Chapter 2 Growing Intimate

"Sir, Lois Xu hit her head in the car accident. A blood clot formed in her brain and hasn't dissolved yet, so it's pressing on her nerves, causing temporary amnesia. As long as she gets a good quality rest for some time, the blood clot will slowly recede, and her memories may be restored."

The doctor had grown used to Hans' gloomy face and how he could fly off the handle with the slightest provocation. To his surprise, Hans only sneered and did not say anything. His reaction was totally unexpected.

"Lois, I told you to rest. Why are you still up?" His words were full of genuine concern.

"Is my brain damaged? Why can't I remember anything?" She looked up at him with a worried, innocent expression in her eyes.

With that one glance, Hans felt an unidentifiable emotion slowly creeping inside his heart. He was as powerless to resist the pureness of this young woman. She was just like Lois.

"Lois, you only lost your memories temporarily. You will slowly recover after resting for some time."

He slowly approached her and slid an arm around her shoulders. The idea of protecting this girl was slowly taking root in his mind.

Moira was surprised by what Hans did. She was about to duck out of the embrace, but he held her fast in his strong arms.

Warmth slowly seeped into her heart. He was her fiance, and she had never felt this safe and secure in another person's arms until now. She slowly and carefully allowed herself to relax against the man's chest.

A satisfied smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. Finally, this woman would be his.

He gently stroked her head, marveling at how the shiny black hair was just like Lois'. Even the faint fragrance wafting from her body and teasing his nose was so similar, as was her face. He could clearly recall how he had almost uttered Lois' name when he first saw the young woman's appearance.

Eight years had passed, and for a moment, he felt that he had seen Lois' face again. She had the same beautiful hair, the same cute nose, the same little mouth, the same clear eyes, and the same pale skin. What he found the most remarkable about the woman's features was the red mole on her forehead, which was the same mark as Lois'. Never had he encountered two people who were so similar.

Lois once said that this red mole was a mark that was uniquely her own, and that Hans would always think of her when he saw it. That night, when he saw that identical mark, he felt like his control was slipping from his grasp and he was filled with a bitterness that he couldn't describe. It was then that he decided to bring this stranger home, as if to make amends to Lois.

He didn't know what he felt for this girl. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to keep her in his arms, away from harm.

"Lois, please have a rest. Ah, but first, take the medicine." He grabbed a pillow and placed it between the headboard and the woman's back. As soon as he was satisfied with her seating position, he stood up to get the glass of water on the bedside table.

At the sight of so many different pills, Hans couldn't keep a frown from forming between his eyebrows. He constantly fought a lot of fights in the business world, and yet he always refused to take the medicine like a kid. It was only Lois who had ever succeeded in making him take the medicine without a hitch. She had left so many traces in his life, but the memories had somewhat grown dim with time. Many years had passed; he wished for only the good memories to remain, yet everything remained to make him suffer, like penance for all his sins.

"Ahem..." The sound of her little cough brought him back to reality.

"Lois, slow down..." He gently thumped her on the back. She was wearing silk pajamas, which exposed the delicate curves of her neck. His heart was filled restlessness, but he didn't know why.

"Are the pills very bitter, Lois?" He marveled at how someone with a horrible temper like him could be so gentle toward another person.

"I'm not afraid of the taste. Besides, I know that I could only get better soon if I took these pills." As she spoke, a sweet smile spread on her face, and a mischievous dimple made an appearance on her cheek.

Hans felt his heart clench at the sight.

After urging her to lie down, Hans considerately tucked her in. Sitting by the bedside, he watched as she drifted off to sleep, one of her small hands in his. Her slender fingers were as white as jade. He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her breathing deepen.

After laying a gentle kiss on her forehead, Hans quietly left the room.

When he went downstairs, the servant had already put a bottle of French wine on the table. He felt very happy today. His good mood must have something to do with the appearance of that woman.

He filled half of the glass with wine and sipped it slowly. It was the first time in a long while that he didn't need to use alcohol to numb himself.

'Lois, I have finally found a woman who looks like you so much. Can you give me a chance to make up for everything?'

As they grew up together, Lois had become a part of his life. When he was frustrated, she appeared before him with perfect timing. When he was starving for family affection, she unhesitatingly supported him with her soft body. She filled his dreams back then. He didn't know when he started to fall in love with her, his childhood sweetheart-love just slowly but surely appeared. That love, which bloomed along the growth of two people, could have been a wonderful conclusion to the story of two lives as closely intertwined as theirs, but real life was seldom that poetic or kind to dreamers.

Just then, his father, Colton Chu, opened the door and walked in. Although he was over 50 years old, he was as high spirited and exuberant as he was when he was younger. After seeing that his son was drinking again, he only glanced indifferently at him and hurried to another room. Hans acted as if nothing had happened. He was quite indifferent to Colton's appearance. The relationship between father and son had been like this since eight years ago. The two of them would not easily communicate with each other unless it involved a major company decision.

Moira had been missing for a day and a night, and Ralph Zhou received no news of her. He was pacing back and forth in the corridor. Ralph Zhou knew that Moira was a sensible girl. Did she choose to escape because she couldn't accept he fate? Even if she hated her adoptive parents for selling her, why did she ignore him? With their close relationship, he was sure that she would tell him everything-even if something else was bothering her at the time, she would definitely tell him as soon as she was able. Now, he couldn't find her anywhere. He kept trying to call the familiar number only to hear that cold voice saying on the other end of the line over and over, "The number you dialed is powered off." Ralph Zhou sensed that something was wrong. At that moment, Celia Geng came over. "Ralph, is there still no news about Moira?"

He shook his head. "I have searched every place that she frequents, but there is no trace of her."

"Don't worry. Moira must have overheard her parents' conversation and couldn't accept it for now, so she probably stepped out to clear her head." Celia Geng looked at the man in front of her. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink all night, and the set of his shoulders betrayed his anxiousness. She knew how much he cared about Moira-after all, they were the most popular couple in C University. Now that Moira had disappeared, this man must be feeling nervous.

"Well, that's the only logical explanation I could think of." Ralph Zhou nodded helplessly. He could only comfort himself in this way.

He walked to the window, the light in his eyes unusually dull.

This was the first time that he had been so upset. Moira had always been a reassuring presence in his life ever since they met. Now, she was nowhere to be found, like she had vanished from the face of the earth. There was no news of her at all. It wasn't until all this had happened that he realized that he loved her much more than he had imagined.

Celia Geng looked at his back, and her mind wandered. If she disappeared one day, would he be as anxious as he was now? Would he go crazy to find her? Perhaps she was just being sentimental. When she and Moira stood side by side, his gaze never lingered on her. From beginning to end, he was affected by only Moira.

Hans opened the door to his bedroom. Suddenly, he stopped and whirled around to head toward another room. Would he feel relieved if he saw that woman before going to bed?

He gently pushed the door open and entered the room without turning on the lights. He followed the sliver of moonlight through the window, stood by the bed, and reached out to light a little bedside lamp. After tucking her in, he found her wet bangs clinging to her sweat-dotted forehead. He took out the handkerchief that he usually carried around and gently wiped the sweat on her forehead. The monogrammed L of the handkerchief was momentarily illuminated by the moonlight and faded into obscurity in the next moment.

Afraid that she might have nightmares, Hans gently touched her messy bangs.

"Don't leave me..." Moira sobbed out, and her hand reached out to clutch at his clothes tightly. Hans felt sorry for her and stroked her forehead. "Lois, don't be afraid. I'm here with you."

All of a sudden, the room quieted down, as if a magic being suddenly waved a wand. Hans steeled himself to keep from making any movement and allowed her to hold onto his clothing. Did she really think of him as an insensate being?

One of Lois' favorite activities was to hold onto him when she was sick. She also liked to cling to his pinkie finger. At times, when he tried to break free from her grasp, she would stretch out her hand again as soon as he loosened her hand. There were times when Lois seemed like an elder sister to him, but sometimes, she seemed as innocent as a child. Hans could resist neither of them.