Chapter Two: Car Accident and Amnesia

Rainy day...

Standing beneath the office building where his advertising agency was located, Jiang Yang watched the crowd pouring into the lobby like sardines, and only then did he feel a sense of reality in his life.

When it rains, beasts of burden hurry to find shelter, but in society, the human beasts of burden hurry to get to work—that is what real life is.

He was a man who valued reality, yet his experiences over the past period had felt nothing short of surreal.

Twenty days ago, at midnight, Jiang Yang had been in a traffic accident near his home while riding his electric scooter. He and the bike had been flung into a tree by the side of the road, leaving him unconscious on the spot. Fortunately, some kind-hearted passersby had called an ambulance, saving him in time.

When he woke up in the middle of the night, a woman of impossible beauty was keeping watch by his bedside. She was the kind of woman who would stand out even in a crowd of beauties: she had long, wavy hair, delicate features, eyes as bright as gemstones, and a figure as perfect as a Victoria’s Secret model. She had clearly been crying; her makeup was smudged, and she hadn’t bothered to touch it up.

She told him her name was Wang Ruolan, and that she was his wife.

He had stared at her in total confusion. He couldn't remember the accident, nor did he recognize the woman claiming to be his wife.

The doctors immediately performed another examination. After confirming there was no brain damage, they determined through various tests that he was suffering from amnesia. Strangely, he didn’t have total amnesia. He knew who he was, what he did for a living, remembered his mother, and recalled stories from his childhood. Yet, he could not remember anything related to romantic love—and consequently, he did not remember his wife, Wang Ruolan.

Such a condition was extremely rare. Generally, amnesia involves the loss of either long-term or short-term memory. While selective amnesia regarding traumatic memories is possible, the doctors had never seen a case where someone specifically forgot everything related to women.

After learning the situation, Wang Ruolan had decisively told the doctors, "Your hospital's facilities are inadequate. I want to transfer my husband to another hospital."

The attending physician at this major public hospital in S City felt somewhat offended. "Miss Wang, look, although Mr. Jiang has amnesia, the issue doesn't seem critical. Perhaps we could observe him here for a day or two? Our department can study the case and come up with a treatment plan. What do you think?"

Wang Ruolan replied with extreme assertiveness, "No! My husband has a concussion. If the treatment is delayed and something happens to him, I’ll be left a widow. Can you take responsibility for that?"

This remark left the doctor speechless. He certainly couldn't take that responsibility, even if every man secretly wished to be the husband of such a beauty.

Jiang Yang, feeling completely bewildered at the time, felt there was no need for such a fuss. "Um... wife..." He felt a bit awkward using the term. "Ruolan, I really don't think there's anything wrong with me. Look, I can run and jump..." He hopped off the bed to prove his point.

Wang Ruolan glared at him, but her expression softened immediately. She sat beside him, took his hand, and said, "Honey, just listen to me. You have to trust your wife’s arrangements."

Looking at this somewhat unfamiliar wife, Jiang Yang instinctively felt he couldn't trust her completely. As if sensing his hesitation, Wang Ruolan pulled a household registration booklet from her bag and held it in front of him. "We only got married a few days ago, and you've already forgotten me?"

Jiang Yang stared at their names on the same page and chose to believe her. After all, he was just an ordinary white-collar worker. If a stunning, well-dressed woman appeared with a household registration book claiming to be his wife, ninety-nine percent of people would believe it, even without amnesia.

Since Wang Ruolan was his wife, following her lead couldn't be wrong. He agreed to the transfer. Wang Ruolan immediately processed his discharge with an urgency that made it seem as if Jiang Yang were on the brink of death.

By noon that day, she had brought him to a private hospital in K City. On the way, she told him they had met at a bar, fallen in love quickly, and that Jiang Yang had proposed, which she had happily accepted. When it came to details, however, she was vague. Jiang Yang, still groggy from waking up, didn't know where to begin asking.

Upon arrival, Jiang Yang realized this wasn't a hospital for ordinary people. The luxury of the room made him feel like he was staying in a five-star hotel. The doctors there didn't perform any special tests or prescribe any particular medicine—just vitamins and instructions to rest.

He settled in. Wanting to reassure his mother, he asked Wang Ruolan for his phone. She claimed it had been lost in the accident and suggested he use hers to call his mom. She added thoughtfully, "Don't tell Mom about the accident; don't let her worry."

Jiang Yang felt his wife was truly considerate to think of such details. He called his mother, claiming his phone had simply run out of battery. His mother hadn't tried to reach him, so they exchanged a few simple words and hung up.

For the next two days, Wang Ruolan stayed by his side, claiming the doctors said her presence would help him regain his memory. During those two days, their relationship warmed up rapidly. The only strange thing was that she wouldn't let him use his own phone—every time he wanted to make a call or check something, he had to use hers. She insisted he was in a recovery period and needed to minimize screen time.

After two days, the doctors declared him fit for discharge but advised against working for a while. Wang Ruolan suggested they go abroad for a honeymoon to clear his head, promising to handle all the arrangements. Jiang Yang felt a flicker of doubt—why go abroad to rest instead of going home?—but he was worn down by her persistence and eventually agreed.

She took him to a Pacific island nation. Once there, Jiang Yang noticed that Wang Ruolan had little interest in tourism; it seemed he was the only "tourist attraction" she was interested in every night. Only yesterday did she finally agree to let him return home to work.

Reflecting on the past few days, Jiang Yang felt as if a lifetime had passed, yet his doubts only grew. Since his amnesia wouldn't resolve overnight, he would have to find the answers slowly. Although his wife was truly kind to him, he longed to recover his memories and live a more authentic life.

Suddenly, someone patted him on the shoulder. "Jiang Yang! You've been gone for so many days—you must have forgotten us colleagues, right?"

Jiang Yang turned around to see a stout man with a face so round his eyes nearly vanished when he smiled. It was his colleague, Chen Hao.

Jiang Yang laughed. "I just went abroad for a trip. Didn't I apply for leave?"

"Oh, I know. But you didn't go alone, did you?" Chen Hao gave him a knowing look. "Come on, be honest. Which woman did you go with?"

"Who else? My wife, Wang Ruolan, of course," Jiang Yang answered casually.

To his surprise, Chen Hao’s expression froze. "Who is Wang Ruolan? Why have I never heard you mention her?"