Chapter 8 – No Memory

Twenty years ago, Xue City experienced a highly publicized case known as the Highway Schoolgirl Sudden Death Case, which had a nationwide impact.

An eighteen-year-old girl in the prime of her life was walking alone on a rarely traveled suburban highway in broad daylight when she unfortunately encountered a down-and-out middle-aged man with ill intentions. Seeing the girl’s beauty, the man, taking advantage of the deserted surroundings, boldly dragged her into the bushes by the roadside with the intent to assault her.

However, in her extreme panic and terror, the girl suffered sudden cardiac arrest.

Realizing he was in deep trouble, the man fled in panic. This delay caused the girl to miss the critical window for resuscitation, costing her her life.

Twenty years ago, China’s surveillance network was already widespread, covering even remote suburban areas. The man was quickly apprehended by the police after fleeing.

The case caught the attention of renowned journalist Jenny, whose reporting sparked widespread national discussion.

The Xue City police faced immense pressure.

Initially, the suspect tried to argue that the girl had fainted and collapsed onto him when they passed each other, causing them both to tumble into the roadside bushes.

But who would believe such an absurd and laughable excuse?

Moreover, the police found the girl’s jade pendant in the man’s home.

With irrefutable evidence, the man had no way to deny his guilt and was eventually sentenced to death by immediate execution.

The verdict was met with unanimous public approval, as if the girl’s wrongful death had finally found some solace.

It’s worth noting that Weiyao Technology, which was just starting out at the time, extended humanitarian aid by donating 100,000 yuan to the girl’s family. This act earned the company widespread praise, and not long after, Weiyao Technology successfully went public.

The only villain in this case, the murderer who confessed and was executed, the scum despised and reviled by millions, was named Yan Ande.

“Apart from my name, I don’t remember anything,” Yan Ru said, lowering his eyes with a hint of melancholy.

“On the train?” I asked with concern.

Yan Ru nodded helplessly. “When I woke up, I found myself on the train, with no one around that I knew.”

Being alone and suffering from temporary amnesia—it must have been terrifying, making him naturally cautious and guarded.

If I hadn’t noticed his careful demeanor and the many details he couldn’t answer, I might have been completely fooled by him.

Thinking of this, a secret sense of delight spread through me, and I almost couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at my lips.

“Something this serious—you should’ve asked the police for help. Why did you tell me?” I struggled to keep my expression serious. In Yan Ru’s eyes, I vaguely saw my own reflection, filled with genuine concern.

Yan Ru said, “I had a feeling you weren’t a bad person.”

A feeling that I wasn’t a bad person?

Hah, of course!

I am, after all, a renowned psychologist.

“Just for that, once we get to Xue City, I can’t leave you to fend for yourself.” I patted my chest, putting on a reliable and resolute demeanor. “Stick with me, and I won’t let you get lost.”

The confusion in Yan Ru’s eyes gradually faded. He looked up and met my gaze but quickly averted his eyes again, nodding silently.

Yet I noticed his ears had turned faintly red.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the woven bag peeking out from under the bed. “You didn’t even know what was in that bag, yet you let them search it?”

Yan Ru turned to me, speaking matter-of-factly. “Why wouldn’t I?”

I teased him, “Weren’t you afraid it might actually have been stolen by you? A Ming Dynasty Jade Guanyin Statue—priceless. Enough to get you locked up for a decade.”

“Even without memories, a person’s character and habits don’t change.” Yan Ru said firmly. “I know what kind of person I am, and I have faith in my integrity. And if I really did steal it, then I should take responsibility and pay for my past mistakes and foolishness.”

After hearing this, I didn’t know whether to call him righteous or just naive.

Yan Ru—what kind of person was he?

I’d never heard such words before, nor met someone like him.

This was fascinating.

This train ride, being stuck with him, wasn’t a waste of time after all.

As we were talking, a sharp female voice suddenly erupted from the front of the carriage.

“What are you doing? Have some decency! You have no right to demand I open my bag!”

Yan Ru and I exchanged glances. It seemed this “righteous brigade” wasn’t invincible after all. I wasn’t the only troublemaker on this train.

“Want to go take a look?” I raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on my lips.

Sunlight streamed through the window beside Yan Ru, illuminating him in a warm glow as he nodded. He looked radiant, almost ethereal.

The crowd in the aisle hadn’t dispersed; they’d just shifted their position, reenacting the same farce.

“If you’ve got nothing to hide, you should let us see!”

Still using the same old tactics.

“These are my personal belongings. They don’t contain what you’re looking for!” The voice was familiar—soft and delicate. Where had I heard it before?

Yan Ru, however, recognized it immediately. “That’s Qi Youxuan.”

Qi Youxuan?

It took me a second to recall—wasn’t that the girl we met in the dining car earlier, the one going to Xue City to find her boyfriend?

“Oh, her!” I pushed through the crowd to get a better look.

Sure enough, the woman being harassed by the man surnamed Sun—hands on his hips—was Qi Youxuan. She clutched her bag tightly, sitting on the edge of the lower berth, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Yet her expression was unyielding, like tempered steel.

The man surnamed Sun kept prattling on, but Qi Youxuan stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to engage.

“Hey, little girl, why are you being so uncooperative too—”

“If she doesn’t want to, go find someone who will. At worst, we’ll just be treated as theft suspects and handed over to the police.”

I cut him off before he could finish. The man surnamed Sun frowned and turned, his beady eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. “You again.”

When Qi Youxuan spotted Yan Ru and me in the crowd, her eyes brightened. She wiped the corners of her eyes discreetly before standing up. “Qin Yuezhang! Yan Ru!”

The man surnamed Sun immediately feigned realization. “Ah, so that’s it! You know each other—you’re in cahoots!”

The skinny man whose hand I’d accidentally stepped on earlier popped up, posing as some self-righteous hero, spouting baseless assumptions. “So now you’re here to find your accomplices? Where did you hide the stolen goods?”

I sneered, not bothering to engage, and simply said to Qi Youxuan, “Come with us. We’ll stick together.”

Qi Youxuan nodded eagerly, ready to leave. But the narrow confines of the hard sleeper carriage made it impossible—the path was completely blocked by the crowd.

“You’re not going anywhere! You need to explain yourselves!”

As the commotion grew louder and the situation teetered on the brink of chaos, a male voice suddenly sounded from the end of the carriage.

“Passengers, what’s going on here?”

Everyone turned to look. Xu Anran stood frozen by the carriage door, his gray trench coat unbuttoned, revealing a glimpse of his white shirt.

The man surnamed Sun nearly jumped. “What the hell are you railway staff doing? Took you long enough! We’ve already identified the most suspicious people—right here.”

He pointed at me, Yan Ru, and Qi Youxuan in turn.

I crossed my arms and said to Xu Anran, “Go ahead, call the police to take us away. But whether we’re actually guilty of theft is still up for debate. Meanwhile, the violation of privacy here is already undeniable.”

The man surnamed Sun immediately erupted. “We’re doing this for everyone’s sake! If you’re arresting people, take us all! There are plenty of us standing together!”

Behind him, some cheered in agreement, while others hesitated and shrank back.

Faced with the chaos, Xu Anran’s face scrunched up in frustration. He waved his hands frantically, trying to calm the crowd.

“Passengers, please calm down and return to your seats. The theft case is already being handled by the police, and there will be results soon. There’s no need for speculation. Ms. Xu, please come with me.”

Ms. Xu’s eyes widened, a flash of panic crossing her face. “W-what? Aren’t you here to catch the thief? Why are you calling me?”

Xu Anran smiled faintly. “We just need to confirm some details with you. The police are waiting in the next carriage.”

The man surnamed Sun placed his hands on his hips and said to Ms. Xu, “Haha, sister, looks like they found it! That’s great! Don’t forget to treat me to drinks when we get off—I put in some effort here too!”

Despite his words, Ms. Xu’s face showed no joy. Instead, I detected guilt and anxiety in her expression.

“This… this… young man, what exactly did the police say?” She craned her neck, trying to glean information from Xu Anran.

Unfortunately, Xu Anran just shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ll find out when we get there.”

After speaking to her, Xu Anran turned back to the crowd. “Passengers, the doors at both ends of the carriage are now open. You may move about as needed. Thank you for your cooperation.” With that, he led Ms. Xu away to another carriage.

Leaving behind a baffled crowd.

The man surnamed Sun cupped his hands in a show of gratitude. “Alright, everyone, disperse! Thank you all for your help! Sun Zhong thanks you!”

He acted as if he were some kind of hero.

Sun Zhong’s gaze flickered to Yan Ru and me, and he rolled his eyes. He grabbed the skinny man’s hand beside him. “My buddy’s hand—this isn’t over yet!”

The skinny man immediately let his fingers droop dramatically, playing up his “injury.”

I had no interest in dragging this out and led Yan Ru back to our berth.

“I don’t think this theft case is as simple as it seems,” Yan Ru said as soon as we sat down. “The way the victim acted felt off to me.”

Yan Ru and I were on the same page.

When Ms. Xu encountered Xu Anran, her first question wasn’t “Did you find it?” but “Why are you calling me?” And the guilt on her face when she left…

This was getting interesting.