After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The family eventually left, and An Zhaoyu returned to her seat.

“It’s no use,” the Omega teacher sighed softly. “They won’t change because of what you said. That little girl will likely still struggle to find happiness in the future.”

Everyone understood the logic, but how do you wake someone who is pretending to be asleep?

“I only do what I can,” An Zhaoyu said dismissively. “I don’t expect to change their worldview, but they did that in front of my child. I can’t ignore it, or my child might be influenced by them.”

Lu Shen agreed. She knew An Zhaoyu had long been disillusioned with certain types of Omegas, but making a scene like this would have a subtle, positive impact on An Zhou, even if she couldn’t understand the words yet. Her mother’s actions and attitude taught her that the way those parents treated their child was wrong, providing her with a deep sense of security.

An Zhou, who had been frightened by the couple, was smiling again. She lunged at An Zhaoyu and drew a full face of whiskers on her. Once the masterpiece was finished, An Zhaoyu took a few photos for her new social media account.

“Lu Shen, look, so many likes!” The photos from last night already had hundreds of likes and a dozen comments praising An Zhou’s cuteness and asking for more.

“This is Xiao Zhou,” An Zhou said, pointing at the screen. “Who is Xiao Zhou?” Lu Shen teased. The toddler could understand simple sentences now. “Your baby,” An Zhou said, leaning into her arms, making Lu Shen laugh. “Whose baby?” An Zhaoyu raised an eyebrow. “Yours,” An Zhou replied without blinking.

“Hmph, smooth talker,” An Zhaoyu edited the photo of the “little cat” and posted it with the caption: Today, I’m a kitten. She also managed to sneak two candid photos of Lu Shen.

Just as the Captain thought she had escaped scrutiny, Lu Shen spoke up. “Earlier, Captain An said… who wants you?”

“…A great beauty,” the Captain said, shrinking her neck. “Who is that?” Lu Shen rarely pressed a point so relentlessly. “You…”

“I never said that.”

An Zhaoyu rubbed her eyes in a fake crying gesture, hoping to gain the doctor’s sympathy, but Lu Shen ignored her, focusing on guiding An Zhou’s hand to draw on paper. Lu Shen was hard to coax, but the Captain seemed to enjoy the challenge.

“How about we grab lunch?” An Zhaoyu suggested, pulling out a black business card. “We won’t come back this afternoon. Let’s take Xiao Zhou to see this company.”

Lu Shen agreed. An Zhou clearly enjoyed being photographed, so it was worth exploring. After washing the “war paint” off their faces, they had lunch and drove to the Film and Television City. The baby napped in the back with Lu Shen, so An Zhaoyu drove with extra care.

An Zhaoyu had done her homework. The company, Star Entertainment, was currently the largest in S-City. They were heading to a subsidiary called Moe Star Models, which specialized in child advertising. Since they weren’t looking for a career path yet, this small, niche agency was perfect for a “trial run.”

Upon arrival, Lu Shen carried the waking An Zhou into the studio. The area featured various architectural styles—Gothic castles, modern offices, and traditional courtyards. An Zhou’s eyes were wide with curiosity. An Zhaoyu smiled and handed Lu Shen a fresh mask.

At Moe Star, they were greeted warmly. “Sweetie, call her Sister,” An Zhaoyu said, patting An Zhou’s head. “Sister,” An Zhou said, looking at the Beta girl without a hint of fear. “Haha, ‘Auntie’ is fine too! She’s so beautiful,” the girl exclaimed. “Is she mixed race?”

“One quarter,” Lu Shen replied briefly.

They were led to the shooting area to meet “Sister Ren,” a sharp-eyed Omega in her thirties with a striking black ink tattoo stretching from her shoulder to her wrist. Most kids cried upon seeing her, and An Zhou shrunk back into her mother’s arms initially, but she didn’t cry.

“How old is she? What’s her name?” Sister Ren asked. Contrary to her fierce look, her voice was sweet and soft.

An Zhaoyu set An Zhou down. “She’s over a year old. Her name is An Zhou. Sweetie, say hi to Auntie.”

“Auntie,” An Zhou said, putting a finger in her mouth.

They did a test shoot. An Zhou was a natural. Under An Zhaoyu’s guidance, she posed with her chin in her hands, smiled brilliantly, and even pouted playfully.

“She has great potential. A natural star,” Sister Ren said, showing Lu Shen the photos. An Zhou’s large, watery eyes sparkled with intelligence. Even when distracted by the new environment, she captured the lens the moment the shutter clicked.

Sister Ren brought up signing a contract, but An Zhaoyu politely declined. “It’s too early for a contract. If you have specific shoots, you can contact us. We’ll see after a few collaborations.” Lu Shen agreed. They were truly just there to “look.”

On Sunday, the trip to the zoo was cancelled because Jiang Ling was getting married.

Both Lu Shen and An Zhaoyu were invited. Lu Shen and Wei Qing were bridesmaids. The Jiang family had initially worried that having a Beta who was about to divorce as a bridesmaid was “unlucky,” but Jiang Ling had threatened to call off the wedding if she couldn’t choose her own friends.

An Zhaoyu attended with the An family. The wedding was a grand outdoor affair at the Wen estate, a clear “business alliance” between two powerful families. Watching the preparations, An Zhaoyu felt a pang of regret. We never even had a wedding, and now we’re getting divorced.

Wen Xuan, the SSS-rank Alpha and heir to the Wen family, stood elegantly in a deep purple suit, greeting guests with a sharp, commanding presence. When she saw An Zhou, her gaze lingered.

“This is your child with Dr. Lu? So cute,” Wen Xuan remarked. While most people liked An Zhou, An Zhaoyu felt a mother’s intuition—Wen Xuan’s interest looked less like affection and more like she was appraising a valuable commodity. It made her skin crawl.

“Hello, Auntie,” An Zhou said. “Such a good girl. I want a baby just like Xiao Zhou,” Wen Xuan smiled.

An Zhaoyu frowned. What does that mean?

Just then, the bride appeared. “Xiao Zhou! Come give Auntie a kiss!” Jiang Ling scooped the toddler up. An Zhou was dressed formally in a white shirt, black suspender shorts, and a bow tie.

Then, Lu Shen walked out.

She was wearing a simple white formal dress that resembled a wedding gown. It was sleeveless, showing off her slender arms and porcelain skin. Her hair was swept up, with a few soft strands framing her face. She looked ethereal, like a mist in the morning woods.

An Zhaoyu couldn’t take her eyes off her. The regret of never having a wedding reached its peak. She shouldn’t be a supporting character in someone else’s wedding, An Zhaoyu thought.

“Mama!” An Zhou ran into Lu Shen’s arms. Lu Shen gently wiped a lipstick mark off the baby’s cheek—Jiang Ling had been too enthusiastic.

“Three fairies,” Wen Xuan complimented with a smile. “An honor for the Wen family.”

An Zhaoyu’s unease grew. The SSS-rank pressure she felt from Wen Xuan was different from her grandmother’s. It was predatory. She wondered if it was just jealousy, but Lu Shen seemed to be thinking the same thing. Lu Shen noted that while An Zhaoyu was like a flamboyant leopard, Wen Xuan was like a wolf in the shadows.

The ceremony was brief. Jiang Ling was handed from her father to Wen Xuan. “President Wen, a pleasure doing business with you,” her father whispered—a blessing only three people could hear. “A pleasure doing business with you,” Jiang Ling repeated to her new wife.

After the ceremony, Wei Ruicheng approached Lu Shen. He hadn’t come for his daughter, Wei Qing; he was there for Lu Shen.

“Dr. Lu, how interesting,” he said, stepping behind her in a secluded corner of the garden. “President Wei, stay back. Speak plainly,” Lu Shen said. She knew he would come; her father, Lu Congwen, had been pestering her to contact him.

“You lied to me for a long time. That medicine wasn’t for ‘leveling up,’ it was just caffeine and painkillers,” Wei Ruicheng said, his voice smiling but cold. “How should we settle this debt?”

“You begged me to make you feel better. I only promised that,” Lu Shen replied evenly. She had only dealt with Wei Ruicheng to force her father to bring her mother, Lu Ming, home from the psychiatric hospital.

“So you’re saying my lifespan will still be shortened!” Wei Ruicheng snarled. “My mother always included instructions with her medicine. Did the ones you stole not have them?” “Lu Shen, don’t be naive. The Lu family aren’t the only medical geniuses in the world.” “Then why look for me?”

Wei Ruicheng calmed himself. He hated how he lost control around Lu Ming and Lu Shen. They held his life in their hands—one could raise his rank, the other could render Alpha pheromones useless.

“State your conditions,” Lu Shen said, sensing An Zhaoyu was nearby. “Help me research Agent E, and I’ll help you promote your new inhibitor nationwide.”

Agent E was the drug to turn an Alpha into an Enigma. Lu Shen was curious. “If I research Agent E for you, my inhibitor becomes useless against you, doesn’t it?”

“I won’t make Agent E public,” Wei Ruicheng whispered. “I’ll be the only Enigma. And if you want… I’ll allow you to be like me.”

Liar, Lu Shen thought. If he became an Enigma, the first person he’d try to mark would be her. “I have one condition. My inhibitor must be promoted not just in S-City, but nationwide. It must be as famous as my mother’s painless inhibitor.”

Wei Ruicheng hesitated. That would be incredibly expensive. But to become an Enigma? It was worth it. He would make her pay it back later. “I agree.”

“Lu Shen!” An Zhaoyu’s voice rang out. She glared at Wei Ruicheng. “Captain An, stay away from Lu Shen,” An Zhaoyu snarled. “Since you’re getting a divorce, Captain, you should be the one staying away,” Wei Ruicheng laughed, shaking his head. To him, she was just a spoiled animal. Before leaving, he whispered to Lu Shen, “Little Lu, remember our agreement.”

An Zhaoyu walked to Lu Shen’s side, her voice raspy. “Stay away from him.” Lu Shen looked down. “Please?” An Zhaoyu suddenly hugged her—tightly, as if trying to merge their bodies. “He killed my Mommy. I have to make him pay.”

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