"Is there something else?" I asked.

She bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and finally took a small amulet out of her pocket, stuffing it into my hand.

"This... I went to the temple to pray for it a couple of days ago. It’s for safety. You... you keep it on you."

After she said that, her cheeks turned a bit red, and she didn't dare look at me.

Looking at the amulet in my palm—roughly handmade, but sewn with such extra care—my heart felt like it had been filled with something, both aching and swelling.

I reached out and pulled her into my arms.

"Thank you."

This "thank you" was different from every single one before it.

"I told you not to always say thank you!" she muttered from within my embrace.

"Alright, I won't." I laughed, letting her go. "I'm off then. Wait for me to come back."

"Mm."

I turned and walked toward the security checkpoint.

After a few steps, I still couldn't resist turning back to look.

She was still standing in the same spot, waving her hands vigorously at me, a brilliant smile on her face.

Sunlight filtered through the airport’s glass windows, spilling onto her, as if plating her with a golden halo.

At that moment, I suddenly had an impulse to turn back immediately and tell her that I liked her.

But I held back.

The person I was now had just walked out of a failed relationship; I wasn't yet capable of giving her a certain future.

Wait for me to come back.

Wait until I have become better, enough to stand side-by-side with her.

I would tell her my heart's intent myself.

The half-month culinary exchange meeting was more interesting than I had imagined.

I exchanged ideas and learned from top chefs from all over the world, benefiting immensely.

Every night, I would have a video call with Qin Yue.

She would share with me where she went today, what good food she ate, or which undeserving rich kid she had pranked.

Chattering away like a happy little bird.

And I would listen patiently, occasionally chiming in to show her what new dishes I had learned that day.

"Wow! That looks so good! Aiden, hurry back and make it for me!"

"That dessert is so pretty! I want to eat that too!"

"Aiden, Aiden, when are you coming back? I really miss the food you make..."

It took her only ten short days to go from "missing the food you make" to "missing you."

This little demoness, flirting invisibly, was the most lethal of all.

Every night, I would fall asleep with a smile.

I thought such days would continue until I returned to the country.

Until I received a call from my sister, Chloe.

The moment the call connected, Chloe’s anxious and furious voice came through.

"Aiden! Come back quickly! Something happened to Qin Yue!"

My heart plummeted to the bottom of the abyss.

"What happened to her?" My voice was trembling.

"She... in order to vent anger for you, she went to cause trouble for Vanessa, and as a result, she was pushed down the stairs by that lunatic Vanessa!"

"What?!" I felt as if struck by lightning, my vision going black.

"She is in the hospital now, her leg is fractured, and she has a mild concussion. Come back quickly! She... she keeps calling your name."

I hung up the phone and immediately booked the earliest flight back to the country.

Sitting on the plane, I felt the blood in my entire body turning ice cold.

Qin Yue.

Vanessa.

These two names were frantically intertwining and tearing at each other in my mind.

I didn't dare think about what would happen to me if something really went wrong with Qin Yue.

I only knew that I would never let Vanessa go!

That woman—she had lost her mind!

The flight of over ten hours felt as long as a century.

The moment I stepped off the plane, I didn't even have time to go home before rushing straight to the hospital.

At the entrance of the ward, I saw Chloe and Qin Yue’s parents.

Their complexions were all terrible.

"Aiden, you’re back." Chloe greeted me upon seeing me.

"How is she?" I asked urgently.

"The doctor said the leg is in a cast and she needs to rest for a few months. The concussion isn't a big problem, it’s just that..." Chloe paused, looking at me with complicated eyes, "after she woke up, she didn't recognize anyone—she only remembers you."

My heart gave a jolt as I pushed open the ward door and rushed in.

On the hospital bed, Qin Yue’s left leg was in a thick cast, and her head was wrapped in gauze.

She was pale, looking weak and helpless.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, she slowly turned her head.

Seeing me, her eyes lit up instantly, like a puppy that had found its owner.

She reached her hand out toward me, her voice soft and aggrieved.

"Aiden... you’re finally back."

"I’m in so much pain."

Chapter 8

"I’m sorry, I came back late."

I walked quickly to the bedside and took her hand in mine, my heart feeling as though it were being squeezed by a giant hand—both painful and achingly bittersweet.

Her hand was cold and trembling slightly.

I wrapped her hand in my palm, trying to warm her with my own body heat.

"Where does it hurt? Tell me." My voice had become hoarse from the tension.

"My leg hurts, my head hurts too..." She pouted, her eyes red, looking like a child who had suffered a great injustice. "And here..."

She pointed to the area over her heart.

"This hurts too."

My heart gave a sharp tug.

"Qin Yue..."

"Aiden," she looked at me with reliance, her eyes filled with a trace of confusion and fear, "who are they? They all say they are my mom and dad, but I have no memory of them at all. I only remember you. My mind is filled with you."

At the doorway, Uncle Qin and Auntie Qin heard this, and their expressions grew even more strained. Auntie Qin couldn't help but turn her head away to secretly wipe away her tears.

I looked back and gave them a reassuring look, then turned my attention back to Qin Yue, using the gentlest voice possible to say, "It’s okay, don't worry about it if you can't remember. As long as you remember me, that’s enough."

"Mm," she nodded obediently, then asked cautiously, "Then... will you stay with me forever? You won't leave again, will you?"

"I won't leave." I leaned down and gently brushed the stray hair from her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere; I’ll stay right here with you."

"Pinky promise." She extended her little finger toward me.

"Okay, pinky promise."

I hooked my finger with hers, watching her face bloom with a smile again because of my promise, my heart filled with mixed emotions.

The doctor said this was selective amnesia.

Because she had suffered a severe shock and trauma, her brain automatically shielded the memories that caused her pain and anxiety, leaving behind only the person she trusted and relied on most in her subconscious.

And that person was me.

This realization made my heart ache, but at the same time, it brought an unspeakable sense of secret joy.

After settling Qin Yue, I walked out of the room.

"Uncle Qin, Auntie Qin, I’m sorry." I bowed deeply toward them. "Qin Yue getting hurt is all my fault. I..."

"It’s not your fault, Aiden." Uncle Qin patted my shoulder and sighed. "We know our Yue's personality. Even if you weren't involved, if she saw an injustice, she would still charge forward. That Vanessa... we won't let her off."

"I’ve already had my lawyers handle it." I looked up, my eyes cold. "Intentional injury, added to her previous cases—she can forget about ever getting out of prison for the rest of her life."

"That’s good."

After seeing Uncle and Auntie Qin off, Chloe came over and handed me a bottle of water.

"Don't blame yourself too much. That girl Qin Yue, good people have their own good fortunes."

"Sister, what exactly happened?" I unscrewed the cap, but didn't drink.

"What else could happen?" Chloe pouted. "Vanessa was released on bail by the police station because her lawyer claimed she had an unstable mental state and depression requiring treatment. The moment she got out, she found out where Qin Yue was living and went over to block her."

"At first, she knelt down and begged Qin Yue to let her off and to put in a good word for her with you. Knowing Qin Yue’s temper, how could she have ignored her? She even mocked her. That crazy woman then became enraged, claiming Qin Yue had ruined her life and that she would drag Qin Yue down with her. Right there in the stairwell, she pushed Qin Yue down."