After Faking Her Death, the Top Actress Gets Amnesia - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After getting her neck wound simply bandaged, Jiang Wendu changed into a clean set of clothes and went with Captain Lu and his team for a statement. She sat in the back of the police car, facing Yi Lan, with Captain Lu on the same side as her.

With the two of them face to face, Yi Lan’s gaze remained fixed on Jiang Wendu, making her feel a little uneasy. She gave a slight hook of her seductive eyes and joked, “Sister, don’t look at me like that. I’m just an actress. You’re making me nervous.”

Yi Lan didn’t say a word, her gaze still sharp. The officer next to her tried to reassure Jiang Wendu. “Don’t worry, Ms. Jiang, we’ve basically figured out the whole situation. Captain Lu just needs you to go through the motions. Don’t be nervous.”

Captain Lu cleared his throat, feigning seriousness.

“Oh, I know,” Jiang Wendu explained with a smile. “I just see that she’s so tense. I’m trying to talk to her to help her relax.”

When the spear was at her neck, she had indeed been a bit terrified. But now, facing the woman so closely, she only felt that this person, despite her cold and heroic appearance, was also a little pitiful, wandering the world with no one to rely on. But wasn’t she herself a bit like that, too?

Jiang Wendu leaned forward slightly, her eyes meeting Yi Lan’s. “What’s your name?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Yi Lan’s eyes at the casual question. She lifted her eyelids and looked at her, her direct gaze filled with a fierce accusation.

“Alright, alright, I won’t ask,” Jiang Wendu waved her hand, smiling as she apologized. “I’m sorry. Don’t be mad, okay? Please?”

Her tone was gentle and patient, just like her personality—soft and kind, with the maturity and tolerance of an older sister. Normally, even a stranger would feel she was approachable and easy to get along with after just a few words. But the woman in front of her seemed to be the complete opposite.

In response to Jiang Wendu’s show of weakness and apology, Yi Lan clenched her fists in fury, and the veins on her temples bulged.

Seeing this, Jiang Wendu quickly dropped the joking and offered a sincere “I’m sorry,” then sat up straight.

The officer next to her soothed her. “Ms. Jiang, her mental state isn’t good. She probably watched your recent show and got a bit too immersed in the character. Don’t take it personally.”

Jiang Wendu nodded, saying no more.

The car left the film studio and sped down the wide, flat road. A heavy silence filled the car, the humming of the engine feeling exceptionally loud. After about three to five minutes, Jiang Wendu glanced at the woman across from her and was instantly startled.

“Captain Lu, what’s wrong with her? Is she feeling unwell?”

Hearing the question, Captain Lu looked over, only to see Yi Lan biting her lip, her face deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead, and her pupils slightly unfocused.

Without a second thought, he instructed the driver. “Xiao Liu, turn around and go to the nearest hospital!”

Just as he spoke, a call came in from the station. “Captain Lu, we’ve verified it. The suspect is indeed Yi Lan, a patient from Yunshan Sanatorium. She has a congenital heart condition. She got lost on her way to a follow-up appointment at the city hospital. The director of the sanatorium was planning to look for her themselves first and only call the police if they couldn’t find her.”

“Go faster!” Captain Lu took in the information and urged him anxiously.

The driver floored the gas pedal, and the car raced toward the nearest hospital at breakneck speed.

…

The hospital had already received the message. As soon as Captain Lu’s team got out of the car, Yi Lan was pushed into the emergency room by the medical staff. Jiang Wendu waited with Captain Lu in the hallway.

For some reason, she was just a stranger, a fan who wasn’t mentally stable, but Jiang Wendu’s heart was pounding in real fear, just like when her own mother was rushed to the ER years ago…

“Okay, got it. The director is on their way, right?”

Captain Lu was on the phone with the police station. At this point, Jiang Wendu’s name was completely cleared. After he finished the last call, Captain Lu was ready to let her go.

“Ms. Jiang, my apologies for taking up your time. We’ve cleared up the situation. This person is Yi Lan, a psychiatric patient from Yunshan Sanatorium. She watched some of your recent films and got a bit obsessed. She rode a shared bicycle all the way from Yuncheng to Raven City, and after arriving at the film studio, she stole a horse from the neighboring set and rode it into your set. There were some security lapses on their end. In any case, we are deeply sorry for the harm and trouble this incident has caused you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Jiang Wendu was a little out of it. She only heard bits and pieces of what Captain Lu said and responded casually.

“If you don’t have any other questions, Ms. Jiang, you can head back now. A specialist will contact you about compensation later. Xiao Liu,” Captain Lu said, calling to the officer next to him. “Take Ms. Jiang back to the film studio.”

“Understood, Captain Lu!” The officer took the assignment and turned to Jiang Wendu. “Ms. Jiang, I’ll take you back now?”

“Yes, okay.”

Jiang Wendu was still in a daze. She just mechanically accepted the offer and followed the officer. As she walked, she subconsciously turned her head and looked at the emergency room door. In that moment, a scene from the film set flashed in her mind: the woman using a spear to block the jade sword, walking over in a few steps, and anxiously grabbing her to check for injuries.

The woman’s eyes had been full of hatred, but deep down, she still made a protective gesture. This was a reflexive action that no matter how skilled an actress was, they couldn’t replicate. Although Jiang Wendu knew it was all just an illusion, and the woman was only a patient with no conscious awareness…

Click. The emergency room door opened from inside. Jiang Wendu saw the doctor take off his mask, about to speak to Captain Lu. She didn’t hesitate and walked over.

“Captain Lu, the patient is out of danger for now, but the intense physical exertion and emotional stress while in a state of starvation accelerated her heart failure. She likely has no more than a year or two left.”

The doctor’s words were crystal clear to Jiang Wendu’s ears. She froze. At this moment, the officer who was supposed to take her back also returned and called out, “Ms. Jiang.”

Jiang Wendu finally came back to her senses. Captain Lu also noticed her. “Ms. Jiang, do you have another question?”

Jiang Wendu shook her head, asking in a daze, “Captain Lu, can I stay and help?”

Captain Lu hesitated for a half-second, then looked to the doctor for guidance.

“Yes, Captain Lu. Ms. Jiang staying may be somewhat helpful to the patient because in the patient’s mind, she is a relatively familiar person.”

Captain Lu then nodded. “Thank you for your trouble, Ms. Jiang.”

Jiang Wendu thanked him.

Before long, Yi Lan was wheeled out of the emergency room by the medical staff. She was unconscious. Her armor had been torn off during the resuscitation process and was replaced with a blue-striped hospital gown. Although she was out of danger, the face beneath the oxygen mask looked incredibly fragile.

They moved her to a regular room and hooked her up to an IV drip. Captain Lu and the medical staff discussed precautions. During this time, Jiang Wendu stood by the bedside, watching the clear liquid drip from the glass bottle, flowing drop by drop into her body through the tube.

A year or two at most. She only has a year or two left to live…

Jiang Wendu’s mind wandered again, until her phone in her pocket vibrated repeatedly.

She took out her phone and belatedly saw it was a call from Xiaoru.

The voice on the other end was anxious. “Jiang Wendu, are you okay? Why aren’t you answering my voice messages or calls?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Jiang Wendu’s response was a bit slow. She glanced at Yi Lan in the hospital bed and lowered her voice. “Xiaoru, I’m handling something. I might be back a little late. Can you tell the director for me?”

“What happened?” Xiaoru asked nervously. “Do you need me to come over?”

Jiang Wendu quickly refused. “Oh, no, no, you don’t need to. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done. Just wait for me at the hotel!”

She hung up the phone because she knew that if Xiaoru found out she was in the hospital taking care of a “crazy person” who had just hurt her, she would get a major lecture.

…

Yi Lan truly woke up about half an hour later. Her heavy eyelids fluttered open, and a blinding white light drilled into her retina. She instinctively raised her hand, only to find her fingers gently held. When she saw that the person holding her hand was Jiang Wendu, the instinctual tension in her body eased slightly.

“You’re awake?” Jiang Wendu came closer when she saw the woman was conscious. She asked cautiously, “How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?”

Yi Lan came to her senses and tried to pull her hand away from the other woman’s grip.

“Mmm…” Her mouth was covered by an oxygen mask, making it difficult to speak. She tried to struggle to sit up but found she had no strength at all.

Jiang Wendu held her hand and didn’t let go, her soft voice soothing her. “You’re sick, Yi Lan. The doctor put you on an IV drip. You can’t move around. It’s dangerous.”

Yi Lan followed her gaze and noticed a long tube taped to her right arm, connected to a glass bottle above it, with a clear liquid dripping down.

Jiang Wendu saw her staring at the IV drip, thinking she was scared. She stood up, gently patted her arm, and in a tone as if she were coaxing a child, said, “Be good, okay? The IV will make you feel better. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you the whole time, okay?”

The hatred and tension that had accumulated in Yi Lan’s bones drained away at her words. Unbidden tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and splattered onto the pillow.

Jiang Wendu was a little bewildered. She reached out to wipe her tears. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m right here.”

Yi Lan’s chest began to heave, and all her grievances seemed to be magnified. She was so sad she couldn’t control herself, and the oxygen mask fogged up with her breath.

Jiang Wendu started to panic. She stroked her chest, repeatedly comforting her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you…”

The word “protect” was too heavy. Yi Lan didn’t know how Jiang Wendu had the audacity to say it. But when she thought of Jiang Wendu standing in front of her when the arrows rained down, she still felt a shudder of fear.

This woman, Jiang Wendu, was a heavenly tribulation at all times.

“Get… get away,” she struggled to breathe through the oxygen mask. “I don’t need your protection, Jiang Wendu.”

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