Chapter 91
The finals of the Winter World Cup were tomorrow, and Chi Lin went straight to the club for a meeting after school.
Although she had been busy lately, having Lou Mi as a close “comrade” gave her a sense of stability, allowing her to focus and seemingly giving her boundless energy.
During lunch, she messaged Lou Mi while eating and even managed to finish most of her homework.
Lin Xiaozhi and Wei Zhuoning were impressed by her multitasking abilities, studying, working, and having a relationship.
In the afternoon’s math test, Chi Lin finally scored a 98, almost reaching triple digits.
The math teacher called her to his office:
“Your steps are still too brief. You have to write out the complete process, or you’ll lose points. Here, here, and here, if you hadn’t missed these three points, you would have gotten a perfect score.”
Chi Lin diligently noted the corrections. The math teacher, peering over his thick glasses, smiled:
“Great progress, keep it up.”
Chi Lin nodded earnestly, practically floating out of the office.
She was in a good mood, full of energy, and finished all her homework before school ended.
On the way to the club, she missed Lou Mi intensely.
Voice messages weren’t enough; she wanted to see her face.
As the car started, Chi Lin initiated a video call with Lou Mi.
Unexpectedly, the call was rejected.
Chi Lin: “?”
Lou Mi sent a voice message:
“I’m in the bathroom… What’s up?”
Chi Lin hadn’t expected such an awkward timing: “Sorry, I’ll contact you later.”
“No need to apologize, I know you miss me, and I miss you too. I’ve been thinking about you since I woke up. I even dreamt of you last night.”
Chi Lin listened to Lou Mi’s deep, mesmerizing voice repeatedly, longing to see her, but they had arrived at the club.
Work first.
She said she would see Lou Mi during the meeting later. Lou Mi, hearing this, froze.
Meeting? Right, the pre-match meeting!
This wasn’t a simple video conference, but a holographic projection meeting, the standard for modern businesses and teams.
Participants projected their upper bodies using a phone app, as if they were physically present.
It was still more relaxed than being physically present, though. They only projected their upper bodies, so they could wear whatever they wanted below; no one would see.
But…
Lou Mi threw her phone aside and tried to remove the cursed helmet again.
No matter how hard she pulled, even scraping her neck raw, it wouldn’t budge.
The helmet seemed custom-made, fitting perfectly, stuck fast.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Rejecting Chi Lin’s video call had already been painful enough, but the upcoming holographic meeting with the team was a disaster waiting to happen!
Who would want to show up in front of the entire club wearing a green triangle on their head?!
Those bastards, Xie Buyu and the others, would laugh their asses off!
Lou Mi wished she could detach her head from her body.
After struggling for another ten minutes, drenched in sweat, the cursed helmet remained firmly in place.
The material was strange, impossible to tear or break.
It was just a hundred-yuan helmet, did it need to be this indestructible?!
She really had to call the fire department!
“Miss Lou, how are you feeling today?”
The nurse’s timing was impeccable, even more precise than the helmet’s fit.
Lou Mi quickly flipped over and pulled the blanket over her head.
The nurse craned her neck: “Miss Lou? Are you there?”
Lou Mi, muffled under the blanket, mumbled in a sleepy voice, “Mm.”
“Okay, good. Rest well.”
The nurse left.
Lou Mi immediately sat up and resumed her battle with the helmet.
Just then, the holographic meeting notification rang.
Sister Lan was inviting her to the meeting.
Arghhhhh!
Lou Mi screamed inwardly.
What was she supposed to do?!
Was her reputation going to be ruined by a helmet?!
She was facing the biggest crisis of her life.
“What’s going on?”
In the main conference room, all the members of Nine Heavens, including the technical advisors, management, and trainees, were seated around the table.
Several remote executives had also joined the holographic meeting. They were all waiting for Lou Mi.
The floating window above Lou Mi’s seat still showed “Waiting to connect.”
Zhuo Jinglan hung up and called again, but there was still no response.
Chi Lin was worried. Had Lou Mi eaten something bad and was stuck in the bathroom?
After another half a minute, Lou Mi finally connected.
As soon as she appeared, everyone was startled.
She hadn’t projected her upper body, only her face.
Her face, magnified to the size of her torso, filled the screen, obscuring everything else.
Zhuo Jinglan almost fell out of her chair:
“What are you doing?! What is this?!”
It was terrifying!
Lou Mi said, with forced composure, “There seems to be a problem with my phone, I can only project partially.”
Huhu found the logic flawed: “If there was a problem with your phone, you wouldn’t be able to project at all, why only partially?”
Lou Mi, whose problem wasn’t her phone but herself, glared at Huhu.
Huhu: “?”
Xie Buyu, sitting next to him, whispered: “Shut up if you want to live.”
Huhu: “…”
He had been with Nine Heavens for a while now, but some things still baffled him.
The more Zhuo Jinglan looked at the floating face, the more unnerved she became, forgetting her opening remarks.
Chi Lin, who thought she knew Lou Mi well, was also puzzled. What was her sister doing?
Seeing everyone’s attention on her, Lou Mi took over Zhuo Jinglan’s role and started the meeting:
“Tomorrow’s match will still focus on Chi Lin. Her playstyle is unconventional and unpredictable, our opponents won’t know what to expect…”
After the 40-minute meeting, the team members were about to enter the game for a simulation match.
Finally disconnecting from the meeting, Lou Mi, still trapped in the green triangle, felt like her neck was about to snap.
Chi Lin hadn’t visited last night, but she would definitely come tonight.
She had to get this damn thing off before she arrived!
Lou Mi wanted to ask a nurse for help, at least to borrow some scissors, but she was afraid of her embarrassing situation becoming public, a laughingstock for the entire internet.
She had discovered today that she cared about her image after all.
Her neck hurt. Lou Mi decided to order some tools online to dismantle this thing.
When the delivery arrived, and the nurse brought the scissors to her room, Lou Mi opened the door a crack, only extending one hand:
“Thank you.”
As the nurse handed her the scissors and the door closed, she couldn’t help but think that esports players were a bit strange.
Lou Mi struggled with the scissors, her hands turning red, but the helmet remained unscathed.
She had to admit defeat.
The scissors couldn’t even scratch the helmet.
Lou Mi collapsed onto the bed, utterly defeated. She could only wait for Chi Lin to rescue her.
After the simulation match and another short meeting, finalizing all the details for tomorrow’s finals, Chi Lin rushed out of the club at 10 pm and headed for the hospital.
She had to see Lou Mi tonight. It had been over a day since they last saw each other, and she had struggled to focus on work. Her sister had been acting strangely all day, avoiding video calls and only showing her face during the meeting. Chi Lin was worried and wanted to see her in person.
On her way to the hospital, Chi Lin’s heart felt warm.
She was grateful for the fast and convenient transportation of this era, allowing her to travel across the city and see the person she longed for in such a short time.
When she was campaigning in the north, a single letter to and from Her Majesty would take over a month.
Back then, just seeing Her Majesty’s handwriting would make her happy for days. Now, even with the speed and convenience of modern transportation, it still felt too slow.
Arriving at the hospital, she rushed to Lou Mi’s room and knocked on the door, eager to enter.
“Wait!” Lou Mi called out from inside.
Chi Lin: “?”
Lou Mi said hesitantly: “Prepare yourself before coming in… And don’t laugh!”
A thousand question marks flooded Chi Lin’s mind. Recalling Lou Mi’s strange behavior today, she grew worried.
“Sister, did something happen?”
“…Something did happen.”
Chi Lin: “I’m prepared, let me in.”
Lou Mi didn’t answer. Chi Lin pushed the door open.
She froze, seeing Lou Mi’s head encased in a bizarre helmet, only her dejected face visible.
“What, is that?”
“I bought it online, it’s supposed to help me regain my past life memories.”
“So, you didn’t video call me because you were embarrassed, and you only showed your face during the meeting because of this?”
Lou Mi didn’t answer, tacitly confirming it.
Chi Lin asked, “How long do you have to wear this helmet to regain your memories?”
Lou Mi almost exploded: “I can’t take it off! If I could, I would have! It doesn’t work! It’s a useless product!”
Chi Lin, stunned by her outburst, then understood and, covering her mouth, turned around, her shoulders shaking.
“I told you not to laugh!”
Chi Lin’s laughter almost made Lou Mi cry.
“Okay, okay, I’m not laughing. Let me… hahaha… take it off for you.”
Lou Mi pointed at Chi Lin, tears welling up in her eyes from laughter: “I did this for us! Do you know how I spent my day?!”
Chi Lin, struggling to contain her laughter, afraid of genuinely upsetting Lou Mi, quickly soothed her:
“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.”
Lou Mi was puzzled: “How is it your fault?”
Chi Lin examined the helmet, touching its surface: “If I had been with you, I would have taken it off for you, and you wouldn’t have suffered all day. It’s my fault for not noticing sooner.”
Chi Lin taking the blame for something that was clearly Lou Mi’s fault dispelled her frustration.
As Chi Lin examined the helmet, Lou Mi wondered:
Chi Lin’s comforting words and actions seemed practiced, hitting all the right notes, like someone who frequently soothed others.
Was she a spoiled brat in her past life?
After examining and tapping the helmet, Chi Lin realized it was truly stuck, and Lou Mi’s neck was raw and red.
“Wait.”
Chi Lin went to ask a nurse for some gauze and carefully padded the chafed skin on Lou Mi’s neck.
“I’ll tear the helmet off, close your eyes and don’t move.”
“Tear it off? With your bare hands? I couldn’t even cut it with scissors.”
Chi Lin said, “I’ll try, just stay still.”
“Okay…”
Chi Lin pulled with both hands, and the helmet tore in half.
Fresh air rushed in, surrounding Lou Mi.
Her eyes widened. She was free!
“Let me see the wound.” Chi Lin removed the gauze and carefully examined Lou Mi’s neck.
“Just a little chafing.” Chi Lin smiled. “Next time you encounter a problem you can’t solve, don’t try to handle it yourself. You seem capable, but you’re actually quite clumsy. Tell me immediately, and I’ll help you, okay?”
Lou Mi felt like Chi Lin was treating her like a child, their roles reversed.
“Why are you talking like you’re the older sister? I was just scammed by a faulty product.”
Lou Mi moved her neck, relieved to be free of the heavy, suffocating helmet.
Chi Lin thought, you are younger than me, I’m just used to calling you “sister.”
But she didn’t care about seniority. Her Majesty was also two years younger than her. In private, they had called each other all sorts of names, even “Mother,” their roles fluid and undefined.
Seeing a pile of online shopping packages in the corner, Chi Lin looked through them. They all claimed to help restore past life memories.
She was worried that Lou Mi’s desperation might harm her health:
“I know you want to regain your memories quickly, but don’t be impatient. Trust me, don’t believe any of these things.”
“I won’t use them again, I’d be an idiot to.”
“Good.” Chi Lin instinctively patted her head. “Let me apply some ointment, it’ll help the wound heal faster.”
Lou Mi looked at her: “You’re patting my head?”
Chi Lin tilted her head: “You pat mine too.”
They stared at each other for a moment.
Realizing her slip-up, Chi Lin cleared her throat and changed the subject:
“You’ll definitely remember eventually, you just have to find the right method…”
Lou Mi, watching Chi Lin tending to her wound, her pink lips moving as she spoke, couldn’t look away:
“Actually, I think I’ve dreamt of an unfamiliar place.”
Chi Lin looked up quickly: “What place?”
“A city I’ve never been to.”
Lou Mi described the city, grand and majestic, with red rooftops stretching as far as the eye could see. The bustling city was divided into sections by walls, and the marketplace was filled with foreigners.
“And there was a moat, lined with willow trees, and a central axis running through the city.” Lou Mi said. “That’s all I can remember.”
Chi Lin’s eyes widened, as if she had just heard incredible news. She grabbed Lou Mi’s arm:
“When did you dream of this? Why haven’t you told me before?”
“A while ago, when I was mentally exhausted, I dreamt of it a few times, but the impression wasn’t very clear, and I forgot most of it after waking up. Why?”
Chi Lin was ecstatic: “You’re describing Shangjing, the capital of Yuan, your capital!”
Lou Mi’s words reminded Chi Lin of the feeling of taking a neural stimulant.
She had thought those small details were completely forgotten, but after taking the medicine, she realized they were still there, hidden in her mind.
Forgetting was temporary; certain triggers could bring them back.
Lou Mi shared her thoughts with Chi Lin.
Triggers? Chi Lin pondered the word.
Lou Mi asked, “Did you think of something?”
Chi Lin slowly nodded: “There is a method that might work, but we have to wait three months.”
“Three months? Why?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Chi Lin went to take a shower and came out wearing one of Lou Mi’s pajama sets.
Lou Mi was taller, so the clothes were too big, the sleeves and pant legs too long.
“You should wear the nightgown,” Lou Mi said. “Dresses are fine even if they’re too big.”
“Your nightgown is too revealing, I can’t wear it.” Chi Lin couldn’t even bring herself to look at the nightgown.
How could anyone sleep in that? The slightest movement would expose everything.
“Everyone in this era wears them, it’s nothing.” Lou Mi shook her head. “You’re such an old-fashioned prude.”
Chi Lin readily admitted: “I am an old-fashioned prude.”
Lou Mi, with her injuries, couldn’t shower, so she could only sponge bathe.
Her wounds were healing quickly, but reaching her back was still difficult.
Chi Lin, hearing her struggle, approached the bathroom door and asked:
“Sister, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just a little… ow.”
Another wince.
Chi Lin understood: “Sister, let me help you.”
“Huh? You’re coming in? I’m not wearing anything.” Lou Mi’s initial surprise was quickly replaced by a playful tone, almost inviting.
She had always been proud of her figure, never doubting it, even when she questioned her gaming skills.
Why would she object to Chi Lin coming in? She practically wanted to flaunt her sexiness.
Chi Lin had expected some shyness from both of them, but Lou Mi’s tone was not only devoid of embarrassment but almost seductive.
It made Chi Lin hesitate.
Lou Mi, after hearing her agreement, was surprised by the silence outside.
“I’m coming in then.” Chi Lin opened the door a crack.
Excitement surged through Lou Mi. She turned around and saw Chi Lin standing outside, eyes closed.
“Don’t worry, I won’t look, I’ll just help you wash.”
Lou Mi: “…”
What kind of noble gesture was this?
Were they going to put a row of bowls between them in bed tonight?
Chi Lin’s eyes were fixed on the floor. She pulled a small stool over and sat behind Lou Mi.
Lou Mi, resting her chin on her hands, let Chi Lin wash her back.
There was a mirror in front of Lou Mi, and she watched Chi Lin’s reflection throughout the process. Chi Lin either kept her eyes closed or looked at the floor, perfectly proper, without a single impure thought.
Yes, she was still missing the final proof, Chi Lin respecting her boundaries was understandable.
But… did she really not want to look, even a little?
Not even a glance?
Lou Mi, for the first time, doubted her own attractiveness.
After washing her, Chi Lin brought her clothes and draped them over Lou Mi, telling her to raise her arms and slip them into the sleeves.
After helping her with her shirt, she had Lou Mi stand up, adjusted her clothes, and buttoned them up, her gaze averted.
After buttoning the last button, Chi Lin held out the underwear, lowering it to the perfect height for Lou Mi to step into, then looked away:
“Hold onto my shoulders, Sister, be careful not to fall.”
“I’m just injured, not disabled.” Lou Mi said weakly.
She could have sat on the bed to get dressed.
But that would expose her to Chi Lin’s gaze, which she had been avoiding.
Chi Lin smiled gently: “Come on.”
Lou Mi suddenly understood. This was the restrictive nature of the feudal emperor-subject relationship.
Even though they were married, one was the emperor, the other a subject.
As Xie Buyu had said, Chi Lin was the subject, she had to obey Her Majesty completely.
She had to attend to Her Majesty’s every need, even dressing her…
No wonder Chi Lin was so good at comforting people, she must have honed her skills from attending to the Empress.
The more Lou Mi thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
Didn’t the Empress have her own hands? Was she a three-year-old?
Annoyed, Lou Mi, who had been calling herself Guaren for days, momentarily forgot her supposed connection to the Empress. The thought of Chi Lin being so subservient to someone else was too much to bear. She was suddenly overwhelmed by jealousy.
Lou Mi snatched the underwear: “I’ll do it myself.”
Chi Lin: “?”
Lou Mi quickly put on her underwear and pants. Seeing Chi Lin standing there innocently, still extending her arm protectively, afraid she might fall, Lou Mi’s heart softened, and her jealousy dissipated.
“Let’s go to bed.” Lou Mi took Chi Lin’s hand and led her to the bed.
The Empress hadn’t misjudged Chi Lin; her lack of romantic awareness was truly unmatched. She hadn’t even realized Lou Mi’s momentary annoyance was jealousy.
But she was perceptive and had sensed Lou Mi’s fleeting unhappiness.
Unsure of the reason, but confident it was related to her, Chi Lin applied her tried and true method of dealing with Her Majesty’s bad temper: patience, gentle coaxing, and letting her vent.
Lou Mi told her to get in bed, and she did. Lou Mi told her to hold her, and she did.
Lou Mi looked at Chi Lin, who looked back at her, smiling.
“Chi Lin, do you even have a temper?”
“?”
“I suspect you’re an AI.”
“??”
“Forget it, let’s sleep.”
“…”
Lou Mi closed her eyes, trying to resolve her inner turmoil without bothering Chi Lin.
She didn’t want to appear childish in front of Chi Lin, needing her little sister to comfort her.
She wondered if Chi Lin found her moods erratic and unpredictable.
Just as she was feeling self-conscious, she felt Chi Lin’s embrace tighten.
She was holding her closer.
Then, a gentle kiss landed on her lips.
“Goodnight.” Chi Lin’s voice was soft and sweet, holding Lou Mi like the most precious thing in the world, and drifted off to sleep.
After days of constant activity, Chi Lin was truly exhausted, and with Lou Mi in her arms, she quickly fell asleep.
Lou Mi opened her eyes and looked at Chi Lin intently.
She wouldn’t mind wearing that helmet for two more days.
She had to remember her past life.
She had to remember every moment with Chi Lin; she wanted to know everything about her.
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