6: What’s the Relationship Between You and Me? 

“Do you know what this is?”

In a clean and bright hospital room, the doctor held a bottle of mineral water in his hand and asked the young man sitting on the bed with his head wrapped in gauze.

Ling Yunfan looked at the doctor in confusion, remained silent for a moment, and slowly replied, “Water.”

The doctor continued to ask, “What is it used for?”

Ling Yunfan still looked dull and pursed his lips before answering, “You can drink it when you’re thirsty.”

The doctor pointed to the bottle of mineral water, “Read this line of words.”

Ling Yunfan took the water bottle, looked down, and read as he spoke, “Ingredients, natural water, shelf life, two years…”

“That’s enough,” the doctor interrupted him and said, “Open it.”

Ling Yunfan held the bottle cap and twisted it to the right. It took him some time as his hand was hurting, but he clearly knew how to open the bottle of mineral water.

The doctor thought for a moment and looked at the man standing silently by the bedside, “Mr. Ji, I will go and take a look at the patient’s brain CT scan and inform you about the patient’s condition later.”

“Okay,” Ji Canghai nodded, “Thank you.”

The doctor turned and left the ward, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

The ward fell into a silence where one could hear a pin drop. Ji Canghai looked at Ling Yunfan, who lowered his head, his hands tightly clasped due to unease. Suddenly, Ling Yunfan raised his head and glanced at Ji Canghai, then immediately lowered his eyes again.

He was like a small beast trapped in a hunter’s snare, injured and powerless to resist.

Breaking the suffocating silence in the room, Ji Canghai pulled out a folding chair and sat next to Ling Yunfan, asking, “Are you still in pain?”

“Huh?” Ling Yunfan hesitated, “Oh…no, it doesn’t hurt, I’m fine…”

Ji Canghai asked again, “Are you hungry?”

Ling Yunfan rubbed his shrunken belly, dryly swallowed, and although he felt famished, he didn’t dare to say more than, “I’m…fine.”

Ji Canghai saw everything Ling Yunfan did and said, and left the hospital room. He came back soon with an apple and a peeler in his hand.

“Apple, do you want to eat it?” Ji Canghai held up the bright red apple in front of Ling Yunfan.

“I’m fine, I don’t…” Before he could finish speaking, Ling Yunfan’s words were interrupted by an honest growl from his stomach.

Ling Yunfan’s cheeks immediately turned red as if blood could drip out.

“Do you want to eat the apple? If you don’t like it, I’ll go see if there’s anything else,” Ji Canghai patiently repeated.

Ling Yunfan hurriedly said, “Yes, I want to eat it.”

Ji Canghai nodded, sat down on the chair, pulled out the garbage can from under the bed, and held the apple and peeler with his slender, fair fingers. In the blink of an eye, the apple skin was peeled off cleanly.

“Here,” Ji Canghai handed the apple to Ling Yunfan.

Ling Yunfan took the apple and took a big bite, saying vaguely, “Thank you.”

Ji Canghai took out a tissue from the tissue box on the bedside table, his movements slow and powerful, carefully wiping every part of his nails.

Ling Yunfan stared at his slender and beautiful hand while biting the apple, unconsciously fascinated.

Ji Canghai suddenly asked, “Do you really not remember who I am?”

Ling Yunfan was inexplicably choked, and he didn’t chew the apple completely. He swallowed it with a gulp and nervously wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, muttering, “No, I don’t remember…”

Ji Canghai frowned slightly and said, “My name is Ji Canghai, do you remember?”

Ling Yunfan shook his head quickly.

“Then do you remember who you are? Where is your home?” Ji Canghai asked again.

Ling Yunfan continued to shake his head.

Ji Canghai asked, “You don’t remember anything from the past?”

“Yeah…” Ling Yunfan said, “I don’t remember anything.”

Ji Canghai fell silent, with his index finger extended against his cheek and his middle finger curved to his lips, apparently deep in thought.

Ling Yunfan chewed the apple up and down and occasionally stole a glance at Ji Canghai.

Just as Ling Yunfan took his sixth glance at Ji Canghai, Ji Canghai looked up and their eyes met.

Ling Yunfan was startled and hurriedly wanted to retract his gaze, but he heard Ji Canghai say calmly, “Don’t you want to ask me what the relationship between us is?”

“What relationship?” Ling Yunfan asked honestly.

Ji Canghai was about to answer when a knock on the door interrupted him.

The nurse cautiously pushed open the door slightly and said, “Mr. Ji, the director asked me to invite you over.”

“Okay, got it.” Ji Canghai stood up and said to Ling Yunfan, “Wait here, we’ll talk later,” before leaving the ward.

In the office of the chief physician, the doctor held up the brain CT scan and said to Ji Canghai sitting in front of him, “No organic or degenerative brain damage was found in the patient’s brain.”

“So why did he suddenly lose his memory?” Ji Canghai asked in confusion.

The doctor speculated, “It may be related to neurological and psychological abnormalities. Memory loss is a complex disease, and there are currently no clear treatment options.”

“What are the chances of him recovering his memory?” Ji Canghai asked.

“I cannot give you a definite answer to that. Based on the test just now, we can see that the patient can live a normal life. Mr. Ji, if you want to cure him, you can try a neurological system examination or a psychological examination,” the doctor replied.

“No,” Ji Canghai leaned back slightly, leaning on the chair, his hands clasped together, his left thumb unconsciously lightly pressing on the knuckles of his right hand. His tone was calm but coldly terrifying.

“I want to know if there is a way to prevent him from recovering his memory for the rest of his life.”

The doctor, “…’

He has heard about targeted therapy, but never heard of  any reverse therapy.

Ji Canghai smiled, “Just a little joke, doctor, don’t take it to heart. By the way, when can he be discharged from the hospital?”

Doctor, “Mr. Ji, are you in a hurry to discharge the patient?”

Ji Canghai, “Yes.”

Doctor, “Then let’s observe for another hour. If the patient doesn’t experience dizziness, headaches, or radiation-induced vomiting, he can be discharged to rest at home.”

“Thank you for your hard work.” Ji Canghai thanked the doctor and shook his hand before leaving. As he reached the door, he turned back to the doctor and said, “Please don’t tell anyone that I brought him here for treatment.”

The doctor had already guessed that Ji Canghai had accidentally hit someone, but as the son of the Zongheng Group, he naturally had to be mindful of his public image. The doctor nodded repeatedly, saying, “I understand, I understand.”

Ji Canghai thanked him again and walked back to the hospital room. 

Meanwhile, Ling Yunfan was stretching his neck and looking out the clean window by the hospital bed, trying to figure out which floor he was on and if he could escape by climbing out the window.

He was working hard to figure out how to leave the hospital quietly and perform a disappearing act for Ji Canghai. 

Yes, Ling Yunfan’s amnesia was faked.