged. And once her eyes landed on her, she couldn’t quite pull them away.

A delicate choker was tied around her porcelain-white neck. She had changed into an off-the-shoulder, form-fitting black maxi dress, revealing shoulders and a neckline as smooth as jade. Her lips were red, her skin pale, and the solid black dress, devoid of any extra embellishment, served only to amplify her natural, stunning beauty.

As Ji Qingfan took a step forward, Sheng Zhi noticed the dress featured a high slit. It reached all the way to her thigh, where a leg chain was fastened. It dangled and swayed with every step, glittering so brightly it was almost dizzying; it was impossible to ignore.

Sheng Zhi’s heart rate involuntarily picked up. She looked away hastily, as if blinded by the sparkling leg chain.

…She’s so beautiful.

If this person weren’t Ji Qingfan, she would have expressed it frankly. But since it was Ji Qingfan, she couldn’t be frank, nor could she cleanly deny it.

She simply turned her body away, pretending not to see.

Before her racing heart could steady, she was gently embraced from behind.

“Zhi Zhi, I’m done changing,” Ji Qingfan’s arms slipped around her waist. Sheng Zhi felt warm breath ghosting over the back of her neck like a soft kiss. “Why won’t you look at me?”