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

Bai Shuzhou did not like overly intimate physical contact.

Before today, that was what everyone believed.

Even with her own elder sister, Bai Qianze, the two of them rarely hugged. Back when she and Zhu Yu were newly married, they had only walked one after the other through the palace. When Zhu Yu whispered to her, she would smile and use a fan to hide them, letting the ambiguous atmosphere linger for a moment or two.

Very few newlyweds were unwilling to mark each other. Everyone thought Bai Shuzhou was frigid and had no interest in that kind of thing. After all, she herself looked cold, aloof, and otherworldly, untouched by mortal smoke and fire.

So when they saw the marks on Zhu Yu’s body, so obvious they could not be ignored, everyone froze in place and did not immediately separate the two.

There were not that many ambiguous marks on Zhu Yu’s body, but they were deep. Deep enough that one could imagine how Bai Shuzhou had bitten down hard in one place and dyed Zhu Yu everywhere with her pheromones.

And Zhu Yu herself was completely unaware.

It was like spraying too much perfume. The person standing in the center of that rich fragrance had already gotten used to it and could no longer notice anything wrong.

Normally, a union during a sensitive period would last many days. In the lightless confinement room, time might not have flowed even as fast as water.

Zhu Yu thought it had been one night. In reality, it had lasted three days and two nights. A lover’s pheromones were the best nourishment. They had embraced, entangled, and fallen asleep again. Their scents had partly mingled, and both had undergone very subtle changes.

It was precisely with that warm, heavy woody scent as a foil that the roses bloomed even more vividly, swaying with sharp thorns. This was also their most primitive charm. Only, the change was too subtle, and for now, no one had noticed it yet.

Foxes were not good at fighting. Even though Feng Jiyan kept up a fitness habit, that bit of struggling was probably less resistance to Zhu Yu than a screw rusted stiff from years on a machine.

And so everyone watched helplessly as Zhu Yu gave Feng Jiyan’s pride a thorough repair.

No one came to stop her, and Zhu Yu also became a little awkward.

The normal process should have been everyone crowding around and saying, “Stop fighting, stop fighting, forget it, forget it,” and then she would sneer with awe-inspiring authority and say, “There won’t be a next time!”

But the fox soon gave up struggling, which instead made Zhu Yu look extremely aggressive, as if she really were robbing Feng Jiyan, and that hollow shout of “robbery” just now had been an announcement.

Ha. Ha.

You’ve really made it, Zhu Yu.

You beat up Feng Jiyan.

It’s over!!

After a few seconds of silence, she lifted the quilt and, in the calmest and least cowardly tone she could manage, extended a hand toward Feng Jiyan.

“Don’t steal other people’s things. This is a matter of principle.”

The young woman occupying the absolute advantage bent down and gently, yet irresistibly, pulled the fox up. In an unusually calm tone, she delivered her judgment.

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

With her clothes half-open and her body covered in an ambiguous scent, Zhu Yu calmly and neither humbly nor arrogantly smoothed out Feng Jiyan’s luxurious clothes, pulling them into crisp edges. At last, her slender knuckles paused and pushed the bow tie upward, completely blocking the venom Feng Jiyan had not yet managed to spit out.

Mature.

Rational.

It formed a sharp contrast with her iron-boned, hot-blooded image during the livestream that day.

Open and dignified, she pressed her lips together and smiled at everyone.

“Heavens,” a young maid said, pressing one hand over her racing heart. Suddenly, she felt that bloodline and birth might really not be that important.

She was a little rough, yes, but nobles who were used to exquisite plating would suddenly encounter such clear, youthful spirit. It did not seem so difficult to understand why the princess would be moved.

What was she robbing?

The princess’s heart?

Oh! Even more interesting.

She had thought duels were only ancient legends.

After all, they did not quite fit modern law.

But Zhu Yu was very restrained. She did not abuse this violence, so people did not dislike her.

Fortunately, there had been a quilt as a buffer. Feng Jiyan’s injuries were not serious, but making a fool of herself in public was no different from humiliation to her. She shook off Zhu Yu and the maid who wanted to examine her, and did not stay a moment longer.

Only after she left did Zhu Yu learn that Feng Jiyan had come under orders to investigate the entire matter of Zhu Yu abducting the princess.

Feng Jiyan would investigate, and Izelia would execute. They would restrain each other.

Cold sweat broke out over Zhu Yu. She had no idea why these politicians always liked to drag things all over the place and keep people in suspense. There were too many hooks and not many sentences she understood. She had mostly just been scolded.

If Feng Jiyan had questioned her about how the princess’s legs had been injured, or brought out a lie detector or something, the grass on Zhu Yu’s grave might already be three meters tall.

Life in the palace might be even more dangerous than the remote chaotic zone.

And Bai Shuzhou was not by her side either.

The imagined day-and-night companionship did not happen. Only when she touched herself in the mirror while bathing did the reality of it increase a little.

For the first time, Zhu Yu hated that her constitution was too good. Even the kiss marks and bite marks Bai Shuzhou had left faded very quickly.

After bone-melting pleasure, the sudden difference of being separated made her very uneasy.

There was a huge floor-length mirror in her bathroom, as well as beautiful fresh flowers. When the steam rose, it made a person’s posture look very lovely—slender, handsome, clear down to the smallest detail. Heat and rippling water were the best filters.

She really wanted to show Bai Shuzhou…

Once this thought appeared, it could no longer be stopped. She could not control herself from thinking: if Bai Shuzhou were here too, if she held her hand…

Ah, she could not think anymore!

Zhu Yu sank down, bubbling beneath the water, the roots of her ears burning.

She had been waiting for Bai Shuzhou to return, just like back in the remote star system, when Bai Shuzhou would wait for her to get off work. Then they would eat together, talk about what happened that day, and mix the sunset into steaming dishes.

But Bai Shuzhou did not come.

No one came.

This palace was too large. Just the bathroom alone was larger than the entire little courtyard they had rented before. At night, when Zhu Yu slept, she was the only one there. She could not hear Bai Shuzhou’s light, shallow breathing.

Where did she go?

Why did she leave behind jewels and then vanish?

No one could answer Zhu Yu’s questions. The chief attendant seemed not to like Zhu Yu very much and only gave vague answers. Very slowly, Zhu Yu realized that she seemed to have been isolated inside this bedchamber.

And this bedchamber was not their home either. It was only a small side palace. They did not sleep in the same room.

According to the rules, she would have to leave after the divorce.

The original body’s luggage was not much either. Aside from several large wardrobes full of luxurious clothes, the most abundant thing was perfume. There was not much Zhu Yu could use.

Moreover, the original body loved locking things far too much. Many things had passwords set on them. Zhu Yu did not know who she was guarding against, but in any case, she was very annoying.

Only Feng Jiyan came often to interrogate her. Zhu Yu went from playing dumb to pretending to be sick. Later, the news naturally spread that Zhu Yu had lost her memory.

At this time, the outside of the palace had already descended into chaos.

Back then, the group of Northern District nobles who had reported under their real names that Zhu Yu abducted Bai Shuzhou—the gray wolf heir who led them—had died mysteriously during interrogation and detention under Feng Jiyan’s authority.

Izelia failed to catch the big Federation fish who slipped away that day, and her hatred of the Federation and mecha reached a new height. After returning, she often ran to the R&D department under the fine name of combat testing.

At first, it was purely to vent. But afterward, she discovered that the Empire’s mecha research lagged too far behind the Federation’s. In mobility and firepower, the gap was enormous. Once war broke out, no matter how brave a body of flesh and blood was against steel, it would be very easy to get injured.

In order to catch up with the Empire beastfolk’s innate physical superiority, the Federation had been quietly working on this for decades, even centuries. But the arrogant Empire nobles were unwilling to admit it.

Izelia admitted it.

But for a while, she found it extremely hard to accept. She also resisted personally testing mecha, and could only forcibly fight an entire mecha squad alone to prove that her own ability had not regressed.

What she did not know was that the red mecha she fought that day was also an ace among Federation aces. After returning, they discovered the machine’s damage exceeded seventy-five percent. It had almost been scrapped on the spot. They, too, were secretly shocked by the terrifying attack power of Empire beastfolk.

Izelia’s violent, high-pressure behavior made many of her military subordinates both revere and resent her. Every day, the moment they opened their eyes, they were beaten. Someone whispered that if Zhu Yu came to pilot a mecha, perhaps she might barely satisfy that lunatic Izelia.

Zhu Yu had originally been an outstanding graduate of the Imperial Royal Military Academy. She had been selected from ten thousand to become a mecha pilot. She even had a custom mecha currently under development. During the earlier recruitment campaign, it had greatly stimulated the people’s enthusiasm.

How could the star of the common people, whom the Empire had spent so much effort building up, be discarded because of some reasons that had yet to be investigated clearly? What was more, Zhu Yu’s current reputation was at its peak.

With her strength alone, she had forcibly stood between the racial conflict of the two nations. In the verbal battle, her role was similar to Schrödinger’s fish.

The Empire accused the Federation of being behind both Bai Shuzhou’s disappearance and Zhu Yu’s humiliation. The Federation immediately jumped out to clarify that they and Zhu Yu shared a friendly cooperative relationship beyond national borders, and everyone should unite against star pirates.

Knowing they were in the wrong, the Federation also took the initiative to negotiate and return a group of victims as a show of sincerity. Among them were the phoenix and the little birds who had escaped that night, who had just happened to be rescued by Nangong’s people.

If Bai Shuzhou had truly delivered a speech at the auction that day, then no matter how perfect her diplomatic wording was, loopholes or distortions could always have been found. But she had said nothing and only played the Federation Declaration of Freedom. Instead, it had shaken hearts even more.

Many Federation people felt ashamed because of this. They marched and demonstrated, demanding a strict investigation of the buyers and the liberation of all illegally bought and sold beastfolk.

Although the event had been organized by a Federation animal protection group, which triggered another round of arguments.

At a time like this, no one believed Zhu Yu would betray the Empire. She absolutely could not have betrayed the Empire.

No matter what, Zhu Yu had been dug out from the grassroots by Izelia herself back then. Izelia could only pull a long face and go find Feng Jiyan, vaguely warning her that enough was enough, and she should hurry up and take Zhu Yu out. Izelia urgently needed her.

Feng Jiyan had no way to explain. She wished Zhu Yu would stand out earlier and draw fire. House-arresting Zhu Yu had not been her decision.

Zhu Yu was cut off from the world and was said to have amnesia. There was no way to guide her. The so-called “witness” involved in the case had suddenly died violently, and Feng Jiyan had to take full responsibility for it while continuing to investigate the case of Bai Shuzhou being abducted. The more she investigated, the stranger it became.

And while the outside world was full of blood and storm, Zhu Yu was living a life where three meals were delivered to her room, and she played games until she grew bored. Her most difficult daily task was counting gemstones. She carefully wiped, counted, and recorded every single one.

One gemstone, she loves me.

Two gemstones, she loves me very much.

Three, she loves me so much…

Finally, she pushed apart the stacked gemstone tower.

Sister, I don’t want gemstones anymore. When are you coming back?

She did not understand why Bai Shuzhou could disappear so decisively. Clearly, just a few nights ago, she had kissed her with such feeling.

Hiding under the quilt and thinking for a long time, Zhu Yu took out those damp memories again and again to dry them. Even if she had to be a contracted lover, she accepted it.

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

She no longer had that dream of falling. Bai Shuzhou did not let go either. She only vanished in the endless snow, and Zhu Yu walked alone slowly, unable to find a direction.

It was Feng Jiyan, full of malice, who told her that Bai Shuzhou’s condition had worsened. It was a genetic illness induced by abnormal mental-power fluctuations. The researchers strongly suspected it was because she had joined with Zhu Yu. Feng Jiyan even brought out a data report.

Her attitude was so rigorous she wished she could slap the report into Zhu Yu’s face on the spot and rebuke her: How dare an inferior Alpha like you covet a dragon princess!

Only then did Zhu Yu learn that the lover she had been thinking about day and night had been hospitalized all these days.

The chief attendant, who was always as silent as a mute, rarely spoke and said that this was not Zhu Yu’s fault.

Her calm tone also resembled Bai Shuzhou’s. In a daze, it was as if a pair of gentle hands protected Zhu Yu in the snowstorm.

It is not your fault.

Do not respond.

The glamorous world is full of too many traps. You must walk slowly.

On that sunny morning, Bai Shuzhou herself had noticed the discomfort in her body. So she calmly washed and dressed, arranged everything in a short time, and voluntarily went to the Royal Academy of Sciences for treatment.

She had been sick for too many years and had long since gotten used to it. Only this time, there was an extra Zhu Yu, and she was still a little unaccustomed to that.

I will arrange everything about myself.

Including you.

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

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

Once Zhu Yu left, speculation and schemes from all sides would follow one after another.

The chief attendant said, “Her Highness did not want you to know these things. She will be fine. It has always been this way for so many years. Please have a little more confidence in Her Highness and wait patiently.”

So many years…

Zhu Yu’s nose stung. She had known nothing of Bai Shuzhou’s suffering and had let her endure it alone.

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

The chief attendant fixed her gaze on Zhu Yu. “That is why Her Highness did not want you to know. Do not go to the Academy. That is not a place you should go.”

“If something happens to you, she cannot protect you. You would only add to her troubles.”

The chief attendant had watched Bai Shuzhou grow up and had always held a subtle hostility toward Zhu Yu. Especially before setting out, when Bai Shuzhou had pinched Zhu Yu’s sleeping face, lifted her eyes, and softly instructed:

Do not wake her.

In that instant, long before Bai Shuzhou herself realized it, the chief attendant had a sharp intuition almost like a mother’s and sensed the possibility that her child would be hurt.

She would rather Bai Shuzhou remain forever indifferent, never placing anything in her heart, so she could withdraw decisively as well.

Love was too heavy.

It was a bird’s rain-soaked wings.

“There are too many places I shouldn’t go,” Zhu Yu said stubbornly. “But I still went, and the results were all good. You always have to try before you know.”

From a parallel world to one accidental point of intersection, fate indulged them, letting them wind tightly together, dragging each other upward, no longer falling.

Zhu Yu did not want to let go. Even more, she did not want Bai Shuzhou to be alone when she was ill, just as Zhu Yu had also hoped for Bai Shuzhou’s arrival when she was afraid.

“Can you take me to see her? Please.”

The chief attendant’s eyes turned very deep. “Even if you might die?”

“Mm!”

Zhu Yu nodded hard.

That was only a possibility. Why should she leave her partner because of an empty possibility?

Slowly, the chief attendant’s old-fashioned, frozen expression finally revealed a trace of a smile.

“All right. It is not that serious. I will help you. I simply did not want Her Highness to fall for you.”

“Ah…”

For some reason, Zhu Yu felt as though she had received an elder’s approval. She solemnly bowed to the chief attendant.

“Thank you.”

“It is too early to say thank you,” the chief attendant said, glancing at her lightly. “However, the two of you really should restrain yourselves.”

Suddenly discussing this with a stern elder made Zhu Yu panic a little, like a fish caught stealing a cat. She became incoherent.

“Ah… Oh, oh. I’m sorry. Okay. I know. Next time, I’ll definitely follow the rules!”