Chapter 148: How Could She Rely on Amnesia to Do Whatever She Pleased?
Lost memories would gradually return with complete recovery.
Ye Fuli's exceptionally sharp mind was not easily deceived.
At first, her sleep on the shuttle bus was restful, but later, bizarre scenes began appearing in her dreams.
She dreamed of being chased by all manner of monsters, running desperately through deserted ruins to evade those enormous creatures.
In these dreams, her own cries were so loud they jolted her awake in reality.
Ye Fuli touched her face.
Her face was covered in tears.
She sighed softly and gazed out the window.
"Strange. When did I become so timid? Do nightmares really scare me into tears now?"
With her intelligence, she quickly realized that dreams were often reflections of reality.
The heart-wrenching sobs and desperate running in her dream…
Ye Fuli clenched her fingers tightly.
"I…"
She exhaled softly, forcing herself to maintain a composed expression while murmuring to herself.
"I'm not afraid. I still have to take care of my beloved lover. I'm not afraid of anything. Only when I'm strong enough will others dare not bully us both!"
…
…
"Hm? Ye Fuli?"
Miss Zhao Mengde, returning from her stroll outside, spotted Ye Fuli at the school gate, suitcase in hand and wearing an aloof expression.
"Where have you been lately? School's about to break for vacation, and you just now decided to show up for work?"
Ye Fuli stared at her for a long moment.
Her mind raced with thoughts like, "How could I possibly know someone as flashy as you?" and "Who exactly are you, you flashy thing?", but she remained silent.
Her instinct to guard against outsiders remained strong.
She wouldn't let anyone know about her memory loss, just as a fierce beast wouldn't willingly expose its wounds.
She paused for a long moment.
Ye Fuli snorted and walked past Zhao Mengde.
Zhao Mengde: "…"
You really are as infuriating as ever.
Her fists clenched.
Ye Fuli, suitcase in hand, arrived at the dormitory building where Ye Zhen lived.
The dorm supervisor's expression instantly turned wary the moment she spotted Ye Fuli: "You're here to steal my job again?"
Ye Fuli stared back at her for a long moment.
Her mind raced with thoughts like, "How could I possibly know such a strange creature?" and "Who exactly is this strange creature?", but she remained silent.
She extended her hand, adopting a solemn expression.
"Give me the key."
"You…"
The dorm supervisor felt a mix of sadness and indignation.
Nevertheless, she handed over the keys to the dormitory building.
Ye Fuli remembered Ye Zhen lived in Room 404, so she took only that key and returned the rest to the dorm supervisor.
"Aren't you here for work?"
"No, I'm not."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course it is."
Ye Fuli pushed her glasses up, hiding the confusion in her eyes. She couldn't imagine herself working as a dorm supervisor, but this supervisor didn't seem to have any reason to lie or tease her.
So, had she really worked as a dorm supervisor?
Working as a dorm supervisor right below her own couple's floor…
What kind of scandalous things must they have gotten up to?
After a brief mental replay, Ye Fuli began to despise herself. How could she have done something so perverted? It was utterly unbecoming.
At the very least, it should have been outside the school grounds…
"Fine, fine, you're so great! Ha ha, go on, go on. Don't block my view here."
The dorm supervisor agreed eagerly, beaming like it was New Year's.
Yet Ye Fuli, clutching the key, felt uneasy.
Her sharp mind had already subconsciously deduced the correct conclusion.
The fact that neither of her girlfriends had come to visit her during such a serious illness meant their relationship had hit a major rough patch.
Maybe…
Maybe they'd already broken up.
Then, who would have initiated the breakup? She was so adorable, so warm—everything she had ever hoped for. She would never give her up, not even in death.
Therefore…
It must have been her who ended it.
That girl, warm like a little sun, who was willing to run with me through the mountains late at night, who set off fireworks for me on the mountaintop…
If I hadn't done anything particularly terrible, why would she have ended it?
Reaching this conclusion, Ye Fuli felt her breath catch.
Her memory-deprived brain was instantly pierced by excruciating pain.
Cradling her head, she leaned against the wall and slowly sank to her knees.
"What did I do… Ugh…"
In her own estimation, the probability of her reasoning being correct should be 99%.
Her mind told her that what she should do now was return the key and then, before the other person noticed her, leave discreetly.
But reasoning was just reasoning.
Even though she had always trusted her instincts implicitly, at this moment she wanted to gamble on that 1% chance that her reasoning was wrong.
She wanted to prove for herself that her brain had made a mistake.
As winter break approached, everyone in the academy was bustling about.
Ye Fuli borrowed a chair from the dorm supervisor and sat behind a massive money tree, avoiding eye contact with others.
She took out her phone and fiddled with it for a while, still unable to bring herself to open the chat window with Ye Zhen.
…
Late into the night.
She saw Ye Zhen returning from a dinner with her roommates.
But the Ye Zhen before her didn't quite match the one in her memories.
If not for their identical eyes, Ye Fuli wouldn't have recognized her.
As Ye Zhen and the others drew nearer, fear surged within Ye Fuli. Her trembling hands gripped the branch of the money tree, pulling it closer to shield her already slender frame.
"Alright! Exams are finally over. Clean up the dorm tomorrow, and we're ready for break!" Wang Xiaoya said, patting Ye Zhen's shoulder. "Want to come home with me for winter break? We can celebrate New Year's together!"
Ye Zhen shook her head and smiled. "I appreciate the offer! But I've already made other plans. Sorry."
Qiao Xin pinched Ye Zhen's cheek. "Zhenzhen, remember to text us!"
As for Lu Chengcheng, she pushed her glasses up and said earnestly, "My family has a place over here. If you don't want to go back to your hometown, you can stay at my place. It has everything except a maid."
She then pulled out a set of keys and placed them in Ye Zhen's hand. "This Bentley's a bit old—it's been driven for half a year now. If you don't mind, you can use it for now."
"Um, I prefer taking taxis…"
Just as Ye Zhen reached to return the keys, Lu Chengcheng pushed them back. "I said it has everything except a maid. So yes, it comes with a driver too."
"Alright, thanks."
"No need to thank me. Just treat me to ramen when school starts."
Persuaded by her insistence, Ye Zhen reluctantly accepted the keys, planning to slip them back into her drawer before leaving campus tomorrow.
Her roommates headed upstairs first.
Ye Zhen had sipped a bit of low-alcohol fruit wine tonight and planned to sit by the door for a while, enjoying the breeze.
She propped her chin in her hand, squinting as she gazed at the sky beyond the dormitory building.
These past few days, she often dreamed of her parents, occasionally of He Ying and the others, but she truly hadn't dreamed of Ye Fuli again.
When she thought of Ye Fuli now, she no longer felt paranoid.
At this stage, she should have let go more completely.
Ye Zhen hadn't considered trying to date anyone else; for now, she was focused solely on excelling in her studies.
[So, Host, what are your plans after finishing your studies?]
Ye Zhen sighed, blowing away her falling bangs. "Travel the world!"
[And after achieving that goal of traveling the world?]
This question stumped Ye Zhen.
She hadn't thought beyond that point.
Starting a business? She didn't have the brains for that. She feared she'd squander all her money before she died of old age.
"Hmm… then maybe I'll keep studying?"
Just as Ye Zhen was feeling lost about her future, she suddenly noticed the money tree twitching.
Immediately after, she saw Ye Fuli's face—gaunt and distorted from all the torment she'd endured.
Ye Zhen froze for a moment before forcing a smile. "Oh, it's the dorm supervisor."
That painfully awkward title stung Ye Fuli's pride a little.
But skilled at masking her emotions, she didn't show it.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke slowly, "We… haven't seen each other in a long time."
None of the confrontations, affectionate pleas, or embraces she had imagined upon arriving materialized.
Suppressing such emotions had long been deeply ingrained in Ye Fuli's heart.
Even with her memories gone, her body's instinctive reactions remained.
She dared not approach Ye Zhen lightly.
Ye Zhen: "Mm."
Her utterly unremarkable response sent Ye Fuli's heart sinking inch by inch.
It seemed she had been far too optimistic about the state of their relationship.
Not a trace of warmth remained in the other's eyes. It was clear their separation hadn't lasted a day or two, nor a month or two… It had been measured in years, at the very least.
Ye Fuli fought back the stinging ache in her heart and the rational voice in her head urging her to retreat, continuing to walk toward Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen watched her warily.
She keenly detected the wariness in her gaze and immediately halted her steps.
Ye Fuli sighed softly.
She must have done something truly terrible… Therefore, she must bear the consequences of her actions.
"I have an unreasonable request."
"…Go ahead."
"My father has finally recovered and been discharged from the hospital. I want to buy him a proper gift, but I don't seem to know how to choose. I always make the wrong choices, leaving others bewildered, even frightened… So, I was wondering if I could ask you to help me with this."
Ye Zhen fell silent for a long moment after hearing this.
Had she heard correctly?
Ye Fuli wanted to buy a gift for Ye Dad?
Had she truly lost her mind? Was this a major problem?