Spirit Reaper - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Bewitched — “Who gave you the audacity to bewitch my person?”

“Wuyi, Wuyi?” Amidst her chaotic consciousness, Yu Wuyi heard a faint, blurry call from afar. It was a young, female voice—one she had never heard before, yet it felt strange.

As a blinding white light flashed, Yu Wuyi’s consciousness finally returned. She opened her eyes in a daze, and the moment her vision locked onto the person in front of her, her pupils contracted sharply.

“You… no, this is impossible!” Looking at the woman smiling gently before her, Yu Wuyi felt no joy, only utter disbelief. She sat up, recoiling into the corner of the bed, and asked guardedly, “Who are you exactly?”

“You silly child, did you hit your head and go dumb?” Hearing her words, a trace of worry flickered across the woman’s face. She stepped forward and pulled Yu Wuyi into her embrace, reaching out to stroke her forehead. “Does it still hurt? You’ve been unconscious for several days; your mother was worried to death.”

“You child, how could you fall down the stairs like that? If little An next door hadn’t found you in time, I might not be seeing you right now.”

Seeing the woman on the verge of tears, Yu Wuyi couldn’t bring herself to struggle. Even though something felt wrong, she couldn’t stand to see that face—the exact image of her mother from the old photographs—looking so heartbroken.

In her memory, her mother had clearly passed away long ago. How could she be standing here now?

“Hiss—” Yu Wuyi tried to think deeper, but a sharp, stabbing pain in her brain cut her off. In an instant, a flood of strange memories surged into her mind like a tide.

The clarity she had a second ago turned back into a hazy, unfocused gaze.

Countless memory fragments flashed before her eyes. The traces of her previous memories were gradually overwritten by new ones, buried at the very bottom of her mind.

She was a “calamity star” who cursed her mother to death; she had been shunned by the villagers since childhood…

No, that’s not right…

She was born in the city. Both her parents were alive and well. She had been the apple of their eye since she was small, protected and cherished. Her family lived in a medium-sized two-bedroom apartment in the city center; life was quiet and warm.

She also had a childhood friend who lived next door, named Qin An…

Yes, that’s it. These were her true memories. The person before her was her mother—Li You.

But why did she have those other thoughts earlier?

Hiss… she couldn’t remember.

“I’m sorry, Mom. It won’t happen again.” By now, Yu Wuyi completely believed her current memories. She gently hugged the woman back, feeling guilty.

“Knock, knock, knock—” An untimely knock at the door broke the brief warmth of the bedroom.

Hearing the sound, Li You rose to open the door. With the click of the lock, Yu Wuyi heard a young female voice. When Li You returned to the room, she was followed by a tall girl with cool, refined features.

The moment the girl saw Yu Wuyi sitting at the head of the bed, the coldness in her expression vanished without a trace. It was replaced by a gaze full of concern and worry, like a melting glacier, waves of emotion threatening to submerge Yu Wuyi.

“Wuyi, are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” She sat beside Yu Wuyi, cupping her face and looking her over.

“Qin… An?” This face gradually merged with the childhood friend in her memory.

“Mmm, it’s me. It’s me.” Seeing that Yu Wuyi was mostly unharmed, Qin An let out a long sigh of relief and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Thank goodness you’re okay… thank goodness you’re okay…”

“Alright, alright, aren’t I fine now?” Yu Wuyi patted Qin An’s back, comforting her softly.

“But, how did I get hurt? And why was I unconscious for so many days?” Yu Wuyi couldn’t find the memory of the accident. The more she tried to recall it, the more her head throbbed with explosive pain. “Why can’t I remember anything…”

“It’s fine. If you can’t remember, don’t think about it. As long as you’re okay now.” Qin An stroked Yu Wuyi’s head gently. “Don’t force yourself.”

“Mm.” Enveloped by the faint, cool fragrance of Qin An’s body, Yu Wuyi unconsciously relaxed. She nodded and leaned her head against Qin An’s shoulder, letting her continue.

Qin An’s embrace made her feel safe.

“Alright, look at you, looking so pathetic like a puppy begging for comfort. Does your aunt know you’re like this?” After an unknown amount of time, Qin An’s teasing voice broke the silence.

Hearing this, Yu Wuyi looked up in a panic, only to meet Qin An’s sly, fox-like grin. As for Li You, she had slipped out at some point to give the two of them privacy.

Under the gaze of those teasing eyes, Yu Wuyi’s face turned completely red. Her gaze drifted, and she reached out huffily to push the other girl away. “You just love teasing me.”

“Is this how you treat your savior?” Pushed away, Qin An clutched her heart with a pained expression, making Yu Wuyi feel somewhat in the wrong again.

“Those are two different things! But… thank you, anyway…”

“Pfft—” Seeing Yu Wuyi’s awkwardness, Qin An couldn’t hold it in and laughed. She tapped Yu Wuyi’s head and said, “Fine. If you really want to thank me, just take good care of yourself.”

“I don’t want to open my door and see you fainted on the steps again, with a head full of blood.”

“It makes my heart ache.”

Even though Qin An’s words seemed like a joke on the surface, Yu Wuyi could catch the seriousness within them, especially the last sentence. For a moment, she forgot to respond, and the atmosphere between them turned slightly awkward.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

“Wuyi, little An, dinner is ready! Come out and eat!”

Li You’s knocking pulled the atmosphere back to reality.

Yu Wuyi pursed her lips. After a moment of hesitation, she stood up and grabbed Qin An’s wrist, pulling her toward the door. “Let’s go. You haven’t eaten anyway, so stay and join us.”

“Consider it my thanks to you.”

“Mm. Since you’ve invited me, how could I refuse?”

At the dinner table, Yu Wuyi felt a sense of confusion as she watched her mother set out the bowls and her father—who felt slightly strange yet lived vividly in her memories—busy himself bringing dishes to the table.

This was clearly the most normal scene imaginable, yet why did she feel something was wrong? It was as if all of this was an unrealistic dream, a little too beautiful to be true.

“Here, Wuyi. One chicken leg for you and one for little An.” After sitting down, Li You smilingly gave the two chicken legs from the soup to them.

“Wuyi, eat up and recover. Once you’re better, remember to thank little An properly, okay?”

“Don’t go thinking little An is easy to push around and keep ‘bullying’ her.”

“Little An, it’s all thanks to you…”

“I know, I know! Mom, stop talking and just eat.” Yu Wuyi interrupted Li You, piling food into her mother’s bowl in an attempt to silence her. The result, however, was receiving two sharp glares from Mrs. Li.

Taking the hint from the glare, Yu Wuyi hurriedly pivoted, putting food into Qin An’s bowl instead, muttering under her breath, “Eat quickly, eat quickly, so I don’t get scolded again.”

“Auntie, Wuyi hasn’t bullied me. She’s… very cute…” A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of Qin An’s mouth as she spoke unhurriedly.

“Little An, don’t make excuses for her. Auntie knows. Wuyi must have threatened you. Tell me the truth.” Qin An’s words, instead of “clearing Yu Wuyi’s name,” only made the suspicion worse.

“Mom! Am I just a bully in your eyes? Am I even your daughter anymore?” Yu Wuyi pouted in dissatisfaction, staring at Li You with “tearful” eyes, looking extremely aggrieved.

“Alright, alright. Our Wuyi is of course the daughter Mom and Dad love most.” The man who had been observing the whole time spoke up with a grin. “But Wuyi, your mother is right. Have you forgotten what a little tyrant you were when you were small?”

“Do you want Mom and Dad to help you remember?”

“Fine, fine! Let’s just eat!” Being reminded of her past, Yu Wuyi suddenly felt she had no leg to stand on and could only end the conversation awkwardly, burying her head in her food.

…

After finally surviving dinner, Yu Wuyi wanted to help her parents clean up, but the moment she moved, she was “driven out” by the two of them under the pretext that “lying in bed too long requires fresh air.”

Along with Qin An.

“You just woke up, don’t walk too fast.” Qin An’s reminder came from behind. Yu Wuyi unconsciously slowed her pace, but still maintained a speed that kept Qin An from catching up.

“Don’t sulk. It’s not good for your recovery.”

“Who’s sulking? I couldn’t possibly be sulking,” Yu Wuyi pouted, speaking huffily.

She lifted her foot to speed up again, but in the next second, a cool sensation wrapped around her wrist. She turned around and met Qin An’s helpless yet smiling eyes.

“You say that every time.” Qin An sighed and pulled Yu Wuyi to a bench in a corner of the park. “We grew up together; do you think I don’t know you? You little grump.”

Being called out so suddenly, Yu Wuyi felt restless and desperate to escape.

Awkward! This is dying of awkwardness!

Seeing her about to bolt again, Qin An was quick, pulling her back and firmly “confining” her to the spot.

“Don’t take what was said at the dinner table to heart. Auntie didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know that…”

“Then why are you sulking? Tell me. Keeping it inside won’t do any good.”

“I’m not… I just… feel a bit weird…” Yu Wuyi stammered. But if she had to say what was weird, she couldn’t explain it.

Hearing her words, the Qin An before her sighed softly. She reached out and touched the bandage on Yu Wuyi’s forehead, saying softly, “I know you were hurt, you just woke up, and your memory is messy. It’s natural not to be adjusted.”

“But it’s okay, Wuyi. Mom, Dad, and I will always be by your side until you’re completely recovered.”

“So stop thinking about running away. Stay with us, okay?”

Qin An’s words were incredibly sincere, yet Yu Wuyi felt a sense of wrongness for no reason. However, looking into those earnest, pleading eyes, the suspicion that had arisen out of thin air vanished instantly. Only one thought remained in her mind:

Agree to her. Don’t make her sad.

“I…” Just as she was about to agree, the entire space suddenly froze. Immediately after, a shout rang out from the distance, and the scene before Yu Wuyi was violently torn apart, dissolving into grey smoke.

“Who gave you the audacity to bewitch my person?”