A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 24

The very next second after Zhu Yu dove into the blanket, the door was pushed open.

The newcomer’s politeness was strictly limited to those three unhurried raps on the wood; rather than a polite inquiry, it felt more like the final seconds of a countdown ticking to zero.

The crisp click-clack of dress shoes against the floor echoed through the space, carrying a heavy, suffocating pressure.

“Your Highness Zhu Yu?” a voice intoned, as sweet as an operatic aria.

Zhu Yu tightly pinched the corner of the blanket, deciding to pretend to be asleep.

Her memories of the original host were fragmented and incomplete, and she had skipped many of the early, tragic arcs when she read the original novel. Even so, she instantly deduced the identity of the person who had just walked in.

—The fox, Feng Jiyan. Her voice and manners were simply too recognizable.

She was the heir to the Feng family of the Southern District, the youngest noble member of parliament, the only daughter of the Director of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and simultaneously, Bai Shuzhou’s future most capable—yet most dangerous—trusted courtier.

Countless people coveted the bright moon hanging high in the heavens, and Feng Jiyan was no exception.

Before Bai Shuzhou revealed a power vast enough to crush all ambition, they had all arrogantly desired to claim her for themselves, along with the immense political power attached to her name.

Wrapped beneath Feng Jiyan’s elegant exterior was a heart steeped in lethal venom; beneath her extreme fastidiousness lay the filthiest of thoughts.

Furthermore, Zhu Yu recalled that the idea of using captured criminals as fertilizer to cultivate flowers was entirely Feng Jiyan’s brainchild. Fortunately, Bai Shuzhou was kind-hearted, so this gruesome punishment was only ever meted out to scum Alphas.

To slice open a wound, bury a specially engineered seed into the flesh, let it draw nutrients to sprout and take root, and continuously pour nutrient solutions just to sustain life… that was the true definition of being unable to live, yet unable to die.

Zhu Yu broke into a sudden shudder.

Just thinking about it was terrifying. Feng Jiyan’s level of perversion was practically a perfect match for that boss from Paradis!

Speaking of Paradis, Zhu Yu thought of Xiao Shan and that white bird modified into a Phoenix. She wondered how they were doing right now.

Her identity and her ability had to remain completely hidden. If she was found out, her end would likely be far more miserable.

“Still asleep, are we?”

“It’s my first time seeing an Alpha sleep longer than an Omega after a rut,” the woman sighed softly. “As expected… of an inferior product.”

Waking up later than Bai Shuzhou left Zhu Yu feeling deeply aggrieved. She hadn’t wanted to sleep so heavily either. To wake up and find her wife gone, before she even had a chance to enjoy the warmth and confirm their reality, only to face Feng Jiyan the next second—it was like an endless nightmare nesting inside a beautiful dream. It felt awful.

Footsteps echoed again. Click… Did the door just close?

An unknown amount of time passed. Zhu Yu listened intently. The entire room was so quiet that only her own heartbeat remained. She quietly opened a tiny sliver of an eyelid, her fingertips silently brushing past the gems, and slowly let out a sigh of relief.

Right after her soft breath slipped out, a chuckle sounded directly behind her.

“Your Highness Zhu Yu,” that cloying, icy voice suddenly drew incredibly close, as if blowing air right against the root of her ear from behind, “were you… hiding from me?”

Her hair stood on end as a sudden chill shot up from her neck. Zhu Yu used every ounce of self-restraint to keep from leaping out of her skin.

For however long she had been faking it, Feng Jiyan had been watching, patiently waiting for the prey to take the bait.

Staring at this smiling, abruptly magnified face, Zhu Yu took a deep breath. Did this woman go through all this trouble just to scare her?

The hand hidden beneath the blanket tightened its grip on the sharp, uncomfortable diamonds. One, two… the hard angles dug painfully into her palm, but as they crowded around her, they bizarrelly provided a shred of confidence.

So much for a politician.

So much for a love rival.

Childish!!

Mimicking Bai Shuzhou’s detached demeanor, Zhu Yu put on an expression of magnanimous, divine benevolence.

However, that particular expression required high technical mastery over one’s facial muscles. Zhu Yu only managed a superficial imitation—possessing the look, but lacking the soul.

In short, it was a textbook fake smile.

Feng Jiyan, who had been waiting for the better part of the day, watched as Zhu Yu lifted her eyelids, cast a sideways glance at her, and sneered, her disheveled hair still sporting a single, gently swaying cowlick.

The level of mockery was off the charts.

Was she… provoking her?

Feng Jiyan’s usual, flawless smile nearly cracked. The corner of her mouth twitched, widening her grin, though her eyes turned entirely cold. “What? Being favored by the Princess just once has made you lose your head and forget your own status?”

It would have been better if she hadn’t mentioned it. The moment she did, Zhu Yu’s brain exploded with an unspeakable, flush-inducing montage of memories…

The stiff, fake smile on her lips instantly melted into a genuinely radiant, dazzling grin.

Ah, yes! She had forgotten to gloat. Time to make up for it now.

Seeing her smile grow increasingly eyesore-bright, Feng Jiyan’s gloom deepened. “Should I congratulate you on finally getting your wish?”

She had plotted extensively for that auction night, only for Zhu Yu to emerge as the ultimate beneficiary. How could she not hate her?

Hearing those words, Zhu Yu actually nodded with utmost seriousness and sincerity. “Thank you.”

Feng Jiyan: “…”

It was like throwing a punch straight into cotton; the residual force rebounded internally into a visceral ache. Suppressing her rage, she flashed a triumphant smirk and scoffed, “Don’t celebrate too early. I take it you don’t know yet?”

Zhu Yu’s stay in the bedroom was framed as recuperation, but in reality, it was house arrest. The fallout from the auction was still escalating across the star systems.

In recent years, relations between the Empire and the Federation had soured. The trafficking of beast-men was already a highly sensitive topic, and an auction broadcasted live across the entire galaxy had undoubtedly pushed the tension to its absolute zenith.

As a mixed-blood of both nations, Zhu Yu’s own stance was highly ambiguous to begin with.

Back then, the Princess’s choice to take her as a partner had caused a massive uproar. If it hadn’t been for the Lifetree matching report showing a perfect 100% compatibility, the Emperor would never have permitted them to be together.

The Dragon race possessed superior genetics, but producing offspring was notoriously difficult; they could go their entire lives without ever meeting a compatible mate.

Emperor Bai Qianze was the dream Alpha of countless Omegas, yet her Lifetree matching database remained entirely blank; not a single person had ever matched with her.

The heavy responsibility of continuing the Dragon bloodline naturally devolved onto Bai Shuzhou.

In the past, the Emperor had thoroughly vetted endless candidates for her future partner, strictly investigating three generations back. Only the most exceptionally elite Alphas were ever granted an audience with the Princess.

Unfortunately, despite all calculation, they had completely failed to account for a variable like Zhu Yu.

Feng Jiyan had never believed she would lose. She preferred to believe that Bai Shuzhou had chosen this inferior Alpha purely as an act of rebellion against Bai Qianze’s arrangements.

A canary caged under the guise of protection had, for the first time in her life, pecked apart her chains.

Regrettably, the treasure chest she pecked open contained nothing but garbage—revealing a hidden, absolute piece-of-trash human.

Others might be beguiled by the ‘Star of the Commoners’ bright, cheerful facade, but Feng Jiyan had known from the very first glance that she was someone who would use any low, underhanded means to climb to the top.

Rising from the slums to test into the Imperial Star, she had garnered Iselia’s admiration as a low-level soldier, securing an accelerated promotion. She then used Iselia—her benefactor—as a stepping stone to latch onto the grand tree that was Bai Shuzhou, soaring into meteoric success.

To be so despicable, even Feng Jiyan felt a shred of twisted respect for her. With a hand of terrible cards, she had managed to force her way into the upper echelons of society.

But that was the extent of it.

The details of how Zhu Yu had successfully managed to abduct the Princess were riddled with suspicion upon closer inspection. That day, they were supposed to be visiting the borders for an official morale boost. According to standard protocols and procedures, it was impossible for Bai Shuzhou to have only Zhu Yu by her side.

Feng Jiyan had been appointed to investigate this matter thoroughly. In a sense, they were ‘old friends.’

Like a fated clash, the predatory instinct buried deep within her bloodline filled Feng Jiyan with immense excitement.

This is how it should be to be interesting, isn’t it? A prize obtained too easily holds no real amusement, after all.

At this thought, Feng Jiyan’s twisted mood finally smoothed out a fraction. However, the slender girl before her showed zero intention of responding, leaving the suspense she had built up hanging in mid-air, dissolving into a subtle, awkward silence.

Exhaling a sharp breath, she smiled. “The Princess has already reported your collusion with the Federation. We are merely waiting to gather the full evidence before handing you over to the military tribunal for judgment.”

“You should know very well what your fate will be once a war breaks out between the two nations, correct?”

Though a brief window of time had been gained, the truth didn’t matter. What mattered was the outcome determined by the political chess game.

Zhu Yu had used every ounce of her strength just to secure an admission ticket, relying entirely on Bai Shuzhou. She lacked the qualifications to match wits with her.

Just a genius, that’s all. The Imperial Star lacked many things, but geniuses were never one of them; there would always be one pawn after another rushing forward into the fray.

That night, the auction was forced to an abrupt halt. Iselia was ordered to pursue the fleeing guests, chasing them all the way to the Federal defense line. If a red, ultra-S-grade mecha hadn’t burst onto the scene out of nowhere to intercept her, she would likely have captured something extraordinary.

This was already interesting enough, wasn’t it?

As long as it was manipulated correctly, it would prove far more useful than capturing a prisoner.

Since that mysterious person had escaped, then in the future, ‘it’ could be anyone.

Feng Jiyan looked forward to a war. The Empire’s system had been stagnant for far too long; it desperately needed a revolution to reshuffle the deck.

During the three days and two nights Zhu Yu and Bai Shuzhou spent together in the confinement room, public opinion between the two nations had already devolved into a fierce, unstoppable shouting match.

In Feng Jiyan’s original plan, Bai Shuzhou was supposed to join hands with her to capitalize on this wave of media attention.

She never expected everything to be entirely derailed by Zhu Yu!

What right did she have? A mere inferior commoner had actually caused a dignified Princess to completely lose her composure.

Seeing Zhu Yu slip into a brief moment of contemplation, Feng Jiyan pressed her advantage, whispering: “The Princess won’t let you permanently mark her; you’re just a plaything to her. For someone like you, your wretched, low-grade pheromones will only contaminate Her noble Highness.”

Zhu Yu’s pheromones were as bland as plain water, barely qualifying her as an Alpha. Feng Jiyan had even viciously speculated in the past whether she was entirely incapable of marking anyone.

She loved using perfume to mask her thin, meager scent, but such cheap tricks only made the nobility look down on her even more.

Pheromones had a distinct hierarchy of strength. Apex predators like dragons and tigers possessed an innate, crushing intimidation over lower organisms.

Feng Jiyan elegantly released her own pheromones, and the magnificent, rich fragrance of violets instantly flooded the entire room.

It was true that Bai Shuzhou was SSS-grade, but she herself was a very rare SS-grade. No matter how one balanced the scales, she was a far more suitable match than a D-grade like Zhu Yu.

But as she closed the distance step by step, Feng Jiyan’s brows slowly knit together. She detected a very bizarre, pure fragrance radiating from Zhu Yu.

It wasn’t perfume. What was this scent?

Something drifted up slowly from her buried memories; Feng Jiyan felt it was incredibly familiar.

Her fox tail stood straight up. She slowly extended her white-gloved hand toward Zhu Yu. For a brief split second, a faint purple aura seemed to seep through the seams of her glove.

Zhu Yu was already sitting upright, backed tight against the cushions with nowhere to run. Sensing an exceptionally dangerous aura, her heart hammered violently, and she instinctively wanted to stop Feng Jiyan from drawing any closer.

A warm yellow light coalesced in her palm, illuminating even the gems she held tightly in her grip.

No… I can’t use spiritual power. If I expose my ability right in front of Feng Jiyan, I’m a dead woman!!

In her desperation, Zhu Yu could only hurl the gems in her hand at Feng Jiyan, her heart bleeding with every throw.

She could only bring herself to throw a few.

This was a gift from Bai Shuzhou, after all, even if she had a massive, massive amount of them.

Why wasn’t there anything cheap on this bed that she could use as a weapon?

Zhu Yu clutched the blanket, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

The exact instant the gems flew through the air, a thick, powerful aura of roses erupted overwhelmingly. In a flash, it completely masked the threads of pure fragrance on Zhu Yu, ruthlessly crushing and blanketing Feng Jiyan’s violet scent along with it.

Feng Jiyan’s expression froze. It was one thing for her to bully Zhu Yu, but before Bai Shuzhou’s pheromones, her own were absolutely a joke.

Her knees went weak. Feng Jiyan frantically grabbed the edge of the bed just to keep herself from collapsing into a pathetic kneel.

Bai Shuzhou had truly grown far more powerful. Even at this very moment, Feng Jiyan found it completely unbelievable.

The Royal Academy of Sciences had a department dedicated solely to the research of pheromones and spiritual power. No one knew better than her just how rigorous and demanding the changes in these traits were.

Bai Shuzhou was currently lying in the Academy receiving treatment. They had given her a full-body examination at the very first opportunity, but even under the stimulation of the most precise instruments, the Princess had refused to release much of her pheromones for research.

Feng Jiyan’s white-gloved hand was still shaking uncontrollably. This was the first time she had discovered that an Omega’s information-scent could possess such a fiercely aggressive, predatory edge.

It silently proclaimed sovereign ownership of its territory, brooking no intrusion from anyone.

Cold sweat surfaced on her forehead. This scent… the first face that flashed across Feng Jiyan’s mind wasn’t actually Bai Shuzhou, but Bai Qianze—the Emperor who looked down upon and crushed everything in her path.

They truly were sisters. They truly were the Dragon race.

A bizarre, ecstatic glint flickered deep within Feng Jiyan’s eyes, and she nearly broke into a laugh.

Forcing down her tremors, Feng Jiyan reached out her hand, intent on picking up the gem that had landed on the pure white sheets.

Something so precious, something possessing such immense research value… she absolutely had to have it!

Feng Jiyan murmured, “Love truly makes people incredibly foolish, my dear Princess.”

Zhu Yu was entirely oblivious to her schemes and calculations. She merely watched blankly as this fox flashed a maniacal grin, babbling about love and princesses while crawling over to snatch her token of affection.

No matter how good her temper was, she wasn’t going to endure this.

Go to hell, you psycho! Don’t you have your own!

Hey—she actually didn’t.

Zhu Yu didn’t believe a single word her love rival uttered. She knew these outsiders were simply going mad with jealousy.

These outsiders didn’t understand anything. They didn’t understand a single thing.

The word [OUTSIDERS] needed to be in bold and all-caps.

The exact instant the white glove was about to touch the gem, the blanket was abruptly whipped upward, casting straight over Feng Jiyan’s head. It wrapped her up like a rice dumpling before Zhu Yu kicked her straight off the bed.

“Guards! Someone’s robbing me!”

Her combat instincts driving her, Zhu Yu leaped down, pinning the writhing blanket to the floor, and used the chaos to land several solid punches.

She didn’t dare let go, terrified that the moment she loosened her grip, Feng Jiyan would spring up and execute her. She simply threw the entirety of her weight into suppressing her.

Thus, when the guards burst through the door, the sight that greeted them was Zhu Yu pinning Feng Jiyan to the floor with one knee. This favored child of heaven had likely never suffered such a humiliating disgrace in her entire life.

Zhu Yu was clad only in a loose, flowing silk nightgown. Without any intentional display, the simple motion of throwing a punch caused the fabric to shift along her sharp, clean lines. It allowed everyone to clearly see the overlapping, ambiguous hickeys and bite marks tracking across her arms and shoulders—especially the branding below her collarbone that looked exactly like a rose…

Amidst a dead silence, the thick aroma of roses drifted through the air. Someone truly couldn’t hold it in and whispered softly: “Wow.”

It wasn’t just the gems. The pheromone scent blanketing Zhu Yu’s body was incredibly thick, entirely left behind by the usually cold, detached Princess.

It seemed she would never need to wear perfume ever again.

She couldn’t mask it anyway.