A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 25

Bai Shuzhou disliked overly intimate physical contact.

Before today, everyone had thought so.

Even with her biological older sister, Bai Qianze, they rarely hugged. When she first married Zhu Yu, they merely walked one behind the other within the palace; during whispers, Zhu Yu would smile and hide behind her fan, carrying a hint of ambiguous atmosphere.

Few newlywed couples were unwilling to mark each other, so everyone assumed Bai Shuzhou was asexual and held no interest in that aspect. After all, she naturally possessed a cold, detached appearance that seemed entirely above worldly desires.

Consequently, seeing the overly obvious marks on Zhu Yu, everyone froze in place, failing to step forward and separate the two immediately.

The ambiguous marks on Zhu Yu’s body were not numerous, but they were very deep—deep enough for one to imagine how heavily Bai Shuzhou had bitten down on a single spot, coating her in pheromones everywhere.

Yet Zhu Yu herself was completely oblivious to it.

It was like spraying too much perfume; the person at the center of the rich fragrance grows accustomed to it, failing to perceive anything amiss.

Normally, a pairing during a rut would last for many days. Within that dark confinement room, time passed perhaps slower than a trickling stream.

Zhu Yu thought it had been a single night, but in reality, it lasted three days and two nights. Her lover’s pheromones were the best tonic; embracing, making love, and falling asleep again, their configurations blended a part of each other, and both underwent very subtle changes.

It was precisely under the backdrop of that warm woody scent that the roses bloomed increasingly exquisitely, swaying with sharp thorns, which was also its most primal charm—though this change was too subtle for anyone to notice yet.

The fox was not skilled at fighting. Even if Feng Jiyan maintained a habit of working out, that small amount of struggle was perhaps less resistant to Zhu Yu than a single screw rusted over long years on a machine.

The crowd could only watch blankly as Zhu Yu thoroughly disciplined Feng Jiyan’s arrogance.

No one came to stop them, leaving Zhu Yu a bit awkward; shouldn’t the standard routine be everyone crowding around saying “stop fighting, stop fighting, let it go,” followed by her looking majestic and cold-sneering, “there won’t be a next time!”?

But the fox quickly gave up struggling, which instead made her look exceptionally aggressive, as if she were the one committing a robbery—that blustering shout of “robbery” was merely a notice.

Ha, ha, you’ve really grown capable, Zhu Yu, beating up Feng Jiyan.

She’s doomed!!

After a few seconds of silence, she flipped the blanket away, used a tone as peaceful and un-cowardly as possible, and extended her hand to Feng Jiyan:

“Do not steal other people’s things; this is a matter of principle.”

The girl who held the absolute advantage leaned down, gently yet irresistibly pulling the fox up, delivering her judgment in an exceptionally calm tone.

She was even considerate enough to raise her hand and help straighten Feng Jiyan’s crooked collar.

With her clothes half-open and her entire body covered in an ambiguous aura, Zhu Yu unpretentiously smoothed out Feng Jiyan’s luxurious clothing, pulling out its crisp edges. Finally, her slender knuckles paused, pushing the bowtie up, completely sealing away the venomous words Feng Jiyan hadn’t yet had the chance to spew.

Mature, rational—forming a sharp contrast yet again with her iron-boned, hot-blooded image during that day’s live broadcast.

Openly and generously, she pursed her lips and smiled at the crowd.

“Heavens,” a young maid covered her accelerating heartbeat with one hand, suddenly feeling that bloodline birth might truly not be that important. She was a bit rough around the edges, but for nobles accustomed to exquisitely arranged plates, suddenly encountering such clear, youthful high spirits, it didn’t seem so difficult to understand why the Princess would fall for her.

What was she robbing—Her Highness the Princess’s heart?

Oh! This became even more interesting; they had assumed duels were merely ancient legends.

After all, it didn’t quite align with modern laws.

But Zhu Yu was very restrained; she did not abuse this violence, which kept it from being off-putting.

Fortunately, with the buffer of the blanket, Feng Jiyan was not severely injured. However, making a fool of herself in public was no different from a public humiliation to her; brushing away Zhu Yu and the maids who wanted to inspect her, she did not stay for a single moment longer.

Only after she left did Zhu Yu learn that Feng Jiyan had been ordered to investigate the beginning and end of her abducting the Princess.

Investigated by Feng Jiyan and executed by Iselia, they served as checks and balances for each other.

Cold sweat rolled down Zhu Yu’s neck. She didn’t understand why these politicians always loved beating around the bush; they kept her in suspense too much, leaving her unable to comprehend most of it, so she had just focused on being scolded. Had Feng Jiyan questioned how the Princess’s legs were injured or hooked her up to a lie detector, the grass on her grave would probably be three meters high by now.

Living in the imperial palace might be far more dangerous than the remote Chaotic Zone.

Furthermore, Bai Shuzhou was not by her side.

The expected day-and-night togetherness of her fantasies did not manifest; only touching herself facing the mirror during baths brought a shred of reality.

For the first time, Zhu Yu detested her excellent physical constitution; even the hickeys and bite marks left by Bai Shuzhou faded very quickly.

After the bone-eroding pleasure, the sudden drop of being apart left her very uneasy.

Her bathroom featured a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror and beautiful fresh flowers. When the water vapor billowed up, it made a person’s posture look exceptionally attractive—slender, handsome, revealed down to the finest detail; the heat and water ripples served as the best filter.

She really wanted to show Bai Shuzhou… Once this thought surfaced, it became unstoppable. She couldn’t control herself from wondering: what if Bai Shuzhou were here too, what if she took her hand…

Ah, she couldn’t think about it anymore!

Zhu Yu submerged herself, bubbling gurgle-gurgle, the tips of her ears burning hot.

She had been waiting for Bai Shuzhou to return, just like before in the remote star system, where Bai Shuzhou would wait for her to get off work, and then they would eat together, chatting about what happened today, mixing the sunset into the steaming dishes.

But Bai Shuzhou did not come; no one came.

This palace was too large; the bathroom alone was larger than the entire small courtyard they had rented before. When sleeping at night, Zhu Yu was entirely alone, unable to hear Bai Shuzhou’s light, shallow breathing.

Where did she go? Why did she vanish after leaving behind the jewels?

No one could answer Zhu Yu’s questions. The Head Attendant didn’t seem to like Zhu Yu very much, offering only highly ambiguous answers. She belatedly realized that she seemed to have been isolated within this bedchamber.

And this bedchamber wasn’t their home either; it was merely a small side palace, and they didn’t even sleep in the same room.

According to the rules, she was supposed to leave after the divorce. The original host didn’t have much luggage anyway; apart from several massive wardrobes completely filled with luxurious clothes, the most abundant items were perfumes, none of which were useful to Zhu Yu.

Furthermore, the original host absolutely loved locking things, setting passwords on many belongings—she didn’t know who it was meant to guard against, but in short, it was highly annoying.

Only Feng Jiyan came frequently to interrogate her. Zhu Yu went from playing dumb to faking illness, and later, news naturally spread that Zhu Yu had amnesia.

At this time, the world outside the palace had already turned into a complete mess.

Among the group of Northern District nobles who had initially reported under their real names that Zhu Yu had abducted Bai Shuzhou, the leader—the heir of the Grey Wolf—died mysteriously during the interrogation and detention overseen by Feng Jiyan.

Iselia had failed to capture the big Federal fish that slipped away that day, and her hatred toward the Federation and mechas reached a new zenith. After returning, she frequently ran to the R&D department, calling it combat testing under a fine name.

Initially, it was purely to vent, but later she discovered that the Empire’s mecha research lagged far behind the Federation’s; their mobility and firepower differed vastly. Once war broke out, no matter how valiant a flesh-and-blood body was against steel, it was highly susceptible to injury.

To catch up with the innate superior physical capabilities of the Imperial beast-men, the Federation had silently worked toward this for decades or even centuries, but the arrogant Imperial nobles refused to admit it.

Iselia admitted it, but she found it highly difficult to accept for a time, and she was even more resistant to personally testing the mechas. She could only forcibly beat down an entire mecha squad by herself to test that her own capabilities had not degenerated.

What she didn’t know was that the red mecha she faced that day was also the ace of aces among the Federal lineup. Upon returning, they discovered the fuselage damage exceeded 75%, coming a hair’s breadth away from being scrapped on the spot; they were also secretly terrified by the horrifying destructive power of the Imperial beast-man.

Iselia’s violent, high-pressure behavior left many military subordinates both reverent and dissatisfied; every day they opened their eyes only to get beaten up. Someone muttered softly that if Zhu Yu were to pilot a mecha, she might barely manage to satisfy a lunatic like Iselia.

Zhu Yu was originally an outstanding graduate of the Imperial Royal Military Academy, passing the selection for mecha pilots as one in ten thousand. She even possessed a customized mecha currently under development; during previous recruitment campaigns, she had immensely stimulated the public’s enthusiasm.

How could a Star of the Commoners, built by the Empire with massive effort, be discarded over unresolved reasons? Moreover, Zhu Yu’s current fame was at its absolute peak.

She had forcibly stood by herself between the racial conflicts of the two nations; her role in the war of words was akin to Schrödinger’s fish.

The Empire accused that the shadow of the Federation lay behind Bai Shuzhou’s disappearance and Zhu Yu’s humiliation, while the Federation immediately jumped out to clarify that they shared a cross-border friendly cooperative relationship with Zhu Yu, and everyone should form a united front to combat star pirates.

Knowing they were in the wrong and to show sincerity, the Federation also actively negotiated to return a batch of victims, which included the Phoenix and the little birds that fled that night, who happened to be rescued by Nan Gong’s people.

If Bai Shuzhou had truly delivered a speech at the auction that day, no matter how perfect the diplomatic phrasing was, loopholes or misinterpretations would always be found. Yet she had said nothing, playing only the Federal Freedom Declaration instead, which turned out to be far more shocking to people’s hearts.

Many citizens of the Federation felt ashamed because of this, staging marches and demonstrations to demand a strict investigation into the buyers and the liberation of all illegally trafficked beast-men.

Although the campaign was hosted by the Federal Animal Protection Organization, it triggered a new round of bickering.

At a time like this, no one believed Zhu Yu would betray her country, and it was absolutely impossible for her to do so.

After all, Zhu Yu was someone Iselia had personally dug up from the grassroots back then. Iselia could only pull a long face to find Feng Jiyan, subtly warning her that enough was enough, and to hurry up and release the person, as her side urgently needed her.

Feng Jiyan suffered in silence; she wished nothing more than for Zhu Yu to step out sooner to draw the fire, as house-arresting Zhu Yu was not her idea.

Zhu Yu was cut off from the world and claimed to have amnesia, leaving no way to guide her. The so-called “witness” involved in the case had suddenly died a violent death; Feng Jiyan had to take full responsibility for this while continuing to investigate the case of Bai Shuzhou’s abduction, finding it increasingly amiss the more she investigated.

While the outside world was caught in a bloody storm, Zhu Yu was living days where three meals were delivered to her room and she played games until she was bored. Her most difficult task each day was counting the gems, carefully wiping, auditing, and recording every single one.

One gem, she loves me; two gems, she loves me a lot; three gems, she loves me incredibly… Finally, she pushed away the stacked gem tower.

“Sister, I don’t want gems anymore. When are you coming back?”

She didn’t understand why Bai Shuzhou could vanish so cleanly, when clearly, just a few nights ago, she had kissed her passionately.

Hiding beneath the blanket and pondering for a long time, Zhu Yu took out her damp memories to dry over and over again; she would accept it even if she had to be a contract lover.

But why did Bai Shuzhou always turn around and vanish without even a backward glance?

She no longer had that nightmare of falling, and Bai Shuzhou hadn’t let go either; she had simply vanished into the heavy snowfall, leaving Zhu Yu to walk slowly by herself, unable to find her direction.

It was Feng Jiyan who maliciously informed her that Bai Shuzhou’s condition had deteriorated—a genetic disease induced by abnormal spiritual power fluctuations. The researchers severely suspected it was due to her coupling with Zhu Yu, even bringing out a data report.

The rigor of her attitude looked as though she wished she could slap the report onto Zhu Yu’s face on the spot, raging: How dare a low-grade Alpha like you covet a Princess of the Dragon race!

Only then did Zhu Yu learn that her longed-for lover had been hospitalized all these days.

The Head Attendant, who was usually as silent as a mute, spoke up for once, saying this was not your fault.

Her quiet tone also resembled Bai Shuzhou’s, as if a gentle pair of hands were shielding Zhu Yu amidst the wind and snow: It’s not your fault, don’t respond.

The flashy world is filled with too many traps; you must walk slowly.

On that bright, sunny morning, Bai Shuzhou herself had perceived the discomfort in her body, so she calmly washed up, arranged everything within a brief window of time, and voluntarily went to the Royal Academy of Sciences for treatment.

She had been sick for too many years and had long grown accustomed to it; it was just that this time, there was an additional Zhu Yu, which left her a bit unaccustomed.

I will arrange everything for myself, including you.

Zhu Yu could not step out of the palace solely because only this palace was completely within Bai Shuzhou’s control.

She wanted to hold her firmly in the palm of her hand.

Once Zhu Yu left, speculations and schemes from all factions would follow one after another.

The Head Attendant said: “Her Highness does not wish for you to know about this. She will be fine; it has always been like this for so many years. Please give Her Highness a bit more faith and just wait patiently.”

So many years… Zhu Yu’s nose turned sour. She was actually entirely ignorant of her suffering, leaving her to endure it all alone.

Zhu Yu asked: “But I want to see her. I can be useful to her. Can you help me?”

The Head Attendant looked at her fixedly: “Therefore, Her Highness does not want you to know. Do not go to the Academy of Sciences; that is not a place you should go to.”

“In case something happens to you, she won’t be able to protect you, only adding to her worries.”

The Head Attendant had watched Bai Shuzhou grow up and had consistently held a subtle hostility toward Zhu Yu. Especially before departing, Bai Shuzhou had pinched Zhu Yu’s sleeping face, lifting her eyes to whisper gently: don’t wake her up.

In that instant, long before Bai Shuzhou realized it herself, the Head Attendant possessed a sharp instinct akin to a mother’s, perceiving the possibility that her child might get hurt. She would rather she remain forever detached, never keeping anything close to her heart, so she could withdraw decisively as well.

Love is too heavy.

It is the rain-drenched wings of a bird.

“There are too many places I shouldn’t go to,” Zhu Yu said obstinately, “but I went anyway, and the results turned out well. One always has to try to find out.”

From parallel worlds to an accidentally intersecting point, destiny indulged them to entwine tightly, dragging each other upward, no longer falling.

Zhu Yu did not want to let go, and she wanted even less for Bai Shuzhou to be alone while sick, just as she herself anticipated her arrival when feeling afraid.

“Can you take me to see her? Please.”

The Head Attendant’s gaze became very deep: “Even if you might die?”

“Mhm!” Zhu Yu nodded hard.

That was merely a possibility; why should she leave her partner over a hollow possibility?

Slowly, the Head Attendant’s rigid, ice-bound expression finally revealed a trace of a smile.

“Fine, it’s not that severe. I will help you, purely because I don’t want Her Highness to lose herself to you completely.”

“Ah…” Zhu Yu inexplicably felt a sensation of receiving an elder’s approval, bowing solemnly to the Head Attendant, “Thank you.”

“It’s too early to say thanks,” the Head Attendant darted a breezy glance at her, “however, you two indeed still need to practice moderation.”

Suddenly speaking about this with a stern elder, Zhu Yu panicked a bit, like a fish caught stealing a cat, speaking incoherently, “Ah… oh oh, sorry, okay, I understand, I will definitely abide by it next time!”