Since they were at the station exit and Jiang Sixian’s striking appearance drew many gazes, Jiang Yi didn’t want to linger under such scrutiny. After a brief greeting, she quickly said, “Alright alright, let’s head to the hospital first.”
Everyone agreed. Jiang Yi pushed her suitcase toward the station parking lot.
Jiang Sixian hurried after her, tugging at Jiang Yi’s sleeve. “Let me help you.”
Jiang Yi smiled without responding, simply reaching out to hold her hand as the two led Yu Yu and Xu Meng forward.
Though their styles differed completely, their silhouettes looked remarkably well-matched from behind. Xu Meng nestled in Yu Yu’s arms and instinctively glanced up at her. Seeing Yu Yu’s calm expression as she followed behind them, Xu Meng couldn’t help but frown slightly.
The drive from the high-speed rail station to the hospital took about half an hour. Jiang Yi lightened the journey by asking Xu Meng and Yu Yu about their lives, coaxing smiles onto their faces.
Jiang Yi seemed even happier than Xu Meng herself about the upcoming surgery. Gripping the steering wheel cheerfully, she said, “When Little Meng goes home this time, she’ll be cured and can go back to school.”
“Will you still be in tenth grade when you return? Make sure to study hard and get into a good university.”
Xu Meng nodded vigorously. “Yes, I will, Sister Yi!”
From the backseat, Yu Yu reached out to ruffle Xu Meng’s hair, smiling. “You should listen to your Sister Yi—get into a good university.”
Jiang Sixian, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Yi upon hearing their familiar banter.
Jiang Yi turned the steering wheel, her entire face alight with joy. “Your sister used to always brag about how good your grades were, saying you’d definitely achieve more than her. When you get into a good school, I’ll give you a big red envelope.”
When Sister Xu was still alive, she’d call home during holidays. After each call, she’d proudly boast about her wife’s accomplishments and how her little sister had taken first place again, strutting around more triumphantly than a victorious rooster.
Over two years had passed since those days, and mentioning Sister Xu no longer cast such heavy shadows over their faces.
Even ill, Xu Meng’s naturally optimistic and resilient personality kept a smile on her face. She looked up at the back of Jiang Yi’s head, her eyes shining. “Yes, I will. Then Sister Yi better prepare me a super big red envelope.”
Jiang Yi nodded. “Of course.”
Her beaming expression truly resembled that of an older sister. Jiang Sixian tilted her head to study her, suddenly remembering Jiang Yi’s offhand remark about being a transmigrator when they’d reunited.
Now that she thought about it, maybe Jiang Yi really had transmigrated—perhaps even had a sister in another world.
Perhaps Jiang Sixian stared too intently, because Xu Meng’s eyes darted between them before she asked, “Sister Yi keeps asking about me—why don’t you tell us about yourself too?”
Jiang Yi chuckled. “Sure, what do you want to know?”
Xu Meng thought for a moment, glancing at Jiang Sixian in the passenger seat before asking, “Now that Sister Yi’s left the military and is Sister Xian’s fiancée… I want to know when you two plan to get married?”
Jiang Yi laughed. “Little Meng, I didn’t know you were such a gossip.”
Xu Meng grinned, eyes crinkling as she wheedled, “Come on, tell me! It’s only been half a year since I last saw you, and now you have such a beautiful fiancée in Sister Xian. I really want to know when you’ll marry.”
Jiang Yi hadn’t expected to face marriage pressure from her little sister right after dodging her mother’s hints during Mid-Autumn Festival. She instinctively glanced at Jiang Sixian.
Jiang Sixian met her gaze, eyes soft with unspoken words that clearly said, “I want to know when you’ll marry me too.”
Great—now even her own girlfriend was pressuring her.
Jiang Yi’s lips curved upward as she answered Xu Meng, “It’ll have to wait until you’re better. How else will you be my bridesmaid?”
Xu Meng lit up with joy. After exchanging a smile with Yu Yu, her earlier unease settled. She clapped her hands excitedly. “That’s wonderful! I’ll recover quickly so I can be Sister Yi’s bridesmaid!”
Her eyes then darted mischievously to Jiang Sixian. “But speaking of which, how did Sister Xian and Sister Yi meet?”
Caught off guard, Jiang Sixian turned to her with a smile. “Me?”
Throughout the ride, Jiang Sixian had remained quiet to let the three catch up. Now that Xu Meng addressed her directly, she felt pleased—this meant Jiang Yi’s important people accepted her.
Xu Meng nodded. “Mm.”
Jiang Sixian smiled gently. “We met in school. Our families were close, so we ended up together.”
Jiang Yi’s lips twitched at this—of course their families were close, close enough to become partners after they’d grown up.
Xu Meng gasped dramatically. “So you and Sister Yi are childhood sweethearts?”
Jiang Sixian nodded. “You could say that.”
“Did you start dating in high school?”
Without batting an eye, Jiang Sixian lied, “Mm.”
Xu Meng’s eyes sparkled. “Wow, that’s so romantic!”
Jiang Yi shot Jiang Sixian a look, marveling at her ability to spin tales with a straight face. Come to think of it, back when she’d first regained her memories, hadn’t Jiang Sixian also claimed they’d dated in school?
And all that nonsense about “wrapping”—just shameless fabrications delivered without blinking.
Xu Meng seemed endlessly curious about their relationship. Once started, she kept asking, “What were Sister Yi’s grades like in school? Probably not great, right?”
Jiang Sixian considered this. “Actually quite good—usually top twenty in her grade.”
Xu Meng sounded surprised. “Really? I thought Sister Yi’s grades were bad, which was why she joined the military after high school.”
“My sister was like that—always mischievous, especially after presenting as an Alpha. Our family couldn’t handle her, so they sent her to the military.”
Mention of Sister Xu brought a smile to Jiang Yi’s face. “Your sister’s grades weren’t great—she always miscalculated when we played cards.”
Xu Meng leaned forward against the driver’s seat, curious. “Then why didn’t Sister Yi go to university if her grades were good? You get more opportunities from college than the military.”
This was something Sister Xu had often said, which was why she’d constantly reminded Xu Meng to study hard.
The question hit a sore spot. Jiang Yi glanced at Jiang Sixian and saw her smile fade, her eyes downcast with sorrow.
Jiang Yi knew telling Xu Meng about the kidnapping and memory loss would sound like a tall tale. Besides, the whole story was too melodramatic to explain.
After a pause, Jiang Yi turned the steering wheel and said, “Because I wanted to wear a uniform. Also, my mom passed away early, and we didn’t have much money—I wanted to be independent sooner. But since I wasn’t an adult yet, joining up was the only option.”
Xu Meng seemed skeptical—Jiang Sixian clearly came from money, and if their families were close, Jiang Yi’s background probably wasn’t poor either.
She opened her mouth to ask more when Yu Yu gently pulled her back. “Little Meng, sit properly. What if you bump yourself in the car?”
Jiang Yi seized the chance to change topics. “Yes, sit properly and don’t get hurt.”
As she spoke, she glanced at the silent Jiang Sixian in the passenger seat and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. When Jiang Sixian looked up, Jiang Yi mouthed, “It’s okay.”
Understanding, Jiang Sixian tugged at Jiang Yi’s sleeve and said no more.
They soon arrived at the hospital to complete Xu Meng’s admission procedures. Jiang Sixian’s connections secured a private room—an unprecedented luxury that left Yu Yu and Xu Meng both touched and overwhelmed.
Yu Yu especially felt they’d already burdened Jiang Yi enough without needing such extravagance.
Jiang Sixian smiled reassuringly. “This is nothing compared to how you’ve looked after Jiang Yi all these years. It’s the least I can do.”
“Surgery is difficult—Little Meng needs a good environment to recover. Jiang Yi and I are family—her concerns are mine. She respected Sister Xu deeply, and so do I. Please let me do this much for you.”
Her gracious words and genuine kindness made refusal impossible, especially with the room already arranged. After settling everything, Jiang Yi and Jiang Sixian shared a meal with Yu Yu and Xu Meng before driving Yu Yu to the apartment Jiang Yi had rented near the hospital.
By the time they returned home, it was nearly 10 PM.
Jiang Yi followed Jiang Sixian into the entryway, chattering about buying nutritional supplements for Xu Meng tomorrow. The girl was still growing but already so small and thin from her illness.
As Jiang Yi closed the door behind them, Jiang Sixian suddenly stopped and turned to gaze at her silently.
Confused, Jiang Yi asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Sixian studied her for a long moment, dark eyes shimmering with emotion before she finally whispered, “Jiang Yi…”
Jiang Yi responded immediately. “Yeah?”
With a soft sigh, Jiang Sixian asked, “Do you regret it?”
“Regret what?”
Jiang Sixian’s voice was husky with emotion. “Saving me.”
That night, rescuing her had cost Jiang Yi six years of memories, her future, her youth—nearly her life. Now that she remembered everything, did she ever regret it?
Understanding dawned on Jiang Yi as she took in Jiang Sixian’s guilty expression.
She smiled. “How could I?”
“I’ve done many things I regret so much I want to dig a hole and bury myself. But this—I’ve never regretted it.”
“If I hadn’t taken you away that night, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. For the rest of my life, I would never have known peace.”
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