After Losing My Memory, I Suddenly Had A Fiancée - Chapter 45

Jiang Zhi had changed her style this time. Previously, she always went for the sophisticated, mature look, often wearing shirts and suit pants.

But today, she was in a gentle, demure style: a black knitted maxi dress paired with a light-colored down jacket, her curled hair draped behind her, and a serene smile on her face, looking like the older sister next door. When she approached, there was a faint scent of perfume on her.

Ji Fanghuai knew this perfume; it was called Fatal Gentleness.

She put her smile back on and said, “Please wait a moment.”

Then, she stopped paying attention to Jiang Zhi and turned around to fetch the coffee grounds. Jiang Zhi’s words still seemed to echo in her ears.

No milk, no sugar?

Wouldn’t that be very bitter?

Jiang Zhi felt a little disappointed. She hadn’t missed the stiffening of the smile on Ji Fanghuai’s face and noticed that Ji Fanghuai didn’t even make eye contact with her. Her tone was so unfamiliar, as if she really were just a strange customer.

Jiang Zhi carefully observed the shop’s decor, then chose the seat where she could most easily see Ji Fanghuai and sat down.

Xi Xi, who was napping on the chair, suddenly woke up with a start, did a backflip, and charged straight to Jiang Zhi’s feet. Then, with a push from her hind legs, she drew a thick arc in the air and landed steadily in Jiang Zhi’s arms.

“Long time no see.” Jiang Zhi rubbed Xi Xi’s head, but her eyes glanced at Ji Fanghuai, who was lowering her head to make coffee. That phrase, “long time no see,” seemed to be addressed to her.

She hadn’t seen Ji Fanghuai for a month.

The shop’s decor was completely different from before, and even the name had been changed to Xi Xi’s Cabin, with no trace of its former self. Only Xixi the cat still remembered her.

Jiang Zhi still remembered when she first brought Xixi  back from Ji Fanghuai’s place, Xixi was like a wild little tiger, constantly aggressive towards her, trying to escape every day.

She had to lock Xixi up, giving her the most expensive cat food and the best toys, allowing her to claw up her best sofa.

She hadn’t expected Xixi to be so clingy to her now, while her owner no longer missed her.

Jiang Zhi took out her phone from her bag and took a photo of Xixi. When the angle tilted, it perfectly captured Ji Fanghuai’s profile.

Jiang Zhi didn’t dare to look at Ji Fanghuai openly, so she could only rotate the freshly taken photo to observe it.

After a month, Ji Fanghuai seemed to have lost a little weight, and her hair had grown much longer.

Jiang Zhi shifted her gaze from her phone, looked up, and happened to meet Ji Fanghuai’s eyes. She casually pulled back her gaze and lowered her head to open a fruit-slicing game.

Xixi loved playing this game. The cat’s reaction was agile, almost always precisely slicing the fruit. Whenever she accidentally sliced a bomb, Xixi would quietly pull back her paws and look at her helplessly.

Ji Fanghuai gave a deep look at Xixi, who was curled up in Jiang Zhi’s arms, and brought over the sugar-free, milk-free coffee.

“Here is your coffee. Please enjoy.”

Polite yet distant.

“Thank you.” Jiang Zhi nodded slightly, placed Xixi and her phone on another chair, gently stirred the coffee, and took a small sip.

The coffee was bitter, but she liked it very much.

She was very quiet throughout the process, without intentionally saying another word to Ji Fanghuai, seemingly truly just a customer here to taste the coffee.

Ji Fanghuai returned to the counter but couldn’t focus on her book anymore. She looked up and saw Xixi had burrowed into Jiang Zhi’s arms, squatting on her lap. She never knew Xixi liked Jiang Zhi so much, especially since she had scratched her aggressively before.

Traitor.

Bad cat.

Ji Fanghuai silently grumbled in her heart, only wishing Jiang Zhi would leave quickly. However, with Jiang Zhi in the shop, time seemed to run at 0.5x speed. Every time she looked down at her phone, she found that only less than five minutes had passed.

Ji Fanghuai aimlessly scrolled through her phone screen, her heart feeling like it had an hourglass installed, accurately recording the time. Jiang Zhi had been drinking one cup of coffee for a full hour, spending that entire hour just drinking coffee and playing with the cat.

She didn’t know why Jiang Zhi could drink that cup of coffee for an hour, only thinking that Jiang Zhi wanted to linger here again.

She couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Did Jiang Zhi want to cling to her this badly? Jiang Zhi was the one who made the mistake first, yet now she wanted to cling to her through such a childish method?

Ji Fanghuai frowned, showing a hint of impatience. Jiang Zhi, as if right on schedule, suddenly stood up and walked over, saying with a gentle smile, “How much is it, please?”

Ji Fanghuai was slightly stunned and replied, “25.”

Jiang Zhi swiftly scanned the code and paid, leaving immediately without any hesitation. At that moment, Xixi pattered after her, jumping up and clinging to the fabric on Jiang Zhi’s chest.

“I’m sorry.”

Ji Fanghuai wanted to hold Xixi away, but Xixi’s claws were hooked onto Jiang Zhi’s clothing and wouldn’t let go. Her hand almost touched Jiang Zhi’s chest.

“Get down!” Ji Fanghuai’s voice held a trace of anger.

Both Xixi and Jiang Zhi paused. Xixi let go of her claws, jumped down from Jiang Zhi, and let Ji Fanghuai grab her by the scruff of her neck, sending her into the small cage.

By the time Ji Fanghuai had securely locked Xixi up, Jiang Zhi had already left. When she cleared the tray, the coffee was already cold, and a shallow lipstick mark was imprinted on the rim of the cup.

Jiang Zhi’s lips had a beautiful shape. When pursed, they looked slightly serious, usually appearing sensual, and when kissing…

Ji Fanghuai’s eyes briefly glazed over, and she quickly pulled back her thoughts.

After that, it became a pattern: Jiang Zhi would come to the shop once a day, arriving at 8 PM, ordering a cup of coffee, and sitting quietly in the shop, either playing with the cat or working. She would leave punctually after one hour.

This was exactly when Ji Fanghuai finished her shift. When Jiang Zhi stood up, she would pack her things and prepare to go home.

Ji Fanghuai, bundled up in a thick down jacket with the cat in her arms, went home, showered, and went to sleep.

Her life during this period was very monotonous.

She made an effort to immerse her life in the virtual world, reading books during her spare time at work—either classic Chinese and foreign literature or online novels—coming home to watch two episodes of a TV series, and going to sleep promptly at eleven. She started work at one in the afternoon.

Perhaps due to sufficient sleep, her mental state had improved significantly during this time. Her skin was visibly brighter, and her headache symptoms had also eased.

“Boss, one iced Americano, regular is fine.”

Ji Fanghuai had seen Jiang Zhi’s strange habits during this period. Isn’t it cold to drink iced Americano in the winter? She had only heard that Koreans liked iced Americano. Jiang Zhi rarely drank coffee before, and now one cup every day—can her stomach handle it?

Seeing Ji Fanghuai hesitate, Jiang Zhi asked, “What’s wrong?”

She thought Ji Fanghuai was concerned about her, and her tone held a hint of delight.

Ji Fanghuai immediately put on her polite yet distant standard smile and said, “Nothing, it’ll be right up.”

The communication between the two remained sparse.

Jiang Zhi told herself not to rush. Ji Fanghuai was like a startled rabbit now; any slight disturbance would make her immediately retreat into her burrow.

This day, Jiang Zhi still arrived right on time. However, this time she didn’t see the familiar figure inside the glass door. The coffee shop was pitch black, and a handwritten “Closed Today” sign hung on the door.

Was she scared away by me?

Jiang Zhi raised her hand to touch the delicate handwriting. A bone-chilling coldness traveled from her fingers into her body, making her shiver involuntarily.

She nearly lost track of time standing there, waiting outside the shop door from 8 PM to 9 PM. Her body felt as if it had just been pulled out of a freezer; she couldn’t even drive and had to take a taxi back.

During that hour, although they were just in the same space, sitting in silence, she could always think of Ji Fanghuai’s appearance when she went back to sleep.

Not seeing Ji Fanghuai today, Jiang Zhi was unsurprisingly hit with insomnia. She worried if something had happened to her, but she didn’t even dare to call, afraid that it would annoy her further.

Jiang Zhi woke up in the morning feeling listless.

However, the evening was still pitch black. After two consecutive days of being closed, when Jiang Zhi saw the words “Closed Today” on the sign, she found it very irritating. She took out her phone and called Lin Mianmian.

“Miss Lin, could you please call Fanghuai and ask her how she is, if something has happened?”

“Did something happen to Fanghuai?” Lin Mianmian had been contacting Jiang Zhi most frequently recently. Whenever Jiang Zhi called, it was surely about Ji Fanghuai, so she understood the situation.

Jiang Zhi looked at her distorted reflection in the glass door and said, “I just haven’t contacted her in a while, and I’m a little worried. Could you please help me ask, but don’t say that I asked?”

“Okay, I’ll call right away. Are you still outside? The wind sounds a bit strong.” Lin Mianmian was currently having tea with her father, and her stomach felt warm. The temperature had dropped sharply recently, and she struggled for two hours every morning to get out of bed.

Jiang Zhi pulled up her collar, one hand in her pocket and the other holding her phone, saying, “Yes, I have some business outside.”

“Then go back early. The weather forecast says it will snow tonight.” Lin Mianmian offered a symbolic word of concern, then quickly hung up and called Ji Fanghuai.

“Stop playing the game, I have to answer the phone.” Ji Fanghuai snatched her phone back from under Xi Xi’s claws as fast as she could.

Ever since Jiang Zhi started coming to the shop every day, Xixi had been acting like a spirit, constantly patting her phone. At first, she didn’t understand what it meant, but after searching online, she realized it wanted to play games.

She had already ordered a new phone online, specifically for Xixi to play games, but because of the cold weather and the fact that some highways were already frozen, it hadn’t been delivered yet.

Ji Fanghuai answered the call: “Mianmian.”

“What have you been up to recently? The temperature is so low today, did you open the shop?” Lin Mianmian completely avoided mentioning Jiang Zhi.

“Nothing, just lying around at home. I haven’t been able to get up in the mornings these days. I’ve been sleeping ten hours a day and have been closed for two days.” Ji Fanghuai had been binge-watching dramas all day and was still feeling dizzy.

Lin Mianmian laughed and said, “I can’t get up at all either.”

She usually wakes up just in time for lunch.

Ji Fanghuai chatted with her for a while and said, “Do you need something?”

Lin Mianmian’s lying skills had improved recently. She said, “No, I was just asking casually. When you have time, come over here and we’ll have hot pot, or I can go find you. Eating hot pot is the most comfortable thing in winter.”

“Sounds good.” Ji Fanghuai and Lin Mianmian chatted about hot pot for a while longer before hanging up.

Actually, it wasn’t entirely because she couldn’t get up. She just didn’t want to grant Jiang Zhi’s wish and didn’t want her to come to her shop every day to play with the cat.

She couldn’t directly ask Jiang Zhi to leave because she had a business to run, but she could choose not to open the shop.

After two consecutive days off, Ji Fanghuai, who had always been hands-off, felt that running a shop was not as simple as just watching the employees work.

She had to look at sourcing channels, pay attention to customer flow and target groups, and consider whether prices were reasonable—all these were things that needed to be considered.

At 8 PM, only the staff member was quietly wiping tables and clearing trash in Xi Xi’s Cabin. Xi Xi the fat cat was heavily squatting on Ji Fanghuai’s lap.

The person and the cat were both looking forward, seemingly anticipating something, but there were hardly any people on the street at the moment, let alone anyone coming into the shop.

Going out in this weather was simply suffering.

When Ji Fanghuai checked her phone, it was already 8:30 PM. Maybe people were going home for the New Year. The Lunar New Year’s Eve was just one week away, and she planned to get a good long rest at home during the holidays.

“Boss, I’m off now.”

“Goodbye, be careful.”

After the only employee left, it was just Ji Fanghuai and Xixi in the shop, but Ji Fanghuai didn’t have any intention of leaving. She didn’t slowly pack up until 9:30 PM.

The next day, Ji Fanghuai dragged her feet until 10 PM, still seeing no sign of the person. Ji Fanghuai didn’t want to think too much, but Jiang Zhi, who had been a mandatory daily presence like a clock-in, suddenly went silent, making her inevitably a little concerned.

Although even if something happened to Jiang Zhi, it had nothing to do with her.

But if she clearly knew and didn’t say anything, she would feel guilty if something truly happened.

Ji Fanghuai returned home, still thinking about the matter, and couldn’t fall asleep. She wanted to text Xin Ling, but after deleting and rewriting, she didn’t know what to send.

Ji Fanghuai finally tapped into the class reunion group chat, copied a mass message, and forwarded it to Xin Ling, thinking that if she asked, she would say she sent it to the wrong person, which would be easy to explain.

Ji Fanghuai: “Winter is here, and it’s getting cold, but don’t let your heart get cold. Friend, remember to add layers. There are still people thinking about you and caring about you.”

After sending the copied, embarrassingly cringey mass message, Ji Fanghuai initially didn’t have much hope, but Xin Ling actually replied instantly.

“Someone like me who lives alone could die at home and no one would know. I didn’t expect Fanghuai to still remember to care about me, so touched!” Xin Ling casually sent a kissing emoji.

Ji Fanghuai: “…”

However, what she cared about most was the phrase “someone who lives alone could die at home and no one would know.” She didn’t know what to reply. Fortunately, Xin Ling didn’t give her time to dwell on it.

Xin Ling: “I haven’t seen Jiang Zhi in a long time. I heard she’s been working online from your place these days. Has she been to see you?”

Ji Fanghuai quickly typed back: “No.”

Just coming to the shop for coffee doesn’t count as looking for her.

“Then could something have happened? I’m at home now, and it’ll take time for me to get there. Fanghuai, please go check on her. Her stomach isn’t well, and she was having constant business dinners a while ago.”

“She has a bad stomach and still drinks coffee every day?” Ji Fanghuai regretted it as soon as she sent it, but felt that withdrawing the message would be suspicious.

Xin Ling: “She drinks coffee every day?”

Ji Fanghuai: “I don’t know.”

Xin Ling: “Then please go check on her for me. Wait, let’s go tomorrow. It’s too late tonight, and it’s not safe for you to be out alone.”

Ji Fanghuai didn’t reply to Xin Ling.

The words “for me” were particularly jarring. She didn’t want to do it for her.

But as soon as she lay down, her mind was filled with news stories of single women who had died drunk at home, died of illness at home, died of carbon monoxide poisoning at home…

All sorts of news about single women living alone who died at home unknown to anyone flooded her mind.

She got up after lying down for less than ten minutes.

Even if they had completely severed ties, Jiang Zhi was, after all, her stepsister.