Chapter 8: How can there be no memory?

With the system’s prompt, Yi Lan quickly realized that her current body belonged to someone else.
No wonder it was so weak!

The system finally displayed the life value on the blue panel and congratulated her.
Yi Lan had done a great job in successfully making the mission target stay, and her life value had been extended by another year.
It encouraged her to keep up the good work.

Yi Lan didn’t care about the so-called life value.
Her primary task now was to make this frail body stronger, much stronger, and then, kill Jiang Wenting with her own hands to avenge the fallen soldiers!

Though her resolve was firm, her body lacked the strength to support the hatred in her heart.
At this moment, she couldn’t even sit up properly for a short while.

Jiang Wenting felt the body leaning on her shoulder gradually go limp and quickly reached out to hold her.
The tip of Yi Lan’s nose brushed against the side of her neck.
A faint osmanthus fragrance entered her nostrils, different from the woman’s original scent.
It was a bit unfamiliar, yet it inexplicably made her feel at ease.
She greedily, almost longingly, took a few breaths.

Jiang Wenting cupped her back with her hand and soothed her in a soft voice,
“Yi Lan, if you have no strength, just relax and rest for a while. I’ll catch you, I won’t let you slip.”

Yi Lan was captivated by this voice and gradually let go of her tension and persistence.
Her body went limp.
The arm behind her gradually tightened, stopping her from sliding down.
She was pressed between two soft places, and she didn’t fall.
The woman lowered her head and smiled at her.
The mole at the corner of her eye had less allure, but it seemed exceptionally gentle.

Yi Lan looked at it and unconsciously raised her arm, wanting to verify its authenticity.

Seeing her interest in the mole at the corner of her eye, Jiang Wenting hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and offered her face to the other.
“This mole is my own. If you don’t believe me, you can touch it.”

Yi Lan’s fingertips touched that piece of skin.
It was warm and full.
It was indeed that mole, but why did it feel different?
She deepened her touch, her fingertips lingering there for a few more seconds until her wrist lost strength.

Jiang Wenting lifted her face and watched her with the same gentle gaze.
“It’s my own mole, not drawn on, right?”

She knew the other’s mental state wasn’t good, so her voice was always exceptionally gentle when she spoke, as if coaxing a child.

Yi Lan couldn’t find a single trace of a familiar scent on her.

Grumble, grumble~
Her stomach once again cried out in hunger due to the lack of food.

Jiang Wenting deliberately made a surprised expression.
“Hmm? What was that sound?”

Yi Lan: …
She had a feeling she was being treated like a senile child.

She angrily averted her gaze, not wanting to deal with her anymore.

Jiang Wenting found her expression a little cute, but considering her physical condition, she didn’t tease her further.
She admitted her mistake in a soft voice,
“Alright, alright, I won’t bully Yi Lan anymore. Is Yi Lan’s tummy hungry? Is there any food you want to eat? I’ll ask Xiao Ru to go down and bring some up, okay?”

Just as she finished speaking, Xiao Ru refused her.
“I’m not going!”

Jiang Wenting turned her head and saw the face under the baseball cap looking like a frost-bitten eggplant, staring at her expressionlessly.
“Aiya, Xiao Ru~” Jiang Wenting tried to act cute with her.
“Just take pity on me~”

The girl’s face was cold, and she had no desire to even bicker with her.

Seeing this, Director Qi quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“I’ll go, I’ll go. It just so happens that I know what Lanlan usually eats.”

Jiang Wenting didn’t stand on ceremony.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Director Qi.”

She thought she could use this opportunity to have a good talk with Xiao Ru, but as soon as the director left, Xiao Ru immediately started firing at her.
“Jiang Wenting,” she said, ignoring the mentally unstable Yi Lan in the ward, pointing at her face and starting to reason with Jiang Wenting.
“This thing isn’t a stray cat or dog running on the street. Do you think you can keep it alive by just giving it some food?”

“Xiao Ru,” Jiang Wenting interrupted her, her tone becoming serious.
“Don’t talk like that.”

Xiao Ru also realized her gaffe, and her imposing manner softened a bit.
“The doctor said she has problems both physically and mentally. You might be held responsible if something goes wrong.”

“So we just ignore her?” Jiang Wenting looked at her, her words carrying a calm and firm tone.
“You saw the director’s attitude. If we don’t care for her, how will she survive all alone?”

“But Jiang Wenting, is it easy for you?” Xiao Ru didn’t give her face this time.
“When that girl in the hallway was pointing her camera in your face, don’t you know how scared you were? That incident back then…”

“Xiao Ru!” Jiang Wenting raised her voice, cutting her off.

The two looked at each other.

Xiao Ru saw her slightly darkened face and didn’t say any more, just trying to dissuade her in a more helpless tone.
“Jiang Wenting, you are a public figure now. You have to consider the occasion and your identity in everything you do. There are many more scripts to take on in the future. you can’t take care of her, you know?”

What she said was not without reason, and Jiang Wenting had no reason to refute it.
Besides, she knew that Xiao Ru’s agitation and loss of control were also because she was worried about her.

“Xiao Ru,” she put away the seriousness in her eyes and patiently reasoned with her.
“Don’t I still have you? The two of us, no matter how difficult it is, are still better off than her, right?”

“But Jiang Wenting,” Xiao Ru looked at her and emphasized earnestly,
“taking care of her is not your responsibility. There are so many pitiful people in this world. Are you going to take them all in one by one?”

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Wenting’s lips, and her eyes and words became plain and powerless.
“Helping one is better than none. Since we’ve met, we can’t just ignore it.”

“You’re such a saint! If something happens later, don’t blame me for not reminding you!” Xiao Ru said sarcastically, which was her way of tacitly agreeing to her decision.

Their conversation fell word for word into Yi Lan’s ears.
Before this, she hadn’t paid any attention to this girl named Xiao Ru.
But at this moment, when she said those harsh words, not only did Jiang Wenting not refute them, she even joined her in treating herself as someone who needed pity and sympathy.

She, Yi Lan, went to war at fourteen, led troops at fifteen, and became a protector-general at seventeen, pacifying the south and north, invincible in battle.
Even if she was trapped in this body now, she would never live under someone else’s thumb.

So, she struggled to sit up a little from Jiang Wenting’s arms.

Seeing this, Jiang Wenting quickly tightened her grip to prevent her from slipping down.
Just then, she felt a gentle push on her shoulder.
“Jiang Wenting,” Yi Lan struggled against her restraint,
“let me go. This general does not need your pity and charity!”

Jiang Wenting refused to let go.
“Yi Lan, you’ve misunderstood. Xiao Ru and I are just teasing each other as usual, it’s not directed at you.”

Hearing this, Yi Lan raised her eyes to look at her.
Her cold and heroic phoenix eyes were tinged with resentment and grievance.
She called her name,
“Jiang Wenting, this general is not a fool. You are the one who did wrong. Why is it that in the end, it looks like I’m dragging you down?”

“You are dragging her down!” Xiao Ru couldn’t help but say.
“She was filming just fine. If it weren’t for you barging in midway…”

“Xiao Ru!” Her words were cut off by Jiang Wenting.
“It’s true, and you won’t let me say it!” Xiao Ru muttered under her breath and said no more.

Jiang Wenting lifted the person in her arms a little higher and looked at her eyes, which were on the verge of tears from grievance, patiently explaining to her.
“No, Yi Lan, you’re not dragging me down. We all get sick. When we’re sick, our bodies become fragile and need to be taken care of. I stayed because I don’t want Yi Lan to suffer so much alone. Then next time I get sick, Yi Lan can take care of me in return, okay?”

Before Yi Lan could speak, Xiao Ru became anxious first.
“Jiang Wenting, what nonsense are you talking about!”

Jiang Wenting glanced at her and gave her a gentle smile.

Xiao Ru rolled her eyes heavily and ignored her.

Only at this moment did Yi Lan truly realize that their relationship was beyond that of ordinary people.
They were the closest, and she, in Jiang Wenting’s eyes, was always just an outsider who could be used and betrayed.

Thinking this, she actually let out a low, sarcastic laugh.
The emotions of extreme despair could not be suppressed.
Her chest began to ache with a stabbing pain, and her throat was dry and itchy.

A short while later, she started to cough dryly.
Jiang Wenting quickly patted her back to soothe her, but her emotions were too agitated to be calmed down for a while.
Seeing the cough becoming more violent, Xiao Ru, who had been watching coldly from the side, also became a little nervous.

She took a disposable cup and got half a cup of warm water from the water dispenser.
Just as Jiang Wenting was about to take the paper cup, the person in her arms suddenly raised her hand and knocked it over.
The warm water splashed onto Jiang Wenting.

“What are you doing?!” Xiao Ru saw Jiang Wenting get wet and couldn’t hold back her emotions.

Jiang Wenting quickly tried to stop her.
“Xiao Ru, don’t be fierce with her, she’s not feeling well.”

The violent coughing continued, her breathing becoming rapid.
She pushed against the person in front of her with both hands, refusing her embrace and comfort.
Feeling that she couldn’t calm her down, Jiang Wenting quickly asked Xiao Ru to press the call bell.

The doctor rushed in at once and gave her a tranquilizer.
The surging emotions gradually receded, replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness.

Jiang Wenting placed her on the hospital bed and covered her with a blanket.
She lay there quietly, her gaze dull, with no will to live.

[Host, Host.]
Just as she was at the height of her despair, the voice in her mind appeared again.
[Host, do not be disappointed. The Jiang Wenting beside you now, she has no memories.]

No memories?
Yi Lan had actually sensed it for a while, but she was unwilling to believe it.
Her lifeless eyes moved slightly and looked at Jiang Wenting.

Jiang Wenting was so anxious that fine beads of sweat appeared on her temples.
She was constantly communicating with the doctor, asking about her condition, asking about precautions.
The worry in her eyes did not seem like she was caring for a stranger.

Yi Lan couldn’t help but think, how could she have no memories?
Those betrayals, those countless nights that haunted her dreams, those approaches like the scorching sun, again and again, the bits and pieces of their time together, she couldn’t possibly not remember, and she couldn’t allow it!
Seventy thousand soldiers were buried in a sea of blood.
This revenge, she could only seek it from her.
She would not allow her to have no memories.