What If I Ended Up Marrying My Enemy? - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Compensation

 

Yu Wenxuan hadn’t expected that the very first thing he’d blurt out after recovering a bit of his memory would give him away.

 

Yu Zhixue looked at him, eyes wet and glistening like it was about to rain. “Did you remember?”

 

Yu Wenxuan reached out and touched the corner of his eye. He had only remembered a small part and didn’t want to raise his hopes too much. “A little.”

 

“How little is ‘a little’?” Yu Zhixue pressed.

 

Yu Wenxuan replied, “Just the events at the party. Everything else is still a blank.”

 

“I’ll take you to see Liang Sheng.” After saying that, Yu Zhixue remembered that Yu Wenxuan didn’t know who Liang Sheng was now, so he added, “He’s a doctor I know.”

 

Seeing that Yu Zhixue had even put down his chopsticks and looked like he was ready to drag him out the door, Yu Wenxuan grabbed his wrist.

 

Yu Zhixue was pulled slightly forward over the table.

 

Yu Wenxuan didn’t let go. “Finish your meal first. What’s the rush?”

 

What followed was the fastest Yu Wenxuan had ever seen Yu Zhixue eat. He was only halfway through his bowl when Yu Zhixue had already finished and was staring at him.

 

At first, Yu Wenxuan pretended not to notice and kept eating, but that gaze grew more and more intense.

 

He sighed, set his chopsticks down with a soft clatter, and stood up. “Go get changed.”

 

Yu Zhixue glanced at his bowl. “You barely ate.”

 

Yu Wenxuan picked up the jacket draped over the chair, zipped it up, and leaned down. “Then you’ll have to compensate me later. Got it?”

 

Compensate—as in, buy him another meal afterward?

 

Thinking that, Yu Zhixue quickly went upstairs to change clothes.

 

Yu Wenxuan saw the shirt Yu Zhixue had pulled out from who-knows-where and tugged on the back of his collar, stopping him from heading to the door.

 

Then he asked seriously, “How long has it been since you left the house?”

 

Yu Zhixue froze. “I haven’t gone out these past few days.”

 

“Do you even know what the temperature is outside? You’re wearing so little.” He took off his own jacket and put it on Yu Zhixue.

 

Yu Wenxuan then went upstairs to find himself a new coat.

 

The sleeves of the oversized jacket covered most of Yu Zhixue’s hands, only his fingertips peeking out. He tugged at the cuffs for a while, then raised his hand to sniff the fabric.

 

It smelled like Yu Wenxuan—his usual woody scent.

 

Yu Zhixue rarely wore black, and with his long hair hanging down, his skin looked even paler by contrast.

 

When Yu Wenxuan came downstairs, he saw him staring blankly. He walked over and clipped a small hairpin to the side of his hair. He hadn’t tied it up for him today, so it just fell loosely over his shoulders.

 

Feeling his movement, Yu Zhixue lowered his head slightly, and his hand crept out of the sleeve to grab the hem of Yu Wenxuan’s coat.

 

Yu Wenxuan took his hand, naturally intertwining their fingers. “Let’s go.”

 

…

 

Liang Sheng hadn’t expected to see these two show up together like this.

 

They were wearing clothes in the same color scheme, but it was obvious that what Yu Zhixue had on didn’t fit—it was too long in both the sleeves and the hem.

 

This clearly wasn’t just a case of ill-fitting clothes. As far as Liang Sheng knew, most of Yu Zhixue’s wardrobe was custom made.

 

He looked them up and down. Ah, boyfriend’s jacket, got it.

 

He remembered Yu Zhixue saying that Yu Wenxuan had lost his memory, and that their relationship wasn’t good—he wouldn’t even listen to him. Yet here Yu Wenxuan was, checking the temperature and warming his hands.

 

That’s what “doesn’t get along” looks like?

 

“What’s going on? Is someone sick?” Liang Sheng didn’t want to bring up the memory loss too directly.

 

Yu Zhixue said, “I brought him here because he remembered something today.”

 

Yu Wenxuan stood silently beside him.

 

Liang Sheng put down his pen and interlaced his fingers, listening to Yu Zhixue’s brief explanation before saying, “I’ll have Yu Wenxuan go for a scan first.”

 

When Yu Zhixue heard this, he immediately looked like he was going to follow, but Liang Sheng quickly stopped him. “Where are you going? I need to talk to you.”

 

Yu Zhixue just turned around and looked at him.

 

Yu Wenxuan gently touched his face and whispered, “I’ll be fine on my own. You don’t have to come with me.”

 

So Yu Zhixue stayed behind and sat across from Liang Sheng, with half his face buried in the jacket’s high collar.

 

Liang Sheng scribbled something on the paper. “His condition is likely due to encountering something familiar that triggered a memory.”

 

“Given the situation, my suggestion is to recreate a memory that left a strong impression on him—use it to stimulate another trigger.”

 

“If it doesn’t work, don’t panic. Since the process has started, it won’t be long before he remembers everything. The stimulus just speeds things up.”

 

After speaking for a while, Liang Sheng looked at Yu Zhixue for his reaction.

 

Yu Zhixue asked, “What kind of memory counts as deep or vivid?”

 

Liang Sheng replied, “Anything—happy, sad, angry. The key is strong emotions. You need to spark a sense of resonance.”

 

After a long pause, Yu Zhixue nodded.

 

…

 

Yu Wenxuan came over with the scan results and saw Yu Zhixue standing at the doorway. He walked up and asked, “Why are you just standing there?”

 

“We finished talking.” Yu Zhixue glanced at the report in his hand. “How did the scan go?”

 

Yu Wenxuan placed the papers into his hand and let him read for himself. “The doctor said there’s nothing wrong. I’m perfectly healthy.”

 

Yu Zhixue let out a quiet “mm,” then went back in to hand the documents to Liang Sheng. After receiving the same answer, he finally felt at ease.

 

Yu Wenxuan wrapped an arm around his shoulders from behind, waved goodbye to Liang Sheng, and led him out.

 

Walking down the hospital corridor, Yu Zhixue was focused on his phone, looking something up seriously.

 

Yu Wenxuan looked down and asked, “What are you looking at?”

 

Yu Zhixue raised the phone slightly. “Restaurants nearby. Didn’t you say I had to compensate you?”

 

He tapped on a well-rated Japanese restaurant. “How about this one?”

 

Yu Wenxuan was speechless for a moment. He wasn’t sure if Yu Zhixue was just being innocent or something else. After a while, he finally said, “That’s not what I meant by compensation.”

 

Yu Zhixue: “…?”

 

He asked sincerely, “Do you want me to cook for you? But I’m not good at it.”

 

After that idea was rejected too, Yu Zhixue looked even more confused.

 

Seeing his baffled expression, Yu Wenxuan softly asked, “Do you want me to tell you what I really meant?”

 

Yu Zhixue lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, but couldn’t figure it out. So he nodded.

 

Yu Wenxuan didn’t say anything else. He led him through a few twists and turns until they reached a quiet corner with no people around.

 

Yu Zhixue followed without protest, even though he didn’t understand. “Are we going downstairs? The stairway’s on the left.”

 

Yu Wenxuan stopped, turned to look at him, and said slowly, “So dumb.”

 

Yu Zhixue, bewildered at being randomly scolded: “?”

 

He lifted his head to retort, only to lock eyes with Yu Wenxuan’s calm and gentle gaze.

 

In that moment, Yu Zhixue finally understood what “compensation” meant.

 

Yu Wenxuan saw the realization in his eyes and, confirming there was no rejection, leaned in closer, their noses brushing.

 

A pale hand gripped the front of his shirt. Their breath mingled, indistinguishable from one another.

 

Yu Wenxuan whispered, “I’m going to kiss you.”

 

“…You don’t have to tell me,” Yu Zhixue said nervously, biting his lip.

 

“You’re the one who said I should tell you in advance.” That day at the pavilion, when Yu Zhixue had bitten his shoulder, he had said it.

 

Before he could finish, Yu Wenxuan leaned in and kissed him. His lips were cool, like autumn air.

 

That chill was soon warmed away in the exchange of lips and tongue. Yu Zhixue unknowingly stepped back, until he reached the dim edge of the corridor.

 

Yu Wenxuan followed closely, not letting go. One hand braced against the wall, the other cradled the back of Yu Zhixue’s head as their kiss deepened.

 

The corner was quiet, even the lights seemed too shy to intrude.

 

It was a gentle, tender kiss—and so Yu Zhixue closed his eyes.

 

…

 

In the end, they still went to the Japanese restaurant for lunch. It had good reviews, and they were both quite satisfied with the meal.

 

During lunch, Yu Zhixue said, “Next time you kiss me, you’re not allowed to ask first.”

 

Just imagining Yu Wenxuan asking that same line every time before a kiss made his embarrassment level skyrocket.

 

Yu Wenxuan moved the overly sweet dessert from in front of Yu Zhixue to himself. “Changing your mind again, huh?”

 

Yu Zhixue watched his dessert get taken away and then had his cheek pinched. Unhappy, he muttered, “I am changing my mind.”

 

“If I don’t ask, how will I know if you’re willing?” Yu Wenxuan asked calmly.

 

Yu Zhixue answered seriously, “If I’m okay with it, I’ll close my eyes.”

 

…

 

Since they were already out, they didn’t go home immediately and instead walked around nearby.

 

What started as a casual stroll somehow led them to the arcade—and then Yu Zhixue became obsessed with a claw machine.

 

He refused to let Yu Wenxuan help and insisted on doing it himself. Yu Wenxuan could only silently exchange tokens to keep his basket full.

 

On the machine next to them, a little kid had also failed to grab a prize after many tries and ran off crying to his mom.

 

Yu Wenxuan quietly watched from the side.

 

After the child was comforted and left, Yu Zhixue was still trying.

 

Yu Wenxuan walked over, leaned his head on Yu Zhixue’s shoulder, and helped him adjust the angle. “A little more to the left.”

 

Yu Zhixue nudged the joystick left—and the claw swerved way too far.

 

Unable to watch anymore, Yu Wenxuan wrapped his arms around him from behind, guided his hand, and helped him adjust it properly. “There. That should do it.”

 

Yu Zhixue hit the button.

 

Three minutes later, Yu Zhixue was walking down the street hugging a brown teddy bear. He was so focused on it, he forgot to hold Yu Wenxuan’s hand.

 

Yu Wenxuan suddenly wished he could go back three minutes and stop himself.

 

He reached over and pulled the bear out of Yu Zhixue’s arms, then silently extended his neglected hand.

 

Yu Zhixue took it—and then quickly reclaimed the bear.

 

…

 

Once they got home, Yu Zhixue finally had a moment to think about what Liang Sheng had said about “deeply imprinted memories.”

 

He knew plenty of memories that were important to Yu Wenxuan, but most were tied to specific contexts—like childhood or university—making them hard to recreate.

 

After thinking it over, only one event seemed doable.

 

With Yu Wenxuan unaware, he took out his phone and called someone, briefly explaining what he intended to do.

 

There was a sudden flurry of chaotic noise and a fit of explosive coughing from the other end.

 

Yu Zhixue quickly turned down the volume, but it wasn’t enough to muffle the utterly shocked and deafening voice that shouted through the speaker:

 

“You’re going to confess to Yu Wenxuan again?!!”