After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“Omegas are creatures of heavy desire, and they are exceptionally skilled at feigning weakness.” This was Lu Shen’s internal assessment.

An assessment she only formed after biting An Zhaoyu.

Lu Shen didn’t know if all Omegas were like this—using a charming, delicate facade to lure her into providing pheromones—only for An Zhaoyu to turn around and pin her down the moment her heat was soothed. It was impossible to tell if the Omega even possessed a clear consciousness in those moments.

Lu Shen didn’t dare make too much noise; the baby was sleeping soundly nearby. But An Zhaoyu seemed intent on making her lose her voice.

Lu Shen didn’t know when it ended. She woke up once in the middle of the night to the sound of the baby crying, but the sound quickly faded. An Zhaoyu had taken the baby over to the sofa. Lu Shen soon fell back into a deep sleep.

As a Beta without the biological “buffs” of an active rut or heat, Lu Shen’s stamina in this department was limited. While An Zhaoyu soothed the baby in her arms, her gaze frequently drifted back to the figure on the bed. Dark hair was splayed across the pillows. Lu Shen was covered only by a thin duvet; An Zhaoyu knew that beneath it, the only thing left on Lu Shen was the bandage on her left hand. Everything else lay scattered on the floor.

Technically, this wasn’t a heat. An Zhaoyu had simply been stirred by desire. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have ended so easily.

It was only after biting Lu Shen that An Zhaoyu realized the most seductive person wasn’t a flirtatious Omega. She recalled the way Lu Shen had walked over, one hand resting on her shoulder while the other brushed aside her curls, leaning in to inject pheromones into the gland at the nape of her neck. It felt entirely different from a syringe; Lu Shen’s lips and teeth were warm.

The night was silent, save for An Zhaoyu’s own heavy breathing. She hadn’t thought of herself as a person of “heavy desire” before.

The baby had slept early and was now wide awake, refusing to go back to sleep despite being fed. An Zhou’s big, round eyes stared back at her. In those eyes, An Zhaoyu saw the dark reflection of her own lingering lust. Being watched by such an innocent gaze made her thoughts feel particularly wicked, and she felt a belated pang of guilt.

She spent nearly an hour rocking the baby before An Zhou finally let out a tiny yawn and her eyes grew hazy. An Zhaoyu placed her daughter back beside Lu Shen, picked up a piece of clothing from the carpet, and headed into the bathroom.

By the time she prepared to climb back into bed, it was the dead of night. Lu Shen’s phone sat on the bedside table. It was on “Do Not Disturb,” so when a text arrived, the screen merely lit up silently. There was no contact name, but the preview was visible to An Zhaoyu.

It was a string of foul, unwatchable words, followed by an image—the image didn’t render on the lock screen, but it was clearly nothing good. The sender, seemingly unsatisfied with just a text, immediately called. The caller ID showed S City.

At this hour, An Zhaoyu looked down at the sleeping Lu Shen. Lu Shen was facing away from her, her bandaged hand resting protectively over the baby. Both were breathing evenly. Given Lu Shen’s personality, she would never engage with such harassment. An Zhaoyu had a hunch that this harassment was linked to her.

She picked up the phone to answer it outside, but the caller hung up. Realizing Lu Shen wasn’t going to pick up, the person didn’t call again. An Zhaoyu memorized the number. There were too many lunatics for her to pin down exactly who it was, but Wei Jinlin was the prime suspect, and Jiang Qizheng couldn’t be ruled out.

Lu Shen’s biological clock was incredibly precise. Despite being exhausted, she opened her eyes at 6:50 AM. Her first sensation was one of physical discomfort—a sticky, humid feeling that made her want to shower immediately. Then she realized that besides the baby, there was someone else in the bed. The perpetrator of her discomfort.

An Zhaoyu was curled up facing her, wearing the white shirt from the night before. Lu Shen felt a headache coming on. In her relationship with An Zhaoyu, she had drawn a very clear line. The biggest reason An Zhaoyu chose to marry her was that she was a Beta and couldn’t permanently mark an Omega. An Zhaoyu liked her gentle pheromones; Lu Shen was acutely aware of this. Conveniently, Lu Shen needed An Zhaoyu’s family standing and her bold personality.

They were even.

Grabbing a set of clean clothes, Lu Shen washed herself in the bathroom before picking up the baby from the bed. She had been on edge all night, afraid of rolling onto the child; the new apartment had a crib, but this place didn’t. Seeing the baby starting to wake, she decided to give her a bath.

The baby clothes An Zhaoyu had seen were ones Lu Yi had left behind; Lu Shen had washed them but hadn’t taken them back yet. Lu Shen hadn’t actually planned on having An Zhaoyu and the baby over here—she needed her private space. But she had the distinct impression that An Zhaoyu was very interested in this place.

Lu Shen had learned how to bathe a baby in a hospital workshop while An Zhaoyu was pregnant, though the Captain had seemed to fall asleep the moment the lecture started. An Zhaoyu resisted domestic trifles, so Lu Shen never gave her the chance to practice.

The baby cried, as babies do during bath time. Lu Shen soothed her while she washed. To avoid waking An Zhaoyu, she used the outer bathroom, but An Zhaoyu was eventually woken by a call from He Nanchun.

“Mom, what is it?” An Zhaoyu grumbled with morning crankiness, rolling over heavily. What time was it?

“Is Shenshen awake already?” He Nanchun ignored her daughter’s attitude.

“Yes,” An Zhaoyu knew Lu Shen was an early riser and had already taken the baby out.

“Why aren’t you up yet? Are you coming back for breakfast?”

“No.”

“Don’t forget to visit the Lu family this weekend. We haven’t met them properly, and your father and I are worried,” He Nanchun got to the point.

“I know. Tell Lu Shen.” Whether they went to the Lu house was Lu Shen’s decision, not hers. An Zhaoyu was annoyed at being woken up so early.

“What’s with that tone?” On the other end, An Changguo took the phone from his wife. An Zhaoyu simply hung up and tossed the phone onto the carpet.

A moment later, Lu Shen’s phone rang. An Zhaoyu pulled the duvet over her head and stuffed her ears with a pillow. “Just let the noise kill me!”

Lu Shen, just stepping out with the baby from the tub, heard the phone and An Zhaoyu’s groan. “Sorry,” she whispered, taking the phone to the living room to answer.

An Zhaoyu’s temper cooled slightly. She knew her parents were calling Lu Shen because they couldn’t get through to her. Lu Shen wouldn’t be impatient like her; after hearing out An Changguo, she immediately arranged to take leave and visit the Lu family today. Her efficiency was so high it made the parents feel guilty.

“We were just reminding you, do it whenever it’s convenient,” they said.

An Zhaoyu, hearing this through the door, rolled her eyes. They’re so polite to her.

Lu Shen then discussed breakfast with He Nanchun. Since the neighbor had brought vegetables and An Zhaoyu liked noodles, she planned to make some. She really was the “roundworm” in her parents’ stomachs An Zhaoyu had never seen them so satisfied with anyone.

“Thank you for looking after the baby. Don’t spoil Xiao Yu, she’s the mother too,” He Nanchun reminded her.

Who’s working harder? I’m the one who birthed her! An Zhaoyu thought, exasperated, as An Zhou’s tiny hands tugged at her collar.

Once the call ended, Lu Shen saw the missed call and the text. Her expression didn’t change at all; she simply swiped left to delete them with a practiced ease. She had no intention of confessing the harassment, just as An Zhaoyu expected.

“Is noodles okay?” Lu Shen asked, entering the room. An Zhaoyu was on the sofa, unbuttoning her shirt to feed the baby.

“Sure,” An Zhaoyu leaned back, dark circles under her eyes, her burgundy curls a mess. The long ends of her hair acted like little hooks, partially shielding the baby’s head. It was easy to see what the baby would look like when she grew up.

Because she was still in that white shirt, Lu Shen felt a bit unsettled and turned toward the kitchen. She assumed An Zhaoyu hadn’t slept well because of the baby. Usually, Lu Shen handled the midnight feedings; last night was An Zhaoyu’s first experience. It was too hard.

An Zhaoyu looked at the nursing baby. If An Zhou weren’t so cute, she’d have swatted her into silence. Debt-collecting little brat, taking away my freedom. She tapped the baby’s red nose. “I’m hungry too. Wait for your Mommy to come feed me.”

Lu Shen, coming out to grab something, heard this. Captain An is a good person, it’s just a shame she has a mouth. The comment made Lu Shen’s blood rush to her face.

“It’s ready,” Lu Shen said, placing the bowl before her.

The apartment was small and lacked a dining room, so they ate at the coffee table while sitting on the carpet. An Zhaoyu gave the baby a look that said: You’re full, now it’s your Mom’s turn.

The living room was simply decorated with plain, cream-colored dishes. A bowl of noodles, a fried egg, two small crucian carp, and some green vegetables. It was simple, yet it immediately piqued An Zhaoyu’s appetite. During her pregnancy, she threw up almost everything except what Lu Shen made. It seemed that was still the case.

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