Chapter 113
A Bao removed her access crystal, her face ashen.
Her teammates had already left Gamer’s live stream room. The coach, standing outside, looked at her hesitantly, then left without a word.
The room was empty.
Her teammates, the staff, the media were all next door, interviewing the victors.
Loneliness was the privilege of the defeated.
The long match had left A Bao exhausted and disoriented. She stumbled towards the exit, leaning against the wall for support.
Someone took her arm.
She looked back; it was Xiao V.
Xiao V was always like this, silently supporting her, never questioning, just doing whatever was needed.
She never asked for anything, yet always appeared in A Bao’s most vulnerable moments, a steady presence preventing her from falling apart.
“Does it hurt?” Xiao V asked.
A Bao shook her head.
“I was filmed.”
As she helped A Bao towards the lounge, Xiao V whispered:
“That drone, I don’t know when it started following me, it might have recorded our earlier conversation too.”
A Bao looked at her, startled, instinctively looking around.
“Don’t look. Listen to me…”
Xiao V swallowed, and A Bao noticed the unsettling red marks on her neck, spreading upwards from beneath her collar.
“I might not have much time left,” Xiao V said as they walked down the hallway, the sounds of celebration echoing distantly.
Xiao V’s words, her trembling voice, felt close and real.
A Bao believed her instantly.
“The police will be here soon. Listen to me, blame everything on me.”
“No…”
Two men and two women in police uniforms approached them from around the corner, their gazes fixed on them as they quickened their pace.
Xiao V’s grip on A Bao’s arm tightened: “Remember, blame everything on me, I’m dying anyway… You’re different, you still have a future!”
“Why?” Compared to Xiao V’s urgency, A Bao seemed strangely calm, asking a seemingly irrelevant question. “What’s wrong with you?”
Xiao V looked at her. This was the first time A Bao had shown any interest in her well-being.
Xiao V’s eyes reddened.
When she realized her grandmother’s warning was true, that the Soul-Catching Orb was consuming her, her first thought wasn’t of her own death, but of what would happen to A Bao.
Having never received love, she hadn’t feared losing it, that’s why she had been so fearless.
Now, A Bao’s concern made her afraid.
Xiao V’s hand trembled: “I, I think I’m dying.”
“Congratulations!”
As Lou Mi returned to the lounge, everyone crowded around her, congratulating her.
The media were waiting outside for interviews. Zhuo Jinglan, seeing Lou Mi’s pale face, said:
“The match was long, the players are exhausted, they need to rest. I’ll let you know when they’re ready for interviews.”
“Little Lin.” Lou Mi walked slowly, the faces around her a blur, her eyes only seeing Chi Lin. “You’re back? You’re injured?”
She wanted to see the wound but hesitated.
Chi Lin, overjoyed, hugged her tightly:
“Sister, you won!”
“Mm…” Lou Mi closed her eyes, sighed deeply, then opened them, looking at Xie Buyu and Fu Tu with a puzzled expression.
“So cheesy,” Xie Buyu said, rolling her eyes. “Sister Mi, take Little Sister to the hospital, look at her injuries, she waited for you to finish the match.”
Lou Mi asked: “Little Lin, how did you get hurt?”
Chi Lin hesitated, looking at Lou Mi’s dazed eyes, feeling uneasy.
Lou Mi knew about her confrontation with Cheng Xuan and Liang Zheng, injuries were inevitable.
“Does your head hurt, Sister?”
“Mm…”
Chi Lin helped her sit down and said to Xie Buyu:
“Can you call a doctor?”
Xie Buyu, noticing Lou Mi’s unusual stillness, her unfocused gaze, rushed out:
“I’ll be right back!”
Fu Tu wanted to go with her, but Xie Buyu stopped her:
“Stay here and help!”
Chi Lin asked how Lou Mi was feeling. Lou Mi, leaning against the sofa, forced a smile:
“I feel the joy of victory.”
Chi Lin, worried, her eyes welling up, was surprised she could still joke:
“Be serious!”
“It hurts a little, it’s fine, I just need to rest.”
Chi Lin saw the pill bottle in Lou Mi’s bag:
“You took neural stimulants?”
Lou Mi pouted, looking innocent and pitiful: “Don’t scold me, I had no choice. I can lose to anyone, but not her, I had to win…”
Chi Lin couldn’t bring herself to scold her: “I understand, but how much does it hurt? Let me check your PT index.”
As she reached for the testing device, Lou Mi stopped her. A thought flickered in Lou Mi’s mind, then vanished like smoke, she tried to grasp it but couldn’t. She looked at Chi Lin and suddenly said, “Chi Lin?”
Chi Lin was puzzled by her sudden use of her full name, and even more so when Lou Mi released her hand.
“Where’s Xie Buyu?” Lou Mi asked Fu Tu.
Fu Tu: “…Didn’t she go to get a doctor?”
Lou Mi closed her eyes, rubbing her temples, and hummed softly.
Chi Lin hesitated, unsure if she should get the testing device.
Zhuo Jinglan, after dealing with the media, returned and patted Lou Mi’s arm:
“Are you still alive? Can you stop worrying us like this? You almost scared us to death!”
Lou Mi: “What’s wrong with me?”
“What’s wrong with you? What did Guaren do, have you forgotten?”
“Guaren*?” Lou Mi looked at her as if she were an idiot.
“How are you feeling? A PT index of almost 7 is a new record, is your brain fried? Tell me, what’s one plus one? You have three seconds.”
Lou Mi closed her eyes, ignoring her. Her mind was both hyper-alert and exhausted, fragments of memories flashing through her mind.
She didn’t know why she was remembering these things, but they appeared uninvited, demanding her attention.
***
“Han Lie is you?”
“That’s my courtesy name.”
“Was I too rough?”
“I just like being close to Your Majesty.”
“Don’t apologize. Crying after I kissed you makes me sound like a jerk… I’ll protect her no matter what!”
“I’m fine, come closer…”
“If you’re hurt, you can tell me.”
“Thank you, Sister…”
“Who do you think you are? You’re not my sister! We’re not family!”
“I don’t need your fake concern, leave me alone!”
***
Lou Mi reached for the glass of water beside her.
She missed.
Chi Lin immediately reached out to help, but Lou Mi looked at her with disgust.
“Sister?”
Lou Mi took the glass, drank the water, and said, “Don’t call me that, I’m not your sister.”
The drone was recovered from the sea. The data confirmed A Bao’s involvement in the highway accident.
More evidence was presented, linking A Bao and Xiao V to several other attacks.
Xiao V urged A Bao to blame everything on her, but A Bao refused.
“I did it, I planned everything, I’m the one responsible. I hated Lou Mi, I wanted everyone close to her dead. It was all me.”
A Bao confessed, downplaying Xiao V’s role.
There was no scientific evidence for sorcery.
As A Bao was led out of the interrogation room, she glanced at Xiao V at the end of the long, dark hallway.
As if sensing her gaze, Xiao V turned around.
A Bao smiled.
I’m sorry, thank you…
A Bao was sentenced to life in prison, Xiao V to four years and five months.
Xiao V died in prison, cause of death unknown.
The incident caused a stir in the esports community.
At the nursing home, the nurses noticed HighTowerMiyuki visiting the elderly woman again.
Everyone knew her daughter had been sentenced to life. They thought the old woman would be alone, but…
The nurses peeked from behind the wall, admiring Lou Mi. She was beautiful, successful, a legend in the esports world.
Lou Mi pushed A Bao’s mother’s wheelchair into the sunlight, sat on a bench, and looked at her:
“What does it feel like to forget someone, something?”
A Bao’s mother didn’t respond, just clutched a small handkerchief.
Lou Mi recognized it; it was A Bao’s, the little flowers embroidered by her.
She didn’t know why she remembered this, the memory surfacing suddenly.
Chi Lin stood nearby, silently watching over her.
Chi Lin was still following her…
Lou Mi sighed inwardly.
She still couldn’t believe they were in a relationship.
Her memory stopped at the beginning of last year.
Back then, they couldn’t stand each other.
That little devil, even when pretending to be well-behaved, was still a troublemaker.
Why would she ever fall in love with her?
Dr. Bai said her memory loss was caused by holographic gaming syndrome and the neural stimulants, similar to Alzheimer’s, but not quite.
Her memories were jumbled, they might return, or they might not, they might even regress further.
Lou Mi: “So, my memories might regress to years ago, even decades ago?”
“It’s possible,” Dr. Bai said. “Anything is possible with your condition.”
Lou Mi’s case was rare, even for Dr. Bai, a specialist in holographic gaming syndrome.
She sighed:
“Miss Lou, what am I going to do with you?”
“Just tell me, how long do I have left?”
“It’s not life-threatening, just a reaction to the neural stimulation. There’s some damage, but it’s manageable for now. But how long it will last, how severe it will become, is uncertain.”
“Oh, as long as I’m not dying, it’s fine.”
“You’re always so optimistic.”
Lou Mi chuckled: “I think I remember being someone important in my past life.”
Dr. Bai smiled: “You are someone important in this life too.”
No matter what Lou Mi said, A Bao’s mother didn’t respond, just stared blankly.
Lou Mi wondered, would she become like this too?
Forgetting everything, even the most important people.
***
“Lou Mi.”
She had fallen asleep. A gentle voice woke her.
She was leaning against Chi Lin’s shoulder, a blanket covering her. A Bao’s mother had been taken back to her room; they were alone in the garden.
“Let’s go back,” Chi Lin said gently.
“Okay…” Lou Mi sat up.
Chi Lin had initially called her “sister,” even “Your Majesty” in private, which had amused Lou Mi.
What Majesty? What were they talking about?
They were dating?
And Chi Lin had joined Nine Heavens, become a professional gamer?
This was ridiculous.
Lou Mi refused to accept it.
But…
Why did Chi Lin look so sad? Lou Mi wondered. Hadn’t they always bickered? Why was she giving up so easily now?
“Stop calling me ‘sister,’ please,” Lou Mi said, cringing at the overly familiar term.
From then on, Chi Lin obediently called her by her name.
After the first match, Lou Mi played as a substitute, Chi Lin carrying the team.
Lou Mi hadn’t expected Chi Lin to be so good.
Checking her Weibo, she saw many posts she didn’t recognize.
Why were all her posts since last fall mentioning Chi Lin?
And so many photos of Chi Lin in her album?
Silly smiles, awkward poses, blurry shots… mountains of them.
Why hadn’t she deleted them?
Lou Mi didn’t understand. She hated that face.
Why did Chi Lin’s silent gaze, her constant presence, her quiet devotion, make her heart ache?
That unsettling feeling of forgetting something important returned.
Back in the car, Chi Lin offered her a thermos.
“I can get it myself.” Lou Mi felt her care was excessive.
When her memory first regressed, when the headaches were so severe she had to stay in the hospital, Chi Lin had taken care of everything, even dressing her, making Lou Mi incredibly uncomfortable.
She wasn’t a servant, why do all this?
Lou Mi had told her to leave: “I can change myself!”
Chi Lin had waited outside patiently until she was called back in.
No matter how much Lou Mi pushed her away, Chi Lin never complained, never argued, never yelled, never insulted her.
Seeing her gentle patience, Lou Mi couldn’t bring herself to reject her kindness.
Even with Lou Mi’s coldness, Chi Lin remained patient and kind, placing the thermos within easy reach.
“Going home, or getting something to eat?” Chi Lin asked, to set the navigation.
“Aren’t you going out with your friends? It’s the weekend.”
Chi Lin shook her head.
I want to be with you.
She didn’t say it aloud, not wanting to pressure Lou Mi.
Lou Mi didn’t remember her, Her Majesty had forgotten her again.
This feeling of being forgotten was painful, and Lou Mi’s coldness made it even harder.
Playing for Nine Heavens while being unable to get close to Lou Mi, constantly met with puzzled looks, those days had been incredibly difficult for Chi Lin.
Fate seemed to be toying with her.
In her past life, she had Her Majesty’s love, then lost it.
In this life, she had found her again, only to lose her once more.
But Chi Lin wouldn’t give up.
At least Her Majesty was here, she could see her every day, it was a small comfort.
She still had a chance; Her Majesty would remember.
Even if she never remembered their love, Chi Lin was determined to stay by her side, to care for her always.
“Let’s go home,” Lou Mi said, feeling tired.
Since her memory loss, she tired easily, both mentally and physically.
On the way home, Lou Mi fell asleep. Chi Lin adjusted the temperature, so she wouldn’t get cold.
Lou Mi’s sleeping face tensed slightly.
“Your Majesty?” Chi Lin leaned closer. “What’s wrong? Bad dream?”
“Your Majesty?” Lou Mi mumbled in her sleep.
After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Little Lin…”
Chi Lin’s breath hitched, her heart aching with a bittersweet mix of sadness and joy.
Her Majesty hadn’t completely forgotten her, she just couldn’t remember…
Chi Lin couldn’t resist and kissed Lou Mi.
It was Her Majesty’s scent…
A wave of sadness washed over Chi Lin.
Feeling the warmth of the kiss and the tears on her face, Lou Mi slowly opened her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Chi Lin, startled, pulled away.
“Sorry…” she apologized, turning her back.
“Were you crying?”
Chi Lin didn’t answer. In the quiet car, Lou Mi could hear her soft sobs.
Lou Mi had never seen Chi Lin so vulnerable, and she felt a pang of guilt.
Chi Lin had been so attentive, so caring, following her everywhere, despite her rejection.
She had seen Chi Lin’s sadness before, but not tears, not like this.
It felt like she had truly hurt her girlfriend.
“Hey—don’t cry.” Lou Mi quickly handed her some tissues. “I didn’t say anything. You kissed me, not the other way around. Come on, wipe your tears.”
Chi Lin took the tissues, her long eyelashes wet with tears, her eyes red and puffy, like a lost puppy.
Lou Mi wanted to hug her.
When they arrived home, Chi Lin followed Lou Mi out of the car and into the elevator.
As the elevator ascended, Lou Mi looked at Chi Lin, who was looking down, and asked:
“What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet. Were you always like this?”
Chi Lin looked up: “Which ‘always’?”
The question stumped Lou Mi, and she chuckled:
“You seem like a different person.”
Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan had already prepared dinner when they arrived.
Six dishes and a soup were neatly arranged on the table, but they weren’t sitting together.
Peng Ziyuan greeted Lou Mi with a slightly forced smile:
“Mi Mi, you’re back.”
Lou Mi said: “Don’t worry, I don’t hold anything against you, before or after the memory loss.”
Peng Ziyuan: “…”
“Let’s eat.” Lou Mi glanced at the dishes and paused. “Where’s the steamed fish?”
Lou Lixing: “Steamed fish?”
Right.
Lou Mi, after asking, was also puzzled. Why steamed fish?
She looked at Lou Lixing, seeking an answer, then noticed Peng Ziyuan’s reddened eyes.
“I’ll, I’ll go make some.” Peng Ziyuan hurried to the kitchen. Chi Lin pulled out a chair for Lou Mi.
“You actually do remember,” Lou Lixing said as he handed her chopsticks. “Steamed fish is Little Lin’s favorite.”
After dinner, Chi Lin went to her room to do her homework.
Half an hour later, she realized she hadn’t written a single word.
The college entrance exams were approaching, but she felt no motivation.
She lay on her desk, scrolling through her phone, seeing her classmates complaining about the homework in the group chat.
Wei Zhuoning had messaged her fifteen minutes ago:
“Lin, has Sister Lou recovered her memories yet?”
Chi Lin wanted to reply, but she felt exhausted, staring blankly at the screen.
She hadn’t noticed when Lou Mi entered the room.
“Hey.” Lou Mi tapped her head, startling her.
Lou Mi chuckled: “What are you so engrossed in?”
Chi Lin quickly explained: “A classmate, she has a girlfriend now.”
Lou Mi: “…I wasn’t asking about that.”
“Oh…”
Lou Mi coughed: “I heard your mock exam scores dropped? What happened? Did you write down the questions you missed? Anything you don’t understand?”
Lou Mi seemed to want to help her study, which meant spending time alone together.
“Yes, a lot,” Chi Lin immediately fetched her study materials. Seeing her usual cheerfulness return, Lou Mi felt a pang of sympathy.
This was just a sweet, adorable kid.
Lou Mi patiently explained the difficult concepts, and Chi Lin quickly grasped them.
“You’re doing great,” Lou Mi was surprised by how quickly she learned. “Your previous scores must have been because you were distracted.”
Chi Lin nodded guiltily.
Lou Mi’s voice softened: “Were you worried about me?”
Chi Lin nodded again after a moment of silence.
“I listened to all our WeChat messages,” Lou Mi leaned back in her chair. “It felt like someone else’s story, but I could tell we were… very much in love. You spoiled me, and I was very dependent on you. Chi Lin, we really did love each other. I’m sorry I forgot.”
Tears welled up in Chi Lin’s eyes.
She struggled to keep her voice steady:
“It’s not your fault…”
Lou Mi took Chi Lin’s hand, gently unclenching her fist.
“Can I hug you?” she asked softly.
Chi Lin nodded, biting her lip.
Lou Mi awkwardly embraced her.
Chi Lin’s body was smaller and thinner than she remembered.
But the embrace filled Lou Mi with a sense of completeness.
Like holding something precious.
Chi Lin cried silently in her arms. Lou Mi gently stroked her back and hair, comforting her.
If only she could remember.
She thought, being in love with someone like Chi Lin must be wonderful.
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