A pond full of blooming flowers, an ultimate addiction.

Chapter 212 So close, yet so far

Lu Haotian sat lazily in the car, pinching the bridge of his nose hard, while Zheng Sicheng's voice came through his phone.

“You can’t hypnotize her anymore. Her thinking is confused and her memory is regressing.”

"Why does she unconsciously recall the past, and even reject me, even though she loves me and I want her to love me back?"

Lu Haotian's face was gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

"The original intention of hypnosis is to heal the mind and help patients forget those painful memories. But in these memories, you have distorted what originally happened. These things are illogical, and the inconsistencies will create loopholes. She has only forgotten, not lost her judgment."

Zheng Sicheng flipped through Jiang Yi's psychological assessment report. Every indicator was unusually active, which meant that her brain was thinking a lot at a specific time.

"If this continues, will she forget completely?"

"She could very well lose herself and become a complete puppet, unable to cry or laugh, just like when I first met her, she didn't say a word."

Lu Haotian pursed his lips into a thin line, as if trying to suppress all his madness. He played with the lighter, opening and closing the flame, each movement revealing his restraint.

"That way, she'll always be by my side."

"Haotian, I am a doctor. The patient's health is paramount. If you insist on going your own way, I will no longer help you."

"You can leave Xijing."

Lü Haotian's eyes were clear and deep, with a sharpness that penetrated to the core.

When driver Xiao Zhang saw Lü Haotian in the rearview mirror, he felt a chill run down his spine. When Lü Haotian stared at him, it was as if his inner thoughts were being read, and he dared not make a move.

"As your friend of so many years, I must solemnly tell you that the love you obtained through such means is nothing but self-deception. What is stolen must eventually be returned. The day Miss Jiang remembers everything, you won't even be able to be friends anymore."

"Love is not something you can just believe in on your own."

The lighter was pressed gently again, and the flint sparked as it was rubbed together.

Sparks leaped in the air, like stars in the night sky, brief yet dazzling.

"We can't go back anymore."

In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, all sound disappeared, and only the flames that were about to burn out remained in the carriage.

……

Under dim lights and deafening music, the bartender swayed gently, elegantly mixing colorful cocktails.

Men and women were immersed in the dance floor, their bodies moving to the rhythm of the music. The dim lighting allowed them to briefly forget the pressures of real life.

The dazzling lights illuminated the wine glasses filled with Lafite, and the ambiguous atmosphere of the clinking glasses and the interplay of colors eroded and numbed people's hearts.

Jiang Yi wore a black strapless short dress that reached her thighs, revealing her fair skin. The dress was adorned with a three-dimensional bouquet of roses on her chest. Her face was lightly made up, and her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescent moons, making her look charming and lively.

Lu Haotian carefully held her hand, and every time she glanced at him, his serious expression scared her away.

Jiang Yi sat quietly in the corner, ordered a few glasses of low-alcohol ice-cold beer. The bar lights were so dim and eerie that they made one's eyes water. The beer dripped into the glass and slowly sank.

Abu sat to the side, shaking his head and clinking his glass. "There's a group game later, interested?"

"what?"

"The MC will be there later, it'll be very exciting."

The music stopped abruptly, and the MC, wearing headphones, tapped the disc, "Ready? Let's all walk to the center of the stage, the game of 'Big Watermelon and Little Watermelon' is about to begin."

"When the host calls out 'Little Watermelon,' you say 'Big Watermelon' while drawing the outline of a big watermelon. When you say 'Big Watermelon,' do the opposite. Gradually increase the tempo to match the music. The loser accepts a punishment, or if they disagree, they must drink five cups as a penalty."

"interesting."

The DJ's music energized the entire venue, and the players participating in the game formed a circle in order, taking turns to start.

At first, the speed was not fast, and everyone completed a round smoothly. Gradually, the speed increased, and the number of mistakes also increased.

Various punishments also began, such as striking sexy poses, shouting "I'm a pig!" outside the door, hugging members of the opposite sex, kissing the person on the left, etc. People became more and more open in the game.

As the ball landed, Jiang Yi made a mistake, and the MC, with a mischievous grin, pulled out a slip of paper from the penalty ball: "Kiss any person of the opposite sex in the audience for ten seconds."

Jiang Yi's face instantly burned like fire, the burning sensation spreading from her cheeks to her ears, as she nervously and anxiously looked around.

"I will punish myself with five drinks."

For those who cannot complete the punishment, they are given five glasses of "Vieri beer," which is notoriously expensive; five glasses are enough to burn through several months' worth of living expenses for these rich kids.

"My girlfriend can't hold her liquor, so I'll drink in her place."

Lü Haotian took the glass, nodded slightly to the DJ, and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few drinks, Lu Haotian's face flushed, but a gentle smile still lingered on his lips.

Wow, how romantic!

"Kiss one, kiss one."

The crowd cheered and applauded.

"Yiyi, it seems like we should do something else today."

Lu Haotian chuckled softly, a drunken smile playing on his lips. The alcohol was stimulating his nerves, his eyes began to glaze over, and his body involuntarily pressed closer to Jiang Yi.

His smile gradually widened, and he gripped Jiang Yi's hand tightly.

Suddenly, a masked man pulled away from Jiang Yi's hand and fled this somewhat unreal world, followed by the sighs of the crowd and Lü Haotian, whose path was blocked by Abu.

"Are you here too?"

Jiang Yi was forced to follow him up the elevator to the top floor, where the smell of the bar gradually dissipated in the wind.

As the city lights illuminate the night, and vehicles stream by, creating a dazzling and colorful scene.

Jiang Yi's hand was held tightly in someone's palm, enveloped by a warm, large hand. A warm force was transmitted to her heart. Unlike the touch of others, she felt inexplicably nervous yet wanted to prolong this excitement.

Chi Ruiche wore the mask from that night, but his gaze was deep and warm. He relaxed slightly, as if holding a precious treasure in his hands, wanting to pour all his tenderness into it.

Chi Ruiche conjured up a cup of hot cocoa and some food, much like Doraemon's magic pocket.

"For me?"

Jiang blinked. His sudden appearance was already unexpected. Even though they had just met once, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Chi Ruiche typed a few words on his phone and then draped a shawl over her.

"It's windy on the rooftop."

After reading those words, Jiang Yi smiled and nodded. "This is delicious, and this is delicious too. It seems like everything you brought is something I love to eat."

"nice! You love it."

Words cannot express the surging emotions in Chi Ruiche's heart; just being able to see her is better than anything else.

“Arui, what brings you to the bar today? Although I’ve never seen your face before, I feel that your temperament is different from Abu’s. You probably wouldn’t like this kind of brightly lit place.”

Jiang Yi was like a greedy kitten, savoring the pleasure of food little by little, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

Chi Ruiche's lips twitched. In his eyes, Jiang Yi's eating manner was quite adorable. The satisfaction he felt while watching her made him feel a sense of happiness in the ordinary.

"Please eat, don't be shy."

Jiang Yi took a bite of the chicken leg and chewed it carefully. "The chicken leg is delicious. Can't tell what brand it is from the packaging?"

Chi Ruiche did not answer. All the food was carefully prepared by Aunt Wang according to Jiang Yi's preferences. In order not to let her find out anything, she specially changed the packaging method so that people would mistakenly think that it was bought.

"Eat more. I'm not hungry."

Chi Ruiche's smile slowly blossomed, his sharply defined face softening considerably, and through the blur, it was filled with doting affection for Jiang Yi.

"Thank you for today. If you hadn't pulled me out of this situation, I don't know what I would have done."

Jiang Yi knew that she and Lü Haotian were boyfriend and girlfriend, and that these intimate contacts were normal, but she always felt a kind of inexplicable distance between them.

"It's good that you're not angry."

"Arui, can I see your face? It might be a bit abrupt, but if you don't like it, that's fine."

"My face is injured, I'm afraid it will scare you."

Chi Ruiche lowered his head, not daring to look Jiang Yi in the eye, afraid that she would expose his lie.

“You don’t need to feel inferior. Look at my hand. It looks fine, but I’m shaking even when I hold this drink.”

"The night sky is so beautiful. It's been so long since I've really appreciated it."

The two looked up at the sky, where the twinkling stars were so beautiful, just like their relationship—so close yet so far away.