After Losing My Memory, I Suddenly Had A Fiancée - Chapter 20

With Jiang Zhi away from home, Ji Fanghuai was bored and suddenly decided she wanted to run the coffee shop well, as it was her only asset.

Ji Fanghuai began researching management methods to increase the coffee shop’s revenue. After much deliberation, she thought she could collaborate with the proprietress of the neighboring bookshop/bar by setting up a free lending area in the coffee shop, thereby combining the coffee shop and the bookshop.

Ji Fanghuai acted on impulse and planned to speak with the proprietress in a few days. However, she also needed to discuss it with Jiang Zhi first, as Jiang Zhi had more experience.

When Jiang Zhi returned, she brought Ji Fanghuai a gift: a string of carved wooden beads for a bracelet.

Ji Fanghuai found the bracelet very familiar. It was composed of twelve beads, each engraved with a different symbol.

Jiang Zhi explained, “The symbols on these are carved randomly and have no deep meaning. As for why you find it familiar, it’s because I gave you one before, but you didn’t accept it then.”

“I’m sorry, I forgot,” Ji Fanghuai felt guilty mentioning this. Jiang Zhi gently stroked her hair, dismissing the apology.

Ji Fanghuai somewhat enjoyed the intimacy and asked, “Is that pig carving in your study also meant for me?”

Jiang Zhi was uncharacteristically embarrassed and said, “Wood carving and jade carving are different. My skills aren’t yet good enough to carve that pig well, and I’m especially busy this year, so I might not have time.”

Ji Fanghuai looked at her own hands, which were fair and tender. It was a pity she had no special skills, only knowing how to make some desserts, which Jiang Zhi, unfortunately, couldn’t eat.

Yet, Jiang Zhi’s hands seemed capable of everything.

She could only say, “The bracelet is beautiful. I like it very much. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just let me hug you, or you can hug me,” a hint of mischief appeared in Jiang Zhi’s eyes.

Ji Fanghuai thought that she always allowed Jiang Zhi to hug her, but she had never actively hugged Jiang Zhi.

Under Jiang Zhi’s eager gaze, Ji Fanghuai could only take the initiative to hug her. The moment she did, Jiang Zhi held on and wouldn’t let go, securely enveloping her in her embrace.

Ji Fanghuai struggled in vain, so in that position, she shared her thoughts about the coffee shop with Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi rested her chin on Ji Fanghuai’s shoulder and whispered into her ear, “Your idea is very difficult to implement, and even if it is successful, there will be many subsequent complications.”

Ji Fanghuai’s ear tickled from Jiang Zhi’s breath. She squirmed uncomfortably and asked with difficulty, “Why?”

“Are you very familiar with the proprietress next door? Do you know her full name, her family situation, or what her true attitude towards you is?” Jiang Zhi questioned, cutting straight to the core issue.

“Not very familiar, but we get along well. I don’t know the rest,” Ji Fanghuai only knew the proprietress’s surname was Jin.

“Furthermore, you are both business people. Just think about it from a commercial standpoint. Partnership is the hardest part of business. Even siblings must keep clear accounts. Whenever money is involved, conflicts are unavoidable.”

As Jiang Zhi spoke, she seemed to recall something, her eyes turning cold, as if she utterly despised the idea of business partnership.

Ji Fanghuai felt like Jiang Zhi was not talking about her and the proprietress, but hinting at something else entirely.

She said, “Then I’ll think about it again.”

She realized she hadn’t been thorough; knowing a person’s face doesn’t mean knowing their heart.

“Mhm. You can discuss anything with me in the future. I am a few years older than you, after all, and have taken a few more detours,” Jiang Zhi’s tone grew gentle again.

Ji Fanghuai negotiated with her, “Then let go of me first.”

“That’s not possible. Let me hug you a little longer,” Jiang Zhi’s voice was tempting. “Fanghuai, I missed you.”

“I… missed you too,” Ji Fanghuai replied awkwardly.

She had no choice but to let Jiang Zhi continue holding her. Sometimes Ji Fanghuai felt that Jiang Zhi was extremely dependable, like a caring elder sister, who thought everything through for her.

She suddenly recalled that Jiang Zhi had previously forbidden her to call Xin Ling “elder sister.” Could it be that they used to use that title in private?

“Jiejie (sister),” Ji Fanghuai called out suddenly into Jiang Zhi’s ear.

“Fanghuai, what… what did you just say?” Jiang Zhi’s body instantly froze, and her voice trembled slightly.

Ji Fanghuai hadn’t expected such a dramatic reaction and quickly explained, “I just felt like calling you that suddenly. I feel like you’re a big sister—you know everything and can do everything.”

And manage everything.

“We are lovers, not sisters,” Jiang Zhi looked Ji Fanghuai straight in the eye, her expression very serious and earnest.

“Don’t be so serious! I know we’re lovers; I was just joking,” Ji Fanghuai hadn’t expected Jiang Zhi to take a joke so seriously.

“Don’t do it again.” As if to emphasize the difference between them and sisters, Jiang Zhi unexpectedly kissed Ji Fanghuai’s corner of the mouth, then pressed her forehead against hers and said,

“Can you accept this level of intimacy?”

“Yes,” What else could Ji Fanghuai do? She pursed her lips and, when Jiang Zhi wasn’t paying attention, slipped out of her embrace.

Jiang Zhi touched her lips and smiled.

After finishing Sheng Tang, Ji Fanghuai obtained the extra chapters through Jiang Zhi’s network. Although the ending had Princess Gaoyang and Empress Wu Zetian together, and the extras were sweet, the painful process of them uniting left a strong, lingering melancholy.

Ji Fanghuai felt depressed after reading it, hugging her cat Xixi, and decided to go to the study to read and relax. Jiang Zhi accompanied her.

Ji Fanghuai liked reading mystery novels. She enjoyed the feeling of exploring with the protagonist, completing the unraveling, and experiencing the sudden enlightenment when the truth was revealed. As for Jiang Zhi…

Ji Fanghuai looked up and saw that Jiang Zhi was always expressionless. She seemed to read all books with a poker face, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking utterly abstinent.

A phrase suddenly occurred to Ji Fanghuai: cultured scoundrel.

Since Jiang Zhi’s book was open on the table, Ji Fanghuai couldn’t see the cover. Curious about what she was reading, she asked, “What are you reading?”

Jiang Zhi looked up and asked, “What about you?”

“Agatha’s Murder Is Easy,” Ji Fanghuai showed the cover to Jiang Zhi. She thought Jiang Zhi would show her cover too, but Jiang Zhi mischievously covered it.

“Guess,” Jiang Zhi quickly closed the book, turned the spine towards herself, and covered it with another book.

In the split second it closed, Ji Fanghuai only managed to see part of the cover and the unexposed words “lǐ xué, or ‘study of principles’).

The more Jiang Zhi refused to show her, the more curious she became.

Ji Fanghuai decided to try an indirect approach. She wanted to sneak a look when Jiang Zhi wasn’t paying attention. She first changed the subject, saying, “Why do you look the same with or without glasses?”

Some people look very different with and without glasses.

Jiang Zhi said expressionlessly, “Because I’m ugly.”

Ji Fanghuai was speechless, knowing that Jiang Zhi was absolutely not going to show her the book title.

She could only drop the matter.

One of the benefits of Jiang Zhi’s return was that Ji Fanghuai’s sleep quality significantly improved.

She woke up comfortably at eight in the morning, then happily greeted Jiang Zhi, saying, “Morning.”

Jiang Zhi replied, “Morning.”

Life seemed to have returned to the starting point.

Although Ji Fanghuai had put aside the idea of collaborating with the proprietress, she would occasionally visit her bookshop during her leisure time.

The proprietress was easy to talk to; they could talk about anything under the sun, though most topics were superficial and often related to fictional literature.

Ji Fanghuai remembered the cover Jiang Zhi insisted on hiding, and since the proprietress was well-read, she might know it.

“There’s a book I couldn’t see the title of clearly. It has a striped cover, and the words lǐ xué are on it. It should be related to psychology or something. I don’t know what book it is. Proprietress, you’re so knowledgeable, do you know?”

She also added the color of the cover. She originally thought this was like searching for a needle in a haystack and figured she should just search online herself, but the proprietress actually knew.

The proprietress looked at her with a knowing glance and asked, “Are you and your girlfriend newly in love? No wonder you’re still in the honeymoon phase, and she picks you up and drops you off every day.”

Ji Fanghuai didn’t know what this had to do with the book. She was about to nod, but then remembered her amnesia. Jiang Zhi had said they had been dating for three years.

“No, we’re not newly in love. We’re engaged.”

The proprietress was surprised but didn’t find it strange. She then asked, “Then does that mean you haven’t had a sexual relationship yet?”

What did a book have to do with that?

Ji Fanghuai had no idea whether they had a sex life. Her face flushed, and she regretted asking the proprietress.

The proprietress was a mature woman and spoke very directly, but she also spared Ji Fanghuai’s feelings and changed the phrasing: “Then you rarely ‘do it’ normally?”

Ji Fanghuai couldn’t stand it anymore and insisted, “What is the name of that book?”

“Psychology of Rolling in the Sheets.”

The proprietress’s words were like a thunderclap in her ears, and Ji Fanghuai stood dumbfounded.

Why was Jiang Zhi, so cold and aloof, reading this book? Could it be that their sex life really was disharmonious before?

Jiang Zhi seemed to have mentioned that the reason for their past arguments was related to bedroom activity.

Ji Fanghuai was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to bury herself in for asking the proprietress that question.

The proprietress looked at the ring on her hand and said, “You two have such good feelings. When are you getting married? I still have some books in my shop. Although web literature is popular now, physical books are actually more authentic.”

Ji Fanghuai was preoccupied with thoughts of “rolling in the sheets” and said, “We’re not getting married yet.”

“Why? Didn’t you get engaged?” the proprietress asked, puzzled. “Did you just get engaged?”

“Some private reasons. I had an accident before,” Ji Fanghuai didn’t tell the proprietress about her amnesia. It was better for her to keep such a thing private rather than broadcast it widely.

“Alright,” the proprietress said with a sigh. “But marriage is indeed something to be cautious about. Since you’re engaged and your girlfriend picks you up every day, are you living together now?”

“Yes,” Ji Fanghuai still felt a bit strange.

Because in other people’s eyes, cohabitation often implies a sexual relationship, yet she and Jiang Zhi rarely even kissed or hugged intimately now.

Their relationship was exceptionally pure.

“Cohabiting before marriage is particularly important for young people,” the proprietress began explaining the necessity of pre-marital cohabitation. “My ex-husband and I dated for three years, never cohabited before marriage, got married immediately, and are now divorced.”

Ji Fanghuai was surprised and asked, “Did he have some kind of strange habit?”

Like poor hygiene, for example.

“No, he was a very good man. He was exceptionally clean; the house was always spotless, and he was a great cook. But…” the proprietress’s expression was a little nostalgic.

“But he was very controlling. He didn’t allow me to do anything. He practically wanted me to just lie at home. I’m not cut out to be a housewife. My dream was to open a small bookshop, read every day, and meet new friends, but he wouldn’t allow any of it. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore, and we divorced before I got pregnant.”

Ji Fanghuai felt regretful but also felt very fortunate; Jiang Zhi seemed to indulge her in everything while also managing everything for her.

Ji Fanghuai chatted with the proprietress for a long time. The proprietress even offered to give her the Psychology of Rolling in the Sheets book.

Ji Fanghuai saw the book cover, and it was identical to the book Jiang Zhi had deliberately hidden.

Was Jiang Zhi really studying how to “roll in the sheets”?

Ji Fanghuai declined the proprietress’s book.

She searched for the book and found it was about sexual literature, mainly discussing sex between men and women, but the emotions mentioned were mostly the same regardless of gender.

After returning home, Ji Fanghuai couldn’t help but look at Jiang Zhi with a bit more scrutiny.

Jiang Zhi looked puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ji Fanghuai couldn’t figure out why Jiang Zhi would study that book. However, ever since Ji Fanghuai had bitten her, Jiang Zhi had become cautious about everything.

Maybe she should try to accommodate Jiang Zhi?

“You’re acting very strange today,” Jiang Zhi insisted.

Ji Fanghuai shook her head and said, “No, I’m not.”

Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and said, “You’ve been strange ever since you got back from the proprietress’s bookshop. What did she tell you?”

“She didn’t say much. We just talked about the topics in a book,” Seeing Jiang Zhi didn’t believe her, Ji Fanghuai simply decided to throw caution to the wind. “It was the book you were reading yesterday, Psychology of Rolling in the Sheets.”

“You could talk about that with me,” Jiang Zhi’s tone was a little resentful, as if she was complaining that Ji Fanghuai discussed the book’s topics with a stranger but not with her.

“What could I possibly talk about with you regarding that book?” Ji Fanghuai stomped her foot, her face flushed.

“Food, sex, and desire are human nature. It’s nothing but normal human instinct,” Jiang Zhi seemed to have difficulty understanding. “Fanghuai, why are you so resistant to it? All of this is very normal.”

Ji Fanghuai knew it was normal, but she instinctively wanted to avoid it. She just said, “I wish you were my elder sister.”

Then they wouldn’t have to consider any topics of intimacy.

Jiang Zhi seemed very resistant to the word “elder sister.”

Ji Fanghuai quickly explained, “I was just saying it.”

“You’ve mentioned ‘elder sister’ twice in two days. Are you that afraid of intimacy with me? Don’t worry, I respect you very much.”

Jiang Zhi looked a little helpless and wronged. She said, “Me reading Psychology of Rolling in the Sheets doesn’t mean I want to ‘roll in the sheets,’ just like I never suspected you want to murder someone because you read Murder Is Easy.”

Ji Fanghuai was left speechless. She knew she was being overly suspicious.

In fact, during the time she first woke up from the hospital, Jiang Zhi was also intimate with her, but she never felt awkward about it.

Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and seemed to concede a point, saying, “I’ll allow you to call me ‘Jiejie’ (Sister) in bed, but normally… you can’t.”

Ji Fanghuai: “…”