Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 23

Her numbed senses had just awakened, and everything seemed to move in slow motion—

Bai Shuzhou’s pale blue eyes had, without her noticing, transformed into the cold, vertical pupils of a top predator.

Her curled eyelashes trembled, casting faint silver-gray shadows. The icy light didn’t diffuse; instead, it calmly captured every minute expression on Zhu Yu’s face.

This was the Dragon Clan’s instinctive focus on prey. Every tiny movement within her field of vision was magnified, carrying a chilling, inhuman gaze.

Zhu Yu’s vulnerable throat bobbed helplessly, and she unconsciously bit her lower lip until it bled. Even her breath, suddenly quickened by tension, was crystal clear in Bai Shuzhou’s eyes.

Those vertical pupils subtly shifted with Zhu Yu’s movements, their narrow arcs subtly changing as they watched tears well up and spill from Zhu Yu’s eyes. Almost imperceptibly, they narrowed in response.

This was the first time Zhu Yu had seen Bai Shuzhou’s vertical pupils so clearly.

Beneath the cold blue surface flowed a vibrant light, as if a solitary boat truly drifted through an unfathomable azure sea, its reflection rippling with every flicker of her gaze.

The crimson blush spreading from the corners of her eyes resembled endless layers of lotus petals, casting an ethereal yet decadent mist over this otherworldly scene.

She was like a naive yet stubborn little fish, circling endlessly around the lotus leaf, stubbornly and recklessly blowing bubbles, seeking an answer.

Can you… like me?

Please… like me!

The woman’s silvery-white tail unconsciously brushed against her waist, sending a shiver of icy numbness through her.

As if sensing something, the entwined vines relaxed their grip. Immersed in the warm, woody fragrance, they bloomed into the most exquisite, dew-kissed roses, their sharp thorns inexplicably softening and drooping.

Zhu Yu remained completely oblivious. She had never known, nor had anyone ever told her, what signs indicated the Dragon Clan’s stirring emotions.

The Bai Shuzhou she had known before always seemed aloof, like the bright moon drifting across the sky—visible with a glance, seemingly within reach, yet forever distant, impossible to truly approach.

But now, in this absolute silence, it felt as if only their intertwined breaths remained in this confined space.

She could even clearly feel the steady pulse throbbing in the other woman’s wrist, so different from her own frantic heartbeat.

The soft flesh of her neck was already sensitive, and the glands there were as fragile as a thin layer of water film. The woman’s icy fingertips brushed lightly against it, an unconscious yet intensely intimate caress.

A tingling, numbing sensation rippled outward.

It felt like an invitation, but the touch quickly withdrew. The woman took a deep, patient breath, her beautiful lips pressing tightly together, their surface glistening with a hint of moisture. They looked utterly kissable.

Zhu Yu closed her eyes in silent consent. As the woman’s little finger finally retreated, it seemed to casually brush against the scalding skin of Zhu Yu’s neck.

Boom.

Zhu Yu’s mind erupted in a deafening roar, as if an invisible seed had been planted, blossoming into a garden of lush, fragrant flowers across her tingling skin.

But what… what did this mean?

Zhu Yu stared at her, unblinking, almost greedily, her throat involuntarily swallowing down the turbulent emotions and suffocating anxiety.

And so, when the dragon’s tail trembled and its sharp tip stood erect, Zhu Yu abruptly released her grip.

Zhu Yu mustered her courage and declared loudly, “The truth is, I’m not the Zhu Yu you knew before, but I am Zhu Yu. I’m sorry for deceiving you earlier.”

She fell silent, carefully observing Bai Shuzhou’s expression like a prisoner awaiting final judgment. Holding her breath, she strained every nerve to detect the slightest hint of disgust or shock on the other woman’s face.

She feared that this moment—this near-indulgent silence, this hard-won closeness—might not truly belong to her.

Drip.

A drop of water slid down the soaked silk and splashed onto the floor.

Absolute silence.

The only sounds in the confinement chamber were the two women’s intertwined yet equally unsteady breaths.

Bai Shuzhou opened her eyes, her breathing quickening.

“Zhu Yu,” she murmured, her voice soft and breathless.

The way she pronounced those two words was mesmerizing, as if they were rising with her warm breath, damp and magnetic.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said, gently pinching the vulnerable flesh at the back of Zhu Yu’s neck.

…Huh?

Zhu Yu was stunned, blinking in confusion. She detected amusement in Bai Shuzhou’s soft chuckle. But… but… “You knew all along?”

Her heart pounded against her ribs. This was Zhu Yu’s deepest secret, now effortlessly dissected and scattered like tinkling laughter.

Bai Shuzhou merely chuckled, offering no explanation.

For some inexplicable reason, Zhu Yu’s ears flushed crimson, the blush spreading down her neck. Shame mingled with a strange, exposed thrill, as if her very soul had been laid bare by that knowing smile.

“Come here,” Bai Shuzhou said, her vertical pupils narrowing. “Prove it to me.”

“Ah, how… how do I prove it?” Zhu Yu’s face burned even hotter as she stammered, her limbs flailing like a unprepared student thrust into an exam hall.

In a panic, she began reciting her life story, even though this intimate atmosphere was hardly the time for a background check.

From her unremarkable academic history to her hobbies and interests, she rattled off details so quickly she might as well have bundled up her entire life and shoved it at Bai Shuzhou for inspection.

The recitation was unnervingly polished, as if she had rehearsed it countless times.

Finally, Zhu Yu stammered, “I… I’m not very good at this. It’s my first time.”

It was all too rushed. Her first time chasing someone, her first confession, her first…

Bai Shuzhou let out a soft “heh,” conveying, I can tell.

If Zhu Yu hadn’t introduced herself so quickly, Bai Shuzhou would have kicked her out immediately.

Sensing her impatience, Zhu Yu fidgeted, curling her fingers around each other. “I was going to buy flowers…”

In her meager yet romantic imagination, there was a meticulously planned sequence: when to hold hands, when to confess, and that the confession should involve flowers, candles, music, and then…

Then a vibrant rose unexpectedly snaked around her neck, its thorns pressing against her skin as it coiled tighter.

Too much talk.

A single rose, a single kiss.

A kiss with a predatory edge. The woman’s beautiful eyes loomed closer, their pale, icy blue depths concealing countless dangerous undercurrents.

Zhu Yu fell into them defenselessly, sinking into the seemingly gentle yet utterly irresistible shallows.

A light flick of Bai Shuzhou’s fingertip sent shivers through the girl’s body, a tingling numbness spreading through her limbs. Yet, against her will, her body gradually relaxed and yielded to the woman’s seemingly gentle but undeniable guidance.

The most private gateway to her Divine Consciousness Sea had been breached.

The Heat Period heightened sensitivity and mental activity, making it a time when many sought deep connections.

But Bai Shuzhou knew there was far more to it than that.

Mental Power could be used to invade.

She wrapped her arms around Zhu Yu’s neck, deepening the kiss. In the brief moment when the girl’s eyelashes fluttered with nervous tension, Bai Shuzhou’s Mental Power silently slipped into this undefended realm.

Words could be embellished, sincerity feigned, but memories never lied.

As she flipped through the scroll of Zhu Yu’s life, the most significant memories occupied the largest fragments of Mental Power. When she looked back, the dust-covered memories drifted down like snowflakes, rustling softly, within reach.

Bai Shuzhou stepped into a realm of predictable purity.

Zhu Yu’s Divine Consciousness Sea was vast and nearly desolate. Fragments of her ordinary, peaceful days shimmered like tiny ice crystals, radiating a faint glow. There were no deeply etched memories; even the falling snowflakes appeared small and fragmented.

Bai Shuzhou caught one of the flakes and saw only a vast expanse of snow.

Empty, pale, an endless cold and silence.

Why is your past a blank slate?

Bai Shuzhou frowned, struggling to comprehend. It was as if the film reel of an ancient movie had been wiped clean, leaving only an endless, monotonous silence punctuated by the rhythmic click-clack of the projector.

Until—

Their eyes met.

The moment their gazes locked, the girl’s blank world erupted with dazzling roses, their crimson petals as vivid as bl00d.

You’re… beautiful.

Bai Shuzhou saw herself reflected in Zhu Yu’s eyes, realizing this wasn’t just a calculated compliment.

Deep within the swirling snowstorm, fragments of their shared moments flickered like embers.

Zhu Yu often stole glances at her, far more frequently than Bai Shuzhou ever realized.

The girl’s gaze burned too fiercely to conceal. Even when she tried to hide it with her hands, her eyes betrayed her.

On countless nights, Zhu Yu guarded Bai Shuzhou’s dreams. Any rustle at the door would rouse her, prompting her to check if Bai Shuzhou was sleeping soundly, whether she was having nightmares, or if she needed a warm embrace.

She secretly counted Bai Shuzhou’s eyelashes, endlessly fascinated, though she always grew drowsy before finishing, still unsure of the exact number.

When Zhu Yu got stuck on a game level, Bai Shuzhou took the console, leaned in close, and patiently played through it once. Her slender fingers moved with fluid grace, making the optimal strategy so simple even a child could learn it.

Zhu Yu didn’t learn it.

She was watching Bai Shuzhou.

Watching her beautifully curved lips press into a slight frown when she was focused.

Watching the silver strands of hair, like flowing moonlight, cascade down her neck and tremble gently with each crisp, cold word.

So beautiful.

Bai Shuzhou when she was serious, Bai Shuzhou when she was frowning impatiently, Bai Shuzhou when she occasionally revealed her vulnerability, Bai Shuzhou when she was always dazzlingly radiant… So beautiful, making Zhu Yu’s heart pound.

Memories flashed through her mind, silent except for the clear rhythm of her heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump.

The silent rhythm wove into a deafening declaration: I like you so much.

The girl’s feelings were so fervent they nearly burned Bai Shuzhou. Yet they were also so transparent, easily read at a glance.

The secrets surrounding Zhu Yu remained unsolved, growing only deeper, as if all her profound and blissful memories belonged solely to her.

How could someone be…

So foolish.

Zhu Yu’s body, usually exuding a warm, woody fragrance, now carried the freshness of rain-soaked earth and the vitality of new growth, transforming into an exceptionally rich and invigorating scent.

Bai Shuzhou’s Mental Power vines gradually shed their aggression, becoming almost transparently soft. The swaying roses unconsciously drifted closer to Zhu Yu’s Pheromone, drawing nearer and nearer…

Her usually low body temperature ignited for the first time, surging into a feverish heat.

An unfamiliar, surging love-desire materialized as a pure, warm golden light, flowing ceaselessly from Zhu Yu’s tightly pressed fingertips.

More pristine and vibrant than ever before, it greedily spread across her pale skin, each touch sending an unbearable shiver through her.

“Mmm, hah…”

Their noses brushed lightly, restrained yet damp, their suppressed emotions overflowing. They exchanged a kiss.

Not a calculated probe, not a violent seizure, but a gentle meeting of their hearts’ most vulnerable places.

Zhu Yu, who often worked with metal, had thin calluses on her hands, especially on the sides of her fingertips. Their slightly rough texture easily snagged on silk, leaving vivid red marks.

If she only needed to soothe her spiraling Mental Power, this step wouldn’t have been necessary.

But the woman’s cold, slender fingers curled tightly, tense as they brushed against the back of Zhu Yu’s hand. She still removed the ring.

It wasn’t a wise move. Driven by the Pheromone, she might lose control completely.

Bl00d crystals were highly concentrated energy storage minerals. Used properly, they could absorb and suppress Mental Power.

Though she still couldn’t fully trust Zhu Yu, she loosened the chain, no longer clenching it tightly in her palm, allowing the girl to guide her as she pleased.

In that instant, the surging Mental Power broke free of its restraints. Golden light condensed into droplets, tracing the patterns of the vines as they dripped downward.

With a tender caress, the droplets slid across the woman’s pale pink scars.

“Mmm…”

The Pheromone intensified, each of Zhu Yu’s actions unfolding exactly as expected.

Bai Shuzhou hissed, “Don’t do anything unnecessary.”

The girl stubbornly wrapped her hands around his knees, which he couldn’t evade, determined to heal his legs completely in this moment.

“Zhu Yu, stop. That’s enough. You—mmph…!”

Mental Power pierced through his skin, like tiny electric currents converging from all directions. Bai Shuzhou suppressed a gasp, his brow furrowed as he tried to stop her, but the girl’s relentless force gave him no chance to speak.

The girl, who had always been bound and guided by her, was beginning to lose control. Each time, she pushed just a little bit further.

It was bearable, yet almost unbearable.

An endless stream of Mental Power poured into the darkness. Even the eternal ice would melt, though the process was agonizingly slow, making her seem insignificantly small before this icy mountain.

As the ice melted, droplets fell, and the jade-like bowstring stretched taut.

Zhu Yu asked hoarsely, “Sister, does it hurt?”

The wounds on her body were healing rapidly, as if time were flowing backward, but Bai Shuzhou’s shattered jade-like cracks remained stubbornly unrepairable.

Trembling, Bai Shuzhou tilted her head back, beads of sweat glistening on her exposed neck. Her fingers clenched tightly around the silk, and she could only manage broken syllables.

Yet Zhu Yu moved with deliberate slowness, leaning in to kiss her, as if deliberately provoking her. Warm, misty breath brushed against her ear.

“Sister, do you like me?”

“Sister, don’t leave me, okay…?”

Drip.

There was no answer, only increasingly ragged breaths.

The more anxious she became, the harder it was to get an answer.

Finally, Zhu Yu lowered her head, the tip of her nose damp. Her voice, like her dark eyes, dropped to a whisper. “Say you… need me.”

Her voice was soft, almost a coquettish murmur, yet it triggered a sob from elsewhere.

“Need,” she said, extending her left hand. “Want,” she added, offering her right.

Both hands reached out, demanding an answer.

Zhu Yu…! The woman’s pupils constricted sharply as she gripped her shoulders, unable to resist pulling her into a tight embrace and biting down.

Omegas possessed a unique constitution, maintaining perfect clarity even when their eyes grew hazy. She was acutely aware of everything happening. The merging Mental Power, greedy and on the verge of spiraling out of control, held an irresistible allure for her.

For the first time, the suppressed cold poison within her showed signs of loosening.

Zhu Yu was both her antidote and her catalyst. Countless unspoken desires lay buried between her lips and teeth. She seemed to have waited an eternity for this moment, yet hesitated to swallow it whole.

Finally, she struggled free, gasping for breath in the space between them. “Zhu Yu, it’s too much. Control yourself.”

The final words were punctuated by a breath she couldn’t suppress, spilling like moonlight from the crescent moon above.

“You care about me,” the girl said softly, her eyes curving into a tender smile as she caught the moonlit breath. “I’m willing.”

I’m willing, for you.

Simply because I’m willing. I’m willing to do anything.

If Mental Power was the dizzying, surging emotion in her mind, then it was you who stirred it into a tempest.

Frozen for a moment, Bai Shuzhou bit her lip and averted her gaze, unable to meet those eyes burning with such intensity.

“What you want, I can’t give you,” she said, her voice cold yet hoarse, the short, wet trail of her words lingering in the air.

“But I haven’t said what I want yet,” Zhu Yu replied.

In this opulent yet desolate universe, where fame and fortune, power and influence reigned supreme, she sought only a genuine heart.

The simplest thing, yet the most priceless.

The one thing Bai Shuzhou could never promise to give.

What use was a genuine heart? It brought nothing but pain and loss of control, utterly useless.

Zhu Yu watched Bai Shuzhou close her eyes, tears still clinging to her long lashes—fragile and indifferent.

“I’ll sign a contract with you. You heal my wounds, and we each get what we need.”

Her words were icily rational, as if she could truly treat this as a purely business transaction, driven only by self-interest to secure her own peace of mind.

Zhu Yu fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly, “But Sister…”

Why are you biting me?

From her fingertip to the shallow inch where Bai Shuzhou’s teeth pressed, she remained perfectly still.

In stark contrast to her cold tone, the rose bloomed passionately, nuzzling against her tail with delight.

Bai Shuzhou seemed to belatedly realize the situation, her face flushing crimson as she bit her lip in embarrassment.

She rationally reasoned that Zhu Yu’s Mental Power and Ability were beneficial to her, and she had no reason to refuse.

Summoning her wavering voice, she emphasized with the authority of an Imperial Princess, “Mmm… no permanent marking.”

From “no marking” to “no permanent marking.”

In truth, Zhu Yu had initially only wanted a kiss. She blinked slowly.

Marking involved leaving a part of oneself deep within a partner’s Divine Consciousness Sea.

She had always understood the wisdom of contentment, yet in this subtle, unspoken indulgence, she had instinctively mastered the art of pushing boundaries, inch by inch.

“Really, Sister?” Zhu Yu murmured, burying her face against Bai Shuzhou’s neck, her breath warm and gentle as she repeatedly brushed against her vulnerable heart.

Bai Shuzhou refused to speak, so the fragmented, unbearable syllables that occasionally escaped her lips became all the more tender and alluring.

The old scars had barely faded before new blushes bloomed across her skin.

She kept “feeding” her, not just overflowing Mental Power, but golden droplets swirling on the tip of Zhu Yu’s crimson tongue, sweet and soft. In those fleeting moments of delirium, Bai Shuzhou was reminded of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

With a gentle sway, she could even feel Zhu Yu’s Mental Power flowing clumsily within her.

It would take a long time to digest this concentrated energy.

Each drop seemed to whisper, I love you, I love you!

Though Bai Shuzhou had studied Mental Power since childhood, she had never imagined that such a deep connection could be so…

Noisy.

She couldn’t take any more, yet Zhu Yu’s Mental Power seemed endless, spilling from the corners of her lips and choking her into a soft cough.

They shouldn’t be indulging like this, yet they were drowning in consciousness, tears blurring their vision as they lost their voices.

The world was dancing.

Bai Shuzhou held her hand.

Zhu Yu’s clumsy, inexperienced efforts were met with reciprocation. Each reckless mistake was corrected, and hand in hand, they danced in a world that held only each other.

Bai Shuzhou curled her slender legs slightly, pressing against Zhu Yu, still unable to move freely. Zhu Yu grasped her ankle and gently massaged it.

The woman’s usually cool body warmed beneath Zhu Yu’s touch, the cold jade flushing a faint pink.

After the peak of pleasure, a lingering ache and fullness remained. Bai Shuzhou was speechless, and didn’t want to speak anyway. Enveloped in the girl’s warm, woody scent, tinged with the dampness of post-rain air, she only wanted to drift into a deep sleep.

Zhu Yu lowered her gaze, studying the woman’s eternally indifferent pale blue eyes, now veiled with a faint mist. Her curled lashes, heavy with satisfied tears, drooped heavily.

The beauty was breathtaking.

Zhu Yu pinched her wrist hard. Hiss, that hurts… and it’s a little sore too.

The confinement cell’s bed was narrow and small, forcing Bai Shuzhou to lean against her side. With Zhu Yu’s small movements, she let out a low groan, her usually cool voice now hoarse beyond recognition. “Don’t move.”

Zhu Yu had never dared to dream of such a thing, yet it was all really happening.

She still remembered Bai Shuzhou calling her name repeatedly, the tone subtly different from usual.

She felt like crying again, overwhelmed with happiness.

The woman in her arms stirred slightly. Zhu Yu immediately perked up, her ears pricking with anticipation, and leaned closer, her face flushed.

Bai Shuzhou didn’t even lift her eyelids. Relying on her precise perception of the intense heat, she pinched Zhu Yu’s cheek and murmured in a hoarse voice, each word clipped and faint:

“Don’t let anyone else know your secret.”

That casual “anyone else” naturally grouped them together in this vast world, like a small passage highlighted in red within a ten-thousand-character scroll, framing them as a unit.

Her lips curved upward faster than her thoughts could process. Zhu Yu nearly wagged her tail, but the woman before her seemed to sense her reaction. Adding a more objective personal critique to her rational assessment, she said:

“Also, your kissing skills are truly terrible.”

Kissing skills… truly terrible.

These words, delivered with cold indifference, pierced Zhu Yu’s heart like a dart. As if hitting a pause button, Zhu Yu froze.

Truly terrible? Are they really that bad?

Zhu Yu blinked, staring at the woman’s swollen, thin lips.

“I’ll improve,” she whispered. “I’ll keep practicing…!”

Is this person an idiot?

Bai Shuzhou’s ears began to burn again. Unable to endure it any longer, she tilted her head and bit Zhu Yu’s lip, a hint of retaliation in her cold, merciless tone:

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

“Okay.” A kiss from Bai Shuzhou instantly stopped Zhu Yu’s tears. She was so easy to coax.

Her mouth closed, but her eyes remained wide open, like tiny stars twinkling around her moon.

She held her breath, stealing glances. They both knew she was watching, but Bai Shuzhou’s eyes remained closed.

“Close your eyes too,” she whispered.

“Okay!” Zhu Yu replied softly.

Their tails found a comfortable position between them, curling together in a soft tangle.

In this long final night, they slept soundly, their breaths mingling in even rhythm, loose strands of hair fluttering in the breeze.

The next day, Zhu Yu slowly awoke in the palace chamber, still faintly scented with the cool fragrance of roses. The gilded dome shimmered above her.

The lingering warmth and sensation of Bai Shuzhou’s skin seemed to remain beside her. She unconsciously curved her lips into a smile, her fingertips lingering on the empty velvet sheets.

Wait… empty?

Where was her wife? Her big, soft, fragrant wife?

Zhu Yu plummeted from her dreamlike state back to reality, jolting upright.

Clink.

Her fingertips brushed against something cold and sharp, just within reach. Trembling, she threw back the covers—

The jewels shimmered with dazzling light—deep blue, light blue, piled high like a lover’s eyes, brimming and fluid.

Oh my god… why is this here?

Though she had witnessed Bai Shuzhou’s financial prowess before, this time wasn’t just about him awkwardly handing her money. Instead, he had quietly filled the empty space beside her while she slept.

The mattress was so soft that even a slight movement caused it to sink, sending the jewels tumbling down, their icy edges pressing against her warm leg.

The impact was overwhelming, the cold edges jarring. This wasn’t a dream.

Surrounded by this icy wealth, the girl sat frozen, momentarily dazed.

She unconsciously picked up a gem, still faintly warm from her body heat, and murmured, “Ah, wife…”

What kind of money is this?

Bang, bang, bang.

Before she could make sense of it, a steady knock echoed at the door, its rhythmic precision unsettling.

This isn’t Bai Shuzhou’s presence.

Zhu Yu’s nose twitched. She immediately wrapped herself in the blanket, carefully and swiftly concealing both herself and the jewels beneath it.