110: The Past

“Listen carefully. From today onward, I forbid you from revealing anything about me to the outside world. We have nothing to do with each other, understood?” After saying this, he turned and walked away.

Xiao Qi was furious, her anger boiling over. What a foolish, narcissistic, self-righteous idiot from Earth.

Yi Chen returned to his office and immediately instructed, “Tomorrow, notify all major media outlets. Arrange everything—I want to personally clarify the situation.”

“Yes, sir!”

Fang Li left the office and immediately called Pan Sen.

“Doctor Pan, I think General Manager Lin is beyond help now.”

Hearing this, Pan Sen grew increasingly concerned. It seemed something needed to be orchestrated.

Xiao Qi was beside herself with anger when the phone rang. It was Auntie.

On the other end, Fang Yun’s voice was filled with worry. “Xiyang, I just saw the news. They reported that you and Yi Chen broke up. Weren’t you two fine just now? How did you break up?”

“Auntie, we were only pretending to be a couple, so there’s no such thing as breaking up.”

Fang Yun, watching TV, said, “Then why are the media reporting that Yi Chen is holding a press conference tomorrow specifically to clarify your breakup?”

Fang Yun seemed to realize something. “Xiyang, did you just say you were pretending to be a couple?”

Xiao Qi was too angry to explain. “Auntie, this is between me and him. Please don’t meddle.”

She hung up.

Fang Yun felt even more worried but was powerless to do anything. All she could do was sigh. Truly, good things come with many trials. How right that is.

I ask you, Lin Yi Chen, what exactly have you done? Why not be a real couple and instead pretend to be one? Ah, these young people today are truly baffling.

Xiao Qi spent the entire day working in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

Right after work, she received a call from Pan Sen.

The Silent World Café.

It was Xiao Qi’s first time visiting such a quiet place. Usually, when Pan Sen called, the first thing he would say was to invite her to eat. But tonight, Xiao Qi had no appetite. This quiet café suited her mood perfectly.

Yet she was puzzled by Pan Sen’s demeanor. To her surprise, he even exchanged some polite small talk upon seeing her.

Then, in a gentle tone, he said, “Xiyang, you never liked coffee before, and I suppose you still don’t. Let me get you some herbal tea.”

Xiao Qi, now indifferent to any food or drink, nodded. The waiter came over with the menu.

After ordering, Pan Sen got to the point. “Xiyang, may I tell you a story?”

Xiao Qi was curious. The Pan Sen before her wore a gentle smile. Though she only knew him casually, not intimately, he had always seemed refined and cultured. After Yi Chen’s amnesia incident, she had often accompanied him to Pan Sen’s hospital, gradually learning more about the doctor.

People say familiarity breeds casualness in speech. But Pan Sen’s behavior now was somewhat puzzling.

He began his story.

“When Yi Chen was in college, he went hot pot dining with his dorm mates. It was one of those events requiring a date. I happened to visit the school that day, so I joined them. Everyone else had a partner except me. Some classmates teased me, saying, ‘Doctor Pan, even Yi Chen has been taken care of. How long will you remain the eternal bachelor?’”

“I sighed and replied, ‘Easy for you to say. Where am I supposed to find a persistent and fearless Ye Xiyang to take care of me?’ They could all hear the teasing in my tone.”

“However, Yi Chen took it seriously. For several days after, he ignored me. Then one day, you called me, complaining that Yi Chen said you were giving him a headache and wanted to send you to me to give him some peace and quiet.”

“You sounded both aggrieved and innocent, saying you hadn’t actually said anything, but trouble had already started.”

Pan Sen seemed lost in thought for a moment. Suddenly, Xiao Qi interrupted, “Doctor Pan, why are you telling me all this?”

Pan Sen smiled. “Just listen. When I heard that, I immediately understood why Yi Chen said those things. You didn’t respond to my teasing, so Yi Chen got angry.”

He paused and looked at Xiao Qi. “Honestly, I never understood why you became Yi Chen’s girlfriend in college. There were so many girls who liked him—many more beautiful, smarter, and outstanding than you.”

His sudden confession was meant to show her how deeply Yi Chen had once cared for her.

But that ‘her’ was Ye Xiyang.

Xiao Qi remained silent and listened.

Pan Sen’s expression turned nostalgic. “One of their dorm’s favorite pastimes was betting on which girl would finally win over Yi Chen. One night after lights out, they were joking and placing bets. Some bet on the department’s campus queen, others on a talented girl who debated with Yi Chen. Someone asked me who I’d bet on. Since Yi Chen had amnesia, I didn’t intend to bet but casually said, ‘Maybe a girl from the foreign languages department,’ though most bet on his childhood sweetheart, Zhuang Jia.”

Pan Sen chuckled, reminiscing youthful recklessness. “Yi Chen always held a ‘three no’s’ policy toward such activities: no approval, no attention, no participation. He read his books, slept, and let them make a fuss. But that time, after everyone placed their bets, he suddenly said, ‘I bet on Ye Xiyang.’ That was the first time I heard your name.”

“From then on, rumors spread that you were his girlfriend, even though Yi Chen never mentioned it.”

“That’s because you suddenly showed up, hurriedly explaining, ‘Yi Chen, I never said I was your girlfriend.’ The taciturn Yi Chen calmly replied, ‘I know,’ and promptly sent you off to the girls’ dorm.”

“At that time, his classmates—myself included—were very curious about you. Seeing you in person surprised us even more. Yi Chen always had an extraordinary calmness and maturity beyond his years. We expected his girlfriend to be similarly mature and sensible. But you,” Pan Sen said subtly, “were completely unexpected.”

“To be honest, I didn’t think much of your relationship at first. But Yi Chen gradually became a normal twenty-year-old young man. He would often be so frustrated with you he’d stomp around, and sometimes, out of happiness, he’d let you boss him around to wash all the dorm clothes. Hmm, like on his birthday…”

“Such a thing could happen to Yi Chen? How incredible.”

“On his birthday, you went all over the city looking for a satisfactory gift. You only arrived at his dorm after 10 p.m., exhausted and empty-handed, simply saying ‘Happy birthday.’”

“Yi Chen frowned and asked, ‘Where were you today? Where’s the gift?’”

“You had nothing to offer. Yi Chen glared at you for a long moment, then, defeated, said, ‘Fine! Close your eyes.’”

“You obediently closed your eyes, and he bent down and kissed you. Later, Yi Chen called me and said he had kissed the one he loved.”

“He said it was your first kiss together…”

The coffee in the cup gently swayed, clinking softly.

“Doctor Pan,” Xiao Qi interrupted, unable to listen further, “I don’t remember any of this. What you’re saying is meaningless to me.”

Pan Sen stopped, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he looked at her and slowly said, “Xiyang, I find you quite strange.”

Xiao Qi had no reaction. What could she say? She wasn’t the one involved.

Pan Sen fell silent about the past, seemingly lost in thought. Then he spoke softly, “Xiyang, Yi Chen is ill. If you don’t believe me, go check on him at his villa.”

Ill?

Xiao Qi thought Pan Sen was being nonsensical today, fabricating stories on the spot. “Doctor Pan, he was just full of vigor and fury when he spoke to me earlier. You’re telling me he’s sick?”

“…”

Frustrated, Pan Sen cleared his throat.

“He’s a workaholic. With the way he works, it wouldn’t be surprising if he dies young,” Pan Sen said, full of reproach. “Xiyang, if you hadn’t hurt Yi Chen, his amnesia wouldn’t have relapsed, and he wouldn’t have forgotten you.” He paused, then bluntly blamed, “Anyway, you’re the mastermind behind all this.”

“…”

“Now, either you go see him, or you’ll turn from the mastermind into a murderer.”

“…”

Such an accusation was truly unprecedented.

After saying this, Pan Sen paid the bill angrily and left.

The herbal tea had gone cold. Xiao Qi pushed open the café door. Outside, rain had begun to fall.

How could it rain now? Especially this persistent drizzle.

It seemed to have rained a lot these days.

Standing at the café entrance, Xiao Qi felt an indescribable emotion. Pan Sen’s words weighed heavily upon her—a burden she could scarcely bear in her life.

When Zhuang Jia spoke, she felt nothing. But now, Pan Sen’s words...

Xiao Qi stared at the steady drizzle.

Pan Sen wanted her to reconcile with Lin Yi Chen.

But now, it wasn’t something she could decide alone.

It all depended on him...

Enough. She would try once more.

If it worked, she’d bring out the signal device tonight.

She would avoid meddling in human emotions. As an alien, she wasn’t suited to entangle herself with Earthling feelings.

Her identity was already false, making it all the more unsuitable.

She was tired. Everyone around her treated her as Ye Xiyang.

She just wanted to retrieve the signal device and go home early.

No matter what happened later, she would rush in. As long as his heartbeat quickened, she could retrieve the device.

This time, Xiao Qi didn’t use any superpowers but took a taxi. On a rainy day, she surprisingly hailed one easily. The driver was overly friendly and, upon hearing her destination, began to bombard her with questions.

“Miss, is your friend wealthy? That area is where rich people live.”

“Miss, are you studying or working?”

“Miss...”

“Miss...”

Xiao Qi’s responses were simple “Hmm” and “Oh,” her eyes fixed outside.

The driver’s words passed her ears without meaning. The scenery outside flashed by, yet she saw nothing.

There were no red lights along the way. She arrived quickly and easily stood before the door. But her hand felt unbearably heavy, unable to raise itself to knock.

Should she leave? Her feet, equally heavy, wouldn’t move an inch.