After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was nearly time to get off work. An Zhaoyu glanced at her watch; today was a special, major day—her grandmother He Linghan’s sixty-fifth birthday. It was expected that every family of standing in S City would attend, and she, of course, had to be there.

Once the boat docked at the Medical Center and she dismissed the search and rescue team members, she headed to the underground garage to pick up her car.

As luck would have it, a deep blue sedan pulled out of the garage just as she was starting her engine, driving ahead of her at a steady, unhurried pace.

Given Captain An’s usual temperament, she would have stepped on the gas, swerved around the car, and sped off. But the person in front was Doctor Lu. An Zhaoyu followed behind her at a leisurely pace. If she wasn’t mistaken, their destination was the same.

Lu Shen seemed to be on a call, wearing a Bluetooth headset in her left ear, completely oblivious to the bright red sports car trailing her.

Actually, the relationship between An Zhaoyu and Lu Shen was a bit strange. An Zhaoyu had once helped her shy, adolescent brother pursue Lu Shen, but the pursuit ended abruptly when Lu Shen went abroad.

She hadn’t expected to reunite at the International Medical Center. When An Zhaoyu was preparing for her pilot assessment, Lu Shen had already entered the inpatient department for her doctorate. Later, they were often assigned to the same missions.

The Medical Center wasn’t too far from S City. The reason An Zhaoyu chose to work there was simply to be a free bird. She wondered if Lu Shen felt the same.

Logically, there should have been some awkwardness between them. However, An Zhaoyu never knew the meaning of “awkward.” Besides, Lu Shen didn’t act like she even recognized her; the two went about their business with almost no communication.

Word had it that due to family pressure, Lu Shen had recently started going on blind dates. Those visiting her included not only Betas but a swarm of Alphas. An Zhaoyu knew this well because her Alpha brother, An Wenyao, was getting restless again; the whole family knew he liked Lu Shen.

Years hadn’t cooled his passion; instead, the fire burned hotter. He had finally resolved to pursue Lu Shen personally. The An family mother even wanted An Wenyao to join Lu Shen’s “blind date brigade,” given the An family’s favorable background.

The response they received was that an appointment had to be made two months in advance. Her brother was currently working hard at standing in line.

An Zhaoyu’s mind drifted aimlessly as she drove, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the He family estate.

The He family was the most prominent clan in S City, bar none. The head of the house, He Linghan, was a rare SSS-rank Alpha. Back in the war-torn era, the He family established themselves in S City with a ruthless, iron-fisted approach, having influence in both the underworld and legitimate circles. After the country was founded, they “washed their hands clean,” ceasing all illegal operations. Over the years, they had done much for charity, and their fame echoed throughout the city.

For He Linghan’s birthday, nearly every business family in S City wanted to pay their respects—it was just a matter of whether they had an invitation. Many people were blocked outside the grand gates, craning their necks for a glimpse of S City’s number one family.

Fortunately, with Lu Shen leading the way, An Zhaoyu didn’t even have to honk.

After Lu Shen got out of her car, she didn’t head toward the main hall of the He estate. Instead, she was met by a bodyguard in a suit and led to the back courtyard. An Zhaoyu guessed that her grandmother had asked Lu Shen to specifically check on her other grandmother (the Omega grandmother).

He Linghan’s fame as an Alpha was legendary. If you grabbed any Omega on the street and asked who He Linghan was, they would surely look away with longing and admiration.

Rumor has it that when He Linghan was young, she loved a beautiful Omega. Later, while she was away on business, that Omega was forcibly marked by another Alpha. That Alpha was of terrible character; relying on his family’s wealth and power, he not only marked unwed Omegas at will but also had violent tendencies, using various tools and methods of abuse to control them via pheromones.

When He Linghan returned, she beat that Alpha in the street so severely that his glands were ruined, rendering him unable to secrete pheromones—a “crippled” person. She spent some time in jail for it, during which many Omegas admired and sympathized with her, actively visiting her.

Later, because the Alpha’s crimes were so heinous and influenced by public opinion, He Linghan was released quickly. She used the evidence to send the man to court for life imprisonment.

If that wasn’t enough, after her release, He Linghan formally married the marked Omega—An Zhaoyu’s grandmother, Lin Kezhi—with all the traditional pomp and ceremony. Their marriage shocked S City. Rumors hit the He family doors like snowflakes, and even the He elders disagreed, but He Linghan stood her ground, firmly grasping the leadership of the family.

To escape the pain of the pheromones and to repay He Linghan’s deep affection, Lin Kezhi ruthlessly had the previous Alpha’s mark removed. He Linghan, pained by her suffering, never marked her with pheromones for the rest of her life. The two had lived in harmony for years and had two Omega daughters, one of whom was An Zhaoyu’s mother.

An Zhaoyu admired her grandmother greatly. He Linghan possessed a confidence that transcended Alpha nature; she firmly believed she could protect her Omega without using a pheromone mark.

However, because Lin Kezhi had endured such painful memories, her health had always been poor. He Linghan had reached out to the nation’s top medical family, the Lu family—which explained why Lu Shen had been “hijacked” halfway.

The He estate was vast. The courtyard was maintained like a botanical garden; even in autumn and winter, colorful flowers clustered together, and resilient wild blossoms climbed the railings of the walls.

Entering the main gates, one could see the brightly lit main building. Domestic staff in matching suits greeted guests with polite enthusiasm. The hall was more spacious than a hotel, accommodating dozens of banquet tables. It was late, and most guests were seated. An Zhaoyu was led by the butler to He Linghan’s table.

“Xiao Yu, you’re finally here,” He Linghan looked at her with a smile, signaling An Zhaoyu’s father, An Changguo, to make space for her seat, and ordered someone to pour her a glass of juice.

In front of her family, this iron-willed Alpha showed no sharp edges; her movements and expressions were soft.

“Yes, Grandma. You won’t blame me for being late, will you?” An Zhaoyu’s tone couldn’t help but carry a hint of playfulness when speaking to her.

“Of course not! Our Xiao Yu is a flight captain for international rescue, she’s amazing!”

Hearing this, An Changguo, who had been glaring at An Zhaoyu, didn’t dare glare anymore and swallowed his reproach for his daughter’s lateness.

He Linghan’s table was at the very center of the hall. Aside from Lin Kezhi, who was absent due to health reasons (though a seat was reserved for her), He Linghan had her younger daughter He Nanchun and the An family (An Changguo, An Wenyao, and An Zhaoyu) on her left. On her right sat the only Omega daughter of her eldest daughter, Wei Qing—An Zhaoyu’s cousin.

The adjacent table belonged to the Lu family. An Zhaoyu glanced over; an empty seat was reserved for Lu Shen.

The Lu family was a magical existence. In terms of commercial power, they didn’t rank at the very top, but they were always treated as honored guests by all the major families.

Lu Shen generally disliked such noisy occasions. After checking on Lin Kezhi and spending some time with her, she returned to a guest room on the second floor arranged by the He family. He Linghan knew this and didn’t wait, sending dinner up to her before signaling for the banquet to begin.

“Mother, today is your sixty-fifth birthday. I brought Jinlin to congratulate you. This is a gift for you.”

Less than ten minutes into the banquet, a handsome and refined Alpha in a custom-tailored suit approached to toast He Linghan. He had his Alpha son, Wei Jinlin, present a scroll—an invaluable ancient painting.

“Don’t call me that. I am not your mother,” He Linghan’s smile vanished, and she radiated a chilling, oppressive aura.

A suffocating pressure swept over them. Wei Ruicheng gritted his teeth and held his ground, but Wei Jinlin behind him couldn’t take it; he trembled slightly behind his father, though he didn’t forget to cast a greedy look at An Zhaoyu.

“Didn’t you let Qingqing sit here as well?” Wei Ruicheng forced a smile. The other party hadn’t even released pheromones, but her sheer presence suppressed him completely.

What logic was there for the daughter to sit at the head table while the father was excluded?

“Qingqing is my granddaughter. But you—after her mother died, before her bones were even cold, you brought in this ‘weed’ from outside,” He Linghan snorted coldly. “Since when has my He family allowed just any weed to be planted here?”

He Linghan’s eldest daughter, He Tingbai, had also been in poor health and passed away a few years after marrying Wei Ruicheng. He Linghan harbored deep resentment toward Wei Ruicheng, especially since he remarried an Omega and brought back an Alpha son. If he weren’t Wei Qing’s father, He Linghan would have driven him out of S City long ago.

“Please don’t be angry. Since you don’t want to see him, I’ll have him leave immediately.” Wei Ruicheng was tactful. He took the gift from his son, handed it to the butler, and returned to his original seat.

Although the He family was vast, He Linghan only had two Omega daughters. She refused to adopt Alpha heirs from side branches. Eventually, the estate would be divided between the An and Wei families. Using the dowry He Linghan had provided and the He family as a backer, the Wei family had developed rapidly. They were now very powerful, having overtaken the deep-rooted An family in recent years, their strength approaching that of the He family itself.

Wei Jinlin gave An Zhaoyu a lingering, reluctant look.

“What are you looking at?” An Wenyao had no liking for Wei Jinlin—a “straw-man” Alpha born of a mistress. How dare he covet his sister? He also wouldn’t allow other Alphas near An Zhaoyu. Who did he think he was?

Terrified, Wei Jinlin didn’t dare look at An Zhaoyu again. Before leaving, he glared at his half-sister, the Omega Wei Qing.

An Zhaoyu and Wei Qing ignored him from start to finish.

A continuous stream of people came to wish He Linghan a happy birthday. Most knew the empty seat beside her was for her wife, Lin Kezhi, but they were curious about the empty seat at the next table.

Not just outsiders—An Zhaoyu turned to look at her Alpha brother. An Wenyao had been eagerly anticipating Lu Shen’s arrival, glancing around nervously every few minutes. The An family knew his heart, but Lu Shen was hard to see.

It seemed that later, the parents and Lu Shen’s grandmother would have much to discuss. An Zhaoyu took a sip of her juice, mindlessly imagining a scene where Lu Shen and An Wenyao went on a blind date.

A moment later, the image of Lu Shen leaning down to kiss Lucia surfaced in her mind. It wouldn’t go away.

An Zhaoyu drained the rest of her juice in one go, and then she began to feel unwell. He Nanchun, sitting on her other side, noticed something was wrong.

“Xiao Yu, what’s wrong?”

The back of her neck was getting hot. An Zhaoyu realized that her already irregular heat cycle was starting early.

Damn it, she didn’t bring any suppressant patches.

Ninety percent of the people at this banquet were Alphas. If an SSS-rank Omega went into heat live, it wouldn’t just be the headlines tomorrow. She looked at her mother; He Nanchun was looking at her with concern, but her mother hadn’t brought her bag tonight—it was likely in the room upstairs. She turned to the only other Omega at the table; Wei Qing had her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

An Zhaoyu reached into her pocket; she only had that piece of gauze with the lipstick print.

Find Lu Shen on the second floor. This was the only thought that surfaced in her mind.

“Mom, I’m not feeling well. I want to go up and rest.” Today was her grandmother’s birthday, and since her other grandmother couldn’t attend and her aunt had passed away, An Zhaoyu didn’t want her mother to be absent too.

“Alright. Is it because work was too tiring today?” He Nanchun felt sorry for her; a pilot’s job was hard, and An Zhaoyu was both the captain and an Omega.

“Mm.” After informing He Linghan and receiving permission, An Zhaoyu stood and left the hall.

She walked toward the stairs at a steady pace to avoid drawing attention. Only when she entered the empty stairwell did she start to run.

Lu Shen was eating, a research paper in her hand, when the door to her room was suddenly pushed open. The iconic burgundy curls appeared in her sight.

“Captain An, please knock before entering.” The voice was cold, showing no hint of their past acquaintance.

Tsk, truly different from before. The gentleness she showed Lucia earlier was nowhere to be found. How heartless.

“I’m in heat,” An Zhaoyu said, skipping the pleasantries. She slammed the door shut and locked it, isolating herself from all potential Alpha threats.

The scent of narcissus was already leaking from the back of her neck. This was the pheromone of an SSS-rank Omega—fresh, enticing, with the layered scent of moss growing on wood and bamboo leaves deep in a misty mountain, drawing one in.

“I’ll get the suppressants.” Lu Shen put down her utensils, sanitized her hands, and pulled on a pair of milky-white disposable rubber gloves.

An Zhaoyu had planned this out before coming: she would get the injection and immediately leave for her own room. Lu Shen clearly didn’t like sharing a confined space with others, and An Zhaoyu didn’t like being ignored.

Indeed, Lu Shen moved with clinical efficiency. Her gaze didn’t linger on An Zhaoyu for a single second, even though the Omega was currently in heat—eyes full of allure, a deep flush spreading across her fair neck like a piece of succulent fruit. Any Alpha would have lost their reason.

Unfortunately, Lu Shen was a Beta.

“Turn around.” The Beta’s tone was still cold, like the carbon dioxide bubbles produced by ice cubes in a glass of Sprite—it could instantly douse the parched flames of desire.

An Zhaoyu couldn’t help but grit her teeth. No one had ever dared to order her around like this. She slowly turned her back to Lu Shen. The glass cabinet in front of her reflected Lu Shen’s focused expression; An Zhaoyu narrowed her eyes.

Just as Lu Shen cleared the air from the syringe, the tool was suddenly swiped to the ground. An Zhaoyu grabbed her neat, clean white coat and shoved her against the wall.

The voice of the Omega, tormented by the heat and filled with desire, was soft and delicate. Her eyes, stained a seductive red at the corners, looked fierce, hiding none of her threat.

“Bite me.”

Lu Shen’s pheromones were like the freshness of grass and wood after heavy rain—a detached, elegant scent perfect for a Beta.

An Zhaoyu closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the primitive, ancient forest scent slowly being injected into her body; the narcissus seemed to have found soil to settle in.

The lip print pressed onto the gauze also descended upon her lips as she wished, carrying Lu Shen’s fresh, burning body temperature and breath.

Regarding the idea that Lucia’s skin had the most comfortable feel in the world… An Zhaoyu planned to take it back.

It was Lu Shen.

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