What should one do when faced with a mountain of problems?
Of course, the correct answer would be to diligently solve the immediate issues.
But sometimes, it’s quite good to put everything aside for a moment and rest.
Suji had recently realized this very acutely.
So Suji, who was in a position to upload right away despite the threats from ‘Messiah’ and Priya, decided to worry about the immediate problem starting tomorrow.
Right now, she was about to challenge herself to her first drink ever.
The bar Elaine guided her to was in a secluded hillside without any civilian houses, seemingly not a place for ordinary people to come and go, and there wasn’t even a sign at the entrance.
Going inside, it was a small bar with an interior decorated with wood and a few seats at the bar.
Suji sat on a bar stool, following Elaine.
“It looked like some kind of shelter from the outside, but the interior is quite cozy.”
“Haha, it’s actually a place converted from a shelter. Many of the shelters built during the First Wave are no longer in use now.”
The one who responded to Suji’s words was not Elaine, but the bartender standing behind the bar.
The red-haired woman, who seemed to be the owner of the bar, came and stood in front of the two with a bright smile.
“What would you like? I do have something saved for Elaine.”
Despite surely knowing Daphne as well as Elaine, the smooth-faced woman placed a menu on the table without showing any sign of recognition.
Suji turned to Elaine, a bit surprised.
“What, do you drink often enough to have something kept here?”
Elaine shrugged her shoulders.
“I drink very occasionally.”
“Even with your detoxification trait.”
“If I remove all the items that correct for the trait, I can drink enough to rely on probability.”
Elaine, saying such things under the dim lighting of the bar, looked somewhat lonely.
Was there something that made her want to drink to that extent?
But that question ultimately didn’t make it past her lips.
‘I’ve had many such occasions too.’
If she had known how to rely on alcohol, Suji might have drunk several times already.
Even knowing it wasn’t good.
She felt somewhat bitter as she looked at the menu.
From the top, it was filled with whiskey, brandy, gin, various types of cocktails, and so on. Next to them were brief descriptions of the tastes, but for her, they were all words she couldn’t understand.
“Hmm, what should I eat? I don’t really know, can you recommend something?”
“If you like something with fruit, sangria made with wine and fruit is good… Ah, since you’re on an empty stomach, please only drink something with low alcohol content.”
“Then we can order food too, right? Can Elaine choose for me again?”
“Alright. Then one spinach arugula strawberry salad, one Sichuan-style chicken dish, one sandwich with guacamole. And one each of gin and tonic, sangria, Jack and Coke, and Peach Crush.”
Elaine recited the menu items and drink names without even flipping through the menu.
Suji felt a bit overwhelmed just hearing the menu items he listed.
“Are we going to eat all that?”
“You haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“…Well, that’s true, but. How can we eat all that?”
“Peace and Saint will be here soon. By any means necessary.”
Suji suddenly thought Elaine was right and smiled slightly.
A man wearing an apron started cooking in the open kitchen, and the bartender made each of the four menu items Elaine ordered and placed them in front of the two.
Although the bottles with long stainless steel spouts all looked similar, she skillfully picked them out.
“Here’s the gin and tonic, Jack and Coke, and Peach Crush. I’ll refill the sangria whenever you want.”
As Suji hesitated over what to drink first, she saw Elaine resting one arm on the bar, propping his head up and watching her as if observing.
It must be quite fun to watch someone drink for the first time.
Suji pulled the Peach Crush, which had the prettiest color among the four, in front of her, and took off her necklace and earrings. She also unbuckled her belt and placed them all on the seat next to her.
After removing several items, the detoxification trait correction was reduced to 18%.
“Well, now I can drink relying on a 4/5 probability.”
“It applies each time you take a drink, so don’t expect too much.”
“…Thanks.”
Suji smiled bitterly and tilted her glass.
Perhaps because it was a cocktail, her first drink in life was much sweeter than she had expected.
Success, failure, failure, failure, failure, success.
Suji narrowed her eyes as she sipped the cocktail.
What Saint had said before was right.
What does it matter if failures keep repeating? When a success hits, the alcohol clears right up.
Before she could even feel tipsy, successes kept coming up, so she couldn’t feel anything like being drunk at all. What was in front of her was just a carbonated drink with a pretty color.
“What is this?”
When Suji grumbled to Elaine as if in disbelief, he smiled slightly.
“Well, there is a trick to it.”
“…What is it?”
“You can’t fool the basic stats, but if the judgment is based on one drink…”
Elaine opened a small bottle of amber liquid, which he had taken out at some point, and filled an on-the-rocks glass to the brim. Then he downed it in one go.
Suji pulled what he had drunk towards her and smelled it.
It had a fairly smooth scent, but it was certainly stronger than what was in front of her.
“Is it okay to drink so much? Elaine is on an empty stomach too.”
“I’m the type who can’t live without alcohol.”
“You’re talking quite like Peace.”
Elaine smiled bitterly and shook his head as if to say don’t say such nonsense.
Soon the ordered food came out one after another, and Suji realized then that she had been quite hungry. It had been a day full of events that didn’t make her feel like eating at all.
So despite complaining that they had ordered too much, Suji diligently used her fork to polish off the salad and chicken. The wedge potatoes, which seemed to have come as a service, were also excellent, with just the right amount of pepper flavor and a salty, fluffy texture.
“People say they go out of their way to find good restaurants. I can see why now. Everything is delicious without exception.”
“That’s because I only ordered menus you would like.”
Suji blinked.
Elaine sometimes said things strangely, confusing people.
“You mean you’re confident about knowing my taste?”
“Something like that.”
Elaine seemed to be showing off a little, but she couldn’t deny it since it really did suit her taste perfectly.
Suji shrugged her shoulders and looked at the drinks lined up in front of her.
Did he order only things she would like for these too?
At least the Peach Crush was delicious.
She reached out and grabbed the round glass. The drink called sangria seemed to be a fruit-infused wine. It had apples, lemons, oranges, and several types of berries, so it was more visually pleasing than tasty.
Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp.
Looking at the word ‘failure’ with delighted eyes, she put down the huge glass that filled both hands with a thud.
“…Aren’t you overdoing it?”
“Elaine was the one who taught me the trick, right?”
“I guess I did something unnecessary.”
“I think, I’m feeling a bit better.”
Suji thought her cheeks felt hot as she leaned languidly against the bar.
She felt like she understood what it meant to be drunk.
Even so, since it was what Elaine had ordered for her to drink, it was obviously a low-alcohol drink. Anyway, after one or two more drinks, the alcohol would wear off due to her trait.
She wanted to enjoy this feeling a little longer.
As she pressed her cheek against the bar table, enjoying its cool sensation, she heard Elaine clicking his tongue.
“Hahaha. Don’t act like a dad who brought his uncontrollable daughter to a bar.”
“When did I ever treat you like a daughter, Team Leader?”
“Then?”
The answer was strangely delayed.
When Suji turned her head to look at Elaine’s face, he slowly shifted his gaze elsewhere, as if he had been staring at her.
“Huh? Did you just avoid eye contact?”
“…No. You must be seeing things because you’re drunk. How about another drink?”
It sounded a bit strange to suggest more alcohol because she was drunk, but between the two of them, it was the right thing to say.
Suji giggled and suddenly raised her upper body, downing the gin and tonic in one go.
This one had a refreshing feeling with the lemon taste spreading in her mouth. Perhaps because the previous drinks were so sweet, it felt like it was clearing her palate.
“…Haha, I got a failure again.”
“…Have one more drink.”
Suji was laughing holding her stomach when she realized her body’s reaction speed had subtly slowed down.
“Wow, this is really a drunk state. My cognition and reaction speeds are really different somehow.”
“Please stop gulping them down now.”
“…Hehehe, okay. I’ll really sober up now.”
The last one left was the Jack and Coke, which was a bit far away.
As Suji tried to grab it, the fairly tall bar stool tilted to one side.
Holding a glass in one hand, she couldn’t decide whether to balance her body or grip the glass properly, and muttered “Oh oh” before falling to the floor.
Elaine, startled by her staggering, reflexively caught and held Suji.
At that moment, the door on the opposite side of the bar table opened.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
