Stimulated to the Point of Amnesia

Stray strands of hair clung to her cheek, and with the blood at the corner of her mouth, her pale face looked almost divine—so breathtakingly beautiful that it was hard to look away.

Song Weishi's emotions shifted from anger to contemplation as she studied that stunning face. Maybe Xie Yi had been running such a high fever that her mind had gone foggy, which was why she'd done something like that. It was so unlike her usual self.

Xie Yi had completely passed out, and the accusations Song Weishi had been about to hurl got stuck in her throat, neither rising nor falling. Watching her collapse like that, there was nothing to do but let it go. After all, how could you argue with a sick person?

She'd just treat it like being bitten by a dog.

Song Weishi sat back in her seat, buckled her seatbelt, and pulled Xie Yi over to steady her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She grabbed Xie Yi's face and bit her, only then feeling a bit better.

The car kept jolting, but the sound of gunfire gradually faded. With a sharp swerve, the vehicle behind them disappeared.

Xie Huiying floored the gas pedal, skimming along the mountain road.

She drove with reckless daring—several times, Song Weishi thought they were about to plunge off the cliff.

Luckily, nothing happened. After a heart-stopping descent down the slope, the view ahead opened up.

In the distance stood some houses. If all went well, they'd arrived. Only when she heard Xie Huiying speak did her suspended heart finally settle.

They'd indeed reached their destination—the sisters' hometown, a small fishing village in Linghai District.

Beyond the mountain lay the sea. Huihai City was enormous, with countless such villages scattered around, far from the city center and thus not enclosed within its borders.

When outsiders chose a place to settle outside the city, they usually picked villages like this. The population density was low, and most of the houses sat empty.

But since the extreme heat and bitter cold had arrived, the population here had gradually grown again.

During the day, because of the scorching weather, hardly anyone ventured outside, which provided cover for their entry into the village.

The Xie family's old house sat halfway up the mountain. Most homes here were spaced far apart; only relatives lived close together, so there was no issue of neighbors dropping by.

They'd barely seen a soul on the way over.

Xie Huiying had brought her younger sister along when she'd first gone out to make her fortune, so Xie Huiqing had only returned to the old house a few times. The address hadn't been recorded anywhere, making it a relatively safe haven.

Despite being called an old house, it wasn't shabby at all. Xie Huiqing had renovated the place a few years back, and a three-story villa now stood among the hills. The surrounding area was well-maintained, with tall trees shielding the building, yet it didn't look overgrown or wild.

Someone must have been keeping it up. The car pulled into a paved parking spot, and if not for the current circumstances, Song Weishi might have thought she'd come on vacation.

Everyone got out, hauling supplies and carrying the injured.

The moment Xie Huiying opened the door, she noticed Xie Yi's condition.

"What happened?"

She was at a loss. Xie Huiqing's injury was still unresolved, and now Xie Yi had run into trouble. Of the three of them, only she was still capable of acting. Without these companions, she wouldn't have been able to handle any of this alone.

Xie Huiying took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, and forced herself to calm down. Everything now rested on her shoulders; she absolutely couldn't let everyone down at a critical moment.

"She had a fever, same as me earlier. The fever's broken now, so let's just keep an eye on her."

Song Weishi didn't say anything too definitive. She knew Xie Yi was the female lead and wouldn't come to harm, but she couldn't explain that to Xie Huiying. All she could do was offer reassurance and try to ease her mind.

Jiang Qingrou and Ke Shaoyi carried Xie Huiqing, bed and all, inside. The villa's rooms were stiflingly hot. The power was out, and living conditions were decidedly basic.

But water was piped in from outside, and there was a well in the yard, so that wasn't a concern.

The large stretch of mountain behind the house also belonged to the Xie family, with fruit trees and vegetables planted there. However, the past couple of years had seen them mostly neglected, untended. Song Weishi had no idea what condition they were in now, but she silently prayed there'd be plenty to eat.

After getting out of the car, everyone split into roles. Sister Chen took charge of looking after Xie Huiqing, while the others busied themselves cleaning the house and moving supplies.

A few of them expressed concern about Xie Yi's state, but they all remembered what Song Weishi had been through before, so they knew there was nothing they could do to help. They simply focused on their own tasks.

Song Weishi stayed by Xie Yi's side, keeping vigilant in case anything went wrong.

She'd been up for a full day without sleep, so she could only tough it out until someone finished their work and came to relieve her for a while.

Xie Yi lay quietly in bed, her face still pale. Song Weishi had no idea what had triggered her or why she'd suddenly ended up like this.

The answers would have to wait until Xie Yi woke up. For now, all she could do was watch and wait.

She pulled some food from her space and ate while keeping an eye on Xie Yi.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the rise and fall of Xie Yi's breathing until evening, when the others had basically finished their tasks and came in to check on her.

Outside, the sky was darkening. A hint of coolness seeped through the villa. If temperatures were what they used to be, it'd be time for a light jacket by now.

This really was a summer retreat. According to Xie Huiying, it was warm in winter and cool in summer—very comfortable. If she hadn't been out making a living, she'd have retired here long ago.

The only drawback of this village was that apart from what they grew themselves, there was hardly any food to be found. Life was still quite inconvenient.

The others brought Song Weishi a meal. Even though it was cooler in the evening, no one wanted to light a brazier for illumination, since it would heat up the room in no time. They simply drew back the curtains and let the moonlight guide their way.

"How's Xiao Yi doing? Has she woken up?"

Xie Huiqing was still resting in bed. Her injuries were severe—no longer life-threatening, but she probably wouldn't be able to get up for several days.

So only Xie Huiying came over. Her expression was hidden in the darkness, but her worry was palpable.

Song Weishi replied, "Her fever's broken, but she hasn't woken up yet. It takes time, but she should be fine now."

She should have woken by now, though. She'd already slept for a whole day. When Song Weishi had fainted earlier, she'd only been out for a few hours, not like this.

Song Weishi felt a twinge of guilt, though she was relieved they'd come in at night, when the handprint on Xie Yi's face wasn't visible. She had no idea whether Xie Yi had passed out from the slap or from her own condition.

Guo Li stepped forward to look. "How about we try feeding her something? See if she can take it down?"

The others thought it was a good idea. They propped Xie Yi up a bit and tried to get her to eat, but her jaw was clenched tight. She couldn't take anything but water.

They gave up and laid her back down.

"Xiao Song, are you tired? Want me to take over?"

Aunt Huang looked at her with concern. The rest of them had only moved some things and tidied up rooms, doing no heavy lifting. The ones who'd worked the hardest were Song Weishi and Xie Huiying, but Xie Huiying had grabbed some rest during the day, while Song Weishi had pushed through until now—she must be exhausted.

Song Weishi waved a hand. "No need, I'm fine. I'll call you when it's time to switch. You all go rest."

As long as she kept moving, she felt okay. Seeing that she really seemed fine, the others finally relaxed and left.

Song Weishi leaned back on the sofa in the room, watching Xie Yi. Another two hours passed. Her breathing was steady, and Song Weishi poked her shoulder. "You awake?"

No answer. She gave her another nudge and was about to get up for more food when a faint voice drifted from the bed. "Where am I?"

Her throat was dry and raw, the words barely a whisper. If Song Weishi hadn't been so close, she might have missed it entirely.

She excitedly grabbed a flashlight from her space and clicked it on. "Finally awake! Xie Yi, get up!"

The woman in bed seemed bothered by the harsh light, squinting and raising a hand to shield her eyes. It took her a moment to adjust before she pushed herself up to sit.

She looked at Song Weishi with a bewildered expression. "What's wrong? Where am I? Weren't we still in the car?"

Song Weishi grabbed her collar, but the words died in her throat. How could Xie Yi not remember anything?

She recalled that when it had happened to her, she'd been aware of what went on around her, even if she couldn't participate.

Why was it so different for Xie Yi? Had the shock been too much, causing her brain to block out the memory?

Song Weishi swallowed the accusations. How was she supposed to say it? Ask why Xie Yi had kissed her out of nowhere?

She clutched Xie Yi's collar, but there was no anger on Xie Yi's face. Her emotions were calm, exactly as they'd always been.

Xie Yi gently grasped her wrist, looking confused. "What's wrong?"

Song Weishi: ...

She thought for a moment, then released Xie Yi's collar. "Nothing. You had a mutation episode in the car, same as I did earlier. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

Xie Yi shook her head, her gaze dropping to the wrist she still held—the one Song Weishi hadn't pulled away. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth that she couldn't quite suppress. She felt like Song Weishi was somehow different than before. Had something happened in the car that changed how Song Weishi saw her?

Then Song Weishi withdrew her hand. "Eat something. I'll go get the others."

As if afraid Xie Yi would say something silly about not wanting her to leave, Song Weishi shoved the food into her hands and fled the room.

The second and third floors were all bedrooms, and everyone's rooms weren't far apart. The moment Song Weishi came out, everyone knew.

With Xie Yi safe, the others finally relaxed and crowded into the room to see her.

Song Weishi let out a relieved sigh. Finally, it was over. The moment she relaxed, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

Using the room the others had prepared, she said her goodnights and went to rest.

She'd been up all day. After washing up, she collapsed onto the bed and was out cold.

Xie Yi felt perfectly fine, completely unaffected by what had happened earlier. Even the wound on her shoulder had almost fully healed.

She got up and went to Xie Huiqing's room to check on her. Her aunt was still awake and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her.

Xie Yi's relationship with her aunt-by-name was more like that of peers. She sat down, first asking about Xie Huiqing's injuries, then casually brought up, "I can't quite remember what happened in the car. How did we get here?"

Xie Huiqing, thinking she meant the journey, recounted everything. "Oh, it's fine. We shook off the people chasing us. That fever you had scared the two of us half to death, but don't worry—Xiao Song was holding you the whole time. When it really counts, she's the one who comes through..."