Memory inheritor

Chapter 205 Testing

Chapter 205 Testing (Part 2)

When Wei Hongsi saw the smile on Zhang Shuqiu's face and the actions she made, he was immediately reminded of the "spirited old man" and couldn't help but shudder.

Zhang Shuqiu asked, "Are you cold?"

Wei Hongsi steadied himself and said with a smile, "It's alright."

"You just came in from outside, and the air conditioning must be making you uncomfortable, right?" Zhang Shuqiu said, standing up. "Let's switch places. I wanted to help you cool off, but you're so frail."

Wei Hongsi waved his hand and said, "No need for that trouble, you'll get used to it in a bit."

Zhang Shuqiu said, "Adapt to what? I'm fat, I get hot easily, so please take care of me."

Upon hearing her say this, Wei Hongsi got up and switched seats with her.

The two sat down again, and Zhang Shuqiu said with a smile, "Don't worry, I haven't used the cutlery."

Wei Hongsi knew she was referring to the time when she was a child and had to change flutes, so she said, "Being hygienic is good for everyone."

Zhang Shuqiu blinked: "The tableware in that shop is all disinfected and sterilized; they're not unhygienic!"

Wei Hongsi shook his head: "You still have so many thoughts on your mind."

Zhang Shuqiu snorted and said, "I don't have any such thoughts. I'm just a little fool."

As she spoke, she grabbed the beer glass in front of her: "Come on, long time no see, let's have a toast."

Wei Hongsi said, "I really don't drink alcohol."

Zhang Shuqiu curled her lip: "Don't give me that. I know you used to drink beer with your brother when you were little, and you even banged your head against the wall."

Wei Hongsi asked with some surprise, "You know about this too?"

He himself had no recollection of it; he only heard his older brother mention it when he went to his brother's house for dinner last time.

Zhang Shuqiu sighed softly, "You really have forgotten everything about our past."

This was exactly what Wei Hongsi was worried about—being exposed before they even started talking.

Before he could answer, Zhang Shuqiu asked again, "Tell me the truth, all these years of studying and working away from home, have you never drunk a drop of alcohol?"

Wei Hongsi said, "I drank at my brother's house once, and I only drank one bottle of beer."

Zhang Shuqiu laughed and said, "That's settled then! I don't want you to drink too much. Just finish this glass, and that will make a bottle. This place isn't far from your home, it's only a fifteen-minute walk at most. If you drink too much, I'll carry you home. Don't worry, I have plenty of strength."

Wei Hongsi thought that drinking just one bottle wouldn't be a problem, so he picked up his glass and said, "Okay, then I'll drink this one."

The two clinked glasses. Wei Hongsi took a sip and put down his glass, but then saw Zhang Shuqiu gulp down more than half of his glass in one go, not unlike Zhao Hongquan and Wu Jie. Wei Hongsi couldn't help but advise, "Hey, drink slowly!"

Zhang Shuqiu put down his glass, grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth, and said, "This is the first time someone has drunk with me since I returned to Xicheng, so of course I have to drink to my heart's content. Besides, wouldn't it be more of a chance for you if I drank too much?"

Wei Hongsi felt a pang of sadness upon hearing her words, but couldn't help laughing at the latter part, asking, "You're a writer too, yet you speak so carelessly."

Zhang Shuqiu scoffed and said, "I'm just a writer who makes a living by writing, what kind of author am I? I'm serious, when people are drunk, their brains are always out of control. Maybe I'll unconsciously tell you something you want to ask."

Wei Hongsi said, "Don't joke around. You're a young lady; you should be more careful when drinking."

Zhang Shuqiu said, "I'm not joking, isn't it because you're here?"

Wei Hongsi said, "I can't hold my liquor much. One bottle and I'd probably be in serious trouble. Didn't you say you'd take me home if I drank too much? So you should drink less too."

"It's alright," Zhang Shuqiu said, patting her chest. "Someone like me is hard to be trusted with. I'm perfectly safe!"

Wei Hongsi retorted, "Nonsense! You can't expect everyone to be kind."

In fact, Zhang Shuqiu was just a bit chubby. If you look closely, you'll find that she was not only not bad-looking, but could even be considered a beautiful young woman.

However, her appearance was somewhat inappropriate. She had short hair that reached her ears, which accentuated her round face. She wore a pair of somewhat old-fashioned glasses and dressed very casually. Her T-shirt had several obvious oil stains, making her look rather sloppy.

Zhang Shuqiu covered her mouth and laughed for a while, then said, "The way you talk is a bit like the Hongsi I remember. Otherwise, I would have thought you were an imposter."

Wei Hongsi said, "Who would impersonate me?"

Zhang Shuqiu said, "Who knows? If there is such a person, they must be a bad one. Hey, stop talking and eat something, I'm starving."

As she spoke, she poured both plates of meat into the pot, and the bubbling broth immediately calmed down.

Wei Hongsi was also a little hungry, so he paused the conversation, prepared a dipping sauce, and began to eat heartily once the meat was cooked.

Zhang Shuqiu buried himself in his food, not bothering to talk. After a few bites of meat, he would pick up his glass and take a big gulp of beer. By the time the meat in the pot was finished, two bottles of beer were gone from the table.

Wei Hongsi advised, "You should drink less."

Zhang Shuqiu said dismissively, "This is nothing. If you want me to talk, you'll have to make me drink at least seven or eight bottles."

Wei Hongsi asked, "What do I want you to say?"

Zhang Shuqiu shrugged: "I don't know either, but you must have some questions in your mind."

Wei Hongsi asked many questions, but Zhang Shuqiu's demeanor left him unsure whether she was willing to cooperate or was testing him.

From the time we met until now, Zhang Shuqiu doesn't seem to have any characteristics that are obviously inconsistent with her age, so it's impossible to judge whether she has received memory implantation.

But one thing is certain: she must know some of her father's secrets.

Seeing that Wei Hongsi had suddenly fallen silent, Zhang Shuqiu asked, "Do you remember when we last met?"

Wei Hongsi thought to himself, wasn't the last time we met just yesterday when we had a video call? But that certainly wasn't the answer to Zhang Shuqiu's question, so he shook his head and said, "I don't remember."

Zhang Shuqiu sighed heavily, picked up another bottle of beer, opened it, and slowly poured it into a glass.

Wei Hongsi asked, "When did you say?"

Zhang Shuqiu didn't answer. He emptied the bottle, put it down, and asked, "Can you tell me why you suddenly pretended not to know me when you were in your senior year of high school?"

Wei Hongsi was stunned.

If Zhang Shuqiu wasn't lying to him, it means the two had maintained contact throughout their childhood. But he had absolutely no recollection of Zhang Shuqiu, so the only reason he suddenly didn't recognize her was that those memories had been sealed away.

As for the time of sealing, it is very likely that it was when the ghostly text first appeared.

In other words, after the "system" appeared, his memories of his second personality were severed. All memories of Zhang Shuqiu exist in his second personality.

Wei Hongsi pondered for a moment, then asked, "Can you tell me what your father was doing when I suddenly pretended not to know you?"

Zhang Shuqiu pouted and said, "I asked you first, okay?"

Meeting Wei Hongsi's gaze, she sighed softly and said, "Alright, I'll tell you first. My dad wasn't in Xicheng at that time, and as for where he went, I don't know."

Wei Hongsi frowned, finding it somewhat unbelievable. But Zhang Shuqiu seemed to have no reason to deceive him on this matter, as it was verifiable.

According to his speculation, the reason why Uncle Zhang let him go as an "experiment" was because the memory fusion failed, and he regarded him as "junk" and stopped paying attention to him.

The reason for the failure of memory fusion was that the "system" was officially activated, which was the time when he first saw the ghost text.

Since then, all memories of Uncle Zhang have been cut off and sealed away, and Uncle Zhang has never appeared in front of him again, so he has no impression of this person at all.

Presumably because Uncle Zhang and Zhang Shuqiu were father and daughter, the second personality cut off all memories related to Zhang Shuqiu in order to ensure logical consistency.

If Uncle Zhang wasn't in Xicheng at that time, it means the activation of the "system" had nothing to do with him; it was likely the result of the second personality's efforts.

If that's the case, then Uncle Zhang wouldn't know that his "experiment" had become a "waste product," so why didn't he contact him again afterward?

From the time the "system" went online until Uncle Zhang died, there was a gap of almost two years. Did Uncle Zhang just abandon a "test subject" that was about to yield results?

Wei Hongsi asked, "Your father wasn't in Xicheng during that time. When did he return?"

Zhang Shuqiu said, "It will take about half a month."

Wei Hongsi then asked, "Has anything changed since he came back?"

Zhang Shuqiu pursed her lips, looked at the bubbling broth in the pot, and said, "Nothing has changed, still the same as before, except that her temper is a bit worse than before."

Wei Hongsi said, "So there are still some differences?"

Zhang Shuqiu said somewhat impatiently, "What's the difference? Ugh, stop asking me these questions, okay? Can't you just drink with me? Can't you ask me after I'm drunk?"

Wei Hongsi had no choice but to pick up his cup: "Alright, let's eat first. But you've already drunk quite a bit, so please slow down."

Zhang Shuqiu said, "Okay, then let's go to my house for drinks after we finish eating. I'll just sleep if I drink too much, and you don't need to worry about me."

Wei Hongsi thought to himself that it would be troublesome if she drank too much, so going to her house wouldn't be bad, and said, "Okay."

Zhang Shuqiu perked up and said, "Then let's eat quickly, and you have to finish your beer too!"

Wei Hongsi had no choice but to slowly drink the glass of wine, and Zhang Shuqiu also finished all the beer on the table.

With his stomach full from beer, he couldn't finish the food. Influenced by his mother, Wei Hongsi didn't want to waste food, so he said he wanted to pack it up.

Zhang Shuqiu said, "Don't pack it up, it's all raw, and I don't cook."

Wei Hongsi said, "Then let's cook the fish slices and take them with us."

Zhang Shuqiu said, "Don't bring it. Since it's a fish that slipped through the net, let it go."