Amnesia Trap (GL) - Chapter 55

Just by being pulled into the embrace, she shuddered again.

It was a reaction brought out entirely by physical instinct.

Sheng Zhi did not withdraw her hand; instead, as if she hadn’t been excessive enough, she stroked down the other woman’s back with a slow, contemptuous deliberation. After waiting a moment without receiving an answer, she looped back to pinch the back of her neck again. “Answer me.”

The voice of the person in her arms was, for a moment, on the verge of a tormented sob. “I know… I won’t play by myself.”

Listening to Ji Qingfan’s voice, Sheng Zhi couldn’t help but think back to the way she had looked when she first entered—dropping tears while asking why she was being avoided.

—This current state of being on the brink of collapse, with tears ready to fall but held back, was even cuter than before. It made her want to see her cry once more.

“Is that how you’re supposed to answer?” Her tone made it sound as if she were profoundly dissatisfied with every single syllable. “Where is the title for me?”

“Jiao Jiao…”

“You should know clearly that isn’t what I want to hear right now.”

A strange excitement tinted the depths of her pupils. Sheng Zhi could almost hear the sound of reason and impulse pulling taut in her mind.

This was very wrong.

What was she doing again?

Things were becoming even more absurd than that night. Especially after hearing Ji Qingfan call her by that other title again.

She didn’t often feel regret, but the few times she did, it was always because of Ji Qingfan.

She would uncontrollably regret certain actions; sometimes the regret was because the line between them became blurred, and sometimes the regret was because she couldn’t even explain herself to herself.

Like right now—she actually regretted that on that night, she had pressed her fingertips into the other woman’s mouth, forcing her into a mess of gasps so that she couldn’t call her this.

It was beyond absurd.

But… regarding the things that had happened between her and Ji Qingfan recently, it seemed no single event could be described as anything but absurd. One couldn’t even use the word “derailed” as an analogy anymore, because the tracks were long gone.

Sheng Zhi bit her lip hard, making her already crimson lips appear even more vividly colored.

The fingers of her other hand, resting on Ji Qingfan’s waist, began to apply an uncontrollable amount of pressure. Only one thought became increasingly clear—

Bully her even more. Make her cry.

Amidst the fine stings of pain and the increasingly unbearable torment, she finally got her wish: moist tears blinked down from those eyes.

Sheng Zhi heard Ji Qingfan call her that again, like a plea from someone who couldn’t endure any more: “…I am your toy. I have no right to play with myself.”

She looked as if she would say anything just to satisfy her. Trembling, she had lost every bit of her usual composed aura.

Sheng Zhi pulled her away from her chest, her gaze landing on the tear-stained, slightly pathetic expression. The unspeakable pleasure in her heart was clearly spreading, giving rise to a nearly ridiculous sense of satisfaction, so much so that she instinctively replied: “Mhm.”

This emotional shift made her already exquisite features look even more aggressive, revealed without reservation.

Hearing Sheng Zhi’s response, Ji Qingfan’s breathing grew chaotic, as if she had been struck by something. In a barely audible voice, she repeated: “I am yours…”

The sensation of being held at the edge was indeed miserable, but this feeling of being controlled by her was both agonizing and blissful.

—She was hers.

At no moment had she perceived this fact more clearly than now. It was a sweetness that made her dizzy.

If making a wish worked… she hoped Sheng Zhi would never recover her memory.

Although the schedule was tight, the public interview went even more smoothly than expected.

The flashes of the cameras and the slight hubbub of the venue blended together. By the time the reporters’ questions ended, an hour had passed.

“We will finalize the draft as quickly as possible. If you and President Ji confirm there are no changes after review, it can be released across all platforms tomorrow afternoon.”

After some final communication regarding details, the magazine team and relevant personnel left with their equipment.

In truth, conducting the interview after returning to Jingbei would have yielded better results. Sheng Zhi knew this very well, yet she chose to do it in Nanrao and even demanded the fastest possible release time.

“Jiao Jiao, this is actually a gift you specifically gave me, isn’t it?” Ji Qingfan leaned close to her, looking into her eyes, her voice soft and carrying a hint of a smile.

Their styling for the day complemented each other, creating a sense of intimate harmony.

Sheng Zhi’s vivid red lips pursed slightly in awkwardness. She replied quickly: “Don’t push your luck.”

Despite her words, she did not resist the closeness.

“Still, it’s a bit of a pity. I originally planned to enjoy the ocean view of Rao Hai with Jiao Jiao after finishing work, but I didn’t expect so many ‘accidents’ to happen,” Ji Qingfan said, hooking a strand of Sheng Zhi’s hair, her touch as light as a feather. “I want to do more of the things we did on our dates before.”

Sheng Zhi listened to her voice and hooked the strand of hair back from her hand. “…Our dates before?”

“Mhm. It should be helpful for Jiao Jiao to remember.” Whenever she spoke of such things, her tone was exceptionally tender and sweet.

—We never dated. A political marriage that existed in name only—where would these “dates” have come from?

Sheng Zhi let out a dismissive scoff. “But Ji Qingfan, is our flight really tonight?”

Hearing this, Ji Qingfan paused imperceptibly, then curved her eyes: “No, it’s tomorrow.”

Their gazes met in the air. Seeing that Ji Qingfan continued to look at her like that after answering, Sheng Zhi couldn’t tell for a moment if she had caught the underlying meaning or not.

She must be faking it.

Usually, she has a million tricks up her sleeve, yet now when I drop a hint, she acts like she can’t process it.

Thinking this, Sheng Zhi was the first to look away in the silence of their eye contact. After a long pause, Sheng Zhi pressed a hand to her cheek: “Fine. My point is, we can go on that… ‘date’ now.”

By the end of the sentence, her words were extremely difficult to spit out, and her volume had dropped.

“What?” Ji Qingfan blinked lightly. “I didn’t hear clearly. Jiao Jiao, say it again?”

Thinking her voice really had been a bit low, Sheng Zhi reluctantly repeated it.

It wasn’t until Ji Qingfan continued to claim she hadn’t heard and wanted her to repeat it yet again that Sheng Zhi was certain: she was doing this on purpose. She snapped her gaze back, her sparkling cat-like eyes filled with annoyance: “Ji Qingfan!”

As expected, Ji Qingfan was doing it on purpose. She knew she had too many tricks; there was no way she hadn’t heard the meaning in those words. If she had known, she wouldn’t have repeated it even once.

But these emotions didn’t last long, because the moment she turned her gaze back, Ji Qingfan smiled and embraced her.

She nuzzled close to her ear, not denying it: “Who told our Jiao Jiao to be so cute?”

Her breath brushed against her ear once more. Her body had become more than accustomed to this level of intimacy.

However, the rhythm of the person nuzzling her began to shift. She looked as if she desperately wanted to do something to relieve the tension, but ultimately she restrained herself, lingeringly.

Very obedient.

She looked as if she would listen to whatever Sheng Zhi said. In a certain tender moment, the emotion in her eyes was so rich that Sheng Zhi actually had the illusion that Ji Qingfan was deeply in love with her. Her breath hitched for a moment before she returned to her nonchalant state.

They stayed in Nanrao longer than expected, yet it was only before leaving that they prepared to admire the scenery.

Currently, however, it was the most beautiful season for Rao Hai. Pearl rafts floated on the sea, and the warm sunlight cast a hazy, shimmering layer over the water. Waves lapped against the beach as Ji Qingfan held her hand, suggesting they go to the bird-watching platform.

In the distance, the sky and water met. Birds of different colors added another stroke to the beautiful scenery, their feathers appearing to catch the light as the sound of their pecking was incredibly light.

Sheng Zhi watched them peck food from her palm and heard Ji Qingfan suddenly speak: “You still like them this much.”

She was speaking of the birds, but not only the birds.

She used a nostalgic tone: “They, too, have always been close to Jiao Jiao. Perhaps because you are full of affection for them. I still remember how you held me and cried so hard after the little dog you raised passed away.”

Sheng Zhi’s fingertips twitched.

She hadn’t truly forgotten, so she was easily led by those words into the memory. She recalled the situation back then; she recalled Ji Qingfan telling her that she still had her, holding her and comforting her, saying she would always be the Young Lady’s dog and would stay with her so she wouldn’t be sad anymore.

These images were nearly yellowed and faded, hidden in the deepest part of her memory.

“Jiao Jiao, did you remember something?” Perhaps because her pause was a bit long, Ji Qingfan’s voice carried a trace of tension.

The memory was terminated just in time. Sheng Zhi lowered her lashes, making the act of following the words into memory more vivid. But she still gave a negative answer: “No.”

To add credibility, she added a plausible reason: “But I tried to think about it this time, even though I couldn’t remember anything.”

Listening to her, Ji Qingfan’s expression didn’t change much; every shift was very subtle. The hint of tension from when she asked became a perfectly appropriate disappointment veiled beneath her expression.

She still smiled gently, but just as she was about to speak again, she noticed something. The words at her lips paused, and she signaled for Sheng Zhi to wait there a moment.

Then, she returned with a bouquet of tulips. Vibrant light pink, gathered into a passionate bunch.

She handed them to her, the sea breeze tossing her hair as her voice was carried away by the wind: “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember. It’s just that I love you so much, so I always want you to remember quickly, and love me again just like you used to.”

It was a confession, soft and lingering.

Sheng Zhi lowered her hand, and the remaining bird food in her palm tumbled to the ground. The birds gathered at their feet. She looked at the bouquet of tulips and thought: Ji Qingfan is truly so greedy.

Plotting for profit isn’t enough; she even wants her “amnesiac” rival to fall in love with her during this time. If she really were amnesiac, if she recovered her memory later, wouldn’t she be so angry she’d cough up blood over what happened during the amnesia?

“Then you’d better just go to sleep—dreams happen faster.”

Sheng Zhi scoffed somewhat rudely and reached out to take the bouquet. Ji Qingfan looked as if she wanted to say more, but Sheng Zhi didn’t really want to keep listening.

So, before Ji Qingfan could utter the next sentence, Sheng Zhi pulled her into her arms. At the moment the kiss sealed her lips, the birds spread their wings and took flight from the ground. Feathers, pure as if holy, drifted down onto their shoulders.

There were too many tulips; a few fell to the ground at some point, their fragrant, soft petals nearly crushed by the sea breeze. The last rays of the sun remained quiet, dragging their embracing shadows into long, winding trails.

She was glad she wasn’t truly amnesiac.

Otherwise, she would have been played like a fiddle by Ji Qingfan.