After the Divorce, My Ex-Wife Suddenly Became an Alpha - Chapter 41
Chapter 41: Heartbeat Melody
The car stopped in the open space in front of a white building. Gu Jin Xiao stepped out, carrying a mint-green thermal lunch container in her hand, hurrying up the steps to the hospital entrance.
“Director Gu!” someone called out to her. It was Kasha’s voice — the young girl with chocolate-toned skin wore an anxious expression as she jogged over. Behind her was Ding Yao, carrying a gift bag.
Gu Jin Xiao stopped. “Why are you two here together? Did something happen with Lulu and Lili?”
She remembered that Kasha’s two younger sisters were also in this hospital. Ever since the rescue operation through the newly excavated mine shaft, she and Chi Yue Jing had been saved, while Lulu had been trapped in another tunnel. Luckily, Ding Yao had found her during the search, and she was safely rescued.
Kasha smiled and shook her head. “They’re both recovering well, thank you for covering their medical expenses… We’re not here to see my sisters today — we came specifically to visit Commander Chi.”
The two rat miners whom Chi Yue Jing had subdued — one named Kun died on the spot in the tunnel collapse, and the other, Voco, barely survived. Per instructions from both Chi Yue Jing and Gu Jin Xiao, Sister Yan kept him under close watch. After handing him over to the patrol bureau for interrogation, a shocking web of exploitation was uncovered.
These criminals had not only employed child labor in the mines, but were also secretly abducting suitable boys and girls to smuggle and traffic to other planets. Over the past few years, hundreds of children had been covertly taken from N92. Their parents either believed their children had died in mining accidents or had gone missing through some mishap, unaware that a far worse fate may have befallen them.
“If it weren’t for you and Commander Chi, this entire matter would’ve never seen the light of day…” Kasha choked up, recalling the desperate parents kneeling and pleading outside the patrol station. “I heard Commander Chi even requested an investigation team from the Military Department. Everyone is truly grateful. These are gifts we all pitched in to buy and asked us to bring to her.”
Gu Jin Xiao had been preoccupied with post-crisis logistics and hadn’t had a chance to follow up on the interrogation. Upon hearing this, she said, “Perfect. Let’s go together. I’m sure she cares a lot about how the case is progressing.”
Chi Yue Jing’s hospital room was located in the VIP ward on the fifth floor. It was mid-afternoon, and many family members were visiting. The windows were open, allowing a cool breeze to dispel some of the stifling air.
In the room at the end of the corridor, Chi Yue Jing, dressed in a blue hospital gown, was quietly sitting beside the bed. Her long hair was down over her shoulders, softening her usually commanding presence. Hearing the door open, she looked up with a smile and her clear eyes met Gu Jin Xiao’s.
“You’re here!”
But the moment she noticed the two guests trailing behind her wife, the joy in her eyes paused ever so slightly.
Gu Jin Xiao didn’t notice the subtle change and said cheerfully, “They came specifically to see you.”
After greeting the visitors, she stood up and went to the tea station to prepare lunch. Ever since Chi Yue Jing’s injury, Gu Jin Xiao had been ordering meals from a reputable restaurant near home and delivering them herself to the hospital.
While she was serving the meal, Ding Yao unwrapped the gift box. The elegant basket was filled with fresh fruit — a lavish present for any family from the modest N92 civilian district. Glancing at the contents, Gu Jin Xiao whispered, “This is too generous. Later, help me put together some rice and flour to distribute to the community in return.”
After giving the instructions, she began sorting the fruit and noticed, among the mangos and melons, a bunch of fresh lychees — a rare find on N92 due to their short shelf life. She decided to wash them and bring them to the bedside.
“These don’t keep long. Since you’re all here, let’s eat them while they’re still fresh,” she said softly, setting the plate on the table. She glanced at Chi Yue Jing with a gentle voice.
Chi Yue Jing looked at her warmly, not at all concerned about the distribution of such expensive fruit. Instead, she said softly, “Sit with me for a while.”
Her voice carried a faint, playful tone. Gu Jin Xiao flushed red, stopping in her tracks and reluctantly sitting down beside her.
Kasha then began sharing updates from the patrol bureau. As a family representative, she had been running between the bureau and the district, serving as a liaison. Now that the federal government had ordered a full investigation and rescue operation, relief showed on everyone’s faces.
Chi Yue Jing listened quietly, then let out a soft sigh. “It was worth the effort.”
Though not every child could be found, with higher-level attention now focused on the matter, local officials would have to take it seriously and not just go through the motions.
Once the serious talk ended, her attention shifted to the fruit platter. The lychees, glistening with condensation, looked incredibly tempting. Gu Jin Xiao loved this sweet-tart fruit, and sure enough, when she looked up, she saw the woman zoning out, her rosy lips gently pressed together, almost glowing with moisture.
Smiling, Chi Yue Jing picked up a plump lychee, cracked it open, peeled away the skin, and revealed the translucent, juicy flesh. Then, without hesitation, she held it up to Gu Jin Xiao’s lips in an utterly natural gesture.
The scent was intoxicating. Without thinking, Gu Jin Xiao opened her mouth and bit into the fruit. The moment it was in her mouth, she realized how awkward it was — Ding Yao and Kasha had both paused, pretending not to notice and quickly turned away.
Embarrassed beyond belief!
Her face instantly turned bright red. She bit down on the lychee awkwardly, while Chi Yue Jing remained completely unfazed and said patiently, “Didn’t you like these? You’ve been staring at them forever.”
The sweet and tangy juice burst across her tongue. Gu Jin Xiao lowered her gaze to hide her fluster, but her heart only beat faster.
Luckily, the other two didn’t say anything. Kasha shifted the conversation to the upcoming “Moon Blessing Festival,” a yearly event in N92 celebrating the longest day of the year with music and revelry.
“I heard the organizers received a huge sponsorship this year, so it’ll be more extravagant than ever. You and Director Gu must come!” Kasha said excitedly.
Chi Yue Jing, drawn in by the lively description, smiled. “Mm, we’ll go.”
After chatting a bit longer, Ding Yao noticed Chi Yue Jing beginning to look tired and stood up to leave, dragging Kasha along.
Once they had walked some distance from the room, Kasha asked, “Why’d we leave so suddenly? I was just getting to the best part of the festival story!”
Ding Yao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Because Commander Chi will be much happier with just the two of them.”
This silly girl hadn’t noticed — from the moment they entered, Commander Chi’s eyes hadn’t left Director Gu. Who had time to hear about festival traditions?
…
Once the room emptied, only Gu Jin Xiao and Chi Yue Jing remained. Feeling the woman’s gaze on her, Gu Jin Xiao became inexplicably nervous. She pressed her lips together and asked softly, “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat now?”
She had stored the lunch in the thermal container earlier, and it was already nearly an hour past their usual meal time.
But Chi Yue Jing shook her head. “I don’t feel like eating yet.”
Gu Jin Xiao’s eyes widened in concern. “Why not? Are you feeling unwell?”
She stood up in a flurry, clearly worried. But before she could do anything else, Chi Yue Jing reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.
“I’m not unwell,” she said frankly. “I just want you to stay a little longer.”
“Because once I finish eating, you always leave.”
Her voice held a hint of sadness. Gu Jin Xiao, caught off guard, flushed with embarrassment and guilt. “…It’s not that I want to leave. I just — I might have work… I…”
She couldn’t come up with a convincing excuse. Her face burned. Chi Yue Jing, watching her fluster, asked quietly:
“Is being with me uncomfortable for you?”
That question completely threw Gu Jin Xiao off. She looked up nervously, like a startled animal, and said in a soft, miserable voice, “…Of course not. I just feel really guilty.”
She had always blamed herself.
When the two of them were carried out by the rescue team, Chi Yue Jing was covered in injuries — her forehead gashed, her white shirt soaked in bl00d. She had used her own body to shield Gu Jin Xiao, allowing her to be rescued virtually unscathed.
But what had she done for her? Even the lunches she brought were store-bought.
Thinking of that, tears welled up in Gu Jin Xiao’s eyes again. She sniffled, trying hard not to look so weak.
A tear dropped onto the pale blue bedsheet, leaving a wet mark.
Seeing her cry, Chi Yue Jing tightened her grip. “Jin Xiao…”
“I’m fine!”
Realizing she had made things worse by breaking down instead of offering comfort, Gu Jin Xiao grew even more upset. She tried to pull away from Chi Yue Jing’s hand and stop crying, but her tears only fell harder.
Chi Yue Jing didn’t let go. Instead, she used her arm to pull her closer, stood up, and embraced her.
She gently stroked her head and whispered:
“Don’t cry. This wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m the one who insisted on staying by your side, who pushed my care on you regardless of what you wanted. I chose to run into danger to protect you — just to make you notice me, to hopefully… make you remember me more.”
Her voice, soft and warm like a summer breeze, blew away the storm cloud in Gu Jin Xiao’s chest. Nestled in that comforting embrace, listening to her words, she felt a fresh wave of emotion rise in her throat. She sobbed and said:
“Don’t try to comfort me. You treat me so well, why pretend it’s just to make me feel better?”
Chi Yue Jing fell silent for a moment, then gently kissed the top of her head and said softly:
“Jin Xiao, I’m not saying this to make you feel better. I just want you to understand one thing.”
“I treat you this well because, in this entire world, I love you more than anyone else ever could.”