I opened my eyes. The soft, warm-toned breathing light seemed to sense the change in its owner's heartbeat and breathing, lighting up with a warm, gentle glow.
"It's still night..."
I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my forehead, my heart pounding inexplicably, as if something anxious and unsettling was happening.
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. The bed was perfectly smooth, with only a few wrinkles from sleeping on it. I frowned, then smoothed it out.
The dirty clothes I wore that day, I had washed and hung out to dry, then put them on cleanly, without even taking them off to sleep.
After all, in my mind, I was only temporarily staying in this house, which might very well be belonging to a friend or relative. I couldn't afford to cause any trouble.
I went to the living room, and the lights came on for the first time. The house wasn't large, but it was decorated very warmly, showcasing a woman's elegant aesthetic. Only the first bedroom, while maintaining the same aesthetic, seemed a little casual and cluttered.
The scant underwear and panties lay haphazardly, and a white coat hung on a rack, next to a pair of purple lace panties… It still made me wonder if the owner of this place was a doctor or a researcher.
The faint fragrance in the room inexplicably conjured up an image of a tall, slender, intelligent, and graceful figure, her beauty exuding a seductive languor.
But what was her name?
I tried to recall, but a strange headache interrupted my thought, forcing me to give up.
The second bedroom, the one I was currently staying in, gave me a strange sense of familiarity. It wasn't a strong feeling of having been there before, but rather a comfortable feeling, as if someone had specially arranged it for me.
I went to the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and felt much more awake. I checked the time… and it was only 1 a.m.
But I'm wide awake now, and my thoughts are filled with Miss Luo Xuetang. Ever since that night I handed her over to Qin Yan, I haven't had any close contact with her, only protecting her from a distance.
After what happened there, I vaguely sensed being at the center of a vortex, but I didn't know if it was directed at me or Luo Xuetang.
So, after much consideration, I decided not to go back to be Xuetang's bodyguard. Instead, I'll rely on my "old skills" from my memories to protect her secretly. After all, aside from the familiarity I felt at Yingluo Manor, the only clues to my memories are probably in Luo Xuetang.
The heart-pounding excitement I felt when I saw her, and Luo Xuetang's seemingly "recognizing" me in the car that day, made me reluctant to leave, and even more concerned for Luo Xuetang's safety.
After two days of investigating around her, I found no clues about the foreigner's identity or the two people who appeared that night, named "Cui Yuanxuan" and "Yoshihara Tsubaki," let alone how to resolve the potential crisis facing Xue Tang.
However, during the investigation, I unexpectedly discovered this place… another place that felt familiar.
The location was very secluded, even enclosed by a wall. The river flowed behind the houses, and the route in was extremely complicated; naturally, I had no recollection of it.
However, if I carefully observed the forks in the path, and a slightly painful path didn't flash through my mind—then it was wrong.
Conversely, a path that seemed to block my memory was the correct one.
Finally, through many trials and errors, I finally arrived here. The evidence that convinced me this was at least a friend's or relative's residence was that when I reached the door, it automatically completed iris recognition and opened the door for me.
Besides, each room inside had its own individual fingerprint lock, which I could open almost all of, except… the slightly cluttered, yet subtly elegantly fragrant women's room.
However, in order to recover my memories, I used some "tricks" to open the door, and what I saw was that scene… To compensate for the unusual way I "opened the door," I spent some time tidying up the bedroom.
For some reason, when tidying up those embarrassing items, my movements were unusually practiced, as if I could place them in the right place without thinking, stacking them neatly.
Looking at the soft, smooth panties, like a young girl's skin, the lace lingerie exuding a strong allure… I swallowed slightly, feeling ashamed and a little incredulous.
Could it be that I used to enjoy doing this kind of work?
Before I could come to a conclusion, while tidying the bottom of the drawer, I noticed a bright red ribbon.
Curious, I picked up the thread and pulled it out, instantly speechless. It wasn't just a single red "thread," but a completely transparent, openwork lingerie made entirely of red thread. The extremely thin fabric, with its bright red openwork "flowers," deliberately left a semi-transparent, hazy gap.
Clearly, it was reserved for the two vibrant "buds" on the breasts…
And along with it, there were panties made of even less fabric, or rather, just a few seductive threads. I felt my face flush, my breathing inexplicably short, and I simply couldn't imagine how alluring it would be to wear such a scant set of lingerie.
"Uh…"
Recalling that scene again, I felt a slight heat rising in my lower body. Seeing the young man's face slightly flushed in the mirror, I quickly rinsed my face, trying to calm myself down.
After thinking for a while, I decided to go back and get some more sleep. After all, I needed to be constantly focused on protecting Xue Tang when she came out during the day, and even to find clues to her memories, I had to stay alert.
Back in the bedroom, before lying down again, I noticed the small female statue on the bedside table. Although made of wood, its texture was incredibly smooth, with a jade-like sheen.
The statue's features, while seemingly deliberately not very defined, were all sculpted with natural, exquisite detail—the flowing curves of the body, the graceful curves, the shapely waist and hips—perfectly alluring.
It was as if the statue had been meticulously tracing the body inch by inch, a reference to a real person. It was impossible to imagine such detail and lifelike realism… and I wondered if it was just my imagination, but I felt the statue bore a resemblance to Xue Tang, mainly in the lines of her body, which were more youthful and innocent, possessing a girlish charm.
Perhaps it was because I cared too much about Luo Xuetang that everything seemed to resemble her?
I closed my eyes, my body seemingly memorizing some technique for falling asleep quickly. My chest rose and fell gently, and unconsciously, all thoughts were banished from my mind…
The room quickly returned to normal. The breathing light slowly went out, and a quiet darkness descended.
However, no one saw the statue on the bedside table suddenly emit a faint light, then abruptly disappear into the forehead of the sleeping young man on the bed.
"Hmm…?"
I woke up again, but couldn't feel my body. There was only boundless darkness around me, and my consciousness seemed to float alone in the air, unable to perceive anything except the darkness.
Sleep paralysis?
Or a dream?
I subconsciously tried to "move," and perhaps this will shook the "dream." The darkness swayed, as if being shaken.
I felt curious, yet a strange sense of familiarity washed over me regarding my current situation… Now I think I understand: whenever this feeling arises, it's likely I've experienced something similar before?
I grew a little more patient, waiting to see if anything would change.
In this darkness, the sense of time was blurred. Perhaps a long time had passed, perhaps only a fleeting moment, when suddenly a sliver of light appeared "before my eyes."