A Scummy Divorcee Alpha: Ex-Wife’s Top-Tier Soothing Agent - Chapter 2

“So hungry…” Du Wan was on the verge of expiring.

The bodyguard glared at her. “Sister Lan, is she playing us?”

The housekeeper, a woman clearly used to weathering great storms, frowned. “Have the kitchen send over a meal.”

A meal prepared in such haste naturally wasn’t extravagant, yet Du Wan ate with immense satisfaction. Under the housekeeper’s slightly disgusted gaze, Du Wan swallowed the last bite of a custard bun, let out a resounding burp, and slumped back in her chair to digest.

The housekeeper was getting impatient. “Miss Du, can we go now?”

Only then did Du Wan remember the business at hand. “What do you need me to help with? Is Boss Zuo still out? Do you need me to cooperate with the treatment?”

The housekeeper remained silent, which was a tacit confirmation.

Du Wan thought awkwardly: Then you’ve definitely found the wrong person.

Theoretically, once an Alpha and Omega form a bond, a permanent mark is made, creating a special symbiotic relationship. When the Omega is injured or ill, the soothing pheromones of their Alpha partner make recovery twice as fast. The same applies to the Alpha.

However, this rule did not apply to Zuo Yijia and Du Wan.

No one would believe it, but Zuo Yijia and the “Scummy A” had a compatibility rate of 80%. Yet, in over two months of marriage, they had never shared a bed.

Zuo Yijia was a workaholic, running on a non-stop schedule. On the rare occasions she had free time, she was either swimming or running, living like a very healthy asexual. Because Zuo Yijia hadn’t entered her “heat” period in over two months, the Scummy A had grown impatient and irrationally came up with the poisonous scheme of drugging her.

Du Wan scratched her neck, not answering immediately.

The housekeeper, assuming she was unwilling to cooperate, looked grim. “Miss Du, do not forget your status.”

Hearing that, Du Wan stopped scratching. “Let’s go. Lead the way.”

She couldn’t go back home anyway. To survive in this alternate world, she couldn’t afford to offend the Zuo family. As for the rest—she’d just have to take it one step at a time.

Du Wan took the elevator directly to the second basement level. The air here was thick with the faint scent of antiseptic; it was quiet and solemn, with occasional researchers in white coats hurrying past.

Only the wealthy Zuo Group could afford to maintain such a well-equipped, elite private medical facility.

A doctor first collected a sample of glandular fluid from the tip of her tongue, then pulled out a needle and started gesturing toward her arm.

“…” Du Wan hesitated. “You need blood, too?”

The doctor nodded. “Roll up your sleeve.”

Du Wan’s legs went a bit weak, and her head began to spin again. In her frail state, she couldn’t help but look to the side.

Sister Lan said, “Use that new batch of painless blood collection devices. It’s a good time to test them out.”

Du Wan looked over gratefully, only to be met with a fierce glare.

Du Wan: “…” Understood. Glaring is a Zuo family tradition.

After the blood draw, they were finally able to leave. They took the elevator to the top floor. As soon as the doors opened, a massive metal gate stood before them. Just as Du Wan was about to enter, Sister Lan called out to her.

“Miss Du…” She suddenly seemed older, her back slightly hunched. Speaking as an elder deeply worried for a child, she made a solemn plea: “I’m counting on you.”

The pressure on Du Wan increased instantly. She wanted to tell the truth, but it felt too cruel. While she was hesitating, Sister Lan—who had been saying “I’m counting on you” just a second ago—caught her off guard and shoved her violently through the door.

Du Wan: “???”

Before she could find her footing, she lost her balance and plunged headfirst into water. The impact against the surface made her head ring.

Du Wan bobbed to the surface, dazed, and then froze at the sight.

Corals and anemones covered the walls, as vibrant as blooming flowers. Seaweed swayed in the pool, and clusters of bioluminescent algae floated aimlessly on the surface while schools of small fish darted past… She has an entire underwater park inside her house? Talk about luxury!

Du Wan swam forward a few meters, looking around curiously.

On a black rock in the center of the pool lay a figure. Virtual moonlight fell from the ceiling, softly bathing the person’s back and face. Shifting light and shadow played through her long silver hair, creating a radiance like glittering diamonds.

Du Wan called out softly, “Boss Zuo? Zuo Yijia?”

Zuo Yijia lay there motionless, her breathing steady as if she were asleep.

Du Wan imitated her and leaned against the rock, gazing up at the virtual night sky. The water temperature was constant; even though her clothes were soaked, she didn’t feel cold. After a while, her arms grew tired. She poked the mermaid’s shoulder. “Could you move over a bit?”

She didn’t notice that beneath the mermaid’s scattered silver hair, a pheromone suppressor collar was clamped tightly around her slender neck, currently flashing an ominous red light.

“Boss Zuo, what do I have to do for you to let me out?”

In the long night, Du Wan lay on the stone, muttering grievances under her breath. “I didn’t want to do that either. I’m innocent, too…”

Du Wan turned her head and came face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes.

The mermaid was watching her silently.

She scrambled into a sitting position. “You’re awake?”

The mermaid didn’t answer. Her silver hair was soaked and tangled. A pair of semi-transparent, fan-shaped ear fins shimmered with iridescent colors. Her blue eyes reflected a hint of red light, like the embers left by a falling star.

She moved, revealing what she was clutching in her arms.

It was the jacket the Scummy A had left in the dining room. Having not seen it for a few hours, it had been turned into a pile of shredded rags.

Du Wan: “…”

Just how much does she hate me?!

“Boss Zuo, I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll be going now.”

Du Wan turned to run, but the water was the mermaid’s domain. Zuo Yijia flicked her tail, sending waves crashing. The agony of a mental power riot and a heart full of unvented hatred merged into a violent roar: “Du Wan!!!”

In a single breath, Du Wan was snatched back.

The mermaid pressed down on her from above, water dripping continuously. Du Wan accidentally choked on a mouthful, coughing hard. With every cough, the mermaid’s sharp claws sank a fraction deeper into the skin of her back.

Plip-plop. Something fell onto the water’s surface.

As her breathing labored, the patterns of blue scales at the corners of the mermaid’s eyes flickered. In her wet eyes, a single tear hung precariously.

Du Wan reached out. The moment the tear fell, it transformed into a pearl and rolled into her palm.

The pearl was snowy white and round, carrying the warmth of another person’s body.

“Are you crying?”

Du Wan instinctively wanted to wipe the tear from the corner of her eye.

The mermaid’s cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were unfocused. Unable to distinguish between dream and reality, she seemed to be looking at Du Wan, yet also looking through her at someone else. “Why did you treat me like this?”

“Are… are you asking me?” Du Wan held her hand blankly, an apology slipping out automatically. “I—I’m sorry. I’m the one who made you suffer…”

“Why…” Zuo Yijia’s voice was saturated with pain. With every blink, a pearl formed. Pearls slid continuously from her eyes.

At first, Du Wan tried to catch them with her hand, but they began to fall like a torrential downpour, pelting her until she was dazed.

“Boss Zuo, calm down.”

Du Wan covered the mermaid’s eyes, forcing the tears to stop. “Let go of me first, we can talk slowly.”

The moment she finished speaking, the mermaid suddenly lunged at her nape, her sharp teeth clamping onto that vulnerable spot.

The intense sense of danger from being targeted by a predator made Du Wan’s scalp tingle. She froze, forgetting to dodge for a moment.

The feverish mermaid pressed tightly against Du Wan. Her own skin began to burn, dark shadows swirled before her eyes, and her consciousness began to fade.

A faint sound of swallowing reached her ears.

How can a fish bite people?

Before she could think further, her eyes rolled back, and she passed out.

“Sss—”

Du Wan woke up to find herself back in the small room. She immediately felt the wound on the back of her neck. The bleeding had stopped, but it stung.

Du Wan rubbed the pearl dust off her fingertips.

Pearls were fragile and easily crushed, but a mermaid’s claws could tear prey apart, and the force of their tail flicking could shatter stone. They were the definitions of beauty and danger.

I almost died at the hands of that fish. Du Wan still felt a lingering fear.

And then there was the housekeeper who shoved her into the pool. The people here were full of hostility; there were traps everywhere. If this happened again, could she survive?

So, when the secretary presented the divorce papers, Du Wan signed her name without a moment’s hesitation.

“Can I pack my things and leave now?”

The secretary looked at her in surprise, his tone contemptuous. “Miss Du, I thought you went to such great lengths to enter the Zuo residence that you’d be loath to leave.”

Du Wan brushed back her damp bangs and smiled. “You can’t force what isn’t yours. I only just realized that, but fortunately, it’s not too late to turn back.”

A pair of naturally smiling eyes and mild, clear features combined to form a very deceptive face. Knowing her “vile” nature, the secretary was momentarily stunned to see such a candid smile.

Du Wan asked a second time: “Can I leave?”

The secretary snapped out of it, becoming much more polite. “Please wait a moment. President Zuo still has something to discuss with you.”

What else is there? Du Wan was puzzled and continued to wait.

Zuo Yijia entered the room, and a familiar, faint sweet scent drifted in with her.

Her eyes had regained their clarity. She wore a gemstone necklace that matched the color of her eyes, and her silver hair reached down to her waist. She looked noble and elegant, carrying a beautiful, exotic charm. This “Silver Rose” sat down composedly and slapped a document onto the table.

“Congratulations, you got what you wanted.”

Her voice was as clear as flowing water but sounded particularly grating. “I don’t want to waste time with you. If you have no objections to the terms, sign immediately.”

Confused, Du Wan picked up the document and flipped through it. It was an “Informed Consent Form for Voluntary Assistance in Treatment” and a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

She didn’t quite understand the technical explanations at the beginning, but she got the gist.

So, the fish bit people because of an unexplained “mental power riot”? And Du Wan had become the only “medicinal primer”? Only she could soothe the rampaging mental power and return Zuo Yijia to normal?

That’s ridiculous! My life matters, too!

Du Wan was about to refuse without a second thought.

“The compensation for ‘nutritional expenses’ can be doubled.” Observing her reaction, Zuo Yijia raised an eyebrow, seemingly having anticipated this. “I need you to be on call day and night. If you dare play any tricks, I will send you to hell.”

“I mean what I say.” As she spoke, she curled her red lips, revealing a pair of small, sharp fangs.

What nutritional expenses?

Du Wan quickly flipped to the last page. Her gaze stopped on a line of text. She opened her eyes, closed them, opened them again, and confirmed it several times. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“What? Still not enough?” Zuo Yijia frowned with dissatisfaction.

Du Wan dropped the agreement, dashed over, grabbed both of Zuo Yijia’s hands, and looked at her with teary eyes. “It’s enough, it’s enough! Boss Zuo, it’s actually too much!”

100,000 RMB a month! No, wait, it was 200,000 RMB a month now! After paying off the debt, she could save up a fortune. When she moved out, she could buy a car and find a regular job…

Just thinking about it made her feel blissful.

Du Wan began to envision her beautiful future life. Looking at the “fish” in front of her again, she found her more and more pleasing to the eye.

This isn’t a death god; this is a Great Fish!!!

“Mwah—”

Du Wan couldn’t help but plant a big kiss on her cheek and asked happily, “Boss, when do I start?”

Zuo Yijia clutched her face: “???”