Lost Memories and a Familiar Stranger

Since she had last regained consciousness, Qing Shui Ling Yin felt as though she had forgotten something profound. Her head throbbed with excruciating pain, as if it had been split open by an axe, accompanied by intermittent sharp aches.

Yet, compared to these forgotten, possibly insignificant matters, the groundbreaking, milestone breakthroughs in her research captured Qing Shui Ling Yin’s attention far more, filling her with inexplicable joy.

The capture of brainwaves and the refinement of brain-computer interfaces—these two technologies had essentially passed live human trials. She had personally served as the test subject, staking her life in pursuit of truth.

The process had been exhilarating, and the results were delightful.

She had succeeded.

The research findings were now ready to be transformed into products, realizing the inherent value of this technology.

Despite the significant progress in her research, Qing Shui Ling Yin could not find a sense of pride or satisfaction within herself. Instead, only an endless void and bewilderment remained.

‘Why had I undertaken this research?’

‘Why, indeed?’

‘I can’t remember at all…’

Her general knowledge and academic expertise remained intact, yet fragments of emotional memory seemed to have been severed or blocked, leading to localized amnesia. This symptom bore a striking resemblance to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, likely a lingering after-effect of the live human trials.

Qing Shui Ling Yin recalled the silver-haired woman’s appearance and stature, and the profound significance she held in her heart. Yet, she could not recall her name, having lost their shared past.

This feeling left her with an indescribable discomfort.

Qing Shui Ling Yin merely picked at her meal, her appetite noticeably diminished.

She felt as though a heavy stone weighed down her heart, her chest oppressively tight, and her head ached, with a persistent, throbbing pain in her temples.

‘Why couldn’t I remember?’

Qing Shui Ling Yin lowered her fork and spoon, covering her face. Her pearly teeth gently bit her lip, and a dazed gaze escaped through the gaps between her fingers.

As she wrestled with her distress, several fully armed security personnel passed by her. They patrolled the aisle, their gazes sweeping across the entire cafeteria, an intimidating aura emanating from them.

The security captain leading the group activated the holographic projection on his smart bracelet, reconfirming the target’s characteristics: young female, silver hair, red eyes…

It wasn’t long before he locked onto his target.

“Yuri, Punk, is that the intruder you mentioned?”

Lite extinguished the holographic image and raised a hand, pointing towards a flash of silver near the dessert section. He glanced back at his two subordinates, his voice low and serious as he questioned them.

Hearing their boss call their names, Yuri and Punk, who were trailing behind, quickly stepped forward. They followed Lite’s gaze, their eyes narrowing. They exchanged glances, then nodded in unison.

“That’s right, it’s her.”

****

In front of the transparent refrigerated display, Ming Yu took out Qing Shui Ling Yin’s work card. Without the slightest hesitation, she swiped it across the sensor, then retrieved a dessert from the automatically opening transparent window.

Ever since she had taken on her current female form, Ming Yu had developed an even greater fondness for sweets, harboring a particular soft spot for desserts. She had even passed this liking on to Little Nightingale.

Slurp~

Removing her black mask, she parted her red lips slightly. Her delicate tongue swept across the milk ice cream, its icy coolness saturating her taste buds as a wonderfully sweet sensation filled her mouth.

‘Truly delightful.’

Ming Yu’s eyes brightened. She took another serving from the freezer, intending to bring it back for Qing Shui Ling Yin to try as well.

After swiping the work card across the sensor once more, the window slowly closed. A crisp, feminine AI voice then chimed in from the side:

–”You have paid 240 transaction points. Enjoy your meal!”

‘Tsk, the prices here are as exorbitant as ever.’

‘Still, Qing Shui Ling Yin’s research funds seem quite substantial.’

Ming Yu tucked the work card back into her pocket, picking up the two desserts as she prepared to return to Qing Shui Ling Yin. Yet, she had barely taken a few steps when a group of uniformed security personnel aggressively surrounded her.

Seeing this, she let out a sudden, self-deprecating laugh, remembering her forceful entry into the research institute. Her gaze swept over the security guards, a hint of guilt stirring within her as she subtly clicked her tongue.

‘It had been an unavoidable measure, after all.’

However, she had forgotten one crucial detail.

Gazes upon Ming Yu’s face, now uncovered by her mask, everyone—from Lite, the security captain at the forefront, to Yuri and Punk trailing behind him—was utterly dumbfounded, struck by her ethereal beauty.

“Cough, cough!”

Lite quickly regained his composure, averting his gaze. He cleared his throat twice, signaling his colleagues behind him to maintain their professional demeanor. As a retired sergeant, his self-control was remarkably strong.

Remembering the task at hand, Lite straightened his expression. He gazed at her face, which truly seemed divine, and did his best to maintain a serious tone, speaking in a deep voice:

“Hello, beautiful lady.”

“We are the security team responsible for the institute’s safety. We need you to explain the situation, and we hope you will cooperate with our investigation.”

Behind him, several subordinates exchanged glances, then broke into relieved smiles. Their boss, usually so stern and sharp-tongued, was actually speaking politely to someone. It was truly an eye-opener.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Qing Shui Ling Yin had yet to see the silver-haired woman return. For some inexplicable reason, a strange panic seized her heart, accompanied by waves of suffocating dread.

She rose from her seat and scanned the area, instantly spotting the striking figure surrounded by the security team. Her heart gave a sudden tremor.

Her body moved instinctively. She immediately took hurried steps, rapidly approaching Ming Yu’s location.

‘What’s happening?’

‘Why is the security team confronting her?’

Despite having lost her memories of their time together, Qing Shui Ling Yin’s heart still burned with anxiety. She rushed towards the security team, pushing aside those blocking her path, and squeezed in next to Ming Yu.

“Excuse me, please move aside… Are you, are you alright?”

She stepped in front of Ming Yu, interrupting the ongoing exchange between Ming Yu and Lite. After quickly assessing Ming Yu and confirming she was unharmed, Qing Shui Ling Yin let out a sigh of relief. She then turned, shielding the irreplaceable silver-haired figure behind her.

“I apologize profusely, but could you please tell me what’s happening?”

“Are you an employee of the institute?” Lite frowned slightly. Without hesitation, he proceeded to calmly recount the entire situation from beginning to end.

After understanding the situation, Qing Shui Ling Yin exhaled softly.

“I’m sorry, I’m a researcher from the Institute of Engineering Sciences, and this is my work ID… Huh? Where is it?”

As she spoke, she patted her pockets, her expression suddenly shifting.

It was gone.

In her panic, she frantically searched every pocket, yet her work ID was nowhere to be found.

Seeing Qing Shui Ling Yin’s anxious demeanor, Ming Yu paused for a moment before realizing what was happening. She pulled Qing Shui Ling Yin’s work card from her own pocket, patted her shoulder, and handed the card over.

“Here, is this it?”

“Ah? Yes! This is it. Did you find it? You’ve been a great help.”

“Uh, you’re welcome…”

Ming Yu was bewildered for a moment before the realization dawned on her: Qing Shui Ling Yin hadn’t even noticed that Ming Yu had taken her card in the first place.

‘After not seeing her for over half a month, Qing Shui Ling Yin seems a little… dazed?’

‘Could it be that her work was simply too exhausting?’