A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 16

Model worker Zhu Yu took half a day off.

After the lunch break, she appeared carrying a plate of crooked little biscuits. The handmade biscuits that had once been refined down to the last detail had now become all kinds of strange shapes. Even the round cats had turned into long strips.

She held her head high and puffed out her chest. “I made these!”

Xiao Shan was expressionless. “I can tell.”

The young woman’s ending tone was obviously bright with joy. She could not hide what was on her mind. Even the biscuits tasted sweeter than usual.

Yesterday, she had still been lifeless. Today, her complexion was not much better, but there was a layer of excited redness floating over her slightly pale face. She looked exactly like a fluffy, soft loaf of bread, freshly baked and steaming hot.

Her whole face was written with: Ask me, hurry and ask me what happened!

Xiao Shan and Cat tacitly took a few bites of biscuit. They talked about the weather, then energy, then how the Federation was currently offering high pay to recruit embroiderers. In a place where technology was highly advanced, pure handcraft also became expensive. Learning a skill really was very valuable.

The two of them were rarely on the same wavelength. Only after knowingly watching Zhu Yu grow so anxious she nearly scratched her ears and cheeks did Cat finally fail to hold back a laugh. She turned her face and looked at Zhu Yu.

“Little Fish, why are you so happy?”

The young woman lowered her eyes. Bubbles of all sizes pressed against her chest. Now, instead, she deliberately acted reserved, straightening her face. In the tone of a mature adult, she lowered her voice like a leader about to deliver some major speech. Her fingertip tapped the table, and she coughed once.

“I can’t say.”

I’m raising a dragon!

A very beautiful silver dragon!!!!

Xiao Shan, who had leaned in to listen: ==?

After committing one small act of mischief, Zhu Yu felt extremely pleased.

She felt as though she now possessed a secret, a secret shared with Bai Shuzhou. Silently, it took root and sprouted in her heart.

Although it was perfectly normal for Empire people to beast-shift, and although she had already known Bai Shuzhou was a dragon, when this trait truly appeared before her, Zhu Yu suddenly realized:

Ah.

She was a dragon.

Her tail could no longer be put away, perhaps because of the injury to her legs.

Aaaah, a dragon!!!

Her tail also seemed a little out of control. It would wrap around Zhu Yu’s waist and wrist.

Aaaaaah, a dragon!!!!

Cat rubbed her chin and said with certainty, “You’re in love!”

Xiao Shan also glanced at her sideways. “Won the lottery?”

The young woman wanted to show off, so she spoke ambiguously, swaying and wriggling shyly. “More or less.”

“Actually, I’m about to resign. Thank you for taking care of me during this time! If you ever need something repaired, you can come find me at Gui Alley.”

She very deliberately placed the news of their coming separation after her joy, using an avoidant, light tone to try to dilute the feeling of loneliness.

Young people raised in ivory towers were not good at experiencing farewells. Saying goodbye to friends felt like going through an autumn.

Even if they were only very brief friends.

Even if it was only a very brief autumn.

The cicadas had not even faded yet.

Zhu Yu said, “I’m going to quit and go home to take care of my family. Working two jobs takes up too much time. The bar also has day shifts, so at night I…”

“You don’t need to explain,” Xiao Shan said.

Her reaction was very calm. There was none of the separation and reluctance Zhu Yu, who had just entered society, had imagined. In the end, the turnover rate on an assembly line was very high to begin with. They did not even know one another’s full names or real names.

A chance meeting, that was all.

Xiao Shan paused, then said, “Congratulations. You can go home.”

Cat still propped up her chin and smiled. “That’s right! You’re so good to your family. You must live in a very loving home.”

Before leaving, Zhu Yu looked back at the nearly pure-white nutrient-solution factory. Those nutrient solutions that came in large quantities and filled the stomach seemed sweetened by memory.

Lying to you.

The taste of industrial saccharin was truly awful!

Xiao Shan and Cat waved at her as farewell. Then, as they turned around, Zhu Yu suddenly pounced over and hugged them tightly.

She really liked this kind of full-armed hug.

Very warm.

Very real.

Like the instant one bit into a little biscuit.

“Goodbye! Goodbye!”

It was not a polite phrase. She sincerely hoped they would meet again.

She had been half-pushed by fate to this place. Her confusion and helplessness had been hastily compressed. Fortunately, there were still chance-met friends, allowing even this dull experience to glow faintly.

Xiao Shan wanted to save money to go to the imperial capital. She was an outstanding drummer, and one day, she would shine onstage. Cat had signed up for an assessment class to become an embroiderer in the Federation. She was also attending night school and had begun learning to read, though the calligraphy she had given Zhu Yu for now was still a simple drawing of a little fish.

Everyone was exploring a brand-new life.

Zhu Yu stepped on the shadow of the sunset, one step at a time, feeling very grounded.

Bai Shuzhou seemed not to hate her that much anymore. Cat said that when felines raised their tails, it meant they were happy. If the tail wrapped around you, it meant they liked you.

She did not know if that applied to dragons too.

When Bai Shuzhou raised her tail, it seemed…

She had smacked Zhu Yu once.

It had not hurt.

It had been very light.

Had she not eaten enough?

She was so thin. She could still eat more.

Although she already ate a lot, if she was a dragon, then that was normal, right? Among dragons, she should still be young too, right? A person in their twenties was at exactly the age for growing!

A little tail.

A little Bai Shuzhou.

She thought again of the girl in last night’s dream, silver-haired and blue-eyed, so cute it was unreasonable. Yet she still kept a stern face, wearing a detached, sorrowful compassion for the world. Zhu Yu wanted so much to pick her up and pinch her cheeks.

Beyond the faint sadness of parting, Zhu Yu began looking forward to her new life.

She suddenly wanted especially, especially badly to see Bai Shuzhou. And so this road home became exceptionally long.

She had quit the nutrient-solution factory job, and her night shift at Paradis had become a day shift. She could go home at dusk. They would have so much time to spend together now!

Zhu Yu had newly learned massage acupoints, and her control over her ability had become more practiced too. Now, Bai Shuzhou’s legs had already regained some sensation. When Zhu Yu increased the pressure, Bai Shuzhou would be unable to suppress a faint tremble.

Zhu Yu told her, “Don’t hold it in. If it feels uncomfortable, you can say it.”

But expressing herself seemed to be something very shameful to Bai Shuzhou. She always clenched her teeth tightly and pretended everything was calm and effortless.

No matter how gentle a healing ability was, it was still formed from mental power and could penetrate directly. One time, when Zhu Yu accidentally used too much, she only discovered after the massage ended that Bai Shuzhou’s nightgown had already been soaked quite a bit with thin sweat.

Mm. Decided.

Since she would have more time at night now, she would extend the massage treatment!

Even if Bai Shuzhou refused, it would be useless.

Why be polite? If Bai Shuzhou really had to thank her, Zhu Yu would smile faintly and put on the face of an otherworldly expert.

“No need to thank me. It was merely the lift of a hand.”

Just imagining it made Zhu Yu laugh out loud.

She would heal Bai Shuzhou and little by little make up for the wrongs the original owner had committed. That way, Bai Shuzhou would not blacken, and she would not kill Zhu Yu.

Most importantly…

She had to guard Bai Shuzhou while she slept!

This was a sacred mission.

Previously, Zhu Yu had mostly worked night shifts and returned very late at dawn. Last night was the first time she had encountered Bai Shuzhou being unwell. She had felt both heartache and guilt.

If someone fell into a nightmare, it could be very dangerous. If they got lost inside the dream, perhaps they would never wake up again.

That was what her older sister had said.

When Zhu Yu had nightmares as a child, her older sister would often flick her forehead to wake her. The method had been rough, very much like a threat toward a child.

But Zhu Yu could not bear to let Bai Shuzhou be alone when she had nightmares, or wake up only to face empty darkness.

That would be too lonely.

On the way, Zhu Yu picked some pretty wildflowers and sprinkled them with stream water. Every leaf glittered. Then she detoured to the front district to buy a cake, preparing to add an extra dish tonight.

To celebrate resigning.

To celebrate a new life.

To celebrate that Bai Shuzhou had grown a tail!

Oh, strictly speaking, it should be “revealed” a tail?

Zhu Yu had no idea that Bai Shuzhou was deeply troubled by illness and had been unable to beast-shift for many years. The impact of this matter was far deeper than she imagined. But Zhu Yu still felt it was deeply significant, like witnessing a puppy’s ears standing up for the first time, or a bird’s first flight.

One small step for her, one giant leap for humanity!

Although Bai Shuzhou did not say so, Zhu Yu felt her attitude had softened quite a lot. Their harmony was very subtle. Bai Shuzhou was willing to personally name the dishes she wanted and had not kicked Zhu Yu off the bed.

Maybe because her tail liked Zhu Yu.

Thank you, great tail!

“I’m back!”

Zhu Yu pushed open the door.

Bai Shuzhou was reading. The sunset light shone faintly through the ends of her silver-white hair, giving it a metallic luster, yet it was far too soft.

Her pale blue eyes lifted a little, waterlight rising in them. She did not look directly at Zhu Yu, only cast a light, casual glance from the corner of her eye. Her fair fingers moved to the next line.

Very cold.

But Zhu Yu noticed that the edge of her skirt swayed very slightly.

One hook.

One fall.

Like a child learning to write: one was a single horizontal stroke, two was two horizontal strokes. By drawing parallels, Zhu Yu had learned “tail language.”

A raised tail meant liking.

A tail wrapping around someone meant liking.

Smacking someone, swaying the tail tip…

In any case, it meant liking.

Cold face but wagging tail. Too cute!!

Zhu Yu happily went to cook.

Those pale blue eyes quietly watched her busy back.

When the young woman sneakily turned around to look at her, Bai Shuzhou lowered her head to read, revealing a cold, aloof forehead, with loose strands faintly covering it.

Her tail flicked irritably.

Who knew what Zhu Yu was so happy about all day long.

It was very strange.

Had she encountered something happy at work?

Or…

Was there someone who made her happy?

Bai Shuzhou studied every tiny movement the young woman made. This person did not even dare kill fish. She always relied on sweet talk to ask the shop owner or Helan to clean them before bringing them back. This time was no exception.

The instant she lit the stove, it was like going to war. She held the pot lid and shrank backward, afraid the flame might leap up and bite her.

Bai Shuzhou’s gaze circled once and landed on the ring on Zhu Yu’s finger. A moment later, she turned her face away and slowly frowned.

Zhu Yu liked to mutter while cooking. Her voice mixed with the steaming, sizzling sounds of stir-fry, full of everyday life. They were all very unimportant little things, like fine grains of salt being stirred into the dishes.

She often chatted alone like this, lively yet lonely, never expecting anyone to answer.

But Bai Shuzhou was listening.

Every sentence.

Every word.

Even without tracing them with her fingertips, she could hear them very clearly. Zhu Yu’s voice was crisp and serious.

Even when Zhu Yu was only cutting a green pepper, and the oil in the pan was sizzling, she smiled in this quiet clamor. Without another person’s words, it was just right.

It was not noisy.

The heat turned off. The dish was plated.

The room briefly quieted.

Bai Shuzhou parted her lips lightly. “You resigned. You’re a little reluctant to leave your coworkers, Shan and Cat.”

The woman’s beautiful voice was like a small silver hook, fishing out the little thoughts Zhu Yu had not said aloud. Zhu Yu’s ears reddened, and she embarrassedly pinched her wrist.

“It’s not really that I’m reluctant. It’s just that when I think I might not see them again, I feel a little… empty.” Zhu Yu considered her wording. “They’re all very good people.”

Those sky-like eyes quietly looked at Zhu Yu until she finished speaking.

“But didn’t you say the job you resigned from was the night shift?”

“…”

Originally, the nutrient-solution factory was the day shift, and the bar was the night shift.

Bai Shuzhou remembered every sentence Zhu Yu muttered to herself, and every coworker’s name.

In order not to make Bai Shuzhou worry, Zhu Yu had played a very small word game, letting her mistakenly think that she had quit the bar job.

She had not expected Bai Shuzhou to listen so seriously, or to discover the loophole at once.

“It was the night shift, that’s right! What I quit really was the night shift. From now on, I’ll come back every day at six. Mm, I’ll have lots of free time at night!” This sentence was true.

“I’ve been a little tired lately. Now that my nights are free, the massage time can be extended too. And repairs, mm, I can also study how to modify your wheelchair a bit…”

She tried to change the topic.

“Zhu Yu, look at me.”

The woman’s cold voice cut off her wandering gaze.

Vines wrapped around the young woman’s pulse, which accelerated in panic. In truth, this was completely unnecessary. Those clear black-and-white eyes were already shifting around guiltily, utterly afraid to meet Bai Shuzhou’s gaze.

“You lied again.”

“Are you that unwilling to part with it?”

In the sudden, suffocating silence, a name was faintly hidden.

The vines tightened little by little, leaving dark red marks. They bound Zhu Yu so tightly she could not help drawing in a breath. Bai Shuzhou’s strength seemed to have increased a great deal. Now, Zhu Yu could no longer break free. The ring on her finger still glittered, its red glow strangely enchanting.

Enduring the pain, Zhu Yu tried to explain, “It’s just that the bar pays more…”

Bai Shuzhou sneered. “Nangong pays even more, doesn’t she?”

Every time Nangong came, Zhu Yu would put in so much effort to drag her into the courtyard. Under the dim light, thick stacks of cash would be rolled up in her palm. The young woman would stand with her back to the door and count them one by one, while Nangong watched her smile.

Her voice lowered, carrying anger that was difficult to detect.

“Are you really that cheap?”

Zhu Yu’s pupils abruptly shrank.

When had someone close to her ever scolded her like this?

She bit her lip. The emotions that had just floated up were suddenly trampled underfoot.

She had been so happy today. And Bai Shuzhou was being cruel to her because of Nangong?

The peaceful private world between them suddenly cracked open, and that hated name forced its way in so overbearingly.

“I earned that with my own ability… okay!”

“I just need money. I like money. As long as I’m paid, I can do anything. Is that enough?”

It was not as if she was as popular as sales champion Nangong, who spent generously and was liked by everyone.

Earning money was just very hard.

Without money, one could not even eat until full. Touching an empty pocket made her panic. Every time she was given a hard time at work, she would think: if only I had money. Then she could pull out a stack of bills and slap them in those lunatics’ faces, saying, I quit!

But if she really had money, she probably would not bear to do that.

It was money, after all.

Poverty was something more frightening than fear.

Perhaps to Bai Shuzhou, these things really were cheap. But they were already everything Zhu Yu could fight for.

Seeing those pale blue eyes sink, Zhu Yu then worried she had been too harsh toward Bai Shuzhou. Her tone softened a little, and her drawn-out ending carried indescribable grievance.

The woman fell silent for a moment, then lowered her eyes. Her feathery lashes cast faint shadows, drifting in the air like dark clouds.

Turning her palm, she pulled the young woman closer. Vines tried to forcibly open that tightly clenched hand.

Zhu Yu was unwilling to let go, as if she were tightly grasping her tiny self-respect. But that slender, snow-white hand did not care. It opened on its own, and countless dazzling jewels spilled down from between her fingers.

In an instant, even the shabby little room was illuminated.

The jewels struck the back of Zhu Yu’s hand painfully, clinking as they fell onto the cement floor. Zhu Yu did not have time to think too much and instinctively reached out to catch them.

Too many.

Too many to catch.

They spilled from her trembling palms.

Pat.

Pat.

The lofty imperial princess closed her eyes and asked coldly:

“Is it enough?”

“Remember your status.”