The Ex-Wife-to-Be Is Acting Weird After Losing Her Memory - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Rhapsody Four

The car drove south along the vineyards. The May sky, like a water-washed crystal, radiated a clear light. The destination was not difficult to find. As the flagstone road meandered into the old village, the creamy white brick walls came into view.

It was a beautiful country villa. Due to its age, the building’s surface bore the marks of time. A little girl playing in the yard wore long, golden, lustrous hair that floated like wheat ears. Zhen Zhen got out of the car and walked over to speak with her.

Learning that they were here to visit, the girl blinked curiously and quickly ran into the house like the wind. A moment later, an Eastern woman in a black dress, about forty years old, walked out.

She introduced herself as Ms. Ruan, the manager of the villa, who would come to help receive guests in her spare time. Perhaps because they hadn’t had visitors in a long time, Ms. Ruan was extremely enthusiastic. She opened the door and invited them into the house.

“In the third year after Mr. Jiang’s passing, the grandmother who inherited this villa turned it into a small memorial hall for visitors,” Ms. Ruan said as she walked. “The main house displays souvenirs they collected during their travels around the world, and there is also a small screening room. You can look around freely.”

Although historically old, the room was still very clean, and it was easy to see its cozy appearance from back then: yellowed rose wallpaper, the purple wisteria trellis in the garden visible outside the wooden window frame, and a row of large and small photo frames by the window, containing group photos of two young women.

As a film academy graduate, Lu Jiayin had seen many of Director Jiang Peifeng’s works. She bent down slightly, looking at the photos one by one, very carefully. Zhen Zhen stood by her side, patiently keeping her company.

Seeing the two looking closely, Ms. Ruan apologized with a smile: “You can visit as you please. I need to go to the small house next door to prepare dinner. If you’re not in a hurry, please come over and eat later.”

She wasn’t just being polite. After confirming that the two were not rushing, she earnestly added: “Emily also hopes you can stay. She’s my daughter and particularly likes excitement. We don’t have many visitors usually, so if you can, please have dinner with us.”

That blonde, blue-eyed little girl was her daughter. Zhen Zhen nodded knowingly, thought for a moment, and said: “Then we will trouble you.”

Having decided to stay a little longer, they lingered in the house for a while. Lu Jiayin particularly liked the small terrace on the second floor of the house. Looking out from there, the distant green of the vineyards layered over each other. The little girl Emily was running around in the yard, presumably helping to set the table.

The weather was pleasant, and dinner was arranged in the yard. They went downstairs to help the little girl. She seemed a bit shy, and only smiled and waved her hands when Lu Jiayin spoke to her.

Seeing this, Ms. Ruan explained gently: “Emily was born unable to speak, but she is very smart and can understand what you are trying to say.”

Lu Jiayin was startled that such a beautiful girl was mute. Ms. Ruan, however, seemed completely unfazed. She patted her daughter’s shoulder and told her to wash her hands, then turned and smiled, inviting everyone to be seated.

“She is a child I adopted from an orphanage in Paris,” she whispered. “Many times, we need to calmly accept the inevitable imperfections in life and then enrich the other parts we can grasp. Life is very short. If we are always troubled, we won’t have enough time to feel happy.”

Lu Jiayin nodded slightly, saying sincerely: “You are truly amazing.”

“The truly amazing ones were Ms. Jiang and her partner,” Ms. Ruan smiled. “She and Ms. Ruan were always engaged in charity work supporting children in impoverished areas. Influenced by my ancestors, I chose to work in an NGO, and that’s how I had the opportunity to meet Emily. She is a gift from God to me.”

They chatted in low voices. The little girl, like the wind, ran back from the house again. This time, she was followed by a large white dog. The girl and the dog sat intimately together, presenting a surprisingly harmonious scene.

The main dish for dinner was country-style stewed fish, served with freshly baked bread. The rich, fragrant soup was delicious. Lu Jiayin had a great appetite and ate several pieces.

Her enthusiasm clearly infected Emily. The little girl particularly needed atmosphere when eating. The blonde beauty looked at Lu Jiayin, smiling shyly with her lips pressed together. By the end of the meal, she and Lu Jiayin both reached for the last piece of bread simultaneously, and after exchanging surprised glances, they burst into laughter.

In the end, it was Zhen Zhen who stepped in, dividing the bread in two for them and seriously scooping the remaining fish stew evenly into both plates, finally completing the fair distribution.

With the friendship established over dinner, the little girl reached out after the meal, wanting to pull Lu Jiayin along to play. Zhen Zhen stayed in the yard to help the host clear the table.

On a summer night in the south, the sky was filled with stars, and the subtle chirping of insects could be heard from time to time. Learning that they were traveling in the South of France for the first time, Ms. Ruan enthusiastically recommended several scenic spots worth visiting to Zhen Zhen.

“…They are all especially suitable for young couples like you on your honeymoon trip,” she added with a smile.

Zhen Zhen initially wanted to explain that she and Lu Jiayin had actually been married for several years, but considering that this was indeed their first trip together, she implicitly accepted the description without correction.

After all, if it counted as a honeymoon trip, it didn’t seem bad at all.

The two quietly sat in the yard drinking tea. Suddenly, a loud noise came from the side of the villa, as if something had fallen to the ground, followed by a series of dog barks, mixed with Lu Jiayin’s cries of pain.

Hearing the commotion, Zhen Zhen immediately stood up nervously and quickly walked toward the villa with the equally puzzled Ms. Ruan. However, the situation was not what they expected. The two figures, one big and one small, standing before them were covered in dust and looked somewhat excited.

“We found a secret compartment in the attic…” Lu Jiayin took the initiative to explain. “And then this thing accidentally fell out…”

In her arms, she held a small box that looked very old. Emily nodded beside her, indicating that this was the “treasure” they had discovered together.

Zhen Zhen gently guided her wife, first taking the wooden box to confirm that the earlier commotion hadn’t injured her, before slowly letting out a sigh of relief: “You actually went up to the attic.”

Fortunately, neither of them was hurt. Emily was held in Ms. Ruan’s arms, completely unfrightened by the commotion. Instead, her eyes were curved into a big smile. She was very curious about what was inside the box, her gaze bright as she looked at Zhen Zhen.

After getting permission from the host, Zhen Zhen opened the box. It was an antique carved wooden jewelry box. Inside were not jewels but a stack of thick letters.

Lu Jiayin recognized the handwriting on the cover at a glance and let out a soft “Ah”: “This is… Director Jiang’s handwriting…”

The treasure they accidentally uncovered turned out to be letters written by Jiang Peifeng to Ruan Jinyun, which she had collected.

Nearly a century had passed since Jiang Peifeng’s death. The preciousness of this stack of memories buried in time was self-evident. Zhen Zhen closed the box and solemnly handed it back to the only person who was the owner present. Ms. Ruan took it back just as seriously.

“Thank you.” Being reunited with a family heirloom made her feel a surge of emotion. “Perhaps this is what people often call ‘fate.’ I will send the letters back to China as soon as possible. I believe Grandmother will also be very happy to see them…”

Lu Jiayin never dreamed that she could have such a magical, separated connection with her idol. Although the letters were private property and they couldn’t open them immediately, just seeing the stack of letters made her happy.

Because of this wonderful accident, Ms. Ruan strongly invited them to stay for a few days. As a small town famous for its wine, May traditionally hosts an annual “New Wine Day,” and the town residents will gather in the square for a grand cycling race around the vineyards.

The yard was filled with happy squeals. The little girl Emily was pedaling her bike incredibly fast, gliding all the way through the yard gate and stopping precisely in front of the flower bed. A happy smile beamed on her face as she looked at the two people nearby.

Compared to the little girl’s ease, Lu Jiayin’s expression was very serious. She pushed the bicycle in her hand down the steps and looked at Zhen Zhen with uncertainty, asking: “Are you really going to learn?”

Zhen Zhen nodded: “Yes.”

She had heard Ms. Ruan mention at breakfast that the cycling race around the vineyards, as a traditional town competition, was not only grand but also offered generous prizes. Besides the various honors for the champions and runners-up, all completing contestants would receive a bottle of special edition wine customized by Jiang Peifeng’s winery.

Die-hard fan Lu Jiayin immediately decided to sign up for the competition and cast an expectant look at Zhen Zhen across from her.

With one more person participating, wouldn’t it logically mean one more bottle of idol-branded wine?

Faced with her wife’s yearning gaze, Zhen Zhen took a sip of coffee, maintaining a rare silence.

“I don’t want it that much,” Lu Jiayin said with a bit of hesitation, watching Zhen Zhen hesitantly take the bicycle. “One prize is enough.”

Zhen Zhen silently stabilized the bike. She had never ridden a bike before. When she was little and lived at her grandfather’s house, none of the adults thought to teach her. When she got older, she felt a bit embarrassed to learn how to ride as an adult. Now, unexpectedly, in a remote town in the south of France, she would again encounter this skill.

She shook her head calmly: “It’s fine. I’ll just try it out briefly. If I can learn it, I’ll enter the race with you.”

She had noticed Lu Jiayin’s evident yearning at the breakfast table. If she only won one bottle of wine as a prize, given her personality, she would definitely be reluctant to drink it. Zhen Zhen wanted to help her win another bottle.

Recalling Emily’s demonstration, it didn’t seem too difficult, and her own athletic coordination wasn’t bad. Maybe she could learn.

Five minutes later.

Zhen Zhen, staggering off the bike and onto her feet again, was covered in a black cloud. Beside her, the big white dog was happily circling her, letting out extremely excited “Woof woof” sounds, mingling with Emily’s laughter to create an unusually cheerful atmosphere.

Zhen Zhen patted away non-existent dust and pretended to say carelessly: “Well, it’s a bit more complicated than I thought.”

Lu Jiayin: …

The practice continued until the afternoon. During this time, Zhen Zhen fell off the bike five times, was forcibly dragged away by Lu Jiayin three times (unsuccessfully), and watched the demonstration by the dog and the child eleven times. Finally, Ms. Ruan, who pushed the door open, broke the deadlock.

Staring at the various eyes in the yard watching them, Ms. Ruan placed her shopping bag on the table and asked: “Do you know that the town store sells tandem bicycles?”

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