Yinyin had been thinking all night. She stared at the ceiling fan, spinning lazily in slow circles, the same way her thoughts circled around Yuyin's condition.
The doctor had said that revisiting familiar places might help Yuyin recover bits of her memory—fragments, pieces, a beginning.
And Yinyin wasn't the type to sit back and wait for fate to do all the work.
That morning, she walked into Yuyin's room with a confident smile and a pair of sunglasses perched on her head like a mission-ready commander.
"Get dressed," Yinyin said.
Yuyin blinked. "Why? Are we going somewhere?"
"We're going everywhere," Yinyin grinned. "Operation Memory Recovery begins today."
Yuyin raised a brow, amused. "Is that even a real operation?"
"Yes, fully certified by Doctor Me." Yinyin winked and tossed her a pastel blue dress. "Wear this. We're going on a trip."
---
First Stop: The Garden Tea House
The moment they stepped onto the gravel path leading into the quiet tea garden, Yuyin looked around curiously.
"This place looks... peaceful," she said softly.
Yinyin's heart squeezed. You used to say this was where you felt the most at peace in the world. They had come here often after long school days. This was where Yuyin had once confessed her dream of designing her own clothing line.
Now, she walked through the garden like a tourist.
They sat at their usual bench under the bougainvillea arch. The waitress, recognizing them, smiled brightly.
"The usual?" she asked.
Yinyin nodded, and Yuyin tilted her head. "We used to come here a lot?"
Yinyin nodded slowly. "Yeah. Especially when you had something on your mind."
Yuyin stared at the teacup in front of her, brows furrowing. "There's... a fuzzy image. Like laughter. Mine. Yours. Was Mingze here too?"
Yinyin smiled gently. "Maybe."
---
Second Stop: The Bookstore
It was a quiet, cozy shop with wooden floors and high shelves that seemed to touch the sky. The smell of ink and old pages wrapped around them like a blanket.
Yuyin stood still for a while, eyes scanning the familiar chaos of books.
"This place... it smells like my childhood," she murmured. "Did I work here?"
"No," Yinyin chuckled, "but you acted like you did. Always fixing the books that people messed up."
Yuyin wandered through the aisles. Her fingers drifted along the spine of a poetry book and paused.
"Yinyin…" she held up the book, a small volume titled 'Letters to the Moon.' "Did I love this?"
Yinyin's voice cracked slightly. "It was your favorite. You even made me read from it once when you were sick."
Yuyin's lips curved faintly. "You must really love me."
"I do." Yinyin said it without thinking. And when Yuyin looked up, she smiled.
---
Third Stop: The Riverside
The sun was beginning to set when they reached the last place—an open park by the riverbank, where the water glittered with soft orange reflections.
This was where they had once watched fireworks. Where Yuyin had danced barefoot on the grass and gotten scolded by an old man with a cane. Where they had once sat under a tree and Yuyin had told Yinyin, "If I ever lose my memory, drag me here. It'll all come back."
Yinyin's voice shook slightly. "We used to come here for everything. Birthdays. Tears. Stress. Breakups…"
Yuyin slowly walked to the edge of the water, watching the ripples. She crouched and dipped her fingers in.
Then suddenly—her fingers stopped. Her shoulders tensed.
"I remember something," she whispered.
Yinyin straightened. "What is it?"
Yuyin turned, her eyes slightly wide. "Fireworks. And… I was crying. You were hugging me."
Yinyin rushed forward. "Yes. Yes, that happened. Do you remember why?"
Yuyin clutched her head. "It's blurry. Just emotions. Strong ones. I don't know who it was about…"
Yinyin didn't press. She simply hugged her. "It's okay. That's already a start."
---
That Night
Back home, Yuyin clutched the poetry book she bought, even though they already owned a copy. She read aloud one line:
"Even when the moon forgets the tide, it still finds its way back to the shore."
Yinyin turned off the lights and whispered, "We're going to bring all your memories back. No matter how long it takes."
And outside the room, leaning against the wall with a phone in hand, Lu Chen listened silently.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
"She remembered something," Mingze said on the other end.
"Yes," Lu Chen replied.
And for the first time in a while, he let himself hope.