A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 20.1

Harbor No. 7 was a chaotic and noisy place, filled with cheap starships used for smuggling.

Their surfaces were coated in thick dust and mottled with rust, looking like abandoned, hollowed-out buses that could disintegrate at any moment.

Lights flickered erratically, and the signal lamps at the bows pulsed unsteadily.

Zhu Yu pointed quietly at one of them, explaining to Bai Shuzhou, “The flashing of these signal lights is a way of transmitting information; only the two parties involved in the trade know the true meaning.”

This was something she had heard while working at Paradis; smugglers were extremely vigilant.

The people passing by all wore masks or used oversized robes to hide all personal characteristics, making the red-haired woman standing with hands on hips on the steps appear exceptionally striking; everyone who entered the harbor saw her first.

Nan Gong wore a light blue open-collared shirt and jeans, her long legs clad in a pair of high leather boots; if she were masked, she would have looked very much like a Western cowboy.

The harbor wind blew through her red hair; she squinted and waved to them with a dashing air.

Zhu Yu never dreamed that Nan Gong would be so high-profile, like a red bomb, completely unconcerned about drawing attention.

She also looked like Zhu Yu’s own fantasy of what seeing Bai Shuzhou off would be like.

“…”

Why did she have to dress like that, you annoying Federal!!

Before setting out, Zhu Yu had told Bai Shuzhou about the deal with Nan Gong, but she omitted the parts about the medal and herself.

Hearing that Zhu Yu had actually faked a crying fit to set a trap and used a star pirate’s weapon to threaten Nan Gong, Bai Shuzhou let out a very pleasant, light chuckle and tapped the damp tear tracks on her cheek, asking, “Was it really just fake crying?”

“Mhm! I gave her all the other gems, too; only this ring is left.” Zhu Yu kept her face lowered.

Bai Shuzhou said nonchalantly: “Those aren’t worth much. When we get back, I’ll give you new ones.”

When we get back…

Zhu Yu tucked the veil around Bai Shuzhou once more, took a deep breath, and pushed the wheelchair closer.

“Good afternoon, beautiful lady; it is an honor to be able to escort you on a journey.”

Nan Gong bowed, performing a dashing hat-off salute to Bai Shuzhou, her tone full of smiles.

The more Zhu Yu looked at her, the more awkward she felt.

After finishing the salute, Nan Gong elegantly extended her hand.

She was using the aristocratic etiquette of the Empire—taking off the hat and kissing the hand—to show goodwill and respect.

Although Zhu Yu didn’t know this specific process, she understood the gesture of extending a hand; she immediately bristled and, before Bai Shuzhou could respond, stepped sideways to grab Nan Gong’s hand in a powerful handshake.

Stop trying to act like a gentleman while you’re looting a burning house; you actually wanted to hold Bai Shuzhou’s hand!

Zhu Yu wished she could crush her through the handshake: “Hello, hello!”

“Hehe, hello to you too.” Nan Gong gripped back with both hands, increasing the pressure without changing her expression.

The clash between the two Alphas grew more intense, their locked palms nearly striking sparks.

They’re practically stuck together; is this necessary? Bai Shuzhou turned her head, not bothering to watch the scene.

The two fought tooth and nail but neither gained the upper hand.

Zhu Yu let go just as she was about to lose, shaking her aching hand and looking back with a fake smile: “The payment has all been collected; is this the kind of ship you’ve arranged, Sister Nan Gong?”

The aircraft behind Nan Gong wasn’t much different from other starships, except the nose was wider and the glass bore a travel agency’s annual inspection pass sticker.

It could barely be considered legal and compliant.

“Yeah, the market is bad these days; it’s good enough to even have one.” Nan Gong laughed. “Or were you expecting an honor guard from the Sola Ring to come pick you up?”

The Sola Ring was the Federal capital star system; coming from Nan Gong’s mouth, it was full of sarcasm.

They had agreed to send Bai Shuzhou back to Imperial territory together, and once safety was confirmed, Zhu Yu would delete the timed video and return with Nan Gong.

Suddenly, a red light flared on the high tower, and simultaneously, all the aircraft in the harbor lit up with red lights one after another, like pairs of scarlet eyes stacked densely together.

A line of armed men in black rushed into the harbor; Zhu Yu protectively moved in front of Bai Shuzhou and looked at Nan Gong, “What is the meaning of this?!”

“Martial law is starting,” Nan Gong frowned. “It’s fine, they won’t check my ship.”

The men in black raised a small flag with a triangular icon on it, identical to the one on Black Hat’s armband. Zhu Yu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“Nan Gong!” A loader hurried over and whispered a few words to her; instantly, both of their expressions became very unsightly.

“There’s been some…” Nan Gong looked at Zhu Yu and said softly: “Big trouble.”

Zhu Yu’s hair stood on end under her gaze, “Are those people looking for me?”

“No, but it’s close enough.” Nan Gong pulled Zhu Yu aside as the sky turned gloomy at some point. “They are looking for Caland, the small leader you beat up.”

Black Hat Caland.

“Wasn’t she taken away by you?” Zhu Yu asked.

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect her to be this important—important enough to put the harbor under martial law; the star pirates are more vigilant than I anticipated.”

Nan Gong observed the men in black, paced irritably for a moment, and then gripped Zhu Yu’s shoulder, “As things stand, you can’t leave.”

“You never intended to let me leave anyway.”

Zhu Yu really wanted to roll her eyes at her, but considering Bai Shuzhou might see, she just twitched the corners of her mouth and gave Nan Gong a hypocritical smile. “But I must ensure the Princess can return safely; I don’t feel easy leaving her alone.”

“What do you have to be uneasy about? She’s a dragon.” Nan Gong sneered.

The Dragon race, as the strongest biological beings in the galaxy, were rumored to be able to cross black holes with their physical bodies.

The Federal leadership once suspected that the Imperial Royal Family should not be called human, but in terms of perception and spiritual control, they were precisely the strongest, fitting the perfection initially envisioned by Old Earth genetic scientists.

If only offspring weren’t so difficult to produce.

Although Bai Shuzhou was portrayed in Imperial propaganda as frail and sickly, indifferent and non-competitive, Nan Gong would not forget that this Princess was initially called the “Rose of the Empire” not because of her beauty.

An E-grade ordinary person cannot perceive spiritual power, and even “bending a spoon with the mind” could become a wonder; a D-grade was the basic threshold for becoming a high-level warrior.

Yet Bai Shuzhou, at SSS-grade, had been able to materialize spiritual power since childhood; at a young age, clusters of roses would burst from the ground wherever she went.

The talent of the current Emperor, Bai Qianze, was equally astonishing, but if it weren’t for Bai Shuzhou falling ill, it would be hard to say whose throne it would be.

Nan Gong was of the pro-peace faction and didn’t want to cause trouble; even if Zhu Yu hadn’t come begging, she would have found a way to send Bai Shuzhou out of this troubled place.

If this hot potato wasn’t handled well, it would be very troublesome; she didn’t want to trigger a war right now.

Nan Gong: “There is a very important auction tonight; martial law means it might be canceled, and I cannot accept that risk.”

After a pause, she delivered her judgment: “We have to give Caland back.”

Zhu Yu looked at her narrowed eyes and suddenly had a very bad premonition.

Nan Gong: “You have to go in with her, as a captive.”

Zhu Yu: ?!

She had originally thought that falling into the hands of the regular army would at least be better than star pirates.

Zhu Yu tried to bargain: “Or you could give her a sedative, increase the dose, and throw her back; she won’t wake up for a while.”

“No, Caland isn’t an ordinary person; whoever attacked her would definitely trigger vigilance; I must ensure tonight’s auction goes smoothly.”

“Why?” Zhu Yu clenched her fists. “I just want to send the Princess away safely; that’s what we agreed on!”

Nan Gong, annoyed by the questioning, leaned in close and hissed into her ear: “A big fish is going to take the bait tonight; I’ve been staked out here for two years!”

Zhu Yu thought, What does that have to do with me? You devious fellow really are an undercover agent!!!

Beside them, Bai Shuzhou watched the two getting closer and closer, walking further and further away, whispering as if no one else were there; her pupils silently turned into dangerous vertical slits.

Nan Gong’s body stiffened; she glanced back out of the corner of her eye and couldn’t help but find it funny; it seemed the rumors of these two being at odds were false; at the very least, the Princess’s possessiveness looked anything but ordinary.

When they first married, many in the Federation were conspiracy theorists, saying Bai Shuzhou chose Zhu Yu to win over the support of the commoners.

If that were the case, the sacrifice was a bit too great.

Zhu Yu also wanted to turn and steal a glance at Bai Shuzhou, but Nan Gong arched an eyebrow and, before she could turn her head, grabbed her hair and curled it around her finger:

“Think about it: your compatriots are being trafficked, abused, used as petri dishes; if we don’t strike at the source, how many more people will fall victim?”

The source. Zhu Yu clutched her hair roots and glared; her thoughts flashed sharply with the pain. She took a step back, a bit frightened by the idea: “Is someone in the Federal Hub involved?”

The Federal Hub, the highest governing body of the Federation.

Nan Gong was subtly silent for a moment and immediately changed the subject: “Are you Imperials so clean? Over all these years, how many things have you bought while turning a blind eye?”

“You are the Star of the Commoners of the Empire; you swore an oath when you were decorated; you have a responsibility to stay and stop all of this!”

Zhu Yu: “I’m not! I’m just a wanted criminal; getting the Princess back is my most important task!”

The education she had received since childhood was that self-preservation came first; even when her sister beat her, she was told not to cry out, not to provoke the abuser, and then find an opportunity to run. Although growing up, the only beatings she had received were from her sister.

My mom never even hit me!

As soon as she got here, she was first attacked by bugs, hunted by compatriots, crashed her plane, then ambushed and kicked by star pirates, and now she was expected to voluntarily enter the enemy’s nest? That’s a dead end!

“I must personally see the Princess off; if you forcibly throw me to the star pirates, I’ll expose you, and neither of us will have a good time!”

Nan Gong was nearly fainting from her rogue-like logic.

“Zhu Yu, you are a warrior! Take up the responsibility of an Alpha!”

Nan Gong grabbed her collar and pulled her close in a threat, “Not a captive, an undercover; when it’s over, I can return the medal to you.”

Zhu Yu tilted her head up and flashed a “dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water” smile: “I don’t want it anymore; I’ll give it to you.”

Clearly, when she gave up the medal last night, she was so ashamed and annoyed it was as if she’d suffered a grave injustice; Nan Gong realized it was truly a waste that this bastard Zhu Yu didn’t go into acting.

Her gaze drifted to Bai Shuzhou; she let go, and her smile became equally breezy; she smoothed the wrinkles on her collar and said with a fake smile:

“Fine, the cooperation is canceled; seize Bai Shuzhou. If an Omega of the Dragon race is auctioned at tonight’s auction, it will surely shock the entire universe.”

“I recall your Empire had a great success in suppressing bandits recently? I wonder what the star pirates think about that…”

Instantly striking the vital point.

Zhu Yu’s pupils quaked: “You can’t be so unreasonable! Are you crazy? How can you auction her!”

She suddenly turned to look at Bai Shuzhou, who was also looking at her.

Although separated by the white veil, Zhu Yu felt as if she could perceive her gaze—clear, gentle, and concerned.

She thought again of the star pirates’ faces that day; if she fell into the hands of those people… Zhu Yu shuddered and clenched her fists hard.

Nan Gong pressed her advantage, whispering: “As long as you agree to help, I will send you back after the auction is over, and you can still be with your dear Princess.”

Coercion and inducement—she’d done it all.

“Really?” Zhu Yu hesitated for a few seconds, “If you can guarantee two things, I’ll agree to it.”

Nan Gong frowned: “Two things?”

Zhu Yu: “First, send Bai Shuzhou home safely; second, you must guarantee I won’t die.”

“…”

Nan Gong shook her hand: “Deal.”

Zhu Yu squeezed it twice quite perfunctorily and was pondering how to phrase it to Bai Shuzhou when Nan Gong already had her arm around her, smiling as she turned back.

Nan Gong: “I’m borrowing your Xiao Yu for a bit.”

Bai Shuzhou narrowed her eyes.

Zhu Yu broke out in goosebumps, immediately pushed Nan Gong away, returned to Bai Shuzhou’s side, and half-crouched to look her in the eye, saying dully: “I’m sorry, you go first; I might have to come back a bit later; it’s regarding—”

Nan Gong covered Zhu Yu’s mouth, laughing awkwardly as she pulled her back, whispering a threat, “Don’t talk nonsense! Tell her everything and we might as well all stay.”

“Oh.” Zhu Yu pinched Nan Gong’s hand in disappointment.

Bai Shuzhou watched their little interaction, her gaze darkening, and said softly: “Zhu Yu, don’t forget what I said.”

Zhu Yu kept her head low and nodded hard, “Mhm, I remember every word you said!”

The starship’s door opened, and two tall attendants walked down; Nan Gong made a gesture to them, politely inviting Bai Shuzhou up.

One of the attendants walked over, wanting to help push the wheelchair, but was stopped by her cold gaze.

“No need.” She pursed her lips slightly, asked nothing, and turned the wheelchair herself.

The side of the ship was still marked with several bright red, ridiculous words: “Happiness Travel Agency.”

The hatch slowly closed; Zhu Yu lowered her head and pinched her wrist.

She didn’t dare look at her. Afraid she wouldn’t look back, and afraid she actually would look back to stop her.

So she kept her head down. She waited for three seconds, then another three.

The wind was very light; nothing happened.

She’s really gone; just like that? Not even a goodbye?

The starship started; Zhu Yu walked forward with it, staring fixedly at the dusty window, hoping Bai Shuzhou would take one look at her from inside, just one look would do.

For a moment, she suddenly understood the heroic protagonists in movies; just a fleeting glance from a loved one could trigger a super-evolution, making them fearless against all the storms in the world, capable of defeating any difficulty.

If only those pale blue eyes would look here, Zhu Yu could also dashly wave her hand in farewell, and with a very staged slight smile to Nan Gong, say, Isn’t it just being an undercover? Such a small matter is not worth mentioning!

The surroundings were silent; the starship left a grey trail in the sky.

Zhu Yu couldn’t follow any longer.

“Are you really crying this time?” Nan Gong cautiously kept her distance, leaned down to look, and held out a piece of tissue with her finger.

“Who’s crying? Such a small matter is not worth mentioning!” Zhu Yu was stubborn. “I am mourning for those damned star pirates; their end is near!”

Nan Gong laughed and said: “Wow, then it’s up to you.”

Ten thousand meters above, the ‘Happiness Travel Agency’ silently deviated from its planned route.

The interior of the scrap starship was a world of its own; once the outer door closed, the attendants with light steps straightened their waists and immediately hit a button; a light blue energy shield descended, and an invisible prison closed its loop at that moment.

They would certainly send the noble Princess back, but not now.

The auction was imminent and could not tolerate any slip-ups; the best way to handle it was detention, restricting all uncontrollable factors.

Bai Shuzhou quietly closed her eyes, her expression showing neither joy nor sorrow.

A Federal agent stole a few glances at her; although her face was hidden by the white veil, she could still sense the woman’s faint aura of melancholy; feeling a bit sympathetic, she couldn’t help but soften her voice: “Let me get a blanket for you; you’ll be home after a nap.”

Home? Bai Shuzhou curled her lips into a cold smile.

When the agent turned to leave, spiritual vines silently bypassed the surveillance, pressed onto the console, and line after line of precise commands leapt onto the large screen.

Inside the room, the agent had just taken out a brand-new blanket when she suddenly became keenly aware of a slight tremor beneath her feet.

This route was remote and safe, radar monitoring was all normal, it was impossible for any accident to occur, unless—

She immediately reached for the sidearm at her waist and slowly turned around.

She still wanted to struggle, but as the door creaked open, her pupils shrank smaller and smaller.

A snow leopard seemed to appear out of thin air, lying gloomily beside the silver-haired woman; although its build was large and fierce, it was as docile as a cat next to that woman; only when it lifted its gaze did its predatory glint show, its irises reflecting a dangerous aura.

Imperial elite, the Snow Leopard Knight Regiment directly subordinate to Bai Qianze!

Outside the cabin, the silhouette of a pure white Royal warship could be faintly seen; this group of lunatics indeed possessed the ability for interstellar jumping, but how did they get the specific coordinates?

The Federal agent swallowed hard: “Princess, what is the meaning of this? We also had good intentions; is there some misunderstanding?”

Bai Shuzhou pulled off the white veil, revealing that face favored by the Creator, her vertical pupils looking down at her indifferently.

“Whether it is a misunderstanding is for me to decide.”

“Tell me your true plan.”

The rose aura descended overwhelmingly; cold sweat drenched the agent’s back; the Federal agent, who thought she had taken on a good assignment, felt her knees go soft and only stayed standing with great effort; she was shocked internally: which bastard spread the rumor that Bai Shuzhou was frail and sickly?!

Is this also a part of the Imperial conspiracy? No wonder she came out alone as an Omega.

The agent grew more terrified as she thought; the undercover mission concerned the struggle between two parties; how could it be told to an outsider? Once the situation of someone in the Federal Hub being involved was exposed, they were finished!

Before Bai Shuzhou could act, the agent quickly bit the pill in her back molar and collapsed with a “thud.”

The frost between Bai Shuzhou’s brows grew heavier; if it were truly for good intentions, why would they need to do this?

She could understand the route map and was familiar with piloting starships; she had long discovered the destination was not Imperial territory, but a nearby Federal fortress.