A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 6

Zhu Yu sat outside the door for a good while, tilting her head back to count the stars.

She wanted to give Bai Shuzhou enough space to hide her tears. Eventually, the intermittent sounds of eating drifted out.

The iron door provided poor soundproofing, but the woman’s movements were soft; there was almost no clinking of utensils against the bowl. Her upbringing was ingrained in her very bones. Carried by the wind and mixed with the rustle of the door, she sounded like a small animal chewing and swallowing meticulously.

Zhu Yu swallowed hard, thinking that the food must taste quite good. For dinner, Helan had made braised pork. Since she was already deep in debt, Zhu Yu figured another bowl wouldn’t hurt and bought a portion along with a large plate of vegetables to help Bai Shuzhou recover and calm her nerves.

As soon as He Ming heard the food was for the “Elf Sister,” she picked out the best cuts of meat without a second thought. She only stopped when her mother swatted her on the head, preventing her from stuffing the entire pot into that tiny bowl.

Helan was highly efficient and had already agreed to take Zhu Yu to look for work the next day. Although the girl was lean and didn’t look like she had much strength—making manual labor unlikely—she was quick and diligent. After dinner, she had even taken the initiative to clear the table and help wash the dishes.

This was originally He Ming’s chore, so the girl was delighted. When she heard Zhu Yu mention she was an Aerospace major, she became even more excited, pestering her with endless questions.

The “Little Sister” stood with her hands on her hips, looking every bit as formidable as her mother. “My dream is to be a pilot! Or even better, if I differentiate into an Alpha, I want to be a Mecha Pilot!”

“Pilots are top-tier soldiers, but Mecha Pilots are the aces among aces. If I’m going to be something, I’m going to be the best!”

Zhu Yu thought to herself that being an Aerospace major didn’t actually make you a pilot—there are many roles, and hers was mostly responsible for launching the pilot into space.

But not wanting to dampen the child’s enthusiasm, she maintained a look of profound mystery and patted He Ming’s head. “That’s great. Keep at it; I believe you can do it.”

She spoke with such sincerity that He Ming felt, for the first time, that an adult truly respected her dream. She was grinning from ear to ear until she heard Zhu Yu look up and ask: “Sister Helan, does she need any tutoring?”

“My grades are pretty good—perfect GPA, top 1% of my major, full scholarships. I can tutor almost any subject!”

Upon hearing this, Helan’s eyes lit up instantly. Meanwhile, He Ming’s aura collapsed. She tried to bolt, but Zhu Yu was quick and caught her by the collar.

“Summer break is the perfect time for an academic sprint. You can’t let the kid fall behind at the starting line!”

Helan had Zhu Yu trial-explain a few problems. After discovering she really could teach, her attitude did a total 180-degree turn, and she generously fronted Zhu Yu some daily necessities.

The generosity made Zhu Yu feel a bit guilty. Carrying the items home, she felt like a con artist.

Having taken so much without any ID to leave as collateral, Zhu Yu decided—even though Helan hadn’t asked—to give her the only medal she had in her pocket. She would trade the medal back once they paid the rent.

This medal seemed to be a reward for military merit. The original owner had cherished it deeply, wiping it clean every night before bed. On the rare occasion of a banquet, she would pin it in the most conspicuous place.

Zhu Yu thought spitefully: Since you bullied your wife, your precious treasure is getting hocked!

But the medal was innocent, and so was Bai Shuzhou. She had to work hard to make money, get the medal back soon, and send Bai Shuzhou home.

After the stars had finished flickering out, Zhu Yu waited specifically for the room to go quiet before pushing the door open. The woman was silent, lying on the bed and sleeping very properly—hands clasped over her chest, silver hair spilled across her neck.

The first phrase that popped into Zhu Yu’s head was “Sleeping Beauty,” but worried that it might be an unlucky omen, she shook her head to rattle the thought away.

She didn’t want her to be a “Sleeping Beauty”; she wanted her to be a “Healthy Beauty”!

The beauty’s brow was etched with exhaustion, and her eyes were slightly red, but her complexion looked a bit better after being fed. In sleep, her icy aura softened, becoming gentle like moonlight.

Zhu Yu felt that perhaps their relationship had been washed by tears and softened… just a tiny, tiny bit.

The bowl Bai Shuzhou had used was spotless, not a single grain of rice left. Zhu Yu was relieved; she had been worried the Princess wouldn’t be used to such coarse food, or that she’d refuse to eat out of loathing for her.

Eating well is the foundation of a happy life!

Bai Shuzhou was too thin; she felt weightless when carried. In their embrace, Zhu Yu could clearly feel the contours of her bones. She wondered if dancers had particularly high standards for self-control.

Seeing her finish that entire bowl made Zhu Yu very satisfied.

While happily setting up her floor mat, Zhu Yu completely forgot that Bai Shuzhou was a Dragon—a carnivore. In the palace, her meals were grand feasts with top-tier ingredients served in a constant stream. A single bowl of rice was barely enough to pad her stomach.

And a large portion of that bowl had been vegetables.

Zhu Yu had been worried about her digestion and had specifically picked “green foods.” To Zhu Yu, Bai Shuzhou looked like a celestial being who lived on dew and wind. Even with the braised pork, Zhu Yu had specifically picked out the fattier pieces.

He Ming had protested indignantly: “Braised pork without the fat has no soul!”

Zhu Yu had babbled in response: “Souls are scary! It’ll kick your stomach in the middle of the night and make it hurt. Better let me eat it.”

He Ming had looked at her like she was an idiot.

Zhu Yu took the chance to eat a few pieces of meat. It was rich but not greasy, absolutely delicious. Helan’s cooking was so good it made her want to cry.

After experiencing so much chaos, Zhu Yu was also exhausted. Sister Helan had given her an extra quilt, but she probably didn’t realize Zhu Yu was sleeping on the floor. With the quilt acting as a floor mat, she had nothing to cover herself with.

Although she and Bai Shuzhou were both women, considering the “sea of hatred” between them, Zhu Yu was worried that sleeping in the same bed might accidentally offend Bai Shuzhou—or that Bai Shuzhou might try to strangle her in her sleep.

Zhu Yu checked the doors and windows twice more to ensure they were locked. In a strange environment, she didn’t dare sleep with the lights off; it would be too hard to react to emergencies.

After thinking it over, she hung a cord by the bed and pulled the curtain for Bai Shuzhou. The light fabric blocked most of the glare, but it wasn’t too dark inside.

Before lying down, Zhu Yu stood by the bedside, tucked in the corners of Bai Shuzhou’s blanket, and clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture:

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me, don’t kill me.”

“I’ll be useful to you.”

Her voice was very soft. Her shadow, stretched thin and long by the lamp, bowed with great ritualistic solemnity.

Finally, Zhu Yu lowered the curtain and whispered:

“Goodnight. I hope you have sweet dreams.”

Ritual complete, Zhu Yu lay down.

Using a stack of books as a pillow and her jacket to cover her stomach, Zhu Yu imagined she was a knight on a field mission, guarding the Princess. She could vaguely hear the sound of insects outside.

It was actually kind of cool.

She would remain vigilant at all times. As long as she was there, nothing would hurt the Princess!

Zhu Yu pumped a fist, then fell into a deep sleep the very next second.

She curled up, looking in her dreams like a dragon that had made off with a princess.

Hearing the girl’s breathing level out, Bai Shuzhou opened her eyes. The small knife she had been gripping tightly was now warm from her body heat.

For a split second, her pale blue eyes shifted into the vertical pupils characteristic of the Dragon race, but she quickly squinted.

The hilt of the knife pushed aside the curtain. Bai Shuzhou looked at the defenseless Zhu Yu lying on the floor, speechless for a long time.

The girl seemed to have anticipated her motive. All Bai Shuzhou had to do was flick her wrist and aim the blade at her throat to finish her easily.

But why… why could she sleep so soundly?

Was she that certain that she wouldn’t strike?

Bai Shuzhou leaned down, her pale knuckles silently brushing against Zhu Yu’s neck. The girl was warm, her pulse steady. Sensing something cold nearby, she exhaled a small puff of warmth and unconsciously nuzzled against it, whispering softly: “Sister.”

Bai Shuzhou’s wrist stiffened.

This was the first time she had called her “Sister.”

Zhu Yu was an orphan who had grown up in the evil, chaotic slums. That was how she developed her cunning and shrewd personality. Though she had a clean face, her mind was deep, like a venomous snake lying in wait, whispering sweet flattery only to deliver a fatal strike.

She would call anyone “Sister,” yet she had always been stubbornly unwilling to call her that. Despite a mountain of sweet words and flirtations, she had never used that title, not even as a joke.

Or… had she mistaken her for someone else?

Bai Shuzhou’s gaze darkened. Uncertainly, she traced the edge of the girl’s soft cheek and gave it a little pinch.

The next day, when Zhu Yu woke up, her face felt mysteriously sore.

She scrambled up alertly, looked around, and gently pulled back the curtain to check on Bai Shuzhou’s safety.

The woman remained exactly as she was before sleep—dignified and beautiful. Seeing this, Zhu Yu’s stiff muscles relaxed, and a smile touched her lips.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

She had to go to work today and felt a bit nervous. She went to wash up and change her clothes first.

While washing her face, she was pleasantly surprised to find the wounds on her arms were mostly healed. They only hurt if she pressed on them firmly. The Alpha physique was truly formidable.

Nice! That saves another pile of medical bills.

No wonder this world granted privileges to Alphas and why most soldiers were Alphas; they possessed a natural advantage in combat.

She had heard this was the result of early genetic engineering. Scientists at the time, facing a crisis, had been desperate to create the “Perfect Human.” However, a series of issues followed, and the project was halted. Relevant documents had never been made public.

Zhu Yu wasn’t interested in that. She only cared about how much money she could make from today’s part-time job. She’d take it one day at a time. The “Great Questions of Humanity” were too big for a little cannon-fodder like her to worry about.

Since Bai Shuzhou was still “asleep,” Zhu Yu didn’t bother to hide and openly changed her clothes in front of the curtain.

Their new clothes were from Sister Helan. He Ming was fifteen or sixteen and growing fast, so her mother bought clothes a few sizes too large—which fit Zhu Yu perfectly.

Though “perfectly” meant the shirt clung to her skin, tracing sharp curves. Zhu Yu felt like she was wearing a compression suit; her whole posture seemed to perk up.

#EnergeticKid ready for battle!

She didn’t dare laugh for fear of bursting the seams.

Zhu Yu was used to fastening her buttons meticulously, but now she had to unfasten the top two just to breathe.

She didn’t have a comb and felt embarrassed to ask Helan again. They had already helped so much, and she knew life wasn’t easy for a widow and her child.

She combed her hair with her fingers, smoothing down the stray hairs that had stuck up overnight as best she could, and tied a high ponytail.

Bai Shuzhou’s hair was very long. Zhu Yu glanced back at her. I’ll ask the boss after work if I can get paid daily.

After paying Sister Helan and for tomorrow’s food, would there be enough left for a comb? She didn’t know the local prices or wages and felt a bit uncertain.

As she turned back, she saw through the gap in the curtain she’d forgotten to close—their eyes met.

Icy, pale blue eyes shimmered in the dim light like sapphires submerged in a spring. They were staring at her silently.

Zhu Yu jumped. Wait, does that mean Bai Shuzhou saw me changing just now? Will she think I’m harassing her?

She had even spent a few moments admiring her own abs and waistline in this body, giving them a poke to see the elasticity… the body clearly got plenty of exercise, and even the scar on her lower abdomen had a certain charm.

She saw it all!

Would Bai Shuzhou think she was a narcissist? Waking up and being vain first thing in the morning.

Even worse, if Bai Shuzhou realized she wasn’t the original owner, would she send her to the Royal Academy of Sciences for dissection? She hated her so much, after all.

“The debt of the mother is paid by the child”—wait, no, she didn’t have that relationship with the original owner. But she had inherited the body, so the “emotional debt” had naturally been passed down too.

Just as her pupils were trembling and she was racking her brain for an explanation, a very clear stomach growl echoed in the quiet room.

Hungry?

Zhu Yu looked down and sheepishly covered her stomach.

However, she soon realized the sound didn’t come from her own belly. Even if she wasn’t fully “acquainted” with this body yet, she wasn’t so numb as to feel nothing.

Zhu Yu lifted her eyes. She watched as the woman on the bed, who looked like a frost-covered moon, bit her lip and silently slid under the covers. She hid her face like a clam closing its shell, leaving only the tips of her reddened ears exposed.

Ah.

Too cute!!

Zhu Yu smacked her own forehead and said loudly: “I’m hungry! It’s definitely time to be hungry! I’m going to go buy breakfast right now!”