Chapter 139: Anticipation

Relying on her high alcohol tolerance, Lin Wanbai used a sales tactic to conquer them through drinking.

Zuo Yushan found it amusing and went back and forth with her a few times. She spoke quite entertainingly, with an innate boldness beneath her exterior. Her looks and personality were indeed very endearing.

Just as Lin Wanbai raised her glass for the fifth time, Han Chen stopped her. "The dishes haven't even all been served yet. There's plenty of time to drink later. Besides, you invited me to dinner, not to a drinking contest. Why are you just chugging alcohol like this? I know you can hold your liquor, but in front of Brother Shan, your tolerance is nothing more than amateur hour."

Zuo Yushan laughed and said, "Don't underestimate her. Calling her an amateur is a bit of an exaggeration. If she really went toe-to-toe with someone, it's hard to say who would come out on top. Don't look at how flushed her face is, but take a look at her eyes—they're still as clear as crystal."

Lin Wanbai smiled. "Brother Shan probably doesn't know this, but these eyes of mine stay dead sharp even when I'm blind drunk. They're just a pair of bluffing eyes. Back when I was negotiating with a client, I actually ran into a legendary heavy drinker who practically drove me to my wits' end. I pulled out every trick in the book, and when I genuinely couldn't keep up anymore, I just sat there, looking at him with a smile. He must have had the exact same thought as you, Brother Shan—seeing my eyes shining so brightly, his heart skipped a beat, and he backed down first."

"I suppose I was just lucky. The deal went through, and my reputation was made just like that. Whenever that executive saw me after that, he'd always talk about how incredible I was as a drinker—whether it was red wine, white liquor, or beer, I could take it all and never get drunk. But what he didn't know was that the moment the banquet ended, I collapsed on the spot and had to be rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night for an IV drip. People who succeed don't just succeed out of nowhere; it takes the right time, the right place, and the right people."

Zuo Yushan remarked, "I wouldn't have guessed you had experiences like that. For a delicate girl like you, how could that executive bear to do that?"

Lin Wanbai just smiled without answering, choosing not to tell him that she had disguised herself as a man at the time.

Zuo Yushan was smiling, but Han Chen couldn't manage a smile at all. The gaze he cast at her was filled entirely with heartache. At least within the scope of what he knew, Lin Wanbai never had to do such things.

In the past, she had lived like an ethereal fairy, somewhat detached from the mundane world, carefree yet undeniably cute. But now she had changed. She was no longer that aloof little fairy; once a fairy touches the mortal dust, she descends to earth and becomes human.

She seemed to have become just like the rest of them.

Noticing his gaze, Lin Wanbai looked back and asked, "Why aren't you touching a single drop? Can't you drink?"

Zuo Yushan leaned back against his chair, draped one arm casually behind Han Chen, and said, "Him? He doesn't touch alcohol unless it's an absolute emergency, and his tolerance is very mediocre. When he gets drunk, he throws massive tantrums, though he's quite adorable."

The word "adorable" made Lin Wanbai shudder involuntarily. She shot Zuo Yushan a glance, but maintained her smile and teased, "Well, then I'd really love to witness his adorable side."

Han Chen gave a light cough, changing the subject. "It's strange, why is the food taking so long? I'll go check on it."

"No need to rush. We're the only table here, and they cook everything fresh to order, so it's bound to take some time. It's nice just sitting here and chatting."

Han Chen asked, "You mentioned earlier that you needed my help with something. What is it?"

Lin Wanbai thought for a moment, glanced at him, and then looked over at Zuo Yushan.

Clearly, these two were a package deal now. Even if only Han Chen were present, Zuo Yushan would still find out about this matter, so there was no need for secrecy.

She said, "I want you to help me find a veteran hypnotherapist—someone truly experienced and genuinely skilled."

"You want to recover your memories?" Han Chen instantly guessed her intention.

"Yes," she smiled, and countered, "Shouldn't I?"

"But Lin Zhouye..."

"That's his idea. But I am an independent person; my memories belong to me, and whether I recover them or not is not up for him to decide. You can refuse to help me, and I'll figure out another way. Either way, I am definitely getting these memories back."

Faced with this, Han Chen didn't know what to say. "Actually, things being the way they are now isn't necessarily a bad thing. You've returned to the Lin family, and the Lin Group is back in Lin Zhouye's hands. You don't need to get overly involved in what comes next. So honestly, whether you remember or not isn't really that important, is it?"

"You think it's not important because that's *your* perspective. Don't impose the problems you perceive onto me. If I think it's important, then it is important." Lin Wanbai smiled and shook her head. "Every single one of you thinks I don't need to remember the past, believing it's for my own good. To be honest, Fu Quxing probably thinks the exact same way as you all. Does that mean everything he did was actually for my own good? Could it be that he's no different from you guys, or perhaps even treated me better? Is that how I should understand it?"

"Of course he wasn't..."

Before Han Chen could finish, Zuo Yushan interrupted, "Since she wants to recover her memories, just find her a hypnotherapist. To be honest, I also think someone without their memories isn't living a normal life. I actually know a pretty good hypnotherapist, but the question is whether you trust me, little sister..."

"Brother Shan, will you please stop stirring the pot?" Han Chen frowned slightly and glanced at him sideways.

Zuo Yushan made a zipping motion over his lips, shrugged at Lin Wanbai, and signaled that his hands were tied.

After sitting for a while, he made an excuse to go outside and smoke a cigarette to give the two of them some privacy.

Han Chen's attitude was softer than Lin Zhouye's, making him relatively easier to persuade. Lin Wanbai lowered her gaze to the wine in her glass, her fingers tracing the rim as she gave it a gentle swirl. "I know you guys are doing this for my good. In fact, the more you try to keep me from remembering, the more I want to know what actually happened in the past. Besides, over these past few days, I haven't been completely blank either—I've remembered fragments, and as it turns out, none of them were good things."

"I don't know if you can understand how it feels to have no idea of the causes and consequences, yet suddenly know that something terrible happened. Because I've lost my memory, the things I do recall always feel as though they happened just yesterday. So unless you plan to regularly hire someone to completely wipe my mind clean again, these lost memories will inevitably surface at some node, triggered by something, and come rushing back all at once. That would be far more painful for me."

She took a deep breath and said, "If you really care about me, then help me."

Han Chen pressed his lips together. "Why not talk to Lin Zhouye directly? He's your family."

"Do you think I can convince him? I had my mom talk to him, and she was shut down immediately. Do you really think he'd change his mind if I brought it up myself?"

"How do you know unless you try?"

Lin Wanbai clicked her tongue. "Do you really need me to spell out the real reason? Fine, then! I just think you're easier to persuade, which is why I came to you, alright? Besides, didn't you say I used to do you a favor? Aren't you supposed to pay me back?"

Seeing her domineering look, Han Chen let out a faint smile, recalling the first time they met when she had also pointed at him and unilaterally decided to take charge of him.

"What if I refuse to help you?"

"If you refuse to help, I'll go around blackening your name, calling you an ingrate and a classic ungrateful wretch."

He chuckled. "It seems I have no choice but to help you?"

"I didn't drink all that alcohol for nothing, you know. And since Brother Shan already agreed, you might as well stop playing the obstructionist and just go along with his idea." Lin Wanbai used both soft and hard tactics. She picked up her glass, slid over to sit beside him, poured a small amount of wine into his glass, and said, "Han Chen, just help me out this one time, okay? Consider this favor as me owing you one; whenever you need me in the future, I'll go all out to help you. For you, this is just a flick of the wrist, something super easy to do. People are soft-mouthed after eating and soft-handed after taking—you've eaten my meal today, so whether you want to help or not, you have to. It's settled, then."

Acting entirely on her own accord, she lightly tapped her glass against his and drained it in one gulp. "It's decided. I'll wait for your good news."

Watching her antics, Han Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

When Zuo Yushan returned from his smoke break, the dishes had all been served. Lin Wanbai moved back to her seat, and they dug in. With Lin Wanbai's lively personality, she made the dining atmosphere thoroughly pleasant. By the end of the meal, all three of them were in high spirits.

Sensing that the time was right, Lin Wanbai prepared to head back. Before leaving, she reminded Han Chen once more, "You promised me, no going back on your word."

With that, she immediately hopped into the car, rolled down the window to bid Zuo Yushan farewell, gave Han Chen a deep, meaningful look, and uttered two words: "I'll wait."

Then, she urged Lu Mian to drive off.

As the car pulled away, it left Han Chen drowning in a sea of trouble. He sighed and muttered, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Zuo Yushan nudged him with his elbow and asked, "What do you mean, what do you do? I heard outside just now—that woman is quite a siren."

Han Chen frowned slightly. "No, she isn't."

"That's just beauty in the eye of the beholder. She's not really all that."

He couldn't even force a smile anymore. Turning his head to look at him, he said, "Brother Shan..."

"Don't nag me. I was just talking nonsense. I do have connections to a hypnotherapist, and I can hook you up—it just depends on whether you want to help or not. To be honest, you've already done everything you possibly could for her; if you don't help, it's no big deal. It's entirely up to whatever floats your boat. Actually, if you really wanted to, you should've just had her sleep with you tonight; who knows, she might have even agreed."

"She wouldn't," Han Chen said with absolute certainty.

"You haven't tried, so how do you know she wouldn't? A pampered young lady, acting all proper on the surface, but who knows what she's like behind closed doors. Come to think of it, I just remembered she's a married woman anyway. Getting married and still trying to seduce a young guy like you—her intentions are truly malicious."

"She didn't." Han Chen grew somewhat anxious, his expression turning serious as he said, "Xiaobai isn't the kind of person you think she is. She's a genuine heiress, someone so far out of my league that I could never hope to reach her."

"Everyone's just human; nobody is out of reach. From what I see, she's no different from the women in high-end clubs—at least those ones are more honest."

Han Chen looked at him in silence for a moment before saying, "I don't want to argue with you."

"Fine, I'll drop it. So, are you going to help her or not?"

Han Chen let out a breath. "I'll think about it."

"What now? Heading back or finding somewhere else for a drink?"

"Heading back."

...

The fact that Lin Wanbai had approached Han Chen reached Lin Zhouye's ears the very next day.

He had woken up a bit late that morning, having stayed out very late entertaining clients the night before and drinking quite a bit, so he had his assistant schedule a half-day off.

When Lin Wanbai stepped out of her bedroom, she ran right into him.

She offered a detached greeting, "Morning, Uncle."

Lin Zhouye nodded, walked to her side, and descended the stairs shoulder-to-shoulder with her. "Went out for dinner last night?"

"Yeah." Lin Wanbai arched an eyebrow, ruffled her hair, shot him a sideways glance, and teased, "You're so busy, yet you still have the spare time to keep tabs on my every move."

Hearing this, Lin Zhouye paused in his tracks.

Lin Wanbai didn't wait up for him; she briskly walked down the stairs and happily scampered to the dining room for breakfast.

Lately, all the breakfasts were prepared by Lin Jingyu, varied every single day with delightful surprises. Food made by Mom was simply different from anything outside; it felt like everything she made hit all her favorite notes, making it exceptionally delicious and deeply comforting.

"Honestly, anything Mom makes is amazing. I've gained weight recently. I stepped on the scale before showering yesterday, and I was a full five pounds heavier. Mom, I suspect you're raising me like a prize pig."

Lin Jingyu giggled. "That's right, I *am* raising you like a pig! I want to see my daughter plump and glowing—it makes me happy."

"Tsk, girls still need to stay slim."

"True beauty is found in fullness. As long as your facial features are pretty, even being a bit chubby makes you a beauty. What's there to fear?"

After a bit of mutual mother-daughter flattery, breakfast was finished, leaving both of them in high spirits.

At that moment, noticing Lin Zhouye sitting nearby leisurely eating noodles, Lin Wanbai propped her chin in her hand and asked, "Are you feeling unusually leisurely today?"

"Can't I take half a day off?"

"Sure you can, it's just a rare sight. Ever since I came back, I only saw you on the very first day, and after that, we haven't crossed paths at all. Up until now, it still feels like we're total strangers. So seeing you sitting here eating breakfast all of a sudden feels a bit jarring."

There was obvious subtext to her words; she was provoking him on purpose.

Lin Zhouye chuckled. "Then I suppose I need to carve out more time so you can deepen your impression of me."

"Uncle, look at how accomplished you are. Fortunately, I came home; if I hadn't come home, and given that I don't remember my past, I might have accidentally fallen in love with you."

Lin Zhouye had just taken a sip of water, and her words nearly made him spit it out.

Lin Jingyu immediately handed him a tissue, slanted a reproachful look at Lin Wanbai, and scolded, "You really have no sense of propriety when you speak."

Lin Wanbai shook her head. "Hey, come on, you guys need to have some empathy for an amnesiac—I don't remember a thing. I only feel familial affection for Mom, none for him. When I look at him, the first thing I see is a man, right, Uncle?"

Lin Zhouye coughed. "Just knowing to call me uncle is enough."

"Uncle," she giggled, repeating the word while intentionally altering her voice to sound a bit strange. "Uncle, were our relations actually pretty bad before?"

Lin Jingyu chimed in, "How could that be? Your relationship was wonderful."

"Really? I didn't feel it at all. I actually thought our relationship was terrible."

Lin Zhouye continued eating his noodles, ignoring whatever she was saying. Once she finally ran out of steam, he spoke up in a low, measured tone, "What did you want with Han Chen yesterday?"

Lin Wanbai was scrolling through her phone. Her fingers paused, and she replied, "Guess."

"Isn't life right now good enough?"

"It's alright, I suppose. Aside from feeling very warm having Mom around, it feels a bit like being locked inside a birdcage alongside her. There's zero difference from when I was by Fu Quxing's side—everything I do is under real-time surveillance. Uncle, the day I manage to replace you, how about I lock *you* up and keep you like a pet? How's that sound?"

She sighed, put her phone down, and said, "I originally thought returning to my family would be a blissful thing. Now it turns out to be nothing like what I imagined."

Lin Zhouye wasn't angry; this was clearly her reverse psychology at play, purposely trying to back him into a corner so he'd agree to help her recover her memories.

However, he had his own calculations. He did not want Lin Wanbai having any further entanglement with Fu Quxing. She could say whatever she liked, but recovering her memories? No way.

"If you're ready, you can start working. I've thought about it—you like design, so I've set up a studio for you. Take your time. With your talent, I believe your name will soon make waves in the architectural circle. As it happens, there's a project right now: the century-old A High School is preparing to build a branch campus, and they're looking for a designer. The campus design requires genuine thought, so you can go give it a shot in the competition."

"Oh," she acknowledged flatly. After a moment, she sighed again. "As someone with amnesia, all my professional knowledge has vanished along with my memories. When I pick up a paintbrush, my mind isn't nearly as sharp as it used to be. How can you be so certain I'm still as professional as I was before? Going into that competition now would just be humiliating."

"You've lost your memory, not your intellect."

"But I really have forgotten everything."

Lin Zhouye drew in a breath. After a brief silence, he set his chopsticks down, pushed his bowl aside, and earnestly reasoned, "Do you really think I'm trying to harm you?"

"Of course not. I know you all mean well and consider my every move. But I'm not a child, nor am I a helpless idiot who needs you to arrange every single detail of my life. Even my own memories are something you want to control. Did you control me like this in the past, too?"

"The past?" He gave a soft, dry laugh. "Don't bring up the past. What's gone is gone. As long as you're living comfortably right now, why must you dwell on bygone days? Are you sleeping poorly, or not enjoying your food?"

The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Lin Jingyu watched the two of them, wanting to smooth things over, but Lin Wanbai simply couldn't be bothered to argue with Lin Zhouye anymore and voluntarily changed the subject. "Fine whatever, I'll prepare properly and give it a try."

Seeing that, Lin Zhouye felt compelled to add one final warning, "We know everything about your past. We are family, and whatever decisions I make will certainly never harm you. You need to trust that absolutely."

"Mm-hm." Lin Wanbai sat for a moment longer, then got up and walked out to the living room.

Seeing her walk away, Lin Jingyu murmured, "Nothing you say is going to work."

"I know, but even if it doesn't work, it has to be said."

After finishing his breakfast and getting ready, Lin Zhouye left the house. On his way out, he called Han Chen. Without going into details, he simply told him not to get involved in Xiaobai's affairs.

Han Chen didn't press for answers either; he just gave a casual assent, neither agreeing explicitly nor refusing outright.

Right after he hung up, his car arrived at the doorstep of the hypnotherapist recommended by Zuo Yushan.

...

Though Lin Wanbai had talked back to Lin Zhouye, she was actually quite interested in the school project he had mentioned. She had Yang汝月 (Yang Ruyue) gather all available materials on A High School. Being a century-old institution, it undoubtedly possessed plenty of illustrious history.

Yang Ruyue was highly efficient, compiling the complete dossier within two days.

Lin Wanbai took the opportunity to visit the old campus and inspect the site of the new campus to get a feel for the surrounding environment, taking a few photos along the way.

At noon, the two of them stopped at a noodle shop for lunch when Han Chen's call came in.

Lin Wanbai glanced at the screen, then shot a sideways glance at Yang Ruyue, who was busy eating her noodles. She didn't answer immediately, choosing instead to ask a preliminary question: "Xiaoyue, tell me honestly—are you my person, or Lin Zhouye's person?"

She didn't beat around the bush and asked straight to the point.

Taken aback by the directness, Yang Ruyue immediately answered, "I'm your person, of course! From the very beginning, I've been working for you."

"Is that so? Then have you been reporting everything I do on a daily basis to Lin Zhouye?"

At that, Yang Ruyue choked on her words. She lowered her gaze, looking rather guilty, and stammered, "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm just having a heart-to-heart with you. The people working by my side naturally need to prioritize my words—what I say goes. It shouldn't be that whatever I do here has to be reported to someone else. If that's the case, you wouldn't be *my* person; you'd be someone else's, just like An Ning."

Yang Ruyue hastily denied it. "I'm nothing like An Ning! Ultimately, I'm still working for you, and in the end, it's you I'll be helping."

"In that case, you can't be a messenger pigeon anymore."

"Mm-hm," she nodded. "Actually, I haven't been reporting anything about you to him for a while now anyway. I know you don't like it, so I stopped doing it."

"Then you've done well; you truly are my person." Lin Wanbai granted her full trust, and right before the call disconnected due to ringing out, she finally answered it.

Before she could speak, Han Chen asked, "Why did it take you so long to pick up? Were you busy?"

"Sort of. I'm free now. So, how is it? Did you find the master?"

"When are you free?"

"I'm free right now."

Han Chen chuckled softly. "Where are you?"

"Near A High School. Are you coming to pick me up?"

"Yeah."

Lin Wanbai raised an eyebrow as her heart suddenly began to hammer against her ribs. "I'll send you my location."

After hanging up, she promptly texted the coordinates to Han Chen.

She had only eaten half her noodles before losing her appetite. Setting her chopsticks down, she found herself feeling restless and unable to sit still.

Noticing her strange demeanor, Yang Ruyue asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Wanbai looked at her, offering a faint, gentle smile as she said, "I'm going to get my memories back."

Half an hour later, Han Chen drove over personally. The two of them waited near the school gates. Since it was lunchtime, the entrance was bustling with energetic students coming and going.

The car pulled up to the curb, and they both got in.

Lin Wanbai first asked if he had eaten, then cut straight to the chase. "Are we heading over now?"

"Yes, I just called the master and he said we can come."

"Did you explain the situation?"

"I told him everything."

"What did he say?"

"He said it shouldn't be difficult."

Han Chen glanced back at her and asked, "Have you thought this through?"

"I'm looking forward to it," she smiled faintly.

For the sake of security, Han Chen decided to host the session at his own home.

Upon arriving at Xiangsheng Residence and stepping inside, they found the hypnotherapist was already waiting.

The housekeeper had just poured him a cup of tea, and he had barely been sitting long.

Seeing them arrive, the therapist stood up to greet them.

After Han Chen made the introductions, he led them upstairs to the second-floor study.

The hypnosis session lasted an entire afternoon, stretching all the way into dusk.

Because the situation was rather intricate, the master had to employ several different techniques before finally managing to crack the mental block successfully.

The moment Lin Wanbai opened her eyes, she remembered everything.