Amnesiac Yandere Ex-Wife Always Wants to Remarry - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Upstairs.
The Superior.
Since the mutation occurred, the direction of each Esper’s awakened ability varied, and each team could temporarily select the strongest in their field. Still, for the entire Ability Bureau, selecting a single leader was exceptionally difficult.
Therefore, the leader of the Ability Bureau was elected by a full vote, entrusted with everyone’s faith.
She didn’t participate in any specific work. She only proposed directional policy suggestions, listened to every report, and attended every important assembly.
In the eyes of the public, she was like a “mascot.”
But the current Superior, Chu Yu, clearly wanted more.
With this thought, Xia Pingwu acknowledged the summons. She noticed Ji Jie wasn’t leading her to the Ability Bureau’s main office but directly leading her upward. She then asked nonchalantly:
“It must be tiring, right?”
Ji Jie’s steps paused for a moment, then she continued up: “It’s just leading the way, not tiring.”
Xia Pingwu lowered her gaze to her own steps. She usually disliked looking up when walking, but today she unusually shifted her eyes to look at Ji Jie’s footsteps ahead.
They were very steady, showing no sign of injury.
She asked: “How are your injuries?”
Ji Jie smiled:
“Just a minor superficial wound. The healer said I might have been overly frightened, and coupled with my old injuries not being fully healed, my body wasn’t adapting well to the mission’s intensity.
“I’m still too useless. I promise I won’t overexert myself again.”
“So that’s how it is.”
The surroundings grew increasingly silent, and the “tap-tap” sound of their steps became more pronounced. Xia Pingwu spoke slowly, her tone even carrying a hint of a smile,
“I thought that since I ripped out the chest and abdomen of your clone, your main body would just die.”
The footsteps ahead froze.
Ji Jie turned around, a humble and respectful smile still on her face:
“Deputy Xia, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
“Or did you, too, come back to life?”
Xia Pingwu also stopped, the corners of her lips curved, her eyes shimmering and captivating.
Ji Jie’s lips tightened slightly.
Xia Pingwu, however, continued to smile, reaching down to rummage in her pocket: “Right, there’s something I wanted to ask you…”
The hand that reached into the pocket grabbed only air.
Her brow furrowed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the muscles in Ji Jie’s arm immediately tense up.
It seemed she was preparing for defense.
An inexplicable annoyance flared up in Xia Pingwu. She simply raised her eyes and asked directly:
“What exactly was that paper about?”
“What paper?” Ji Jie pursed her lips, scrutinized Xia Pingwu suspiciously, and took a few steps closer. “Don’t play games with me. I only have one question: Do you want to see your Shimu (Master’s Wife)?”
“…Haven’t you asked enough?” Xia Pingwu’s focus was on the divorce agreement that had vanished from her pocket. “But wait a minute, first tell me, why was that paper in your belly?”
No sooner had Xia Pingwu finished speaking than Ji Jie interjected: “Because your Shimu still has a hope of resurrection.”
“That paper…” Xia Pingwu’s voice got caught in her throat. “You said, my Shimu?”
“Yes, your Shimu can live.” Ji Jie finally let out a breath and leaned closer. “She was almost killed by the Ability Bureau but was saved by Auntie Ming.
“So, don’t worry about that damn paper. You should know what to say and what not to say.”
The Confrontation
Pushing open the door, Xia Pingwu’s figure was entirely enveloped in the darkness of the office.
The Superior turned her chair around, her voice gentle:
“Long time no see, Pingwu.”
Xia Pingwu stood still, looked around, dragged a long sofa from the corner, and sat down, comfortably crossing one leg over the other:
“It has been a long time.”
She raised an eyebrow, leisurely continuing:
“In fact, I’ve never seen you before.”
A soft chuckle came from behind the high desk.
The Superior witnessed Xia Pingwu’s series of actions, but her voice held no anger, instead a hint of admiration:
“It’s been seven years, and your power is truly remarkable.
“No wonder you could flip the Ice-Fire Cave over.”
Xia Pingwu looked up, pointing to the window: “Can you open it?”
“…What?”
Xia Pingwu repeated: “Open the curtains, so you can see more clearly—
“After all, I don’t mind performing for you again, flipping over the roof here.”
The Superior’s voice finally dropped: “Xia Pingwu, what is the meaning of this?”
“No meaning.”
Xia Pingwu smiled, her voice very soft,
“Chu Yu, I don’t know what entanglement you have with my Shimu, but Chunshan doesn’t want to be involved. Can you be a little more merciful.
“And a little less selfish?”
“You think I’m interfering?” A laugh came from behind the high desk.
“The monitoring station failing to detect the Ice-Fire Cave was not my order, and the detector malfunctioning has nothing to do with me.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit much for you to vent your anger at me over this?”
“But once the equipment fails, the entire combat team can only rely on Chunshan.
“You are deliberately exploiting Chunshan.”
Xia Pingwu stood up, her straight back moving forward emotionlessly, nearly pressing against the high desk.
“Exploiting her talent, shouldering the entire burden of the Ability Bureau onto her alone.”
“She is the one who wants to shoulder everything herself.” The Superior’s voice suddenly relaxed, carrying that familiar playful and indifferent tone.
“Pingwu, Ming Chunshan is not only the captain of the Esper team, she is also your wife. She is shouldering all this for you. You can’t avoid reflecting on your own issues.”
She paused, then smiled again:
“Your wife wants to be by your side as soon as possible, so she relies on her talent to solve everything alone, giving her team members no opportunity to develop.
“And for this reason, her team members can only rely on her; when the instruments are damaged, she is the only one to take the lead.
“What do you want me to stop? Stop her from being talented, or stop her from loving you?”
“…But look at what you’ve evolved the combat team, and even the entire Ability Bureau, into.”
Xia Pingwu tightly gripped the table separating them.
“They only know how to use long spears and anesthetic bows, they overly rely on the monitoring station. The training rooms look good, but how many people have sufficient close-combat ability?”
“Pingwu, I know you constantly praise your Shimu, but your words hurt me too much.”
In a corner no one could see, the Superior’s arm muscles flexed, also firmly bracing the underside of the table.
“The monitoring station, long spears, anesthetic bows—these are the progress of the times.
“Progress, do you understand? You and Ming Chunshan are physical talent geniuses, but you cannot demand the same of everyone.”
“But you are using technology to deprive them of their senses.”
Xia Pingwu rarely spoke so much, but now her voice was escalating.
“Without the monitoring station, without the miniature detector, they are all deprived of their eyes!”
“Pingwu, why are you so impatient today?”
The Superior smiled,
“Don’t worry, regarding the monitoring station and the miniature detector, this is Ning Xuan’s mistake, and I will have her improve it.”
“Mistake? Improve?” Xia Pingwu finally erupted. “The miniature detector is just a prototype, and you let the combat team go into the Ice-Fire Cave?
“Do you know that we encountered an A-level mutated creature in the Ice-Fire Cave? Long spears and anesthetic bows couldn’t be deployed; we had to rely on brute force!
“In that situation, what if Chunshan had died there?”
“Mm, that’s why I called you here.” The Superior smiled. “Your Shimu also died, but she left behind two good prospects: you two.
“Now, I see that your body has recovered well. How about you and Chunshan have a child?”
The Interrogation
“Ruan Zhuyun?”
Ming Chunshan instantly froze upon opening her eyes in bed.
“Where is Ji Jie (Older Sister)?”
“Pingwu was called away.” Ruan Zhuyun stared at Ming Chunshan, her gaze unfriendly. “It seems she was called upstairs.
“You’d better get up quickly and resolve this mess.”
Still covered by Xia Pingwu’s jacket, Ming Chunshan quickly got up and gently gathered it. She was about to fold it neatly and set it aside when she paused upon touching the pocket.
The sound of paper being pressed was heard.
Ruan Zhuyun followed the sound and saw Ming Chunshan taking a crumpled piece of paper from the pocket.
Unfolded a few times, the heavily inked characters showed no sign of fading, boldly displayed before the two of them.
“How did this end up in Pingwu’s clothes?”
Ming Chunshan looked up and stared at Ruan Zhuyun: “Where did you get it? What did you tell her?”
“Don’t you know how chaotic things have been lately? How could I possibly have time to tell her about this!” Ruan Zhuyun was already checking the life support equipment next to the bed. “Are you still uncomfortable anywhere? Or you can stay here while I go find Pingwu.”
“Upstairs, they must be asking about the combat team’s situation. It’s better if I go.”
Ming Chunshan looked up, confirmed she was on an IV drip, then skillfully pulled the needle out and walked out,
“I’m going to find Ji Jie. When I return, you’d better give me an explanation.”
By the time Ming Chunshan reached the floor above, Xia Pingwu was already gone.
She knocked and entered, vaguely feeling that the room was a little brighter.
“I replaced the curtains with a thinner layer; the light transmission is better.” The Superior noticed her confusion and uncharacteristically took the initiative to explain. “Your wife said it was too dark here. I couldn’t help it.”
She pointed to the sofa next to Ming Chunshan: “And that, your wife just dragged that sofa over. If you sit on it now, you might still smell her scent.”
Ming Chunshan silently stared at the Superior for a while, then sat down anyway.
“You didn’t see how Xia Pingwu was just now. She was incredibly strong, and she threatened to flip my desk over.
“If you had seen it, you would believe I wasn’t lying.
“I’m telling the truth: aside from stripping all abilities, the strengthened inhibitor will not cause harm to Xia Pingwu’s body.”
This was the first time Ming Chunshan had heard the Superior speak in such a gentle voice. She spoke slowly, even smiling.
“Look for yourself. Both you and your wife are causing a fuss here. My office will be overturned by you two sooner or later.”
This was highly abnormal.
Ming Chunshan’s actions became even more cautious.
Even her words were slightly more reserved: “So, the strengthened inhibitor given to A-jie, is it satisfactory, right?”
“Who said satisfactory? The dosage needs to be increased.” The Superior’s tone remained steady. “Was I unclear just now? I am very satisfied with Xia Pingwu’s current state, and it meets your expectations, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Ji Jie has shown great improvement.” Ming Chunshan smiled. Although the sofa behind her was soft, she felt a slight chill. “But this strengthened inhibitor may still have unforeseen harm to Ji Jie.
“This time in the Ice-Fire Cave, Ji Jie ran a fever again, and it was before she even used her ability this shows she cannot completely control her body.
“Therefore, the feasibility of the strengthened inhibitor needs to be checked again. Can you understand what I mean?”
“Fever? That’s because the ability-blocking instrument in the laboratory was poorly made. What does it have to do with the strengthened inhibitor?” The Superior smiled again. “Besides, why should the strengthened inhibitor have a good effect even when Xia Pingwu is participating in work?
“To make her better, and then have her return to work at the Ability Bureau?
“Ming Chunshan, don’t forget why you took the strengthened inhibitor from me in the first place.”
Ming Chunshan’s voice suddenly choked.
She clenched her teeth, trying to maintain her voice: “We agreed: strip A-jie of her abilities and give her a peaceful and free life, and in return, I would work for you.
“Ji Jie is running a fever now, which indicates that the strengthened inhibitor isn’t safe enough, so I want to stop it. Is there a problem with that?”
“I also remember telling you before that this strengthened inhibitor would have adverse reactions.
“Even the ‘bl00d transfusion’ treatment has adverse reactions.”
The Superior gazed at Ming Chunshan, still speaking slowly and deliberately,
“Over the years, Xia Pingwu has had many fevers, sometimes unable to get up even during the day. And now, hasn’t she gotten much better than before?
“But why this time, did you suddenly propose to stop the strengthened inhibitor?”
The Superior drew out her final words:
“You have a problem, Ming Chunshan.”