Chapter Three: The Locked Drawer

"Meng Xia, you’re back."

“Aunt Yu.” She replied with an air of weariness, changed her shoes, and curled up alone on the sofa.

“Meng Xia, dinner’s ready.”

“Aunt Yu, I’m not really hungry right now.”

Aunt Yu sighed silently. What kind of parents were these? Their own daughter had been in a car accident, and only a few days after she returned home, they left the country again, not even bothering to ask any family members to stay with her.

Her health had never been good. After the accident, she remembered no one. From now on, there might not even be a soul left here she could talk to.

“Meng Xia, the weather’s turning cooler. Dress warmly from now on. I’ve sorted your clothes and put them in the wardrobe—you’ll see them as soon as you open it.”

“Mm, Aunt Yu, I’m just a little tired. I’m fine.”

At the slightest trace of concern, Ye Meng Xia couldn’t stop her tears from falling. She buried herself in the pillow, her voice trembling.

Such a considerate child.

Aunt Yu went upstairs, fetched a small blanket, and gently covered Ye Meng Xia with it.

“Meng Xia, I’m heading home now.”

“Okay.”

As the door closed, Ye Meng Xia could no longer hold back her sobs.

She gazed into the mirror at her own reflection—a stranger’s face. Fear washed over her, the terror of not knowing who she was.

The girl in the mirror was crying, her eyes red as a rabbit’s. She was clearly very pretty.

Why had she done such terrible things?

Today, she’d even hit Su Yichen. His face was red; it must have hurt. He’d bled a lot too, all because of her.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly spoke aloud.

“Ye Meng Xia, you’re not allowed to be a bad person.”

“You weren’t a good person before, but from now on, you mustn’t be bad again.”

“You can’t raise your hand against others, or be harsh with people, or hurt Su Yichen anymore. And you must never again do those awful things with those bad people.”

“Ye Meng Xia, you must remember this.”

She slapped her face in warning, and after a while, when her emotions finally settled, she washed her face and went out to eat.

After her shower, she lay buried under the covers, shivering with fear. How had she lived before, in this vast, empty villa?

There should always be someone to respond when you spoke.

She got up, turned on her phone, and played some gentle music. Still unable to sleep, her eyes wandered and fell upon a locked drawer.

After a while, she searched the whole room. Her former self had truly lived exquisitely—closets full of clothes, a two-tiered vanity.

Not a single key was to be found.

What on earth was locked inside? The lock itself was odd—shaped like a violin.

She couldn’t remember anything, so Ye Meng Xia simply went back to bed, ending another day of confusion and uncertainty.

In the morning, Ye Meng Xia sat at the table, slowly eating her bread. She glanced at Aunt Yu, who was bringing over the warmed milk, and suddenly remembered the locked drawer.

“Aunt Yu, do you know about the locked drawer in my room?”

“Meng Xia, no one was ever allowed in your room before.”

“Aunt Yu, do you know anything about a violin?”

Aunt Yu shook her head. “No, but I think your mother used to be the principal violinist for the national orchestra. That’s all I know.”

So her mother was a concert violinist. No wonder she’d seemed so elegant when Meng Xia met her—the kind of grace that didn’t belong to a businesswoman.

But they all seemed so busy. Even after her accident, they only stayed a few days.

“Meng Xia, this afternoon I’ll get someone to come open the lock.”

“No need, Aunt Yu. I want to look for the key a bit longer. Maybe I’ll find it soon.”

On the way, Ye Meng Xia took a hired car and soon arrived at school.

She looked ahead as the bell rang several times; everyone was present except Su Yichen.

The homeroom teacher began the math lesson, but Ye Meng Xia’s mind drifted.

She wondered if Su Yichen had remembered to put ointment on his wounds.

After class, Lin Manting noticed Ye Meng Xia staring off and hesitated before sidling up and gently poking her wrist.

“Meng Xia, are you upset?”

“No.”

“Then… how are things between you and Ye Xingchen?”

She asked tentatively, a bit cautious.

“Him? I don’t remember. I didn’t mean to yell at him yesterday. I’ll apologize.”

“I knew it! Meng Xia, you’re the best. After all, you’re cousins. Even if Ye Xingchen can be a jerk sometimes, he’s not a bad person.”

Lin Manting hugged her excitedly, eager to share a few amusing stories.

“Last time, I even saw him secretly feeding stray cats.”

“Oh, and Meng Xia, your Samoyed is adorable. When can I visit your house to see it?”

“I have a Samoyed?”

“Yes! She’s so cute. You even posted her on your social feed—her name is Lucky.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Oh right, you lost your memory. It’s okay, the more you look at things from before, the more you’ll remember.”

Curious, Meng Xia opened her phone. Apart from a few apps, there was nothing. She tapped into her messaging app and logged in.

There were only a few notification messages, and her contacts list contained only a handful of names.

“Meng Xia, is this Ye Xingchen? You still have him on your contacts?”

“I suppose so.”

“I didn’t expect his profile picture to be such a cute cat. But why is it just half a face? It looks kind of sly, hehe.”

Ye Meng Xia saw Lin Manting laughing and handed her the phone. “Do you want to add him?”

“Well, sure. That way he won’t bully you in the future.”

Lin Manting grinned, taking the phone.

“Manting, what about Shen Yichen? Did he ask for leave today?”

“Yeah, I think so. But he often skips school. The teachers don’t really care anymore.”

“Why not?”

Lin Manting handed the phone back. “Seventh High values grades above all else. His grades aren’t good, so the teachers don’t bother with him.”

“Besides, I think he only got in because of Ye Xingchen.”

“You know, your family has invested a lot in the school, so no one says anything.”

Seeing her fall silent, Lin Manting quickly changed the subject, thinking she didn’t like talking about Ye Xingchen. “Actually, Shen Yichen is pretty nice too—he’s even more handsome than Lu Chengze.”

“I think he’s really great, Meng Xia. What do you think?”

“Mm.”

“Then be nicer to him in the future.”

Ye Meng Xia looked at Lin Manting. “Was I really that bad to him before?”

Lin Manting nodded slowly. “Sometimes, yes. You could be cold, or just ignore him entirely. Like yesterday. Sometimes you were… a little wild.”

What she didn’t say was that, at times, Meng Xia had seemed almost unhinged.

Ye Meng Xia gripped her phone tightly. So she really had been awful before.

After classes ended, she returned home to find a note left on the table: “Meng Xia, dinner is ready and covered on the table. Aunt Yu had something to take care of at home, so she left early.”

She put down the note, ate a simple meal, showered, and went to bed early.