Stirring the Heartstrings

Jiang Xiao had a dream.

The dream encompassed her bizarre and speechless half-life, from her first cry to chasing her dreams in the entertainment industry, from her initial infatuation with Zhou Wenting to her tragic end under the wheels of haters.

It felt incredibly surreal, yet incredibly real.

Jiang Xiao was unwilling to be treated as “garbage” by the system, but even if she gritted her teeth, what could she do…

Wait, hold on, she seemed to have overlooked something.

Jiang Xiao slowly opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the Bridge of Helplessness or the gates of heaven, she saw an ordinary white ceiling.

The faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air, the night outside the window had not yet completely faded, and the evening breeze rustled the leaves, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Jiang Xiao raised her hand to block the glaring light. Under the warm yellow light, she saw a pair of clean, white hands, and the blue sleeve of a hospital gown caught her attention.

Is she in a hospital?

However, before she could figure it out, she heard a deliberately low voice talking next to her.

“Miss Jiang, are you awake?”

A doctor, who had been attentively watching her, showed a pleased expression as he saw her wake up and quickly walked towards her.

Another man, noticing this, offered to step out, “I’ll step outside for a moment.”

However, the voice that came from behind rooted him to the spot.

“Husband, where are you going?”

The woman’s voice was soft and gentle, ringing sweetly in the ward like feathers brushing against heartstrings, making ears tingle.

First “Uncle,” now “Husband,” these bizarre titles made Zhou Qishen feel absurd. He turned back, “What did you call me?”

Jiang Xiao met his probing and warning gaze head-on, her big, watery eyes blinking innocently. “Husband, why am I in the hospital? What happened?”

The bright fluorescent light illuminated her thin figure. Her snow-like face bore a faint trace of worry, seemingly scared and confused about why she was suddenly in a hospital.

Even her eyes, which were usually the easiest to see through, only held bewilderment and helplessness, with no hint of deceit or jest.

Zhou Qishen’s expression froze, his thoughts becoming chaotic.

The doctor beside them, mouth agape, looked back and forth between the two. He knew that taking the night shift today was the right choice. He had stumbled upon the secret of the hospital owner’s hidden marriage with a female star!

At this moment, Jiang Xiao seemed to realize something, her voice hoarse as she whimpered, “Husband, why are you looking at me with such a cold expression? Aren’t you going to answer my question? Do you not love me anymore?”

Her beautiful eyes instantly became moist, tears welling up and falling like a flower bud in a storm, making one feel the urge to protect her from the relentless rain.

Hearing this unfounded accusation, Zhou Qishen’s brows furrowed even deeper. He turned to the doctor, “Examine her.”

After saying that, he continued towards the door, but the woman’s sobbing sounded like a death knell to his remaining sanity, cutting deeper and deeper.

“Husband, where are you going?”

“Husband, please don’t leave. I’m scared, boo hoo hoo…”

Sensing something amiss, the doctor suggested, “Mr. Zhou, why don’t you sit and wait? It won’t take long.”

Zhou Qishen almost lost his usual calm. He paused, then finally turned back.

Seeing that he didn’t leave, Jiang Xiao gradually stopped crying and obediently cooperated with the doctor for basic checks like blood pressure.

After a while, the doctor reached the same conclusion as before, “Her basic vital signs are normal. There’s nothing serious.”

Zhou Qishen, leaning against the sofa, his dark eyes deep in thought, asked in a deep voice, “If her body is fine, then why did she mistake me for her husband?”

The doctor scratched his head in confusion, “Aren’t you two married?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

They answered simultaneously, but with opposite answers.

Jiang Xiao brushed her messy hair aside and glared at the man angrily, “Other than you, could I have another husband?”

With that, she quickly threw off the covers and rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to get out of bed and confront the man.

Seeing this, the doctor quickly stopped her, “Miss Jiang, calm down. Let’s talk this over. No need to get physical. There must be some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? Clearly, he’s grown wings or has someone else outside and doesn’t want me as his wife anymore.”

The doctor desperately tried to calm the agitated Jiang Xiao while glancing at the silent Zhou Qishen. The two of them looked perfectly matched. How could they not be a couple?

But Zhou Qishen kept denying it…

Even though the doctor had seen a lot, he had never encountered such a situation. Both of them were people he couldn’t afford to offend, and he was at a loss as to who was telling the truth.

Whether they were a couple or not, this would undoubtedly cause a media frenzy. He, a small employee, couldn’t handle the risk of making headlines.

Damn, why did he even think about gossiping? He must not have checked the calendar when choosing this shift, to be so unlucky to get involved in this mess.

Zhou Qishen’s temple throbbed. Suppressing his remaining patience, he said, “Give her a full body check-up, especially…”

Though he didn’t finish his sentence, it was clear that he meant to focus on her mental state.

After all, mistaking a stranger for a husband was unheard of. Either Jiang Xiao was crazy, or she was deliberately joking.

Whatever the reason, it was serious.

“I’ll arrange it right away.”

The doctor quickly left, eager to seek outside help.

The ward now only had the two of them.

Zhou Qishen broke the silence, “Stop pretending.”

But clearly, the woman was still stuck in the anger of “my husband doesn’t recognize me,” glaring at him furiously. Hearing his words, she ignored him, turning her head and shifting her body away, sitting with her back to him.

Seeing this, Zhou Qishen understood her unwillingness to communicate. But her silence didn’t mean he could remain silent. “Even lies should have limits. Why are you lying?”

Finally, he got a response, “You’re the one lying. You’re the one spouting nonsense. A husband who doesn’t recognize his wife is a scoundrel.”

“And also, you’re the one with a problem…” she added, mumbling angrily.

Zhou Qishen closed his eyes in frustration. Just as he was about to lose his temper, the image of her tearful face flashed in his mind. If he made her cry, he’d have to comfort her.

Hesitating for a moment, he suppressed his impatience and said, “I’m not your husband. Understand?”

Jiang Xiao snorted, “Don’t understand.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qishen rubbed his forehead, feeling a sudden lump in his throat.

He prided himself on being calm and collected, able to handle any situation without a change in expression. But as the saying goes, every tough guy has his match, and today he had met his match.

After a few seconds of deadlock, Zhou Qishen realized this wasn’t getting them anywhere. Helpless, he sighed and conceded, “What do you want?”

“Nothing.” Jiang Xiao’s voice was muffled, devoid of emotion.

“…”

A glint of something flashed in Zhou Qishen’s narrowed eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt the absurdity of being amused by anger and decided to say nothing more, waiting silently for the doctors to return.

Shortly after, neurologists and psychologists arrived at the ward.

After a series of examinations and discussions, they reached the same conclusion: Jiang Xiao’s body was perfectly fine.

In the hospital corridor, Zhou Qishen listened to the doctors’ report, narrowing his eyes, then firmly stated, “So, she’s pretending.”

“This…” The doctors looked at each other, puzzled. Finally, one neurologist hesitantly suggested, “We can’t rule out the possibility of traumatic memory loss following the accident.”

Traumatic memory loss refers to temporary amnesia and memory confusion caused by significant shock or stress. 

In other words, even if Jiang Xiao hadn’t been hit by the car, the accident might have caused her such a shock that her memory got scrambled. 

As for why she mistook Zhou Qishen for her husband, it might be due to a dependency on her savior. It’s hard to explain many phenomena with medical science alone.

“In any case, let’s contact Miss Jiang’s family first.”

With that, all the doctors turned their eyes to Zhou Qishen, who had brought the patient to the hospital and was now her de facto “guardian.”

Zhou Qishen rubbed his forehead, his expression complicated, saying nothing.

Seeing his silence, the initial doctor stepped forward, “I’ll talk to Miss Jiang.”

“I’ll do it.” Zhou Qishen stopped him in the end.

*

The clock on the white wall ticked away as Jiang Xiao played with her fingers, her pretty face hidden by her hair, deep in thought.

Hearing approaching footsteps, she instinctively looked up.

Seeing who it was, she first froze, then pouted pitifully, “Husband, what did the doctor say? Do I have a terminal illness?”

Zhou Qishen stopped a couple of steps away from the bed, taking in her panicked expression, raising his brows slightly, “Your body is fine.”

Every word this woman said was unexpected, but knowing the reason behind it was inexplicably heart-wrenching.

After a moment, he gave her the explanation he had prepared, “We’re going to the police station later to make a statement. Call your agent or family.”

It wasn’t really an excuse. She had insisted on reporting the incident, the culprit was caught, and they had to identify them.

Jiang Xiao pursed her lips. At midnight, a popular actress almost got killed in a car accident, first ending up in a hospital, and now heading to a police station. Her team needed to be informed.

“I’ll call now.” Jiang Xiao picked up her phone from the bedside table and messaged her agent on WeChat.

Her agent, Liang Cheng, was also her cousin and best friend. While Liang Cheng’s business skills were good, her father had hired her at a high salary to manage Jiang Xiao, ostensibly to take care of her but also to keep her out of trouble.

[Just Jiang Zi]: Sister Liang, I have to go to the police station later.

The message was barely sent when she received an immediate reply.

[Your Social Sister Liang]: ???

Jiang Xiao realized her message might have been misleading. Just as she was about to explain, her phone buzzed with a call.

She quickly answered, and Liang Cheng’s loud voice filled the room, “Which police station? I want to see this joke.”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Zhou Qishen glanced sideways.

Not getting a response, Liang Cheng’s voice grew louder, “I’m asking you, which police station?”

She hadn’t reported the incident, so how would she know which station?

Jiang Xiao lowered the phone volume and looked to Zhou Qishen for help.

“Jinjiang Police Station,” Zhou Qishen responded calmly.

Jiang Xiao repeated it.

Hearing the location, Liang Cheng sneered, “My dear Jiang, did you put Lin Qianyu in the hospital? I told you not to listen to Zhang Jingyao’s nonsense. Now look at what you’ve done.”

“I didn’t put anyone in the hospital. I almost got hit by a car. I’m still in the hospital.” Jiang Xiao retorted.

Liang Cheng was silent for two seconds, incredulous, “Lin Qianyu did that?”

“…”

After a lengthy one-sided explanation from Jiang Xiao, Liang Cheng finally understood and told Jiang Xiao to stay put and not cause any trouble. She would be there soon, then hung up quickly.

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Causing trouble in the hospital? Did she look that crazy?

Putting her phone away, Jiang Xiao awkwardly smiled, “Sorry, my agent isn’t very bright.”

Zhou Qishen showed no particular reaction, just slightly raised a brow, “No problem, I understand.”

Understand what? That her agent wasn’t bright? Or something else?

After this interlude, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Zhou Qishen sat back on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest, clearly not wanting to be disturbed.

Seeing his furrowed brows, Jiang Xiao wisely decided not to provoke him.

“Xiaoxiao! Xiaoxiao!”

Liang Cheng arrived quickly, bursting into the ward with a doctor in tow. She rushed to Jiang Xiao, examining her up and down several times, her mouth opening and closing, unable to utter a single word.

Seeing Liang Cheng’s hesitation, it was clear she had learned about Jiang Xiao’s amnesia.

A few seconds later, Liang Cheng bowed to Zhou Qishen, her tone respectful and filled with gratitude, “Mr. Zhou, thank you for your help. Could you please give us some privacy for a moment?”

Zhou Qishen opened his eyes and nodded.

After he left, Liang Cheng suspiciously followed. She first locked the door with a click, then peeked through the window to ensure no one was eavesdropping before returning to the bedside.

Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”

Liang Cheng didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she tossed her bag and a set of clean clothes onto a chair, crossed her arms, and stared at Jiang Xiao intently. She finally spoke in a serious tone, “I should be asking you that. What are you up to?”

“What do you mean?”

“Still pretending?”

Liang Cheng narrowed her eyes slightly, having already seen through everything.