After Differentiation, My Arch-nemesis Thinks I’m Fragrant - Chapter 32

When Shu Yu returned home, it was already past eleven o’clock.

There were some unavoidable social gatherings at the military department today. She had sent a message to her wife in advance, telling her to rest early.

However, as she approached the house, she saw a figure in the living room from a distance.

With only a quick glance, Shu Yu subconsciously called out, “Why are you still up so—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the person who had been leaning over the coffee table reading a book suddenly sprang up. This allowed Great Colonel Shu to see clearly a face that was thirty percent similar to Wei Shuangchi’s, yet appeared much more youthful.

The soft tone at the corner of her mouth vanished, replaced by a cold, somewhat stiff sentence: “No school tomorrow? Staying up this late?”

Shu Youzhan was clearly not accustomed to being alone with her mother either. She couldn’t help but tug at the thin cardigan draped over her pajamas and whispered, “Mother…”

Then, quite unpracticed, she added: “I… was waiting for you.”

Taking off her military boots and switching to indoor slippers, Shu Yu’s expression calmed significantly. She walked a few steps toward the living room, her wheat-colored skin glowing under the bright lights. She hummed casually, “Rare…”

Pausing, she glanced over. “Speak up, what is it?”

Shu Youzhan offered her a peeled orange, wearing the kind of smile she usually reserved only for Wei Shuangchi. Her tone was clearly pleasing: “Would… would you like some fruit?”

Shu Yu’s face showed no sign of her thoughts. She calmly took the orange, broke off a segment and put it in her mouth. She looked at her daughter again, noticing the expectant gaze in Shu Youzhan’s eyes. Her eyelids twitched as she managed to squeeze out two words: “Quite sweet…”

Shu Youzhan breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t Wei Shuangchi; it was difficult for her to read any emotional changes on Shu Yu’s face, which was perpetually full of imposing authority. Hearing her say the orange was sweet, Shu Youzhan figured she must be in a decent mood and tried to speak: “Mother, I… want to ask about something.”

Shu Yu sat down on the sofa with a commanding posture, tossing segments of the orange into her mouth one by one. She looked at her daughter playfully, tilting her chin to signal for her to speak.

Shu Youzhan felt inexplicably nervous.

It felt as if she were about to report something to a superior.

Her fingertips, hidden behind her back, couldn’t help but twist together. She took a deep breath, licked her lips, and finally spoke haltingly: “It’s just that… Zhao Qinglan took a leave of absence recently… Did she enter the military department? I’m just curious about what she’s busy with…

After all, I’ve always seen her as a rival. If she has some way of becoming stronger, I want to keep up too.”

Shu Yu slowly raised an eyebrow.

Shu Youzhan tensed up reflexively, not even daring to take a deep breath. Her dark brown eyes stared intently at Shu Yu, her palms sweating from nerves.

Then she heard her mother speak leisurely, a hint of a smile in her light brown, almost golden eyes: “About that, her methods aren’t suitable for you. You should just focus on your studies.”

Tossing the orange in her hand, Shu Yu rose from the sofa, preparing to head toward the upstairs bedroom. “Go to sleep early…”

Shu Youzhan wasn’t satisfied with waiting all night only to get such an answer. She boldly followed for a couple of steps and asked again: “Then… then can Mother tell me what exactly she is doing?”

Shu Yu stopped her pace and half-turned. “Matters of the Sixth Army—I am not clear on them.”

Clear disappointment flooded Shu Youzhan’s eyes.

Even her shoulders slumped.

It was rare for Shu Yu to find her daughter agreeable today, so she didn’t press further into unnecessary details. After a brief thought, she added: “I heard before that she had a few proposals. The final drafts have already been submitted to the Military Commission, and they are related to Omega rights. Unfortunately, my vote alone isn’t quite enough.”

Shu Youzhan looked up abruptly. Although she didn’t understand much, it didn’t stop her from memorizing Shu Yu’s words syllable by syllable.

After thinking for a moment, Shu Yu recalled another rumor: “That lunatic Zhao Xi seemed to be running an experiment before. Some say she dragged Zhao Qinglan into it as well. It seems it almost caused someone to differentiate into an O, though I don’t know if it’s true or false.”

Shu Youzhan was stunned.

She subconsciously responded, “Huh?”

Coming back to her senses, Shu Yu raised her hand as if to pat her. Seeing how her daughter’s shoulders tensed up with nervousness, she finally remembered that her daughter had recently differentiated into a “fragile” O, and her hand did not fall.

Instead, she spoke again: “It’s hearsay; anyway, I don’t know much. On the other hand, A-Chi mentioned your performance in physical training a few days ago… do you still want to enter the Imperial Military Academy?”

Shu Youzhan blinked. She could neither process the sudden change in topic nor dare not to answer. Steeling herself, she nodded her head.

Shu Yu gave a “hmmm.” “The Imperial Military Academy does not accept Omegas.”

Her throat moved. Shu Youzhan gripped the corner of her clothes and said softly, “I know…”

Shu Yu seemed to see through her wavering, and through her trembling, helpless soul in that moment. According to her usual style, she would definitely be unable to stand Shu Youzhan’s cowardly appearance and would drag her to the training room for a harsh beating to stop her from showing such an unseemly state.

But she was still holding that orange.

Wei Shuangchi’s past lectures to her popped up in her mind.

After several rounds of weighing her options, Shu Yu raised her hand to rub her temples, feeling a rare headache and a sense of difficulty. Although her tone was still impatient, she changed her words: “Eighty years ago, the Imperial Military Academy didn’t accept Betas either.”

Shu Youzhan stared at her blankly.

Shu Yu turned to walk upstairs, not looking back this time. The hem of her unbuttoned military uniform cut a cold arc through the air. “Zhao Qinglan has already chosen the path she wants to walk. Shu Youzhan, what kind of path do you plan to choose?”

In the night…

Shu Youzhan suffered from insomnia once again.

Clutching her phone, she tossed and turned in bed several times. Finally, she couldn’t help but light up the screen under the covers to search for the history of the Imperial Military Academy, browsing through almost all the stories of its distinguished figures.

The Beta who changed the admission scope of the Imperial Military Academy did not come from the Shu or Zhao families.

However, after entering the military department later, he made great contributions and even ended up on the Empire’s Wall of Fame. To avoid missing out on excellent talents like him, the Empire’s gender restrictions for enrollment were relaxed slightly.

Only, for all these years, not a single Omega had stepped forward to challenge the admission regulations.

Shu Youzhan was fired up by those stories of honor. Opening her palm, she looked at her increasingly fair and tender skin by the light of her phone, her heart pounding as she thought:

Will I be that person?

Can I do it?

Those bold thoughts were particularly prone to emerging in the quiet, pitch-black night.

But Shu Youzhan also had to admit that just thinking about these unprecedented things, amidst the boundless fear and urge to retreat, actually gave rise to endless yearning. It was as if she were possessed, willing to be ground into powder for the cause. Every cell in her body and every corner of her mind was screaming… Give it a try. What’s the harm in trying once?

In this night of tossing and turning, Shu Youzhan felt a rare sense of excitement. She tried hard to suppress this emotion.

But even when she fell asleep, her dreams were filled with her setting up training and study plans for herself.

The next day, when the light dawned and she got out of bed, she felt for the first time that the night had been long.

Shu Youzhan took the initiative to find Shu Yu the next morning, expressing her desire to add some daily training.

Shu Yu was drinking porridge. She blew on the heat in the bowl, a shallow smile in her eyes. She glanced at her daughter and said lazily, “I am very strict. If I beat you until you’re in pain one day, don’t go complaining to your mom.”

Wei Shuangchi came out of the kitchen. “Complaining about what?”

Shu Youzhan quickly shook her head and then made a serious promise to Shu Yu: “Okay…”

Tilting her head, Wei Shuangchi looked from one to the other, wondering how this mother and daughter had managed to break the ice. She just gave a “hey” and said, “How do I feel like you two have some little secret behind my back?”

Shu Youzhan quickly denied it. Just as she was about to explain, she saw Shu Yu pull her mother toward her by the waist. She hurriedly turned away, taking several bites of a hot, fragrant, freshly fried spring pancake. After finishing the food in her hand and hearing footsteps behind her, she turned back to ask: “By the way, Mom, was there a gift list for my birthday before?”

“Yes, why?”

“I want to take a look after school this afternoon. I’m suddenly curious about my future assets.”

Hearing this, Wei Shuangchi laughed. She handed her a tissue and shook her head. “What’s the use of looking now? Those are things that will only be handed over to you after you reach adulthood.”

Shu Youzhan puffed out her cheeks, acting aggrieved, and quickly went to her side, hugging her coquettishly: “Please, please! I’m just too curious. I promise I’ll just look; I beg of you…”

Wei Shuangchi couldn’t withstand her. Seeing that she even wanted to lean in and kiss her cheek, she hurriedly dodged with a look of feigned disgust, though she quickly conceded: “Fine, fine, I get it. I’ll have the butler take it out later. You better get to school or you’ll be late!”

“Hee hee, I knew Mom was the best.”

Shu Youzhan left the house with her backpack in a great mood.

When she looked up at the sky, she saw a brilliant morning glow. The colors were exceptionally beautiful, making her feel much more bright and cheerful. Thinking of her decision last night and those unsolved stories about Zhao Qinglan, she secretly set a small goal for herself in her heart.

She would take the exam for the Imperial Military Academy.

She also had to figure out what Zhao Qinglan had been busy with after taking her leave, and how far her progress in studies and training had reached.

In any case…

Some people shouldn’t think they can just leave her behind without saying a word.