After the Divorce, My Wife Is Impossible to Coax - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

The wedding was set for Sunday, as everyone involved was a working professional.

The night before, An Zhaoyu and Lu Shen stayed at the Lu residence, along with the guests listed on the invitation. The Lu estate was far too remote; arriving the morning of the ceremony carried a high risk of getting lost. Consequently, on Saturday afternoon, Lu Yi sent staff to personally pick up the guests or act as guides.

The Lu family’s illegitimate children and distant relatives stood at the gates watching the proceedings. Seeing so many unfamiliar faces enter, they didn’t dare speak up. Since returning from Wei Ruicheng’s funeral, Lu Congwen had felt powerless; Lu Yi was now the head of the household, with Ye Jinhua managing the domestic affairs.

“This wedding is being run like a heist,” the relatives whispered. They mocked Lu Shen in their hearts, assuming she hadn’t truly won the An family’s favor since they weren’t holding a grand event at a luxury hotel. Or perhaps, they thought, it was because Lu Yi—that “madwoman”—was too embarrassing to be shown in public.

The Lu family was rarely this lively.

The first to arrive was He Nanchun. At noon, she and An Changguo brought the baby up the mountain, feeling as if they were entering another world.

“Vampire,” An Zhou muttered, a word she had picked up from An Zhaoyu. “Lu family, vampires. I am… a vampire baby.”

“Rawr—!” An Zhou lunged at Lu Shen, trying to bite her neck.

Her teeth weren’t even fully grown, yet she was already looking for a snack. Lu Shen caught her and pinched her cheek. “What nonsense are you saying?” Ever since An Zhaoyu and the baby became close, the child had been picking up this kind of talk. Lu Shen didn’t even need to wonder; the baby’s mouth was definitely going to inherit the Captain’s flair.

“Mom, I really am your daughter. Our reactions to coming here for the first time were exactly the same,” An Zhaoyu laughed as she led her parents through the courtyard.

“It’s too remote. Your father couldn’t find the way even with GPS; President Lu had to send someone down to fetch us,” He Nanchun said.

“But the Feng Shui here is excellent. Mountains, water, and it’s cooler than down below. Quiet, too—perfect for retirement,” An Changguo noted, hands behind his back. Lu Congwen certainly knew how to enjoy life. The mountain made the Lu family seem mysterious; it was no wonder the place was hard to find.

“By the way, Shen-shen, where is your mother?”

For the guests, the most intriguing person in the Lu family was Lu Ming. As for Lu Congwen, even if he lived in a dog kennel, He Nanchun would only offer a brief comment on his karma.

“Mom lives over there. She doesn’t come out much,” Lu Shen pointed toward the stone fortress. They were walking by the stream; following it would lead directly to the castle.

“She lives in there and doesn’t come out?” He Nanchun was shocked. “Is Lu Congwen keeping her in a ‘little black room’?”

“No, Aunt Lu just doesn’t want to come out,” An Zhaoyu added, thinking: She really is Lu Shen’s biological mother.

“Is there some secret hardship?” An Changguo frowned. Lu Ming had been a world-renowned scientist who seemed to vanish overnight. Seeing her confined to a stone fortress invited speculation.

“After my Mama passed away, Mom moved in there,” Lu Shen said softly.

“Dr. Lu is a deeply devoted person, just like her daughter,” He Nanchun nodded in understanding. In her mind, SSS-class Alphas were actually less flighty than ordinary ones. An Changguo only felt it was a pity; Lu Ming’s talent could have benefited society immensely. Self-imprisonment at such a young age was a loss for the world.

“I’ve seen her; she’s doing well,” An Zhaoyu reassured them. She knew her parents were worried, but she had no intention of revealing the truth. Survival for an Omega was already hard enough; if Lu Ming were a healthy person, it might be different, but in her current mental state, her Omega identity could easily be exploited.

Furthermore, Lu Shen was the daughter of two Omegas. That fact might draw even more attention than Lu Ming’s hidden gender. Wen Xuan had already come sniffing around for that very reason; An Zhaoyu didn’t want anyone else to know. Even with her parents, every extra person who knew was an extra risk.

“That’s good. Dr. Lu has already given much to society,” He Nanchun said, sensing her husband’s thoughts. Her perspective was different from an Alpha’s: Lu Ming’s invention of painless inhibitors had helped countless Omegas. Why shouldn’t she be allowed to spend the rest of her life in peace? You can’t treat a person like a beast of burden and keep shearing them forever.

“Exactly,” An Zhaoyu agreed with her mom. “Exactly,” An Zhou mimicked, making the elders laugh and lightening the mood.

An Wenyao didn’t come this time. The company was busy, and An Zhaoyu had explicitly stated she didn’t want Zhang Simeng there, so he stayed behind and let his parents represent him.

The Lu relatives, seeing He Nanchun and An Changguo arrive empty-handed, whispered behind their backs. For a family as big as the Ans, coming to a wedding without gifts seemed incredibly stingy.

“And Lu Shen thought she was marrying into a high-status family. Hmph.” “Didn’t they say they were divorcing? I wonder what trick she used to stop it. She never wanted a divorce; she just wanted to control the An family heiress.” “She’s just relying on the fact that she has a child. But it’s just an Omega baby, haha. Maybe An Zhaoyu will regret it later and find an Alpha.” “Exactly. The An family has an Alpha son, right? Lu Shen should have seduced him; she probably could have scammed more money out of him.”

Coming without gifts was actually requested by Lu Shen and An Zhaoyu. This wedding was only for “their own people,” and they wanted everyone to be unburdened. Both were capable of providing for themselves, and the An family had already transferred their dowries into the baby’s name.

“Lu Congwen doesn’t even control these gossiping, unfilial descendants,” He Nanchun said, feeling uncomfortable with the talk. “But they’re just illegitimate children with no mothers to teach them manners, so I suppose it makes sense.”

Pfft. An Zhaoyu hadn’t realized her mom’s tongue could be just as sharp as hers. An Changguo stayed silent; He Nanchun and her sister He Tingbai had opposite personalities. He Nanchun looked gentle and rarely lost her temper, but she was not to be trifled with—no one knew that better than him.

After settling her parents in, Lu Shen and An Zhaoyu went back down to greet more guests. Wei Qing arrived, bringing Professor Fu Xinglan with her after a trip to the Wei family lab.

“Hey, Wei Qing, where’s little Jiang Xingyu?” An Zhaoyu peered behind her. “Didn’t we say you could bring a ‘plus one’?”

Jiang Xingyu’s personality was infinitely better than Jiang Qizheng’s. That poor child had basically been kicked out of the Jiang family, and Wei Qing had “bought” her back using a business deal.

“She has an activity,” Wei Qing said, looking slightly awkward. Jiang Xingyu was still a student, and they weren’t that close yet. Wei Qing had only promised to help shield her from the Jiang family’s forced marriage.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense,” Lu Shen stepped in to help. She knew Wei Qing had no plans for a relationship; she was focused on her career, which was good.

“Oh look, it’s Professor Fu! We should let my Aunt handle her personally. Auntie!” An Zhaoyu was never one to sit still; even at her own wedding, she preferred “eating” other people’s gossip.

“What does that mean?” Fu Xinglan asked, confused. “Nothing,” Lu Yi, hearing An Zhaoyu, was too shy to come out. Lu Shen covered for her: “She’s just joking with you.”

The Professor seemed entirely unaware of Lu Yi’s feelings and lacked any romantic intuition. It seemed the Aunt had a long road ahead of her.

“Captain An, are you so excited for the wedding that your brain is malfunctioning?” Fu Xinglan stared at An Zhaoyu, looking like she wanted to give her a head CT.

As they walked back into the Lu estate, Lu Shen pinched An Zhaoyu’s hand. “Don’t cause trouble later.”

“Then give me a kiss,” An Zhaoyu was feeling triumphant and excited. With so many people in the courtyard, Lu Shen whispered, “I’ll kiss you when we go back to the room tonight.”

“No, I can’t wait. Now,” An Zhaoyu insisted.

It was evening. The sun hadn’t set, and golden light filtered through the trees. They stood outside the main gates waiting for more guests. Lu Shen scanned the area; everyone was inside the courtyard. As long as no new guests arrived, it was technically safe, but… it was still bold.

An Zhaoyu looked at her expectantly, like a child wanting candy. Lu Shen, fighting her shyness, pulled her behind a hundred-year-old tree near the entrance. She pressed An Zhaoyu against the trunk, checked the empty road one last time, and saw no one was watching.

An Zhaoyu closed her eyes. Lu Shen leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Not enough,” An Zhaoyu opened her eyes, her lips still pouted. “More.” A shallow peck couldn’t satisfy an SSS-class Omega.

Lu Shen had no choice but to kiss her deeply. An Zhaoyu wrapped her arms around Lu Shen’s waist, refusing to let her go. Lu Shen’s heart was racing. She had never done something like this—even when she “accidentally” marked An Zhaoyu at the He house, it was in a private room. Doing this outside brought a sense of thrill and shame, though An Zhaoyu seemed not to care at all, only focusing on deepening the kiss.

They kissed for a long while. When Lu Shen tried to pull away, An Zhaoyu skillfully spun her around, switching positions. Now Lu Shen was the one pressed against the tree. Having the tree at her back and only An Zhaoyu in front of her helped her relax a little.

But in this position, she couldn’t see the courtyard or the road, which made her uneasy. What if someone came…

“Lu Shen, why are you so distracted?” An Zhaoyu teased, lifting Lu Shen’s chin. “Don’t worry, from this angle, no one can see you.”

They can’t see me, but they can see you, and if they see you, they’ll know exactly who you’re with! An Zhaoyu didn’t give her time to think, leaning in for another kiss.

Time passed, and because no one had discovered them, Lu Shen let her guard down and humored her. And then—

“Is that about enough, Captain An? The wedding is tomorrow; can’t you hold it in for a few more seconds?”

The speaker was, of course, Jiang Ling.

Caught in the act, Lu Shen immediately pushed An Zhaoyu away, her breathing still uneven. She looked at Jiang Ling, who was standing there with arms crossed, having watched for god-knows-how-long. Behind her stood Wen Xuan, not daring to move.

“When did you get here?” Lu Shen smoothed her hair, trying to look composed. My wife is so cute when she pretends to be calm, An Zhaoyu thought, her lips red and unsatisfied. She didn’t care if they were seen. She was kissing her wife, not some secret mistress.

“I’ve been here a while. I waited and waited for you two to separate,” Jiang Ling teased. “I thought you’d grown into the tree.”

Wen Xuan thought to herself that Jiang Ling certainly had a way with words. They had just arrived, but Lu Shen, usually so observant, had been fooled by the bluff.

An Zhaoyu voiced what Lu Shen was thinking: “President Wen, did you finally come clean to Jiang Ling?” “I did,” Wen Xuan answered, glancing at Lu Shen. “About what?” An Zhaoyu asked, suspicious of any tricks. “About being the same as Professor Lu,” Wen Xuan said, cautiously reaching for Jiang Ling’s hand. She was, of course, brushed off.

“Don’t flatter yourself. How can your behavior compare to Lu Shen’s mother? Did she lie to her partner? Did she trick her into having a baby? Did she sabotage her ex-girlfriend’s plane?”

Jiang Ling was visibly angry. She hadn’t expected Wen Xuan to have lied about so many things. If it were just her gender, she might not have been so disappointed—she was an Omega herself and knew the hardships. But Wen Xuan had never intended to be honest; she planned to trick her into having a child and had harmed Wen Su. It had brought Jiang Ling to the brink of collapse. She had already exploded at the Wen house; she was currently in the “post-explosion calm” phase.

“I’m sorry,” Wen Xuan could only repeat the words she’d been saying at home. “If apologies worked, why would we need laws?” Jiang Ling snapped.

“Enough, this isn’t the place. Let’s go inside,” Lu Shen took Jiang Ling’s hand and led them to their rooms.

“I prepared two rooms for you,” An Zhaoyu said, raising an eyebrow. She was still a bit annoyed they’d interrupted her kiss and wanted a bit of revenge. “Do you want to stay together or separate?”

“Together!” Wen Xuan said. “Separate!” Jiang Ling said at the same time.

“What’s the situation now?” Lu Shen asked, sitting down. She pulled An Zhaoyu behind her to keep her from speaking. “Jiang Ling, I’m sorry. You can punish me however you want,” Wen Xuan knelt on the floor, her eyes red.

“Oh my god,” An Zhaoyu felt her eyes were being contaminated. It felt so “greasy.” If you’re wrong, just admit it; why the kneeling? Does she think that makes Jiang Ling happy?

“Get up,” Jiang Ling said irritably, helping her up. “President Wen is pregnant,” Lu Shen stated. “Yes,” Jiang Ling had initially refused to believe it until Wen Xuan produced the paternity test and offered to do another at any hospital. It was only because of the child that Wen Xuan dared to tell the truth.

An Zhaoyu’s eyes nearly popped out. “President Wen, that’s really underhanded!” “I learned from you,” Wen Xuan said, exhausted. “Learned from me? I didn’t keep my pregnancy a secret from Lu Shen,” An Zhaoyu said, feeling wronged. She hadn’t lied about her gender either. Lu Shen patted her hand to soothe her.

Jiang Ling didn’t comment. While An Zhaoyu hadn’t lied, she had used the child to bind Lu Shen—though Lu Shen had allowed it.

“What do you plan to do now? What about Wen Su?” Lu Shen asked. “I saw Wen Su,” Jiang Ling said, her head aching. “She said she can forgive Wen Xuan, but only if I divorce her.”

It seemed Wen Su still cared for her, Lu Shen thought. But with Wen Xuan pregnant, things were complicated. “No, I will never divorce you. If she dares to interfere,” a cold light flashed in Wen Xuan’s eyes, “I don’t mind making sure she stays in the hospital permanently.”

Slap! Jiang Ling lost her patience and gave her a light slap. “Are you still unrepentant?”

“How can I change? If nothing happened to her, you would have definitely gotten back together with her,” Wen Xuan said, dejected. “She’s an Alpha and your ex-girlfriend. How could I compete?”

“That doesn’t mean you can harm her! If she reports you, your life is over! Do you understand?” Jiang Ling began to cry. She felt trapped between the Wen sisters.

From the sound of it, Jiang Ling was still ultimately on Wen Xuan’s side. Lu Shen sighed internally.

“We should have Wen Su return to the flight team first,” An Zhaoyu suggested. Idle people were prone to trouble; giving her work to do would solve many problems. “President Wen too—work more!”

“She’s pregnant,” Jiang Ling said helplessly. But Wen Su definitely had to return to the team; otherwise, Jiang Ling would never have peace.

This was a private family matter for the Wens, so Lu Shen and An Zhaoyu didn’t interfere further. They could only wish them luck.

“Oh, Mom wants us to go pick up Grandma,” An Zhaoyu said, pulling Lu Shen out. He Linghan and Lin Kezhi had arrived. He Nanchun specifically wanted the two of them to greet them to “slap the faces” of the Lu family illegitimate children.

“Grandma, Great-Grandma, why are you only arriving now?” An Zhaoyu greeted them, taking Lin Kezhi’s arm. “The Lu house is not easy to find,” He Linghan smiled. She had to attend her granddaughter’s wedding and finally meet Lu Ming. She had seen Lu Ming years ago; back then, her eldest daughter He Tingbai was jealous of Lu Ming and wanted her to do something about it. He Linghan, of course, hadn’t. While Lu Ming hadn’t performed Lin Kezhi’s surgery, she had provided the medication that helped her recover, earning the He family’s gratitude.

Seeing He Linghan arrive personally, the Lu relatives shut up. She had a powerful aura that commanded respect without even releasing pheromones. One look from her made several Alphas tremble. Is this the legendary SSS-class Alpha? Wei Ruicheng didn’t even come close.

Lu Congwen, sitting in the hall, also felt the pressure. He had never felt such intimidation from Lu Ming. “You old geezer, what are you dazing off for?” Ye Jinhua barked. Lu Congwen jumped, dropping his health exercise balls. “Can… can’t you speak nicely?” Since Wei Ruicheng’s death, he was terrified of ghosts and jumpy as a cat. Ye Jinhua sneered. “If you haven’t done anything wrong, you shouldn’t fear ghosts. Lu Shen’s Mama died a tragic death; Wei Ruicheng’s end was just karma.” Lu Congwen broke out in a cold sweat.

He Linghan’s presence was a statement of support for Lu Shen. Among the guests, only she and Lin Kezhi had brought gifts. Their initial wedding had been rushed, so the elders brought jewelry they had worn for years—bracelets and rings from He Linghan’s days of struggle.

“One for you, one for Qing-qing, one for Wenyao,” He Linghan smiled, taking them off and giving one to Lu Shen in the middle of the courtyard. “Thank you, Grandma,” Lu Shen said, accepting the gesture.

Hmph, let’s see you dare look down on my wife now, An Zhaoyu thought, amused by the stunned looks of the Lu relatives.

She was looking forward to the wedding tomorrow.

Support