Chapter 5: The Long Road to Clarity

When Musang spoke his last words, he stared fixedly at Yu Baichuan. The latter’s expression was as cold and unyielding as an iceberg, as if accustomed to such scenes, paying him no mind whatsoever. Instead, he lifted his gaze to Su Orange and said, “I’ve already finished the paperwork. You stay here and look after her.”

Musang smiled and replied, “You’re right. Mr. Yu, you should leave first. I don’t think Xiaobai would be pleased to see you.”

“Wait, who are you to make decisions for me?” Li Wanbai could no longer hold back. After restraining herself for so long, she finally burst out, “Yu Baichuan is my… husband. Why shouldn’t he be allowed to stay?”

At the word “husband,” she hesitated for a brief moment, a flush creeping up her earlobes before she realized it. The man she’d admired for years had suddenly become her husband—facts were facts, but habits didn’t change overnight. Though this was now reality, it didn’t mean Li Wanbai was used to it. Her shyness was only natural.

But not everyone saw it that way.

Yu Baichuan noticed her hesitation at the word “husband.” His eyes dimmed for an instant before quickly regaining their composure. He gave a soft snort. “Musang, if I’m not qualified to stay, what about you? Ultimately, you’re the one responsible for Li Wanbai ending up in the hospital!”

Musang, knowing he was in the wrong, had no retort.

Li Wanbai looked at Musang, then at Yu Baichuan, puzzled. “I never said you weren’t qualified to stay. Since you’re my husband, you’re the most qualified person to be here.”

“You…” Yu Baichuan sighed softly, but in the end said nothing, turning to leave.

Musang seemed to want to say more, but with Su Orange nearby, he merely gave Li Wanbai a gentle smile, tapped his phone, and also left the room.

Su Orange rolled her eyes, grumbling, “I can’t stand the way he acts, as if the whole world should bend to his will! It’s like he can’t understand a word anyone says!”

“Duoduo, that’s a bit harsh. Actually, Yu Baichuan isn’t—”

“Who said I was talking about Yu Baichuan?” Su Orange shot back loudly.

Li Wanbai shrank her neck and mumbled, “I actually think Yu Baichuan is like that. I’ve made my feelings clear, but he still looked so disappointed.”

Then she hurriedly asked, “By the way, what’s my real connection with Musang? Did I really… cheat on Yu Baichuan?”

Su Orange gave her a meaningful look, the corners of her lips curling with a touch of mischief. “Who knows? Only you two know what goes on in your marriage. Actually, maybe now only Yu Baichuan knows.”

Li Wanbai’s mouth twitched. She realized she wasn’t getting a real answer, but then it hit her, and her face lit up. “Duoduo! Does this mean you believe I’m from ten years ago?”

“Of course I do. The you from ten years later isn’t nearly this clueless—no, actually, you’re even more clueless in the future! Even if Musang didn’t just accidentally put you in the hospital, but deliberately poisoned your food or filled your path with swords and fire, you’d only praise his skill and ingenuity! You’re hopeless!” Su Orange was exasperated, looking at Li Wanbai as if she wanted to shake some sense into her.

Li Wanbai shrank back, mumbling, “Duoduo, you’re exaggerating. I know what kind of person I am.”

“Nonsense! Who knows what you turned into over the past decade? You’re a completely different person now!” Su Orange’s voice grew louder with each word.

Li Wanbai couldn’t lift her head under the scolding. Please, stop, I don’t know what’s going on either. In this mess, I’m just as much a victim as you!

Su Orange abruptly fell silent, staring blankly at Li Wanbai before sighing. “Who knows what you were thinking before. But since you say you’re from ten years ago, and you called me by my childhood nickname, of course I believe you. You act so differently now compared to before. You don’t know this, but you used to be infatuated with Musang, treating him like your personal Venus, and you even said…”

She paused, glanced at Li Wanbai, then continued, “You even said that if fate hadn’t played tricks on you and swapped the order in which Musang and Yu Baichuan entered your life, you’d be married to Musang now, not to that stiff, cold Yu Baichuan…”

“Yu Baichuan? Stiff and cold?” Li Wanbai burst into laughter as if she’d just heard the world’s funniest joke. “When did Yu Baichuan become a stiff, cold man?”

Su Orange stared at her, and Li Wanbai’s grin faded, replaced by a sheepish admission. “I don’t know… That really doesn’t sound like me. Maybe the heavens couldn’t stand me falling so out of character and that’s why I lost my memory.”

“Perhaps,” Su Orange said, her tone filled with emotion. “Maybe the heavens wanted to give you a chance to restore your shattered self, so they sent you back ten years. Either way, you’re back now.”

What returned was the Li Wanbai she knew—the one she liked, the one who remembered their beautiful memories together. That alone was enough.

Li Wanbai was infected by her smile, her lips curling slightly before falling again as she worried, “Now that you believe I’m from ten years ago, what about Yu Baichuan? How am I supposed to convince him I’ve lost my memory?”

Just thinking about it gave her a headache. “You saw how he acted earlier—he doesn’t believe it at all.”

“I can understand that,” Su Orange snorted. “You don’t know what possessed you these past few years, tormenting him in every possible way. There was even a time you claimed you’d lost your memory to force him into a divorce.”

Su Orange had heard about that, and had been wary when first meeting Li Wanbai. Still, she wasn’t involved in the actual events, not even as a bystander—she’d only heard rumors, so she was willing to give Li Wanbai a chance. After all, whether or not Li Wanbai was lying, it wouldn’t hurt her.

But Yu Baichuan was different. He had really been hurt by Li Wanbai’s “amnesia” trick before.

Li Wanbai rubbed her temples, unable to help herself. So all her current troubles were the result of her own past recklessness.

“But don’t worry too much,” Su Orange comforted her. “I heard your company is negotiating to join ‘Us,’ a major live reality show. That’s not the important part—what matters is that Yu Baichuan will also be on the program. Maybe then, you’ll have a chance to clear things up between you two.”