Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 40

Zhu Yu always projected an air of such gentleness, like a harmless herbivore, that Feng Jiyan had almost forgotten the young body before him had been forged in the crucible of frontline combat. Its impurities had been purged, leaving taut muscles gleaming like newly forged silver, every inch radiating lethal intent.

This killing intent was fundamentally different from Bai Qianze’s condescending pressure, as if crushing an ant beneath his heel.

Instead, it was the distilled essence of experience forged from mountains of corpses and seas of bl00d. Even as Zhu Yu remained oblivious, her subconscious reflexes had already seized Feng Jiyan’s most vulnerable point—his throat—with one hand, while the other clamped down on his silver tongue, silencing his manipulative words.

The girl’s clear eyes locked fiercely onto Feng Jiyan.

She knew that Feng Jiyan and Bai Qianze were not alone; countless others lurked in the shadows, coveting Bai Shuzhou’s extraordinary talent and defenselessness, each vying for a share of the spoils.

Intrigue, calculation, undercurrents, human nature—it was all too complex.

These were the games she least understood.

“If I or the Princess are harmed again…”

Leaning closer, her husky voice whispered against his ear:

“No questions. I’ll kill you first.”

Feng Jiyan’s pupils trembled, utterly suppressed by the young woman’s overwhelming martial prowess. This was the first time she had ever been treated so brutally by someone of lower status.

Zhu Yu was easily provoked. Her limited experience made it difficult to distinguish between genuine truths and artful lies. As the chess player, Feng Jiyan had never considered Zhu Yu a worthy opponent, intending only to use her as a pawn to advance her own game.

But faced with such tangled chaos, Zhu Yu had only one response:

No questions. I’ll kill you first.

The chess piece on the board raised its blade.

Zhu Yu released her grip, her gaze falling on the ring of bruises around Feng Jiyan’s neck. The rage that had consumed her slowly receded, though the taut veins on her wrist still pulsed.

She tilted her head back and exhaled deeply.

The overwhelming killing intent radiating from her startled even herself, as if she truly possessed the power to destroy everything.

Initially, Zhu Yu had been terrified by this feeling. She loathed violence and disorder. Yet now, staring at her palm, she felt herself transported back to that moment when she had faced the Star Pirates, gripping the chainsaw.

She craved power, and by craving it, she could wield it.

This power stemmed from desire.

Wanting, yearning, desire—these were words Zhu Yu found shameful to utter. Suppressed and tamed for too long, they felt as natural as breathing when she finally confronted them.

Feng Jiyan clutched his throat, his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth. Her grip had left his throat aching, rendering him speechless. He could only watch helplessly as Zhu Yu stormed away.

Zhu Yu mused, No wonder the Empire reveres martial prowess. When she truly lost her temper, Feng Jiyan became docile, abandoning his glib tongue and cunning words.

In this world, weakness invited exploitation, and cowardice was a sin.

Yielding didn’t earn respect; it only emboldened others to take more.

This power coursed through her limbs, the girl’s face cold and her stride unusually swift. She had no idea how to control it.

Unseen, the blockages in her meridians gradually cleared, as if a drifting seed had finally found fertile soil, taking root and sprouting yet still lost in confusion.

A heavy atmosphere hung in the air.

She had become acutely sensitive, the world seeming unnaturally sharp. When she stopped at the doorway, she immediately sensed a familiar yet foreign presence.

It was… Gloriel.

Zhu Yu stopped at the doorway, her spiritual energy instinctively permeating the room. The warm, woody fragrance flowed through her veins like the winding branches of a tree, swaying in harmony with her will.

Inside the room, the woman on the sickbed seemed to sense her presence, her cold, pale blue eyes lifting slightly.

Meanwhile, Gloriel, her arm in a sling, continued her relentless tirade, clutching a thick stack of incriminating evidence as she vehemently accused Zhu Yu of harboring treacherous ambitions.

Gloriel’s noble lineage undoubtedly granted her immense influence, making it trivial to uncover Zhu Yu’s dark secrets. Moreover, the former “Zhu Yu” had never been discreet in her actions, earning the ire of many nobles who longed to see her eliminated.

Their first romantic encounter hadn’t occurred during the official military parade, as the propaganda claimed.

Instead, it happened at noon when Zhu Yu, skipping class, leaped over the academy wall, her skirt billowing as she landed right in front of Bai Shuzhou, who was visiting in disguise.

“Hey, are you from the dance academy next door? Let me give you a ride back on my bike! Please don’t report me—if the instructors catch me, I’m dead!”

The girl clasped her hands together, her smile radiant.

During that first meeting, neither of them exchanged names, as if it were merely a fleeting, innocent encounter.

Gloriel, after reviewing the data, insisted with unwavering conviction that Zhu Yu had been targeting Bai Shuzhou from the moment she set foot on the Imperial Star. Through meticulous reconnaissance, planning, and repeated rehearsals, Zhu Yu had ensured their “chance” encounter.

The Princess, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns in her lofty tower, was most vulnerable to the allure of fervent, genuine affection.

She gradually closed in, tightening her net, leaving no trace of her cunning. After their marriage, she revealed her true nature, leaving Bai Shuzhou scarred and broken.

While she coveted the supreme power Bai Shuzhou brought her, she resented his overbearing control during their courtship. In drunken rages, she publicly denounced the Royal Family, calling Bai Shuzhou, as a sensitive Omega, “dull and rigid,” refusing even his touch.

If Bai Shuzhou were to bear her child, the entire Empire would eventually belong to her and her offspring.

“The Empire owes me this!” At the end of the recording, her alcohol-soaked voice grew hoarse. The young woman let out a low, malicious laugh, the muffled sound blurring into something that resembled sobbing.

The more shocking Zhu Yu’s dark side became, the more the Alphas, who had been calling her “sister” and “darling,” erupted into raucous laughter—until it abruptly ceased.

Gloriel kept her posture low, half-bowing to avoid exceeding Bai Shuzhou’s height and refraining from the direct gaze she had dared to give the previous day.

Overflowing with indignation, she passionately recounted Zhu Yu’s alleged crimes, a twisted excitement flickering deep within her eyes.

This is what she truly thinks.

Forcing Bai Shuzhou to stay under the guise of “doing what’s best for her” was nothing more than covert bullying.

So this was all a princess, the Dragon Clan’s most gifted member in centuries, amounted to! Because of this so-called “love,” she had been reduced to a mere object of scrutiny and discussion through repeated acts of forbearance and compromise.

Desperate to possess her, yet unable to reach her lofty status, Gloriel sought to devalue her through slander, dragging her down to her own level.

“Your Highness the Princess, your amnesia has allowed Zhu Yu… Your Highness, to deceive you once again!”

“His Majesty withheld these ugly truths to spare you pain, but I refuse to let you repeat your mistakes!”

“I pledge myself as your knight. Should you ever need it, the Mondo Clan will swear eternal loyalty to you—”

Gloriel pressed a hand to her heart, forcing a warm, sunny smile. Under the influence of a certain reagent, her pheromones became cloyingly sweet.

She was attempting to seduce the Princess, just as Zhu Yu had done before, once again gambling with her clan’s honor.

The sick and fragile Bai Shuzhou, whose memories were still fresh from her recent Omega differentiation, was confined to a small sickbed. She desperately needed to cultivate her strength.

At eighteen, Bai Shuzhou differentiated, the late Empress relinquished her authority, and Bai Qianze formally ascended the throne as Emperor.

The foxes understood each other implicitly. The fact that Bai Shuzhou’s fragmented memories had reverted to this precise moment was undeniably significant.

At that time, Bai Qianze was the only person Bai Shuzhou could trust and rely on. Over the next seven years, Bai Shuzhou’s public appearances grew increasingly rare, and she became ever more withdrawn.

Bai Qianze would always say gently, “Little Zhou, you’re just sick.”

Gloriel subtly raised her eyebrows, trying to gauge Bai Shuzhou’s expression. Even though the act was convincing, a flicker of secret anticipation still seeped through her clouded gaze.

She was waiting for Bai Shuzhou to lose control, to weep, to see the lofty princess fall from her pedestal.

Look! The person you love has been lying to you all along!

But the woman, resting her chin on one hand, her cool, elegant brows slightly arched, was also waiting.

“Is that so?”

She casually toyed with the apology gift Gloriel had given her—a Double Fish Jade Pendant of exceptional quality. Its porcelain-white surface radiated a cold, translucent glow, appearing like flowing water under the light. Yet when she held it in her palm, her fingertips brushing against it, it felt surprisingly warm.

It looked remarkably like someone.

Gloriel had invested heavily in this, as the former Bai Shuzhou had indeed been searching for something similar, driving up the price of jade to exorbitant levels.

But now, it was no longer needed.

Outside the door, Zhu Yu clenched her fists, her murderous intent radiating without restraint.

Feng Jiyan had deliberately sent her away, giving Gloriel the opportunity to sow discord and then sit back to watch the chaos unfold.

But these were secondary concerns.

In just one night, Gloriel had managed to unearth so much dirt on the original Zhu Yu. Had she never considered that if even she could uncover these secrets, surely the Emperor would have been aware of them long ago?

The reason the original Zhu Yu dared to harm Bai Shuzhou so recklessly, escalating her cruelty bit by bit, was clearly because Bai Qianze had tacitly approved of it!

Only by allowing Bai Shuzhou to suffer could she ensure his continued dependence on her, content to remain a canary in a gilded cage.

Perhaps she hadn’t anticipated that her games would go too far, driving her kind and gentle sister to complete darkness.

Transforming a person’s character isn’t a single, sudden event, but rather the cumulative effect of years of subtle, insidious oppression, until a catalyst triggers an explosive eruption.

Thump!

The young woman raised her slender leg and kicked down the massive door with a thunderous crash.

Feng Jiyan’s words had struck a nerve.

She couldn’t touch Bai Qianze, but what about the others?

With each setback, Zhu Yu grew at an astonishing rate. She emerged from her sheltered existence, striving to sink roots deep into the earth, gradually absorbing the world’s nutrients, and seeking the best way to survive within its rules.

Initially, she had only wanted to live.

But now, she craved happiness—immense, boundless happiness.

Gloriel, who had just finished passionately berating Zhu Yu, turned her head in surprise. She saw the girl, who had been relatively mild-tempered the day before, now striding forward with a cold expression.

Like a war god fresh from the battlefield, Zhu Yu radiated murderous intent. Her pearls swayed with each step, and every footfall of her soft boots seemed to splash bl00d across the ground.

“Having seen Your Highness, why do you not kneel?”

She had seen Bai Qianze forced to kneel, and even Bai Shuzhou made to kneel publicly.

Weren’t the nobles the ones who loved to use their rigid hierarchy to oppress others?

Zhu Yu couldn’t control her pheromones, but as the strongest single combatant, she knew a simpler method.

She grabbed Gloriel’s shoulder and swiftly kicked the back of her knee. The haughty Gloriel suddenly buckled, collapsing to her knees.

“I pledge to be your knight. As long as you need me, Zhu Yu will swear eternal loyalty to you—”

Not my clan, but me—I offer you my entire being.

Zhu Yu knew how to perform the knight’s oath.

Wearing Bai Shuzhou’s magnificent attire, Zhu Yu pressed a hand to her heart, tilted her body slightly, and pledged her loyalty to her Princess, her beloved.

She had secretly observed the Snow Leopard Knight’s every move countless times. The Knight’s armor was undeniably striking—platinum-colored, paired with a majestic, sweeping tail—drawing all eyes wherever she went.

Zhu Yu didn’t need such attention. All she desired was for those pale blue eyes to gaze quietly upon her, and that alone would suffice.

Sunlight streamed through the edges of her hair, casting a faint golden halo. The woman chuckled softly, a brief, joyful sound, her cool, clear voice ringing like a bell against Zhu Yu’s heart.

Zhu Yu bit her lip nervously, her eyes reddening slightly. Overwhelmed by the sudden rush of emotions, she realized her actions had been too hasty and impulsive. After being exposed with undeniable evidence of her past misdeeds, she had offered no defense, immediately swearing loyalty. The abrupt shift felt jarring, as if she hadn’t prepared for anything.

There was no proper oath, merely an imitation of others’ words, and no formal sword-bestowal ceremony…

Yet in that moment, the sunlight was perfect, the glaciers were melting, and Bai Shuzhou’s indifferent, pale eyes reflected Zhu Yu’s image. The entire world seemed to tilt with the lift of her hand.

The small red mole on her slender wrist trembled slightly.

Under Bai Shuzhou’s gentle gaze, even the timid Zhu Yu would have earnestly replied, “Okay, I’ll think of a way!” if Bai Shuzhou had said, “Go kill Bai Qianze.”

In reality, the woman on the sickbed merely rested her cool fingertips lightly on Zhu Yu’s head. Her jade-like fingers slid through the dark strands of hair, stroking its softness.

Zhu Yu’s tense heart melted into tenderness.

Zhu Yu had never known that simply being patted on the head could feel so comforting. Her anger and murderous intent vanished instantly, finding a long-lost sense of belonging in Bai Shuzhou’s palm.

“Good girl,” the woman said in her cool, clear voice. “You’ve done very well.”

Such gentle praise, delivered in that thin, icy tone, felt utterly unfair.

It represented unparalleled favoritism, bypassing the most basic distance between people and sending a tingling sensation through Zhu Yu’s scalp.

Bai Shuzhou handed the “evidence” to Zhu Yu, whispering, “You do it. Tear it apart with your own hands.”

The girl bit her lip, her pupils gradually shrinking.

Standing outside the door, listening to the litany of her misdeeds, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious. She had even instinctively braced herself for the worst, and the kick she’d given Gloriel had been partly driven by personal animosity.

But after reviewing Zhu Yu’s damning evidence, Bai Shuzhou simply lowered her gaze and said calmly:

“I believe in my… knight.”

Gloriel, kneeling on the floor, trembled violently. In that instant, she had become a laughingstock.

Even after all this, Bai Shuzhou would still steadfastly choose Zhu Yu?!

Rip, rip.

Starting with a tentative tear of a corner, Zhu Yu discovered for the first time how cathartic tearing paper could be. Her suppressed ambition and wildness were unleashed, as if severing ties with her murky past. Both of them were welcoming a brand new beginning.

The sharp black words on white paper instantly transformed into a blizzard of falling snow.

After tossing the superfluous witnesses on the floor outside, Zhu Yu closed the massive door before the Snow Leopard, who had been sent away, could return. She forced her face into a stern expression, determined not to break into a silly grin too quickly.

That wouldn’t be very cool.

Must maintain composure!

Using the metallic reflection, Zhu Yu gazed at her own serious yet dashing reflection, tightened her hair, and took a deep breath.

Oh no, I’m starting to act like a knight! She needed to smile more mischievously; Bai Shuzhou might prefer that. She needed to be three parts wicked and seven parts nonchalant…

“Come here,” Bai Shuzhou said, having observed every small movement Zhu Yu made. He chuckled softly. “Reclaim your pheromone.”

Idiot, you’re wearing your emotions on your pheromone sleeve.

It’s dangerous.

And… far too ostentatious.

“Is it?” Zhu Yu raised her hand, sniffed, and could only detect Bai Shuzhou’s rose scent clinging to her.

There was only a subtle difference, one she couldn’t discern.

“Yes, it’s quite strong. Please, Knight, exercise some control,” Bai Shuzhou said, his hands clasped behind his back, deliberately maintaining a distant posture. He feigned pinching his nose, but his palm remained slightly open, his little finger gently curling inward.

“Teach me, Princess…” Bai Shuzhou’s favoritism emboldened Zhu Yu. She sat on the edge of the bed, still formally addressing her with respectful titles, but already gently taking her hand, pressing her nose against it, and asking softly, “Is this good?”