Amnesiac Yandere Ex-Wife Always Wants to Remarry - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Memorial Day

The sky was a gloomy gray. Even the memorial hall in front of them looked far more desolate than she remembered.

Xia Pingwu stopped, just about to push the door open, when she suddenly heard a clamor from above.

She instinctively looked up, her collar loosened, and a cold gust of wind snuck in, making her shiver and let out a light cough.

Before she could do anything, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, helping her pull her fleece jacket tighter.

Ruan Zhuyun tugged on her arm. “It’s cold outside. Let’s go in.”

Xia Pingwu agreed, but her feet remained still. She couldn’t help but look up. “What are they doing up there?”

Ruan Zhuyun followed her gaze, shielding her from the wind as she explained. “Today is Heroines’ Memorial Day. The residents will first get their inhibitor shots in the living area on the mountaintop, then come down to the ability zone to pay their respects.”

Xia Pingwu squinted. They were in the ability zone, located halfway up the mountain, where the mist was heavy. Fortunately, the mist thinned the higher they went, and she could faintly see a crowd of people.

For some reason, her heart felt a little wistful. “I didn’t expect that seven years of peace could lead to so many people. I’m sure my teacher (Shi-mu) would be very happy to know.”

Ruan Zhuyun didn’t reply, simply squeezing Xia Pingwu’s wrist as a form of comfort.

In the last century, a mysterious mist suddenly appeared on Earth’s surface. Countless creatures mutated into bloodthirsty beasts, and a horrific scene of infighting and strewn corpses followed.

Fortunately, as the “beasts” appeared, the mist also catalyzed another group of “ability users” who retained their sanity. They wielded powers that were natural counters to the beasts.

Humanity quickly responded by forming the United Ability Bureau. The most exceptional ability user was chosen to be the first captain of the bureau’s combat team.

That person was Xia Pingwu’s teacher (Shi-mu), Ming Jianhong.

She lived up to expectations, leading the awakened ability users to successfully quell the first Beast Uprising.

In the years that followed, humanity erected solid walls at the foot of every mountain and stationed ability users to continuously fend off the beasts’ attacks. Though there were occasional dangers, life was relatively peaceful.

But twenty years later, the second great war returned without warning.

In what was once a tranquil safe zone, many people mysteriously mutated into beasts, colluding with the beasts outside the mountain walls and utterly crushing the defenses of various mountain peaks.

It was discovered that the causes of the pollution and mutation were two-fold: rapid mutation from combat injuries with beasts, and a slow, gradual effect from prolonged exposure to the mist.

Luckily, the lab had finally developed an inhibitor for “existing pollution,” preserving the last remaining strength of the ability user team.

Tragically, at this point, only the highest peak, the Nuwa Peak, remained unconquered and became the final “sanctuary” for the survivors.

Afterward, the United Ability Bureau urgently established a “pollution value” standard for mutation, requiring all citizens to be tested and risking those with high values being killed without mercy.

However, the dense mist showed no signs of weakening and even threatened to surge from beneath Nuwa Peak. To defend this last stronghold, Ming Jianhong led her team and her newly-minted intern disciple, Xia Pingwu, into the final battle.

In that war, Ming Jianhong perished, and Xia Pingwu was left with severe after-effects, unable to use her abilities and confined to a bed for seven years.

Fortunately, for some unknown reason, the mist on Nuwa Peak went into a dormant phase and stopped expanding.

Lost in thought, Ruan Zhuyun couldn’t help but glance at Xia Pingwu again, seeing her still looking at the bustling scene above, her eyes bright with no trace of sadness.

She sighed and finally spoke. “Yes, the lab’s research on the inhibitor is getting better and better. They’ve even developed a preventive inhibitor that can be taken in advance.”

She paused, her tone becoming a little lighter. “And even you, who had to be bedridden for a full-body bl00d transfusion, now have a temporary enhanced inhibitor that can replace the treatment.”

Xia Pingwu subtly turned her head, seeing that Ruan Zhuyun, who had been looking sullen, was finally a little happier. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and affectionately bumped her shoulder.

“Yes. So from now on, I can come to the memorial on my own. You don’t have to accompany me.”

“I don’t want to go with them to give inhibitor shots to the residents. It’s so boring,” Ruan Zhuyun said with a grin, putting her arm around Xia Pingwu’s shoulder. She then lowered her voice. “Besides, if Ming Chunshan finds out I secretly brought you out, she’ll definitely make trouble for me.”

“It’s alright,” Xia Pingwu said, taking a short breath and forcing herself to stop coughing. She looked at the tablets arranged inside and gently shook her head. “Today is my teacher’s memorial day. Chunshan won’t be angry.”

Ruan Zhuyun didn’t seem to believe it. She scoffed. “You don’t know this, but in the past seven years, she hasn’t come here to pay her respects once. The way she is, you’d think you were your teacher’s biological daughter.”

“It’s normal for Chunshan to have no time to personally commemorate her mother. She had to take over as the captain of the ability bureau’s combat team at such a young age,” Xia Pingwu’s tone was slow due to her suppressing her cough. Her voice was calm, and though she was explaining, it didn’t sound urgent, which was strangely reassuring.

Ruan Zhuyun pouted and didn’t answer.

Before that final battle, the United Ability Bureau had prepared for the worst by establishing an ability user academy, attempting to cultivate more young talent.

Xia Pingwu and Ming Chunshan were the most outstanding graduates of that class, representing the future of the bureau and its two sharpest blades.

Unfortunately, before they could become fully independent, their teacher had fallen, and Xia Pingwu herself became permanently confined to a sickbed, unable to touch anything related to her abilities.

In that battle, only Ming Chunshan, who was responsible for covering the residents’ retreat, managed to escape unscathed.

As the daughter of the fallen captain and the only surviving genius, she was entrusted with the responsibility of becoming the next captain of the combat team.

Ruan Zhuyun could accept this, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was unfair to Xia Pingwu.

If it weren’t for Ming Chunshan proposing to Xia Pingwu and taking care of her for seven years, she would have… she would have…

As Ruan Zhuyun was thinking, Xia Pingwu patted her hand, gently comforting her. “Don’t worry. I can live like a normal person now. I’ll make sure to remind Chunshan to give you less trouble.”

Seeing her friend start to defend Ming Chunshan again, Ruan Zhuyun quickly changed the subject. She tightly held onto Xia Pingwu’s arm and led her inside. “Never mind Ming Chunshan. Let’s just go in.”

As the two of them stepped inside, the full view of the memorial hall was revealed. Tablets for every heroine who had died fighting the beasts were displayed, with Ming Jianhong’s name placed at the very top, visible at a glance.

Xia Pingwu stopped, gazing at the tablet not far away, silent for a long time.

Ruan Zhuyun didn’t disturb her, her gaze unconsciously falling on the large empty space specially left on the memorial platform, and she couldn’t help but sigh.

She remembered that just a few days ago, a beast had nearly breached the mountain walls, and a team medic had even been scratched and was still under observation in the treatment room.

Beneath the seemingly peaceful surface, various unknown risks still lurked, and the tablets on the memorial platform could be added to at any time.

Ruan Zhuyun felt a pang of sadness and instinctively moved closer to Xia Pingwu. Just then, an exclamation rang out from outside the door: “You said… Ning Cong… is dead?”

Ning… Cong?

Ruan Zhuyun raised an eyebrow. If she remembered correctly, the injured team medic was named Ning Cong.

The two turned their heads, seeing a group of people clustered together walking through the door.

Xia Pingwu slowly looked them over. She hadn’t left the house in seven years, and her memories of once-familiar people had gradually blurred.

But there were still some people she recognized.

For example, in the center of the group was Ji Shuo, the subordinate who had always been overshadowed by her in the academy.

Seven years had passed, and she was still tall, with a neat buzz cut and a healthy tan that radiated vitality.

As soon as Ji Shuo entered, she immediately recognized Ruan Zhuyun and scoffed coldly. “What are you doing here? This month, Xia Pingwu is finally able to get up, isn’t she…”

As the words left her mouth, she belatedly saw the person next to Ruan Zhuyun and frowned fiercely.

Xia Pingwu’s features had barely changed. She still had that perpetually calm, nonchalant demeanor from seven years ago, as if nothing could faze her.

Perhaps because she had been bedridden for so long, her hair had grown long, but her eyes were still tranquil, as if nothing could be placed in them.

But in an instant, she realized that Xia Pingwu had also changed so much.

Seven years of convalescence had left Xia Pingwu’s skin with a sickly pallor. The sturdy arms that once carried two long spears were now tightly wrapped in a fleece jacket, and her entire body unconsciously presented itself in a hunched-over posture.

Is the memorial hall that cold?

The question involuntarily rose in Ji Shuo’s mind, but she had already habitually let out a sarcastic remark. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize her. How did our incredibly lucky genius, Xia, end up looking like this?”

Ruan Zhuyun usually had fierce arguments with Ji Shuo at the bureau, and now seeing her so reckless with her words, she was immediately infuriated. “Don’t you forget who participated in the second great war and saved all of your lives.”

The bald woman next to her immediately laughed, but there was no kindness in her smile. “How long is she going to rely on that credit for benefits? If she’s a great heroine, does that mean we, who guard the mountain walls, are inferior?”

Xia Pingwu tugged on Ruan Zhuyun’s arm. She knew that these people’s resentment was justified.

To support more people, all resources on Nuwa Peak were rationed, and even food was limited to nutrient fluid to sustain life.

As ability users were the highest-risk group, they received the most resources. But Xia Pingwu, who had been bedridden for seven years, saw no decrease in her benefits, which had long made people resentful.

She didn’t continue the topic, only asking what she wanted to know. “Ning Cong… did she sacrifice herself?”

She remembered Ning Cong, who had studied diligently to be a medic in the academy, with the single-minded goal of saving more people. Whenever Xia Pingwu had a minor injury, Ning Cong would nervously rush to help her with all sorts of medicine.

“She wasn’t as lucky as you. Her pollution value went over the standard line less than a week after she got injured.”

Ji Shuo’s tone grew heavy as she mentioned this. She clutched the tablet in her hand and walked toward the memorial platform beside Xia Pingwu.

“The news of her death will be announced when the residents gather in the hall. If you don’t want to be stared at, you should leave now.”

Xia Pingwu ignored the barbs in her words, simply asking what she wanted to know. “What about Ning Cong’s body?”

According to Ji Shuo, Ning Cong’s pollution value had risen too quickly. In such a dangerous situation, they would likely incinerate the body.

“The lab considered it a special case, so they only kept her biological information and threw her body off Nuwa Peak.”

To avoid contaminating the soil of the safe zone, all contaminated bodies were thrown directly off Nuwa Peak, which was considered to be at least a burial.

Hearing the timid voice, Xia Pingwu looked back. It was a very young face, with a faint, faint look of admiration in her eyes.

Xia Pingwu responded with a polite smile, her heart letting out a huge sigh of relief.

It wasn’t just because she was receiving kindness.

It was because Ning Cong’s body had been thrown off by the ability bureau.

This meant there was still a chance to save her.