Chapter 362 - Noble Role (1/2)

”So...Let me get this straight. You lost your memories, all of them?” Lei Xing skeptically asked with knit eyebrows.

Tung Mei slowly nodded and haphazardly explained, ”Ahhh, it appears so... my illness this time was...particularly severe. I was told I nearly died, um... well, the physicians called it a miracle I survived.”

”Really?” Lei Xing responded with the same skeptical tone.

Tung Mei nodded, ”Yes. If not for Your majesty's care, I would have already met my end. Thank you for saving my life.” She finished with a polite bow, her body quite tense. With Lei Xing's tone, it felt more like an interrogation than a concerned ”friend's” curiosity.

Her aunt had been anxious about her making a mistake in the palace and had actually given her etiquette ”reminders”. Her anxious aunt had even had her go through practice conversations and prepped her responses. Although her aunt must not have been that worried considering she threw her to the Lei siblings as soon as they showed up.

Tung Mei inwardly sighed and took a sip from her teacup, trying to ignore Lei Xing's eyes boring holes into her.

”Where's your bracelet?” Lei Xing suddenly asked, narrowing her eyes at Tung Mei's empty wrists.

Tung Mei froze and looked up to see Lei Xing frowning at the jade bracelet on her wrist, ”Bracelet?”

”The one you normally wear, it's like a string of diamonds. The one you use to ta- Nevermind, you don't ”remember”...” Lei Xing said in the same unnerving skeptical tone.

{... There has to be a trick somewhere...Can't imagine that quack couldn't heal an illness. I mean the guy made a freaking poison detecting ring, some weird bracelet phone, and from what I gather, my bloody transmigration situation. Human anatomy shouldn't be a problem for him... But then again, he couldn't heal Chen You's mother back then - he probably didn't want to, pretty sure he could have... There's no way you really lost your memory, right -…}

”Jie, stop staring.” Xiao Ting whispered, pulling on Lei Xing's arm, ”You're making Ying jie uncomfortable.”

Lei Xing turned her attention to Xiao Ting, who had parked herself right next to her, ”Do you really believe she lost her memories?” Lei Xing quietly asked.

Xiao Ting pouted, ”She didn't recognize me or even Yong ge -” She sniffed and then bit her lower lip to hold back her tears, ”Why? You don't believe her?” Xiao Ting curiously asked.

Lei Xing scoffed and mumbled, ”Of course not, it's the oldest excuse in the book. Everybody uses it...”

{...What kind of illness can't that quack treat? There's a trick here, has to be (≖_≖ )...}

Xiao Ting knit her brows in thought for a bit and then c.o.c.ked her head, ”Jie...didn't you also say you lost your memories?”

Lei Xing froze, blinked a few times, and then laughed and pat Xiao Ting on the head, ”That's different, I drowned. Water can cause brain damage, don't you know? Water-logged brain, brain freeze, and all that...brain stuff.” Lei Xing awkwardly explained.

Xiao Ting looked even more confused and before she could say anything more troubling, Lei Xing swiftly changed the topic, ”Why aren't you eating? I even ordered your favorite snacks, at least try some~” Lei Xing urged with a smile, obviously trying to distract her.

”Oh.” Xiao Ting somberly went, picking up a biscuit and nibbling on it.

Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief and turned her attention back to Tung Mei and after a bit more thought, she threw out the question, ”Do you know what transmigration is?”

”Me?” Tung Mei asked, glancing at Lei Xing to make sure she was talking to her.

”Yes, you.”

”Ohh…” Tung Mei knit her brows in thought, ”Trami -”

”Transmigration.” Lei Xing provided and then helpfully went on to explain, ”It's this theory of a soul traversing through time and/or space to enter a body. Quite interesting stuff, ever heard of it?” Lei Xing casually asked.

Tung Mei slowly shook her head and tentatively responded, ”No…”

”I see. I had thought that perhaps I had come across a like-minded individual.” Lei Xing said with a wistful sigh.

”I am sorry I am not able to be of help to you…” Tung Mei awkwardly said with a bow, not quite sure what this whole ”transmigrator” business was.

Lei Xing shrugged and picked up her teacup, ”It is of no matter...”

{...Was worth a try, I guess. Anyway, fake or not, as the quack would say it's ”none of my business”..}

”This is all Yong ge's fault.” Xiao Ting mumbled with a sniff.

Hearing this re-ignited Lei Xing's dying interest and she promptly turned to Xiao Ting and quietly asked, ”Lei Yong?” What did he do?”

Xiao Ting glanced at Tung Mei, who was picking at the snacks on her table, pretending that she could not hear the whispering siblings - just wanting this nerve-racking visit to be over so she could go home.

Satisfied that Tung Mei was not paying them any mind, Xiao Ting turned to Lei Xing and quietly explained, ”I don't know what they talked about but after we left your coronation... Ying jie, she was very sad that day. She looked very sick, pale, like she would collapse at any moment and -” She stopped, sniffed a few times, took a deep breath, and then chokingly continued, ”She talked as if she was going away, saying goodbye and -”

Xiao Ting choked and tearily looked at Tung Mei and chokingly said, ”I think, I think she did something... to forget. If only Yong ge had. I don't understand why he would - Ying jie, I'm so sorry!” and then she started crying...again, loudly.

Lei Xing frowned, but before she could open her mouth, Tung Mei suddenly exclaimed in exasperation, ”Why does she keep crying?! It's annoying!”