"Hong Jiaxi."
Along the way, Huangfu Mengyao murmured the name several times, but still couldn't recall anything.
She decided to stop thinking about it.
Upon returning home, she happily showed Song Jiaping the things she had bought on the street, liking each one.
Song Jiaping echoed her enthusiasm, but his heart was heavy.
Ever since Huangfu Mengyao lost her memory, he had been lying to her.
As for Hong Jiaxi, he had also deceived her.
In college, before he met Huangfu Mengyao, she and Hong Jiaxi were a passionate couple. He had deliberately broken them up.
Even when Huangfu Mengyao hadn't lost her memory, she didn't know that he had orchestrated her leaving for abroad in a fit of pique after discovering Hong Jiaxi had a new lover.
At night, they slept in the same bed, each under their own quilt.
He constantly reminded himself not to cross that line. He wasn't the absolute good person or the absolute good doctor that others saw him as.
Ever since he became burdened with revenge, he felt torn in two by hatred and conscience, one half in the human world, the other in hell.
He knew that one day he would fall completely into hell, and Huangfu Mengyao would never forgive him when she learned the whole truth!
Huangfu Mengyao, who had already fallen into a deep sleep, suddenly cried out in her dream, her face pale and her forehead sweating.
Song Jiaping knew she was having a nightmare and quickly woke her up.
She opened her eyes, her expression panicked, and leaned into him. "Jiaping, I dreamt of so many dead people, everywhere! What kind of place was that, with tanks, soldiers with weapons... shooting everyone on the streets..."
Song Jiaping's arms held her firmly, comforting her. "It's okay, it's okay, don't be scared. There's no war here."
Huangfu Mengyao's terror from the dream subsided somewhat. She looked up at him and said, "Jiaping, I must have watched too many war movies during the day."
"No," Song Jiaping told her. "We used to be volunteer doctors without borders, and we saw the cruelty of war firsthand in places ravaged by conflict."
"So, what I dreamt about are all real scenes?" Huangfu Mengyao leaned closer to him and asked, "I saw the photos you kept in your medical books. Did you also work as a mercenary?"
Song Jiaping was slightly surprised and said, "Oh, you mean those photos. I was just learning how to use weapons from the local soldiers, for self-defense in emergencies."
"So we've experienced so much together. No wonder I like you so much even with my amnesia." Huangfu Mengyao threw off her quilt, nestled into his, and shyly kissed his cheek.
Song Jiaping said rationally, "Don't do that. It's still early until dawn, let's sleep more."
"From now on, let's not sleep under separate quilts. If I miss you, you can just stay with me like this, and I won't have nightmares anymore." Huangfu Mengyao held him tightly and fell asleep in his arms.
Song Jiaping felt like he was going crazy, unsure how much longer he could maintain this level of composure.
...
In the Huangfu family's private study, Old Master Hong personally brought his grandson, Hong Jiaxi, to seek an explanation.
Old Master Hong tapped the floor tiles with his cane, his voice tinged with anger. "Huangfu Sisong! When did Mengyao return? Why didn't you tell me?"
Huangfu Sisong knew he couldn't hide it any longer and said helplessly, "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. This child had a car accident as soon as she returned and doesn't remember anything..."
"She doesn't remember anything, yet she got married to someone else!" Old Master Hong questioned. "Jiaxi saw her on the street, and she didn't recognize him and even let another man hit Jiaxi!"
"Ah, there's such a thing!" Huangfu Sisong exclaimed in surprise.
Hong Jiaxi quickly said, "Uncle Huangfu, I'm not lying. I know that man. He's also from our medical school, a year younger than us, but two years older in age. Back then, all our classmates said he started school late because his family was poor."
"Oh, oh, I don't know much about Song Jiaping either," Huangfu Sisong demurred. "When Mengyao had her car accident, her life was hanging by a thread. Her mother came up with a terrible idea, saying they should get married to ward off bad luck. We couldn't find a suitable person at the time, and Song Jiaping happened to be at the hospital taking care of Mengyao... So, we had no choice but to let them get married."
"Uncle Huangfu, why didn't you look for me then? I loved Mengyao so much and waited for her for so many years."
Huangfu Sisong slapped his thigh and said, "Oh dear, we were so anxious at the time, we completely forgot about that. Besides, Mengyao's life was in danger at any moment, and even if she recovered, we feared she might have disabilities. Now, even though she's recovered, she has amnesia and doesn't recognize us. In that situation, we were afraid no one would be willing to marry her..."
Old Master Hong understood his meaning and stopped blaming him. He said to his grandson, "Jiaxi, I think it's best to let it go. You and Mengyao were always a bit short on destiny."
"Yes, yes. Jiaxi, you are a talented man, and now you have your own pharmaceutical company. You'll surely find someone better than our Mengyao," Huangfu Sisong said, pointing to his head. "Her brain was damaged by the car accident, and we don't know if she'll ever regain her memory..."
Before he could finish, Hong Jiaxi stubbornly insisted, "Uncle Huangfu, make Mengyao divorce Song Jiaping. I want to marry her!"
"I can only try. She doesn't even recognize us now and only recognizes Song Jiaping. I'm afraid..."
"Grandpa, I don't care!" Hong Jiaxi said petulantly to Old Master Hong.
Old Master Hong, who always doted on his grandson, said to Huangfu Sisong, "Sisong, your father and I were old friends. You asked me for help recently, and I agreed without hesitation. Mengyao and Jiaxi knew each other since childhood, and your father had promised me this marriage when he was alive. They had a very good relationship before. Since Jiaxi wants to marry Mengyao, we should fulfill their wish."
Huangfu Sisong felt a bit regretful, thinking that if Old Master Hong had handled the car accident that was meant for Qin Tianyi, Mengyao wouldn't have been harmed.
"I can only try. After all, I can't force her now," he said ambiguously, not wanting to offend the Hong grandfather and grandson.
"I'll wait for your news!" Old Master Hong said with a strong voice and left with Hong Jiaxi.
Huangfu Sisong breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't wanted Mengyao to marry Hong Jiaxi in the first place.
Although the Hong family was not short of money and was considered wealthy, they were still involved in shady dealings. If they were to become in-laws, any trouble they encountered would implicate the Huangfu family.
That's why, when Mengyao said she didn't want to see Hong Jiaxi again and wanted to go abroad for further studies, he had been very supportive.
When Hong Jiaxi came looking for them, his parents played dumb, saying they didn't know where Mengyao had gone, sent a text message to her family, and ran off abroad on impulse.
They had hoped that after separating for a few years, Hong Jiaxi would no longer be interested in Mengyao, and the arranged marriage could be called off.