Chapter 2 — My Amnesiac Benefactor Wants to Marry Me

To Vien Vien suddenly shrieked, covering her face as she fled. I had not even managed to speak when Chau Thi Quan practically pinned me against him, nearly lifting my entire wheelchair off the ground. I gave a small cough and turned to look at the retreating figure of To Vien Vien; why did it feel like she had been so shocked she couldn't even catch her breath? Turning back, I found Chau Thi Quan’s gaze had turned ice-cold. I grabbed his collar: "Do you not have amnesia at all?" His reflexes were terrifyingly practiced! He even remembered the subtle habits from when we kissed with perfect clarity!

Chau Thi Quan pulled his hands away from my waist. "Even if my body remembers you... that does not mean I understand what is happening." Dammit. That expression. He looked exactly like a man who had just pulled up his pants and was pretending he didn't know the person he had been with. I slid down, my body colliding directly with something rigid and tense in his trousers. Good heavens, the quality of these tailored trousers was truly incredible. How had they not... burst open yet? They were high-end, durable, and could certainly withstand a lot of pressure! Fine, he was the benefactor, so I would do as he said.

Chau Thi Quan watched my slightly panicked expression, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, though his face remained as cold as before. "Our relationship—I will have someone investigate it thoroughly." Goodness... an investigation? If they hauled me off for a CAT scan later, I would be finished! I was usually eloquent, and as I left the room, I was very thoughtful, remembering to drape a fur coat over his waist. If we were photographed now, I could already imagine a dozen scandalous headlines. "By the way, why did you lose your memory in the first place?"

The hospital had only called to give me the department and room number, urging me to arrive quickly without providing any other details. "You lost your memory; how would I know why?" Ah, right... that was a foolish question. "Then why was To Vien Vien here?" I was startled. Had his accident happened because he was with her? Given the reality of Chau Thi Quan’s situation—he was handsome, wealthy, and I was his canary, a arrangement we both entered willingly. There was nothing immoral about it. But if he was planning to find a woman of "equal social standing" to be his official girlfriend, then I would have to reconsider everything.

"To Vien Vien? Is that the woman from earlier?"

"A friend of hers works at the hospital; when she saw me, she called her over."

"I don't know her at all. She just barged in and claimed to be my girlfriend." Chau Thi Quan suddenly lifted his head, his eyes darkening as he stared straight at me. "I am the one who has... a legal girlfriend."

My hand, resting on the armrest of the wheelchair, tightened instantly. Oh... I never expected that Chau Thi Quan and his "White Moonlight" had known each other so early! He knew she existed. It was just a pity that while her moonlight shone over all the earth, his own moonlight... had fallen into a deep abyss. Otherwise, why was it that every time a "stand-in" script played out, I was the one being misunderstood?

For three years, he had never once voluntarily mentioned that mysterious woman in front of me. All the affection that should have been reserved for his first love, he poured entirely onto me. He showered me with gifts as if money were water. No matter how busy he was at work, he always made time to take me on trips. We ate breakfast together every single day, and he reported his schedule to me constantly. Except for early mornings when I couldn't get out of bed, he made me his top priority whenever I wished. Even the socialites in our circle often teased me, saying that Chau Thi Quan didn't look like a benefactor at all, but rather... a husband doting on his wife.

Despite all that, I fought to keep my heart clear and rational. I knew that falling for a man who harbored another image in his heart would never end well. Just looking at his eyes when he talked about his ideal love made my heart contract. For three years, I had gritted my teeth, preventing myself from falling in love. I hurriedly averted my gaze. "I'm going to ask the doctor about your condition."

I only learned from the doctor that Chau Thi Quan’s memory loss was caused by excessive drinking, which had left him unsteady until he fell and hit his head against a wall. In addition to dizziness and nausea, temporary amnesia was indeed a possible symptom. He would recover after a few days of rest. Usually, Chau Thi Quan was quite serious and disciplined when it came to alcohol. In the daytime, there was no way he would ever drink himself into such a state. Could it be... related to that mysterious woman?

I squinted and walked over to the nurse’s station to retrieve Chau Thi Quan’s phone. Holding the device, I asked the nurse, "Could I ask... why did the hospital contact me?" Chau Thi Quan had parents, and if not them, there was his assistant, Ly. Any of them would have been a more logical choice for the hospital to call than me. "We always contact the next of kin first. Perhaps this gentleman noted you down as..."

The nurse’s explanation was cut short by a violent coughing fit behind me. Chau Thi Quan was coughing so hard the corners of his eyes had turned red. I immediately ran over to pat the back of my "sugar daddy," my attitude as attentive as a professional caregiver. "Didn't I tell you to go back to your room? Why did you follow me out here?"

"I came to get my phone." Having said that, he pulled the phone from my palm and unlocked it with his fingerprint. He then pointed to several missed calls from Assistant Ly. "Who is this person?" Assistant Ly was Chau Thi Quan's right-hand man, having been by his side since he joined the Chau Corporation. I answered perfunctorily, my mind still spiraling over what exactly he had recorded me as to make the hospital mistake me for his family! The fire of curiosity had just flared up—only to be extinguished the moment I thought of that mysterious woman. Logic pulled me back to reality instantly.

The CAT scan results came back quickly. The doctor said there was nothing serious and we could leave to recover at home. As for whether his memory would return... that was up to fate. I was packing my things when Assistant Ly arrived. "Director Chau, Miss Tong." Chau Thi Quan frowned at me. "Aren't you my wife? Why does he call you Miss Tong?"

I felt so wronged I wanted to kneel: That was something you imagined yourself! I never said a single word of it!