Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 13

Zhu Yu woke up to the perfect sunlight.

It had been a long time since she’d slept so soundly, waking up naturally. The lingering headache from last night’s hangover still throbbed faintly, and her memories of the night were fragmented, scattered like broken pieces.

The familiar scent of roses made her turn over, unconsciously nuzzling into the soft blanket as the sunlight bathed the other side in golden warmth.

Wait, roses.

This was Bai Shuzhou’s scent.

The last vestiges of sleepiness vanished instantly as Zhu Yu’s eyes widened.

In disbelief, she raised her wrist, sniffed her collar, and then her entire body. Every inch of her was permeated with the rose fragrance, her clothes still crumpled from the night before.

Oh god, what happened?!

She couldn’t have—she wouldn’t have—done anything inappropriate to Bai Shuzhou while drunk, would she?!

Zhu Yu scrambled up on her knees, and a ring slipped from her chest.

It had been tucked inside her clothes, pressed against her chest, warmed by her body heat.

She did have a habit of hiding precious things close to her skin; it made her feel secure. But before she could conceal it, a subtle gaze fell upon her.

Zhu Yu jerked her head up. Those pale blue eyes were icy cold, looking down at her from above, having clearly witnessed the entire scene.

The ring should have been on her finger.

Not hidden in her chest.

This was Bai Shuzhou’s ring, one of the eighteenth birthday gifts given to her by the current Emperor, Bai Qianze.

Through her splitting headache, Zhu Yu vaguely recalled the cold, icy voice saying, “Take it, sell it, and resign.”

How domineering.

Yet she had poured water for her, embraced her with vines, and given her beautiful roses. And the pain began to subside as soon as she drew near… Ugh, she’s so kind!

Zhu Yu frantically picked up the ring and handed it to Bai Shuzhou. “Here, take it back. We’ll have money soon, so don’t worry.”

The gemstone ring, forcibly pressed into her hand, still carried the warmth of the young woman’s body. Bai Shuzhou’s gaze lingered on Zhu Yu’s open collar, her expression darkening as she crooked a finger.

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment, seemingly wanting to refuse this overly precious gift. But when Bai Shuzhou narrowed her eyes slightly and her aura turned cold, Zhu Yu obediently leaned closer, her movements clumsy and flustered.

The gemstone dangled from Bai Shuzhou’s jade-like fingertips. With a casual twist of her slender wrist, she effortlessly pushed the ring down Zhu Yu’s collar.

Bai Shuzhou coldly and arrogantly observed Zhu Yu’s reaction, from the sudden flush creeping up her ears to the trembling she suppressed, refusing to recoil. The gemstone settled perfectly between them, its crimson hue stark against Zhu Yu’s pale skin, like a drop of bl00d.

Ah, Zhu Yu thought, biting her lip. Her first thought was, Why are her hands so cold? Colder than the gemstone itself.

Stealing glances at the moonlight from below, on a rainy day, those pale blue eyes, usually clouded with melancholy, now flickered with an unusual light.

This was the fairest part of Zhu Yu’s body, yet against that flawless hand, the contrast was stark.

The small mole on the woman’s wrist burned crimson, like a drop of bl00d seeping from her pulse and solidifying into a gem that settled over her heart.

For a moment, Zhu Yu couldn’t distinguish between her own racing heartbeat and Bai Shuzhou’s pulse.

Almost instinctively, she reached out to cover the woman’s icy hand, pressing it against her chest, as if trying to melt a block of ice with her body heat.

There was no shame, no calculation, not even much thought. In the frozen wasteland, she appeared like a furry creature, pressing so fiercely close.

The girl knelt there, the humiliating test transforming into a knight’s coronation.

No games were needed; she offered her whole heart.

Dragon bl00d ran cold, yet now a faint pink blush rose from Bai Shuzhou’s wrist. Her expression remained impassive, but she didn’t withdraw her hand. She murmured softly:

“Zhu Yu.”

“You…”

The syllables shifted subtly, the same words now carrying a completely different weight. They sounded colder, yet with a faint magnetic pull, brushing past Zhu Yu’s ear and sending a shiver of tingling warmth down her spine.

Zhu Yu instinctively held her breath.

Knock, knock, knock.

But a teasing voice followed immediately, booming from outside the door: “Smiling Angel Little Yu, open up! Your senior is here to bring you some warmth.”

Nangong leaned against the door, twirling a mechanical part in her hand. She clearly heard the girl’s mortified yelp, sounding utterly like a whimpering puppy.

The girl’s voice, now furious with embarrassment, snapped, “You’ve got the wrong person!”

“Oh, really? Wasn’t this the place last night?” Nangong asked, feigning ignorance. “Smiling—”

Bang!  The door flew open at lightning speed.

Zhu Yu clamped a hand over the girl’s mouth, dragging her inside with the ferocity of someone about to silence a witness.

Being called by her nickname at work was one thing, but to be addressed like that after hours? Zhu Yu felt her stomach clench again.

And, and—in front of Bai Shuzhou, no less! The nickname sounded so absurd!

She wanted nothing more than to keep this from her.

Turning her back to Bai Shuzhou, Zhu Yu clasped her hands together, praying desperately.

Nangong, ever tactful, pretended not to notice. She casually set down the items she’d brought. “About yesterday’s deal—how long will it take to fix? And I heard you were sick. Everyone’s worried. Little Fu asked me to bring you hangover medicine, Hai Bao’s seashell… Little Haitang’s acupuncture manual. You guys even study massage?”

A large bag filled with gifts and well-wishes—Zhu Yu was clearly well-liked. Her furry colleagues had even entrusted Nangong, a Federation Citizen, with delivering it.

Zhu Yu’s face paled. “What—what research? Can you please stop talking like that?!”

Nangong’s voice dripped with the scent of alcohol, a hint of bitterness, and a lingering, ambiguous warmth. Even serious topics sounded strange when she spoke, as if that ancient Earth manual on Traditional Chinese Medicine massage had become something unspeakable.

“Little Haitang is a person’s name! The acupoints are the ones from Traditional Chinese Medicine! I just wanted to learn massage techniques to improve my skills and make people feel more comfortable,” Zhu Yu insisted, turning her head to explain. But the more she tried to clarify, the worse it sounded. The woman’s earlier softened expression hardened again.

Zhu Yu was on the verge of tears. “I just wanted to give you a massage to relax your muscles and help you recover faster…!”

Perhaps only someone who had been wrongly accused could truly understand the depth of her innocence.

Nangong stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the scene with amusement. “Oh, a massage—” she drawled, her tone dripping with meaning.

The white curtain was only half-drawn, and through the gap between light and shadow, Nangong glimpsed the woman on the bed’s sharp chin, thin lips, and the way her pale blue eyes flickered in the breeze.

Nangong froze, the smile on her lips frozen in mid-curve.

She had never seen eyes so captivating, shimmering like inorganic gemstones, their coldness sending icy tendrils creeping through her bones, utterly devoid of emotion.

It wasn’t an illusion… What was wrong with this woman?

Zhu Yu watched helplessly as Nangong Yue approached, reaching out to draw back the curtain as if she belonged there.

With a fierce shove, Zhu Yu pushed Nangong away and dragged her out, her guard up. In that moment, she suddenly felt a deep empathy for Bai Qianze, recalling how the original Zhu Yu had nearly gotten killed when she proposed to Bai Shuzhou.

“Heh.” Nangong actually had the nerve to smile, though she tempered her flippancy, adopting a more serious and probing tone. “Who is she?”

Zhu Yu lowered her voice. “My wife!”

Nangong raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.”

That was the last straw. Zhu Yu snapped, her fur bristling as she spat out, “What’s it to you?! You’re not allowed to look, or I’ll beat you up!”

“No wonder you’re working so hard to earn money,” Nangong said, her smile now carrying a deeper meaning.

Zhu Yu gritted her teeth. “What exactly are you here for?”

Traveling all this way, lugging all those bags, just to frame her? This woman couldn’t have been eyeing her since last night… Well, a soon-to-be ex-wife was still a wife!

“Didn’t I say I’d introduce you to some business? Go back and see if you can fix that part. If you take the job, you can quit the bar.”

“Your family wouldn’t approve of you doing that, would they?” Nangong’s tone was teasing yet threatening.

Zhu Yu gritted her teeth. “What do you mean by that? Everything we do on the first floor is perfectly legal! We earn our money through skill. If it weren’t for last night…”

If she hadn’t been the first to speak up last night, she could have enjoyed a few drinks and still had the energy to help her colleagues out of trouble.

Friendship is reciprocal. While struggling at the bottom, they supported each other, all dreaming of saving enough money to improve their lives.

In truth, many colleagues weren’t particularly fond of cookies, but when they heard Bai Shuzhou had injured her leg, they eagerly bought out all the expensive pastries.

Little Haitang taught her many patient care techniques, Hai Bao often shared fish with his colleagues, and Little Fu recommended a hospital on a neighboring star with excellent value for money, chattering about how a friend had received treatment there with super-super-super-super results…

“Paradis isn’t as simple as you think,” Nangong flicked Zhu Yu’s forehead. “Don’t be so naive, kid.”

Zhu Yu’s tone was firm. “I know. I’ll fix it and return it to you.”

Nangong shrugged, leaving it at that. “Then let’s wait and see.”

She left behind several damaged samples, deliberately hiding an old-fashioned mecha component among the trash.

Federation technology far surpassed the Empire’s. Their discarded equipment was decades ahead of anything the Empire possessed. On this garbage planet, without blueprints, even the idea of repairing such advanced technology seemed like a pipe dream.

If Zhu Yu could even identify the component’s function and where it belonged, Nangong would have to acknowledge her as a genius.

Nangong enjoyed discovering geniuses; it was always a worthwhile investment.

Unfortunately, three days passed without any sign from Zhu Yu. She went to work as usual, showing no indication of having noticed the hidden component.

Nangong’s informant reported that Zhu Yu had been frequenting several major scrap yards. Nangong began to suspect the little bastard had secretly sold the component. When she saw Zhu Yu at Paradis, the girl even had the audacity to pretend not to recognize her, not even offering a nod.

Nangong’s resentment deepened.

Replacing defective parts with similar-looking shells and charging exorbitant repair fees was a common trick among seasoned scammers.

Of course, Nangong thought with a cold smile. Her naivety was just an act. This is the Chaos Zone, not some ivory tower. What good could possibly grow here?

Well, let’s see how far her “talent” takes her.

When Zhu Yu produced the simplified device model, Nangong silently realized that this girl was genuinely skilled—remarkably so.

Not only had Zhu Yu repaired the device, she had also improved it, essentially reviving a dying heart and giving birth to a person.

To be precise, half a person. Zhu Yu was too poor; the torso was even made from cardboard she’d scavenged from who-knows-where.

The girl warily tucked the small machine into her bag. “I had to buy a lot of parts to fix it,” she said. “All those costs need to be factored in. I’ll need extra payment.”

Hearing this, Nangong felt a flicker of relief.

I knew it! she thought. There’s no way she could have built this from scratch. The Federation only declassified this technology five years ago. She asked with a gentle smile, “You bought the core components from White Horse, didn’t you? You’re her student, aren’t you? I suspected as much. We’re practically old acquaintances.”

White Horse was a former researcher from a Federation research institute that had been shut down. Wanted for crimes against humanity, she had fled to this planet, assumed a false identity, and become a repair technician. A significant portion of the smugglers’ equipment passed through her hands.

In this small community, personal connections mattered. Helan had previously introduced Zhu Yu to White Horse, though Zhu Yu herself remained unaware of this arrangement, still believing in the inherent goodness of people and thinking she had only encountered kind-hearted individuals.

“I know you two know each other,” Zhu Yu said. “Sister White Horse told me the parts and your account. What I want is an increase in my labor fee.”

Of course, she couldn’t afford to cover the material costs herself. If Nangong ran off, she’d be at a huge loss.

Even though she was earning a decent amount now, feeding the Dragon was a massive expense. And who knew when those royal trash would come knocking?

Sigh, people really do get arrogant in their areas of expertise. Otherwise, how would I dare call the guard team trash?

Nangong Zheng smiled warmly and readily agreed, immediately pulling out his Light Brain. “What’s your account number?”

Zhu Yu looked uneasy. “I want cash.”

Nangong’s smile widened. “Oh, are you wanted too?”

“No problem, but I don’t have that much cash on me right now. I’ll have to get it from the city center. I’ll give it to you in a few days. I also have some items I’ll send over tonight for you to take a look at.”

Zhu Yu’s lips twitched. Nangong’s pretty broke too, huh? Having to get cash from the city center? What a show-off.

After Nangong left, Zhu Yu headed straight to White Horse Workshop to request the bill. White Horse was surprised to see the finished product Zhu Yu had repaired.

The two went over the accounts together.

Zhu Yu had bought some incredibly cost-effective junk, sourcing replacement parts from the cheapest suppliers and purchasing several repair manuals:

Starship Structure and Flight Control System Maintenance Tutorial (9th Revised Edition)

Repair Operations Manual – Beginner Engineer Edition

The books were utterly basic, one even being a Federation textbook.

White Horse pointed out that the guy had been sneaking in personal purchases, secretly buying several books on the Central System and Brain-Machine Interfaces. They were expensive, even used ones cost a fortune.

But the two were too preoccupied to worry about the bill. They exchanged bewildered glances, both thinking, “She’s not one of yours?!”

Bao Cai had truly picked up a ghost.

That night, Nangong arrived with a cart full of new parts and extra gifts, her enthusiasm making Zhu Yu’s skin crawl.

“No accepting goods as debt payment!” Zhu Yu insisted.

“You’re really making something of yourself, aren’t you?” Nangong sneered, barely swallowing the “not” before it slipped out.

Nangong’s smile only intensified Zhu Yu’s fear. Unsolicited kindness? Could she be trying to woo Bai Shuzhou?

Zhu Yu frantically tugged at her hair, shoving and pulling Nangong to keep her out of the house. She hissed, “She’s my wife!”

Nangong raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And?”

Zhu Yu was stunned by her brazen, entitled attitude.

Nangong chuckled again. “Don’t you want her to have a better life? Heh.”

Zhu Yu: …

In that instant, a torrent of thoughts flooded her mind.

So Little Shan was right—Federation Citizens truly had no sense of morality!

Zhu Yu’s eyes widened in fury, completely unaware that her wary gaze appeared to Bai Shuzhou as a “tender, loving stare.”

Layers of white gauze curtains and a metal door separated them, leaving only a single open window. In the darkness, their deliberately hushed voices carried an unsettling intimacy.

The girl threw a punch, which the tall woman effortlessly caught.

Bai Shuzhou leaned back against her soft pillows, her knuckles white as she gripped the mirror. Her fingertips still seemed to retain the soft touch of Zhu Yu’s skin from earlier that day.

I understand her less and less.

The Zhu Yu she used to know was shallow, cruel, and wore a bright, arrogant smile.

Though the current Zhu Yu still smiled often, her edges had softened. Even when bullied, she merely curled up into herself.

Soft, cowardly, and utterly transparent.

Yet just this afternoon, Zhu Yu had knelt before her, pressing Bai Shuzhou’s hand against her chest in a gesture of submission…

Or was this just how she acted with everyone?

A crack appeared at the edge of the mirror, and Bai Shuzhou’s pupils darkened completely.