After I Lost My Memory, I Was Coaxed into Marriage by a Yandere - Chapter 4

A heavy weight pressed against her as Xiao Yanyi’s burning body collapsed into her embrace.

“Do not be afraid. Help me back to the room,” Xiao Yanyi whispered against her ear, her voice now devoid of strength.

The pillar of the household had fallen. Casting aside her reservations, Chi Wei half-dragged and half-carried her toward the inner chamber. With every step, she felt a warm liquid seeping through her clothes and soaking into her waist.

“Where are you hurt?”

After finally settling her onto the couch, Chi Wei reached out with trembling hands to undo Xiao Yanyi’s outer robe. Her fingertips brushed against something sticky and cold, causing Xiao Yanyi to let out a muffled groan.

“Do not make things worse! You cannot see, so you should go boil some water instead,” Xiao Tan said, pushing her aside.

Chi Wei lost her balance and sat hard on the floor. She swallowed hard and steadied herself to walk out of the room. Her fingertips were covered in a thick, viscous fluid. She brought them to her nose and sniffed; it was indeed blood.

How could she be injured? She was perfectly fine when she left this morning.

Inside the room, Xiao Yanyi lay on the bed with a pale face. Xiao Tan was busy cutting away her clothes and applying medicine.

Thinking of how Chi Wei had just walked out looking lost and soul-stricken, Xiao Yanyi said softly, “She cannot see clearly. Do not be so harsh with her.”

Xiao Tan rolled her eyes. “She was blinded by your poison in the first place, and now you blame me? Besides, I was just startled by all the blood on you. I did not mean to push her so hard.”

Xiao Yanyi closed her eyes and remained silent.

Xiao Tan continued, “What happened to you? Were you not just going to the county seat to collect books?”

“People from the Penglai Immortal Island tracked me down. I was wounded by mistake.”

Xiao Tan was puzzled. “Penglai Immortal Island? Are those people not your fellow disciples? You are so powerful; how could they hurt you?”

Xiao Yanyi pressed her lips together and said nothing. Xiao Tan suddenly recalled the bathroom lighting up the previous night. “Oh no. Could it be that your previous injury made your internal power unstable and you cannot suppress your heat cycle?”

She stood up and paced the room. “This is bad. If you are in heat, your powers will flicker in and out. How can a minor demon like me handle that? Perhaps we should just give up.” She turned to Xiao Yanyi, her large eyes glinting with a sly light. “A-Yan, let us leave Chi Wei behind and make our escape.”

Xiao Yanyi swept a cold glance over her but did not speak.

Xiao Tan pivoted and smiled. “Once your injuries heal and your powers stabilize, we can come back for her, can we not? I know your plan; it certainly will not be delayed.”

Compared to how she acted when she was with Chi Wei, Xiao Yanyi seemed like a different person. Her voice lacked even a trace of warmth. “By then, Chi Wei would have been sent back to the Hushi Valley. Everything we have done would be for nothing.”

Xiao Tan scratched her head. “But you are in heat! Your powers are unstable.”

“Enough!” Xiao Yanyi finally snapped, glaring fiercely at Xiao Tan. “Mention that cycle one more time and I will chop you up and feed you to the neighbor’s chickens!”

“Fine, fine. So, what is your plan?” Xiao Tan turned away and muttered under her breath, “We are all animals turned into spirits. It is a perfectly normal reaction. What is there to be so secretive about?”

A gust of wind slammed the window shut and then forced it open again. Xiao Yanyi looked toward the gloomy sky outside as a bolt of lightning flashed. “It is raining. That should help mask my scent. In three days, we take a boat south.”

Xiao Tan nodded in agreement. “Alright. You hate the cold anyway, so going south will be more comfortable. But how will you explain this to Chi Wei?”

Chi Wei hurried into the kitchen and fumbled to ladle several large scoops of well water into the pot.

The thought of Xiao Yanyi being injured while she remained useless made her even more anxious. It took several attempts before she finally managed to light the fire.

She wanted to return to the room to check on Xiao Yanyi, but she feared getting in Xiao Tan’s way. Once she heard the water boiling, she quickly ladled it out and carried the basin toward the room.

Inside, Xiao Tan and Xiao Yanyi were discussing how to tell her about the move.

Before they finished, the door swung open with a bang. Chi Wei stumbled into the room while the scalding water sloshed violently in her hands. As she stepped forward, she tripped over the threshold. She instinctively reached for the doorframe, but both of her hands were occupied.

Xiao Yanyi cried out, “Watch out!”

Amidst the shout, Chi Wei fell forward. The copper basin flew from her hands and hot water splashed everywhere, sending up a hiss of steam. Chi Wei slammed onto the wet, slippery floor. The rim of the basin struck her forehead, leaving a burning pain.

She struggled to push herself up. Her wet clothes clung to her body, her hair was a mess, and several damp strands stuck miserably to her cheeks. The hot water soaked through her robes, stinging her skin.

Chi Wei wiped her face haphazardly. Her fingertips brushed against a warmth at her temple, though she could not tell if it was water or blood. Still worried about Xiao Yanyi, her voice was urgent. “I will go boil more water right now. Xiao Tan, how is A-Yan’s injury? Do I need to go find a doctor?”

Xiao Tan glanced at Xiao Yanyi on the couch. Seeing her lips move slightly and a complex emotion flash in her eyes, Xiao Tan understood.

She looked away and spoke with an intentionally sharp, impatient tone. “Forget it! You cannot do anything right. I will go. It is raining harder outside; if you get lost, I will have to find you.” Before she could finish, Xiao Yanyi interrupted sternly.

“Xiao Tan!” Xiao Yanyi’s voice was serious, but it softened instantly when she turned to Chi Wei. “Do not listen to her nonsense. I have no injuries. I simply tripped on my way back. Chi Wei, go change into dry clothes before you catch a cold.”

“No injuries? But the blood earlier?” Chi Wei stood frozen in place, wet hair clinging to her brow as water droplets slid down her chin.

“It was not my blood. It was a chicken I bought. I tripped and the blood smeared on me. It is my fault for not explaining clearly and causing you and Xiao Tan to misunderstand.” She paused and gave Xiao Tan a look.

“Yes, yes. It was not her blood. Just a false alarm.” Xiao Tan curled her lip, leaned over to pick up the copper basin, and tactfully exited the room while gently closing the door behind her.

Chi Wei was soaked through. Fearing she would ruin the bedding, she only dared to move to the edge of the bed and kneel cautiously. She rolled up her sleeves and carefully wiped her hands behind her back before looking up hesitantly. “Are you truly not hurt?”

Seeing Chi Wei’s complete devotion and concern, Xiao Yanyi’s heart softened and a smile unconsciously tugged at her lips. She reached out, gently took Chi Wei’s cold wrist, and guided her hand toward her own waist.

The injuries were merely superficial; a small spell was all she needed to deceive Chi Wei’s touch.

Just as Chi Wei’s fingertips were about to touch the bare skin, she jerked her hand back as if burned.

“What is wrong?” Xiao Yanyi asked, confused.

Chi Wei’s misty eyes crinkled into a wet but radiant smile. “It is good that you are not truly hurt. I believe you. My hands are too cold and I do not want to chill you.”

The candlelight reflected off her soaked hair, the faint red mark on her forehead, and those clouded eyes that were still full of care. Xiao Yanyi suddenly remembered Xiao Tan’s harsh words. Chi Wei had worked so hard and fallen so painfully, yet she did not harbor a hint of resentment.

She reached out her palm and cupped Chi Wei’s face, her thumb gently stroking her eyes and the red mark on her forehead. Chi Wei flinched from the pain but then sat up straight to meet the hand.

“Is it very difficult, not being able to see?”

Hearing the worry in Xiao Yanyi’s voice, Chi Wei shook her head with a smile. “It is not difficult, it is just that I…”

“Just what?” Xiao Yanyi gently rubbed Chi Wei’s earlobe. Chi Wei did not pull away, though her face quietly flushed red.

Chi Wei lowered her eyelashes. “It is just that I feel like I cannot take care of you and Xiao Tan properly. I am too much of a burden. If nothing were wrong with my eyes, I would never let you travel alone to the county to collect books. If I could help, you would not have tripped and hurt yourself.”

“And now, even when you are hurt, I cannot even manage to cook a meal for you.”

“I really feel as though I cannot do anything right.”

The more she spoke, the more self-reproach filled her heart. She felt an impulse. “Perhaps…”

Xiao Yanyi frowned slightly. “Perhaps what?”

Chi Wei bit her lip and gathered her courage. “Perhaps we should separate. It would be better for both you and Xiao Tan. Our conditions are poor as it is. Maybe you could take Xiao Tan back to your parents’ home.”

“Back to your parents? And what about you? Will you stay in this broken house alone and wait to die?”

Xiao Yanyi’s brow furrowed tightly. She had not expected Chi Wei to say such a thing. In her mind, Chi Wei should have been panicked, dependent, and crying for her not to leave.

Chi Wei’s mouth curled into a wide smile. “I will find a way. Today, Xiao Tan and I went out and made some money. We earned thirty taels of silver in total.” She gestured with her hands in the air as she spoke.

The room fell silent for a moment. The sound of rain outside became suddenly clear, pitter-pattering against the roof tiles.

Everyone knew today was just a stroke of immense luck. No one knew if heaven would favor her again. Xiao Yanyi had eloped with her only to live this hard life. Chi Wei truly could not bear it.

Xiao Yanyi looked into those unfocused eyes, which were full of forced bravado, and felt as if her heart had been struck by a blunt object. Those eyes used to be the brightest and most vivid, but now they were shrouded in dust.

When Xiao Yanyi did not respond for a long time, Chi Wei worried she had said the wrong thing and offended her. But when she considered that Xiao Yanyi was only four years older than her, twenty-five years old and already exhausted from looking after Xiao Tan, caring for a blind person for a lifetime was too much.

“Besides, anyway, I have amnesia. I do not remember the past. Let us just act as if that period between us never happened.” Chi Wei’s voice trailed off while her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her wet clothes.

“So,” Xiao Yanyi spoke slowly, her finger lifting to brush extremely lightly against Chi Wei’s cold cheek, “after I have cared for you all these days, has not even a shred of feeling for me grown in your heart?”

Her fingertip lingered on the side of Chi Wei’s neck. She could feel the warm pulse beneath the skin beating rapidly. Her hand hovered there, her expression icy. If she wanted to, she could snap Chi Wei’s neck in the next second.

Giving an answer seemed incredibly difficult for Chi Wei. Her lips turned pale and the damp hair clinging to her neck only made her throat look more slender and fragile.

“No, there has not.”