Chapter Seventeen: Lost Memories

Lin Xiuzhi did not know exactly what the position of General Commander entailed, but judging by Chen Liao's tone, it was clearly a position of immense power.

Lin Xiuzhi felt even more unsettled. How could this be? Even if this so-called General Commander was truly an old man, how on earth did Qiao Luo manage to get close to him? Thinking back to how they had insulted, bullied, and enslaved Qiao Luo at home, the fact that she could now latch onto such a high-ranking official was maddening. How could she deserve this? Most importantly, what if Qiao Luo whispered in the General Commander's ear to convince him to target them?

Anxiety gnawed at her. Seeing that Xinglin Village was fast approaching, she muttered a quick word to Chen Liao and hurried into the village.

Chen Zhian was at home trying on a new dress. She had pestered Lin Xiuzhi and Qiao Guojun to buy it for her a few days ago, but Lin had insisted it could only be worn when going into town. Consequently, Chen Zhian could only indulge herself by trying it on at home. She put on the dress and spun around, posing affectedly. Thinking about how Qiao Guojun had spent twelve yuan on a dress for her while his own daughter, Qiao Luo, had to wear rags covered in patches, Chen Zhian felt an overwhelming sense of triumph.

Lin Xiuzhi pushed the door open to see this scene. She immediately marched over and slapped Chen Zhian on the back. "You're still here preening yourself? Do you have any idea that Qiao Luo has latched onto a high-ranking official?"

Chen Zhian froze. "Qiao Luo hooked up with a high-ranking official? How is that possible! Wasn't she heading to the military base to find her fiancé?"

"She hooked up with someone powerful, so of course she kicked her fiancé to the curb," Lin Xiuzhi sneered. "Her fiancé returned to the village, and we ran into him on the road just now. That's what he told me."

"What do we do?" Chen Zhian panicked. "We bullied her so much in the past—what if she decides to report us?"

Lin Xiuzhi was equally agitated. "When your father gets back, we’ll discuss what to do!"

Meanwhile, the subject of their concern, Qiao Luo, was busy interrogating the system. "Are you awake yet?" It was less of an interrogation and more of a forced confession. "I’ve always found it strange—why did Qin Yanzhou react so strongly when he saw my face on my second day at the base? Could it be that he knew the original host? But there’s no mention of him in her memories!"

The system’s tone remained cheerful and lively. "Little host, your memories are incomplete! But as long as you work hard to woo Qin Yanzhou and complete the system tasks, you will gather the memory fragments and find out."

Qiao Luo was stunned. "Are you saying... I have amnesia? Wait, did I lose my memory, or did the original host lose hers?" She had to be certain; otherwise, she felt deeply bothered. If it was the original host who shared memories with Qin Yanzhou, and it was the original host he loved, wouldn't that make her a mistress? A heinous mistress who had usurped someone else’s body?

The system’s tone didn't change. "It is you, of course! Little host, you don't need to worry about that."

Qiao Luo was even more bewildered. "So, I didn't transmigrate on my way to the military base? I transmigrated a long time ago?" But her memories before coming to the base were indeed those of the original host. Or was she... the original host herself?

Qiao Luo shook her head violently. Impossible! How could she be the original host? The original was so weak and easily bullied. If she had been here all along, she would have burned down Qiao Guojun’s house a thousand times over.

The system repeated itself: "Little host, as long as you work hard to woo Qin Yanzhou and complete the system tasks, you will gather the memory fragments and find out."

Qiao Luo pounded the table in frustration. "Useless system! What good are you?"

"System entering sleep mode!"

"Get lost!" Qiao Luo hissed. Her mind felt clouded, and the mention of missing memories left her feeling lost about both her past and her future. "How could I have amnesia? Why would I lose my memory? What did I do before?" She stood blankly in the courtyard, murmuring to herself. "What happened between me and Qin Yanzhou? If I ask him, will he tell me?"

Just as she turned, she saw two young soldiers standing outside the gate, looking at her with awkward expressions. In an instant, Qiao Luo felt that she was the one who should be embarrassed. Help! Why did someone have to come to her house right now? And why did they have to hear her muttering to herself?

"Comrade Qiao Luo, hello," one of the soldiers quickly recovered and spoke up. "We were sent by Elder Liu. Since Regiment Commander Liu is returning today, he will be coming to pay you a visit in person to express his gratitude."

Qiao Luo finally remembered the elderly man she had saved at the supply and marketing cooperative. Looking closer, she realized these two were among the guards who had taken him to the hospital that day. "Is the old gentleman doing well?" she asked with concern.

"He is much better, though the doctor has kept him in the hospital and won't let him leave."

Qiao Luo thought that if he was still running around despite his condition, he certainly needed to be kept in check. "His heart isn't strong; he really needs to rest."

The two guards prepared to leave, but Qiao Luo called them back. "Um," she said, feeling a bit shy, "are you familiar with Commander Qin?"

The two guards exchanged glances. "Comrade Qiao Luo, what exactly do you want to know?" one asked cautiously. "Commander Qin has the nickname 'The Cold-Faced Yama'!"

Qiao Luo wanted to ask if Qin Yanzhou had ever been near Xinglin Village. After all, the original host—or perhaps she herself—had never traveled far from the village. But she couldn't be sure if these guards would know, so she had to be indirect. "Well, before his leg was injured, did Commander Qin go on business trips often? Like your Regiment Commander Liu?"

The guard answered truthfully: "Commander Qin went on trips and missions. He is incredibly capable and a skilled fighter. He led his team to complete many missions, which is why he reached the position of General Commander at such a young age."

The other guard sighed with regret. "It’s a pity about his injury. You should know, Commander Qin’s mission success rate used to be one hundred percent! But ever since his leg was hurt..."

Qiao Luo inferred that Qin Yanzhou hadn't gone on missions since his injury, so she quickly asked, "By the way, when was it that he was injured?" If she had known him before, it must have been before his injury; this would at least allow her to narrow down when she had arrived.

Just then, a slightly cold voice sounded from behind her: "If you're so curious about me, why don't you ask me to my face?"