When I woke up in the hospital, I was facing a handsome stranger. He babbled a whole bunch of things at me. I didn't react at all. When he mentioned that we couldn't get our marriage license for the time being, my brain finally started working again. "What marriage license?" I blurted out instinctively. "Our marriage license, Chloe. Did you hit your head and go stupid?" He reached out to touch my forehead, his movements incredibly natural. Is this a joke? I'm a beautiful young girl who just finished her high school finals. I'm not even of legal age to get married yet! Where did this scammer come from? 1 "Doctor!" I shoved the guy away and stretched my neck, yelling, "Doctor, come quick! There's a bad guy here!" The doctor arrived quickly, followed by two nurses. They gave me a huge sense of security. I hid behind the kind-looking older doctor and loudly tattled. "I don't know this guy! He's trying to trick me into marrying him! He's a human trafficker!" The handsome young man looked exasperated. "I know you're mad. Getting the license is just delayed, not canceled. Mia didn't mean to hurt you either. Don't blame her—" "Where's my phone?" I cut him off, looking at the doctor. "I need to call my parents." "Your parents?" The guy frowned. "Your injury isn't serious. There's no need to alarm them. Seattle is far; it's not easy for them to make the trip." I was dumbfounded: "We're not in Seattle?" The handsome guy was also dumbfounded. The doctor cleared his throat. "I was just about to tell you. The fall wasn't too serious physically, but she hit her head. There's some bleeding causing a hematoma that's affecting her memory." "Affecting my memory?" I muttered. "You mean, I have amnesia?" The doctor nodded: "Yes. But don't worry, as the hematoma slowly dissipates, your memory will gradually return." The handsome guy spoke up: "How long will that take?" "It's hard to say. Could be a few months, could be a year or two." I noticed the handsome guy visibly relaxed. After the doctor left, he picked up a women's purse from the chair next to the bed, pulled out a phone, and handed it to me. "Since you have amnesia, there's no rush for the license. But I really am your boyfriend. If you don't believe me, look at the photos on your phone." Lighting up the screen, the first thing I saw was the time and date in the center. 2025! But my memory was still stuck in the excitement of checking my scores after the finals. Six years had passed! 2 My attention shifted to the lock screen photo. It was a close-up selfie of two people cheek-to-cheek. The two people in the photo were me and the handsome guy standing in front of me. I unlocked the phone and opened the gallery. There were many photos of him. Judging from the angles, most were taken secretly. There were shots of him playing basketball, his profile while drinking water, and him sleeping with his head on a desk... "You actually took this many secret photos of me?" The guy leaned closer, his tone smug. "Now do you believe we're a couple?" I pushed him away expressionlessly: "But I have absolutely no memory of you in my head. Stay away from me!" "Oh, then let me introduce myself." His phone chimed. He picked it up and glanced at it, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. He typed a reply, his attention entirely on his phone, his tone casual. "I'm Ethan Vance. The boyfriend you stalked and shamelessly chased for a whole year before finally getting..." With a few simple sentences, he summarized my experiences over the past few years. As soon as I started college, I set my sights on Ethan, a rich kid, and became his ultimate lapdog. I followed him around constantly, impossible to shake off. I obeyed his every word. My behavior was high-profile and bold. Everyone at the university knew me. After more than a year of relentless pursuit, I actually succeeded. Ethan, the playboy, after a few brief flings and dumping several girlfriends, finally agreed to my pursuit. The whole school was taking bets on how long it would take for him to dump me. But surprisingly, a month passed, years passed, we graduated college, and we still hadn't broken up. Recently, after I finished my master's degree, Ethan even agreed to my proposal. He, who never posted on social media, made a high-profile announcement that we were getting our marriage license. Yesterday, we went to the courthouse together. At the entrance, he was called out. It was his childhood friend, Mia, who had been abroad for years. She bit her lip, grabbed his arm, and asked: "Can you not get married?" Angry, I got into an argument with her. In the scuffle, she tripped me. My head hit the steps, and I passed out. When I woke up, I was the amnesiac me of today. Ethan was still looking down, replying to messages, the corner of his mouth slightly raised. "Mia didn't do it on purpose, and you just have amnesia, no serious physical harm. Don't be unreasonable." "She's coming to visit you later. Be magnanimous and treat her nicely." "She and I are just childhood friends who grew up together. Stop being jealous over nothing." I took a deep breath and reminded him: "Did you forget? I have amnesia." "To me right now, you are a complete stranger. Why would I be jealous?" Ethan put his phone in his pocket and leaned over me. His eyes were full of certainty. "Back then, it was love at first sight for you. You said my face was perfectly sculpted to your aesthetic." "So don't worry, you'll fall in love with me all over again." 3 I looked at the face mere inches from mine. Almond eyes, high nose bridge, thin lips, a sharp jawline. There was a hint of rebelliousness in his features. He gave off the vibe of an untamed boy from a comic book. He was indeed very handsome. But to say he was "perfectly sculpted to my aesthetic" was an exaggeration. I could only say he fit my aesthetic. He was a handsome guy. But my taste in handsome guys wasn't limited to one type. I like almond eyes, but I also like fox eyes. Thick eyebrows and big eyes are nice, but there are plenty of handsome guys with monolids too. Pale, sweet "golden retriever" boys are lovable, but rugged guys with a bronze tan have their own charm. So, how could I have become his lapdog just because of his looks? I was absolutely certain his physical appearance didn't hold that much attraction for me. While I was lost in thought looking at his face, a coquettish female voice came from the doorway. "What are you guys doing?" Snapping back to reality, I saw Ethan immediately straighten up, take two steps back, and eagerly put distance between us. He looked toward the door: "Mia, you're here!" Saying that, he took the fruit basket from her hands and placed it on the small table next to the hospital bed. "Look, Mia even specially bought fruit for you. Stop being so petty!" The girl named Mia was wearing a floral dress, tall and slender. Her wavy long hair fell to her waist, her makeup was flawless, and she wore rimless glasses. She had an elegant, intellectual beauty. "Chloe, I'm sorry. Everything yesterday was my fault for causing you to get hurt." Wearing stiletto heels, she walked to my bedside in three quick steps. Without giving me a chance to speak, she continued on her own. "I really didn't mean it, I was just a little anxious." "I didn't want to ruin your wedding either, but Auntie specifically told me I had to stop you." "You have to be understanding of her. After all, the Vance family has a massive business empire, and there are too many people approaching with ulterior motives. It's only natural for Auntie to be afraid that you're only after Ethan for his money." "I don't want you guys to get married right now either, but my reasons are different from Auntie's." "In my opinion, marriage is a serious matter. At the very least, both sets of parents should meet, right?" "You bypassing both families to get the license, isn't that too childish?" "Also Chloe, even though Auntie refuses to see you, for Ethan's sake, you should work hard to get her approval." "Lowering your stance for love and pleasing your future mother-in-law isn't shameful." "How could you not even be willing to try, and just instigate Ethan to get the license directly?" "One more thing, I need to make my stance clear. Although Auntie has tried to set me and Ethan up more than once, I only see him as a younger brother and have absolutely no other thoughts." I swallowed hard. Holy crap. That's a lot of information to process. I need a moment to digest this. 4 My brain went into overdrive, quickly extracting useful information from Mia's words. First, Ethan isn't just an average rich kid; his family is extremely wealthy. Wealthy enough to create a massive class divide between him and me, who comes from a middle-class family. Second, our relationship did not have the support of our parents. Especially his mother, who suspected I was after Ethan for his money. She refused my requests to meet. Lastly, Mia subtly flaunted her extraordinary relationship with the Vance family. She and Ethan are childhood friends, so their family backgrounds should be similar. Most importantly, Ethan's mother is her godmother. They have a close relationship. Ethan's mother always wanted Mia to be her daughter-in-law. In just a few short sentences, she managed to provoke me and show off. This Mia is not simple. "Don't worry, Mia. She has amnesia now and doesn't even remember me. We won't be getting the license anytime soon." Ethan stared fixedly at the person in front of him, his gaze greedy, as if he couldn't get enough of looking at her. Mia glared at him: "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me 'sister'. I'm older than you!" "What do those few months matter?" Ethan grinned, "I'm going to call you Mia, what are you going to do about it?" It was like watching a puppy demanding affection from its owner. As someone who usually loves shipping couples, I felt slightly nauseated. Right now, I just wanted these two to get out of my sight as quickly as possible. "I want to rest. You guys should leave!" I started issuing eviction orders. Mia pursed her lips, sounding aggrieved: "Chloe, do you dislike me? I'll leave right now." Ethan grabbed her as she turned around. "You're overthinking it. She's probably just tired. We won't bother her sleep anymore!" Without bothering to say goodbye to me, his supposed girlfriend, he pulled his childhood friend and left directly. He didn't even consider that, having just woken up from being unconscious for over ten hours, how could I possibly sleep? However, their departure was exactly what I wanted. I picked up my phone and started investigating my situation. Because I didn't believe a single word Ethan said. I had just quickly glanced through the photos on the phone. Most of them were secret photos I took of him, but there were also some photos of us together. In every single photo together, including the lock screen where our faces were pressed together, I had a slight smile. That's the problem. I never just smile slightly for photos; I always show my teeth in a big grin. The person who knows me best is myself. Looking at those photos, I could tell those smiles weren't genuine. I was forcing a smile. Or rather, I was putting on a performance of being happy for someone else to see. 5 There was one more crucial thing. I had someone I liked. Ethan had his older childhood friend. I also had my childhood sweetheart. Liam Hughes. The boy I grew up with. My companion, my older brother figure, my best friend. Throughout my life, his presence was everywhere. He was a genius scholar, the "perfect child" in every parent's eyes. A dazzling existence like a star wherever he went. The most handsome guy you'd spot instantly in a crowd. The patient childhood friend who tutored me all the way to my good high school finals score. He was the one I had liked since my first flutter of teenage romance. We liked each other. We had already agreed to go to the same university. And start dating freely as soon as we got to college. With someone who amazed my entire youth right there, how could I possibly fall in love with anyone else? I picked up my phone and started dialing the familiar number from my memory. "The number you have dialed is not in service," the automated voice reminded me. Impossible! Like a crazy person, I dialed the number over and over again. Over and over again, I listened to the mechanical voice from the receiver. How could this be? How could the number I had dialed countless times, the one I knew by heart, be out of service? I opened the phone gallery again and looked through it from beginning to end. It was entirely filled with that stranger, Ethan! Notes, memos, university intranet, various chat apps, I checked them all. Starting from my freshman year six years ago, my life was entirely consumed by Ethan. There was no trace of Liam. Did my amazing, prominent childhood sweetheart just vanish into thin air? Oh right, Mom and Dad. I called my mom. "Chloe? Did you finish all your graduation paperwork? When are you coming home?" Thank goodness, it was the voice I knew. Before I could speak, my mom started chattering away. "If you haven't decided on a job yet, don't rush. Come home and relax for a bit, then look slowly." "And that boyfriend of yours, you've been dating for a few years now, right? Bring him home for us to meet when you have time." "I've mentioned it a few times before, and you always found excuses to refuse. What, is he unwilling to come back with you?" So, I had been dating Ethan for years and hadn't met either set of parents. His parents looked down on my status and refused to meet me. As for my side, was it that Ethan didn't want to come meet my parents, or was it that I myself didn't want to bring him? On the phone, my mom was still asking about my health, asking if I had lost weight again recently, and telling me to stop dieting. "Mom, where did Liam go?" I suddenly asked. The voice on the other end came to an abrupt halt. 6 It took a while for my mom to seem to find the name in her memory. "Liam? Why are you suddenly asking about him? Didn't their whole family move abroad?" "Old Mr. and Mrs. Hughes too, it's like they evaporated after moving abroad. They haven't been back to our hometown once in all these years." "We lost contact years ago." "Speaking of which, you and Liam used to be stuck together like glue when you were little. We all thought you two would end up dating." "Who knew that as soon as you started college, you fell for someone else, and Liam's family just moved abroad." "It's a pity for you two childhood sweethearts. I really liked Liam. If he had been my son-in-law, I would have been a hundred percent satisfied!" It seemed my mom didn't know what happened between me and him either. I chatted absentmindedly for a few more minutes and then hung up. Lying in the hospital bed, I briefly organized my experiences from the past few years. After the college entrance exams, the day the scores came out, I excitedly went looking for Liam. I wanted to tell him that I could go to the same university as him. My memory stopped on the road running towards his house. Waking up again, it was today, six years later. I had already graduated with my master's. As soon as I started college, I fell for a guy named Ethan, went crazy for him, lost my mind over him. Shamelessly chased him for a year before finally getting him. Judging from Ethan's condescending tone, I was clearly the subordinate in this relationship. I don't understand. Even if I had moved on to someone else, my IQ should still be intact. Why would I do something so brainless? What happened six years ago that turned me into this? Could it be that someone transmigrated into my body? No, I had seen several photos of handwritten course notes I took in the phone gallery. The handwriting was exactly the same as mine. Using different colored highlighters for different key points was also my personal habit. It was evident that I took my master's courses seriously and didn't slack off on my studies. In my chat history with my advisor, he mostly praised me. I didn't let my "love brain" delay my studies. This discovery made me breathe a sigh of relief. However, if even an absurd hypothesis like transmigration was ruled out, how could I explain my madness over these past few years? While I was thinking, I felt the need to use the restroom. I got up and went to the bathroom. Pushing the door open, facing me was a mirror hanging on the wall. Seeing myself in the mirror, I froze. It was still my face, but why had I lost so much weight? No wonder on the phone, my mom asked if I had lost weight again. She used to always remind me to eat less, saying I wouldn't look pretty if I gained more weight. The old me couldn't be called fat, but I was definitely not skinny. My face used to be round, with a bit of baby fat. Fair skin, good complexion. Liam always said my cheeks were like peeled eggs, supple and bouncy. And now? My cheeks were actually sunken in slightly from being so thin. My arms were as thin as bamboo sticks. Could it be that Ethan likes slim girls, so I dieted for him? What kind of willpower would that take?! I've always had a good appetite since I was little. I loved snacks, BBQ, cakes, desserts, and boba tea. I gave all of that up for Ethan? Too crazy, I couldn't believe I was capable of doing that. I walked to the toilet and pulled down my pajama pants. Looking at my thighs, I froze again. It seemed it wasn't just a simple matter of dieting. My thighs were crisscrossed with multiple scars. I had self-harming tendencies! 7 "Miss Smith, you can't leave the hospital yet! You still need an IV drip this afternoon!" the little nurse yelled while chasing after me. "I have something to do! I'll come back this afternoon!" I waved at her as I ran. The shopping app on my phone had my delivery address. It turned out I had rented a place on the university campus. Even though I had graduated, yesterday's purchase history showed items were still being delivered there, meaning I hadn't moved out yet. I called a cab and headed straight to the apartment on campus. I had the keys in my bag. Walking into the apartment, I confirmed at a glance that this was my place. The decorations, the potted plants, the plushies, the snacks in the fridge—they were all things I liked. The clothes in the closet were all styles I favored. Once again proving that for the past six years, that person was indeed me. No transmigration involved. Following my past organizing habits, I started searching the desk area. Finally, in a document folder in the drawer, I found a stack of medical records. Over the past few years, I had seen a psychiatrist, and more than once. According to the medical records, I had moderate depression and self-harming tendencies. The doctor's conclusion was that, because the patient refused to cooperate and confide, they had not yet found the cause of the illness. In other words, I was depressed and self-harming, I felt something was wrong with me, so I went to see a psychiatrist. But facing the doctor, I refused to speak what was on my mind, preventing the doctor from making an accurate diagnosis and therefore unable to provide an effective treatment plan. This was very contradictory. Since I went to see a psychiatrist, I obviously wanted to save myself. Why didn't I confess everything to the doctor? Could it be that someone stopped me from confiding in the doctor? I had to find out what happened over these past few years. I called my mom and asked her to take photos of every page of my high school yearbook and send them to me. Back at the hospital, sitting on the bed, I started calling my former high school classmates one by one. Asking them if anyone could contact Liam. I even asked our old homeroom teacher and subject teachers. Unfortunately, no one knew where he was. In the evening, Ethan called and said he was having his family's housekeeper deliver food to me. He was busy and wouldn't be coming over. For the next two days, he didn't show up again. But every meal was delivered on time. Even when I was discharged, I didn't see a shadow of him. Back at the university, I spent a whole day walking around the campus. This was once the shared goal of Liam and me. We agreed to apply here together, and then officially start dating. The result was, only I came. Why didn't he come here as promised? If he didn't come to this university, why did he go abroad? Why did he vanish? And what had happened to him? 8 That night, I turned on my laptop and started searching my online footprint over the past few years. Ethan called. "I heard from the housekeeper yesterday that you were discharged when she brought you lunch. How is it? Your body's fine now, right?" "It's fine!" I stared at the computer screen, brushing him off. "Since you're fine, run an errand for me! Go to the wine cabinet in my house and grab a bottle of wine. I'll send you a picture of it in a bit." A very natural tone. He must have ordered me around like this a lot in the past. "Not going." I hung up immediately. A few minutes later, he called again. I didn't answer, and the phone kept ringing. I picked it up, annoyed: "What do you want? I told you I'm busy!" "Chloe, you've got some nerve, talking to me like that?" "Just a reminder, I have amnesia. To me, you're a stranger. Why do you think I'd listen to you?" I asked. "Oh, I remember now, you have amnesia. I was wondering why you, who used to be so obedient, suddenly grew a spine." He chuckled lightly. "So, stop bothering me, OK?" I hung up. The next second, I received a message from him on WeChat. "Are you sure you're not coming?" Followed by a photo of a little bear keychain. "This is yours, right?" "Do you still want it?" I stared at the little bear in the photo, stunned. This was a gift Liam gave me in our senior year of high school. This little bear keychain was originally one of the prizes he won for placing first in the grade. He put the prize box in front of me and told me to pick what I liked. Inside were a fountain pen, a notebook, an electronic English dictionary, and more. I instantly fell in love with this little bear. A month after I attached this little bear to my backpack, I made it into the top ten of the grade for the first time in a mock exam. I even joked with Liam that it was my lucky star protecting my grades. I said I would keep it on my bag forever. How did it end up with Ethan? Ethan offered an explanation: "When you fainted that day, it fell at the entrance of the courthouse. Mia picked it up." "If you want it, be a good girl and go get my wine." I went to Ethan's house, used the passcode he gave me to open the door, grabbed the wine he wanted, and then rushed to the private club he was at. When I pushed the door open, the noisy chatter stopped instantly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. Including Ethan and Mia sitting in the center of the sofa. A slacker-looking guy spoke up: "Yo, didn't they say Chloe had amnesia? How come she's still at your beck and call?" Another chimed in: "Maybe submission to Ethan is already encoded in her DNA. Even with amnesia, she can't forget her instincts." "Sigh, Ethan's charm is just too powerful!"
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