Amnesiac Yandere Ex-Wife Always Wants to Remarry - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I Should Have Killed You, Mother.

The memorial hall was always eerily quiet on non-Heroine days.

Xia Pingwu and Ming Chunshan walked in. Aside from the diligently working surveillance system around them, there was no one else in sight.

The two stopped in front of rows upon rows of memorial tablets. Xia Pingwu looked up and immediately saw “Ning Cong” at the very front.

Her movements paused, and she turned to look at Ming Chunshan:

“I’ll sit in the car for a while. I’ll leave you some private time, alright?”

Ming Chunshan immediately grabbed Xia Pingwu’s wrist with her hand: “Elder Sister, please stay here with me, alright?”

Xia Pingwu turned her head, her gaze still faintly fixed on Ning Cong’s memorial tablet, and suddenly asked again:

“Chunshan, in that last major battle, you and Mistress…”

“Elder Sister.”

The person beside her interrupted her yet again.

“Can we not ask that question today?”

Xia Pingwu let out a soft breath.

She turned her head again and saw Ming Chunshan quietly edging closer to her side, cautiously looping her arm through Xia Pingwu’s, silently observing her expression, and reluctantly relenting:

“I’ll wait here for half an hour, and then Elder Sister can come and pick me up.”

Xia Pingwu’s movement to pull her hand away stopped.

Chunshan was always like this.

Like when she was a child, making her soft-hearted and taking an inch for a mile.

She always worried that it would encourage her dependence, but seeing her endure the grievance to obey her, she looked so pitiable.

But why was she feeling wronged?

What was the reason she was unwilling to tell her?

So, she still pulled out her arm, and nodded gently:

“Okay.”

Ming Chunshan watched Xia Pingwu leave the memorial room. She wanted to walk Xia Pingwu back to the car, but Xia Pingwu stood at the door and waved her off, so Ming Chunshan didn’t move.

Only after watching Xia Pingwu’s figure disappear did Ming Chunshan turn back with a sense of frustration, vaguely sweeping her gaze across the memorial tablets: “She’s only this gentle for you.”

She paused, her face falling further:

“I really don’t know what I should say to you. I even thought that entering the academy would let me escape you, but if I had known you’d do that to Elder Sister later…”

Her tone instantly became vicious:

“I should have killed you sooner, like I’ve killed all those Anomalies these past years.”

Ten years ago.

“From now on, you will be leaving the Ice Fire Cave and heading to the Academy to study.”

As usual, Mother stood in the center of the cave, staring intently at them, her tone heavy:

“You are children cultivated by the entire Exploration Team. I don’t want you to do anything that will bring shame upon me after you enter the Academy.”

At that time, Ming Chunshan was a head shorter than Xia Pingwu, perfectly hidden behind her, with only her eyes peeking out.

She had heard these words countless times; her ears were practically calloused.

Mother’s expression predictably soured. Just as she was about to reach out and pull her out, Xia Pingwu completely blocked her view and replied softly:

“Chunshan has indeed been studying a lot lately. She stays up late to read every night.”

“What’s the use of staying up late now? Why didn’t she have this determination earlier?” Mother scoffed, but her expression did soften somewhat. Even the aunts from the Exploration Team standing at the edge, who hadn’t spoken, sighed in relief.

Xia Pingwu curved her eyes, showing a gentle smile: “Mistress, don’t worry. Once we get to the Academy, I’ll keep an eye on Chunshan.”

“She needs to try hard herself. You can’t follow her for her entire life,” Mother sighed, then looked at Xia Pingwu. “The Academy assigns dorms freely. You should also let her make more friends and not cling to you like a shadow.”

The other words were fine, but Ming Chunshan couldn’t stand this one sentence.

Just as she was about to emerge and argue, her arm was linked by Xia Pingwu, who then pulled her back to run. In her ear, she heard Xia Pingwu’s farewell:

“Mistress, Aunts, we’ll go back to pack now. You all should rest early too!”

As soon as they turned into their room, Ming Chunshan unhappily shook off Xia Pingwu’s hand, sulking:

“Elder Sister, what does Mother mean? I’m just good friends with you. How am I your shadow?”

Xia Pingwu pressed down the stray hairs flying around Ming Chunshan’s head, replying: “Yes, Chunshan isn’t a shadow. She just follows me everywhere except when it comes to studying.”

Ming Chunshan immediately grabbed Xia Pingwu’s arm, rubbing her forehead against Xia Pingwu’s neck until the latter subconsciously reached out to block her, then continued:

“You are the most powerful genius Anomaly specialist in this world. No matter how hard I try, I can’t surpass you, so I just need to be a lazy bum and be protected by you.”

Xia Pingwu tried to push her away again, but seeing Ming Chunshan’s bright, sparkling eyes looking back at her, her heart suddenly softened. She rubbed her head in return and nodded: “Don’t worry, I will always protect you.”

Ming Chunshan rubbed her head into Xia Pingwu’s palm again, then looked straight at her: “Will you always be with me?”

“Of course I will,” Xia Pingwu withdrew her hand and turned to pack her luggage. Since her back was to Ming Chunshan, Ming Chunshan couldn’t see her expression, only hearing her slowly say: “But, the Academy assigns dorms freely. If you break the rules, it might be difficult for me…”

“It doesn’t matter, free dorm assignment is fine,” Ming Chunshan immediately followed her, rubbing her nose against Xia Pingwu’s back. “I’ll be obedient, attend all my classes, and won’t cause you any trouble.”

Elder Sister’s biggest wish was to become an excellent Anomaly specialist like Mother. She knew that.

She would always, always, stand behind her.

Later, after successfully entering the Academy, Xia Pingwu was trained as a key Combat Squad student, needing to undergo constant training and regular assessments by various teachers. The time she could spend with Ming Chunshan grew shorter and shorter.

At first, Ming Chunshan would plead with Xia Pingwu to defend her rest time, and Xia Pingwu would negotiate with the teachers as requested.

However, the contaminant index had continued to rise in recent years. Even the Ice Fire Cave, which had been quiet for years, began to show anomalies. The Bureau of Anomalies grew increasingly tense, and the Academy, as the reserve force, could only intensify its training.

Xia Pingwu’s negotiations were mostly ineffective.

She could only try to speed up the time for each surprise training session, guaranteeing Ming Chunshan before leaving:

“Chunshan, I promise you, I’ll be back to pick you up in half an hour.”

At that moment, Ming Chunshan could only nod, tightly clasping Xia Pingwu’s hand, trying her best to reply with a steady voice:

“I’ll wait here for half an hour, and then Elder Sister can come and pick me up.”

Then, she would stare at her hand clutching Elder Sister’s fingers, watching Elder Sister cover it with her other warm hand and gently pull her fingers apart.

She held on so tightly that both her and Elder Sister’s hands turned slightly white, but Elder Sister seemed not to feel any pain, still restraining her strength when pulling her fingers open.

Very gently, and cautiously, trying to undo her restraint.

Whenever she realized this, Ming Chunshan would immediately withdraw her hand, then push Elder Sister’s arm, saying nothing, just urging her to leave quickly.

Xia Pingwu wouldn’t speak either. In Ming Chunshan’s sight, she could only see Xia Pingwu’s shoes pause for a moment, then turn and walk away quickly.

This kind of farewell was repeated many times.

So many that Ming Chunshan couldn’t even remember the count.

She only remembered that Elder Sister always kept her word.

Every time, in less than half an hour, Xia Pingwu would return precisely on time, using her hair to conceal the slight scrapes on her forehead, and seriously tell her:

“Chunshan, I’m back.”

The memorial room didn’t often have visitors; it was empty and cold. Ming Chunshan looked down at the memorial tablet not far away, seeing the three distinct characters of Ming Jianhong on it, and her face darkened.

Her voice was very soft, as if talking to herself: “But, I really struggle to make friends. Unlike Elder Sister, who always has countless people around her.”

It was the Academy, after all, full of hidden talent.

Gradually, Xia Pingwu was surrounded by more outstanding Anomaly specialists. They formed teams based on academic rank and underwent training together.

Xia Pingwu did not become distant from Ming Chunshan because of this; instead, she continued to prioritize her above everything else.

Despite this, that semester, Xia Pingwu still led her team to achieve the Academy’s highest score ever.

Ming Chunshan finally couldn’t sit still anymore.

She knew that as long as it didn’t involve Mother, Xia Pingwu would listen to everything she said, but she was no longer willing to be a shadow.

A shadow who could only ever see Xia Pingwu’s back.

She had to stand beside Xia Pingwu.

So, the next semester, everyone saw Ming Chunshan change.

The child who was rumored to have “inherited the excellent genes of the Exploration Team leader” finally shed her lazy tendency and displayed her remarkable talent.

Subsequently, she successfully joined the top-ranked team in the school, led by Xia Pingwu.

She finally stood beside Xia Pingwu and could share the glory with her.

This news spread quickly. By the time they returned to the Ice Fire Cave for winter break to see Mother, the entire Exploration Team already knew.

Mother was still stingy with praise, but her gaze towards Ming Chunshan was clearly much softer. She instructed Xia Pingwu:

“Chunshan’s pollution value is very dangerous. You need to pay close attention to her.”

The day before they enrolled, the situation that [contaminants could pollute everyone without injury] had been disclosed, and everyone who hadn’t been on the battlefield was required to be tested.

Fortunately, most had doses below 0.1%. Even Xia Pingwu, who occasionally trained with Mother, only had 0.3%.

Only Ming Chunshan had an exaggerated reading of 16.7%.

The official critical threshold was only 17%.

Therefore, even if Ming Chunshan chose to be a lazy bum, few teachers in the school would dare to genuinely push her.

Many people were secretly resentful, saying Ming Chunshan was lucky, “not only can she enjoy the benefits of being an Anomaly specialist, but she also has a mother to rely on, a childhood friend she can cling to, and now, even a golden talisman to rely on and be lazy.”

It wasn’t until this semester, when Ming Chunshan suddenly became diligent, that such doubts significantly reduced.

Just after Mother finished her reminder, Ming Chunshan saw Xia Pingwu nod, seriously promising: “I will.”

She couldn’t help but pout. Leaning close to Xia Pingwu, she whispered: “I’m very capable. I don’t need you to protect me.”

Xia Pingwu slightly curved her lips. Just as she was about to reply, she heard Mother say: “Pingwu, you’ve been in the Academy for a semester now. Today, there’s an exploration mission. Follow me for some practical training.”

Ming Chunshan immediately chimed in excitedly: “I want to go too. I’m very capable now.”

Mother glanced at her indifferently and shook her head: “Practical training is different from the Academy. The pollution value is real. Your pollution value is too high. What if you’re fully contaminated and go mad?”

Ming Chunshan was defeated and said no more. She just stared intently at Mother, wanting to say something, but seemingly held back by something, clenching her teeth without uttering a sound. Her eyes were full of resentment.

Xia Pingwu turned around and immediately noticed her abnormality, subconsciously frowning.

But the Exploration Team was already rustling around, preparing to depart. Xia Pingwu had no choice but to reach out, smooth the stray hair near Ming Chunshan’s forehead, and comfort her as she had countless times half a year ago:

“Chunshan, I promise you, I’ll be back to pick you up in half an hour.”

Normal exploration missions were mostly controlled to within half an hour, as they also worried about team members being contaminated if they took longer. Thus, every mission was designed this way.

Xia Pingwu believed this, and Ming Chunshan believed it too, but no one expected that this time, an accident would occur.

Ming Chunshan’s gaze on the memorial tablet suddenly became distant. She hesitated, finally unable to resist asking the question that had been buried in her heart for so long:

“What exactly did you tell Elder Sister that time?”

If Elder Sister’s usual effort was 100 points, since then, she had almost doubled her diligence.

She trained as if she had suddenly gone mad. Even when Ming Chunshan used her old tricks, it rarely made Elder Sister rest.

Ming Chunshan could vaguely sense that something was wrong, but whenever she asked, Elder Sister would always be silent for a while, then look at her and sigh: “Chunshan, the future of the Bureau of Anomalies rests solely on us.”

Several times, she even almost thought Xia Pingwu had also discovered the secret.

But she knew that was impossible.

She believed she understood Elder Sister well enough.

Elder Sister had always been a principled person. Even if it concerned the Mistress, she would never conceal that secret.

To take it a step further, even if she truly didn’t tell any outsiders, she would at least share it with her.