Hearing Jiang Zhirou's question, Chi Yu thought it was a bit strange, but he didn't think much about it. He smiled indulgently and ruffled her hair. "Of course no one will compete with you. Could Little Orange possibly compete with Mom for food?"
Chi Yu said this half - jokingly.
Little Orange, who was having dinner, heard this and lifted its furry little head, meowing twice in their direction, as if protesting.
That's not what I meant...
Jiang Zhirou murmured silently in her heart.
She didn't know what method Si Moshen had used to let her regain control of this body again, but she could fully feel Chen Qingmian's feelings for Chi Yu.
It's said that love can overcome all difficulties. If Chen Qingmian woke up again, would she have to return to her former state?
The welfare home full of bullying and no friends, the dark factory full of cold tiles and darkness...
She didn't want to recall any of those, nor did she want to return to that numb state.
She liked her current life. Even if she hadn't found out what had happened back then, she still wanted to fully embrace this kind of life.
But her rationality clearly told her that she couldn't.
Everything around her didn't belong to her.
The Lu family was kind to her because of Chen Qingmian.
Chen Yu'an tried every means to prevent the An family from dealing with her because of Chen Qingmian.
And Chi Yu loved her because he thought she was Chen Qingmian.
Thinking of these, the warmth in Jiang Zhirou's heart gradually faded away, replaced by the previous coldness.
Although Si Moshen's words were unpleasant, he was right.
She wasn't Chen Qingmian. She couldn't get too involved in this role.
"Baby?"
Seeing that the woman in front of him stared at him without saying a word, Chi Yu called out tentatively.
Jiang Zhirou met Chi Yu's gaze. "Chi Yu, can I ask you a question?"
"What question?" Chi Yu chuckled, trying to relax the atmosphere. "You look so serious."
"Do you love me?"
Jiang Zhirou asked word by word.
"Of course I love you."
Chi Yu didn't hesitate at all. The moment Jiang Zhirou uttered her last word, Chi Yu responded.
The answer came too easily, but somewhere in Jiang Zhirou's heart was sinking rapidly, into the endless darkness.
The ray of sunlight that had originally shone in was getting farther and farther away from her. It became smaller and smaller until it turned into a tiny dot and finally disappeared.
Jiang Zhirou took a deep breath and looked seriously at the man in front of her.
"Chi Yu."
She called him.
"If..."
"I mean if." She added.
Chi Yu didn't interrupt her either. He quietly waited for what she would say next.
After a long while, as if making a huge decision, Jiang Zhirou spoke again.
"If one day I become Jiang Zhirou, would you still love me?"
Jiang Zhirou's hands on her lap tightened into fists because of nervousness.
She clearly saw the momentary surprise flash across Chi Yu's eyes when she asked this question.
Chi Yu didn't answer immediately.
During these few seconds of waiting, Jiang Zhirou felt as if several centuries had passed.
I don't know how long it took, but Chi Yu's voice slowly rang in her ear.
"Qingmian, I don't like this kind of joke."
This time, he didn't call her baby.
Instead, he called Chen Qingmian's name, as if trying to confirm something.
Chi Yu's answer was expected by Jiang Zhirou, but there was still a huge gap between hearing it with her own ears and imagining it.
Hearing this, the glimmer of hope in Jiang Zhirou's eyes gradually faded.
She didn't know if it was because she was unwilling to give up or if she wanted to prove something.
"But Jiang Zhirou is actually—"
"Qingmian."
Before Jiang Zhirou could finish her sentence, Chi Yu interrupted her.
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it carried a strong sense of oppression.
This was the first time Chi Yu had interrupted her.
The last glimmer of hope in Jiang Zhirou's heart shattered with this call of "Qingmian", making a harsh and silent sound.
Jiang Zhirou looked at Chi Yu again. There was no longer the previous expectation in the depths of her eyes. She smiled at the man and said, "It's just a joke. Look at how scared you are."
After saying that, Jiang Zhirou lowered her head and stuffed two mouthfuls of porridge into her mouth.
Seeing this, Chi Yu was stunned for a moment. Seeing that she was just like usual, the tension in his heart also dissipated. "Don't make this kind of joke."
"Don't worry. Ji Bai has already found a treatment method. When your physical condition gets better, we'll go for treatment." Chi Yu thought that her sudden mention of these things today was because she was afraid that she would disappear.
Hearing this, a strange look flashed across Jiang Zhirou's eyes as she lowered her head. With something in her mouth, she let out a soft "um" from her nose.
It turned out that Chi Yu had never given up on getting Chen Qingmian treated.
Her time was running out.
Thinking of these, Jiang Zhirou looked up at Chi Yu. Her eyes were calm, and there was still a smile on her face. "I'm full and sleepy." As she said this, she yawned. "I want to sleep."
Seeing this, Chi Yu smiled and ruffled her hair, jerking his chin in the direction of the bedroom.
"Go to sleep. I still have some work to deal with."
Jiang Zhirou nodded repeatedly and turned to walk towards the bedroom.
Chi Yu watched her back until she closed the bedroom door, then he withdrew his gaze, and the smile on his face slowly faded.
He put the things on the table into the kitchen, closed the glass door of the kitchen, and then dialed Ji Bai's phone number.
Chi Yu told Ji Bai one by one about the changes in "Qingmian" during this period and the things she had said tonight.
"Is it possible that the current Qingmian is no longer Qingmian but Jiang Zhirou?"
"Impossible!"
As soon as Chi Yu finished speaking, Ji Bai on the other end of the phone interrupted him sharply.
"I told you before that the memories between personalities are completely unconnected. If she still remembers the things between you two before, it means she is Qingmian. It's impossible for her to be Jiang Zhirou."
"I think you're just too involved and worried."
"The reason she asked you such a question tonight is completely because of the previous coma. She's scared."
"Now she's in an unstable mood. The more this is the case, the more you have to stay calm. Otherwise, if one day Qingmian really disappears without a trace, won't you go crazy?"
Ji Bai said one sentence after another.
But Chi Yu still felt a faint sense of unease.
Just now, "Qingmian"'s state didn't seem like fear. It was more like...
Chi Yu frowned, desperately trying to find a suitable adjective to describe her emotions just now, but he couldn't find one.
Seeing that Chi Yu didn't say a word, Ji Bai on the other end of the phone knew that he was really worried.
He sighed and said into the phone.
"If you're really worried, bring Qingmian to the hospital tomorrow for a check - up."
Hearing this, Chi Yu hesitated for a while.
"Forget it. I must be overthinking."
Since Qingmian was in a sensitive state now, she should go to the hospital less and think about these things less.