"Although the Gu family isn't a prominent clan, they still possess some wealth. If such a Gu family is already treacherous, how much more so must the Murong family be? To be placed in that position at such a young age, your aunt must have been constantly scheming against you. It's truly not easy for you to have survived until now."
Jiang Shiyu felt a pang of sympathy for this man. Others only saw his cold and ruthless demeanor, but this man must have endured immense hardship to reach where he is today.
"It was indeed difficult, but thankfully, I have you..." the man murmured.
Jiang Shiyu didn't hear him clearly and tilted her chin up, "What?"
The moment she lifted her small face, the man leaned in and kissed her.
"No... Cheche is still in the room..."
"I'll be gentle..."
"Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?"
The child's innocent voice suddenly rang out.
In a split second, both of them froze.
Then, Jiang Shiyu quickly pushed Murong Cheng away. "Cheche, why are you awake?" She walked barefoot to pick up Cheche.
Cheche covered a certain spot and clamped his little legs together. "I drank too much water, Mommy. I need to pee..."
Jiang Shiyu carried Cheche into the bathroom, intending to help him with his pants.
Cheche's face turned red with strain. "Mommy, you go out. I don't want you to help me. I'm a big boy now, I can do it myself."
Unable to persuade the little one, Jiang Shiyu had to leave the bathroom. Soon, the sound of urination could be heard.
After the sound stopped, Jiang Shiyu went in, picked up Cheche, washed his hands, and carried him back to bed. She then kissed his forehead.
The little one soon fell into a deep sleep.
Jiang Shiyu sat for a while, and only after the child was sound asleep did she get up.
Before she could take a step, she bumped into a solid wall of flesh.
Jiang Shiyu gasped, and her body instinctively started to fall backward.
The man caught her arm and pulled her into his embrace.
Her forehead thudded against the man's chest. The firm muscles hurt even more than hitting a wall.
Jiang Shiyu rubbed her forehead and looked up. "Murong Cheng, you..."
She had only spoken a few words in a hushed tone when her lips were once again covered.
Jiang Shiyu wanted to speak, but fearing she might wake Cheche, she could only let the man take liberties.
Feeling the man's body temperature rising, Jiang Shiyu was terrified and reached out to push Murong Cheng away.
In an instant, fragmented memories flashed before her eyes.
Jiang Shiyu stood frozen. After realizing what was happening, she pushed Murong Cheng away and rushed out.
She locked the bedroom door and squatted on the floor, panting heavily.
Why did those fleeting images feel so familiar, so déjà vu, as if she had actually experienced them? But these did not belong to her. Could it be that thinking too much about Cheche's matters had led to an imagined illness? Jiang Shiyu seriously suspected her mental state was deteriorating.
The next day, Sunday, Jiang Shiyu left early to register at the hospital for the psychiatry department. Although there were many people, she arrived early, so her turn came quickly.
Jiang Shiyu sat down in front of the doctor, recounted her recent experiences, and the doctor then asked her to undergo various physical examinations.
A round of examinations took an hour. After completing them, Jiang Shiyu sat in the corridor, waiting patiently. Her phone vibrated; it was Murong Cheng calling. Jiang Shiyu didn't answer, but sent him a WeChat message.
Unexpectedly, when she went to collect her reports, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the corridor. Murong Cheng?! Jiang Shiyu recognized him at a glance. Who else could it be but Murong Cheng!
"You, why are you here?" In the blink of an eye, the man was standing in front of her, and Jiang Shiyu's legs felt weak. How did he know she was at the hospital? She didn't recall telling Murong Cheng she was coming to the hospital!
"What's wrong with your body?" The man didn't answer, but looked at the report in her hand. Jiang Shiyu quickly hid it behind her. "It's nothing, let's go home."
Murong Cheng frowned, staring at her intently. Jiang Shiyu's heart pounded. "Why are you looking at me like that? I was just feeling a bit unwell mentally and came for a check-up to see if there were any physical issues."
Murong Cheng's eyes flickered, clearly unconvinced. "You're not...?"
"What?" Jiang Shiyu didn't understand what the man meant and wrinkled her nose.
"Pregnant?" The man uttered these words casually.
Jiang Shiyu almost stumbled. "What the hell?!" How could she be pregnant! However, thinking about it carefully, it had been almost a month since the last time. After that incident, she hadn't taken any safety precautions. But could it be so precise? Pregnant after just one time? Jiang Shiyu was initially worried about her mental state, but now that Murong Cheng mentioned it, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if she were pregnant... Her little head was filled with thoughts.
Murong Cheng took advantage of Jiang Shiyu's distraction and took the examination report from her hand. By the time Jiang Shiyu snapped back to attention, the man had already finished reading the entire report at a glance.
"Have you had amnesia before?" Murong Cheng narrowed his dark eyes, staring at Jiang Shiyu.
"No, how could I? I remember every little detail from the past. If I had amnesia, how would I not know?" Jiang Shiyu was completely bewildered. She took back the report and found she couldn't understand it at all. How did Murong Cheng figure it out?
"Look, this indicator is clearly abnormal, indicating that your brain suffered a severe blow, hence amnesia. Don't you remember?" Murong Cheng pointed to a section where the data indeed showed abnormalities.
"No, maybe I hit my head when I was playing as a child. I'm perfectly fine." Jiang Shiyu had lived in the countryside for a long time; she must have fallen from a tree while playing and hit her head. This explanation seemed plausible enough, and Murong Cheng didn't say anything more. Jiang Shiyu was puzzled. Why did this man's expression seem as if he knew she had been very mischievous in the past?
She snatched back her examination report. "I'm hungry! I'm going to eat!" Jiang Shiyu went downstairs, and Murong Cheng followed behind her, hands in his pockets. Even in a place like the hospital, filled with human suffering, the man's回头率 remained undiminished.
Jiang Shiyu left the hospital and casually found a breakfast stall, a street vendor. She thought the pampered Murong Cheng would find it distasteful, but to her surprise, the man sat down as if nothing were amiss, even placing his hands on the table. The clothes the man wore, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per set, were completely out of place in this setting.
Jiang Shiyu ordered a soy milk and fried dough sticks. Knowing that the man didn't eat greasy food, she ordered him steamed buns. Although it was a small stall, it had a good flow of customers and tasted good. While Jiang Shiyu was still drinking her soy milk, she saw Murong Cheng pick up her fried dough stick, break off a piece, and put it into his mouth.
Jiang Shiyu nearly choked on her soy milk, watching Murong Cheng chew. Even the way this man ate fried dough sticks was as if he were dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Sitting in front of this man, she felt as if she were eating not at a street stall, but at a high-end restaurant.
"Is it delicious?" Jiang Shiyu asked after a moment's hesitation.