The Amnesiac Fiancé's \"True Love\"

After my fianc got into a car accident and suffered a brain injury, he blocked and deleted everyone and vanished.

He even had someone relay a message to me:

Sorry to hold you up, but Im off to pursue my true love now.

I was already annoyed because it was raining after a long day of work, but that message pushed me over the edge.

My frustration peaked when I found a soaking wet man standing right outside my door.

My fianc looked at me with a bewildered expression.

He asked: Can I stay the night? I have nowhere else to go.

Arent you? Going to pursue your true love?

I choked on the second half of the sentence, remembering the panic of Ethans parents when they found out he was missing.

Forget it. His brain is scrambled right now. I should handle him carefully first.

I invited Ethan inside.

Maybe Ethan himself thought it was ridiculous to be invited in as a stranger so easily.

He stood in the entryway, frowning, looking troubled.

Shouldnt you ask my name? What if Im a bad guy?

Eager to get back to my work files, I answered him casually: Fine, whats your name then?

The man instantly looked on the verge of tears, pitiful and sad.

He said: My name is Ethan Vance. I was hurt in a car accident. Right after I woke up, my parents tried to force me to marry a stranger I didnt like, so I had no choice but to run away

As the stranger he didnt like, I felt personally offended.

I lost all patience for his story.

I just turned around and said: Oh.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me. Ethans long, cool fingers grabbed my wrist.

Im cold from the rain. Can I stay at your place for a while longer? I can cook, clean

My head started to ache.

My fianc, even a slightly lobotomized one, was still my fianc for now.

Rather than having him cheat on me somewhere I couldn't see, I might as well have him do it right under my nose.

Once I processed that thought, I nodded decisively: Fine, you can stay.

I pointed to the empty room: Thats the guest room. Im right next door. Let me know if you need anything, but I have to get back to work.

Watching Mias retreating back, Ethan felt his heart swell with warmth.

He decided that running away had been the most correct decision of his life.

The road to true love was wide open.

He had successfully moved in with his soulmate.

After finishing work, I called Ethans parents to let them know he was safe.

Afraid of upsetting Ethan further, his parents begged me to look after him for a while.

Facing this huge complication, I really wanted to break off the engagement.

It was a cold commercial arrangement with no feelings involvedjust a business exchange.

And with Ethan loudly announcing his pursuit of true love, I felt even more redundant.

But my parents convinced me, saying that the accident was a major setback for Ethan, and while I couldn't offer encouragement, I shouldn't kick him while he was down.

Fine, I sighed.

I reluctantly accepted the possibility of cohabiting with my fianc for a while.

I rubbed my temples and opened the door.

I came face-to-face with Ethan, wrapped only in a towel.

His ears turned red, and he stammered: You you said I could ask for help if I needed it? I dont have pajamas.

A bead of water dripped from his hair, slowly tracing the line of his toned abdomen before disappearing under the towel.

I felt a little hot and dizzy.

I stepped back, forcing myself to look away.

I said, with utmost seriousness: Boys need to have a sense of caution in a strangers house. Not everyone is as much of a model citizen as I am

I turned and pulled out a pair of my dads old pajamas from the closet.

and upright as I am.

Ethan took the pajamas, his gaze lowered. A fleeting look of disappointment crossed his eyes.

You actually have mens pajamas he mumbled softly.

Why was he unhappy? Werent one pair enough?

Luckily, my dad was particular and kept several sets of pajamas here.

I pulled out a silk set and a cotton set, handing them all to Ethan.

Are these enough? I even have mens underwear.

Ethan was so overjoyed he looked stunned. His smile froze on his face, and he even forgot to say thank you.

I was woken up by the smell of something delicious the next morning.

The aroma wafted through the door crack, and my empty stomach protested loudly.

I opened the door.

In the kitchen, Ethan was single-handedly flipping food in a pan.

He was wearing the pink, lacy apron left by the housekeeper, his upper body bare, the thin straps draped over his broad back.

I felt even hungrier.

Hearing the noise, Ethan turned around.

The morning sunlight framed him in gold, and his smile was radiant.

Youre awake! I made breakfast to thank you for taking me in.

I looked at the time and hesitated.

I have a company meeting. Im going to be late.

Ethans bright smile fell slightly, but he quickly came up with a new idea.

You go get ready. Ill pack the breakfast in containers. Ill drive you there, and you can eat on the way.

To ensure I could eat in peace, Ethan drove fast but smoothly.

The breakfast was delicious, the sunlight perfect.

My heart felt light, and I temporarily forgot all the stress caused by Ethan.

My dad called suddenly, and I automatically answered.

My phone connected to the cars Bluetooth.

My dads voice boomed from the speakers: Mia, that guy youre engaged to

I was quick and hit disconnect first.

Ethan was quicker, hitting the brakes suddenly. My carefully balanced crystal mini-dumplings rolled off my lap and onto the floor.

Youre getting married soon?

Ethan restarted the car, his voice urgent.

I looked at my tragically deceased breakfast and groaned.

Married what? Were breaking up soon, I snapped irritably.

Oh.

My attention was completely fixed on my ruined breakfast.

I completely missed the fact that after Ethan suppressed his voice to answer me, his eyes crinkled and his smile couldnt be hidden.

I suspected that Ethans talk about pursuing true love was a lie he cooked up to avoid marrying me.

He never left the house.

He ordered handsome clothes online daily and dressed up flamboyantly inside the house.

I had no idea who he was trying to impress.

His schedule was tighter than mine: major cleaning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; cooking experiments on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and Sundays off.

My housekeeper nervously messaged me privately.

Mia, the house has been spotless recently, and the fridge is always full of fresh ingredients. Do you still need me?

I laughed, assuring her repeatedly: Dont worry, I wont let you go.

After half a month of this, Ethan finally asked me an important question on his day off.

What kind of guys do girls like?

After spending so much time with Ethan, I thought he was a genuinely good person.

I had already started seeing him as a good friend.

Seeing him finally get serious about pursuing true love.

I offered him serious advice: They like guys with contrast.

For example, you look slim now, but you actually have an eight-pack when you take your shirt off.

Another example, youre good at cooking and baking, but secretly you're also a master bartender.

Or, your hair looks gentle and dark, but if you look closer, you have two ear cuffsa total trendsetter!

And another thing

I was completely lost in the art of contrast.

When I snapped out of it, I saw Ethan silently closed the notes app on his phone.

He nodded at me, looking very serious: Ive written it all down. You like guys like that.

It was time for lunch, and Ethan went off to prepare food.

I looked at his retreating back and quietly corrected myself.

Actually, youre great just the way you are The person who likes you should like you for you.

Ethan stopped staying home because of my contrast advice.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he was out training his abs. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, he was learning mixology.

Coincidentally, my company was also busy with business during this time.

I rarely got home to eat with him anymore.

One evening, after finishing a meeting with a partner company.

I realized Id left an important contract at home. My secretary suggested we grab it so he could pull an all-nighter to revise the clauses.

Work was important, so I agreed immediately.

Then, I remembered the man living in my houseEthan.

We were going to break the engagement eventually. I didnt want any outside misunderstandings.

I frantically texted him.

Ethan, are you home?

Im coming home with someone soon. Could you please hide somewhere?

Oh, and please put away your stuff in the living room.

It would be bad if people misunderstood our relationship.

Dozens of messages sank into a void.

My heart was pounding as I opened the door with my secretary.

Fortunately, no one was in the room, and Ethans belongings in the living room had been cleared.

I took the secretary to the study to collect the documents.

After the secretary left, I finally felt relieved.

I knocked on Ethans door.

Ethan, are you sleeping?

Thanks for cleaning up! Hes gone, you can come out now.

A loud CRASH came from inside the room, like something heavy hitting the floor.

I nervously pressed my ear against the door, only hearing heavy breathing inside.

Ethan! My heartbeat and knocking mixed together.

The lock clicked softly.

The door slowly opened.

A strong smell of alcohol hit me. Ethan stood by the door, his eyes red.

Im fine. I just accidentally spilled some wine.

Are you really okay? I was worried.

I stepped slightly closer, leaning in to sniff him.

Did you drink? I tilted my head to look at him.

Connecting this to his talk about pursuing love, I became curious.

Relationship trouble? Sad and lonely? Do you want to talk about it?

Ethan looked up, his six-foot frame looking down at me with an intense, invasive gaze.

My heart suddenly clenched. I unconsciously took half a step back.

But Ethan grabbed my hand tightly.

He said: I learned mixology, but she doesnt seem to like drinking. I trained my abs, and though she complimented me, she barely looked.

He pulled my hand to his ear while murmuring: I even got ear cuffs. Mia, did you notice?