“Lu Mingshu…”
Mingshu murmured, repeating the name. As beads of cold sweat began to form on Lu Chang’s forehead, she finally said, “It sounds quite nice.”
Lu Chang wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous. Hearing this, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief, but then she asked, “Who gave me this name?”
“It was your late father,” Lu Chang replied with an unwavering expression.
Blaming the deceased was the safest option, especially since it was true that her father had given her the name.
“My father has passed away?” Mingshu’s eyes lowered. She looked at Lu Chang, then at Madam Zeng.
Seeing the confusion and curiosity in her eyes, Lu Chang quickly said, “You just woke up, so don’t overexert yourself by asking too many questions. The past is a long story. Maybe you’ll remember it on your own one day. If you still can’t remember, I’ll tell you everything when you’re better. For now, you need to rest and recover.”
“Yes, you must be hungry after being unconscious for so long. I’ll make some porridge for you,” Madam Zeng said, not wanting to get caught up in the same situation as her son. She promptly left.
Fortunately, Mingshu didn’t ask any more questions. Her injuries still ached, and she felt dizzy and weak after speaking just a few words. She lay back down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, not daring to think about anything.
Thinking made her head hurt.
She had become a person without a past.
It wasn’t long before Madam Zeng brought some porridge, cooked until it was mushy, along with a plate of sweet pickled garlic brought from Jiangning in the carriage. The garlic, sweet and sour without the pungency of raw garlic, was a favorite of Mingshu’s, one of the best cold dishes Madam Zeng made and sent to the Jian family every year.
The hungry Mingshu, smelling the garlic, quickly sat up like a mouse catching the scent of oil. But getting up too quickly made her head spin. She steadied herself with effort. Lu Chang stirred the porridge to cool it before handing it to her. She ate slowly, but after just a couple of bites, the dizziness worsened, accompanied by a sudden wave of nausea. Before she could react, she vomited all over Lu Chang, and the bowl fell off the bed.
Lu Chang remained calm. He quickly turned her head to rest on his shoulder and comforted her, saying, “The doctor mentioned that head injury patients often experience dizziness and nausea after waking up. You must move slowly. This symptom will gradually subside in time.” He took a damp cloth from Madam Zeng, wiped the remnants from her lips and clothes, and then cleaned himself.
Mingshu lay weakly on his shoulder, glancing sideways. He cared for her skillfully and without disdain, more adeptly than even Madam Zeng. Were these two her mother and brother?
Although Mingshu had just woken up and her head was still groggy, it didn’t stop her from making an initial assessment of the situation. Her mind was blank, with no memory of her name, family, or where she lived, as if she had appeared in the world out of nowhere.
Because of this, her identity and past became stories that could be fabricated. They said she was a daughter of the Lu family, so she became the Lu family’s daughter, but she couldn’t determine the truth.
With such caution and suspicion, Mingshu lay back down. Lu Chang went outside to change and clean up, while Madam Zeng stood for a moment by the overturned porridge before cleaning up the mess. Mingshu noticed the slight regret in her eyes.
Only someone who had experienced hardship would show such regret over a bowl of porridge.
Mingshu’s hand slipped out from under the quilt. She examined it closely. It was a well-maintained hand, with skin as smooth as jade, fingertips like peeled scallions, and transparent nails neatly trimmed. There was not a single callus or fine line except for the faint lines on her knuckles.
A poor family’s daughter couldn’t have such hands, let alone wear a bracelet worth a fortune.
Lu Chang said they were siblings. She had her doubts. But they had saved her life, spent money, and took care of her so diligently. What could they be after? Her life? Her wealth?
She couldn’t see what they were after. But if they weren’t family, how could she explain the inexplicable sense of familiarity she felt towards them? Although she had forgotten the past, she still felt a natural closeness to these two. Especially towards Lu Chang, she felt an inexplicable trust in him. His warm hands seemed to soothe the anxiety and fear caused by her amnesia.
Moreover, seeing how Lu Chang and Madam Zeng took care of her without complaint, not even flinching when she vomited on him, such considerate care could only come from those with deep affection. In this world, aside from parents and siblings, even spouses might not be so attentive.
As she continued to ponder, she felt increasingly conflicted and puzzled. What had happened before she fell off the mountain? She had a nagging feeling that she had forgotten something very important. But what was it? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop thinking about it? Why torment yourself?”
A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She opened her eyes to see Lu Chang standing by her bed, leaning over to look at her. He had changed into a faded, semi-worn outer robe, much thinner than the one he wore before.
“I… can’t help it,” Mingshu said, turning on her side and frowning.
Seeing her brows furrowed like a river and her face looking as bitter as a gourd, Lu Chang knew she was overthinking again. He suddenly remembered the old Jian Mingshu. In his memory, she was always bright and confident when they met. He knew she meant no harm, but her every gesture carried the arrogance of someone from a wealthy background, making her seem aggressive. He didn’t like it. But now, looking at her weak and pitiful state, even her voice filled with grievance, he suddenly wished she could be the old Jian Mingshu again.
But with Old Master Jian and the Jian family gone, and her own life still in danger, even if she remembered everything, she could never return to the past.
Thinking this, Lu Chang couldn’t help but reach out, gently pressing his fingertip against her temple and rubbing slowly. “Is your head hurting again? Even if you can’t help it, you have to try. What you need to remember will come back eventually. You’re still recovering, take it slow.”
Mingshu closed one eye and looked at him. His tone was somewhat stern. He wasn’t much older than her, yet he spoke like an elder lecturing a younger sibling. She responded with an “Oh,” thinking—he really must be her brother.
After a while, Lu Chang asked, “Feeling better?”
“Yes, much better. Thank you,” Mingshu replied.
“Can you sit up? You threw up what little you ate earlier. If you can, try eating some more,” Lu Chang said. Seeing her nod, he helped her slowly sit up, placing thick pillows behind her. Once she was settled, he brought the porridge.
Mingshu reached out to take it, but Lu Chang didn’t hand it over. Instead, he scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to her lips. She stared at him in surprise, only reacting when he raised his eyebrows. Turning her head uncomfortably, she said, “I can do it myself.”
“Don’t move, or you’ll throw up again. I don’t have many clothes left to change into,” Lu Chang said seriously.
She had no retort and obediently opened her mouth to accept the porridge.
Well, he did say he was her brother. Feeding an injured sister was only natural, right?
Sibling love!
—
After being able to eat normally, Mingshu’s strength recovered more quickly. Although she still slept more than she was awake, the dizziness and other symptoms improved. After resting for two more days, she was able to get out of bed and walk around. The wounds on her body had mostly scabbed over or reduced in swelling, except for the one on her temple, which still needed daily dressing.
With her condition stabilizing, Lu Chang went out again without saying where he was going, leaving Madam Zeng to care for her at the clinic. Despite her gentle appearance, Madam Zeng was always smiling and unlike the stern Lu Chang, she cared for Mingshu warmly and attentively. Though they were financially strained, Madam Zeng spared no effort in seeking medical treatment and providing for Mingshu, even at the expense of her own needs. This made Mingshu feel quite guilty on several occasions.
Over time, Mingshu grew more familiar with Madam Zeng.
On the third day, Lu Chang had not yet returned. Mingshu, feeling bored in the clinic and curious about whether anything outside might jog her memory, decided to take a look around. She was still suspicious and wanted to visit the teahouse or the local government office to inquire further. Taking advantage of Madam Zeng’s afternoon nap, she slipped out of the clinic.
Not far from the clinic was Xunyang Town’s largest teahouse, a hub for news and gossip. Any major events in the prefecture were typically discussed here, along with more mundane local matters. If someone lost a daughter or if there was a missing person case, this was the place to gather information.
For some reason, the teahouse was particularly crowded today, packed to the rafters. In the center of the throng stood a man in rough clothes, looking like a coachman who frequently traveled between towns and was well-informed. He was animatedly describing something to the surrounding onlookers. As Mingshu approached, she vaguely heard phrases like “Jian family tragedy” and “burned to ashes,” which made her uneasy. She tried to get closer to listen, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two men standing up inside the teahouse. One had a hooked nose, the other triangular eyes, both with long weapons hidden under their clothes, looking at her menacingly.
Feeling uneasy under their scrutiny, Mingshu tried to move aside but realized they had locked onto her and were following her out of the teahouse. Knowing she was in danger, she tried to return to the clinic, but her path was already blocked. The two men were clearly after her, and they had already split up to surround her.
They had bad intentions.
Without much thought, she instinctively fled into a nearby alley. She had barely run a few steps when she heard footsteps and the sound of metal behind her. In her panic, she glanced back and saw the men had drawn short knives from their waists.
The gleaming blades made her legs go weak—they weren’t here to capture her, but to kill her.
Her head throbbed with pain, but she ignored it, focusing only on survival. She ran a few more steps when she heard a whooshing sound behind her. In desperation, she ducked and managed to avoid a slash aimed at her back, but the second attack was unavoidable. Just as she braced herself, a powerful kick from a narrow passageway struck the attacker in the chest.
Before Mingshu could react, someone grabbed her hand.
It was the familiar warm hand, firmly holding her wrist and pulling her into the narrow passage.
“Come with me.”
Lu Chang had appeared out of nowhere.