After Losing My Memory, I Suddenly Had A Fiancée - Chapter 41

Ji Fanghuai released the cat from the cage. Xixi, like returning to its old home, sniffed around and looked everywhere, then quietly went to squat on the sofa.

It was round and plump like a ball of fur.

“So well-behaved.” Ji Fanghuai raised her hand and gently stroked Xixi’s neck. The soft fur was truly a healing artifact; her mind and body felt comforted, and sitting on the carpet, she began to feel drowsy, squinting her eyes.

Xixi: “Meow~”

Ji Fanghuai lazily opened her eyes and met Xixi’s gaze, tapped its nose, and then lay down on the sofa to continue sleeping.

It wasn’t until goosebumps gradually appeared on her forearm that she felt a bit of coldness.

Ji Fanghuai got up, turned on the air conditioner, flexed her stiff arm, and started to tidy up her new home.

Ji Fanghuai currently only wanted a good night’s sleep. She first went to the bedroom to make the bed. There were ready-made sheets and duvet covers in the wardrobe, which only needed to be laid out.

Ji Fanghuai tugged and pulled around the bed to lay the sheet. However, when she tried to put on the duvet cover, she couldn’t get it in. It was either a lump here or a bundle there. Already unable to calm down, she was sweating profusely from exhaustion, and even her intentionally grown long nails broke.

“Meow meow meow.” Xixi stood by the door, looking up at her, seemingly mocking her inability to put on the duvet cover.

Ji Fanghuai attributed this to her bad mood, found the nail clippers, and began to trim her nails, finally cutting all of them short.

Her nails were bare, and her fingers instantly looked shorter.

Ji Fanghuai stopped forcing herself to put on the duvet cover, roughly placed the duvet insert on the bed, and added a blanket.

As long as she could sleep, that was enough.

There was absolutely no need to tidy up the rest; the room was spotless, her clothes were neatly arranged in the wardrobe, and there were even ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator.

A thought popped up: Jiang Zhi had anticipated her return, which was why the house was so well-equipped.

Ji Fanghuai shook her head vigorously, feeling dizzy.

She didn’t know what to do, so she simply stopped tidying, sat on the carpet, leaned against the sofa, and turned on the TV.

A cartoon was playing on the TV. Ji Fanghuai watched it blankly while holding the cat.

“Meow?”

Her hand felt cool and wet; Xixi was nudging her with its nose. Ji Fanghuai muttered to herself, “Are you hungry?”

Without waiting for Xixi’s answer, she went to pour cat food, then lay back on the sofa to continue watching the cartoon.

Ji Fanghuai stayed like that until the evening. Her stomach, which hadn’t been fed for a long time, started to rumble. She casually took a piece of bread from the fridge. Perhaps she had caught a chill, as her throat burned when she chewed the bread.

After dark, Xixi was no longer quiet, meowing non-stop, which also made Ji Fanghuai irritable.

“What’s wrong?”

Xixi just walked around her, seemingly looking for someone.

Ji Fanghuai suddenly understood, lowered her eyes, and said, “It’s just us here, no one else.”

Xixi still circled her, even pulling at her pants to drag her outside. Ji Fanghuai picked it up into her arms with a look of helplessness, scolding, “You wouldn’t want to be a traitor, would you?”

Xixi: “Meow?”

Ji Fanghuai burst into laughter after saying that. How bored was she to try and reason with a cat? Fortunately, Xixi only meowed for a while before settling down.

Ji Fanghuai, however, couldn’t find peace.

Night is suited for noise.

She knew she had a low tolerance for alcohol and didn’t want the next day’s headline to be about a single woman who died of alcohol poisoning, so she was self-aware enough not to drink.

Ji Fanghuai started to sleep day and night, only setting an alarm to get up on time, add cat food for Xixi, and be a qualified litter box attendant.

“Jiang Zhi?” When Ji Fanghuai woke up, her whole body felt weak, and her eyes were filled with darkness. She reached back to turn on the light, but it was empty.

Ji Fanghuai had to rotate nearly ninety degrees in bed before finding the bedside, and then her palm touched something furry, which scared her into nearly jumping off the bed.

“Meow?”

Xixi’s green eyes were particularly noticeable in the dark.

Ji Fanghuai: “…”

She took a deep breath, turned on the bedside lamp, and couldn’t sleep anymore. The furry sensation felt like a monster, giving her the creeps every time she thought of it.

Ji Fanghuai turned on all the lights in the house. The bright white light filled the room, and only then did she feel safe lying down.

The ring on her middle finger was glittering. Ji Fanghuai quietly looked at it for a moment, took it off, and threw it towards the door.

A muffled clunk abruptly ended, and the ring disappeared into some corner.

Like throwing away trouble, Ji Fanghuai never dreamed of Jiang Zhi again, sleeping in a daze until dawn.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Ji Fanghuai was lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. The sound didn’t stop. Annoyed, she put on her slippers and rushed to open the door with a cold face.

“Mianmian?” Ji Fanghuai’s expression instantly froze.

Lin Mianmian stood outside the door with a bag, wearing a knit cap and a scarf. Her nose was red, and she smiled shyly, “Fanghuai, long time no see.”

Ji Fanghuai’s head was still foggy, and she didn’t react for a moment, asking, “Why are you here?”

Lin Mianmian changed her shoes in the entryway and didn’t hide anything, saying, “Jiang Zhi asked me to come.”

Ji Fanghuai’s face immediately turned cold, saying, “I don’t need her concern.”

Lin Mianmian added, “But I came because I was worried about you, and it has nothing to do with her. Why is your voice so hoarse?”

Ji Fanghuai felt a bit awkward, remembering how she had rushed to distance herself from Jiang Zhi just now, which was a bit intimidating. She cleared her throat and said, “A cold. My throat hurts a bit.”

Lin Mianmian pulled out a pile of medicine from her bag, saying, “This is medicine for headaches.”

“Thank you.” Ji Fanghuai glanced at the mints placed next to the medicine out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. She went back to the room to wash up and dress, making herself look more energetic.

Ji Fanghuai originally had no appetite, but Lin Mianmian’s arrival forced her to eat. Since she couldn’t cook, she could only open the food delivery app to order takeout.

Just as Ji Fanghuai was about to complete the payment for the order, she suddenly remembered Jiang Zhi telling her that takeout was unsanitary.

She hesitated and asked, “Do you eat takeout?”

Lin Mianmian was looking down and petting the cat, saying, “Yes.”

“I don’t have any particular favorites; you order,” Ji Fanghuai handed over her phone.

“Okay.”

Lin Mianmian was quite nervous. It was her first time taking on this kind of task. She kept telling herself that she was only doing it for her friend and wasn’t acting as a go-between. Yet, she, who usually chatted easily with Ji Fanghuai, was now quiet.

Lin Mianmian didn’t mention leaving after she arrived. She also brought a tablet and was drawing and writing everywhere. Xixi was very happy about her arrival and no longer meowed constantly.

Although Ji Fanghuai wasn’t happy about Jiang Zhi’s arbitrary arrangements, Lin Mianmian’s arrival meant she didn’t have to keep the lights on when sleeping at night, and her three meals a day were normal.

Ji Fanghuai ate takeout for three consecutive days, with a different meal each day, and the dishes weren’t greasy. She stared at the meal box and asked Lin Mianmian, “Where did you order the takeout from?”

Lin Mianmian paused, saying, “Just randomly ordered.”

Ji Fanghuai stared at her composedly.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, she was indeed very picky about food, and the takeout for these three days all happened to suit her taste.

This made one suspicious.

“It was actually made by the hotel chef,” Lin Mianmian quickly sold out Jiang Zhi. “Jiang Zhi said you couldn’t cook.”

“What else did she ask you to do?” Ji Fanghuai wanted to get angry, but couldn’t direct it at Lin Mianmian, so she just sulked.

Lin Mianmian stated truthfully, “She asked me to look after you. We were friends anyway, so I’d look after you even without her asking. I just didn’t expect you two to be like this.”

Ji Fanghuai said, “We can cook ourselves.”

Lin Mianmian hesitated, “I can’t cook.”

“…” Ji Fanghuai was silent. Her phone lay quietly. On the day she arrived, she found it was full of calls from Jiang Zhi, all made in the early morning. After that, her phone had been very quiet.

They said they broke up, so why was she still taking care of her like this?

Ji Fanghuai grew agitated, but tried hard to calm down. She apologized to Lin Mianmian, saying, “Mianmian, I’m a bit sleepy. Could you please look after Xixi for me? My tone just now was bad; it wasn’t directed at you, so please don’t overthink it.”

Lin Mianmian waved her hand, not caring, “Don’t worry about it.”

Knowing that takeout wasn’t good for her health, Ji Fanghuai couldn’t force Lin Mianmian not to eat the food delivered from the hotel either.

Ji Fanghuai’s trouble was that she couldn’t shake off Jiang Zhi’s influence, but luckily Lin Mianmian was there. She could be reckless, waking up from a nap feeling tipsy after drinking.

A good drunk truly dispels all worries.

“Fanghuai,” Lin Mianmian said worriedly.

Ji Fanghuai had only had one glass of wine and was already flushed.

“Why are you here? I told you I don’t need you to manage me.” Ji Fanghuai’s eyes welled up with tears. The long-accumulated grievances burst like a flood, and she cried while hugging Lin Mianmian.

Lin Mianmian held Xixi, at a loss.

After sobering up, Ji Fanghuai chose to have instant amnesia, not mentioning the incident at all. She took out her phone and saw Xin Ling’s post on Moments, saying that someone’s stomach was hurt again, with a picture of a pile of red wine and a staggering Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi looked dishevelled.

She was surprisingly still wearing the same clothes.

Jiang Zhi usually changed her clothes every day.

Ji Fanghuai’s fingertip paused. She pretended not to see it, scrolled past the post, and talked to Lin Mianmian as if nothing was wrong.

Lin Mianmian, while teasing the cat, said, “Xixi looks listless. Is it sick?”

Ji Fanghuai looked at Xixi, the little traitor, and said expressionlessly, “It’s probably just not used to it yet.”

Xixi: “Meow?”

Ji Fanghuai turned her head, not wanting to look at it.

Lin Mianmian secretly glanced at Ji Fanghuai, then looked at her chat history with Xin Ling, and finally spoke with a sense of sacrifice, “Jiang Zhi’s stomach problem seems quite severe. She’s in the hospital now.”

Ji Fanghuai paused, then said, like giving a lesson, “You can’t trust what she says. Maybe it’s still a lie.”

Lin Mianmian had to give up.

Between her friend and her former superior, she chose her friend.

Ji Fanghuai couldn’t fall asleep at night. Although it had been like this for the past few days, tonight her mind was filled with the image of a frail Jiang Zhi. She tried hard to dismiss this picture and focus on the times Jiang Zhi had deceived her.

Then she started thinking again: Since Jiang Zhi wasn’t her fiancée, how could she have lied so flawlessly, making her almost believe it?

Why did Jiang Zhi know so much?

She knew her preferences and had photos with her.

Ji Fanghuai was completely puzzled.

Wait!

Why was she thinking about Jiang Zhi again?

Whether Jiang Zhi lived or died had nothing to do with her!

Ji Fanghuai was extremely frustrated. She woke up at five in the morning and lay there until dawn.

While Lin Mianmian was still asleep, she went to the mall for nearly two hours, but her hands were empty. She simply wasn’t in the mood to look at anything.

“Ji Fanghuai.” Someone seemed to call her name.

Ji Fanghuai thought she was hallucinating and didn’t pay much attention. Then she heard the sound again, and the voice was getting closer.

She stopped and prepared her expression, not knowing what she was anticipating, only to finally realize it was a man’s voice.

She didn’t seem to know any men.

Ji Fanghuai lifted her foot and continued walking.

“Ji Fanghuai, stop right there!”

This time, Ji Fanghuai heard it very clearly—someone was calling her.

She turned around.

The person calling her was a tall man. The man was currently furious, his handsome face somewhat contorted.

Seeing that the man actually knew her, Ji Fanghuai suddenly smiled for some unknown reason, “You’re not going to say you’re my fiancé, are you?”

The man was a bit surprised, cursing, “Are you f***ing crazy?”

He swore immediately, indicating he was not the same kind of person as her. Ji Fanghuai didn’t want to deal with him, but the man took a few steps and clamped down on her wrist.

The force was so strong that Ji Fanghuai’s wrist hurt. She said coldly, “Let go!”

The man disgustedly shook her hand off, saying, “You’re f***ing crazy for men! I’m your brother!”

Ji Fanghuai took a closer look. The man did bear some resemblance to her, but the stubble on his chin made him look older than her. She didn’t want to argue with him, but having been warned by the Jiang Zhi incident, she decided to ask someone first.

Ji Fanghuai slowly took out her phone and looked down to send a message.

She had a gut feeling that her cousin, Shen Jing, knew a lot. Although it felt like she was using her, she still asked, “Cousin, I have a younger brother.”

She deliberately used a declarative sentence.

Shen Jing replied almost instantly: “His name is Ji Dongyuan, and he’s two years younger than you.”

Ji Fanghuai didn’t have time to worry about how her cousin knew so many details, but still cautiously added, “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

Once bitten, twice shy; she felt like everyone was deceiving her, and she was like Truman in The Truman Show, living in a constructed world.

Shen Jing’s reply was slower this time, saying, “I don’t know what happened between you two, but I have never lied to you.”

“Thank you.”

Ji Fanghuai quietly put away her phone. Her so-called younger brother was already impatient. He probably wanted something from her, otherwise, with his arrogant temper, he wouldn’t be waiting for her in the cold wind.

“Are you sure you’re my brother?” Ji Fanghuai asked with an expressionless face.

Ji Dongyuan got angry, “If I wasn’t your brother, I wouldn’t even bother with you!”

Ji Fanghuai automatically ignored his profanity and continued to ask expressionlessly, “If you’re my brother, why didn’t you visit me when I was injured in the hospital? You just casually say you’re my brother? Do you think I’ll believe you?”

Ji Dongyuan snapped, “I f***ing…”

Ji Fanghuai interrupted him coldly, “Is it your mom or his mom? Speak properly!”

Ji Dongyuan cursed under his breath and shut up. He hadn’t expected Ji Fanghuai to have completely changed in the half-year they hadn’t seen each other. He almost didn’t recognize her, but her eyes were dull and grey, no wonder she didn’t even recognize her own brother.

Seeing that this cheap younger brother couldn’t answer, Ji Fanghuai turned and left, not wanting to deal with him.

She remembered Jiang Zhi saying that her parents preferred sons over daughters. Since she had amnesia and no one had come to claim her for the past six months, now…

Sorry, she didn’t need him.

Ji Fanghuai tightened her collar. It was too cold; she just wanted to go home and sleep.

Ji Dongyuan looked at the hastily departing figure, seemingly finding it hard to believe. He burst out cursing, “Ji Fanghuai, you f***ing stop! You won’t believe your own brother, but you believe Jiang Zhi so much. She’s just an ungrateful wretch!”

Ji Fanghuai nearly stumbled, her feet involuntarily stopping.

“What did you say?”

She felt like her blood had frozen.

Ji Dongyuan was somewhat gleeful, saying, “I said Jiang Zhi is an ungrateful wretch who can’t be tamed. Mom and Dad worked hard to raise her, and she immediately sent Dad to prison and orchestrated Mom’s car accident. Only you liked to hang around her and chase after her butt calling her ‘sister’!”