A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 23

Her numbed senses had only just been awakened, and everything seemed to move in slow motion—

Bai Shuzhou’s pale blue eyes had, at some unknown point, turned into the cold, narrow vertical pupils of an apex predator.

Her curled eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a faint, silver-gray shadow, as the sharp, cold light no longer diffused, quietly holding every subtle expression on Zhu Yu’s face.

This was the dragon race’s instinct when locking onto prey; any small movement within her focus would be magnified, carrying a trace of an inhuman, piercing gaze.

The helpless swallowing in Zhu Yu’s fragile throat, the unconscious biting of her bleeding lower lip, and even her breathing, which suddenly accelerated due to nervousness, were exceptionally clear in her eyes.

And those vertical pupils slightly shifted along with Zhu Yu’s movements, their elongated curves subtly changing; as she watched the tears roll down in the blink of Zhu Yu’s eye, her pupils constricted very slightly.

This was the first time Zhu Yu had seen her vertical pupils so directly.

Beneath the indifferent blue, a lively light flowed, as if a solitary boat were truly wandering in the unpredictable, deep azure, shifting alongside the movement of her eyes.

The flush spreading from the corners of her eyes was like endless lotus petals blurring layer by layer, casting a thin mist of both ethereal detachment and corruption over this bewitching sight.

Meanwhile, she was like an ignorant yet stubborn little fish, circling around the lotus leaves, blowing bubbles determinedly and recklessly, seeking an answer.

Can you… like me?

Please like me…!

The woman’s silver-white tail unconsciously brushed against her waist, bringing a wave of ice-cold, tingling numbness.

Those entwining vines seemed to sense something; they were no longer taut, but under the soaking of the warm woody scent, they steadily bloomed into the most delicate, dripping roses, and even their sharp thorns inexplicably softened and drooped.

Zhu Yu was completely oblivious to this; she had never known, nor had anyone ever told her, what kind of signs indicated a dragon falling in love.

The Bai Shuzhou of the past always gave off an impression of detachment, like the bright moon drifting in the sky—visible whenever one looked up, seemingly within reach, yet appearing ten thousand miles away, forever impossible to truly approach.

But now, all sounds were silenced, and this tiny space seemed to hold nothing but their intertwined breath.

She could even clearly perceive the pulse ticking steadily against the inner side of the other’s wrist, completely different from her own frantic heartbeat.

The soft flesh of her neck was already sensitive, and her gland was a thin, fragile surface of water; the woman’s ice-cold fingertip nudged it lightly, brushing past in an unconscious, highly ambiguous stroke.

A tingling ripple rippled out.

It felt like an invitation, but it was quickly withdrawn; taking a restrained, deep breath, her beautiful lips pressed into a tight line, stained with a hint of glistening moisture, looking very kissable.

She closed her eyes as if in tacit permission, and the pinky finger that was the last to retreat brushed, seemingly by accident, against the burning skin on the side of Zhu Yu’s neck.

Boom.

Zhu Yu’s brain hummed into a complete blank, as if invisible seeds had been sown, blooming into a garden of clusters of flowers amid her itching skin.

But what… did this mean?

Zhu Yu stared at her without blinking, almost greedily, her throat involuntarily swallowing down the hard-surging affection and suffocating anxiety.

Consequently, when the tip of the dragon’s tail trembled and stood straight up, Zhu Yu abruptly let go of her hands.

Zhu Yu gathered her courage and said loudly: “Actually, I’m not the original Zhu Yu, but I am Zhu Yu too. I’m sorry for lying to you before.”

There was no sequel; she was very carefully observing Bai Shuzhou’s expression, like a prisoner awaiting final judgment, holding her breath, using every ounce of her strength to catch any trace of disgust or astonishment that might appear on the other’s face.

She was terrified that at this very moment, this near-indulgent tacit permission, this hard-won proximity… did not belong to ‘her’ at all.

Patter.

A drop of water smashed against the floor along the soaked silk.

Dead silence.

The entire confinement room held nothing but their overlapping yet equally unstable breathing.

Bai Shuzhou opened her eyes, laughing from sheer exasperation.

“Zhu Yu.” She took a light breath.

These two words were bitten by her with a distinct flavor, as if rising and blurring along with the exhaled heat, damp and magnetic.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” She pinched the fragile, soft flesh at the back of Zhu Yu’s neck.

…Eh?

Zhu Yu was dazed, blinking her eyes as she read pleasure from that light laugh; but, but… “You already knew?”

Her heart hammered against her chest; this was Zhu Yu’s greatest secret, yet it was dismantled so easily, dissolving into a cool, clear laugh.

Bai Shuzhou merely smiled, saying nothing.

Inexplicably, amidst this all-knowing slight smile, Zhu Yu blushed from the tips of her ears all the way to her neck, shame twisting together with a bizarre, see-through tremor.

“Come here,” Bai Shuzhou said, her vertical pupils locking tight. “Prove it to me.”

“Ah, h-how do I prove this?” Zhu Yu’s face grew even redder, stammering and flustered like a failing student pushed onto the exam floor without any preparation.

She frantically began a self-introduction, even though this ambiguous atmosphere was entirely unsuited for checking household registers.

From her unremarkable academic history to her hobbies, her speaking speed was so fast she wished she could pack up all her experiences from the past eighteen years and thrust them all to Bai Shuzhou for review.

It was exceptionally practiced, as if she had been preparing for this introduction for a very long time.

Finally, she added a stumbling sentence, “I’m sorry, it’s my first time, I’m not very experienced.”

It was too hasty; her first time chasing someone, her first confession, her first time… everything was clumsy and completely without order.

Bai Shuzhou let out a soft “heh” laugh, meaning: I can tell.

If Zhu Yu hadn’t introduced herself quickly enough, she would have definitely kicked her out.

Zhu Yu perceived her impatience, hooking her fingers in some embarrassment, and said: “I originally wanted to buy flowers…”

In her barren yet romantic imagination, there was a very complete process: when to hold hands, when to confess, and when confessing she should buy flowers, have candles, music, and then…

Then, gorgeous roses wound up the side of her neck without warning, dragging her down into the entanglement.

Too much nonsense.

One rose, one kiss.

A kiss carrying a plundering aura; the woman’s beautiful eyes continuously magnified and closed in within her field of vision, endless dangerous undercurrents hidden within the clear, icy blue.

Zhu Yu fell straight into it without any defense, drowning downward in the seemingly gentle yet irresistible shallow ripples.

A gentle flick of her fingertip spurred the girl’s entire body to shudder, a tingling itch spreading, but her body involuntarily relaxed and stretched out bit by bit along with the other’s seemingly gentle yet indisputable guidance.

The gateway to her most private spiritual sea swung wide open.

A rut makes a person highly sensitive, and it is also the moment when spiritual power is most active; many people would take this opportunity to perform a deep connection.

And Bai Shuzhou knew that it was far more than that.

Spiritual power can be invaded.

She wrapped her arms around her neck, deepening the kiss; in the gaps where the girl’s eyelashes trembled due to excessive nervousness, her spiritual power silently slipped into this defenseless domain.

Language can be embellished, and sincerity can be faked, but memory cannot lie.

Turning over the picture scrolls of life, the more important a memory was, the larger the fragment of spiritual power it occupied; when you looked back, the dusted memories would drift down like snowflakes, rustling down, within arm’s reach.

Bai Shuzhou stepped into a clean purity that was well within her expectations.

Zhu Yu’s spiritual sea was empty to the point of near-loneliness; the fragments of her flat, stable daily life were like tiny ice crystals, shimmering with a faint light; there were no deeply ingrained memories, and even the falling snowflakes appeared small and fragmented.

Bai Shuzhou caught one of the flakes, seeing nothing but a heavy snowfall.

Hollow, pale, an boundless cold and silence.

Why is your past a complete blank?

Bai Shuzhou frowned, finding it somewhat difficult to comprehend, like the tape of an old celluloid film washed perfectly clean, leaving nothing but a long, tedious silence when played, clicking and turning.

Straight until—

They met each other’s gaze.

At the very first glance of their meeting, the girl’s blank world suddenly erupted with piercing roses, as red as blood.

“You’re… beautiful.”

Bai Shuzhou saw herself in Zhu Yu’s eyes, only then realizing this was not an intentionally flattering sweet nothing.

Deep within the storm of falling snow, it was completely filled with the bits and pieces of their time together.

Zhu Yu frequently stole glances at her, far more than Bai Shuzhou had ever known.

The girl’s gaze was too scorching to hide even if she tried; hiding it behind her hands like an ostrich would only cause it to spill from her mouth instead.

On many nights, she guarded her dreams; at the slightest sign of movement outside the door, she would climb up alertly to check, then confirm whether Bai Shuzhou was sleeping peacefully, whether she had nightmares, or if she needed a warm embrace.

She secretly counted her eyelashes, never tiring of it, though she would start getting drowsy mid-count; to this day, she still didn’t know how many there were.

When a game level hit a standstill, the woman would take the console away, draw very close, and patiently play through it once; her slender knuckles operated with smooth fluid grace, creating an optimal strategy that even a child could learn.

Zhu Yu didn’t learn it.

She was looking at Bai Shuzhou.

Looking at her beautifully curved lips, slightly pursed when she was serious.

Looking at her silver hair flowing like moonlight, draping down the side of her neck and trembling gently alongside her cool voice.

So beautiful.

The serious Bai Shuzhou, the frowning and impatient Bai Shuzhou, the occasionally vulnerable Bai Shuzhou, the forever dazzling and striking Bai Shuzhou… were all so beautiful, making her heart skip a beat.

Scenes of memory flashed past, without sound, leaving only a distinct heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

Silently intertwining into a deafening, I like you so much.

The girl’s hidden feelings were too scorching, almost burning Bai Shuzhou, and too open, easily seen through at a single glance.

The secrets regarding Zhu Yu remained unresolved, growing even deeper instead, as if all her profound and happy memories were solely related to her.

How could someone be…

This foolish.

The warm woody fragrance on Zhu Yu now seemed to carry the freshness after a rain and the vitality of soil, becoming exceptionally rich and crisp.

Bai Shuzhou’s spiritual vines gradually shed their hostility, taking on a nearly transparent softness, as the swaying roses unconsciously drew closer, and closer still, toward Zhu Yu’s pheromones…

Her consistently low body temperature was ignited and boiled for the very first time.

A foreign, surging love-desire transformed into a warm, pure golden light, pouring continuously from Zhu Yu’s tightly pressed fingertips.

It was cleaner and more vibrant than ever before, greedily sweeping over the pale skin, provoking an unbearable shiver wherever it passed.

“Ngh, hah…”

The gentle touch of their noses was restrained yet damp, the undulating affection so abundant that they exchanged a kiss.

It was no longer a probe carried out with a purpose, no longer a brutal plunder, but the softest parts of their souls gently touching.

Zhu Yu frequently dealt with metal, so she had thin calluses on her hands, especially on the side of her finger pads; that rough texture easily snagged the silk, rubbing up a brilliant red patch.

If it were solely to soothe the out-of-control spiritual power, there was no need to go this far.

But the woman’s cold, slender fingers curled tightly, tensing, and after brushing the back of Zhu Yu’s hand, she still removed that ring.

It was not a highly sensible thing to do; driven by the pheromones, she might have gone mad too.

The blood crystal was a highly concentrated energy-storing mineral; utilized properly, it could also absorb and suppress.

She still could not fully trust Zhu Yu, but she chose to loosen this chain anyway, no longer gripping it tightly in her palm, letting her run wild without restraint.

In an instant, the surging spiritual power completely broke free from its shackles, the golden light condensing into water droplets that trickled along the veins of the vines.

Following the tender caress, it slid over the pale pink scars on the woman’s body.

“Mmh…”

The pheromones grew even more intense; every step Zhu Yu took was entirely unexpected.

Bai Shuzhou rebuked in a low voice, “Don’t do unnecessary things.”

The girl was extremely obstinate, hooking her hands around the knees that could not be withdrawn, attempting to completely heal her legs at this very moment.

“Zhu Yu, stop, it’s already enough, you—ngh…!”

Spiritual power pierced through her skin, pinning her from front and back like a subtle electric current; Bai Shuzhou suppressed her gasps, knitting her brows to put a stop to it, but the girl forcefully denied her another chance to speak.

The girl who had always been bound and guided by her began to lose control; not too much, but always exceeding by just a tiny fraction each time.

It was bearable, yet entirely too unbearable.

The continuous stream of spiritual power merged into the darkness; even eternal ice would melt, though very slowly, appearing exceptionally minuscule before this iceberg.

Melting away, water droplets trickled down, as a jade-like bowstring pulled taut.

Zhu Yu asked in a raspy voice: “Sister, does it hurt?”

The wounds on her own body were rapidly healing, as if time were reversing, but those shattered jade-like fractures on Bai Shuzhou were difficult to mend fully.

Shivering, crystal-clear beads of sweat also surfaced on her arched neck, her fingertips tightly twisting the silk, leaving the woman able to utter only broken syllables.

Yet Zhu Yu chose not to rush, leaning in to press kisses against her, almost as if deliberately interrogating her as her damp warm breath fanned against her ear.

“Sister, do you like me?”

“Sister, don’t leave me, okay…”

Tick, tock.

There was no answer, only increasingly hurried gasps.

The more insecure she felt, the harder it was to obtain an answer.

Finally, she lowered her head, her nose damp, her voice dropping along with her dark eyes, “Say that you… need me.”

Her voice was very soft, a cooing murmur like acting spoiled, yet it provoked whimpers to escape from elsewhere instead.

“Need,” she extended her left hand; “like,” this was her right hand.

Holding them out together.

Insisting on receiving an answer.

Zhu… Yu…! The woman’s pupils shrank sharply, tightly pinching her shoulders, enveloping her past endurance as she bit down.

An Omega’s constitution was unique, consistently maintaining absolute clarity; even if her gaze was dazed, she was fully aware of everything happening. Those blending spiritual powers—greedy and about to lose control—undoubtedly held a fatal temptation for her.

The cold poison that had been suppressed within her body for so long showed signs of loosening for the first time.

Zhu Yu was her antidote, and also the trigger; too many unspeakable tremors were deeply buried between their lips and teeth; she seemed to have waited a long time for this single fraction of a moment, yet she was unwilling to swallow it all in one gulp.

Struggling at last, she exhaled words in a gap of blank space, “Zhu Yu, the consumption is too great, control it.”

The end was a gasp she failed to suppress in time, spilling down from the clear, curved moon.

“You care about me,” the girl’s affectionate eyes curved like crescents, catching this handful of moonlight as she said softly: “I am willing.”

I am willing, for you.

Simply because I am willing, willing to do anything.

If spiritual power was the dizzying, surging affection within her head, it ran wild solely because of you.

A momentary freeze. Bai Shuzhou bit her lip and turned her gaze away, unwilling to look directly into those overly scorching eyes.

“What you want, I cannot give.” Her cool voice was raspy and hoarse, with a short, damp tail trailing behind.

Zhu Yu said: “But I haven’t said what I want yet.”

In this prosperous yet lonely universe, with its fame and fortune, power and influence, she sought only a sincere heart.

The simplest, yet the most expensive.

This was the sole thing she could not promise to give.

What use was a sincere heart anyway? Other than hurting and losing control, it was completely useless.

Zhu Yu watched Bai Shuzhou close her eyes, long lashes still bearing tears, vulnerable yet detached.

“I will enter a contract with you; you will heal my injuries, and we will each take what we need.”

Words so rational they were icy, as if she truly could conduct this as official business driven purely by interests, seeking a stable peace of mind through it.

Zhu Yu fell silent for a moment, letting out a soft sigh: “But sister…”

Why are you biting me?

From the tip of her finger down to a shallow inch, she did not move.

In stark contrast to her cold tone, the roses bloomed passionately, joyfully nudging her tail.

Bai Shuzhou also seemed to belatedly realize this problem, her face completely flushing red as she bit her lip in shame.

She still thought very rationally: Zhu Yu’s spiritual power and ability were beneficial to her, so she had no reason to refuse.

Thus, sustaining her trembling voice once more, she emphasized with the authority of a Princess, “Ngh… permanent marking is forbidden.”

From forbidding marking entirely, to forbidding permanent marking.

In truth, at the very beginning, Zhu Yu had only wanted a kiss. She blinked her eyes slowly.

Marking meant leaving a part of oneself deep within the partner’s spiritual sea.

She had always known to be content with simple pleasures, yet in this subtle, wordless indulgence, she self-taught the art of pushing her boundaries outside of order.

“Is it really okay, sister?” Her breath buried down gently as she touched her fragile sincere heart over and over again.

Bai Shuzhou was unwilling to speak, so those broken, unbearable syllables that accidentally slipped out became increasingly winding and alluring.

The old scars had not yet faded before a new flush was added.

She continuously “fed” her, not just with the overflowing spiritual power; golden water droplets curled on the bright red tip of her tongue, sweet and soft, causing several dazed moments where Bai Shuzhou thought of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Swaying gently, she could even feel Zhu Yu’s spiritual power flowing unpracticed.

It would take a lot of time to digest these overly thick energies.

Every single drop seemed to say, I like you, I like you!!

Although Bai Shuzhou had been studying spiritual power since childhood, she never knew that a deep connection could be so…

Noisy.

She couldn’t take any more, yet Zhu Yu’s spiritual power seemed endless, spilling from the corner of her lips and causing her to let out low coughs.

They shouldn’t indulge like this, yet drowning amidst clarity, tears could not block their blurred vision as they lost their voices entirely.

The world was dancing.

Bai Shuzhou held her hand.

Zhu Yu’s clumsy, youthful efforts also received responses; those reckless mistakes were corrected one by one as they held hands, dancing in a world that held only each other.

封 (Bai Shuzhou) curled her long legs slightly, resting against them, still unable to move flexibly; Zhu Yu gripped her ankles, helping her massage them slowly.

The woman’s low body temperature was also warmed through, the cold jade stained with a light red flush.

……

After the ultimate pleasure passed, leaving behind a sore and swollen lingering charm, Bai Shuzhou could no longer speak, nor did she want to; her entire being was enveloped in the girl’s warm woody scent, carrying the damp water vapor after a rain, wanting nothing more than to have a good sleep.

Zhu Yu lowered her eyes, gazing at the woman’s forever detached pale blue eyes, now stained with a thin layer of watery mist, curled lashes hanging with satisfied tears as they closed heavily.

Beautiful enough to startle the heart.

Zhu Yu pinched her wrist hard—hiss, it hurt… and felt a little sore.

The bed in the confinement room was narrow and small, leaving Bai Shuzhou no choice but to lean against her side, letting out a low hum alongside her small movements, her cool voice incredibly hoarse, “Don’t move.”

In the past, Zhu Yu wouldn’t even dare dream like this, yet all of it had truly happened.

She still remembered Bai Shuzhou calling her name over and over, her tone subtly different from usual.

She wanted to cry again, so happy.

The woman in her arms shifted slightly; Zhu Yu immediately perked her ears in anticipation, leaning close with a flushed face.

Bai Shuzhou didn’t even lift her eyelids, perceiving accurately based on the overly scorching warmth, pinching her cheek as she uttered hoarse words very lightly:

“Your secret, don’t let others know.”

A casual “others” naturally bound them as one in this vast world, like a short section deliberately highlighted in red on a ten-thousand-word scroll, framing them together.

The corners of her mouth curled up faster than her thoughts, and Zhu Yu was about to wag her tail when the woman before her seemed to sense it, adding a more objective personal critique outside of her rationality:

“Also, your kissing skills are terrible.”

Kissing skills, terrible.

These few words were framed between her indifferent speech, piercing into her heart with a shuck. As if hitting a pause switch, Zhu Yu indeed stopped.

Is it that bad? Is it really that bad?

Zhu Yu blinked her eyes, looking at the woman’s swollen thin lips.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice, “I will keep practicing…!”

Is this person an idiot?

The tips of her ears began to burn again; unable to endure it further, Bai Shuzhou lifted her head to bite her lip, carrying a hint of retaliation as she said cruelly and callously:

“Shut up and sleep.”

“Oh.” Receiving a kiss meant Zhu Yu no longer wanted to cry; she was very easy to coax.

Her mouth was closed, but her eyes snapped open, little stars twinkling as they circled her moon.

She was holding her breath to steal glances, both fully aware of it; Bai Shuzhou smiled, but she did not open her eyes again.

She said: “Close your eyes too.”

“Oh!” Zhu Yu answered very softly.

Their tails found a comfortable position between them, curling over softly.

During this long final night, it was a sound sleep, their even breathing blending together, blowing the messy strands of hair.

The next day.

Zhu Yu woke up in a bedroom lingering with the cold fragrance of roses, the magnificent dome greeting her sight.

The texture and warmth of that person’s skin seemed to still linger at her side; she unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth, her fingertips tracing the empty velvet sheets beside her with attachment.

Eh, empty…?

Where was her wife? Where did such a big, fragrant, and soft wife go!

Zhu Yu instantly tumbled back to reality from the clouds, propping herself up abruptly.

Clink.

Her fingertips brushed against a cold, sharp box, resting exactly on the edge of her reach; she tremblingly lifted the blanket—

The array of jewelry sparkled with a dazzling light, deep blue and light blue piled together, looking exactly like her lover’s eyes, shimmering beautifully.

Heavens… why was it here?

Although she had witnessed Bai Shuzhou’s financial superpower last time, this time it was no longer about catching them in a wretched state; instead, while she was deep asleep, it had quietly filled the empty space beside her.

The bed was too soft; Zhu Yu merely shifted slightly and the surroundings sank downward, the jewelry rolling down with a clatter, the cold sharp edges pressing against her warm thigh.

The impact was too great, feeling a bit uncomfortable from the pressure. It was not a dream.

Surrounded by freezing wealth, the girl sat blankly, experiencing a brief moment of daze.

She unconsciously pinched one of them, which still bore a residual body temperature, murmuring: “Ah, wife…”

What… what kind of money is this?

Knock, knock, knock.

She racked her brain but had not figured it out when the door was rapped unhurriedly, the regularity making her heart fluster.

——It was not Bai Shuzhou’s aura.

Zhu Yu’s nose twitched slightly; she immediately rolled up the blanket, carefully and swiftly hiding herself along with the jewelry.