Transmigrated as the Imperial Princess's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife - Chapter 7

Zhu Yu felt utterly wicked, her sins towering to the heavens!

How could she let the Princess go hungry? What difference was there between her and the original owner of this body, that scumbag?

Oh, wait, even that scumbag probably never starved Your Highness the Princess.

The image of Bai Shuzhou’s flushed ear tips flashed before Zhu Yu’s eyes, and her own face burned with shame. The guilt was even more intense than when she’d forgotten to feed the cat.

Her pockets were empty, her stomach was empty, and Zhu Yu dreaded owing anyone anything. Yet fate was chasing her down, kicking her in the rear.

Fine, so what if I lose face? Feeding my wife is the top priority!

Zhu Yu rehearsed her lines in the air the entire way, growing more confident with each repetition. But the moment she saw Helan, her carefully mustered courage deflated like a punctured balloon.

Clutching her wrist, she stammered, “Sister Helan.”

Helan raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping Zhu Yu up and down.

Yesterday, Zhu Yu had been covered in dust and looked pale, clearly suffering from anemia. But after a night’s rest, her youthful radiance had returned.

Zhu Yu was actually slightly taller than Helan. With two buttons undone, her collarbones were perfectly exposed, accentuating her broad shoulders and narrow waist. Loose strands of hair framed her face beneath her high ponytail, giving her an air of casual, untamed elegance.

Yet her eyes were so clear, curving into an embarrassed smile as she looked at Helan.

Helan, who had seen countless people, immediately understood the situation. Still, she asked slowly, “What’s wrong? It’s too early to be at work.”

Zhu Yu gripped her wrist tightly. “Sister Helan, could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back after work when I get my wages, including the rent.”

They had only met the day before, and Zhu Yu already felt awkward asking for money. She quickly added, “I can tutor Little Ming for free tonight…”

Helan chuckled. “College student, with your personality, you’ll get taken advantage of in the real world.”

“One thing at a time. Don’t undervalue your labor. If you lower your worth, others will only see you as cheap.”

“Knowledge is precious,” Helan tapped her head and reached for her wallet. “How much do you need?”

Zhu Yu asked cautiously, “What’s the average daily wage for part-time work here?”

Helan had saved them, provided accommodation, and even found her a job. Her kindness far surpassed that of the black market tutor.

“It depends on what you’re willing to do. Easier jobs pay around 100 Star Coins a day, paid daily.”

Zhu Yu quickly responded, “What about more strenuous jobs? I’m a hard worker.”

With the Alpha physique, it would be a waste not to work like a beast of burden.

Helan opened her personal terminal and scanned through the listings:

“Nutrient solution factory: 180 Star Coins, six-hour shifts, rotating schedule. Overtime is available, so you can earn more by working extra hours.”

“Plant and animal classification: 270 Star Coins, eight-hour shifts. This is a high hourly wage for this area, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t been vaccinated against Madgrass. Getting bitten wouldn’t be worth the pay.”

Zhu Yu had never heard of plants and animals needing classification before. Her eyes lit up with curiosity, but when she heard about the risk of being bitten, she immediately recoiled slightly, forcing a sheepish smile. “Then I’ll take the nutrient solution factory job. Can I borrow 50 Star Coins?”

Helan transferred 50 Star Coins to her, adding a word of caution: “Food here is expensive. Use this as a benchmark, and don’t get ripped off when you’re buying things.”

“Got it! Thank you so much!”

On this planet, citizens of the Empire and the Federation lived side by side, their political ideologies frozen decades in the past. The old national animosities had blurred into a chaotic mix, and many, like Zhu Yu, were of mixed heritage.

A personal terminal was similar to the smartphones of ancient Earth, capable of connecting to the StarNet, but its capabilities naturally couldn’t compare to the advanced Light Brains.

Zhu Yu vaguely remembered that personal terminals were relatively affordable, with government subsidies available for promoting their use in underdeveloped regions. However, when she inquired about the price, she found they still cost several thousand credits, and she immediately backed down.

It was probably because this backward planet didn’t even have a proper government; they were still outside the reach of such subsidies.

Ha, ha, ha! I’m so poor, it’s laughable!

Forcing herself to cheer up, Zhu Yu ran to a nearby breakfast stall and splurged twenty credits on ten steamed buns.

But when she got them, she realized they were mechanically made—cloned, almost. Each bun was identical, rigid, and cold, a far cry from the fragrant, warm, handmade buns she remembered.

And when she bit into one, there was barely any meat inside, nothing like Sister Helan’s cooking.

Well, maybe this is how they eat in this strange world, Zhu Yu thought, gritting her teeth. She lingered in front of the stall for a moment before buying a cup of what looked like the most normal soy milk.

As she turned, she saw an advertisement for nutrient solution hanging atop the tallest building. Even in daylight, the neon lights blazed brightly, with the most prominent red letters proclaiming: “Human Feed.”

A deep unease stirred within Zhu Yu. While they were indeed treated like beasts of burden, food was paramount for the people, and it felt wrong to directly equate it to livestock feed.

Yet, drawn by the dazzling colored lights, she couldn’t help but glance at the smaller print below:

Variety of options, clearly priced!

Satisfying in just three minutes, a few bites, and the cheapest option is only five yuan!

Five yuan for a filling meal? That was undeniably tempting. The lingering discomfort hadn’t faded, but Zhu Yu looked away, tucked the bun into her coat, and hurried back home.

I’ll eat after Bai Shuzhou finishes. The leftovers can be my lunch.

Back at home, Bai Shuzhou picked up a bun, took a bite, and paused. Her elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly, but her impeccable manners compelled her to swallow it down.

The outer skin was as hard as plastic, and the meat filling was clearly not pure meat, tainted with the acrid tang of cheap artificial flavoring.

Did Zhu Yu deliberately find this awful thing to humiliate me?

She took a sip of soy milk and forced herself to take a second bite.

The strange texture intensified, the cheap flavoring seemingly masking something else.

Frozen, unnatural, industrial… How disgusting. Bai Shuzhou recalled the massive chimneys in her hometown, glimpsed from afar during border patrols, billowing black smoke.

Zhu Yu sat in her chair, hands propped on the table, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on Bai Shuzhou.

Watching a beautiful woman eat was a truly delightful sight. Bai Shuzhou’s elegant demeanor transformed even a simple steamed bun into something resembling fine French cuisine.

For the first time, Zhu Yu experienced firsthand what it meant for beauty to be “a feast for the eyes.” Just watching Bai Shuzhou’s lips and teeth meet, her cheeks puff slightly as she chewed delicately, filled her with a sense of contentment.

Bai Shuzhou paused. Assuming she was being polite, Zhu Yu quickly averted her gaze and waved her hand magnanimously. “Go ahead and eat! There’s plenty more.”

“Eat well,” Zhu Yu continued. “You need to be full to heal properly. I’m also experimenting with my Mental Power. Once I’ve calculated the optimal intervals, I can give you regular treatments.” She spoke with a hint of barely concealed pride.

Under Zhu Yu’s increasingly intense and peculiar gaze, Bai Shuzhou remained silent, slowly taking a third bite.

Of course she knew that eating well was essential for healing. But…

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Zhu Yu asked gently, noticing Bai Shuzhou’s discomfort.

It was indeed a bit shabby to serve a dignified Imperial Princess steamed buns. Unfortunately, the current circumstances were humble. A meal at Helan’s place cost nearly seventy credits per person for just two dishes.

Zhu Yu rubbed her hands together self-consciously, secretly vowing to work harder and strive to stabilize their meals at four dishes and a soup!

Bai Shuzhou’s hand, clutching the bun, froze mid-air.

Zhu Yu had said those words to her countless times. In the palace, when Bai Shuzhou’s appetite waned, Zhu Yu would wrap her arms around her from behind, leaning in close with the softest voice: “Don’t you like it?”

“Do you know how many people in the entire Empire, your own subjects, go hungry every day?”

“The meal you’re about to throw away could save dozens of lives, Your Highness the Princess.”

“Are you going to waste it? It’s such a pity. Why not just eat it? It’s as simple as taking medicine.”

Her fingers would trace Bai Shuzhou’s neck, lightly pressing against her throat, then gripping it with an irresistible allure: “Swallow it, Princess.”

Bai Shuzhou’s stomach churned violently; she felt like she was about to vomit.

She mechanically swallowed, choking. Her strict upbringing forbade her from spitting anything out. Clutching her lips, her chest heaved violently as she coughed.

Zhu Yu immediately stood up and patted her back until the small wad of dough was coughed into her palm. Tears welled in the woman’s eyes.

She closed her eyes in humiliation, tears clinging to her lashes before trembling and sliding down her cheeks.

Zhu Yu wanted to lighten the mood, to ease her sorrow. But the woman’s pale blue eyes were filled with layers of unfathomable melancholy, threatening to drown her.

Zhu Yu held up the steamed bun and playfully pinched it in front of Bai Shuzhou, adopting a teasing tone like she was coaxing a child. “Bold bun, daring to attack the Princess!”

“I won’t eat it!” Bai Shuzhou swept the bun away with a dismissive wave.

Caught off guard, Zhu Yu lost her grip, and the plastic bag flew from her hand, tumbling to the ground.

The pristine white buns rolled across the floor, their delicate skins picking up dust.

The atmosphere suddenly stiffened, the air thick and suffocating.

Hate blazed in Bai Shuzhou’s icy eyes. Zhu Yu froze, stunned by the woman’s sudden fury.

“It’s okay, if you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it.”

Zhu Yu crouched down to gather the fallen buns. They’d been on the ground for more than three seconds but less than three minutes—still edible after a quick rinse.

“How about we eat at that place from last night? Did you like it? It’s all handmade, and the ingredients are super fresh.”

Bai Shuzhou leaned against the pillows, her eyes closed, long lashes casting shadows across her face. Having not slept all night, exhaustion and hunger now surged over her.

Her icy demeanor seemed to form a barrier, keeping others at bay and protecting her within its safe confines.

Zhu Yu ruffled her hair, unsure how to safely breach this barrier. A reckless intrusion would only hurt them both, but she couldn’t just leave Bai Shuzhou alone.

Loneliness was dangerous.

And she was starving!

Zhu Yu could almost feel Bai Shuzhou’s silver hair losing its luster, a sight that broke her heart. She desperately wanted to buy a whole table of food, jump up, and shout, “Eat whatever you want! Don’t deprive yourself!”

You lousy, disgusting buns! You’re practically making the Princess cry!

She jingled the loose change in her pocket, regretting that reality wouldn’t let her play the domineering CEO. She was even poorer now than she’d been at the end of her university months.

Back when she had a little spare money, she used to give some to beggars. Now, she was so broke she just wanted to shout at them, “Senior, please take me with you!”

“Are you still hungry?”

Bai Shuzhou closed her eyes, refusing to speak, as if determined to starve herself to death. But her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. She was desperately hungry, her face as pale as porcelain, yet a blush of shame crept up her ears.

How could she, as an Imperial Princess, be reduced to this?

She would rather starve than beg for a single bite of food!

“Come on, eat something else?” Zhu Yu crouched by the bed, patiently coaxing her, as if she were feeding a haughty cat for a friend back in Dream Back. Even with a can of food open, she’d had to coax it to eat.

Bai Shuzhou faced the wall, her silver hair swaying gently with each breath. The sight melted Zhu Yu’s heart, and her clear voice turned high-pitched. She nearly blurted out a “mew.”

What could she do? She had no temper when it came to such a stunning beauty.

Especially since this beauty was her wife. No matter how cold her expression, it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—a thought she kept strictly to herself, a temporary legal wife, now in the past tense.

At least I didn’t actually throw a bun at her! That’s already being pretty kind.

The woman’s cold figure froze, her head tilting in disbelief, the tips of her ears flushing crimson with embarrassment and annoyance. Only then did Zhu Yu realize she had blurted out the words reflexively, though very softly…

She had just called the dignified Imperial Princess, the Emperor’s beloved sister, a noble SSS-Rank Dragon Clan member, “Chuo Chuo.”

For a fleeting moment, Zhu Yu seemed to glimpse her own death, envisioning an additional line being added to the original novel’s tragic torture scenes:

Chuo, the branding iron torture. Chuo, left and right.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Zhu Yu spread out both her hands, brought them close to Bai Shuzhou, and said softly, “Hungry, not hungry.”

The woman hesitated, maintaining a distance, her feather-like lashes trembling slightly as her gaze drifted to the left.

Hungry.

She seemed to be pondering Zhu Yu’s strange behavior, much like a clever orca observing a human performance, momentarily forgetting her anger.

“Can we eat at that place from last night? Yes, no.”

“Okay.”

“Meat or vegetables?” Zhu Yu asked, extending her hands again.

Meat!

This time, Bai Shuzhou’s gaze was much more resolute, her thin lips pressed into a firm line.

They say people with thin lips are often cold-hearted… Zhu Yu thought. She should eat more meat to nourish her body. “Braised beef noodles or steamed egg custard with braised pork rice?”

Before Zhu Yu could finish, Bai Shuzhou’s gaze shifted to the left: braised beef noodles.

“Great choice! I love that too! Creamy, milky bone broth, thick hand-pulled noodles, a sprinkle of vibrant green scallions, steaming hot braising sauce, and a generous spoonful of beef…”

Zhu Yu clearly saw Bai Shuzhou bite her lip, her pale blue eyes brightening slightly, a small tremor in her throat. The dry moonlight suddenly seemed to come alive, pooling in the palm of her hand.

Zhu Yu closed her hand, withdrawing the left hand that had been so decisively chosen, and clasped this small expectation.

Thick noodles, and lots and lots of beef!