After I Lost My Memory, I Was Coaxed into Marriage by a Yandere - Chapter 9

Chi Wei was immersed in the medicinal bath, feeling the medicinal properties prick her skin with a burning sting. The sensation was particularly intense at her lower abdomen and heart, as if a snake were burrowing and biting beneath her flesh. Unable to penetrate deep enough, it gnawed with venomous fangs, creating a combination of itching and pain that was nearly unbearable.

“Wife,” she endured it for as long as she could, her voice finally trembling as Xiao Yanyi added a second bucket of hot water. “Can we stop for a moment? I truly cannot bear it anymore.”

The stick of incense in the corner had already burned halfway, its blue smoke curling upward. Xiao Yanyi gently embraced her from behind, her forehead resting against Chi Wei’s sweat-soaked cheek. “A-Chi, just another half-stick of incense. Endure it a little longer, alright?”

Thinking of how Xiao Yanyi had taken her everywhere to seek medical treatment over the past few months, how she had suffered countless bruises because of her blindness, and how many nights Xiao Yanyi had spent copying books by candlelight to earn money, Chi Wei clenched her teeth and slowly nodded. She pulled her hands out of the water and gripped the edge of the tub tightly, her knuckles turning white and veins bulging.

But the pain was simply too much. It felt as though the skin was being peeled off her entire body. Although she managed to stay in the tub, she could not withstand the bone-piercing pain and lost consciousness.

The moment the fainting Chi Wei was about to sink into the water, Xiao Yanyi’s hands slipped under her armpits and pulled her up. Xiao Yanyi stared fixedly at the incense in the corner, which had only an inch left before burning out. Chi Wei, leaning against her neck, had her brows furrowed deeply; it was clear that even in her faint, she was enduring pain beyond that of an ordinary person.

“Xiao Yanyi! Enough!” Xiao Tan’s voice rang out from the bed at the same time as a splash of water sounded. Xiao Tan poked her head out from the upper bunk, glaring at Xiao Yanyi. “Your heart has truly turned to stone. In the past, if she so much as had a single callus on her hand, you would stay up all night making a protective cover for her.” Chi Wei’s suppressed gasps of breath had been far too distressing for her to hear.

By then, Chi Wei had been removed from the water. Xiao Yanyi wrapped her in layers of clothing as she lay limp in her arms. The skin exposed below her neck was flushed with irregular red patches, looking like burns from hot water or as if countless red threads were swimming beneath her skin.

Xiao Yanyi let out a heavy breath. When she looked up again, her gaze was as calm as usual. “She is not the Chi Wei of the past, and I am no longer the Xiao Yanyi of the past.”

With a thud, Xiao Tan jumped down from the upper bunk. Their eyes met, but eventually, Xiao Tan yielded. She stomped her foot heavily and slammed the door as she left. “I cannot stand watching you mistreat her here. I am going to find another room to stay in.”

“Suit yourself.”

The moment the door closed, Xiao Yanyi supported Chi Wei as she lay down on the bedding. She urgently pulled aside Chi Wei’s clothes and saw the red threads surging beneath the skin toward her heart and dantian. “It seems it is effective,” she let out a long sigh of relief, yet no joy could be seen in her eyes.

Chi Wei had a dream. In the dream, she had committed an unpardonable sin and was cast into the Hell of Boiling Oil by the King of Hell, suffering day and night in the rolling oil.

When she woke up, her body still burned with pain. It took a moment of daze before she remembered that this was not hell, but a ship heading south; the pain was not a punishment, but the result of the medicinal bath her Wife had sought for her. It was soft beneath her. She turned her face and found herself resting in someone’s arms.

Moving her gaze upward, an elegant and stunning face came into view. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, and her skin was like freshly fallen snow, though her lips were somewhat pale; perhaps she had not yet recovered from seasickness. A few stray strands of hair fell across her forehead, likely messed up while she was tending to her.

Chi Wei froze. Was this medicine truly so miraculous? After just one use, she could see? If she could see, then the celestial being before her must be her Wife, Xiao Yanyi. Her heart suddenly felt a surge of warmth. She could not help but raise her hand, wanting to tuck that stray strand of hair back for the sleeping Xiao Yanyi.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch her, her vision suddenly blurred. All the outlines faded back into a dim, hazy shadow. Chi Wei shook her head, but her vision remained a murky gray.

“What is it, A-Chi?” Xiao Yanyi woke up and asked in a raspy voice.

Why had it been clear just now, but now it was blurry again? Chi Wei did not want to give Xiao Yanyi false hope, so she only shook her head gently, her lips curving into a smile. “It is nothing. Is your nausea still bothering you?”

“It is a bit better,” Xiao Yanyi replied in a low voice. She was lying. Beneath the bed, a pale pinkish-white tail, as thick as a human body, was curled in the narrow space of the cabin floorboards. Due to her injuries and seasickness, she was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain her human form, and her tail had begun to manifest uncontrollably.

“And you? Does your body still hurt terribly?”

“It does not hurt. As long as it is effective, I am not afraid of pain.” In the darkness, Xiao Yanyi gently touched her face.

That fleeting moment of clarity was like a small flame quietly lighting up in Chi Wei’s heart. Since she could see for a moment, the day her eyes truly recovered should not be far off. Knowing that she might eventually become a healthy person, Chi Wei felt a spark of courage to be closer. She curled up in front of Xiao Yanyi, her shoulder feeling the other person’s warm breath.

The pain in her body felt as if it would tear her apart; she truly wanted to stay leaning there without moving. Thinking that Xiao Tan was still sleeping in the upper bunk, she eventually just tilted her face up and said softly in her hazy vision, “Wife, it is time to rest.”

As the journey south progressed, the weather grew warmer day by day, and the seasickness symptoms of both women gradually eased. Every day, Xiao Yanyi would hold her hand and take her to the ship’s rail for some fresh air. Chi Wei could not see the magnificent horizon or the silver-like shimmering light dancing on the water when the sun hit the sea. Xiao Tan always loved to say that the surface of the sea looked like it was covered in a layer of dazzling silver, making her want to jump in and scoop it all up.

Xiao Yanyi would describe everything to her, meticulously painting the scenes she could not see into her ears, acting as her third eye.

Only one thing was strange. She did not know if the seasickness had somehow reset her stomach, but her inability to touch meat or greasy food had miraculously cured itself on this ship without any medicine.

“Why are you sighing again? Are you bored to death on this ship?” Xiao Tan lifted the curtain and slipped into the tiny cabin. The girl had a lively personality; not long after boarding, she had become well-acquainted with the ship’s cooks and laborers and often brought back snacks.

Chi Wei sniffed, catching an enticing aroma. “I am fine. What did you bring back? It smells so good.”

“Good?” Xiao Tan was gnawing on a piece of dried meat. Hearing this, she paused and blinked suspiciously. “You usually feel nauseous the moment you smell meat. Have you changed your nature today?”

Chi Wei laughed. “Look at you. Am I going to steal your food?” Even so, her stomach felt truly empty. She fumbled around, trying to prop herself up to reach the cloth bag containing the dry rations.

The bedboard beside her suddenly sank. Xiao Yanyi had returned to the cabin at some point and sat down next to her, bringing with her a trace of cool mist. “The cook just gave me some braised meat; it is still warm. Want a piece? If it suits your taste, I will have the ship owner prepare more.”

Chi Wei waved her hands hurriedly. “You walk without a sound. Better leave it for Xiao Tan; I will just chew on the flatbread.”

Xiao Yanyi’s gaze swept coldly over Xiao Tan. Xiao Tan pursed her lips and forced a smile. “I am stuffed; I need to digest. You two talk, I am going to get some sun.” After saying that, she stuffed the meat into Xiao Yanyi’s hand and fled through the curtain.

The oil-paper wrap was pressed to her lips, the salty fragrance wafting into her nose. Chi Wei could not resist and finally took a small bite. The meat was firm and the braised flavor was rich; surprisingly, she did not feel nauseous at all. Her eyes brightened slightly, and she unknowingly ate three pieces before stopping.

Outside, Xiao Tan kicked a mooring bollard by the rail in frustration, muttering under her breath, “Abstain from meat, abstain from lust, abstain from greed. Stupid Chi Wei, you have already broken two precepts. I think you are truly going to fall into that demon Xiao Yanyi’s web!”

“Where does such a big temper come from in such a young girl?” The ship captain, Luo Han, was checking the ropes. Seeing her pouting in anger, he walked over with a smile. He remembered this girl had a sweet tongue and often hung around the kitchen. She had just asked the cook to slice some braised beef; why had she turned into a pufferfish in the blink of an eye?

Xiao Tan did not want to be coaxed like a child and turned her head to return to the cabin. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and black clouds pressed down on the sea like ink. A wave ten feet high slammed into the ship’s rail, instantly drenching the people nearby to the bone. Another giant wave surged forward.

“Watch out!” Luo Han suddenly grabbed Xiao Tan’s arm and pinned her against the railing. The salty seawater drenched her dress from head to toe, the ship tilted violently, and cargo crates crashed around.

Luo Han’s expression changed drastically. He screamed toward the helm room, “Everyone get into the cabins! Sailors, grab your gear and get on deck! Blow the horn, quickly!” The urgent sound of the horn echoed across the deck.

“Get inside!”

Luo Han picked her up by the back of her collar without a word and tossed Xiao Tan into the cabin. Behind her, the shouts of “Pirates are coming!” mixed with screams and the crashing waves, growing more intense by the second.

Xiao Tan’s heart pounded wildly. Ignoring her crooked collar, she lifted her wet skirt and sprinted inside. The wooden corridor rocked beneath her feet; she stumbled and threw herself against Xiao Yanyi’s door with all her might.

“Clang!”

The door panel vibrated. She gripped the doorframe, gasping for air. “Xiao Yanyi, it is bad! Outside, there is a sea demon outside!”

Normally, with Xiao Yanyi by her side, she would not be worried at all. But recently, she had frequently seen Xiao Yanyi’s snake tail exposed, leading her to guess that her magical powers were unstable and her injuries had not yet healed. Now, she had no choice but to be anxious.