Chapter 83 I've had amnesia for four years
Ji Zhi Qiu returned to her room in a daze.
Lu Yunian noticed that he looked unwell and asked if he had caught a cold while taking a walk. Ji Zhi Qiu was preoccupied with other things and gave an unintelligible reply.
Lu Yunian didn't bother him anymore, but poured a glass of warm water and placed it on the bedside table.
After washing up, Ji Zhi Qiu curled up in the quilt, pretending to be asleep. Only after the lights in the room were turned off did he slowly crawl out from under the covers.
He took a deep breath, looking at the crystal chandelier shrouded in the night, his mind filled with the words he had heard back then.
Why would anyone mistakenly believe that he was with Lu Yu Nian?
If it were just one person, it could be attributed to his peculiar thought process, but there were only five guests recording the variety show together, and the other three all thought so.
Ji Zhi Qiu could no longer pretend to ignore it.
Perhaps some of his and Lu Yu Nian's actions were indeed too intimate, leading to speculation.
Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes. He had been so open and honest before, but now his ears felt like they were burning red. Even though it was quiet around him and Lu Yu Nian was already asleep, and no one could be watching him, he still hid half of his face under the covers, only revealing his eyes.
He tried hard to brainwash himself and conform to Lu Yunian's habits and ideas. He thought he had succeeded, but now he realized that it was all self-deception.
Whose best friend unbuttons their shirt and touches their abs?
This isn't pure friendship at all!
The current misunderstanding is that "they are together," and it's mutual affection, not just one-sided love. This means it wasn't just him who lost his temper; Lu Yu-nian also...
Ji Zhi Qiu subconsciously turned his head to look at Lu Yu Nian. Lu Yu Nian was lying on his side with his back to him. His hair was softer than he had imagined, and his shoulders and back were broad. But through the layers of barriers, he could not see Lu Yu Nian's heart from his back.
He stared for an unknown amount of time, until his eyes started to sting, before he suddenly snapped out of it.
Having already made the same mistake twice, Ji Zhi Qiu learned her lesson and stopped overthinking at night. She closed her eyes tightly, counting sheep as she forced herself to fall asleep early.
Perhaps after waking up and adjusting his mindset, he will be able to handle this problem with ease.
...Yeah, right.
As Ji Zhi Qiu sat at the breakfast table, he suddenly realized that the person he found difficult to face was not only Lu Yu Nian. He was afraid that he would give himself away and let the other three know that he had overheard them last night.
But he couldn't contain himself any longer and wanted to grab Wen Qizheng by the shoulder and force him to confess the reason for his misunderstanding.
With all sorts of thoughts swirling in his mind, Ji Zhi Qiu's appetite waned. He ate only a little, yet still suffered from indigestion. His stomach felt heavy, as if it were encased in some kind of hard object.
Just like his current mood, he knew exactly what the problem was but had no way to resolve it. He could only let this hard object rub against his soft heart with its sharp edges, and he had to desperately try to convince himself to ignore this foreign feeling.
Life in this small town moves at a very slow pace and the happiness level is extremely high. The town has a full two-week holiday before and after the celebration, and the residents are all partying or enjoying life. This aroused the longing of the viewers in the live broadcast room. So the director followed everyone's wishes, let the guests do their own thing, and gave them a half-day off, and stopped the live broadcast.
Lu Yunian noticed that Ji Zhi Qiu was not in a good mood, but he couldn't guess what was on his mind, so he suggested that they go out for some fresh air.
At this moment, Ji Zhi Qiu didn't know how to face Lu Yu Nian naturally, but she was afraid that a blunt rejection would hurt him, so she pretended to be nonchalant and nodded: "Okay."
They walked along the clean streets, lined with stylish cafes and bars, and surrounded by vibrant flowers that looked very well taken care of.
Ji Zhi Qiu gradually relaxed. Lu Yu Nian didn't say anything and accompanied him through one street after another.
For some reason, he always felt at ease with Lu Yu Nian by his side. Ji Zhi Qiu turned to look at him thoughtfully.
Lu Yunian stood under the lush green trees in the breeze. The dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves fell perfectly on his high nose bridge, like a kiss, making his features even more defined and sculpted, yet without any hint of aggression. When he looked down at Lu Yunian, his gaze was always gentle, with a fleeting blue-gray light in his eyes.
Ji Zhi Qiu's worries immediately disappeared.
He doesn't have to shoulder this alone. Lu Yu Nian is so reliable; the two of them can discuss and find a solution together.
Ji Zhi Qiu lowered her voice and pointed to the camera, "I have something to say to you later, do you understand?"
Lu Yunian nodded with a smile.
The production team's equipment was so good that it accurately captured Ji Zhi Qiu's voice.
We're all family here, why are you hiding this from us?
[They used to call us their precious darlings, but now that they actually have their own precious darlings, they've kicked us aside, tsk tsk tsk.]
【I'm under your bed when you're sleeping, what can't you tell me?】
[It's about to end again. Can I contribute one yuan to crowdfund and let the live stream last for another five minutes?]
...
The photographer quickly gestured to them, indicating that the live stream was over.
Ji Zhi Qiu politely saw them off to their car and back to rest, intending to walk a little further with Lu Yu Nian.
Lu Yu Nian waited patiently until they reached the end of the road before asking, "What do you want to say to me?"
Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly raised her head, her lips touched lightly, but she hesitated, looking as if she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Lu Yu Nian came up with a solution: "It's okay, don't force yourself. I'll ask and you answer."
"Has something happened?"
Ji Zhi Qiu nodded.
"It concerns the two of us."
Ji Zhi Qiu was surprised and admired Lu Yu Nian's keen insight, nodding vigorously.
"It's not a good thing, but it's not a bad thing either; it's just a bit of a hassle for you."
Before this, Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't describe his opinion on the matter, but he didn't expect Lu Yu Nian to enlighten him with just one sentence. His eyes widened and he gave a thumbs up in praise.
Lu Yu Nian pondered for a few seconds, "You were acting strangely when you came back last night. Did you hear or see something while you were taking a walk?"
Ji Zhi Qiu was completely convinced. Lu Yu Nian was like a mind reader, able to guess right away.
"What is it?" Lu Yunian asked.
Ji Zhi Qiu's mood calmed down again, but the tips of his ears turned red. He couldn't just say, "Everyone misunderstands that we're dating," that would be too embarrassing. He had to use more euphemisms.
"Do you still remember our previous agreement?" Ji Zhi Qiu asked tentatively.
Lu Yunian nodded.
“You said we’re friends, there’s no need to be so formal.” Ji Zhi Qiu pursed her lips. “It’s a little awkward, but luckily you only have me as a friend, otherwise…”
"What else could it be?"
Ji Zhi Qiu suddenly worried about him, "We're all adults, with our own life philosophies and habits, but there should be boundaries. I don't mean to interfere with you, I just think..."
After a long silence, Lu Yu Nian spoke again: "You don't like it."
Ji Zhi Qiu shook his head.
It's not that I don't like it, but...
Just as he was about to continue speaking, the commotion behind them distracted them.
This variety show has four groups of guests. The setup was already quite grand, with cameras and microphones pointed at them. Ji Zhi Qiu was new to the entertainment industry, and at first, he was a little hesitant.
Only then did he realize what it meant to be a mere amateur compared to a master, and the true scale of the spectacle.
Compared to this person, Lin Jinchao can only be called a fake top influencer; his popularity and reputation are completely incomparable.
This person can trend on social media with the slightest thing, which is commonly known as "buying a spot on the trending topics list".
Previously, insider information was revealed that while other companies paid to get on the trending topics list, they paid to remove it, not wanting to attract too much attention and also afraid of offending people. This became a popular meme and was laughed about for a long time.
Ji Zhi Qiu often sees him on trending topics. He never misses his works and related information. He silently sends his blessings when he is doing well, and he engages in passionate battles with anyone who speaks ill of him until they are driven to quit the internet.
Ji Zhi Qiu had also tried making that call, but all she got was a busy signal.
His memory was blank for four years, and he had lost contact with the other party for four years. The fact that the phone could never be answered showed the other party's attitude, so he silently retreated to the position of a stranger.
Nevertheless, he still hoped that the other person would be doing the best.
When he first came to record the variety show, he wondered if he could meet the other party, but it was just a one-sided wishful thinking on his part. He never expected that it would actually come true today.
Ji Zhi Qiu guessed that they must have had a lot of disagreements and conflicts in the past four years, and that things must have been very unpleasant. The other person might have hated him and just wanted to never see him again. But for him, it was like just a second before graduation when they were sneaking off to the rooftop to drink beer and dream about the future, and the next second he had become a dull adult. He instinctively recalled the vivid past.
He seemed to have transformed back into the brave and optimistic person he once was—no, he always had been—completely unconcerned about the other person's attitude, running over without a care, even if he was turned away.
He was so immersed in the joy of the reunion that he forgot everything else around him. He only said hello before leaving Lu Yu Nian far behind and forgetting their previous conversation.
He gave Lu Yunian a troubled shake of his head, meaning he didn't like it.
Lu Yunian's gaze followed Ji Zhi Qiu's back with a deep look. The way her hair was flying and her impatient actions completely overlapped with the previous scene.
The people he devoted himself to have never changed.
Four years ago, Ji Zhi Qiu met him and then decided to break up with him without any regard for the consequences, even on the eve of their wedding.
...
With four or five layers of people between them and a sea of heads in front of him, Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't see anything. He could only peek out and jump up to greet them.
From the inside, all you could see was a hand stretched out straight, as if it were spring-loaded, constantly swaying up and down. It was quite cute, and the photographer shared these amusing moments with Jiang Mingchuan.
Jiang Mingchuan chuckled lightly, not taking it seriously; he had just glanced at it casually out of boredom.
He was completely covered up, not even his face was visible, but when he jumped to the highest point, he saw his hair being lifted up and half of his forehead.
His coffee-drinking motion froze, as if a pause button had been pressed. His hand hovered in mid-air, and even his breathing slowed. After two or three seconds, he finally said, "Who is that? I don't know him."
In the past, filming would take two hours. Given Jiang Mingchuan's status, everyone had to treat him with deference, and many breaks and discussion sessions were arranged in between.
During this shoot, Jiang Mingchuan cooperated very hard, actively cuing the progress of the process, and didn't take a break. If the photographer hadn't noticed that his mouth was too dry and it was affecting the shooting effect, he wouldn't have even touched a drop of water.
Two hours of filming were compressed into forty-five minutes. Jiang Mingchuan was very aloof in front of outsiders, but in private he was a lazybones. No matter how tired he was from work, he would lie flat in the van like a salted fish.
That's exactly what it means, so his van is exceptionally spacious with the back seats connected to prevent him from lying in the gaps between the seats and being seen by fans who would then accuse them of mistreating their idol.
But this time, Jiang Mingchuan didn't rush to finish work. He glanced at his assistant, generously took out a stack of banknotes and handed them to him, "Go to the nearby taverns and buy some local specialties for me."
The assistant hesitated for a moment, "But you're losing weight for your new role."
Jiang Mingchuan angrily tapped his forehead, "I wanted to see you eat, you little ingrate, you can't even see how good I am to you."
The assistant chuckled awkwardly twice, grabbed the money, and left immediately.
Jiang Mingchuan glanced back casually, but dismissed the people around him, deliberately leaving an opening.
He found a scenic spot, took out a book that looked very artistic, and looked serene and beautiful, as if he were shooting for some kind of refreshing magazine.
After a while, a shadow fell on the book. Ji Zhi Qiu glanced at it and gasped, "This is German, isn't it? Can you even read it? You failed the English Level 4 exam three times in a row!"
Jiang Mingchuan could have imagined many scenarios for their reunion four years later, but he didn't expect that there would be no sentimentality at all, but instead, she would confront him.
Jiang Mingchuan slammed the book down, his tone sarcastic, "You're quite something now, you can actually recognize this as German."
This is thanks to his son, who speaks eight languages, including German. He has seen it so often that he has come to recognize a few characters.
Seeing a seat next to him, Ji Zhi Qiu casually sat down. Then, as if thinking of something, he exclaimed, "I knew you could do it. Sure enough, you achieved your dream after graduation and became a hot star."
Jiang Mingchuan was deeply moved. He never expected that the heartless guy who hadn't contacted him for four years would still remember his dream.
But Ji Zhi Qiu changed the subject, puzzled, and asked, "Didn't you want to be a member of a group and become an idol? How come you've become an actress now? Don't you want to pursue singing and dancing anymore?"
Jiang Mingchuan threw the book aside without regard for his image, almost pointing his finger at Ji Zhi Qiu and yelling, "You still have the nerve to say that? Didn't you promise me that we'd form a group together, with you as the visual and main dancer, and me as the lead vocalist? And what happened?!"
Ji Zhi Qiu was silent for a few seconds, her expression somewhat sad, but she still forced a smile, "How can I be the main dancer? I'm uncoordinated."
Jiang Mingchuan retorted without backing down, "Why not? I'm tone-deaf as the lead singer!"
The atmosphere quieted down, and after a few seconds of intense staring at each other, the two couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing at the same time.
For Jiang Mingchuan, everything in the past is separated by the long river of time, and there is always some regret. But Ji Zhi Qiu has lost her memory, yet she is still exactly the same as she was back then.
"How have you been these past four years? How did you go from being an idol to an actress?"
Jiang Mingchuan kept it short, “I barely managed to get in because of my looks, but I was tone-deaf and insisted on being the lead singer, so I was fired. Then I met my current manager, who thought I had potential in acting. After I joined the company, everything went smoothly under his guidance, like a dream. I’m going to an awards ceremony next month, and maybe I can win a Best Actor award.”
Ji Zhi Qiu nodded, happy for him, "Your agent must treat you very well."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingchuan's expression twisted.
Ji Zhi Qiu sensed something was wrong and pressed for an answer: "Did he mistreat you?"
Jiang Mingchuan shook his head, somewhat embarrassed. "He's a good person in other ways, but he's a real pain in the neck. He'll push himself in every way. I used to be quite motivated, but after all these years of his torment and setbacks, I've become a couch potato."
Ji Zhi Qiu and Jiang Ming Chuan were classmates for seven years in graduate school. They were the legendary "brothers in bunk beds," so close that they could share anything and knew each other very well.
He could tell at a glance that Jiang Mingchuan hadn't been wronged; it was just that their personalities didn't mesh well, and the agent had put some physical and mental pressure on him.
"If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight." Ji Zhi Qiu comforted him, "To climb to such a high position, you always have to pay a lot."
Jiang Mingchuan nodded, not feeling sorry for himself. He was about to speak when his eyes suddenly changed, and he glared at Ji Zhi Qiu, "You still have the nerve to talk about my affairs? What about you? What exactly did you do? How did you suddenly have three children?"
Ji Zhi Qiu scratched his head and said awkwardly, "You probably won't believe it."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"Okay, I have amnesia for the past four years. Do you remember when we went to the rooftop to drink and dream about the future before graduation? I closed my eyes and found myself four years in the future. I have no idea what happened during that time."
"Huh??!" Jiang Mingchuan was struck dumb, staring at him in disbelief. Ji Zhi Qiu nodded heavily under his gaze; the truth was indeed this cruel.
Jiang Mingchuan accepted it, sitting dejectedly in the chair with his brows furrowed. "I think I remember now, you came back at six in the morning that day, very sleepy but also very excited, like a male demon who had absorbed someone's life force all night, so slutty."
Ji Zhi Qiu: "..."
He didn't expect Jiang Mingchuan to spout such nonsense at a time like this, and he choked on his own saliva, coughing repeatedly. "Stop, stop, is that the point?"
Jiang Mingchuan caught his little braid, glanced at him sideways, and smiled meaningfully, "You didn't deny it, so it seems I guessed right."
"..." Ji Zhi Qiu's face turned red, and that memory became blurry. He could only vaguely say, "Anyway, I lost my memories of these four years. I know I did a lot of terrible things and hurt you. This was not my intention, but I have to apologize to you."
Ji Zhi Qiu was unusually serious, but Jiang Ming Chuan remained silent for a long time.
The two of them bickered and teased each other all the time, so it was rare to see such a heartwarming scene. Looking at his good brother who always cared about him, Ji Zhi Qiu felt a little sore and his eyes almost welled up with tears.
Just as he was about to say something heartfelt and touching, Jiang Mingchuan suddenly jumped up, pointed at his nose, and cursed, "You bastard, I really misjudged you! You've forgotten your friends for a pretty face!!"
"It's just a relationship, and you've become a completely different person. You've even abandoned your good brothers. I advised you to break up and find someone else, but you didn't want to. Fine, I'll abandon all my principles and start working out from that day on. If you're going to stay with this scumbag for the rest of your life, I'll hold this knife to his throat for the rest of my life and force him to treat you well. Even after all that, you still can't get it. I don't know what you're doing, being so withdrawn. In the end, you just disappeared!"
Jiang Mingchuan has always been seen as aloof by his fans, but at this moment he was furious, spitting everywhere, giving the middle finger one moment, slitting his throat the next, and jumping up and down in anger, his hair a mess like a bird's nest.
Ji Zhi Qiu then learned some of the past events. He couldn't believe he could be so stupid, but Jiang Ming Chuan's reaction was genuine. He himself was angry and looked down on him, let alone Jiang Ming Chuan who had been hurt.
He obediently curled up into a ball, and when Jiang Mingchuan wanted to slap him, he willingly offered his face to Jiang Mingchuan's hand.
Seeing Ji Zhi Qiu like this, Jiang Ming Chuan couldn't bring himself to do it. He panted as he tidied his hair and sat down again.
"Speaking of which, you really seemed possessed and had your body taken over back then. How are you now? Have you returned to normal?"
"It's normal, absolutely normal!" Ji Zhi Qiu patted his chest to assure him.
Jiang Mingchuan looked him up and down, making sure there was nothing fishy going on, before letting out a long sigh of relief.
Ji Zhi Qiu's heart skipped a beat. She leaned closer under the guise of bringing water, about to ask about the past, when Jiang Ming Chuan suddenly gave her a sharp look, "The scumbag you've got your eye on, isn't he the one who made you so slutty..."
Ji Zhi Qiu's vision went black; she was truly drunk. "Can we please stop bringing this up? I did have a great time that night, but I don't remember what he looked like, and I don't remember anything after that."
Jiang Mingchuan stroked his chin, pondering for a long time, "I believe that, but with your blatant attempt to cover it up, you should still remember something else, like the length of [redacted]..."
Ji Zhi Qiu almost knelt down before him, pleading, "Please, let's put this topic aside, okay?"
Seeing his good brother so spineless, Jiang Mingchuan rolled his eyes in mockery.
Ji Zhi Qiu was in the wrong first, and Jiang Ming Chuan was willing to talk to him, so he was very grateful. "Well, if you still have anger, you can take it out on me, but we've been estranged for four years. How many four-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Let's not continue like this."
"Breaking off relations? You clearly blocked me on your own!"
Ji Zhi Qiu was taken aback. "But I called you earlier."
Jiang Mingchuan was also stunned, and thought back carefully: "I was taken to shoot a movie in the deep mountains and forests a while ago, and I forgot to bring my phone. That's probably when you called me."
When Ji Zhi Qiu saw that Jiang Ming Chuan hadn't given up on him and there was no such thing as breaking off their friendship, the heavy weight on his heart finally lifted.
Jiang Mingchuan didn't miss a single micro-expression of his, confirming that his familiar good brother had returned, and his mood improved considerably. He took the initiative to chat about their recent situations.
"You've just regained your memories, and you already have three children by your side. This is truly a hellish start."
Ji Zhi Qiu had no way to express his bitterness. It wasn't just about three children; these were three little brats who could command the winds and waves in the future, and they were not easy to deal with.
Thinking back on the path she had taken, Ji Zhi Qiu almost shed a tear of bitterness.
Seeing this, Jiang Mingchuan comforted him, "It's okay. I made a big profit before. Looking at my savings, I was thinking of retiring, but then I thought about you having three children, each of whom is a money pit. I need to earn more for you, otherwise you would have to work several jobs with a monthly salary of three thousand to support them! I also bought a few school district houses. I'll send them to you when I get back. You can see which one you want, or you can have them all. Anyway, I have a lot of real estate."
"Alright, stop with the sentimentality. If our positions were reversed, you could do the same. Don't forget our original agreement."
The two said in unison, "If we become rich and powerful, let's not forget each other!"
As those six words echoed in their ears, they seemed to travel through the river of time and return to the past, and because of the blank years, they had endless things to say.
Jiang Mingchuan wasn't embarrassed at all. "I've raised three children for you. Will they be able to support me in my old age? Why are so many people concerned about my marital status? Are they afraid that I'll be left without anyone to take care of me when I'm old, or that I'll just die when I'm old?"
Ji Zhi Qiu patted his shoulder, "Evil lives on forever. You'll definitely die later. Your money is my money, and my children are your children. Don't worry, they can take care of you now, not just when you're old. My eldest son is a great cook, and he makes all sorts of different dishes."
Jiang Mingchuan gave a thumbs up, "I watched the variety show. You're a good educator. All three of your children are one in a hundred."
Ji Zhi Qiu couldn't bear to talk about how they started out, so she continued chatting with Jiang Ming Chuan. The two got more and more into their conversation, their heads almost touching.
Jiang Mingchuan suddenly reversed his tone, speaking with complete naturalness, catching Ji Zhi Qiu off guard.
"By the way, do you like Lu Yu Nian? Are you two together?"
Ji Zhi Qiu: ? ? ?
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