After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Lu Shen didn’t like to chat during surgery. She only spoke to give instructions or cautions, which was a vastly different experience for Liang Wei compared to her rotations in other departments. Alpha surgeons loved to talk during operations, often making off-color jokes that made Liang Wei uncomfortable.

Wasn’t it better to operate in silence like this? Liang Wei watched intently, asking questions whenever she didn’t understand something.

It wasn’t until the surgery was finished and they were washing their hands that Liang Wei mentioned what she had said to Wei Ruicheng.

“What? You told him that any gland specialist in the country could perform a transplant?” Lu Shen’s movements stopped abruptly.

“Um… theoretically, it’s not that hard,” Liang Wei said, feeling guilty at Lu Shen’s reaction. Compared to heart or lung transplants, glands were much simpler. she had even seen news reports about black market trades for such things.

“You are misleading a patient,” Lu Shen frowned. She had wondered why Wei Ruicheng kept pestering her about transplants.

“Then I…” Liang Wei felt dejected. Why was it that patients could assault doctors in the hospital without consequence, yet doctors were still obligated to treat them—while she was being scolded just for saying a few words? If Wei Ruicheng hadn’t said those things himself, Wei Jinlin wouldn’t hate him.

“The nature of the situation is different,” Lu Shen’s expression turned stern. “Once he wakes up, you come with me to set the record straight. Then, you will write a formal letter of self-reflection.”

The surgery had just ended, and Liang Wei found herself being lectured for over an hour. Once the anesthesia wore off and Wei Ruicheng was fully conscious, Lu Shen brought her to his bedside.

“I’ll be blunt: a gland transplant cannot be done. The Medical Center’s Ethics Committee will not approve it,” Lu Shen had Liang Wei step forward to apologize. “Her words misled you. If you are unwilling to forgive her, you are free to file a formal complaint against me.”

Although Liang Wei had a PhD, she was still a student-practitioner and did not yet have the license to practice independently. Her mistakes fell entirely on Lu Shen’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Liang Wei apologized sincerely. As a doctor with more clinical experience than the patient, she truly shouldn’t have deceived him, even if the patient was a villain.

Wei Ruicheng was still weak from surgery. Hearing Lu Shen’s words, his blood pressure spiked; he wanted nothing more than to fire this little Omega doctor on the spot. But on second thought, Lu Shen only said the Ethics Committee wouldn’t pass it—she didn’t say it was technically impossible. As long as his glands could be restored, what did ethics matter? This little doctor had actually provided him with a potential lead; a person like Lu Shen would never have volunteered such information herself.

Thus, he put on a hypocritical smile. “It’s fine. Young doctors are inexperienced; everyone makes mistakes.”

Lu Shen saw his expression and knew further persuasion was useless. She didn’t say more, sending Liang Wei to write the self-reflection and a formal “Condition Disclosure Form,” which Wei Ruicheng signed.

“You must never do this again,” Lu Shen rarely spoke to her in such a serious tone, driving home the gravity of the situation.

“I understand.”

Afterward, Lu Shen had Liang Wei take the documents to the Medical Safety Office to admit the mistake. The staff there gave Lu Shen a harsh scolding, then took monitoring equipment to speak with Wei Ruicheng one more time. Wei Ruicheng hadn’t expected those few casual words to cause such a stir. He had hoped to use the incident to blackmail Lu Shen into performing the transplant, but with so many witnesses and cameras, he had to endure it, stating that Liang Wei’s words had not affected him.

Ultimately, Lu Shen was fined three months’ salary and lost her eligibility for this year’s professional title evaluation.

Liang Wei was distraught. She knew Lu Shen was doing this for her own good—if Wei Ruicheng had sued her, she might have lost her ability to be a doctor forever, not just money. But she had been a student for so long and hadn’t earned any money yet; now, in her first month, she had caused Lu Shen to lose three months’ pay and a promotion. How could she face her?

“This was all my idea…” Wei Qing hadn’t realized things would be this severe. In the business world, everyone spoke in half-truths. She had only wanted to prevent Wei Jinlin from doing something illegal to Lu Shen and hadn’t meant to drag Lu Shen down.

“Then you pay the fine for me,” Lu Shen said, removing her mask and taking a sip from her thermos. She didn’t truly blame Liang Wei; the girl was straightforward and easily swayed by emotion. It was best for her to learn this lesson now. In a way, this outcome benefited Lu Shen’s long-term goals, so the price was worth it. Toward someone like Wei Ruicheng, she could only maintain the barest professional ethics—anything more was impossible.

“Fine. You should head home and check things out. Lu Yi called earlier—Xiao Yu has already rushed to the Lu house,” Wei Qing reminded her, seeing that Lu Shen hadn’t rested since leaving surgery.

Lu Shen immediately pulled out her phone and saw four or five missed calls from Lu Yi. Her heart sank. Did something happen to Mom?

Lu Congwen had been ruminating for a long time. Ever since he learned that Wei Ruicheng’s rank was boosted by Lu Ming’s surgery, he had been brooding. Why wouldn’t his own daughter perform the surgery for her father first, instead of an outsider?

He wanted to find Lu Ming, but Lu Yi kept a very tight watch on her. Every time he approached Lu Ming’s “Stone City,” someone would intercept him. What for? Can’t I see my own daughter? The bodyguards insisted on the “Little President Lu’s” approval, which infuriated him. He was Lu Ming’s legal guardian!

But he was powerless. Lu Yi managed half of the family business now, as he was getting older and lacked the energy. But things were different now—if he could differentiate into an SSS-rank Alpha, wouldn’t he be in his prime again?

He had pretended to be compliant while waiting for a chance to sneak in. He hadn’t seen Lu Ming in a long time. She was either catatonic or manic, far from the research state she used to be in; her only value now was as a pawn to control Lu Shen. When news came that Wei Ruicheng was about to break through to SSS-rank, and the Wei family Alphas were suppressed by his concentrated pheromones, Lu Congwen could no longer hold back.

He charged into the Stone City like a madman to find Lu Ming, demanding to know why she had boosted Wei Ruicheng’s rank. Lu Ming had no interest in him, but when he mentioned that Lu Shen was collaborating with Wei Ruicheng, Lu Ming lost all control.

When An Zhaoyu arrived at the Lu house, Lu Ming was pinning Lu Congwen by the throat, trying to throw him out of the window. Lu Yi was nearby trying to soothe her, to no avail. Lu Congwen was so terrified his pheromones were leaking out. Normally, this would affect Lu Ming, but she was relentless, demanding he “hand over Lu Shen.”

“Auntie Lu, don’t be upset. Lu Shen is fine,” An Zhaoyu said softly, approaching slowly with light steps. “She’s just performing surgery at the hospital, she’s not at Wei Ruicheng’s.”

Hearing her voice, Lu Ming reacted slightly but didn’t look back, still choking Lu Congwen. “I want to see Shen-shen. I want to see her now.”

Lu Congwen’s face had turned the color of a pig’s liver. He clung to the windowsill in a pathetic mess, unable to even curse, filled with both terror and rage.

“She’s coming soon, I promise you,” An Zhaoyu stepped closer. She wanted to pinch her nose at the old man’s leaking pheromones but only frowned, fearing a sudden movement would startle Lu Ming. “I was with her just now. She’s fine.”

“You are all lying to me,” Lu Ming’s emotions were violent. Jiang Nian had disappeared from her side in exactly this way. “Give Shen-shen back to me!”

Seeing her so agitated, and unsure how much Lu Congwen’s Alpha pheromones were stimulating her, An Zhaoyu released some of her own pheromones. An Omega’s pheromones were gentle and purely soothing, lacking any aggression—especially since they were both SSS-rank.

The narcissus scent seemed to work on Lu Ming, but it also stimulated Lu Congwen. Because he was being choked, his swallowing became difficult, making a loud sound. Damn, is the old man going into a rut? An Zhaoyu felt like throwing up. She lunged forward without hesitation, hugging Lu Ming from behind and pulling her back.

Lu Yi seized the moment, signaling others to drag Lu Congwen away. The gasping old man was quickly escorted out of the Stone City. Lu Ming tried to chase him to finish him off, but An Zhaoyu held her tight.

An Zhaoyu still had her injuries; the struggle made her entire body throb with pain. “Auntie, Lu Shen is coming. She’s definitely fine, I guarantee it.”

“I don’t want a guarantee! I want Shen-shen!” The out-of-control Lu Ming couldn’t hear her and bit down hard on the webbing of An Zhaoyu’s left thumb.

An Zhaoyu felt like she was going to die from the pain, but she didn’t dare let go. If Lu Ming fell or ran out and got hurt, Lu Shen would be devastated. Her only conviction was to stay here until Lu Shen arrived.

Fortunately, while Lu Shen was slow to arrive, her phone call was timely. An Zhaoyu shouted to Lu Ming, “Auntie, look! Lu Shen is calling! Help me answer it!”

Her phone was in her pocket. Lu Ming glanced at the screen; it indeed showed Lu Shen’s name.

“Shen-shen!” As soon as the call connected, Lu Ming cried out her name, desperate for confirmation.

“Mom, it’s me,” Lu Shen felt relieved hearing her voice but worried about An Zhaoyu. “I’m coming back now. Be good for me.”

“I’m very good,” Lu Ming’s mood finally began to stabilize. She gave up the struggle, her voice suddenly turning soft and pitiful.

“…” Good, my foot, An Zhaoyu rolled her eyes behind her. She was the one who was pitiful; her hand was killing her.

The call ended. Lu Ming held An Zhaoyu’s phone in a daze for a while. When An Zhaoyu moved, Lu Ming cried out in surprise, “Xiao Zhao, you’re bleeding!”

“Yeah,” An Zhaoyu’s hand had been bitten till it bled. She said weakly and teasingly, “Auntie, remember to say a few good words for me in front of Lu Shen later.”

“Say what?” Lu Ming looked at her curiously, as if the life-and-death struggle with Lu Congwen hadn’t just happened.

An Zhaoyu was getting used to her shifts. “Tell Lu Shen to hurry up and take me in.”

Her beautiful wife was right in front of her every day, separated by a single mattress—she could see her but couldn’t sleep with her. When would this end? At the thought, An Zhaoyu’s injuries felt even more painful. Lu Ming had no idea they were divorcing and looked at her strangely.

“Are you saying… Shen-shen is no good in bed?” “Then where did Xiao Zhou come from?”

An Zhaoyu gave Lu Ming’s logic a perfect ten.

When Lu Shen rushed over, she found the two of them squatting against the wall discussing “108 positions in bed.” Lu Ming was in her hospital gown looking excited, while An Zhaoyu had gauze on her neck and a bloody bite mark on her hand, grinning widely.

“…Mom.”

Both looked up at her, nodded, and went back to their discussion. Lu Shen, fresh off surgery, felt she needed an oxygen tank.

“An Zhaoyu,” Lu Shen called her name flatly.

“Present,” An Zhaoyu didn’t have Lu Ming’s boldness. She stood up against the wall, looking a bit afraid of Lu Shen. Meanwhile, Lu Ming was pumping her fist to cheer her on. Go for it, Xiao Zhao!

“What happened?” Lu Shen took her hand.

“Auntie Lu bit me,” An Zhaoyu answered honestly. Lu Ming immediately turned “honest” too, shrinking her neck and retracting her cheering fist.

“Mom?”

“She told me to say nice things so you’d take her back,” Lu Ming blurted out.

Captain An is actually complaining to my mother, Lu Shen looked at her.

“It hurts,” An Zhaoyu had intended to fake being aggrieved, but now she was genuinely upset. Lu Ming had really bitten her hard. She had only talked nonsense with Lu Ming to keep her stable—though there was a bit of shared spirit there. But it really hurt. She was a young lady who had never suffered such freak accidents in her life, and now it had happened twice in one day. She leaned against the wall, her eyes slightly red, her beautiful face looking fragile.

Lu Ming squatted in the corner, her eyes darting between them like an innocent bystander to an accident. Lu Shen sighed softly, took a first-aid kit from under Lu Ming’s bed, and treated the wound. The bite was deep, but thankfully no nerves were damaged. Lu Shen asked her aunt to arrange a tetanus shot.

After checking that Lu Ming wasn’t hurt, Lu Shen stayed to eat with them to soothe her mother’s mood. It was dark by the time they prepared to leave.

“Xiao Zhao,” Lu Ming waved An Zhaoyu over. When An Zhaoyu leaned in, Lu Ming whispered something in her ear, clearly not wanting Lu Shen to hear. An Zhaoyu’s eyebrows shot up. Lu Shen pretended not to see; she couldn’t understand why Lu Ming and An Zhaoyu got along so well, even having secrets behind her back.

The Lu house downstairs was in turmoil. Lu Congwen was locked in the study by Lu Yi, while Lu family relatives gathered outside to gossip.

“I saw it—the old man’s face was beet red. He said he was hit by the lunatic inside.” “His pheromones were leaking from anger. Who knows what that one inside is raging about now?” “Is it because of Lu Shen? That traitor performed the rank-boosting surgery for Wei Ruicheng.” “Really? If there’s such a good thing, why wouldn’t she do it for her own family first? Is she trying to hook up with the Wei family?”

An Zhaoyu’s fists were itching. Even with her hand bandaged, she leaned into Lu Shen’s ear. “Lu Shen, want to consider ‘using’ me again?”

These people surely knew they were divorcing. An Zhaoyu wasn’t slow; ever since she’d come here to hit someone last time, she had figured things out. Ye Jinhua and Lu Yi were both satisfied with her; they likely hoped, like Lu Ming, that she would stand by Lu Shen’s side. Lu Ming just said it out loud, while the others were more “subtle.” Lu Shen was the most tight-lipped of all. But An Zhaoyu was more than willing to be used.

The words struck Lu Shen’s heart, catching her off guard. Before she could answer, An Zhaoyu coughed twice to make some noise. The gossipers turned, their expressions shifting through colors of the rainbow. In a unified movement, they grabbed their children and stepped back. Only after these instinctive self-preservation movements did they remember the two were about to divorce.

“Miss An, you’re practically divorced from Lu Shen. Why are you still at the Lu house?” “Are you here to see us as a joke?”

They all hoped the relationship was ruined; with the An family’s power, crushing Lu Shen would be easy.

“You said ‘practically,'” An Zhaoyu said with a touch of grievance. “I’m not divorced yet. But I don’t mind helping the Lu family discipline their children again.”

The little boy who had been hit last time ducked behind his parents. The scene went silent. People retreated to their rooms, though their ears were practically pressed against the study door.

Lu Shen and An Zhaoyu entered. Lu Congwen was slumped in his office chair, still trembling with rage. At his age, being pinned and choked by his daughter was a humiliating story. Seeing Lu Shen, he found his spirit, pointing at the bruised skin on his neck.

“Lu Shen, look at what your mother did! Hurry up and perform the surgery for me, and I might forgive her unfilial behavior this once.”

“Grand-stepfather, did you forget Auntie has mental health issues? What ‘forgiveness’? Are you going to call the police on her?” An Zhaoyu knew Lu Shen didn’t like talking about her mother’s illness, so she said it for her.

“Shut up! this is a Lu family matter!” Lu Congwen loathed her; an Omega who didn’t act like an Omega at all, just like his crazy daughter.

“I’m not divorced yet. This is also her family matter,” Lu Shen finally spoke. An Zhaoyu felt a flicker of hope, but didn’t dare expect too much.

“She was alone with your mother for so long and released pheromones to seduce me,” Lu Congwen said venomously. He didn’t believe Lu Shen wouldn’t mind.

Lu Shen did mind. She walked to Lu Congwen and grabbed his collar. “Say it again. Who did she seduce?”

“You… what are you doing! I’m your grandfather!” Lu Congwen’s eyes widened. Lu Shen was usually very stable; this was the first time she’d grabbed his collar, making his old heart quiver.

“Shen-shen, Xiao Yu released pheromones to soothe my sister,” Lu Yi explained from the side.

“Hear that?” Lu Congwen laughed shamelessly. “Your aunt saw it too. She was seducing your mother.”

An Zhaoyu thought Lu Shen was about to punch him—though she was very satisfied with Lu Shen’s reaction.

“Do you know what surgery I performed on Wei Ruicheng?” Lu Shen let go of his collar, her blue eyes cold as ice. “I excised his glands. Do you want the same?”

Lu Congwen shuddered. He doubted her, yet knew she rarely lied.

“Grandfather,” Lu Shen’s voice lacked any warmth. “If you want to be like him, I will fulfill your wish. If not, stay here quietly from now on. Eat vegetarian, pray to Buddha, and spend the rest of your life repenting for what happened to my mother. Or… do you want to spend your retirement in a mental hospital?”

She opened her eyes, her cold pupils reflecting Lu Congwen’s terrified expression. He didn’t know when his once silent, easy-to-bully granddaughter had become so cold-blooded. Lu Shen didn’t wait for an answer, turning to lead An Zhaoyu back to the courtyard. It was late, and the mountain road was difficult to drive. Lu Shen intended to stay the night. “Which room do you want to stay in? There are several empty ones,” she told An Zhaoyu.

“Anywhere is fine, as long as it’s with you,” An Zhaoyu replied. She looked around, putting on a terrified face. “It’s so gloomy here. I’m afraid of ghosts.”

Lu Shen was speechless. Anyone in the world could be afraid of ghosts except An Zhaoyu—the Omega who liked to listen to ghost stories while flying a plane. Ultimately, Lu Shen brought her into her own room.

Lu Shen hadn’t lived here in a long time, but Lu Yi had kept it clean so she’d always have a place to stay. The room was unremarkable, with a few traditional rosewood pieces carved with classical patterns. But on the bookshelf near the window sat a colored paper airplane.

It looked familiar. An Zhaoyu walked toward it. Lu Shen knew exactly what it was. The paper plane had a blue-background photo of An Zhaoyu stuck to it. Beneath it was a thick stack of magazine pages An Zhaoyu had torn out and given to her—the paper planes Lu Shen had unfolded and flattened. By the time Lu Shen realized, An Zhaoyu had already picked up the plane.

“Lu Shen, isn’t this mine?”

The blue-background photo was too obvious. An Zhaoyu’s lips curled up; she hadn’t expected Lu Shen to keep this paper plane until now. Then, she saw the stack of paper. It was thick—every week for several semesters in high school, she had given them to Lu Shen. She hadn’t realized there were so many.

For a moment, An Zhaoyu wanted to cry. She had achieved her seventeen-year-old dream. The road had been bumpy; she had doubted herself many times, as the pain of growing up naturally makes one want to forget their dreams. But they had been kept safe in Lu Shen’s hands all along. She wasn’t alone.

“Lu Shen, can you give me another chance?” An Zhaoyu held the paper plane, standing before her. Her gaze was incredibly serious, as if she wanted to pick up all the regrets of the past. This was the second time she’d asked. If Lu Shen refused, she would simply keep trying.

“I might not be who you imagine me to be,” Lu Shen’s answer was unexpected. “You saw today how I treated Wei Ruicheng and my grandfather.”

“I know. And I like it,” An Zhaoyu looked at her, her gaze burning like fire. “Lu Shen, I like you regardless of how you are.”

“I might be so gentle that I can’t be tamed,” Lu Shen met her gaze, finally speaking the words. “Or I might be so cold that I won’t let you touch me.”

An Zhaoyu seemed to recall something. Her face flushed, looking awkward. “You heard all of it.”

Lu Shen didn’t speak, just watched her.

“I’m sorry,” An Zhaoyu lowered her head. The more she understood Lu Shen, the more she realized how much the old Lu Shen had tolerated and indulged her. Being loved by someone like Lu Shen was a profound blessing. An Zhaoyu was willing to spend her entire life repaying that luck.

“I never thought about taming you,” Lu Shen turned to look at the moon outside the window, her voice soft. Even if the world were a wasteland, she had never thought of trapping An Zhaoyu in a cage. She liked the woman’s vibrant, bright smile.

“But I’ve already been tamed by you,” An Zhaoyu hugged her from behind. “Willingly.”

Now, that smile belonged to her alone.

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