After the Divorce, My Ex-Wife Suddenly Became an Alpha - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Negotiations
There was no way to escape.
The overhead fluorescent lights were blinding, and the sharp scent of disinfectant pierced her nose like an invisible blade. Gu Jin Xiao’s heartbeat thundered in her chest. She instinctively tried to back away, but the treatment room was far too small. After just a few steps, she was backed up against the edge of the medical bed—nowhere left to go.
“Chi Yue Jing…” With the mindset of not suffering a loss in the moment, she adjusted her tone and tried to negotiate, “This is a really small matter. I didn’t mean to trouble you at all. Could we just have a doctor do the examination?”
She had always been good at negotiating. Her almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly under the light, a soft misty glaze in their depths that made it easy for people to lose themselves in them—and even easier to become softhearted.
Chi Yue Jing looked at her for a moment, then slowly curled her lips into a smile. But before Gu Jin Xiao could press her advantage, her arm was already seized. Chi Yue Jing rolled up her sleeve and firmly pressed an alcohol swab to her skin. The cold alcohol slid up into her sleeve, making Gu Jin Xiao instinctively flinch.
“I don’t find it troublesome,” Chi Yue Jing said unhurriedly as she picked up the tourniquet from the tray. “And I must insist—me doing this for you may be the least troublesome way.”
The tourniquet wrapped snugly above her elbow, tied into a firm knot. Her pulse thudded wildly beneath it, making her nerves tense.
Gu Jin Xiao knew that talking her way out of this was no longer possible. Chi Yue Jing’s face drew closer in her field of vision, and a faint trace of white iris fragrance began to waft through the air.
The scent was cool and delicate, vanishing the moment it reached her nose. Gu Jin Xiao blinked in slight confusion, and the next second, a bright needle pierced her vein. The sudden pain jolted her, and despite pressing her lips tightly together, a small cry still escaped.
Chi Yue Jing seemed to smile at the sound. Gu Jin Xiao didn’t want to appear weak in front of her, so she turned her head to the side, trying to ignore the bl00d being drawn.
Leaning against the edge of the bed, she noticed how close Chi Yue Jing was—the black military uniform perfectly tailored to her curves, rigid and crisp. Her eyes were drawn upward by a glint of gold—it was the pin on Chi Yue Jing’s chest.
It wasn’t standard issue. Clearly, it was a personal accessory—a golden floral brooch with a gemstone at the center, shaped like a flower in full bloom.
Beautiful—and oddly familiar.
Gu Jin Xiao stared at the brooch, trying to remember where she’d seen it before. Before she could recall, Chi Yue Jing’s voice came close to her ear: “Hold still.”
The bl00d draw was finished. Chi Yue Jing handed her a cotton swab and turned to label the sample. Her slender figure faced away, the slight curl of her ponytail swaying with her movement—calm and mesmerizing.
That alluring figure packed up the tools and shot her a meaningful glance. “You really are still afraid of needles. As an Alpha, isn’t it a bit embarrassing to be so cowardly?”
Whatever gratitude Gu Jin Xiao had felt moments ago was instantly doused. She pressed the swab to her arm and retorted, “Alphas aren’t invincible, okay? What, you’re not afraid of anything?”
Chi Yue Jing only smiled in silence.
Seeing her not reply, Gu Jin Xiao assumed she had successfully stumped her. After a moment, she tossed away the swab and silently began straightening the sleeve that had been rolled up earlier. One side of the shirt had a loosened cufflink, and she reached back to fasten it.
It was a pearl-inlaid silver cufflink—slippery and difficult to grab. Just as she was struggling with it, another hand reached toward her.
“No need,” she said quickly, but the hand didn’t stop.
Her wrist was gently held, and Chi Yue Jing leaned down slightly, lashes lowered. Her fingers, slender as flower stems, pinched the cufflink, and the pearl shimmered under her touch—hard to tell which one was more dazzling.
Gu Jin Xiao stared, momentarily dazed. The scent of white iris fell like rain, and the skin of her wrist began to heat up. Her mind involuntarily drifted back to fragments of last night.
These same hands had just unbuttoned her clothes the night before, and now, as if nothing had happened, they calmly helped her fasten her cuff.
Her face flushed slightly, like being steamed by hot mist. Her bl00d boiled, heart pounding wildly, overstimulating her nerves.
Too hot.
She knew they shouldn’t be so close. Her already taut self-control was stretched to the limit. She turned, trying to escape the increasingly vivid scent, and just as she started to rise—
Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door.
“Beep beep—”
Along with the unlocking sound of an electronic lock, the door to the treatment room swung open.
Standing at the door was a team of heavily armed guards. They split into two columns, making way for a middle-aged man in a federal military uniform to step inside.
“Well,” he glanced casually around the room and smiled, “Did I come at a bad time?”
His tone was affable, like chatting about the weather, but Gu Jin Xiao instantly noticed Chi Yue Jing’s body go rigid. She even took a step forward—subtly shielding Gu Jin Xiao behind her.
The man didn’t seem offended. On the contrary, his smile widened. “Look at that reaction, Colonel Chi. It’s not like our interrogation department eats people.”
He’s from the Interrogation Division?!
Gu Jin Xiao’s heart leapt.
Even though she wasn’t part of the military, she had heard of the Interrogation Division—nicknamed the “Fangs of the Federation,” a feared interstellar intelligence agency.
But why would someone from the Interrogation Division be here… for her?
She was still trying to process this when Chi Yue Jing spoke up first.
“I’m Ms. Gu Jin Xiao’s legal spouse. I came with her for her biological screening. I have full rights to any investigation regarding her, and I demand to be present throughout.”
Though her statement came out of nowhere, Gu Jin Xiao keenly caught the key information: The Interrogation Division was investigating her, and Chi Yue Jing was clearly trying to protect her.
The man kept his polite smile and addressed Gu Jin Xiao next. “Ms. Gu, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ados from Division One of the Interrogation Office. May I take a moment of your time?”
“Hello,” Gu Jin Xiao replied softly. She glanced at the woman beside her and decided to go along with her lead for now. “May I request… that my spouse remain present?”
As soon as she spoke, she felt the tension in Chi Yue Jing’s posture ease ever so slightly. Ados paused for a moment, then nodded.
“Seems the relationship between you two is better than the rumors suggest.”
Gu Jin Xiao gave a polite smile and wisely avoided digging deeper into that comment. After all, the Interrogation Office wouldn’t approach her without a reason. Whatever this man was about to say—that was the real issue.
Ados gestured for the guards to station themselves at the door and found himself a chair to sit down.
Over the next half hour, Gu Jin Xiao finally understood the full scope of what was going on.
The Gu family had run mining operations on the energy planets for generations, including research and refining of metals used in advanced weaponry. Recently, her company, CrossStar, successfully developed a purification process for a rare metal known as Wu Si, significantly improving energy efficiency. This even landed them a major contract with the military.
“According to our intelligence,” Ados said casually, resting his chin in one hand, “the Zerg are particularly interested in this technology. Which means that you—and your CrossStar company—have now become their target.”
The military contract wasn’t a secret. But what shocked Gu Jin Xiao was how this man knew about Wu Si—a classified project known only to a few top-ranking officers and researchers.
The information had leaked to the Zerg…
She immediately thought of the worst-case scenario. “So last night’s citywide curfew alarm… That Zerg—it came specifically for me, didn’t it?”
It all made sense now. How else could it have bypassed the inner city’s security perimeter if it wasn’t a random fugitive?
She glanced at Chi Yue Jing. If she hadn’t arrived in time last night, Gu Jin Xiao might have been knocked unconscious and smuggled off on some pirate ship, ready to be taken off-planet.
Ados gave her a few minutes to absorb the shock, then continued: “In my opinion, to ensure your safety and that of the project, it would be best to include you in the Security Protocol Program…”
With every word, Gu Jin Xiao’s heart sank further. She’d heard of this program—it was designed for highly confidential individuals. But rather than “protection,” the more accurate term would be “confinement.” It meant erasing your civilian identity and isolating you like a prisoner.
She had too much work to do—she couldn’t be locked away like that.
“I don’t agree.”
Before she could say anything, Chi Yue Jing spoke first. The tall, imposing woman leaned against the cabinet, calm but unwavering.
“She has the protection of me, her spouse. There’s no need for her to be included in the ‘Security Protocol Program.’”
Ados smiled. “But from what I hear, the two of you are about to divorce. Once the marriage is dissolved, Colonel Chi, I’m afraid you’ll no longer be a suitable—”
“We’re not divorcing.” Chi Yue Jing cut him off, her tone crisp and clear. “Your intelligence system must be outdated. As of last night, we’ve decided to reconcile.”