Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 27

Bai Shuzhou was utterly exhausted, even her breathing felt heavy and labored.

Zhu Yu couldn’t bear to close her eyes, her gaze lingering on Bai Shuzhou’s delicate, curled eyelashes. She seemed to hold her breath, afraid to disturb that fragile arc.

Only the faint flush on the tip of Bai Shuzhou’s nose, tinged red by passion or illness, added a hint of color to her paper-pale cheeks. After that feather-light kiss, she seemed to awaken from an ancient black-and-white scroll, her pale blue eyes misty and reflecting Zhu Yu’s small, anxious figure.

The subsequent kisses were extraordinarily gentle. Bai Shuzhou, unusually yielding control, allowed the girl to explore slowly and tentatively, with an almost indulgent patience.

Fingertips clumsily sought each other in the icy space between them, until they finally intertwined, drawing warmth from the other’s palm.

Dragon Clan members typically had lower body temperatures, but Zhu Yu felt that the body in her arms tonight was as cold as a piece of jade that couldn’t be warmed.

She couldn’t fathom the torment Bai Shuzhou had endured, nor could she grasp the agony churning beneath that seemingly calm surface. A thousand words choked in her throat, yet they ultimately dissolved into a deeper, silent caress between their lips, a gesture of comfort.

For the first time, Zhu Yu felt acutely aware that despite having read Bai Shuzhou’s life story in texts, she still remained a stranger to her.

It was like holding a history book and looking back through the relentless currents of time, where individual joys and sorrows shrink into insignificance.

Bai Shuzhou would become immensely powerful. But then what? Would those old wounds still ache faintly in the quiet of the night?

Zhu Yu glimpsed only her moonlit, serene future, knowing nothing of her past—how the moon had risen, or even… what she was thinking at this very moment.

Sensing the girl’s sudden shift in mood, Bai Shuzhou nipped lightly at her lower lip.

The gesture held no threat, resembling instead a haughty cat extending its pink paw pads to gently pat her.

Her cool voice, husky with desire, brushed against Zhu Yu’s sensitive ear: “Pay attention.”

Pay more attention when we’re kissing.

Her voice, as silvery as moonlight with a hint of languid nasal resonance, carried a tone of earnest warning that, given Bai Shuzhou’s aloof nature, bordered on pleading.

Zhu Yu blinked, catching a fleeting, satisfied smile in her eyes—a clear indication of her contentment with the kiss.

Her heart softened. Cupping Zhu Yu’s face with both hands, she pressed a gentle, tender peck against her lips.

Schemes and calculations, the rise and fall of universes—all faded into insignificance in that moment.

Only the warmth of their bodies pressed together, their mingled breaths, served as anchors for their weary souls, assuring them that their hearts were drawing closer, not merely driven by the pheromone-fueled frenzy of that night during Zhu Yu’s estrus cycle.

Bai Shuzhou lightly touched the girl’s hair. Her lowered eyelids suddenly snapped open, her voice dropping to a weary murmur as she meticulously analyzed the treacherous political landscape, cautioning Zhu Yu against any response to matters concerning the Federation.

Even a seemingly positive action today could one day transform into a Sword of Damocles, hanging precariously overhead, poised to fall at any moment.

She had already urged the Military to prioritize the Insectoid infestation, but it was clear that the Empire’s Nobles, who considered themselves the “Masters of All Living Things,” arrogantly believed that mere insects posed no significant threat to the Empire’s foundations. Their true enemy had always been the Federation.

Even more despicable, some believed that only through war and plunder could they achieve rapid primitive accumulation and… consumption.

Bai Shuzhou closed her eyes, frowned, and exhaled softly, her gaze filled with deep compassion.

“The Empire is sick,” she murmured.

Her fingertips unconsciously traced circles in Zhu Yu’s palm as she meticulously explained these cold calculations, as if entrusting her with a heavy responsibility.

In her calm narration, the complex world was peeled back layer by layer, revealing its clear underlying structure.

For a moment, Zhu Yu felt as if she were standing at a great height, surveying the world below, while she herself was Bai Shuzhou’s most capable subject, poised and ambitious, awaiting only her command.

But her monarch was too pale and fragile, as easily shattered as glass. Zhu Yu couldn’t resist stepping closer, stopping beside her with a voice as soft as a sigh, almost daringly close. “Your health… is it alright?”

“Just a minor issue,” Bai Shuzhou said, her tone as light as if discussing the weather. She paused, then reached out to pinch Zhu Yu’s nose, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

“It’s because you’re so strong,” she continued, a hint of barely perceptible pride in her voice. She sank deeper into the soft pillows, her silver hair scattered around her. Her usually sharp features had softened, revealing a rare, vulnerable tenderness.

“Your Mental Power is too strong for your physical body to handle. When the vessel overloads, it overflows, causing some chaotic symptoms. A period of rest will resolve it.”

Yet Zhu Yu’s heart remained haunted by an lingering unease. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

In the past, when Zhu Yu sat by the bed, even if Bai Shuzhou ignored her, her tail would gently curl around her, far more honest than her words. The body’s reaction was irresistibly endearing. But tonight, there was no movement at all.

Exhausted, Bai Shuzhou’s pulse was so faint it was almost imperceptible. The pale blue light faded, and her head slowly drooped.

A voice whispered close to her cool ear, warm breath brushing against it. “You’ll feel much better soon. Sleep now. You need plenty of rest to recover properly.”

Bai Shuzhou stared at her.

“You don’t need to use that,” Zhu Yu said softly, knowing what she was worried about. Using her Ability at the Academy of Sciences was indeed dangerous. She nuzzled closer and whispered, “I just want you to feel more comfortable, okay?”

The girl’s gentle nuzzling was so soft, her bright eyes fixed on Bai Shuzhou without blinking, that even the shadows in her heart seemed to dissipate.

Reason urged her to make Zhu Yu leave.

But Bai Shuzhou merely raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance, and playfully poked Zhu Yu’s waist with her little finger. Her voice was soft as she asked, “That… which one?”

Unspoken, unmentionable, known only to the two of them.

Zhu Yu grasped her mischievous hand, and the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Bai Shuzhou’s cold, businesslike expression as she questioned such a private matter sent a tingling, ticklish sensation surging from their fingertips.

Zhu Yu gazed at Bai Shuzhou’s slightly upturned lips, longing to kiss her again. How could she ever get enough?

Those lips were so thin, giving the illusion of sharpness and coldness. Yet they were clearly stained with her color, warm, glistening with moisture, as she pressed them together.

Ugh, she’s so beautiful… Zhu Yu swallowed involuntarily.

Seeing Zhu Yu’s face flush, the woman smiled faintly, pleased. Her icy hand caressed Zhu Yu’s cheek, palm pressed firmly against her skin, fingertips tracing slow circles.

“Do you have a fever?”

Bai Shuzhou’s cool hand brushed Zhu Yu’s burning cheek, fingertips leisurely tracing the contours of her face. Her clear, crisp voice carried a deliberate air of aloofness, and she even tilted her head back slightly, making her thin lips appear fuller and more alluring.

Her distant gaze seemed to warn: Don’t kiss me.

Don’t imagine a pink elephant.

Don’t sink into soft pillows with me, letting our tangled breaths mingle. The night is too cold; don’t melt with me, or warm droplets of icy water will fall.

Don’t…

She shouldn’t have come here now. She shouldn’t have indulged herself so recklessly.

The more forbidden, the wilder the flames of desire burned.

As Bai Shuzhou’s hand curved slightly, the girl half-knelt, her slender legs supporting her weight. She bowed her head reverently, careful not to press down on her.

She knelt not before gods or Buddhas, but before her own love and longing.

At a gentle touch, the woman’s soft arm stiffened momentarily before relaxing. Her breathing slowed, and a faint rose fragrance diffused with her warm exhales.

A mix of sharp pain and tingling numbness radiated from the wound. Bai Shuzhou bit her lip, suppressing a moan as her clear thoughts briefly dissolved.

It was only a fleeting moment of surrender and escape. In that instant, she broke free from her restraint and endurance, entrusting her scarred soul to her lover’s gentle touch, seeking solace from the pain.

Bai Shuzhou had undoubtedly masked her pain well, presenting only her elegant and composed facade.

But as Zhu Yu kissed her neck, she suddenly stopped, unwilling to go further.

Gradually, glistening droplets began to fall.

Bai Shuzhou opened her eyes, startled, and found herself caught in a sudden downpour of the girl’s tears.

Zhu Yu was crying.

Like a summer night’s rain, the tears came abruptly and urgently, without even the warning of thunder. Zhu Yu bit her lip, bitter tears dripping down.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Zhu Yu asked.

She didn’t continue kissing, but gently touched the needle mark on Bai Shuzhou’s neck, where a bead of bl00d had seeped through the snow-white skin from the sudden release of restraint.

It looked like a precious, vibrant ruby had been delicately pierced through her skin and sewn in place—beautiful yet eerie.

Does it hurt a lot?

It must hurt terribly. Why… why won’t you say anything?

Zhu Yu’s initial restraint stemmed from concern for Bai Shuzhou’s physical well-being, but the sight before her now pierced her heart.

Trembling, Zhu Yu brushed aside Bai Shuzhou’s disheveled hair, gathering it in her palm. The lamplight revealed a multitude of red marks.

The needle pricks weren’t isolated; they clustered near Bai Shuzhou’s delicate glands. Her cascading hair had concealed these medical traces—shallow and deep, winding into the depths of the bedsheets.

These were wounds that even a blizzard couldn’t hide—wounds she had meticulously concealed, feigning nonchalance, pretending to be in control.

Bai Shuzhou’s skin was highly sensitive, leaving marks at the slightest touch. Zhu Yu knew that Omegas possessed unique constitutions, their senses amplified far beyond those of ordinary people.

Pleasure was magnified, but so was pain.

That day at Paradis, even a single injection had been unbearable for Zhu Yu. When the needle pierced her gland, it felt as if a part of her soul had been punctured, draining away.

Now, lying limp, Bai Shuzhou’s restrained passion and her complete surrender to the kiss… these were the only life rafts against the boundless agony.

When Zhu Yu’s lips brushed hers, Bai Shuzhou’s throat trembled. She flinched, but didn’t pull away, closing her eyes to fully savor the moment.

Her pale blue eyes sank into darkness, absorbing the kiss of her beloved.

Even without the healing power of her Ability, a simple kiss could alleviate her pain.

When discussing the Empire and Federation’s long-standing feud, Bai Shuzhou had always maintained a detached composure, using neutral language to describe the conflict. But in this moment, all her emotions and senses seemed to converge in her kiss with Zhu Yu.

It was a release, a surrender, a silent tremor buried deep within her pain.

Zhu Yu sensed it all: Bai Shuzhou’s suppressed anguish, her subtle pauses, her ragged breaths… every nuance of her suffering.

Zhu Yu’s tears flowed for Bai Shuzhou’s pain, and also for her own blindness.

In this sea of suffering that was Bai Shuzhou, Zhu Yu was like a small fish leaping out of the water, stubbornly weeping for her wounds.

The tears were hers, yet the pain seemed etched into her very bones, blurring the lines between them.

Bai Shuzhou endured the pain with feigned composure, tapping Zhu Yu’s lips. “It’s okay. Keep going.”

When people are at their most vulnerable, they instinctively crave intimacy, clinging to those fleeting moments of numbness and warmth.

But Zhu Yu remained oblivious to the full extent of Bai Shuzhou’s suffering.

Just like that morning when she woke to find Bai Shuzhou gone, she always acted alone, bearing every burden herself.

“Can I see your wound? Should I call a doctor?”

“Aren’t we lovers? Tell me, I want to share your burdens too. Don’t keep everything to yourself…”

After a brief silence, Bai Shuzhou chuckled softly.

She pretended to lean in for a kiss, completely ignoring the bl00d trickling down her neck. Only when Zhu Yu stopped her did she raise an eyebrow slightly. “No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Not a direct refusal, but “I don’t want to talk about it.”

It was a concession, tentative and laced with weary affection.

But Zhu Yu failed to grasp the complexity of this compromise.

Seizing only on that hint of softening, she eagerly pulled back the blanket, wanting to check on Bai Shuzhou’s well-being, just as she had done in their rented apartment, examining her injuries.

The boundaries between them had long since blurred. From massages to caring for each other, they no longer needed the blanket as a barrier. Skin against skin felt comforting and soothing, enhancing the healing process.

Yet pulling back the blanket felt like a deeply offensive violation of Bai Shuzhou’s final defensive line.

“Don’t move!”

The sudden rush of cold air against her skin exposed her still-healing wounds, catching them completely off guard.

Bai Shuzhou’s pupils constricted sharply, her vertical pupils narrowing to sharp slits. Her body stiffened violently, and a broken, primal growl escaped her throat, like that of a frightened cub: “Don’t look at me.”

Her usually clear, cold voice was now hoarse, as if mixed with gravel, and trembled uncontrollably. The sudden drop in pitch seemed to chill the entire room.

Zhu Yu hadn’t anticipated such a strong reaction. The unseen wound only intensified her anxiety, causing her heart to pound wildly. She knew that with just a little force, she could tear it open again, and the weakened Bai Shuzhou was in no condition to resist.

Yet the woman’s eyes, rimmed with red, flashed with surprise and humiliation, as if she desperately didn’t want to be seen.

It was as if some defensive mechanism had been triggered, but she no longer had the strength to raise her defenses and protect herself. All she could do was grip the corner of the blanket tightly, her knuckles white with strain, her body trembling uncontrollably.

No, no… For a brief moment of clarity, she stared in disbelief at her shaking hands.

As if suddenly realizing something, Bai Shuzhou opened her bloodless lips, wanting to say something to Zhu Yu. But this fleeting clarity was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, producing only a few fragmented syllables before being swiftly swallowed by a chaotic fog.

She looked utterly wretched.

“I’m sorry—” Zhu Yu stammered, feeling utterly helpless and overwhelmed.

Bai Shuzhou tilted her head back, fine beads of cold sweat glistening on her forehead. With the last of her strength, she gritted her teeth and commanded, “Get out!”

Her voice was sharp and resolute, brooking no argument—a stark contrast to the absolute control she had exerted when first drawing Zhu Yu close, now used to forcefully push her away.

The piercing ring of the emergency call echoed through the room. The Snow Leopard Knight materialized like a ghost, forcefully “escorting” the dazed Zhu Yu out.

As the distance widened, the antiseptic smell of disinfectant filled the air. Zhu Yu finally noticed that the soft, wide bed resembled a solitary island.

There were no shoes, no wheelchair, no… Bai Shuzhou.

Tears still streaked her face, and the places Bai Shuzhou had touched burned with a numb, aching pain. The empathy she felt now materialized into a sharp blade, repeatedly crushing her heart.

The unbearable pain was especially acute when it came from her beloved.

She hated her belated realization, having allowed Bai Shuzhou to endure this torment alone for so long.

Zhu Yu tried to break free from the Snow Leopard Knight’s grip. She couldn’t just leave like this!

The moment Zhu Yu stepped outside, a suffocating wave of seawater-laden air crashed over her, nearly swallowing her whole.

Her knees buckled, and she only managed to avoid collapsing completely thanks to the Snow Leopard Knight’s firm grip. Glancing up, she met a pair of deep blue eyes, cold and disdainful, gazing down at her from above.

It was… Bai Qianze.

She had been waiting here all along!

The Emperor’s terrifying mental pressure slammed into Zhu Yu’s mind, leaving it blank. Instinctive fear seized her body before her consciousness could react. She swiftly bowed, hearing herself utter a deeply respectful, “Your Majesty.”

Melno stood nearby, one hand clasped behind her back.

The Emperor’s gaze was glacial, her eyes sharp as ice picks, radiating pure contempt like a tangible force.

An invisible Mental Power surged, far more lethal than Izalia’s overt killing intent. It silently compressed the air, creating a suffocating sense of impending death.

Trash.

The word didn’t need to be spoken; it was etched into every icy glance.

“What good are you even capable of?” Bai Qianze’s voice rang out like jade striking metal, its metallic coldness laced with mockery.

The moment their eyes met, Zhu Yu saw through the Emperor’s utterly cold smile, beneath which lay a deep, undisguised murderous intent. It wasn’t an angry warning, but a casual command, as if brushing away a speck of dust.

The Emperor could kill her effortlessly, if she so chose.

The Emperor’s hand, a symbol of absolute authority, gracefully lifted and approached Zhu Yu.

In that critical moment, the Emperor’s gaze swept over Zhu Yu’s tightly clenched fist, clearly catching sight of the ring on her finger, which refracted a crimson halo.

It was the gift she had given Bai Shuzhou, now worn by Zhu Yu herself.

“Tch.” A chilling, contemptuous scoff.

“Just a plaything.” Bai Qianze withdrew her hand, frowning as if she had touched something filthy, and turned away without another glance, pushing the door open and striding inside.

Zhu Yu tried to follow, but Melno forcefully grabbed her arm, whispering urgently, “Are you so eager to die?”

The door hadn’t yet closed. In the silent corridor, Zhu Yu clearly heard Bai Shuzhou’s voice, choked with tears, calling out softly, “Imperial Sister…”

Alarm bells rang in Zhu Yu’s mind. Bai Shuzhou’s abnormal state and Bai Qianze’s overwhelming, domineering aura seemed to intertwine into an ominous premonition.

Ignoring Melno’s attempts to restrain her, Zhu Yu wrenched herself free with all her might.

Don’t bully her! Not even her own sister is allowed!

The door burst open. Contrary to her expectations of a tense confrontation, the scene inside was nothing like what Zhu Yu had imagined.

Bai Qianze was cradling Bai Shuzhou protectively in her arms, as if guarding a fragile treasure. With one hand, she held a cup of water, while with the other, she patiently fed pills, one by one, to her sister’s pale lips.

The Emperor had shed all her usual sharpness, leaving only a quiet, almost obsessive protectiveness.

Yet this tender scene filled Zhu Yu with an inexplicable dread.

Her intrusion shattered the eerie tranquility. Bai Shuzhou turned her head at the sound, her gaze rising over her sister’s shoulder to meet Zhu Yu’s.

In those pale blue eyes, the confusion and pain that had been there moments before were gone, as was the deep affection that had once resided within them.

What remained was a profound, utter emptiness—cold and hollow.

Instinctively, she shrank deeper into Bai Qianze’s warm embrace, huddling against him.

Bai Qianze sensed his sister’s distress. The frost that had just begun to thaw from his brow, melted by warmth, instantly froze over again, his murderous intent intensifying.

She slowly lifted her chin, her deep blue eyes locking onto Zhu Yu, who stood frozen in the doorway, radiating displeasure at the invasion of her territory.

“Get out. Do you still want to hurt her again?”

Zhu Yu stood rigid in the doorway, her breathing ragged.

Just moments ago, they had been kissing. Now, Bai Shuzhou’s gaze felt like it had reverted to their first meeting—cold and wary.

No, it was worse. Those hollow eyes held not even hatred.