Chapter 9

A trace of regret flickered in Xiao Zhou’s eyes. What a pity—he almost had an excuse.

In his mind, amnesia or not didn’t matter. He only knew one thing: he wanted Bai Jiaojiao, and he would never divorce her.

Still, since she wanted him to regain his memory, he’d try. He’d prove that whether or not he remembered, she was always going to be his wife.

Of course, he was also genuinely curious about their past. What had happened that made Bai Jiaojiao so afraid of him?

As for her avoiding his touch, Xiao Zhou could only promise to try and restrain himself. But what kind of wolf could bear not to eat the prey already at its lips?

Bai Jiaojiao had originally stayed completely still, not daring to move. But eventually, she fell back asleep without realizing it.

When she woke up, she smelled something delicious. Xiao Zhou had gotten up at some point and made breakfast—two bowls of simple egg noodles.

To Bai Jiaojiao, that was already pretty extravagant. After she washed up and changed, she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. Her eyes narrowed in satisfaction. Curious, she asked, “You lost your memory but still remember how to cook?”

She’d wondered that yesterday too. Though she was trained in traditional medicine, she’d never treated an amnesiac before.

Xiao Zhou replied, “I’ve remembered.”

Her chopsticks dropped onto the table in shock. Her voice trembled slightly, “Really?”

Xiao Zhou calmly continued, “Mm, I remembered that we didn’t love each other. We married because of our parents’ arrangement and fought constantly afterward. But when I filed for divorce, I suddenly realized I had fallen in love with you.”

Bai Jiaojiao: “…Nice story. Maybe skip the next one. Where did you read that?”

Xiao Zhou, unfazed at being exposed, pointed to several books on the table left behind by the original Bai Jiaojiao. “Over there. Haven’t you read them?”

She followed his gaze and saw a stack of titles like Love and Marriage in the New Era, The 101st Love of the Overbearing Warlord, Sweet Days of the Village Widow…

The original Bai Jiaojiao had read those, but they were the type she’d forget after reading. To her, it was like she never read them at all.

Seeing Xiao Zhou’s probing gaze, Bai Jiaojiao didn’t back down. “I forget things easily. No big deal. No wonder your story felt familiar.”

She looked calm on the outside, but inside she was panicking. This man was the most brilliant character in the whole novel—the one who rose to power in the military district through sheer ability. His interrogation skills were unmatched.

If he hadn’t turned dark and committed too many atrocities, he’d have far outshone the male lead born with a silver spoon.

Unable to hold back, she slammed her chopsticks on the table. “Why are you looking at me like that? Can’t I just have bad memory?”

“You’re right. I thought too highly of you.” Xiao Zhou withdrew his gaze. “I thought one read-through would be enough to memorize everything.”

Bai Jiaojiao: “…”

So smug!

Sure, the villain in the book was smart, but this was ridiculous. Did he have to act like an encyclopedia in front of her, a regular person?

Xiao Zhou added, “I was able to cook because I found a recipe book in the kitchen and followed it. Looks like you bought it before—hadn’t even opened it.”

Bai Jiaojiao covered her face. Now that he mentioned it, it did ring a bell.

“Yeah, I bought it thinking I’d learn to cook, then lost it and forgot all about it.”

Xiao Zhou said, “You didn’t know how to cook before. You don’t need to learn now either. When I’m not around, just eat at the neighbor’s like you used to.”

He didn’t want her to feel burdened or forced to do things she didn’t like just because she was with him.

“We’ll see.” Bai Jiaojiao brushed it off. After all, once they divorced, and if she couldn’t return to the modern world, knowing how to cook would be a survival skill.

Xiao Zhou’s smile faded. “We won’t get divorced.”

Bai Jiaojiao was shocked. “…Can you read minds?”

Xiao Zhou looked at her pretty face, every thought written clearly across it, and pressed his lips together.

His wife wasn’t very smart—but he was starting to really like that.

“Eat up. After we finish, we’re heading to my hometown.”

If Bai Jiaojiao hadn’t known that Xiao Zhou didn’t remember the way, she’d have sworn he’d regained all his memories. He blended in too naturally.

She recalled how, earlier that morning, he’d enthusiastically greeted the neighbors by name—just like always.

Xiao Zhou glanced over at the crowd, his eyes slightly dimming.

That night, after they left, a storm hit. Almost every household in the village had leaky roofs.

“Ahh! The roof’s leaking again. Quick, get a bucket!”

“Why did Xiao Zhou have to leave today? If he were here, he could’ve helped fix it tonight…”

…

Bai Jiaojiao had no idea any of that was happening.

Xiao Zhou’s hometown, Xiao Family Village, wasn’t far. Just three mountains over.

Bai Jiaojiao barely made it to the foot of the first one before she gave up. Her body’s original owner had been a pampered rich girl. In the end, Xiao Zhou had to carry her most of the way. When they got close to the village entrance, she climbed down and walked the rest herself.

“Hey! Xiao Zhou’s back! And he brought a pretty wife home!”

As soon as they reached the village entrance, someone recognized him.

Bai Jiaojiao racked her brain trying to figure out how to address the woman, but Xiao Zhou spoke calmly: “Hello, Auntie.”

“…Hello, Auntie,” Bai Jiaojiao echoed. If they got the title wrong, it’d be his fault—not hers. Not greeting at all would just seem rude and reflect badly on him.

The woman smiled and walked over from the fields, wiping her hands.

“Why don’t you two come sit at Third Auntie’s place for a bit?”

So the title was right! Smart man!

Xiao Zhou politely declined, “I’ll take Jiaojiao to visit my parents first. We’ll come by later.”

“Alright then. Here—these are sweet potato chips I made a few days ago. Try some.” Third Auntie enthusiastically stuffed a bunch into Bai Jiaojiao’s pocket, filling it to the brim.

“Thank you, Auntie.” Bai Jiaojiao blinked her big eyes and smiled sweetly.

She’d had sweet potato chips in the modern world, but those were full of additives. These homemade ones had to taste better!

Third Auntie couldn’t help but laugh. Xiao Zhou’s wife was just too likable.

Bai Jiaojiao silently gave thanks. Thankfully, when the original owner came here, she’d pretended to be a sweet, well-mannered girl so the marriage would be approved. It wasn’t until after they married and moved away that she dropped the act.

Xiao Family Village wasn’t large, and most of the residents were relatives. Xiao Zhou didn’t call anyone wrong once, which piqued Bai Jiaojiao’s curiosity.

“You actually remember them? How did you know what to call them?”

Xiao Zhou replied, “I listened to how they addressed each other. Even if I got a few wrong, no elder would mind during the New Year.”

Bai Jiaojiao understood—but she still didn’t dare call people so casually.

Along the way, she received a lot of snacks and shared some candies, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Xiao Zhou even pulled out a milk candy and handed it to her. “Jiaojiao, did you buy this?”

Bai Jiaojiao picked it up and recognized it. “This kind? It’s the one men use to trick kids.”

She sniffed it carefully. “It has a sleeping agent in it—not harmful, but it weakens the body. Still, better to throw it away.”

Xiao Zhou’s eyes flashed slightly but stayed calm. “I saw it in my coat pocket. Give it to me—I’ll throw it away later. You eat a different one. We also bought regular milk candies. They’re good.”

“White Rabbit milk candies are delicious,” Bai Jiaojiao said, handing the suspicious candy back and popping a good one into her mouth.

Xiao Zhou’s family lived at the foot of the mountain. From a distance, they could see a middle-aged man who looked a lot like Xiao Zhou. He had a large scar across his forehead, like he’d been slashed with a machete, but he didn’t look scary. When he saw them, he waved.

“That’s your dad,” Bai Jiaojiao reminded him. This wasn’t something to get wrong.

Xiao Zhou gave a small nod and walked over, calm as ever. “Dad.”