A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 15

Inside the pure-white nutrient-solution factory, cold machinery operated in perfect order. The administrator walked past elegantly with her hands clasped behind her back. Behind her, the well-trained youths exchanged glances and tacitly turned away from the professional topic.

“The spacing deviation needs to be controlled within three percent… Do you feel like Zhu Yu has been acting strange lately?”

“Everyone gets like this after working too long. When she first came, that was when she wasn’t normal.”

“No, I mean she looks really down. She didn’t even eat the free premium nutrient gummies at lunch. Too suspicious! Could she have been dumped? Did she fall in love with a customer at the bar?”

Following Cat’s exaggerated tone, Xiao Shan lifted her brows and looked toward Zhu Yu, who was slumped nearby like a soft slime. She calmly analyzed, “She’s always touching that fake ring from the vintage shop. I heard secondhand antiques can carry unclean things. Maybe she’s possessed.”

The two of them were completely on different wavelengths. Cat rubbed the goosebumps rising on her arm. “Ugh, this is a scientific society now. Stop reading those weird forums! Her falling in love is way more likely than being haunted, right?”

“No. Both have a fifty percent probability, and they can happen at the same time. For example, she might be in love with the ring’s previous owner. Late at night, when all is quiet, the soul ring appears…”

Xiao Shan’s tone was eerie, scaring Cat so badly her fur almost puffed up.

Zhu Yu weakly raised her head. “Let me tell you a secret. I can hear you.”

Xiao Shan frowned. “Why are you so weak? Did you not eat?”

Cat poked her head over. “Or are you troubled by love? Hurry and tell us. We’ll help you think of a solution!”

“Lately, I’ve been feeling a little… powerless.” Zhu Yu drew in a low breath.

Recently, she had been getting sleepy very easily. Once she got home, she did not want to do anything. Even when massaging Bai Shuzhou, it was hard to gather her mental power.

She could not get orders at Paradis. The manager appeared and disappeared like a ghost. Bai Shuzhou always smiled at Nangong and only showed her a cold face…

“You’re just too tired,” Xiao Shan said sympathetically, patting her. “Take a few days off and rest properly.”

Zhu Yu thought of Bai Shuzhou’s cold eyes and immediately shook her head. She always felt that if she stayed home for too long, she would become even more unlikable. At least when she was working outside, she could escape for a while.

When things were empty, it was lonely.

Slacking off at work was basically finding a free entertainment venue.

Zhu Yu comforted herself and gave a bleak smile.

That evening, she drifted gloomily to Paradis. Another wealthy older-sister customer opened a champagne tower for Nangong.

Everyone really did like Nangong.

The golden dome above the second floor opened, and banknotes scattered down from the sky.

As if taking revenge, Zhu Yu took off her jacket and picked up money like an inside-out jellyfish.

Faced with the temptation of money, the young woman rarely showed a wild side. The manager, who had originally looked like he wanted to say something, saw her and his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly ran off, then mysteriously pulled Zhu Yu aside after a while.

The manager coughed and solemnly handed her a treasured booklet. Earnestly, he said, “If you really want to make money, if you want to earn one last big payout, you can learn from this persona. It’s your blessing to resemble her a little. This person has charm. Very competitive.”

Zhu Yu lowered her head and saw that the folder was full of wanted posters.

The Empire’s number one wanted criminal: Zhu Yu.

“…”

Her vision went dark. She swallowed with difficulty and immediately shifted her toes toward the door, already wanting to run. “Are you sure you didn’t take the wrong thing?”

In the wanted poster, the young woman had one hand in her pocket, the corner of her lips curved in a rebellious smile. A plain white shirt and black pants outlined broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Her eyes were sharp, poised to strike, and her whole body was like a sword about to leave its sheath.

The charges were illegal possession of armed equipment and kidnapping royalty.

Although the wanted poster did its utmost to avoid mentioning her military achievements, Zhu Yu flipped further back and was stunned.

“Why is there even a personal photo album?? Isn’t this a wanted criminal!!!”

“How ignorant. And here I thought you were a university student. You can’t just look at the surface of everything.”

The manager looked like he hated iron for not becoming steel. “Do you think ‘star of the common people’ was just for show? The imperial nobles monopolize things so severely, yet she carved out a bloody path and broke the doctrine of bloodline supremacy. A D-rank Alpha won the princess’s favor! What a terrifying woman!”

“As for this wanted notice, it’s all just a setup. I have inside information. This is all the emperor’s conspiracy—actually, the little consort and the princess eloped for a honeymoon. What young couple is willing to be controlled by elders every day? The emperor found an excuse and conveniently cleaned up the disobedient nobles! Read more news, young one. The forces in the Northern District have already changed…”

The actual eloping little consort herself: “…”

As expected of a smuggling operation. A place like Paradis was far too complicated.

The manager spoke with fervor, spittle flying. Then, seeing the young woman as confused as a quail, he slapped her heavily and said with a fierce expression, “Do you know the biggest difference between you and her?”

Zhu Yu quickly shook her head, looking humbly eager to learn.

“Presence! Gaze! Carnivores are naturally more competitive than herbivores. You have to attack proactively. You’re too restrained. What’s the big deal if you wear a few fewer layers? The dignified star of the common people seduced the princess like that in her early years. Look at this uniform, this gaze…”

“It’s like a Samoyed versus a wolf. One can only be a dog, while the other is cool. You understand what I mean, right?”

Zhu Yu thought: Samoyeds aren’t herbivores either. They eat dog food, dog meals, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables. Someone even helps brush their fur. How nice.

But she still pretended to have a sudden realization for the manager.

A low laugh came from the doorway.

Who was that, eavesdropping on business secrets? The manager turned his head unhappily. Seeing Nangong, he immediately beamed and pointed her out to Zhu Yu.

“Look, this is a wolf. You know how popular she is, don’t you?”

Zhu Yu knew far too well.

No one! Knew better than her! Just how—

Annoying—

This person was!

Who laughed in that affected voice every single day? So pretentious. Did she not get tired?

Zhu Yu lowered her voice and imitated Nangong’s tone, letting out a strange cold laugh.

Nangong was delighted. She walked over, smiling, and with one generous sweep of her hand, ruffled Zhu Yu’s hair.

“You’re not suited for this line of work. Quit as soon as possible.”

With a sidelong glance, her fingernail tapped the wanted poster in Zhu Yu’s hand, making a crisp sound. Meaningfully, she said, “Go to the Federation and become a full-time repair technician. Wouldn’t that be better? The Empire’s backward system is like a swamp. Why should a mere commoner like you sink into it…”

She was fully focused, the wrist hidden in her pocket tense, anticipating a contest and negotiation.

Yet Zhu Yu only said, “Oh,” then added, “That makes sense. I also think the Federation is pretty good.”

It was like punching cotton.

Zhu Yu drifted away.

With no customer requests, she hid in a corner to laze around, grabbing fluffy coworkers to cuddle and burying her whole face in them… deliberately waiting until very late before going home.

Without the saxophone of seduction, the journey became lonelier.

She had drunk one small glass of alcohol, and her mind was a mess. One moment, it was the sky-high bounty on the wanted poster; the next, it was Bai Shuzhou and Nangong’s tacitly matched clashes. Unconsciously, she sniffed, then grew furious.

The arcade machine they played on had been fixed by her!

Even the game cartridges were bought by her!

Next time, she would not let Nangong play. Or she could secretly reverse all of Nangong’s buttons…

Would that be too much?

Did Bai Shuzhou like wolves?

On the silent street, Zhu Yu fell quiet for a moment, then imitated a few wolf howls.

Awooo—

She had some talent for mimicry, and the sound was vivid. Zhu Yu was very satisfied.

Hmph. Could Nangong do that? Could the original owner do that?

A moment later, from the distant wilderness came faint, lazy answering wolf howls.

Zhu Yu’s eyes widened. She sobered up more than halfway, quickly wrapped her coat tighter, and sprinted home.

There really were wolves? So scary!!!

The wolf clan, woken up in the middle of the night, looked at each other.

Strange. What accent is that child using? Can’t understand it. Is she lost?

In the past, Zhu Yu’s sleep quality had been very good. Tonight, however, she inexplicably tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

During her night shift, she had secretly checked the cost of tickets to the nearest Federation star region. They were much cheaper than returning to the imperial capital.

If it were just her alone, she could even buy a standing ticket on a cargo starship. If she saved a little more, it would be enough. Paradis was involved in smuggling, so asking her coworkers might reveal some discounted routes.

She was not that “star of the common people” Zhu Yu. She did not have such great ambition, nor such great charm.

If the one surrounded and attacked by the nobles that day had been the original owner, perhaps she would not have had to flee so miserably with the princess.

She would not hurt Bai Shuzhou, but she also could not shelter her from wind and rain.

In the end, she was only an ordinary person.

The physical exhaustion and discomfort made her emotions sink with it. Zhu Yu unconsciously touched the ring. In the darkness, it refracted a faint red light, crystal-clear as though it had just drunk its fill of blood.

Her eyelids were heavy, but her consciousness was extraordinarily clear. Her soul and body seemed to separate, drifting through a long winter, unable to reach the opposite shore no matter what.

In the blankness, Zhu Yu suddenly heard faint, fragmented moans.

Vines grew wildly, blooming the most gorgeous flowers. They made the woman’s silver hair look even paler, almost merging with the snowy landscape filling the sky. Her hands were still clasped together, like a martyr in a holy scripture, on the verge of being buried by pain.

A small vine climbed to Zhu Yu’s side. Its curved branch hooked around her little finger and silently circled it, like some kind of plea for help or invitation.

They were clearly in a summer night, yet the whole room was terrifyingly cold.

Warm yellow mental power scattered into specks of firefly light.

Zhu Yu climbed up blankly, pulled open the white gauze, and saw Bai Shuzhou trembling. The corner of her lip had already been bitten open. Unwilling to show weakness, the blood that dripped down bloomed into a rotting rose at her neck, silently withering.

So cold.

So cold.

Amid the boundless freezing cold, Zhu Yu crawled into the blankets.

They hugged tightly together. It was so cold that even her thoughts stiffened, so cold that her healing ability was difficult to gather. Zhu Yu stubbornly pressed her face against Bai Shuzhou’s, their foreheads touching, trying to share warmth this way.

……

In the world of ice and snow, beneath snow-white hair, a pair of pale blue eyes lifted.

The girl stood all alone at the center of the world.

Again and again, she flew.

Again and again, she fell.

Until her body was covered in wounds and the blood pooling beneath her bloomed into great fields of roses, burning like fire.

“Again!” she said.

A single spark could set the plains ablaze. Vines supported the girl’s frail body as she stood proudly upright. A weak glow finally pierced the darkness.

Zhu Yu saw clearly.

The oppressive darkness overhead—

Was an eye.

The sky blinked slowly and heavily.

Even after using all her strength, she could only see the tip of the iceberg.

Then tens of thousands of eyes opened at once. The entire world instantly brightened like daylight, all of them staring fixedly at the girl.

A silver-white scalpel gently pressed against her skin.

What are you doing?

Let her go!

Thinking of the surgical scars on Bai Shuzhou’s body, Zhu Yu watched in horror. She wanted to shout, but her mouth opened and closed, and no matter how she ran, she could not get closer.

“This is your fate,” the rumbling thunder said.

“You will ultimately fight for humanity’s destiny.”

There were no chains, no restraints.

The girl simply waited quietly for the so-called fate to descend.

Why won’t you run away?!

Zhu Yu forcefully pinched her wrist.

No feeling.

She suddenly realized that this was a dream.

Bai Shuzhou’s dream.

The sharp blade cut open skin, and thousands of crimson petals surged out along with the pain.

This time, what Zhu Yu felt was not fear.

It was anger.

“She doesn’t want this kind of fate!”

Zhu Yu lifted her face and angrily rebuked, “If humanity’s fate has fallen so low that it needs a child to bear it, then it might as well be destroyed!”

She rushed forward, grabbed little Bai Shuzhou, and ran outside.

She was best at running away.

If you feel terrible pain, then run away. It is not a big deal!

Cowardly or selfish, it did not matter. You should live for yourself and fight for yourself. That was human instinct!

The girl looked at their tightly clasped hands. At first, she seemed a little confused. The red mole on her wrist swayed in the air. Even after enduring such inhuman treatment, those pale blue eyes were still neither sorrowful nor joyful.

She very calmly tried to analyze everything, just as she was used to doing, deconstructing and weighing things again and again to find the optimal solution.

Then, very lightly, she lifted her hand and held Zhu Yu’s back.

Sweat.

Rapid breathing.

Behind them, the darkness devoured everything. Those eyes chased after them, trying to catch them.

Zhu Yu ran a little slower. Just as she was about to be caught, silver-white wings suddenly spread open, covering the sky and sun, quietly blocking her from danger.

Roses.

The woman’s unique fragrance.

Even as the world sank into darkness once more, it still felt warm and reassuring.

The chill gradually faded. Moonlight poured down, and the cry of cicadas entered the old sheet-metal frame.

The woman tightly embraced on the bed opened her eyes.

A fluffy head was pressed very close, carrying the scent of tipsy alcohol. The young woman was curled up like a sled dog warming a human in a snowy night, and also like a melting sun. The skin where they touched was damp.

This person…

So hot…

Unaccustomed to it, Bai Shuzhou pushed her. Instead, she was hugged even tighter. The young woman’s soft breathing brushed against the side of her neck.

It tickled.

Her beautiful brows furrowed slightly. Bai Shuzhou swished her tail, hooked it around the young woman’s waist, and treated her as a large body pillow, adjusting her into a comfortable position.

In her sleep, Zhu Yu felt that the vine wrapped around her was getting heavier and heavier. She pushed aside that somewhat cold vine, only for it to be placed back again. This repeated over and over until the vine finally grew impatient and smacked her neither lightly nor heavily.

Hiss…

Zhu Yu became obedient and sank into deep sleep.

The next morning.

When Zhu Yu dazedly opened her eyes, she saw that breathtakingly beautiful face.

At such a close distance, perfection was displayed without flaw.

The woman slept peacefully. Her lips were rarely touched with a hint of a smile. Her silver hair fell softly like snow, and her breathing was light and shallow.

Zhu Yu’s heart could not help becoming very soft.

The tail was wrapped around her waist. Because of the silent rise and fall of Zhu Yu’s laughter, it rubbed against her in dissatisfaction. Zhu Yu found it funny and patted it soothingly.

Cold.

Smooth.

Such a cute little tail.

So clingy.

This time, it was a very beautiful dream.

Zhu Yu looked at that beautiful silver tail, liked it very much, and prepared to sleep a little longer.

Out of habit, she pinched her wrist, only for the tail to wrap around her and push her fingers apart one by one.

The smile at the corner of Zhu Yu’s lips stiffened.

Wait.

She could feel it.

This was not a dream.

Tail…

Where did the tail come from…

Instinctively, she grabbed it and opened her eyes in disbelief, just in time to meet the gaze of the tail’s owner.

The woman’s cold eyes were reddened at the corners. Loose strands of hair hid their sharp light. Her voice was clear and crisp, without the slightest guilt over being caught.

“Let go.”

Author’s Note:

The first rule of the dragon race:

Only the tail is allowed to play with humans. Humans are not allowed to play with the tail!