Junhao sighed softly and sat down beside me on the stone bench near the pond.
"You don't have to apologize," he said, his tone gentle but steady. "Maybe you just hit your head, and it affected your memory. It happens."
I looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"Memory loss, huh? That sounds much better than... disintegration."
He noticed my hesitation and gave me a reassuring smile.
"Don't think too much about it. For now, just focus on getting better. The wound on your head looks serious."After a pause, he added softly, "If you can't remember anything, we're here to help you."
I looked at him and hesitantly asked, "Can I ask you something?"
He nodded. I felt a little rush of excitement maybe this was my only chance to learn something about myself.
"Okay then," I said, taking a deep breath. "Let's start with something simple... What's my name?"
Junhao smiled faintly, though his eyes carried both pain and affection.
"Your name is Yang Xinrui."
The name echoed in my mind - strange, yet oddly familiar.
Then I looked at him again, expectantly.Then I looked at him again, expectantly. "Can I ask one more question?"
He smiled and nodded. "Of course."
"I know you're my brother," I said slowly. He raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Oh, because earlier Mother asked you to bring Shaman for your sister," I guessed.
He chuckled. "You're right. The two boys you saw earlier are also your brothers - Yang Junjie and Yang Junyue. I'm the eldest, and you're the youngest."
Then he glanced back at Xiaomei and said, "She's your helper. She's been with you since you were five."
I pouted slightly. "Oh.."
He asked kindly, "Would you like to ask anything else?"
I shook my head. "I guess that's enough information for today."
He smiled.
We sat there quietly for a while, enjoying the peaceful scenery. The sun began to set, casting golden ripples over the pond.
After some time, Junhao said gently, "Let's go back to your room. It's getting late."
We started walking back, with Xiaomei following behind. Once we reached the room, Junhao turned to leave, but I suddenly remembered something.
"Brother, wait!" I called him. He turned back, curious."Can I ask for a favor?"
He smiled. "You just did. What is it?"
I pouted like a little kitten. "I wanted to eat something good... I don't want porridge."
He laughed softly at my expression. "Alright, what does my little sister want to eat?"
"Karhai!" I replied instantly.
He looked surprised. "I've never heard of a dish like that."
I giggled. "You'll love it someday."
He shook his head in amusement. "Alright, I'll ask Xiaomei to get you something similar maybe noodles with some spice."
I nodded eagerly. He reminded Xiaomei to give me my medicine time, then
smiled before leaving the room.
As the door closed, I couldn't help but whisper to myself,
"Yang Xinrui... that's my name."