Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 31

Give me a hint, even the slightest one would do.

Bai Shuzhou’s disguise was undoubtedly perfect. You can never wake someone who’s pretending to be asleep.

But just as Zhu Yu’s eyelashes trembled, on the verge of giving up, the signal she had been waiting for actually appeared in the darkness.

She could have remained silent. Even without saying anything, Zhu Yu would eventually leave. This single word, “Get out,” felt more like a self-deceiving, unspoken invitation.

Zhu Yu gazed at Bai Shuzhou’s slender, glacier-like silhouette. Her long, silvery-white hair was slightly disheveled, and the graceful curve of her neck stood out in the dim light, both beautiful and aloof.

Suddenly, she smiled silently.

Bai Shuzhou was naturally taciturn, like a tightly closed pearl oyster, hiding all her softness within a cold, hard shell.

Even when she and Zhu Yu had lived together in that cramped rental apartment, she had still shown a cool, gentle warmth toward the curious children.

But the moment she pursed her pale lips and the air around her silently grew heavy, it was like a warning before a blizzard sealed the mountains—a clear sign to keep away.

The boundary was drawn, inviolable.

Even the clingiest children would timidly retreat, afraid to disturb the impending storm.

He Ming had once quipped that Bai Shuzhou, in her silence, seemed like the type who wouldn’t even cry out if she accidentally kicked the bed corner—clearly not an ordinary mortal.

Of course, this hypothetical scenario didn’t apply to someone with a leg injury that prevented movement, making it a rather dark joke. Zhu Yu felt like she was currently that bed corner.

Instead of retreating, Zhu Yu boldly sat on the edge of the bed.

She didn’t kick it. Instead, she extended a slender finger and, with a hint of probing, gently poked the tightly wrapped blanket.

Zhu Yu turned her head, moonlight bathing her pale profile, her dark eyes gleaming. Her voice was soft and gentle:

“Aren’t you curious why you married me?”

Beneath the blanket, the tip of the other person’s ear twitched almost imperceptibly.

This was her trump card. Zhu Yu refused to believe anyone could resist such curiosity.

If I woke up with amnesia, only to be told I was married and about to get divorced, my first reaction would be panic, desperately trying to figure out what had happened.

Especially for Bai Shuzhou, whose memories had regressed to her younger years, still reeling from the loss of her mother and at her most vulnerable.

Given their unique circumstances and complex emotions, Bai Shuzhou would likely hear multiple conflicting narratives.

Bai Qianze would undoubtedly present it as a lesson in legal principles, while public opinion would likely be sharply divided: one camp seeing it as a story of an icy princess falling for a pure-hearted commoner, the other as a cunning schemer’s anti-fraud propaganda.

You can’t slap a smiling face. Zhu Yu adopted a soft, gentle demeanor, her voice warm and soothing as she asked, “How old are you now, Your Highness?”

She was practically coaxing her. Eighteen-year-old Bai Shuzhou hated being treated like a child. Her pearly teeth bit down slightly on her pale lips in irritation as she pushed herself up on her elbows.

Moonlight traced the contours of her cool, regal face. Even in this informal setting, she couldn’t allow herself to lie down while speaking to an outsider—it was simply undignified.

Moreover, being at a lower level would make her appear vulnerable. She needed to maintain control at all times.

Zhu Yu instinctively reached out to support her, adjusting the pillow beneath her head. Her fingertips brushed against Bai Shuzhou’s smooth, cool skin, and both women froze. The movement felt so familiar and natural, as if they had done it countless times before.

For Bai Shuzhou, this casual touch was already a significant transgression. She had always recoiled from physical contact, yet strangely, in Zhu Yu’s presence, that instinctive aversion vanished.

The girl’s palm was warm and dry, a stark contrast to the Dragon Clan’s icy body temperature—almost scalding.

A faint tremor rippled across Bai Shuzhou’s usually glacial expression. She couldn’t help but think, Hmm, just as I imagined. So soft.

The slight calluses on the girl’s fingertips grazed against Bai Shuzhou’s snow-white arm, leaving a faint red mark.

Zhu Yu’s ears flushed crimson. Flustered, she didn’t know where to look, her breath catching in her throat.

Every previous encounter had been far more intimate than this, she thought. The Heat Period’s desperate clinging, her half-kneeling by the sickbed, their almost frantic kisses…

Yet now, with just the briefest touch of fingertips, her heart was racing wildly.

Bai Shuzhou’s expression remained unnervingly calm and detached, her emotions withdrawn, making Zhu Yu’s infatuation seem even more irrational and inappropriate. The tips of Zhu Yu’s fingers tingled slightly.

Leaning against a soft pillow, Bai Shuzhou silently scrutinized Zhu Yu through half-lidded eyes. The light traced the sharp line of her jaw and those pale blue eyes that revealed no emotion.

She spoke softly, her voice like spring water chilled by snow: “At eighteen, I differentiated into an Omega.”

This was hardly good news.

Despite her frail constitution since childhood, she had clung to the hope that secondary differentiation might bring a turning point. But her weak body couldn’t withstand high levels of mental power, becoming a burden instead. She had disappointed many.

Zhu Yu, oblivious to the weight in her words, brightened, her lips curving into a smile. “Eighteen is a great age!”

How astonishing—she had actually…

At this moment, Bai Shuzhou’s aura was both ethereal and sharp-edged. With her chin slightly raised, her innate arrogance radiated a beautiful, almost aggressive quality. At first glance, she seemed even more mature than she had at twenty-five.

Before the rose bloomed, its thorns had already grown sharp.

As her slender eyes tilted slightly upward, that condescending gaze, as clear as snowflakes, drifted unreservedly into Zhu Yu’s eyes.

It was as if Bai Shuzhou was deliberately showing Zhu Yu her most aloof side.

“So,” Bai Shuzhou asked, “why did we get married?”

Zhu Yu had already gathered a wealth of information discreetly, but she still wanted to hear the answer from Bai Shuzhou herself.

This was merely a conversation starter. Zhu Yu hadn’t expected a particularly sophisticated response, and the answer slipped out unconsciously: “Marriage is, of course, because… two people love each other!”

Bai Shuzhou’s face remained expressionless. “You’re being evasive. Get out.”

Young people are always more sensitive to emotions, and lies are easily exposed. Zhu Yu sat up straight, her hands resting on her knees, stealing glances at Bai Shuzhou’s reaction. “Well, actually, it’s more like… a marriage of convenience that might lead to love later?”

“Love?” Bai Shuzhou smiled faintly, like a newly formed icicle piercing Zhu Yu’s heart. “You only came to me for the divorce confirmation, didn’t you?”

“I will never love anyone,” she declared with icy certainty, delivering her verdict. “Don’t waste your energy.”

Zhu Yu lifted her head, gazing at that cold, impassive face. Yet all she could think of was that passionate kiss they had shared that night.

The body never lies. Zhu Yu had once nestled softly in her arms, utterly exhausted, melting into her embrace like a drop of honey, gentle and slow.

Zhu Yu disliked extremes, but this subtle contrast—this endearing gap between Bai Shuzhou’s tough exterior and soft heart—was like a tiny hook, quietly lifting her heart.

Eighteen—shouldn’t this be the age of dreaming about the future?

Tough words, soft heart, even softer lips.

She was willing to talk about it. In fact, she had thought about it.

Her heart, which had plummeted to the depths, was suddenly pulled back up, faintly glowing like a takoyaki ball flipped over, golden and tempting before Bai Shuzhou.

Zhu Yu tried to emulate Bai Shuzhou’s ideal type: the femme fatale.

She began her clumsy courtship.

In the steamy bathroom, she practiced countless times in front of the mirror.

How could she smile more seductively? The books said: three parts aloofness, seven parts abandon, like the serpent in Eden, tempting souls.

And a touch of tantalizing nearness, neither too close nor too distant.

Zhu Yu didn’t dare actually touch her, fearing she would startle the eighteen-year-old Bai Shuzhou. The last transgression had haunted her with endless self-reproach. Instead, she used two fingers as tiny figures, gently walking them across the blanket, circling around to face Bai Shuzhou.

“I don’t have to be human,” she whispered, her voice clear and youthful, yet tinged with a magnetic huskiness. The ends of her words drifted upward, both suggestive and naive. “You’ll like me.”

Bai Shuzhou closed her eyes in silence, that strange sense of disconnect returning.

How could I ever like… this kind of thing?

“Get out!”

The words were too harsh. Bai Shuzhou froze, stunned by her own outburst. She couldn’t understand how Zhu Yu could drive her to such a loss of composure.

“No, wait! I’m sorry, I was wrong!” The girl immediately lowered her head, abandoning her haughty demeanor. Her voice turned soft and sweet, like honeyed silk. “Even if you don’t like me now, you will in the future… Can you at least give me a chance to pursue you?”

“Before you lost your memories, our feelings were truly wonderful.”

“We were stranded together, living side by side, and even helped crack a Star Pirate smuggling and trafficking case.”

“In my darkest hour, you descended like an angel, spreading your wings to protect me and guiding my rampaging, uncontrollable mental power…”

Bai Shuzhou, who hadn’t shifted into her beast form in years, gripped the blanket tightly and interrupted coldly, “How long have we been together? What are our birthdays and wedding anniversary dates? What irreplaceable value do you bring to me? Why should I love you?”

Ah. This sudden barrage of questions made Zhu Yuqiao’s scalp tingle and cold sweat trickle down her back.

She didn’t know—she genuinely didn’t know when the original owner of her body had gotten together with Bai Shuzhou. These questions were far beyond her depth.

Worse still, she didn’t even know Bai Shuzhou’s birthday! What a scumbag! How utterly outrageous!

Their relationship had begun too hastily, leaving them now facing each other like two blank sheets of paper—not even clean ones.

Desperate, Zhu Yuqiao racked her brain, watching Bai Shuzhou’s expression grow colder by the second. She frantically tried to fill in the blanks on this impossible exam:

“I know you can’t stand cilantro, you love braised pork, you prefer wide noodles over thin ones, you won’t eat carrots unless they’re finely diced, and you like your vegetable rice stewed until it’s mushy…”

She couldn’t answer any of the crucial questions, and she was clearly changing the subject. Just as I thought—this scumbag A! She hasn’t cared about anything at all. All those deep emotions she pretends to show in front of the media? It’s all just for personal gain.

Bai Shuzhou sneered, “My chefs know all that.”

The sharp-eyed Bai Shuzhou possessed a gaze that could pierce through any pretense. Zhu Yu’s guilt had no place to hide under her pale blue scrutiny.

Suddenly, a spark ignited in Zhu Yu’s mind. That’s right, I have irreplaceable value!

Zhu Yu carefully grasped Bai Shuzhou’s fingertips, her other hand opening to gently shield them, as if protecting a fragile flame from a raging wind.

In a corner beyond the camera’s reach, warm, glowing sparks spread along their touching skin, silently connecting them. The gentle warmth flowed like an electric current, surging upward.

A crack finally appeared in Bai Shuzhou’s impassive facade, even more pronounced than when she first witnessed Zhu Yu’s Ability.

She lowered her gaze in disbelief at their intertwined fingertips, a faint sigh escaping her lips before she bit down, locking away all traces of her momentary lapse.

That fleeting moment of vulnerability on her usually cold and aloof face made her appear extraordinarily vulnerable.

“You…”

“Mm-hmm!” Zhu Yu squeezed her fingertips, a hint of smugness in her voice. From initially being passively taken from, she now had the power to actively control it.

She tilted her chin slightly and said softly, “You taught me well.”

“Please keep me here. Don’t divorce me. I can be very useful to you…” She paused briefly, then added in a low voice, “Very useful.”

Even compared to her formidable rivals, she possessed unique advantages—and not just in cooking.

After a brief silence, Bai Shuzhou lifted his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear, as if gently reclaiming the initiative. He raised his gaze, his tone measured yet tinged with uncertainty, “Did I teach you that line too?”

Ah, ah…! The upward inflection in his voice made Zhu Yu’s ears burn.

They were both eighteen, yet why was Bai Shuzhou so skilled at flirting?

Having grown up in the Emperor’s household, Bai Shuzhou clearly valued stable alliances based on mutual benefit. Once Zhu Yu revealed her trump card, his initial sharpness softened.

She proposed a formal contractual partnership once more, insisting that their respective stakes and demands be clearly outlined in writing. Zhu Yu was already familiar with this process, but during the final handshake, she deliberately held his hand for a few extra seconds, indulging her secret satisfaction.

Heh heh, so what if Bai Qianze doesn’t believe in me? I’ll prove him wrong! Bai Shuzhou will still choose me, even if it’s only in this form!

Seeing the goofy grin Zhu Yu couldn’t hide, Bai Shuzhou lowered her gaze and emphasized in a cool tone, “It’s just a contract. I told you, I won’t fall for you, and I can’t love you. Don’t overstep. Understand?”

Understand, Zhu Yu thought, nodding slightly. She understood all too well. Bai Shuzhou had said exactly that back then.

But later… well, that was a different story.

If this reassurance put Zhu Yu at ease, then so be it.

However, Bai Shuzhou’s detached, businesslike tone, as if all their intimacy had truly been nothing more than a transaction, subtly pricked Zhu Yu’s heart.

Like a cool autumn night breeze brushing her cheek, something felt empty and hollow.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yu realized she still didn’t know how to control her pheromones. She reached back to gently press her vulnerable scent glands at the nape of her neck.

Bai Shuzhou had done this before. But Zhu Yu’s own technique was far inferior, lacking the tingling, numbing sensation and producing only a faint ache.

A warm, woody scent mingled with the rich fragrance of roses filled the air, causing Bai Shuzhou to frown slightly and subtly retreat.

She was acutely sensitive to Zhu Yu’s scent—far more so than Zhu Yu realized.

Is it still not obvious enough? Zhu Yu thought, gritting her teeth as she watched Bai Shuzhou’s unchanging expression. She cursed her Alpha constitution; her body healed too quickly, erasing the kiss marks Bai Shuzhou had left behind. If only even the bite marks could still claim ownership!

Oh, and there was this… She carefully lifted the diamond Bai Shuzhou had given her from her pocket, unwrapping layer after layer of the handkerchief. The deep blue Azure Star Diamond, still carrying Bai Shuzhou’s scent, finally emerged into the air.

“You gave me this after my Heat Period,” Zhu Yu said, her voice faltering slightly. She hesitated to add the words “as a token of our bond,” feeling a sudden shyness. She rubbed her fingers nervously, avoiding Bai Shuzhou’s gaze.

The gemstone, the lingering pheromones—these were undeniable proof of their past love.

Under the deep night sky, Bai Shuzhou studied the diamond’s shimmering light reflected on the young woman’s clear, bright face.

A marriage of convenience, multiple contracts, mutual support during Heat Periods, and this gift…

After a moment’s contemplation, the woman lifted her head, her expression composed. She cleared her throat softly, suppressing the strange flutter in her heart, and asked in an even colder tone:

“So, we’re just bedmates?”