After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 25 

Chapter 25 

When An Zhaoyu returned home, Lu Shen was in the living room sitting on the crawling mat, playing with An Zhou.

The living room was spacious, covered in colorful children’s foam puzzle mats. An Zhou was lying amidst a pile of bright, multicolored toys, clutching a red rattle and shaking it with all her might.

Hearing the door open, the baby twisted her little neck to look at An Zhaoyu and let out a giggling laugh.

An Zhaoyu’s heart melted at the sound.

This little thing was simply too adorable. An Zhaoyu went over, scooped her up, and nuzzled her cheek.

“Haven’t eaten yet?”

On the coffee table sat a box of steamed buns (xiaolongbao) bought from the roadside stall downstairs. It was actually An Zhaoyu who had first introduced Lu Shen to that shop; it was tucked away in a tiny corner, but the flavor was incredible.

“Mm,” Lu Shen replied. She had stayed late at the lab and picked up the baby immediately after leaving the center. She hadn’t found time to eat yet.

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll play with her.”

An Zhou was still shaking the rattle. An Zhaoyu sat down next to Lu Shen, holding the baby.

“Originally, the goal was just for her to roll over, but the teacher said Xiao Zhou is already doing great. The next steps are sitting and crawling, but I don’t think we need to rush,” Lu Shen’s voice was gentle. Her pace of speaking was slow and steady, making it very comfortable to listen to.

She was seriously discussing the baby’s progress, but An Zhaoyu’s mind was filled only with the sound of her voice.

This was different from the clinical reports Lu Shen usually sent to the parents’ group chat. An Zhaoyu could see the match between her expression and her tone; Lu Shen was always like this when it came to the baby.

Solemn and incredibly tender.

Having lived here for two or three months now, the living room walls were covered with photos of the baby. Baby supplies were scattered throughout the house, along with various toys. Lu Shen didn’t organize them into perfectly neat rows; instead, she let them lie wherever An Zhou’s whims left them.

A teddy bear here, a rubber duck there.

It didn’t match Lu Shen’s usual orderly style, yet it made the home feel profoundly warm—a different kind of warmth than the “tropical rainforest” vibe of Lu Shen’s previous place.

Even though both of their personal belongings were still minimal.

“The cake was delicious,” An Zhaoyu said, after the discussion about the baby finished.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Lu Shen didn’t say much, lowering her head to continue eating the buns.

An Zhaoyu had already eaten her fill at the restaurant, but watching Lu Shen eat made her feel a bit hungry again.

The buns were filled with soup and had thin skins. A single bite released a burst of juice. Lu Shen usually didn’t eat these in public because they were prone to making a mess.

As Lu Shen reached for a tissue, An Zhaoyu beat her to it. She pulled one out and gently dabbed the corner of Lu Shen’s mouth.

Lu Shen didn’t react for a moment. She instinctively took the tissue to finish wiping, forgetting even to say thank you. By the time she realized she should say it, the moment had passed. An Zhaoyu’s hand was already back on the baby; saying “thank you” now would feel awkward.

So, Lu Shen simply kept her head down and continued eating.

An Zhou was working hard at making noise while An Zhaoyu held her hand to play. Lu Shen would look up at them from time to time.

An Zhaoyu found herself enjoying this atmosphere. A dangerous thought sprouted in her mind—if life could be like this, perhaps losing her “freedom” wouldn’t matter so much.

Suddenly, Lu Shen’s phone on the table buzzed, drawing the attention of all three.

It was a message from Jiang Chu, asking Lu Shen about a patient’s condition from earlier that day. Lu Shen picked up the phone to reply.

Serious interns like her were rare; other colleagues were envious of Lu Shen’s team. Besides, Lu Shen had always been patient with her students.

Can’t this wait until tomorrow? Lu Shen didn’t hide her screen from An Zhaoyu while replying. Once An Zhaoyu saw who she was chatting with, her mood soured instantly.

One had to admit, Alphas truly were shameless creatures, regardless of age.

An Zhaoyu and An Zhou each grabbed a rattle and started shaking them violently as if in a competition. Lu Shen’s attention was caught by the pair, and she couldn’t help but glance over.

Captain An actually enjoys playing with these?

After finishing the business questions, Jiang Chu started some small talk. Once she mentioned Jiang Ling, Lu Shen responded with a few more words.

Jiang Chu: Teacher Lu, have you had dinner yet? Jiang Chu: My sister and I ate out today. There’s a place with roasted sweet potatoes that’s so good, like honey. My sister said I should bring one for you.

She even sent a picture.

Lu Shen: No need. It’ll be cold by the time you bring it tomorrow.

An Zhaoyu caught a glimpse of the exchange. Her expression darkened. Lu Shen seemed to think Jiang Chu meant she’d bring it tomorrow, but An Zhaoyu knew better—Jiang Chu meant right now.

Dr. Lu really is easy to fool.

Jiang Chu: Alright, maybe next time.

Jiang Chu knew Lu Shen had misunderstood, but it wasn’t easy to clarify without making her intentions too obvious. She knew An Zhaoyu was out dining with her team today and that Lu Shen would be home late from the lab, likely eating alone. That’s why she had messaged.

She wasn’t trying to move in on Lu Shen maliciously; she just couldn’t help herself. Who could blame her when Lu Shen was right there? From the first time she saw Lu Shen, she was captivated. When she found out the school allowed them to choose their internship hospital, she decisively picked this one, even if it was a bit far.

Lu Shen, however, detected none of these feelings. She viewed Jiang Chu purely as a student.

So, this doesn’t count as cheating or anything, Jiang Chu told herself.

Lu Shen put her phone down and finished her dinner.

An uncomfortable feeling, like bamboo shoots after a rain, began to grow in An Zhaoyu’s heart. Objectively, that Alpha intern was no competition. Lu Shen would never dream of having a romantic development with a student.

But Jiang Chu’s existence served as a constant reminder.

Back in the duty room, An Zhaoyu had warned Jiang Chu not to get too close to Lu Shen. Jiang Chu had fired back with a question:

“Captain An, if it weren’t for the baby, would Teacher Lu be with you?”

Her brother, An Wenyao, had asked her the same thing. At the time, An Zhaoyu had answered confidently: So what if she only married me because of the child?

An Zhaoyu should have been indifferent. After all, her interest in Lu Shen had started as mere physical attraction. The baby was the reason they were together. If not for the child, why else would Lu Shen have married her?

Yet, the thought that Lu Shen would have done all these things—the marriage, the domesticity—with anyone else if they were the one carrying the child, filled An Zhaoyu with an inexplicable irritability.

She hated this feeling of irritability, this feeling of her emotions being dictated by another person. It felt like someone was trying to put a leash on her, and she hated being tied down.

She wanted freedom. She couldn’t lose her freedom.

She didn’t seem to realize that her heart was in conflict. She wasn’t fighting against Lu Shen the person; she was fighting against the fact that Lu Shen didn’t treat her as someone special.

She was dissatisfied. When it came to Lu Shen, she was becoming harder and harder to satisfy. She wanted more.

After Lu Shen finished dinner, An Zhaoyu stood up and went back to the bedroom. Her mood had suddenly turned sour, and Lu Shen didn’t know why.

Naturally, Lu Shen didn’t ask. She didn’t want An Zhaoyu to feel smothered. Drawing a clear boundary between them was good for both of them.

One must not easily give away their whole heart just because they crave a moment of warmth. This was the lesson the seventeen-year-old An Zhaoyu had taught her.

Lu Shen picked up the rattle An Zhaoyu had dropped and shook it gently in front of the baby, making An Zhou laugh again.

Inside the bedroom, An Zhaoyu lay on the bed scrolling through her phone. Her high school group chat was as lively as ever. She unmuted the notifications. Ever since Lu Shen had gotten drunk that one time, An Zhaoyu hadn’t been back to a bar.

Since the baby was being looked after by Lu Shen, An Zhaoyu thought she could return to her old life. After all, with or without her, Dr. Lu would take perfect care of the baby, wouldn’t she?

As it happened, the group was discussing going out for drinks this weekend. People were “lining up” their responses. An Zhaoyu tapped the “+1” emoji.

Yo, isn’t this our long-lost Flight Captain? — A busy woman indeed! Life with a family really is different, huh Captain An? Immersed in the gentle village and can’t bear to leave? — When will you grace us with your presence for a drink? Or you could bring the wife and kid to show them off. — Exactly! Didn’t even invite us to the wedding. Trying to hide your golden beauty at home?

Normally, if they teased her like this, she would have snapped back without hesitation. But today, she had no desire to talk. Clicking “+1” was a reflex of the hand, not the brain.

She regretted it now. Why did she have to pop up in the group? Now all eyes were on her. An Zhaoyu realized the idea of going to a bar for a gathering was losing its appeal. It felt meaningless. Her old life felt hollow.

Then what is meaningful? She didn’t dare think further.

Just as she was about to mute the group again, Zhang Simeng sent her a private message.

Zhang Simeng: It’s my birthday next month. Want to come over and hang out? An Zhaoyu: Sure.

An Zhaoyu agreed. It had been nearly a year since she’d been to a bar, and she hadn’t been in touch with Zhang Simeng for a while. It would be wrong not to go for a friend of so many years.

Although Zhang Simeng had once secretly confessed to her, An Zhaoyu knew her mindset—she would eventually marry an Alpha. Not every Omega was as rebellious as An Zhaoyu. Others might think about it, but only in passing; a relationship between two Omegas was too difficult.

Zhang Simeng was that type of person. She didn’t want to be an outlier. Even though she liked An Zhaoyu, that affection couldn’t see the light of day. Love that can’t see the light eventually withers. Thus, An Zhaoyu felt safe being her friend.

What should I get her as a gift? An Zhaoyu planned to avoid jewelry or anything that felt too intimate. She was a married woman now; it wouldn’t be good if Lu Shen misunderstood.

Wait… if Lu Shen misunderstood, what would happen?

Her mind became active again. It was always like this with anything regarding Lu Shen.

Lu Shen won’t misunderstand. Even if she did, nothing would happen.

An Zhaoyu provided the answer to her own question almost as soon as she thought of it.

“What’s a good gift for a friend’s birthday?”

When Lu Shen walked in carrying the baby, she heard An Zhaoyu muttering to herself. Was she asking for her opinion? Lu Shen wasn’t sure. She gently placed the sleeping An Zhou into the crib.

“It’s Zhang Simeng’s birthday. What do you think I should send?” An Zhaoyu fixed her gaze on her, making the question explicit.

The name sounded familiar, but Lu Shen couldn’t place it.

“The owner of the Lighthouse bar. My Omega desk-mate from high school.”

Ah, the Omega whose face was almost pressed against hers. Lu Shen finally connected the name to the person.

So, was An Zhaoyu’s sudden bad mood earlier because of this?

“Up to you,” Lu Shen replied, her eyes downcast. Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

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