The Ex-Wife-to-Be Is Acting Weird After Losing Her Memory - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Etude Two

“Shuanghe, compared to you needing me, I actually need your existence far more. (Said while turning and retreating two steps)… Oh, I shouldn’t read the part in parentheses, right?”

Zhen Zhen held the script in one hand, looking up at Lu Jiayin across from her with uncertainty. The moment she saw Lu Jiayin’s expression, she knowingly picked up the pen from the table and leaned down to write a few words on the script.

Lu Jiayin was sprawled on the desk, laughing so hard her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Zhen Zhen finished taking notes, and seeing her still lingering and refusing to get up, her cheeks felt warm. She lightly coughed: “Are you going to practice or not?”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone read romantic lines like that…” Lu Jiayin struggled to lift her head, her almond eyes glistening with playful laughter. “Wife, do you never watch romance movies?”

Her attention had completely drifted from the script. Zhen Zhen was a little helpless. She reached up and removed the glasses from her nose, placing them back on the shelf in a deliberate manner: “Lu Jiayin, I am only a practice partner.”

The request to practice the scene was Lu Jiayin’s idea, but now that they were actually doing it, Zhen Zhen grew more suspicious that it was merely an excuse, intended only to torment her.

Hearing Zhen Zhen’s tone turn serious, Lu Jiayin immediately composed herself and sat up straight: “No, no, I genuinely need your help, but if you read the lines like that, I can’t get into character.”

“I am not a professional actress.” Zhen Zhen also felt that their dry way of reading lines was not very helpful for practice. She flipped the script face down on the table, resting her chin on her long, slender fingers. “Besides, I genuinely can’t quite grasp these lines…”

In her past twenty-plus years, her understanding of the entertainment industry was extremely limited. Naturally, she had never watched any idol dramas or commercial films. She found the emotionally charged, artistic lines in Dark Light quite perplexing to read.

Lu Jiayin hadn’t expected that someone as academically accomplished as Zhen Zhen would be stumped by this. She paused, then came up with an idea.

“The best way to learn is by imitation. Since you haven’t watched any romance movies, let’s catch up first.” She jumped off the seat and turned to rummage through a file box next to the bookshelf. “I remember Fu Ruyi packaged my movies. How about we watch one together?”

Ten minutes later, the living room curtains were tightly drawn, the projector lit up the entire large screen, and Lu Jiayin, now in loose loungewear, sat on the sofa with a bucket of popcorn, not forgetting to call out to Zhen Zhen: “Get me a can of coke.”

Zhen Zhen, who was about to grab a pen and notebook, paused her movement.

She felt the atmosphere was decidedly unscholarly.

However, despite being married to Lu Jiayin for so long, she truly hadn’t watched any of her movies. With this thought, she walked into the kitchen as requested and brought out two cans of ice-cold coke.

Lu Jiayin had already adjusted the movie to the beginning and held the pause button, waiting for her. Only after Zhen Zhen sat down beside her did she press play again.

In the quiet space, the lingering sound of a cello slowly began to play.

“This is the movie that won me Best Actress, Cloud Village,” Lu Jiayin said with a hint of pride, holding up the disc cover. “I played a cellist in it. The styling is absolutely gorgeous…”

The film’s pace was gentle yet full of romantic sentiment.

In the opening shot, the cellist played by Lu Jiayin was attending a concert. Under the bright, dazzling lights, she wore a black gown, beautiful as a meticulously carved deity.

The gown was off-the-shoulder, revealing an exquisite and tempting collarbone. The black dress, snow-white skin, and vibrant, soul-stirring red lips resonated harmoniously with the cello strings’ vibrato, merging sound and color. She suddenly raised her eyes to the camera, her almond eyes sparkling brightly, like a captivating enchantress.

In the next scene, she had taken her curtain call and left the stage, running out of the splendid concert hall, clutching her skirt like an escaping princess. The streetlights shone behind her, as if scattering countless golden fragments.

Under all the glamour, a subtle loneliness was revealed.

Zhen Zhen watched intently. When she saw Lu Jiayin taking off her high heels and unsteadily stepping onto the curbstone, her lips curved slightly. She commented, seemingly moved: “I remember the first time I saw you, you looked quite similar to this.”

This was the first time Zhen Zhen had voluntarily brought up details of their relationship. Since the amnesia, Lu Jiayin had learned about her family, career, and general situation with the help of Fu Ruyi. However, regarding her relationship with Zhen Zhen, the agent only knew they had a quick, flash marriage after meeting and that the relationship quickly deteriorated afterward, without knowing the specific details.

Now that Zhen Zhen had brought up the topic, Lu Jiayin was very interested: “Where did we first meet? How did we meet? Was it romantic?”

Seeing her expectant gaze, Zhen Zhen didn’t give a definite answer. She simply leaned back into the sofa, whispering: “Our first meeting, strictly speaking, was an accident…”

At that time, Zhen Zhen had just returned to China and was dragged by her cousin to attend a large social gala. The venue was lavishly decorated, and many celebrities and prominent figures were present. However, Zhen Zhen had always been uninterested in such occasions. After reluctantly drinking a few glasses of wine, she found an excuse to quietly leave.

As soon as she got into the car, the alcohol started to affect her. Zhen Zhen told the driver not to start yet. She rolled down the window halfway, wanting to clear her head with the fresh air. Just then, a figure swayed, lightly moving towards her.

It was a young woman, wearing a black velvet evening gown, with luxurious long curly hair draped over her shoulders. She seemed heavily intoxicated, staggering directly in front of Zhen Zhen’s car. She leaned against the window and looked in at her.

In the hazy light of the streetlamp, Zhen Zhen clearly saw a strikingly beautiful face. She faintly recalled seeing her at the party earlier; someone had called her “Best Actress Lu,” so she must be a celebrity.

She looked up in confusion, meeting the woman’s blurry gaze: “Miss Lu, can I help you?”

Hearing Zhen Zhen’s voice, Lu Jiayin smiled hazily. Just as she was about to speak, a rush of hurried footsteps came from behind her—it seemed someone was approaching.

Lu Jiayin’s eyes flashed. Before Zhen Zhen could react, the person in front of her reached out, opened the car door, and, with extraordinary speed, tumbled toward her.

The moment the soft, fragrant warmth pressed against her, Zhen Zhen’s expression froze, and her heart skipped a few beats. Her nostrils were filled with a sweet floral scent mixed with alcohol. Lu Jiayin’s arm naturally wrapped around her neck, and she spoke urgently: “A paparazzi is following me. Drive quickly.”

Although she didn’t fully understand the situation, seeing Lu Jiayin’s nervous face, Zhen Zhen still told the driver to start the car. Seeing the young madam give the order, the driver swiftly started the vehicle and quickly drove out of the parking lot.

The car drove onto the Binhai Boulevard, well away from their previous location. Lu Jiayin finally seemed to relax. She remained softly nestled in Zhen Zhen’s arms, clinging tightly to her neck. Zhen Zhen frowned slightly and whispered, “Can you let go now?”

Lu Jiayin acted as if she hadn’t heard her, even rubbing against her chest, drawing out her words: “Don’t move. I feel so dizzy right now.”

Zhen Zhen had never encountered such a delicate person. After a moment of thought, she asked, “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

“Just keep driving straight ahead,” Lu Jiayin said slowly, continuing to lie bonelessly in Zhen Zhen’s arms. Her fingers restlessly touched the mother-of-pearl buttons on Zhen Zhen’s shirt. Zhen Zhen was unsettled by her restless movements and could only let the driver follow her instructions.

After the car drove for another ten minutes, she suddenly realized something was wrong. A stretch of beach appeared before them. The ocean glistened under the moonlight. Lu Jiayin had directed them to the seaside.

“You live here?” she asked, looking at the beach with uncertainty.

Lu Jiayin smiled playfully: “Yes, I’m a fairy! Fairies definitely live here.”

As she spoke, she sat up, seeming ready to get out of the car. Unexpectedly, her expression suddenly stalled. Then, she leaned down and threw up with a loud “Wah.”

“So… I threw up in your car like that?” Lu Jiayin could barely believe her ears. She guiltily turned her head, afraid to look at Zhen Zhen’s expression.

Zhen Zhen gave an “Mhm”: “You threw up in a brand new Bentley. It was its first time on the road that day. Xiao Chen washed it three times, and I never saw that car again…”

Lu Jiayin wished she could disappear into a crack in the floor. She had intended to relive a romantic story with Zhen Zhen but instead heard this story of her own social demise. She struggled to save face: “After that, we were already at the beach… so, did something else happen?”

It couldn’t be that Zhen Zhen married her because she threw up in her car, right? Something more romantic must have happened that night.

Zhen Zhen looked at her with a calm expression: “Yes, after that, you insisted you were a fairy and wanted to swim to the Dragon Palace. I couldn’t hold onto you, and you jumped into the ocean in your gown… After the driver changed cars and came back, I spent half an hour coaxing you before you finally agreed to go home. Oh, and finally, you said you wanted to thank me and signed your name on my clothes.”

She thought for a moment, then added seriously: “You signed it with eyeliner. It never washed out.”

Lu Jiayin was thunderstruck. She sat stunned on the floor, and after a long while, she managed to say: “Forget it, please don’t say anything more.”

My dignity is gone, no need to look for it anymore.

Seeing her so defeated, Zhen Zhen felt a little sorry for her. She looked at her gently and slowly said: “It’s okay. Actually, I felt very happy that night.”

That was the one and only time they sat on the beach late at night. She listened to Lu Jiayin talk about many things—her dreams and her work. Even after they started dating, the Lu Jiayin from that night never reappeared.

She put on a mask of pride and reserve, unwilling to show her vulnerability to others again.

Even though Zhen Zhen said so, Lu Jiayin took it only as an attempt to comfort her. She turned her face away as a cover-up, finding the remote control among the pillows: “Uh… let’s not talk about the old days. Let’s continue… watching the movie.”

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