After the Divorce, My Ex-Wife Suddenly Became an Alpha - Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Counterattack
When that flash of white plunged into the sea, Gu Jinxi felt as if her heart had been gripped tightly by something. She rushed to the front of the viewing platform, eyes locked on that section of the water, and a trace of coldness flashed across her gaze—so subtle even she didn’t notice it herself.
No one expected such an accident. As the propulsion devices collided violently, the two figures suddenly crashed into each other. The surface of the sea exploded into a boiling mess of water and foam, followed by cries of alarm.
Fortunately, the rescue team was on standby at the shore. Seeing what had happened, they quickly steered a speedboat toward the scene, hauling both people out of the water shortly after.
The spectators onshore grew restless. Members of both teams rushed forward, eager to retrieve their own comrades. Stiya was the fastest. She happened to run headfirst into a group from the Interrogation Division. Usually gentle in demeanor, the officer from the Central Inspection Bureau now wore a frosty expression as she questioned coldly, “Does your division not have enough personnel? Why would you send a rookie to a competitive match like this?”
Leading the Interrogation Division team was Ados, the ever-composed head of the Intelligence Office. He lowered his eyes, responding casually, “No one wants an accident to happen. You jumping to conclusions like this—making it sound like we did something underhanded on purpose—that puts me in a tough spot.”
“Who’s to say you didn’t do it on purpose?” a military officer behind Stiya snorted. “Strutting around before the match like some bigshot, then suddenly ‘losing control’ the moment you fall behind our Colonel Chi. Hah—clearly just a sore loser throwing a tantrum!”
That comment immediately ignited a fierce argument between the two sides.
“What, are your inspectors made of gold? A little bump and now you’re making a scene? Why not rename yourselves the Department of Fake Injuries!”
“Oh, you crash into someone and you get to act like the victim? The hounds from Interrogation sure love barking at people. No wonder no one likes you.”
“…”
Amid the rising noise, Gu Jinxi had already reached Chi Yuejing’s side. She was slumped in a chair, resting. Her long hair, soaked and clinging to her face, made her look unusually pale and fragile.
Upon hearing footsteps, she tilted her head up and smiled at her.
“I’m fine…” Her voice was soft, and she smiled as if to reassure her. “I just didn’t react fast enough. Swallowed a bit of water, that’s all.”
With her level of mental strength, there’s no way she wouldn’t have been able to avoid a hit like that—unless she was already at her limit. Gu Jinxi pressed her lips together, letting the lie slide for now. She saw that Chi Yuejing was completely soaked, so she quietly took off her own jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
The jacket still carried her body heat, and the faint scent of neroli lingered in the fabric. Before Chi Yuejing could refuse, she was already firmly pressed down and wrapped in it. She frowned slightly, then sighed and steadied her breathing. “Thanks.”
The incident had drawn widespread attention, even prompting the event’s organizing committee to send people over to inquire. After confirming no one was seriously hurt, the two factions’ senior officers agreed to a temporary truce, allowing the “injured” parties to return to their tents and rest.
As the official partner, Gu Jinxi naturally accompanied her back. On the way, she had already contacted logistics. Now, inside the tent, a portable bathtub filled with warm water had been set up.
“You were in the water for quite a while,” she explained. “Don’t catch a cold. Take a hot bath.”
The tub was filled with warm water, likely infused with healing essential oils. The scent of herbs and florals hung in the air. Staring at the rising steam, Colonel Chi fell uncharacteristically silent.
The narrow camping tent felt even more cramped with the bathtub taking up space. But perhaps too focused on her condition, Gu Jinxi didn’t realize how awkward the setup was. Instead, she simply urged, “Why are you just standing there?”
She raised her head in confusion. Her long black lashes, dampened by the steam, drooped like two little wet wings. After a few seconds, she seemed to realize something and asked softly, “…Is it hard to take your clothes off?”
Chi Yuejing was still wearing the water-soaked medusa-skin suit from the competition. The material clung tightly to her body and likely would be a struggle to remove.
Without hesitation, Gu Jinxi stepped forward and placed an arm on her shoulder.
To her surprise, Chi Yuejing immediately stepped back.
They were standing quite close. Gu Jinxi had given her coat to Chi Yuejing, leaving her in a vacation-style blue sundress. The neckline dipped slightly, revealing her delicate collarbones and smooth shoulders—so pale and tempting they looked like vanilla ice cream, the kind one might want to sneak a taste of.
But that kind of temptation was dangerous right now. Chi Yuejing suppressed her wild heartbeat and swallowed hard before saying, slightly awkwardly, “It’s fine. I can manage by myself…”
“Really?” Gu Jinxi curved her lips into a strange smile, her clear eyes shimmering, “Colonel Chi, why are you suddenly being so polite? Are you shy… or…”
“Are you hiding something from me?”
That sentence hit like a thunderclap, blowing away the fog in Chi Yuejing’s mind. Only now did she realize Gu Jinxi’s real motive.
All the teasing, all the concern—it vanished. Gu Jinxi took a step away toward the tub, her face shifting from worry to something more serious and slightly angry. “How long were you planning to keep lying to me?”
She picked up a towel from the table and flung it at Chi Yuejing with a small burst of temper. Chi caught it and held it in front of her obediently.
“I didn’t mean to hide it,” she mumbled, uncharacteristically flustered. “I did get injured before, but it doesn’t affect my combat ability. I can still protect you…”
Before she could finish, Gu Jinxi shoved her into the tub. Water splashed everywhere. Chi wiped her face awkwardly, only to meet those bright, clear eyes staring back at her.
“I’ll remind you again,” Gu Jinxi said, enunciating each word. “I’m also an Alpha. Our partnership is based on mutual trust. I don’t need this unequal, self-sacrificing hero complex from you.”
Even with the anger in her eyes, she was still beautiful. After speaking, she tossed something small toward the tub and turned away, annoyed. “Take your suppressant injection first—then tell me the truth.”
Ripples spread across the bathwater. With the truth fully exposed, Chi Yuejing gave up hiding. She pressed the needleless injector to the back of her neck and sighed. “When did you figure it out?”
She’d thought she was doing a good job keeping it hidden.
“Your reaction to the suppressant was too strong,” Gu Jinxi said calmly, pushing her hair back. “Given your rating, even the high-dose civilian version shouldn’t have affected you that much. Think back—these past few days, you’ve been careful not to change clothes in front of me…”
Chi Yuejing chuckled softly, leaning over the edge of the tub. “If I’d known you wanted to see me strip, I would’ve just said yes…”
“Someone who needs illegal painkillers really shouldn’t talk so big.”
Gu Jinxi still didn’t turn around. Her tone was calm, but her hands tightened slightly around something she was holding. After a pause, she changed the subject.
“That officer from the Interrogation Division who hit you—he did it on purpose, didn’t he?”
Chi Yuejing had her own suspicions. Though the officer insisted it was a propulsion device malfunction, she had clearly caught a flash of malice in his expression before the collision.
That guy didn’t just dislike her—he hated her.
“Just some pathetic tricks,” she scoffed. “Those people from Interrogation are all the same. Always pulling this sneaky underhanded crap. It’s disgusting.”
Gu Jinxi nodded. “Got it.”
If the Interrogation Division thought they could push her around, they’d seriously underestimated her.
“…”
Thanks to her “glorious injury,” Chi Yuejing had a perfectly valid excuse to skip all public appearances that afternoon. The ever-kind superior officers ordered her to stay in the tent and rest—while enjoying her partner’s “gentle and caring” nursing.
To be precise: Chi was in charge of being gentle. Gu Jinxi was not in charge of being caring.
“You’re still injured, so you can’t eat too much seafood,” she said coldly, giving her a meaningful look. “Hand over that crab.”
With her secrets exposed, Colonel Chi meekly wagged her imaginary tail and handed over the freshly picked crab meat. She also helpfully grabbed a chilled glass bottle and poured her a cup of juice.
Gu Jinxi beamed and devoured the juicy baked crab like it was her divine right.
After a satisfying dinner, Gu Jinxi even gave up her bed for her.
“Don’t even try bargaining,” she said frostily. “You’re the injured one—you sleep in the bed tonight.”
Chi Yuejing looked at her obediently, lips quirking in a silent smile.
It was a surprisingly peaceful night—until a booming voice shattered the calm of the campsite.
“WHO—GOES—THERE! Lurking in the shadows, spying on my tent?!”