Even though several days had passed, I was still clear about my identity—or rather, I felt lost. I wasn’t fully Amelia, and sometimes, I couldn’t help feeling a little shaky.

Of course, fear played a part too.

If I put it bluntly, I might just be a replacement—a defective substitute for Amelia.

This wasn’t baseless paranoia. I always sensed I was missing something crucial, yet I couldn’t recall what it was.

“Huff… Forget it. I’ll remember eventually.”

I shook my head and carried the cooked noodles out of the kitchen.

“Lu, come here. Noodles are ready.”

“Okay!”

Hearing me, Lu immediately set aside her laptop. Barefoot, she ran to the dining table with slap-slap-slap sounds, then sat down eagerly.

“How many times must I say it? Wear slippers! Or you’ll forget to wash your feet and hop straight into bed again.”

I didn’t hand her the bowl right away. Instead, I tapped her forehead with my left hand, scolding sharply.

“Ugh, I remember to wash my feet before bed now! Amelia, hurry up with the noodles…”

Smelling them, Lu’s face lit up with craving, and she let out an endearing whine.

“Hmph, I won’t remind you later. If I catch you skipping foot-washing at bedtime, no afternoon snacks or midnight treats tomorrow.”

I raised an eyebrow, grumbling, then placed the bowl before her.

“Mmm, I love you most, Amelia!”

Lu took a deep breath, grabbed the chopsticks, and devoured the noodles. After days of practice, she’d mastered chopsticks—finding them far handier than forks or knives.

Ding-dong—

Just as Lu happily slurped her noodles, the doorbell rang.

I paused for a moment, then walked to the door.

“Hey! I baked extra cookies. Want some?”

Opening it, I saw Chixun holding a cookie box.

Over the past days, Chixun had dropped by often. Maybe because of that lingerie store incident, Lu welcomed her visits. Chixun always brought treats for Lu, and I couldn’t refuse.

Deep down, I still kept my guard up against Chixun. But Lu liked her, leaving me little choice.

“You’re too kind,” I smiled at Chixun.

“Oh, I just made too many. We’re neighbors—no need for formalities,” Chixun replied with a slight smile.