After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 

Hearing her request, the staff member repeated the question in English twice to be sure. The answer remained firm.

 

Under the media’s spotlight, An Zhaoyu filmed the cover report for the championship, posing just like the blue-background photo she had given Lu Shen. She had no idea that Lu Shen was right there in the crowd, watching her.

 

After dealing with the official media, An Zhaoyu booked a hotel on her phone, planning to rest for the night and fly the trainer back to the medical center tomorrow. If she weren’t so exhausted, she would have gone home immediately.

 

She remembered the “mute” passenger who had sat behind her and looked through the crowd, but the person was nowhere to be found.

 

Lu Shen followed her into the hotel and booked a separate room right next door. An Zhaoyu seemed completely unaware of her presence, and Lu Shen intended to keep it that way—lest Captain An start overthinking things.

 

Lu Shen admitted that her decision to board the plane had been impulsive. Despite all her logical justifications, the moment she decided to follow An Zhaoyu, she was acting on impulse—something she hadn’t originally planned. However, she was a creature of habit and calm; even when impulsive, she had first properly settled the baby, taken leave from the hospital, systematically changed into An Zhaoyu’s flight suit, and finally boarded.

 

She wasn’t surprised at all by An Zhaoyu’s win.

 

An Zhaoyu lay on her bed. Her body was spent, and she wanted to sleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, she couldn’t stop thinking about Lu Shen.

 

What is Lu Shen doing now? It was 11:00 PM back home. Was she coaxing the baby to sleep, or was she already asleep herself? An Zhaoyu checked her phone to see if Lu Shen had posted any updates about the baby in the group chat, but there was nothing.

 

Lu Shen hadn’t spoken in the group all day, let alone sent her a private message.

 

However, the family group was buzzing with the news of her victory. Lu Yi had forwarded the championship interview and congratulated her. He Nanchun and An Changguo gave perfunctory replies; they were still angry with her. He Linghan and Lin Kezhi, who knew little of the race’s dangers and only saw the news praising the pilots, were happily liking her posts.

 

Not seeing the one person she wanted to hear from made An Zhaoyu feel dejected. She wondered what Lu Shen thought. Would she be happy? A little proud? Or… indifferent.

 

Her phone buzzed again. She checked it instantly. It was a message from Ye Jinhua.

 

Our Xiaoyu is so amazing! Look at the baby clapping for Mommy!

 

It was a short video of An Zhou sitting on the bed. Ye Jinhua was holding her tiny hands, making them clap. An Zhou was laughing, her round eyes full of light. Her joy was infectious. An Zhaoyu smiled back; the baby’s laughter made the pursuit of her dream feel worth it.

 

But she didn’t see Lu Shen in the video. Does she not even want to show her face? She even took the baby to Grandma’s.

 

Ye Jinhua, like He Linghan, didn’t realize how dangerous the race was. She @-mentioned Lu Shen in the group: — Your wife won the championship!

 

The An family waited with bated breath for Lu Shen to respond, but An Zhaoyu realized something was wrong. Is Lu Shen not at Grandma’s? Where is she?

 

Her phone rang continuously with messages from friends at home. She opened each one with hope, but none were from Lu Shen. Finally unable to contain herself, she called Lu Shen, only to find the line busy.

 

Lu Shen was on the phone with Jiang Ling. Today was Jiang Ling’s birthday.

 

“Wen Su’s plane malfunctioned. She might be in the hospital now.”

 

“Is that so?” Jiang Ling laughed. “She should be fine. Alphas are thick-skinned.”

 

“It might be serious,” Lu Shen said.

 

“She probably got blinded by you and Captain An showing off in a ‘couple’s plane,’ right?” Jiang Ling teased her about boarding the plane. “If Jiang Chu hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known you were so worried about your Captain An, Dr. Lu.”

 

“Jiang Chu told you?” Lu Shen was puzzled; she hadn’t told Jiang Chu about her itinerary.

 

“Yeah, why? Are you not allowed to tell her?” Jiang Ling paused, her voice rising. “Wait… you didn’t even tell Captain An, did you?”

 

Jiang Chu had already told her about the risks of the race. She had assumed the two were in the “honey” phase of their relationship and couldn’t bear to be apart. But she knew Lu Shen too well; the doctor’s tone gave it away.

 

“She didn’t notice,” Lu Shen said, her focus returning to the present.

 

“So you’re not staying with her now?”

 

“Next door.”

 

“Holy crap, you two play in a very fancy way,” Jiang Ling chuckled.

 

“Returning to the point,” Jiang Ling said, turning serious. “My family wants me to enter a political marriage with the Wen family.”

 

The He, An, and Wei families were too powerful to care about the Jiangs, but the Wen family was a comparable match. An alliance would benefit both clans—except for Jiang Ling herself.

 

“Wen Su?”

 

“Wen Xuan,” Jiang Ling’s tone remained light. “She’s the current head of the Wen family. A SSS-level Alpha.”

 

“What do you think?” The name made Lu Shen frown. Wen Xuan was an Omega, but Jiang Ling didn’t know that.

 

“I don’t care. I don’t want to get married,” Jiang Ling said. “I heard she specifically asked for me. I don’t know what value I have; I stopped involving myself with the Jiang family long ago.”

 

Jiang Ling loved the law; a PhD graduate from a top law school, she and Lu Shen used to study together so intensely they nearly drove each other mad. Now she worked at a law firm and had almost no contact with her family, yet they were still using her as a bargaining chip.

 

Jiang Ling is Wen Su’s ex-girlfriend. Why would Wen Xuan want her? Lu Shen pondered, her eyes downcast.

 

“We’ll see when the time comes. Anyway, I’m very good at divorce lawsuits,” Jiang Ling joked. “I’m just waiting for Dr. Lu to finish that inhibitor research. Once that’s done, I’ll be fearless.”

 

Although Jiang Ling was laughing, Lu Shen could hear the hidden resistance. As an Omega, she was afraid. She was afraid of being permanently marked, especially by a SSS-level Alpha.

 

“Okay,” Lu Shen comforted her. Wen Xuan would never be able to mark her.

 

A call waiting notification appeared. It was An Zhaoyu.

 

This person…

 

She had already finished saying happy birthday to Jiang Ling. Lu Shen started toward the balcony to take the call, but she caught sight of An Zhaoyu standing on the adjacent balcony, phone to her ear. Lu Shen quickly stepped back inside.

 

“What is it?” Lu Shen whispered, covering the microphone.

 

The moment she heard that voice, An Zhaoyu felt an overwhelming urge to check out and fly home immediately.

 

“Are you not home?” She wanted to ask who she had been talking to, but she felt she had no right to ask.

 

“Mm, overtime…” Lying made her heart race. She was right next door, and her face flushed, though she was glad An Zhaoyu couldn’t see her.

 

“Oh.” An Zhaoyu felt her voice was small and soft, like a gentle itch on her heart.

 

They rarely spoke on the phone; usually, they messaged. The few calls they had were for emergencies. Now, holding the phone, An Zhaoyu didn’t know what to say. Should she tell Lu Shen she just won the championship?

 

An Zhaoyu could brag to anyone, but she felt she had no right to boast in front of Lu Shen. Yet, she didn’t want to hang up. As the seconds ticked by, her mind was a mess. She was terrified Lu Shen would hang up.

 

“When are you coming back tomorrow?” Lu Shen spoke first. She needed to know so she wouldn’t miss her “ride” back on the trainer plane.

 

“Leaving at 7:00 AM. I should be back in the afternoon,” An Zhaoyu answered instantly, a hint of joy in her voice.

 

“So early?” Lu Shen was surprised. An Zhaoyu usually slept in until 9:00 AM.

 

“…” An Zhaoyu knew what she was thinking. She just wanted to get home faster.

 

The next day, An Zhaoyu woke up early, dressed in her flight suit, and headed to the hangar. Lu Shen, however, had been awake even earlier, waiting for her.

 

Just as An Zhaoyu buckled her safety harness, Lu Shen boarded behind her.

 

This mute sure knows how to time things. If she were a second earlier, An Zhaoyu might have snapped at her. A second later, and An Zhaoyu wouldn’t have waited. An Zhaoyu gritted her teeth. This mute had a real talent for annoying her. Does she think I’m her personal chauffeur?

 

Lu Shen, unaware of her thoughts, had timed her arrival specifically to avoid any awkward conversation.

 

The flight back was shorter since they didn’t have to hit checkpoints. An Zhaoyu didn’t speak a word and kept the radio off, afraid she’d be driven mad by the silence. She had planned to rip the helmet off the mute once they landed.

 

But when they reached the medical center, a crowd was waiting. As soon as she deplaned, Wen Yuncheng and the others hoisted her into the air.

 

“Captain is too cool!” “Captain, you are my god!” “I’ve already replaced the poster over my bed with one of the Captain!”

 

The search and rescue team was ecstatic. From this day on, anyone who tried to define An Zhaoyu solely by her gender would have to think twice. She was the pride of District 2.

 

With everyone’s attention on An Zhaoyu, no one noticed Lu Shen slipping away. After returning the flight suit, Lu Shen went straight to the ward to start her shift.

 

“Dr. Lu,” Jiang Chu was there, as expected.

 

As an outstanding intern, she didn’t skip work; she stayed in the ward to learn. Despite a strange feeling about the girl, Lu Shen wouldn’t easily doubt a student. She figured Jiang Chu had simply guessed she went to find An Zhaoyu.

 

Lu Shen’s professionalism was such that she dove into work immediately after two days of flying. After reviewing the charts for all patients in the gland department, she took Jiang Chu for rounds.

 

Before entering the first room, Lu Shen turned to her. “The matter of my leave… do not tell anyone else.”

 

She said it tactfully, a hint for Jiang Chu to stop being curious about her private life. But to Jiang Chu, it meant something else: Don’t tell An Zhaoyu. She agreed.

 

Jiang Chu had overheard Lu Shen’s call with Jiang Ling last night while they were celebrating the birthday. She thought to herself: Why would I ever tell? It’s better if An Zhaoyu never knows.

 

By the time An Zhaoyu was finally set down by her teammates, her head was a muddle of dizziness. She had completely forgotten about the “little mute.” Her mind was only on Dr. Lu.

 

She sent Lu Shen a message, saying she would wait for her downstairs so they could pick up the baby together.

 

Lu Shen and Jiang Chu came down together. An Zhaoyu walked over, positioning herself between the two and effectively blocking Jiang Chu.

 

“I’m back.” She looked at Lu Shen, realizing how much she had missed her.

 

“Mm,” was all Lu Shen said.

 

They were silent on the drive—their usual state. But An Zhaoyu kept glancing at her. Lu Shen’s shirt was unusually wrinkled, and she looked exhausted. It really looked like she had worked a full night of overtime. An Zhaoyu didn’t doubt her for a second.

 

“Dr. Lu, I’ll head home then,” Jiang Chu said.

 

“Okay.”

 

This time Lu Shen didn’t offer to see her off. Jiang Chu felt a twinge of disappointment, likely due to An Zhaoyu’s presence. In reality, Lu Shen usually drove herself when they left together; having An Zhaoyu drive Jiang Chu home would be awkward since the two clearly didn’t like each other. Furthermore, Lu Shen instinctively wanted to keep some distance from Jiang Chu.

 

After Jiang Chu left, An Zhaoyu’s mood brightened. Lu Shen attributed this to the fact that Captain An simply didn’t like Alphas.

 

They went to pick up An Zhou from Ye Jinhua’s. Lu Shen had missed the baby terribly; when they parted yesterday, the baby had been calling for “Mamma.”

 

An Zhaoyu saw that Lu Shen’s eyes were fixed solely on the baby, with no special reaction to her return from the race. A wave of disappointment washed over her.

 

On the way home, An Zhaoyu’s phone wouldn’t stop vibrating. Ever since her win, the calls and texts had been constant. She silenced it and mentioned the new “mute” teammate.

 

“She followed me the whole way,” An Zhaoyu said, glancing at Lu Shen. Lu Shen was holding An Zhou, unbothered by the dust the baby had gotten on her clothes while playing.

 

“Mm.” Lu Shen didn’t look up, afraid of giving herself away.

 

An Zhaoyu mentioned the mute just to provoke her, wanting to see if Lu Shen cared about her being with someone else. She even told a small lie, saying the Beta mute had stayed in the same hotel.

 

But Lu Shen’s lack of reaction was disappointing. She didn’t even flinch. She seemed not to care at all, even if An Zhaoyu had spent the whole night with someone else. Her eyes remained only on the baby.

 

An Zhaoyu’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. She wanted to ask if Lu Shen would even care if someone else marked her. But she didn’t dare ask.

 

Lu Shen, meanwhile, thought An Zhaoyu was testing her because she suspected the mute was her, so she stayed silent. She didn’t know what An Zhaoyu would think if she found out—would she find her annoying? After all, the Captain’s attitude toward her on the plane had been quite cold.

 

Another silent drive.

 

Back home, An Zhaoyu saw Lu Shen take the baby to the bathroom. She first called her parents to let them know she was safe.

 

“You should coax Shen-shen properly, do you hear me?” He Nanchun was still angry, feeling An Zhaoyu had been irresponsible.

 

“I hear you,” An Zhaoyu replied. But she thought: Lu Shen doesn’t need coaxing.

 

The calls kept coming—her captain, friends, classmates. It was a crowd of night owls. Feeling frustrated, An Zhaoyu stayed on the phone, chatting to pass the time.

 

Lu Shen, who hadn’t slept well in the foreign hotel, intended to go to bed early. Hearing An Zhaoyu on the phone in the bedroom, she took An Zhou back out.

 

It was nearly 1:00 AM when An Zhaoyu hung up her last call and set her phone to “Do Not Disturb.” Usually, Lu Shen would be asleep by now. An Zhaoyu had waited on purpose; staying alone was unbearable. She wanted to wait until the baby was asleep to ask Lu Shen some things. In bed, Dr. Lu’s mouth was usually easier to open.

 

After waiting in vain, she finally lost her patience and went to the study.

 

In the study, Lu Shen and An Zhou were already asleep on the small bed. Lu Shen had placed the baby by her pillow, one hand draped protectively over her. Their sleeping posture was far more intimate than hers and An Zhaoyu’s—those two usually slept apart after a marking session, like strangers who knew each other’s bodies best.

 

An Zhaoyu hadn’t expected this upon her return. Lu Shen really didn’t care about her at all. Her eyes grew red. She forcefully suppressed her narcissus pheromones and quietly closed the door.

 

Returning as a champion, Captain An reverted to her pre-marriage lifestyle. She went racing occasionally, ate out with friends, and spent weekends drinking at bars.

 

Her classmates’ flattery became more sincere, and everyone was happy to accompany her. The “free and easy” Captain An was back. When people joked about her kid, she just laughed nonchalantly, no longer snapping back like before.

 

“This is the real An Zhaoyu,” people said. It was as if she hadn’t married or had a child; nothing could hold her back. Alpha parents admired her; single Omega classmates envied her. They thought having a partner like Lu Shen—who was competent and gave her total freedom—was ideal.

 

At first, An Zhaoyu would report her whereabouts to Lu Shen. Lu Shen, of course, never stopped her. But later, seeing that Dr. Lu didn’t care, An Zhaoyu stopped reporting altogether. She would leave her car keys with the guard and hitch a ride with teammates to the bar.

 

Zhang Simeng sensed something was wrong. An Zhaoyu’s state reminded her of how she was right after Lu Shen had first gone abroad. Usually, An Zhaoyu only took a few sips, but lately, she drank until she was drunk every time.

 

Even when drunk, she didn’t call Lu Shen. She would call the family bodyguard. He Nanchun scolded her many times, but it was useless.

 

Once, An Wenyao came to pick her up. She was so drunk she nearly blacked out, but she pushed him away and told him to mind his own business. They had a massive argument, but he eventually dragged her home. When they met Lu Shen, she was so focused on An Zhaoyu she forgot to keep her distance from Wenyao, taking An Zhaoyu from his arms.

 

“Stop bothering me!” An Zhaoyu shouted, mistaking Lu Shen for her brother.

 

This behavior only made Lu Shen more silent.

 

When it came time for the baby’s community health check—which usually required both mothers—Lu Shen didn’t ask her. She went alone. When the baby had a low fever and they were out of medicine, Lu Shen didn’t wake her; she drove the baby to the hospital herself.

 

Only during her heat would An Zhaoyu come looking for her. This is the freedom the Captain wanted, Lu Shen thought.

 

Saturday night, An Zhaoyu was back at the Lighthouse. As she drank, Zhang Simeng cautiously asked if she and Lu Shen were fighting. An Zhaoyu ignored the question and kept drinking.

 

Zhang Simeng took this as a “yes.” Her feelings were complicated—jealous that Lu Shen could affect An Zhaoyu so much, but relieved that Lu Shen seemed not to care, never once calling to urge her home.

 

She leaned in and whispered in An Zhaoyu’s ear, “Xiaoyu, do you want me to help you?”

 

An Zhaoyu turned her head away. The bar was noisy, and she couldn’t hear clearly, but her instincts made her dislike anyone getting too close. Unless it was Lu Shen. It had to be Lu Shen.

 

Her consciousness was fading. As Zhang Simeng reached for a drink, she subtly nudged An Zhaoyu’s phone into a crevice in the sofa. When An Zhaoyu tried to find her phone to make a call, it was gone.

 

“Where’s my phone?”

 

“Just sleep here tonight, there are rooms upstairs,” Zhang Simeng said.

 

“No, I… have to go home,” An Zhaoyu stammered, still searching for her phone.

 

“Does Lu Shen even care if you go home?” Zhang Simeng knew how to provoke her. “I don’t have Lu Shen’s number. Do you remember your family’s numbers?”

 

An Zhaoyu’s brain was too foggy to realize what Zhang Simeng was doing. She shook her head. Her parents’ numbers were saved as short-codes; she only remembered Lu Shen’s full number. But she wouldn’t call her. Lu Shen was home with the baby while she was out drinking—what right did she have to call?

 

“Then there’s no choice. you have to stay here tonight.”

 

“No…” An Zhaoyu still refused. She stopped drinking and looked everywhere. “I’m going back…”

 

“Fine, look for it then,” Zhang Simeng said irritably. Why was she so stubborn? An SSS-level Omega, a flight champion with a wealthy family—why was she so hung up on a Beta? She had said herself that no one could tame her. What was this now?

 

“Help me… find my phone,” An Zhaoyu asked another Omega classmate.

 

That classmate happened to be a friend of Jiang Ling’s and knew Lu Shen. She called Jiang Ling to get Lu Shen’s contact information.

 

Lu Shen answered the call. The classmate told her Captain An was drunk and had lost her phone, and asked her to come pick her up.

 

“Okay.”

 

Lu Shen agreed. she dropped the baby off at He Nanchun’s since the An house was close by. He Nanchun knew Lu Shen disliked bars and offered to send a bodyguard, but Lu Shen decided to go herself.

 

“If Xiaoyu is out of line, you can slap her. I won’t blame you,” He Nanchun said, holding the baby. In a traditional family, the Omega usually maintained the household, but in their case, Lu Shen was carrying too much.

 

Lu Shen didn’t respond.

 

Back at the bar, the classmate told An Zhaoyu her family was coming. An Zhaoyu nodded, confirming the person was reliable, and then went back to drinking. She knew her parents knew she was here on weekends, and her brother often checked in. She’d find a way home. But she wanted her phone. What if Lu Shen looked for her? But why would Lu Shen look for her?

 

She drank glass after glass.

 

“Who did you contact?” Zhang Simeng asked the classmate.

 

“Lu Shen,” the girl replied naturally. “Isn’t she Xiaoyu’s wife?”

 

Zhang Simeng’s expression darkened. Would Lu Shen really come?

 

Now that the call had been made, the conversation shifted to An Zhaoyu and Lu Shen. The Omega classmates were curious, surrounding An Zhaoyu with intimate questions.

 

“For a Beta and an Omega… does the Beta play the role of the Alpha in bed?”

 

An Zhaoyu understood the implication. She smiled. Dr. Lu doesn’t play the ‘Alpha’ in bed… she is just incredibly good at seducing. She makes me want to swallow her whole.

 

Since An Zhaoyu refused to give a straight answer, they moved on to other private questions, like how often they marked each other. Gossip was human nature, after all; a Beta-Omega pairing was a novelty.

 

The moment Lu Shen entered the bar, she saw An Zhaoyu surrounded by a group of Omega girls, just like last time. Only this time, the Captain’s face was flushed red from alcohol.

 

As Lu Shen approached, she heard An Zhaoyu joking with the girls.

 

“Dr. Lu… she’s as cold and distant as the moon in the sky. How could I ever touch her?”

 

She only has the baby in her heart, An Zhaoyu thought drunkenly.