Chapter 53 - A vague memory.

Standing at the distance was the same crazy doctor that Jing Lihua had evaded half an hour ago. Jing Lihua stared at him in shock.

He merely smiled at her. Without saying anything, he walked to a room adjacent to Jing Lihua's room. He swiped a card and the door opened. He walked in keeping the door open.

"Wait..."

How did he manage to arrive here before her?

The hotel was one of the most expensive ones in Hong Kong and required a reservation at least a month ago. How did he get a room adjacent to hers?

Had he planned it a long time ago ?

Was he really from someplace above the top families of Beijing? It was possible. With his lavish penthouse and rows of limited edition cars, it felt more possible.

With a new realization, she walked towards the open door and stopped before entering. He had obviously kept the door open for a purpose.

Reluctantly, she entered the room. If she didn't get answers, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Once inside, she looked around but didn't found him. At her back, she heard the door closing and turned back on instinct. She found him standing ahead of the door.

She looked at him. She didn't even know what to say or what to ask. Once she realized that she was alone with him, for some reason her heart hammered and her emotions frayed. She found herself unable to speak. A tense silence dominated.

"Why are you here?"

"This is my room."

"Stop trying to evade my questions. It is obvious you are following me. All of it can't be a coincidence." Her patience was wearing off. "What do you intend to gain by following me? How did you manage to get a room here? I've asked you countless times before but you never reply:- Who exactly are you? What is your relation to me?" Jing Lihua charged a series of questions.

The man stayed silent for a moment and looked detached. Jing Lihua detected complicated emotions in his eyes. He slowly walked to her and raised his hand to touch her face. His fingers brushed her cheeks and tugged a strand of her silky hair behind her hair. Jing Lihua found herself lost in his deep eyes, unable to respond.

After a moment he said in a calm tone, barely audible and containing an edge of softness. "Have you really forgotten who I am?" Pain laced his eyes. His eyes pierced her soul searching for something very dear to him.

Silence followed. Jing Lihua's eyes were locked with his. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for.

Ever since the day she met him in the hospital, she had sensed a vague familiarity from him. She had felt an undeniable attraction towards him. She could lie to everyone but not herself. But when she searched her memories, there was a huge void.

Something was missing.

He leaned in. Jing Lihua stayed frozen at her place. His face inched closer. She didn't move back or tried to push him. His warm fingers were resting on her face. Just a few more inches and their lips would touch. Jing Lihua was holding her breath. But at the last moment, his lips curled up sligtly and pulled back. Subsequently, the warmth of his fingers left her soft skin.

"I told you if you wouldn't give yourself back to me, I'll steal you." He said casually as if talking about the weather.

'Back'? Did she ever belong to him?

Just at the moment, looking at his taunting smile, something flashed across Jing Lihua's eyes. It was a memory, a very vague memory. A face appeared in her mind. A pair of arms were wrapped around her waist. The man looked at her with deep affection, an affection whose strength couldn't be explained in words... and the same taunting smile. In her memory, she was laughing and giggling in the man's embrace. She felt happy... truly happy. She sucked in a sharp breath. The emotions in her heart were so intense that they scared her.

Li Zhiqiang's face became expressionless once he realized that something was wrong. He approached her cautiously.

But she pushed away his hand, took a step back to avoid him and rushed out of the room without looking back.

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