Chapter 47: Amnesia

‘Jiang Chiyue isn’t here.’

‘Why is Lin Jin’an guarding my bedside?’

Li Xingya blinked her sore eyes.

Even now, her throat still felt a throbbing pain.

‘Since Lin Jin’an is here…’

‘…then Jiang Chiyue must have roughly told her about my situation.’

‘…I just don’t know how Jiang Chiyue explained it.’

“Three days ago, Jiang Chiyue suddenly contacted me and said you fell down the stairs.”

Lin Jin’an, sitting by the bed, picked up the water from the nightstand and handed it to Li Xingya.

“How are you feeling now?”

Li Xingya took the water and drank some, finally feeling the pain in her throat ease a little.

She shook her head, indicating she was fine.

‘Fell down the stairs?’

‘What a lousy excuse.’

‘You’re twenty years old, how can you not even know how to lie?’

‘Jiang Chiyue is an idiot and a lunatic.’

Li Xingya touched the bandage around her neck—this didn’t look like a fall down the stairs at all.

Seeing that Li Xingya wasn’t speaking, Lin Jin’an had to continue,

“The day before yesterday, Jiang Chiyue had to return to school, so I’ve been taking care of you for her these past two days… Also, she reminded me not to get too close to you.”

“Xiaoya, did you have a conflict with Jiang Chiyue on the day you came home?”

Lin Jin’an stared intently at the bandage around Li Xingya’s neck.

She hadn’t believed Jiang Chiyue’s excuse at all.

Li Xingya didn’t speak.

She just quietly sat up.

‘Jiang Chiyue went to school.’

‘Right, Jiang Chiyue is only twenty. She should be in college.’

‘That means, for the next while, Jiang Chiyue won’t be able to control me at all.’

Realizing that Jiang Chiyue wasn’t here, she breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, Li Xingya suddenly had a bold idea.

‘Since Jiang Chiyue doesn’t have the heart to kill me, I’ll have to make her truly accept me instead.’

‘Like… forcing a “reacquaintance” with a brand new Li Xingya or something.’

Thinking this, Li Xingya turned her head to look at Lin Jin’an.

Her gaze gradually became dazed.

“Excuse me, but that Jiang Chiyue you mentioned… who is she exactly?”

“X-Xiaoya?”

“And who are you? I don’t think I know you.”

Li Xingya was really a bit tired.

She couldn’t stand her twisted relationship with Jiang Chiyue, and she didn’t want to be caught between Lin Jin’an and Jiang Chiyue anymore.

Li Xingya decided to start everything over.

‘Amnesia.’

‘Amnesia.’

‘Doesn’t Jiang Chiyue always think I have amnesia?’

‘Then I’ll really get amnesia—just to show her.’

‘But…’

Li Xingya stole a glance at Lin Jin’an.

‘I feel a bit sorry for Sister, unilaterally forgetting our past like this…’

‘Never mind.’

‘I’ll find a way to make it up to you later.’

Li Xingya watched Lin Jin’an’s expression shift from shock to calm.

Then Lin Jin’an smiled and spoke,

“Xiaoya, you don’t remember me? I’m your sister, Lin Jin’an-sister.”

‘Wha—what?’

“We grew up together. You always used to say ‘I love sister the most’ and then throw yourself into my arms… Have you forgotten all that?”

‘Waaah—!’

‘This person is far worse than I thought.’

‘What are you saying to a minor, a sixteen-year-old amnesiac girl?’

At that moment, Li Xingya realized she had still been too normal in her view of Lin Jin’an.

“Are… are we really like that?”

Li Xingya tried to struggle.

“Of course.”

Lin Jin’an answered bluntly.

Great, struggle failed.

“Xiaoya, even though you forgot what happened between us, it’s okay… Sister will work hard to help you remember.”

Lin Jin’an stood up, put on a mask and sunglasses, and said,

“Get some rest for now. I’ll go call your attending physician.”

The moment Lin Jin’an left the ward, she took out her phone and sent a message to Jiang Chiyue.

[Li Xingya woke up. She’s in good condition for now.]

[Is that so?]

[She also has amnesia.]

[?]

The next second, Jiang Chiyue called, but Lin Jin’an hung up without a word.

[I can tell. Li Xingya isn’t acting—she really has amnesia.]

Lin Jin’an quickly typed.

[But it’s okay. You focus on your studies for now. I’ll take care of Xiaoya for you until winter break.]

After sending that message, Lin Jin’an turned on her phone’s Do Not Disturb mode.

‘Xiaoya still loves acting as much as ever.’

Lin Jin’an smiled.

Through the hospital window, she looked at Li Xingya, who was daydreaming inside.

‘I saw through it in one glance… Trying to fool Sister? Xiaoya, your acting is still too green.’

‘I don’t know why you’re doing this.’

‘But since you want to play, Sister will play along—a game of amnesia or something.’

‘After all, it gives me a legitimate reason to bring you home.’

‘Until winter break, let’s live like real sisters.’

With that thought, Lin Jin’an walked briskly toward the attending physician’s office.

***

Half an hour later.

“Open your mouth.”

Li Xingya opened her mouth.

“Open your eyes wide.”

Facing the doctor’s penlight, Li Xingya strained to keep her eyelids open.

“How many fingers?”

“Three.”

Li Xingya said.

“Recovery isn’t bad.”

The attending physician turned to Lin Jin’an.

“As for the amnesia… it’s a common aftereffect. The patient might remember on her own after some time.”

Lin Jin’an nodded.

“In that case, can we process the discharge?”

“Regarding discharge, my suggestion would be to stay in the hospital for further observation.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“But—”

“It’s not necessary.”

Faced with Lin Jin’an’s second repetition, the attending physician fell silent for a moment.

“I understand. Come with me to handle the paperwork.”

“Mm.”

Lin Jin’an adjusted her sunglasses.

“Xiaoya, hold on just a little longer, okay? We’ll go home soon.”

“…O-Okay.”

On the hospital bed, the helpless Li Xingya forced herself to speak.

‘Going home.’

‘Which home?’

‘Not Lin Jin’an’s…’

‘No, it couldn’t be.’

‘I’m definitely overthinking.’

‘No matter how perverted Lin Jin’an is, she wouldn’t go that far.’

***

Two hours later.

Arriving at Lin Jin’an’s home once again, Li Xingya was speechless.

Somehow, she suddenly had an illusion.

‘No matter how twisted something is, it doesn’t seem strange when it involves Lin Jin’an.’

‘Sigh.’

‘I got fooled into coming back…’

‘What do I do now?’

‘Should I come clean that I’m faking?’

Forget it.

She had to handle the Jiang Chiyue matter properly.

If she was going to act, she had to go all the way.

Looking at a house roughly the same size as Jiang Chiyue’s, Li Xingya steeled herself and nodded.

‘I’ll just put up with it for now.’

‘Staying here isn’t much different from staying at Jiang Chiyue’s.’

Just as Li Xingya thought that, Lin Jin’an suddenly hugged her from behind.

“Xiaoya—”

“Eeep—Eep!”

Li Xingya let out an embarrassing sound from the shock.

“You haven’t showered in three days, right?”

Lin Jin’an sniffed near Li Xingya’s neck.

“You kind of smell. Come on, Sister will take you to wash up. Since you have amnesia, I’ll help you bathe this time.”

‘No way!’

‘Lin Jin’an’s situation is way worse than Jiang Chiyue’s!’

‘She’s clearly taking advantage of my “amnesia” to unleash all her twisted thoughts!’

‘I…’

‘I’m only sixteen years old!’