Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 24

The moment Zhu Yu burrowed under the covers, the door swung open.

The visitor’s politeness extended only to three measured knocks, more like the end of a countdown than a genuine inquiry.

The crisp click of shoes on the floor carried an oppressive weight.

“Your Highness Princess Zhu Yu?” a voice purred, sweet as an aria.

Zhu Yu gripped the edge of the blanket, determined to feign sleep.

Her memories of the original timeline were fragmented, and she had skipped many of the early, abusive chapters when reading the novel. Yet she instantly recognized the visitor’s identity.

Feng Jiyan, the fox. Her voice and manner were unmistakable.

He was the heir to the Feng Family of the Southern District, the youngest Noble Councilor, and the only daughter of the Director of the Royal Academy of Sciences. He was also Chu Shuzhou’s future most trusted—and most dangerous—favorite.

Countless individuals coveted the unattainable moon, and Feng Jiyan was no exception.

Before Chu Shuzhou revealed the power to crush all ambition, they had all arrogantly believed they could claim her as their own, along with the boundless authority she wielded.

Beneath Feng Jiyan’s elegant facade lurked a venomous heart, and his extreme fastidiousness concealed the most depraved desires.

Zhu Yu remembered that the idea of using captured criminals to cultivate flowers had been her own suggestion. However, Chu Shuzhou, being inherently kind, had only applied this punishment to the Scumbag A.

To slice open a wound, bury specially crafted seeds in the flesh, allowing them to draw sustenance, take root, sprout, and be sustained by nutrient solutions… that was true torment, a fate worse than death.

Zhu Yu shuddered.

Just imagining it was terrifying. Feng Jiyan was every bit as twisted as the owner of Paradis!

Paradis… Zhu Yu’s thoughts drifted back to Little Shan and the bird transformed into a Phoenix. She wondered how they were faring now.

Her identity and Ability must remain absolutely hidden. If exposed, her fate would likely be even more horrific.

“Still asleep?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen an Alpha sleep longer than an Omega after a Heat Period,” the woman sighed softly. “Truly… an inferior Alpha.”

Waking up later than Chu Shuzhou, Zhu Yu felt deeply wronged. She hadn’t meant to sleep so soundly, only to find her wife vanished upon waking. She hadn’t even had a chance to confirm their intimacy when she turned her head and encountered Feng Jiyan, like a nightmare nested within a beautiful dream—utterly unbearable.

Footsteps echoed again, click… Had the door closed?

After an indeterminate amount of time, Zhu Yu strained her ears. The room was so silent that only her own heartbeat filled the void. She cautiously cracked open an eye, her fingertips silently tracing the gemstone, and slowly exhaled in relief.

The moment her breath escaped, a laugh drifted from behind her.

“Your Highness Zhu Yu,” a cloyingly sweet yet chilling voice whispered close, as if Feng Jiyan were breathing into her ear from behind. “Are you… hiding from me?”

Every hair on Zhu Yu’s body stood on end as a wave of icy dread surged up her neck. Only by sheer force of will did she manage to suppress the urge to bolt upright.

For as long as Zhu Yu had been pretending to sleep, Feng Jiyan had been watching, patiently waiting for her prey to take the bait.

Staring at the suddenly magnified, smiling face, Zhu Yu took a deep breath. Had Feng Jiyan gone to such elaborate lengths just to frighten her?

Beneath the covers, Zhu Yu’s hand tightened around the few diamonds digging into her palm. One, two—their sharp edges pressed painfully against her skin. Yet, clustered around her, they strangely gave her a sense of confidence.

Politicians are nothing more than this.

Rivals in love are nothing more than this.

Childish!

Mimicking Chu Shuzhou’s detached demeanor, Zhu Yu adopted a magnanimous expression, radiating divine compassion for all humanity.

However, this expression required precise control over facial muscles, and Zhu Yu had only mastered a third of it—the spirit, but not the nuance.

In short, a forced smile.

Feng Jiyan, who had been waiting nearby for most of the day, watched as Zhu Yu lifted her eyelids to glance at him, sneer, and let a stray strand of hair bob gently atop her messy hairstyle.

The mockery was palpable.

Is she… provoking me?

Feng Jiyan’s usually flawless smile nearly faltered. Her lips twitched, the curve widening, but her eyes turned icy cold. “What’s this? One night of the Princess’s favor has made you so giddy you’ve forgotten your place?”

She didn’t say it, but the moment she did, Zhu Yu’s mind exploded with unspeakable, blush-inducing fragments of memories…

The stiff, forced smile on her lips instantly transformed into a genuine, radiant grin.

Ah, yes! I got carried away with my triumph. Time to make up for it.

Feng Jiyan watched Zhu Yu’s increasingly dazzling smile, her expression darkening further. “Should I congratulate you? You finally got what you wanted?”

That night at the auction, Feng Jiyan had meticulously planned everything, only to have Zhu Yu emerge as the ultimate beneficiary. How could she not resent it?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu nodded with earnest sincerity. “Thank you.”

Feng Jiyan: “……”

It was like punching cotton—the remaining force turned inward, causing internal injuries. Suppressing her fury, she adopted an air of confident superiority and scoffed softly. “Don’t celebrate too soon. You probably don’t know yet, do you?”

Zhu Yu was confined to the imperial palace under the guise of recuperation, but in reality, she was under house arrest, cut off from the outside world.

In recent years, relations between the Empire and the Federation had soured. The trafficking of Beastmen was already a highly sensitive issue, and this interstellar live-streamed auction had undoubtedly pushed the conflict to its peak.

Zhu Yu, a hybrid of two nations, had already caused a tremendous uproar simply by becoming a potential mate. Had the Life Tree’s compatibility report not shown a perfect 100% match, the Emperor would never have considered her.

The Dragon Clan possessed superior genes, yet their lineage was notoriously difficult to perpetuate. Finding a suitable mate proved an arduous task.

Emperor Qian Ze was the dream Alpha of countless Omegas, but her Life Tree compatibility database remained inexplicably empty, with no one found to match her.

The responsibility of continuing the Dragon Clan’s lineage naturally fell upon Chu Shuzhou.

The Emperor had previously conducted countless screenings for her future consort, rigorously vetting three generations of candidates. Only the most exceptional Alphas were permitted to meet the Princess.

Yet, despite all her meticulous planning, Qian Ze had overlooked Zhu Yu—a variable she hadn’t accounted for.

Feng Jiyan never believed he would lose. He preferred to believe that Chu Shuzhou had chosen this Inferior Alpha purely to defy Qian Ze’s arrangements.

The gilded canary, imprisoned under the guise of protection, had finally pecked through its chains for the first time in its life.

Tragically, the treasure chest she’d cracked open contained only trash—a hidden gem of human scum.

Others might be fooled by the “Commoner’s Star’s” sunny and cheerful facade, but Feng Jiyan saw through her cheap act from the moment they met. He knew she was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to climb the social ladder.

From entering the Imperial Star from the slums to earning Izalia’s favor as a low-ranking soldier and receiving a promotion beyond her rank, she had then trampled on her benefactor Izalia to latch onto Chu Shuzhou, the towering tree of power, and ascend to dizzying heights.

Her ruthlessness was so brazen that even Feng Jiyan couldn’t help but admire her. She had managed to claw her way into the elite circles with nothing but a terrible hand.

But that was as far as she would go.

Zhu Yu’s smooth abduction of the Princess was riddled with inconsistencies upon closer investigation. On the day of the incident, they had been visiting the border to boost morale. According to protocol, Chu Shuzhou’s side would never have sent Zhu Yu alone.

Feng Jiyan had been appointed to thoroughly investigate this matter. After all, they were “old friends.”

It felt like a destined clash. The primal hunting instinct buried deep within Feng Jiyan’s bloodline stirred with excitement.

This is what makes it interesting, isn’t it? he thought. A prize too easily won holds no real thrill.

With this thought, Feng Jiyan’s twisted mood finally eased slightly. However, the young woman before him showed no intention of responding, leaving his carefully crafted suspense hanging in the air, turning into an awkward silence.

She exhaled a breath of stale air and smiled. “Your collusion with the Federation has already been reported by the Princess. We’re just waiting to gather enough evidence to present to the Military Tribunal for trial.”

“You must know what fate awaits you if war breaks out between our nations, don’t you?”

Though she had revealed a slight discrepancy in timing, the truth was irrelevant. What mattered was the outcome of this political game.

Zhu Yu had merely secured an entry ticket through her desperate efforts, relying entirely on Chu Shuzhou. She lacked the qualifications to truly contend with her.

A mere prodigy. The Imperial Star had no shortage of prodigies; they were like chess pieces, constantly sacrificed and replaced.

That night, the auction was forcibly interrupted. Izalia was ordered to pursue the fleeing guests, chasing them all the way to the Federation’s defensive lines. Had a crimson Super S-Class Mecha not suddenly appeared to intercept her, she might have captured something of immense value.

This was already quite intriguing, wasn’t it?

With proper manipulation, it could prove far more useful than capturing prisoners.

Now that the mysterious figure had escaped, in the future, “it” could be anyone.

Feng Jiyan eagerly anticipated war. The Empire’s rigid system had stagnated for too long, desperately needing a revolution to reshuffle the deck.

During the three days and two nights Zhu Yu and Chu Shuzhou spent in the detention cell, public opinion in both nations had erupted into a fierce debate.

In Feng Jiyan’s original plan, Chu Shuzhou was supposed to join forces with her, skillfully leveraging the public outcry to their advantage.

But Zhu Yu had completely disrupted everything!

What right did she have? A mere inferior commoner, yet she had caused the dignified Princess to lose her composure.

Noticing Zhu Yu’s fleeting expression of contemplation, Feng Jiyan pressed his advantage, whispering, “The Princess won’t let you permanently mark her. It’s just a game. Someone like you, with your weak pheromones, would only taint Her Highness’s noble essence.”

Zhu Yu’s pheromones were as faint as boiled water, barely qualifying her as an Alpha. Feng Jiyan had even maliciously speculated that she might be incapable of marking anyone.

She often tried to mask her weak scent with perfume, but this pathetic tactic only made the nobles despise her even more.

Pheromones, too, were ranked by strength. Apex predators like dragons and tigers naturally exuded an overwhelming aura of dominance over lesser creatures.

Feng Jiyan gracefully released his own pheromones, filling the room with a rich, opulent fragrance of violets.

Chu Shuzhou was indeed SSS-Rank, but he was also an extremely rare SS-Rank. By any measure, he was far more suitable than Zhu Yu, who was only D-Rank.

As Feng Jiyan pressed closer, his brow furrowed slightly. He detected an odd, delicate fragrance emanating from Zhu Yu.

It wasn’t perfume. What was this scent?

Something stirred in his long-dormant memories, a faint familiarity tugging at him.

His fox tail stood erect as he slowly extended his gloved hand toward Zhu Yu. In that instant, a faint purple aura seeped through the seams of the glove.

Zhu Yu sat rigidly against the headboard, trapped with nowhere to hide. Sensing the imminent danger, her heart pounded violently, and she instinctively wanted to stop Feng Jiyan from approaching.

Warm yellow energy coalesced in her palm, illuminating even the tightly clutched gemstone.

No, I can’t use my Mental Power! If I expose my Ability to Feng Jiyan, I’m dead!

In desperation, Zhu Yu hurled the gemstone at Feng Jiyan, her heart aching with regret.

She could only bear to throw a few.

These were a gift from Chu Shuzhou, after all, even if he gave me so many…

Why isn’t there anything convenient on this bed I could use as a weapon?

Zhu Yu gripped the blanket, her eyes lighting up.

The moment the gemstone struck, an overwhelming, potent rose scent erupted, instantly drowning out the faint fragrance clinging to Zhu Yu’s skin and completely crushing Feng Jiyan’s violet pheromone.

Feng Jiyan’s expression froze. He could bully Zhu Yu, but he was utterly outmatched by Chu Shuzhou’s pheromone.

His knees buckled, and he frantically grabbed the bed frame to avoid collapsing into an undignified kneel.

Chu Shuzhou had truly grown much stronger. Even now, Feng Jiyan found it unbelievable.

As a researcher at the Royal Academy of Sciences’ specialized department for pheromone and mental power studies, no one understood the rigorous nature of these changes better than she did.

When Chu Shuzhou had been hospitalized at the academy for treatment, they immediately conducted a full-body examination. Yet even under the most advanced instruments, the Princess had failed to release enough pheromone for research.

Feng Jiyan’s gloved hands trembled uncontrollably. This was the first time she had witnessed such intense aggression from an Omega’s pheromone.

It silently proclaimed its territorial sovereignty, brooking no intrusion.

Cold sweat beaded on Feng Jiyan’s forehead. This aura… The first person who flashed before her eyes wasn’t Chu Shuzhou, but Qian Ze, the Emperor who scorned and crushed all beneath her.

Truly sisters. Truly worthy of being Dragons.

A strange, feverish light flickered in Feng Jiyan’s eyes. She nearly burst out laughing.

Suppressing her trembling, she reached out to retrieve the gemstone lying on the pristine Chu Shuzhou’s bedsheets.

Such a precious artifact, such a treasure trove of research material… I must have it!

“Love truly makes people foolish, Your Highness the Princess,” Feng Jiyan murmured.

Zhu Yu remained blissfully unaware of Feng Jiyan’s scheming. She merely watched this fox bare her teeth in a crazed grin, babbling about love and princesses as she crawled forward to snatch her betrothal token.

Even the most patient person couldn’t tolerate this.

Go die, you lunatic! Don’t you have anything better to do with your life?!

Heh, actually, I don’t.

Zhu Yu refused to believe a single word from her rival. She knew these Outsiders were seething with jealousy, nearly driven mad by envy.

These Outsiders simply didn’t understand. They understood nothing at all.

The word “Outsider” should be capitalized and bolded.

Just as Chu Shuzhou’s gloved hand was about to touch the gem, the blanket was suddenly yanked up, covering Feng Jiyan’s head and wrapping her into a cocoon before kicking her off the bed.

“Guards! Robbery!”

Driven by her combat instincts, Zhu Yu leaped down, pinning the wriggling blanket to the ground and landing a few punches in the chaos.

She dared not release her grip, fearing Feng Jiyan would spring up and eliminate her the moment she did. Instead, she exerted all her strength to restrain her.

When the guards burst into the room, they found Zhu Yu kneeling with one knee pressed against Feng Jiyan’s chest. The Heaven’s Chosen had likely never suffered such humiliation in his life.

Zhu Yu wore only a loosely draped silk nightgown. Without any deliberate display, the simple act of throwing punches caused the fabric to shift, revealing the crisscrossing, ambiguous kiss marks and bite marks on her arms and shoulders—especially the rose-like brand beneath her collarbone…

In the deathly silence, the scent of roses permeated the air. One guard couldn’t help but whisper, “Wow.”

Beyond the gem, the pheromones emanating from Zhu Yu were even more potent, all left by the usually aloof and indifferent Princess.

It seemed she no longer needed perfume.

After all, it couldn’t be concealed anyway.