C9 Divorce

In the room, Zhou Pu lay on the couch, eyes glued to his phone as the countdown for the Eye of Horus ticked down to the last thirty minutes. A sense of reluctance washed over him. Initially, the barrage of malicious comments had been overwhelming, but this Metapower had also seen him through the ordeal of being falsely accused. Without it, he'd likely be out on the streets or worse, behind bars by now.

The door swung open, and Lin Yun'er entered, clutching a stack of documents and talking into a Bluetooth headset. "Can't you handle this with a bit more professionalism? You're just going to parrot her words? Relay this message: the company that made her can just as easily break her. Tell her exactly what I said, word for word. Mess this up, and you're out on your ear along with her."

"I'm taking a break for a bit. If there's an issue, reach out to Director Lee or Lawyer Hu. Still, I expect a detailed daily report on the company's status in my inbox. And don't hesitate to update me on anything critical."

With a snap, Yun'er shut the door, tossed the documents onto the nightstand, and began shedding her coat. "Get out, I need to change." Her irritation flared upon noticing Zhou Pu nestled in the blankets, fiddling with his phone.

"Stop, stop! Who said you could be undressed?" She caught sight of Zhou Pu's bare chest as he rose from the bed and quickly averted her eyes.

"I just took a shower," Zhou Pu explained, preempting any comments about his cleanliness by showering early.

"Never mind, don't bother getting up. Just stay under the covers and no peeking," Yun'er instructed, ensuring Zhou Pu's head was tucked away before she slipped out of her suit jacket, grabbed her pajamas, and retreated to the bathroom.

The sound of the shower filled the room, and steam fogged the semi-transparent glass. Unable to discern the figure within, Zhou Pu felt an unfamiliar emotion stirring.

"Snap out of it, stay sharp," he told himself, giving his head a light shake to clear his thoughts. After sending out a few resumes, he resolved to get out and about the next day, even if it meant returning to delivery work. He couldn't afford to be seen as a freeloader.

The whir of the hairdryer signaled the end of Yun'er's shower, and the bathroom door opened to reveal her delicate face framed by flowing black hair. She was dressed in cozy, cartoon-patterned pajamas that snugly enveloped her figure.

"What are you staring at?" Yun'er snapped, irritated by Zhou Pu's astonished look.

Zhou Pu quickly averted his eyes.

Settling into her blankets, Yun'er pulled out her phone and began typing furiously. Zhou Pu was curious about what she was looking at but didn't dare ask. Soon enough, his Metapower kicked in.

"How to force your husband to divorce?" Zhou Pu stared at Yun'er, dumbfounded, as her inner monologue reached his ears. Was she researching how to get a divorce?

"1. Be a shrew, be fierce to men — No, that won't work. This guy's a wimp. He doesn't get mad no matter how much I scold him. He's heartless. Maybe I'm not scolding him harshly enough?"

Their eyes met suddenly, and both felt a twinge of unease.

"Still staring? Go and prepare some water for me to wash my feet," Yun'er barked.

"But didn't you just take a bath?"

"Mind your own business. I do as I please."

She had hoped their argument would escalate, but Zhou Pu obediently fetched the footbath, leaving her feeling like she was punching a pillow—utterly unsatisfied.

"Wash my feet."

As Zhou Pu washed her feet, a sleazy grin on his face, Yun'er felt like she was the one losing out.

"Drink the footbath water," she commanded, frustrated that her plan had failed.

"Ah? But it's dirty."

"I'm telling you to drink it."

"How about we drink it together?"

"I said you should drink it alone. Will you drink it?"

"That's a lot, isn't it?"

"I told you to drink it. Stop dithering. You're not acting like a man."

"I won't drink it."

"You dare to talk back?" Yun'er yelled, secretly pleased. Was he getting angry? Good. A fight would be ideal. This marriage was unbearable; a divorce would be for the best.

She picked up the basin, pretending to force the water into Zhou Pu's mouth. Zhou Pu, of course, resisted, and in the struggle, Yun'er ended up soaked with the footbath water.

Fuming, she went back to take another shower.

Once she had changed into fruit-patterned pajamas and crawled back under the covers, she grabbed her phone and pondered, 'In terms of strength, women are indeed at a disadvantage to men. What other methods are there?'

"Ding, ding, ding!" Lin Yun'er dialed the number. "Hey, sweetheart, have you missed me? Because I've missed you."

She was concerned that Zhou Pu might not hear her, so she raised her voice.

Unfortunately for her, it was Zhou Pu on the line. With ten minutes left on the Eye of Horus countdown, every subtle sound was amplified and funneled into his ears. Zhou Pu watched her put on a show, feeling helpless.

"Yun'er? Is that you? Am I hearing things?"

"Spending the day with you was amazing. I wish we could do this every day."

"You must be on something, spouting all this nonsense."

"I'm coming over to your place tomorrow. Your bed is so big and comfy. I'm looking forward to it."

"Are you drunk, or just half-asleep? I'm not into girls, you know!"

"Hmm? Coming over isn't really convenient right now. I'll sneak you the details after he's gone."

"Hold on, who's 'he'? Is there someone with you? You haven't been kidnapped, have you? Should I call the cops?"

"No need, no need. He's just a pathetic guy. It's thrilling to have you over at my place. What's he going to do about it? He's not man enough. Alright, alright, my dear, see you tomorrow. Love you. Bye!"

"Ding, ding, ding!"

On the other end of the line, Zhong Qian was completely baffled. She was about to call the police when she noticed a WeChat message from Lin Yun'er: "Qianqian, I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously. Dinner's on me tomorrow!"

Zhong Qian replied with suspicion, "What's this all about? Truth or dare? Some kind of prank show?"

She quickly received a response: "Alright, alright, we'll chat more tomorrow. I'll treat you to a Lavender Cappuccino."

"Ha, looks like I'm in for a treat tomorrow, plus an entertaining story." Zhong Qian twirled her pen, realizing that she wasn't in any danger. The other person knew her favorite ice cream flavor, so she wasn't kidnapped. She wondered who Yun'er was playing this intriguing game with and couldn't help but smile playfully.

"What are you staring at? Got a problem?" Yun'er challenged him with a defiant look, silently urging him to lose his temper.

"It's nothing. I can cooperate when she arrives. I'll just step outside," Zhou Pu said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"You... You..." Yun'er stuttered, at a loss for words. She had never encountered such a brazen character, shameless as a Ninja Turtle. Despite the situation being as vast and complicated as the Xilingol grasslands, he remained unfazed. Could he possibly be a pervert with twisted desires and peculiar fetishes? The thought sent shivers down her spine and goosebumps across her skin. No longer wanting to engage with him, she huffed and retreated under the safety of her blanket.