Chapter 147: The Aftereffects of Poisoning Emerged
Ye's father had mostly recovered.
After bidding Ye Fuli farewell, he left the hospital first.
"I think I'll plant some vegetables in the flowerbed at home."
Ye Dad seemed in good spirits, as if he'd gained a profound new understanding of life.
"Once you're fully recovered and back home, you might get to eat some baby bok choy grown by your old man himself."
"Daughter, focus on your treatment."
"Dad will be waiting for you at home."
Ye Fuli said nothing.
Frowning, she watched him walk away until his figure vanished into the crowd.
Soon.
She shifted her gaze back to the computer screen.
Her assistant sent a new message.
"Miss Ye, the routine meeting you mentioned—hasn't it already been held this month? So, do you need to schedule another one?"
Ye Fuli saw the message and only then vaguely recalled that the meeting had taken place roughly a week ago.
Yet, before her assistant reminded her, she couldn't recall at all that the regular meeting had already taken place.
She couldn't recall that the meeting had taken place, nor could she remember its contents.
Of course, her assistant had taken detailed notes on all these meetings. Even if she couldn't recall them, she could always review the records later.
But…
This phenomenon of memory loss was clearly abnormal.
Overcome with panic, Ye Fuli urgently summoned her attending physician.
When she learned from the doctor that this might be a lingering effect of poisoning—something that would gradually improve with continued treatment—she felt slightly reassured.
Yet, as time passed, the fragments of memory lost within Ye Fuli's mind grew ever more numerous.
At first, she couldn't recall meetings she had already attended. Later, she gradually forgot why she had come to the hospital in the first place, and even forgot the news of her biological mother's death.
One morning after waking up.
Ye Fuli sat before her vanity mirror with a stern expression, studying her reflection for a long moment.
Slowly, she reached out and pinched the corner of her mouth, forcing a faint smile before gently releasing it.
Her eyes were filled with confusion.
Cupping her chin in both hands, she murmured to herself.
"Have I… lived two lifetimes already?"
"Why do I only remember having lived two lifetimes, yet recall absolutely nothing from my previous life?"
"How strange… How strange…"
Though Ye Fuli had forgotten many things, some memories remained crystal clear.
She didn't remember her adoptive parents or her birth mother, but she still remembered her birth father.
She vividly recalled the words Ye Dad had spoken not long ago.
Especially that one line: "The prerequisite for loving others is loving yourself."
She recalled every bit of knowledge she had acquired—from textbook lessons to life skills—encompassing every subject, each point etched into her memory with remarkable clarity.
Alongside these memories, she also remembered one person profoundly: Ye Zhen.
Yet in her memories, only fragments remained: holding Ye Zhen as they slept on a small bed in the slums until dawn; helping Ye Zhen with her homework, then Ye Zhen thanking her dressed in a cat-girl maid outfit; Ye Zhen bringing her snacks and lunch boxes…
The most vivid memory, however, was the fireworks display on the mountain behind the school.
She had dragged Ye Zhen along, racing up the mountain under cover of night to secretly set off those fireworks.
In her memory, every little moment spent with Ye Zhen was so joyful that recalling them now still made her blush and her heart race.
"We're a couple!"
"I have such an adorable girlfriend."
"Being hospitalized is so boring. I want to see her right now!"
Ye Fuli cheerfully packed her belongings in the hospital room.
When the attending physician entered for the routine ward round, Ye Fuli froze: "Who are you?"
The attending physician choked on his words: "I'm your attending physician. My surname is Xu."
"Oh! Right, I remember now. Dr. Xu, hello."
The attending physician couldn't help but hold his forehead.
Ever since Ye Fuli's memory loss had become severe, she asked him "Who are you?" every single day she saw him.
This toxin does indeed affect the brain, causing all sorts of aftereffects.
Dr. Xu had anticipated this possibility.
For Ye Fuli to survive that dosage of poison was already a medical miracle. To expect her to have absolutely no aftereffects would be absurd…
Yet her particular aftereffects seemed somewhat different from others.
It was as if she selectively forgot the painful memories, retaining only the parts she was willing to accept.
"Is it selective amnesia?"
Dr. Xu understood.
After all, who could accept the fact that their own mother poisoned them, trying to drag the entire family down with her?
"I wonder how long this condition will last."
"Her mind is far sharper than most. She probably won't be able to deceive herself for long."
Dr. Xu couldn't bring himself to explain these thoughts to the patient.
In truth, the treatment had reached its final stages at this point, making forced hospitalization unnecessary.
So when Ye Fuli told him she wanted to be discharged, Dr. Xu nodded in agreement.
"Would you like to contact your father to pick you up?"
Ye Fuli paused thoughtfully, suitcase in hand, before replying, "No need. I remember the way home!"
"Alright. If anything comes up, you can call me."
Ye Fuli nodded and smiled. "Thank you… By the way, who are you?"
Dr. Xu's breath caught.
"Don't worry, I'm just kidding. I remember you're Dr. Xu."
Ye Fuli waved her hand, her smile brightening even more.
"Goodbye, Dr. Xu. Thank you for your care."
Watching her receding figure, Dr. Xu wore a look of melancholy.
He began to wonder: Was this woman genuinely suffering from amnesia, or was she faking it?
Most people with amnesia become dazed and confused, but she seems even more lively—even cracking jokes?
"Sigh, what a troublesome patient."
Dr. Xu felt utterly helpless.
Perhaps from caring for the Ye family for too long, he felt his own energy waning.
He needed to find a doctor to check if he was the one who was sick.
……
…
Ye Fuli pulled her suitcase through the hospital gates, hailed a taxi to the bus station, and bought a ticket to Nancity.
She remembered Ye Zhen was studying at Mond in South City.
Going home wasn't what she wanted most right now. What she wanted most was to see her long-lost lover.
"Honestly. I'll definitely confront her later—why wouldn't my own girlfriend come visit me when I was sick?"
"Did we even have a fight?"
"Even if we did, she should at least make the first move to make amends since I'm sick!"
Ye Fuli muttered to herself.
But outwardly, she remained the same aloof and silent person.
It would still be quite a while before they reached South City.
She leaned against the car window, drowsy and half-asleep.
The swaying motion of the vehicle and the heavy silence inside gradually lulled her into a dreamlike state.
It felt like…
it had been ages since she'd slept so easily.
Even asleep, Ye Fuli's thoughts remained somewhat active, as if she could sense every movement around her.
Yet even this shallow sleep brought her a tangible sense of pleasure.
Every cell in her body relaxed.
"Could it be… I haven't slept well in a very long time?"
"How strange."
"After forgetting certain things, it feels like I'm living a happier life."