Amnesiac Yandere Ex-Wife Always Wants to Remarry - Chapter 24
Chapter 24
…Was she that hard to communicate with?
Ming Chunshan sighed inwardly. She looked at the traffic light, which was about to turn yellow, and quickly drove through.
But there was still no joy in her heart.
It’s over. Ji Jie’s feelings for her were just sisterly affection to begin with. With this whole mess…
It’s all over.
The car braked into a parking spot.
The two people, each preoccupied with their own worries, finally arrived home.
Xia Pingwu was still peering out the window, looking as if she were studying the latest advancements in glass technology. Then, she asked with feigned surprise:
“Ah, aren’t we going out to eat?”
Oh, I was so busy thinking about the divorce agreement that I forgot.
Ming Chunshan immediately wanted to restart the car: “Okay, let’s go out…”
Her communicator rang again.
Ming Chunshan took out her glasses, her palm subtly covering the “Isolation Shield” button on the central control panel, and pressed “Answer.”
It was Ji Shuo’s voice: “Ming Chunshan, why is Xia Pingwu acting as the temporary Captain? Did you request it?”
Ming Chunshan frowned, her finger instinctively hovering over the “Isolation Shield,” but she held back: “I’m not sure.”
She recalled Chu Yu’s phrase, “fulfill your wish,” and another wave of anger began to surge up: “If you have questions, you can ask Chu Yu directly.”
Ji Shuo paused, then said: “I heard Ji Jie was injured this time? That’s good. It will also allow her to see your leadership ability clearly.”
“She’s certainly not your team member.” Ming Chunshan sneered, already wanting to hang up. “Is there anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.”
“There is.” Ji Shuo interjected. “The mutated creature that died in the Ice-Fire Cave was supposed to have died in the dungeon and was discarded after Ning Xuan’s laboratory inspection, but now it has managed to revive.
“Do you have any thoughts?”
“What thoughts do I have?” Ming Chunshan rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t Chu Yu want to interfere with everything? Ask her.”
“Chu Yu has suspended Ruan Zhuyun from her duty in charge of the dungeon. The dungeon is now… handed over to me.”
Ji Shuo’s voice slowed down.
“My handover with the combat team will increase. It’s a pity you are no longer the Captain.”
Ming Chunshan fell silent.
It was known that Ruan Zhuyun and Ji Shuo controlled different responsibilities within the logistics team: Ruan Zhuyun was mainly in charge of the dungeon and cleanup, doing the toughest work; Ji Shuo was responsible for all logistics procurement, as well as contact with residential areas, vaccines, and other matters, making her one of the most recognizable members of the Ability Bureau.
And now, even the relatively important dungeon duty had been assigned away, meaning Ruan Zhuyun would be suppressed even more by Ji Shuo.
Xia Pingwu glanced sideways at Ming Chunshan, silently mouthing: “Do you have to go back?”
Ming Chunshan did not answer immediately.
Instead, she stared intently at Xia Pingwu for a while, making Xia Pingwu almost suspect she could easily read her mind. Then, Ming Chunshan finally spoke.
She looked at Xia Pingwu, but her words were directed at Ji Shuo: “I’ll be back shortly for the handover. Don’t you dare cause trouble for Ji Jie.”
The Truth Revealed
Neither of them had time to mention the divorce agreement. Xia Pingwu proactively got out of the car, while Ming Chunshan drove back to the Ability Bureau.
Watching the retreating car of Ming Chunshan, Xia Pingwu paused in place. Recalling the recent communication, she turned and dialed Ruan Zhuyun’s number.
Ruan Zhuyun had likely just seen Qiao Lang off; her tone wasn’t very stable, but she tried to sound cheerful:
“What’s up? I’m getting off work soon. Are you two going to treat me to dinner?”
“Chunshan has returned to the Ability Bureau.” Xia Pingwu organized her thoughts. “I heard you’re no longer in charge of the dungeon, so your work should be lighter. How about the two of us go out for a meal and a proper rest?”
Ruan Zhuyun paused. She didn’t ask how Xia Pingwu got the news, only replied: “Wait for me at home. I’ll take you out for some good food.”
Xia Pingwu turned and walked home as instructed, chatting casually: “Since the last incident, are the shops outside operating normally again?”
Ruan Zhuyun affirmed, explaining: “Chu Yu moved them.”
She paused, adding: “They were moved near the Ice-Fire Cave. You know, the pollution level near the Ice-Fire Cave is always low.”
Yes, the Ice-Fire Cave is closest to the outside of the mountain, yet the pollution level is very low.
The reason behind this, Xia Pingwu didn’t know, and Ruan Zhuyun didn’t offer.
She even felt that Pingwu didn’t need to know these things.
The two met at Ruan Zhuyun’s home. Xia Pingwu sat on the living room sofa, having already set out various flavored nutrient solutions.
Ruan Zhuyun changed her clothes and sat down across from her: “What, not eating out tonight?”
Xia Pingwu pointed to the nutrient solutions on the coffee table and smiled: “A little something to tide us over first?”
Ruan Zhuyun drank as instructed, then looked intently at Xia Pingwu: “Did you have a falling out with Ming Chunshan?”
“No.” Xia Pingwu casually picked up a bottle of nutrient solution, lightly fiddling with it in her hand. “It’s been a long time since we were alone together.”
Ruan Zhuyun paused. She knew Xia Pingwu wouldn’t mean that; they were lifelong friends, but in the current Xia Pingwu’s mind, that couldn’t be the case.
But Xia Pingwu wasn’t one to beat around the bush. If it wasn’t about Ming Chunshan, then it must be about…
Simultaneously, Xia Pingwu’s fiddling gradually stopped. She looked up, meeting Ruan Zhuyun’s eyes:
“Yunyun, after Shimu died, was I very difficult to accept the reality?”
She was asking about her former self.
Ruan Zhuyun didn’t understand why she was asking but subconsciously diverted the topic: “Too many things happened back then, but at least everything is stable now…”
“Because I couldn’t accept it, I joined the Resistance, didn’t I?”
Xia Pingwu abruptly interrupted Ming Chunshan’s line of thought. Ruan Zhuyun instantly frowned, looking bewildered: “Pingwu, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I already know everything.”
Having said that, Xia Pingwu’s gaze was calm.
“The Ability Bureau suspects I was colluding with the Resistance, don’t they?”
“Who told you such things? Of course not…” Ruan Zhuyun instinctively denied it. She was certain there were no leaks now. It was impossible for Xia Pingwu to know this.
For Pingwu’s safety, she must conceal everything.
With this thought, Ruan Zhuyun was about to speak, but was interrupted by Xia Pingwu once again:
“Chunshan was willing to sacrifice herself for the Ability Bureau not only for her ideals or passion, but also for my treatment. So, when she later gave me the divorce agreement, it was also because she found out I might be colluding with the Resistance, and wanted to stop me to save me and free herself, right?”
Why is it still about the divorce agreement…? But that reason is too ridiculous… No, wait, Pingwu is baiting her!
Ruan Zhuyun’s eyes instantly sharpened. In a flash, she mentally reviewed all the people Xia Pingwu had contacted recently. She couldn’t help but lean closer: “Who told you this? Was it Chu Yu?”
Unbeknownst to her, this reaction immediately gave Xia Pingwu the answer. Xia Pingwu asked, almost in disbelief: “I really had contact with the Resistance? Is it suspicion, or is there some substantive evidence?”
Seeing Ruan Zhuyun about to shake her head, Xia Pingwu suddenly clenched the nutrient solution bottle and dropped a bomb: “Ji Jie came to me. She said Shimu was saved by Auntie Ming.”
Ruan Zhuyun’s face instantly changed. She almost blurted out: “She’s lying!”
Simultaneously, Xia Pingwu rose abruptly, closing in on Ruan Zhuyun: “Yunyun, you suddenly asked me to leave, and then immediately said she’s lying without even asking. Tell me the truth, how much do you know?”
“…Pingwu, you and the Resistance are not the same kind of people.” Ruan Zhuyun finally spoke. “They are all fanatics, just like Chu Yu. Only you want to protect everyone.”
Her tone suddenly softened: “But Pingwu, I just want you to live. I just want you to leave this trouble-ridden place.”
Over the years, due to the treatment, and because Xia Pingwu could only wake up in the middle of the night, coupled with the danger of ordinary communication tools, the opportunities for them to exchange information were too few.
She didn’t know what agreement Xia Pingwu had reached with the Resistance, but she could guess.
A popular figure like Pingwu, neither side would willingly let go of.
“I can’t leave.”
Xia Pingwu’s answer was equally firm.
“I can’t leave here without knowing anything.”
“But you have amnesia now. You are in the open, yet those eyes are secretly watching you closely.”
Ruan Zhuyun recalled the warning she received in the dungeon, and her tone became resolute: “Although Ming Chunshan is annoying, she also wants to protect you. There’s a hidden reason behind the divorce agreement.”
She didn’t know why Xia Pingwu brought up the divorce, but the reason was probably for Ming Chunshan. Now was a good time to invoke Ming Chunshan: “So, let’s all three of us leave together.”
“I am in the open, but if they want to contact me, they won’t remain hidden for long, so they will definitely show up.” Xia Pingwu grabbed Ruan Zhuyun’s hand back. “If I run, do you think they will just sit idly by?
“Yunyun, you want me to live, and I want you to be safe. I hope you live longer than me and get to see this world become better.”
“Then think about Ming Chunshan! You know how much Ming Chunshan likes you. If you die, how is she going to live?”
Ruan Zhuyun raised her voice, but was immediately interrupted by Xia Pingwu:
“My thoughts for Chunshan are the same as for you. I hope you both live well. You two shouldn’t have been dragged into these things.”
Xia Pingwu said this almost without thinking. She paused, then, under Ruan Zhuyun’s stunned gaze, looked up and suddenly asked:
“Does Chunshan know about this?”
This, of course, referred to her relationship with the Resistance.
Ruan Zhuyun shrugged, slowly sitting back down: “No.”
She stared at Xia Pingwu, slowly extended her index finger, and shook it from side to side: “But Pingwu, you’re wrong. I’ve already been dragged into it. Both you and I are serving the Resistance.”
Xia Pingwu’s facial muscles tightened for a moment. Ruan Zhuyun clasped her hands together, resting them behind her head, a relaxed smile appearing on her face:
“And she is just Chu Yu’s loyal dog, at least on the surface.”
Xia Pingwu wanted to object, but Ruan Zhuyun had clearly seen through her inner thoughts. She simply remained silent, handing over the nutrient solution:
“Then, a toast.”
“A toast!” Ruan Zhuyun clinked her bottle heavily. “To our friendship. We’ll always be together, forever cleaning up the messes for those passionate combatants.”
“No need for that last part.” Xia Pingwu also gave a gentle smile.
They talked for the entire afternoon, yet it felt as brief as a fleeting moment. After half a day, things seemed to return to normal.
Ruan Zhuyun was stripped of one duty, but perhaps Chu Yu didn’t want to push too far. At least, she was reassigned to patrol near the Ice-Fire Cave.
The Ice-Fire Cave was far away. As a result, Ruan Zhuyun would have even less time to see Xia Pingwu.
However, they could still communicate. Ruan Zhuyun would tell her the specifics of the shops and discuss where to go to try new things.
Meanwhile, Xia Pingwu took over the combat team and became even busier than Ruan Zhuyun. When she rarely had a break, she could only respond to Ruan Zhuyun while fiddling with things everywhere.
Since Chunshan is not home today, she needs to search the house again.
Was Chu Yu only using her bl00d for research? She couldn’t easily trust anyone’s word. She had to find the truth herself.
At the very least, she needed to know a little more herself, so she would have leverage to extract more useful information from Chu Yu or Ji Jie.