The Collapse of Willpower

The night was as black as ink, and all was silent.

At home, only a faint, cold light seeped through the crack beneath the master bathroom door.

Gu Yue sat cross-legged on the floor with her back against the icy marble wall, both hands clamped tightly over her stomach. It felt as though a planetary war was raging inside her, with armies charging recklessly through her intestines and stomach. Every impact drew fine beads of cold sweat across her forehead. Her face was pale as paper, and her usual composure, that air of having everything under control, had long vanished, replaced by fragile weakness on the brink of collapse.

Just ten minutes ago, she had endured a grueling expedition—from the toilet to the sink, then back to the toilet, over and over again.

"I can't... really... squeeze out... even one more drop..." Gu Yue leaned weakly against the doorframe, feeling as though her soul had drifted into outer space along with the cold torrents she had poured out, leaving only an emptied shell barely clinging to life in this world.

And the culprit behind this entire tragedy was currently lying quietly in the freezer in the living room: a lone vanilla ice cream cone, its top adorned with a cherry that did not actually exist.

That was the source of all evil.

The story began four hours earlier.

When the hands of the clock quietly crossed one in the morning, the entire world had fallen asleep. But Gu Yue was wide awake. She had spent three whole hours in the study researching how to avoid morning training. Her brain had been running at high speed, consuming vast amounts of energy, and an inexplicable feeling of heat and emptiness rose from her stomach.

She stood up, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

As she passed the living room, the massive double-door refrigerator emitted a deep blue glow, like a beast lurking in the night, softly calling to her.

Reason told her that at six tomorrow morning, Ye Xinglan would arrive at her door right on time for the devilish morning training she claimed would tear apart the Shrek Seven Monsters' training manual.

As an experienced foodie and health enthusiast, Gu Yue knew perfectly well that eating cold food before such intense exercise was no different from digging her own grave.

But that ice cream cone looked so tempting beneath the light. That creamy white shade resembled the clouds glowing at the horizon—and also... Tang Wulin's occasional unguarded, foolish smile.

"Just one bite to calm the heat, then I'll brush my teeth and go straight to bed," Gu Yue told herself silently, her inner voice so faint that even she could barely hear it.

She skillfully opened the refrigerator door. Cold air rushed toward her, carrying a trace of sweetness. She took out the cone, and the biting chill against her fingertips made her shudder, yet also brought a strange sense of pleasure.

The first bite was icy, stimulating, and went straight to the top of her head.

The second bite was smooth and sweet, temporarily numbing her nerves.

The third bite...

"Gulp."

Just as one-third of the cone remained, the bedroom door opened.

Tang Wulin walked out while rubbing his sleepy eyes, wearing his signature gray pajama pants. He had clearly been awakened by the refrigerator compressor starting up, or perhaps the lingering vanilla scent had stirred his cravings.

"Gu Yue, what are you sneaking a bite of in the middle of the night?" he asked groggily, his steps unsteady as he headed toward the kitchen.

Gu Yue's heart skipped a beat. If she were discovered now, not only would her contraband be confiscated, she would also be forcibly made to drink a huge cup of ginger brown-sugar water. For someone who pursued elegance like Gu Yue, that was practically a public execution.

In that lightning-fast instant, Gu Yue displayed astonishing adaptability and an actress's flawless skill. She swiftly hid the remaining cone behind her back, straightened her posture, assumed a solemn expression, and instantly switched her gaze into the mode of "I am contemplating the ultimate mysteries of the universe."

"I wasn't eating anything." Her voice was cool and steady, as if the person greedily swallowing ice cream moments ago had not been her. "I was just checking the refrigerator's temperature settings. The electricity bill has been a little high lately, so I'm investigating abnormal energy consumption."

Tang Wulin yawned and glanced at the hand Gu Yue had hidden behind her back, then at the faint smear of cream at the corner of her mouth—that was from when she had accidentally brushed it there while licking the spoon.

But he said nothing. Perhaps he was too sleepy, or perhaps he had some inexplicable trust in his wife. He nodded. "Oh. Then go to sleep once you're done. And don't forget the alarm tomorrow. Xinglan will be knocking at the door at six."

"Got it."

After receiving what sounded like Tang Wulin's endorsement, he turned around and returned to the bedroom.

Only after the sound of the door closing did Gu Yue realize that her back was already soaked in cold sweat. She let out a long breath, then immediately stuffed the last bite of ice cream into her mouth and even licked her lips with lingering satisfaction.

"It's fine. I know my limits," she murmured to the air before turning to wash up.

That night, Gu Yue brushed her teeth for a full five minutes, used three times her usual amount of mouthwash, and even chewed two pieces of mint gum to conceal the scent. As she lay in bed listening to Tang Wulin's steady breathing beside her, a strange sense of accomplishment welled up inside her—she had escaped disaster and was about to receive the perfect breakfast energy boost.

However, at that moment, the gears of fate began their cruel countdown.

Three thirty in the morning.

"Grrrrumble—"

A violent growl from her stomach shattered the silence. At first, it was only a slight cramp. Gu Yue turned over, assuming she had caught a chill. She pulled the blanket tighter, trying to use her body heat to suppress the unrest.

Half an hour later, the storm arrived.

It felt as though an invisible hand had seized her intestines and begun wildly twisting, stretching, and pounding them. The pain came swiftly and without warning, instantly shattering all her defenses. Cold sweat soaked through her sleepwear in an instant, and her teeth began chattering uncontrollably.

Gu Yue realized something was terribly wrong.

She staggered toward the bathroom, where she performed a two-hour production of The Fast and the Furious.

At this moment, it was five fifty in the morning.

Gu Yue felt as though her entire body had become transparent. Supporting herself against the wall, she shuffled back toward the bedroom step by step, wanting only to find somewhere to bury herself.

Her phone screen lit up. It was Ye Xinglan's routine confirmation message: [Ten-minute countdown. I'm waiting downstairs. If you dare be one minute late, I'll tell everyone about how you secretly replaced my limited-edition black tea last time.]

Looking at those murderous words, Gu Yue felt her sphincter tighten again.

No, she had to come clean. In this state, forget running—even standing still might kill her on the spot.

With trembling fingers, Gu Yue typed almost entirely from muscle memory: [Xinglan, sorry. Sudden acute gastroenteritis. I've been vomiting and having diarrhea, and I'm completely exhausted now. Today's morning training... let's cancel it.]

Sent.

Almost the very second the message went out, her phone began vibrating madly.

It was not a reply from Ye Xinglan, but a call from her.

Gu Yue took a deep breath and answered. Before she could say anything, a volcano-like roar exploded from the speaker.

"GU—YUE!!!"

The voice was so piercing that Gu Yue's eardrums hurt, and even the cramps in her abdomen seemed to worsen.

"Do you know what day it is today?! Do you know that because of this damned morning training, I barely slept last night because I was afraid I'd miss the time and you'd laugh at me?! And now you're telling me you have diarrhea?!"

"Xinglan, I really..."

"Don't give me that 'I really' nonsense! That face of yours, the one that always looks like it has everything planned out and everything under control—is it pale as death right now? Are you searching all over the floor for toilet paper? Does every step feel like something down there is about to burst through a dam?!"

Gu Yue said, "...How did you know?"

"How did I know? Because I'm right outside your door! I heard your refrigerator door opening and closing last night! And Tang Wulin, that idiot, definitely failed to keep you in check again! You knew we were competing in endurance today, yet you still dared to eat ice cream?! Do you think your life is too long, or that I don't hit hard enough?!"

Gu Yue was scolded speechless and could only hold the phone farther away to avoid having her organs injured by the sound waves.

"Xinglan, mainly... mainly Tang Wulin..."

"Stop shirking responsibility! Do you think I don't know that idiot Tang Wulin? If he had really stopped you, could you still have eaten it? You're just relying on him spoiling you and acting completely lawless! And now look at you. You got your fun, I made a wasted trip, and I have to stand here breathing exhaust fumes while waiting for you to recover?!"

Ye Xinglan stomped furiously on the other end of the line. Judging by the noise, she had probably already stomped two holes into the lawn downstairs.

"Xinglan, how about... you come in and teach Tang Wulin a lesson for me? Make him promise not to buy snacks for the house anymore?" Gu Yue tried to redirect the fire.

"Teach him a lesson? Right now, I just want to package the two of you up and throw you into a trash can!" Ye Xinglan's voice calmed slightly, but it was still filled with murderous intent. "Listen, Gu Yue, this isn't over. Lie down properly. You'd better have diarrhea until you're dehydrated, until you don't even have the strength to turn over, and truly understand what 'the price of greed' means. As for Tang Wulin..."

Ye Xinglan paused, and her tone turned eerie and terrifying. "I'll personally settle the score with him. I'll let him know that indulging his partner's reckless behavior comes with a painful price. Just wait. Morning training is canceled today, but the punishment will be doubled! I'll let him taste what hell-level physical training is!"

After hanging up, Gu Yue collapsed limply onto the bed, feeling as though the last drop of moisture in her body had been drained away.

Meanwhile, outside the door.

Ye Xinglan was pounding hard on the security door, muttering under her breath, "Gu Yue! Open up! I know you're not dead! Stop playing dead! Open the door and hand over that damned ice cream wrapper! I'm taking it to show Xie Xie what real 'reaping what you sow' looks like!"

From inside, Gu Yue weakly called out, "Xinglan, please, let me rot in peace for a while. If you keep knocking, I'm afraid I'll pass out for real, and then you'll have to call an ambulance."

Ye Xinglan froze.

She looked through the peephole and saw Gu Yue leaning against the door, her face ashen, her eyes unfocused, looking like a mushroom wilted by frost.

Ye Xinglan's momentum instantly dropped by half. She was furious, but she was not cruel enough to attack someone who was sick.

"Fine, you win," Ye Xinglan said viciously. "Stay in bed and reflect on yourself! No drinking water! No eating! Once you can walk normally again, we'll settle this properly! And tell that man of yours to wash his neck and wait for me. I'm going to 'educate' him right now!"

With that, Ye Xinglan turned away. Her golden hair fluttered in the morning breeze, and her back remained straight, but her steps carried an unmistakable air of frustration. She had originally come to do morning training and show off the new sword technique she had mastered. Instead, she had ended up on a crusade.

Twenty minutes later.

Tang Wulin had just changed into sportswear and was preparing to go out and buy breakfast—his way of dealing with the impending arrival of Ye Xinglan—when a golden figure blocked him at the entryway.

Ye Xinglan held a tree branch she had picked up from who knew where and pointed it at Tang Wulin's nose, her eyes so fierce that she looked ready to swallow him whole.

"Tang Wulin, get over here."

Tang Wulin looked utterly confused. "Xinglan? Why haven't you left? Gu Yue..."

"Don't mention Gu Yue!" Ye Xinglan cut him off, the branch slicing a sharp arc through the air. "Tell me, was it you last night?! Was it you who watched Gu Yue eat that ice cream? You clearly saw it, but pretended not to see it, and maybe you even handed her a spoon?"

Tang Wulin scratched his head and tried to recall. "Last night... I guess something like that did happen. I saw her sneaking something out of the refrigerator. I asked what she was eating, and she said she was checking the refrigerator temperature... I thought our refrigerator stays at a constant temperature all year round, so what kind of temperature issue could there be? I didn't look into it. Then she went to brush her teeth... Was that ice cream?"

"That was ice cream! Vanilla ice cream! I even saw the remnants!" Ye Xinglan roared. "Tang Wulin!"

Seeing Ye Xinglan looking like she wanted to eat him alive, Tang Wulin finally understood what had happened. He gave an awkward laugh and attempted to defend himself. "Well... Xinglan, you know Gu Yue. Sometimes she is a little... greedy. And I thought that having some ice cream once in a while, as long as she didn't eat too much..."

"Shut up! You have no right to speak!" Ye Xinglan lashed the branch against the shoe cabinet beside them with a sharp smack. "Too much? Gu Yue's 'too much' is already being displayed in the toilet! She probably can't even raise her soul power right now. She's lying there groaning! And you, as her spouse, bear an inescapable responsibility to supervise her!"

"Then... then should I go buy medicine? Or some porridge? I'll go right now." Seeing that things were going badly, Tang Wulin immediately surrendered and prepared to slip away.

"Trying to run? No chance!" Ye Xinglan grabbed Tang Wulin by the collar and yanked him back. "Your punishment has only just begun. Since you can't control her mouth, I'll take control of your body. You'll take her place in this morning's training."

"Huh?" Tang Wulin's eyes widened. "I'll replace her? But Xinglan, I'm a control-type soul master, and she's an assault-type..."

"Cut the nonsense!" Ye Xinglan released him, pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket, and slapped it against Tang Wulin's chest. "This is Gu Yue's 'physical recovery plan' from before. I looked at it. It's very scientific. Since she can't move, you'll carry it out for her. One hundred push-ups, two hundred squats, five hundred jump ropes, plus a ten-kilometer cross-country run with weight—don't ask what weight. There's no barbell at home, so carry that broken refrigerator and run with it!"

Tang Wulin stared at the list and sucked in a sharp breath. This was not a recovery plan. It was clearly a murder plan.

"Xinglan, isn't this a little too harsh..."

"Harsh? Compared to Gu Yue suffering worse than death in the bathroom right now, this is already merciful!" Ye Xinglan sneered. "This is to make you understand how she feels! To make you understand what it means when one small thing affects everything! Go! Now! Immediately! This instant! I'll supervise you here until you finish! Otherwise, I'll post your childhood bedwetting photos on the Shrek Forum!"

Under Ye Xinglan's deathly glare, Tang Wulin pulled a miserable face and resignedly dropped down to the floor.

"One, two, three..."

In the faint morning light, Tang Wulin's weak counting echoed from the garden below the apartment building, along with Ye Xinglan's cold and merciless scolding.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom upstairs, filled with the faint smell of medicine, Gu Yue curled up beneath the blankets. Listening to the commotion below, the corner of her mouth actually lifted into an incredibly faint, smug curve.

"Hmph. That's what you get for spoiling me... for not stopping me..."

She struggled to turn over, only for another churning wave of abdominal pain to strike.

"Hiss—"

Gu Yue sucked in a sharp breath, stared at the ceiling, and gradually let her eyes go blank.

In this round, who exactly was punishing whom?

Perhaps this was what they called a sweet burden. The price had been exhaustion and public humiliation, but watching her foolish husband get worked to the bone downstairs while her aloof best friend swaggered around in triumph, Gu Yue felt that this box of ice cream, expensive as it was, had been well worth the money.