After Being Deceived, I Married Someone Else and Had Children Chapter 20

“Ahem.”

Zuo Shihuan stood there for a moment — neither of the two had noticed him. Helplessly, he cleared his throat twice to get their attention.

Zuo Shiyun, still mid-beating, heard someone cough and immediately snapped, “Who’s there?”

Zuo Shihuan: “…It’s me.”

The voice sounded oddly familiar to her. When she turned around, she froze — it was her half-brother, the Alpha, Zuo Shihuan.

She immediately stiffened, assuming he had seen her hitting her brother and had come to scold her.

Her lips tightened, and her bright, fox-like eyes flickered with both wariness and fear. “What are you doing here?” she asked sharply.

Meanwhile, the little brother sprawled on the ground reached out toward Zuo Shihuan and cried out with all his soul, “Bro— big bro! Save me!”

Zuo Shihuan instinctively averted his gaze, feeling a bit guilty. He had, after all, witnessed the entire scene from start to finish.

But in his eyes, the two of them were just roughhousing — and Zuo Shiyu was certainly still full of energy, shouting for help at the top of his lungs.

Zuo Shihuan said, “Actually, I saw everything from the second floor. A maid came to ask me to stop you two before you got hurt, so that’s why I came down.”

In truth, Zuo Shihuan hadn’t intended to interfere in the siblings’ scuffle — he thought children should resolve their own quarrels, and as an adult half-brother, it wasn’t really his place to step in.

The maids watching from the side were worried that the young master and young miss might actually hurt each other, so they hurried to find Zuo Shihuan, hoping he could persuade them to stop fighting.

Zuo Shiyun stood up. The torn hem of her skirt snagged under her heel, almost tripping her. Steadying herself, she glared sharply at Zuo Shihuan with her fox-like eyes. “So, you also think I was wrong to hit Zuo Shiyu, right? Anyway, I’m just the bad one here, aren’t I? What did you come here for?”

In her heart, Zuo Shiyun didn’t believe this half-brother Alpha from another mother was truly as kind and helpful as he’d claimed in recent days — saying he would support his other siblings.

Even if he was, it would surely only be toward those illegitimate children who shared his side of the family.

Before, Zuo Shiyun had thought about clinging to Zuo Shihuan’s thigh — if she could win him over, then even after marrying into another family, she’d have a powerful natal family backing her up, no worries behind her.

But Zuo Shiyun also knew what her mother had done in secret — how she had always targeted those illegitimate children.

Legitimate and illegitimate children were natural enemies. Even when her mother picked on those children to vent her anger, Zuo Shiyun would only timidly advise her not to go too far, in case their father or the family found out.

But this time, her mother had misjudged. Zuo Shihuan was not someone who could be trampled at will.

Maybe he treated those illegitimate siblings kindly — but that didn’t mean he had forgiven Madam Zuo for all she had done to him. And Zuo Shiyun, after all, was Madam Zuo’s only Omega daughter.

Zuo Shihuan said calmly, “I didn’t come here to do anything to you. In my eyes, you were both just playing around. It’s only that the maids watching were frightened by the noise.”

Zuo Shiyun glanced at her personal maid, Matilda. Seeing her pale, flustered face — and that she’d come in from the same direction as Zuo Shihuan — she instantly knew it was Matilda who had tattled.

Zuo Shiyun snapped, “Matilda! Who told you to meddle in things that don’t concern you?”

The maid stammered nervously, “But, miss, your skirt was torn, and I was afraid you’d gotten hurt! And if madam saw you like this — not at all like a proper Omega lady — she’d definitely scream and be furious.”

Zuo Shiyun certainly knew how her mother would react — terrified that she might disgrace the Zuo family name, fail to embody the image of a virtuous Omega, and end up unable to marry well.

She pulled out a small mirror from her pocket.

The reflection that stared back at her was a mess: hair tangled and full of grass, skirt ripped, lipstick smeared crookedly — she looked like a lunatic.

In that instant, tears welled up.

Zuo Shiyun thought she looked hideous. Worse, she had made a fool of herself right in front of her newly arrived Alpha brother — and that humiliation made her cry even harder.

Seeing his sister crying, the little troublemaker Zuo Shiyu immediately felt guilty. He lowered his head and said in a small voice, “I’m sorry, sis. I won’t let the alpaca eat your skirt again.”

Zuo Shiyun wiped at her tears arrogantly, but they kept falling. She sniffed and said stubbornly, “I’m crying because I want to. It’s none of your business.”

Zuo Shiyu panicked and looked helplessly at Zuo Shihuan for help.

Zuo Shihuan patted the little brother’s head, then turned to Zuo Shiyun. “Since Zuo Shiyu ruined your skirt, he should compensate you for it.”

“This month, his allowance will be suspended. And his alpaca is banned from going anywhere outside the animal garden.”

Zuo Shiyu’s eyes widened. “Then I can’t buy snacks this month?!”

Zuo Shihuan replied, “That’s right. It’s your punishment for not managing your pet properly. And speaking of which — it seems your alpaca’s already run off and left you.”

Zuo Shiyu looked around in panic — and sure enough, the alpaca had vanished. He instantly regretted everything.

If he’d known his pet was that heartless, he would’ve run away himself instead of covering for it. Now he was the one getting punished.

How infuriating! Just wait till he got his hands on that stupid animal later!

Grumbling, Zuo Shiyu reluctantly handed over his bank card — a childish one with a Superman print.

Zuo Shihuan passed the card to Zuo Shiyun, saying evenly, “Do you accept Zuo Shiyu’s apology?”

“Oh, right — his monthly allowance is much smaller than yours, only about one-fifth, but it should still be enough to buy a new dress.”

Zuo Shiyun froze.

She hadn’t intended to take a grade-schooler’s bank card — but when she saw Zuo Shiyu’s heartbroken expression at the thought of losing his snack and toy money for the month, she swiftly snatched the Superman card from Zuo Shihuan’s hand.

Zuo Shiyun smiled smugly. “Well, waste not, want not. I’ll make sure to spend every last cent of it.”

Zuo Shiyu wailed, “Sis! I was saving up with my classmates to buy the new Super Cosmic Invincible Hero action figure this month!”

Zuo Shiyun’s grin widened. “Perfect. I’ll make sure not to leave you a single cent.”

The little brother collapsed onto the ground, pounding it as he cried.

Then Zuo Shihuan said suddenly, as if remembering something, “If you’re planning to buy clothes, Miss Yu and I are going to the mall this afternoon. You can come along — the more, the merrier.”

Zuo Shiyun looked curious. “Oh, you mean Senior Yu Lizhu?”

Zuo Shihuan asked, “You know her?”

Zuo Shiyun shook her head. “She’s my senior from high school. I’ve never met her, but she was an honors graduate. My teachers always praised her as an exemplary Omega.”

Zuo Shiyun’s lips twisted — clearly, she hadn’t been one of the good students herself.

She never cared much for those model students teachers adored. But still — if this “ideal Omega” senior was about to join the Zuo family, she’d be seeing her every day soon enough.

Naturally, she was curious what her future sister-in-law would be like.

And later, Zuo Shiyun truly found out.

***

Two hours later —

At the largest shopping center in the Federation, Starry Sky Mall.

Yu Lizhu was already waiting for them at the entrance. She wore a long, light lavender chiffon dress, her black hair cascading down to her waist. Half her face was covered by oversized sunglasses, and a finely handwoven hat added a touch of elegant leisure. A soft jawline peeked from beneath the brim.

Even standing alone at the mall entrance, she exuded the refined composure of a dignified young lady — so poised and distant that no one dared approach her to strike up a conversation.

When Zuo Shihuan and the others arrived, Yu Lizhu removed her sunglasses, her apricot eyes first landing on Zuo Shihuan before glancing at the girl beside him — Zuo Shiyun. She greeted them warmly, “Hello there.”

Up to that point, Zuo Shiyun’s impression of Yu Lizhu was simply that of an ordinary high-society young lady — polite, elegant, and unremarkable.

Until—

“The mall just launched a new attraction called Sky Ocean. It uses gravity-control devices to suspend seawater and deep-sea creatures — dolphins, tropical fish, sea turtles — all floating in midair. Visitors can look up and see ocean life swimming across the sky.”

“If you buy a ticket, you can even experience Sky Ocean yourself, and play alongside the marine creatures. Want to go?”

Of course, Zuo Shiyun thought it sounded great.

And then—

Yu Lizhu dragged her straight onto a ride where waves could surge over a hundred meters high.

Yu Lizhu stood on the crest of a towering wave, shouting excitedly.

Meanwhile, Zuo Shiyun was so seasick she wanted to vomit. She leaned over the edge of the small boat, trying to throw up — only to look down and see ground thousands of meters below. Between the hundred-meter-high aerial waves and the distant mall floor far beneath the floating “ocean,” her nonexistent fear of heights suddenly came alive. She recoiled, went limp in the boat, and fainted with her eyes rolled back.

Her Alpha brother, Zuo Shihuan, was over at the Sky Ocean feeding zone, happily feeding a school of clownfish, a contented and relaxed smile curving his lips.

Within the crystal-blue expanse of Sky Ocean, every marine creature was supported by a special water-breathing gravity system, allowing them to move freely in this suspended aquarium. There was even a massive section large enough for a whole pod of whales to roll and play.

Visitors taking the elevators upward would sometimes find curious pufferfish floating by to greet them.

By the time Zuo Shiyun finally staggered off the ride, her legs were weak, her fox-like eyes unfocused, her head spinning as if seawater had sloshed into her brain — everything around her looked hazy and swaying.

Then Yu Lizhu said cheerfully, “Why don’t we go try the ‘Swim with the Sea Creatures’ experience next?”

Zuo Shiyun’s heart skipped a beat. Following Yu Lizhu’s pointing finger, she saw a line of visitors waiting to ride together with sea turtles and dolphins.

Each animal had a special gravity and pressure-adjustment device to make sure the ride caused no discomfort or strain. Visitors could sit astride them and glide through the floating ocean-scape — even children were allowed to participate.

Seeing many parents with their kids, Zuo Shiyun relaxed a little. She nodded and said, “Sure! Maybe we should invite Brother Zuo Shihuan too — he hasn’t played anything yet.”

When they reached the feeding area, though—

Zuo Shiyun: “……”

Was her brother too obsessed with feeding fish?

Originally, he’d just had a small bucket of feed. Now it had been replaced with a bathtub-sized barrel, filled to the brim with upgraded fish food.

The creatures swimming up to him were no longer little fish and shrimp — now it was ocean sunfish, dolphins, even sea turtles.

Zuo Shihuan was still utterly content, tossing food nonstop like a feeding machine. His light brown eyes shone softly, and the dimples in his smiling face hadn’t disappeared once.

Zuo Shiyun didn’t expect much, but she still asked halfheartedly if he wanted to join them.

Zuo Shihuan didn’t even look up. His gaze stayed on the happily eating sea creatures as he replied with a smile, “No need. You two have fun.”

So—

The two Omegas went off to explore the rest of the Sky Ocean attractions together.

Zuo Shiyun stood at the end of the line, watching the tourists ahead cheer and take endless pictures while riding sea turtles. It looked fun, and she couldn’t help feeling a little excited.

But then Yu Lizhu lightly tapped her back, smiling gently. “You’re in the wrong line.”

Zuo Shiyun blinked in surprise. “Didn’t you say we were going to do the ‘Swim with the Sea Creatures’ experience?”

Yu Lizhu laughed as if suddenly realizing something. “Oh, yes! But I forgot to tell you — I bought the special edition tickets. The creatures we’ll be swimming with are…”

“Two great white sharks.”

Yu Lizhu stepped aside, revealing two three-meter-long great white sharks being led over by staff, and began explaining excitedly, “Don’t worry, they’ve already been fed! Trained great whites won’t bite. Plus, adult great whites can swim up to 3.2 kilometers per hour — they can even leap out of the water with us on them!”

Leap your head!

When Zuo Shiyun saw those massive teeth, she felt her arms and legs go weak — one bite and she’d be gone! Her eyes darted around for an escape route as she slowly tried to back away.

But before she could move far, Yu Lizhu grabbed her wrist firmly and urged, “What are you waiting for? The tickets are bought, and the staff are waiting!”

Zuo Shiyun was on the verge of tears, her face pale as paper.

Noticing her fear, Yu Lizhu spoke softly, as if comforting her, “Don’t be scared. How about I sit with you? We can do the double ride — I’ll sit in front of you so you’ll be safe.”

Zuo Shiyun hesitated, then nodded weakly. “Alright… but you have to promise you’ll stay in front.”

Yu Lizhu smiled. “Of course.”

“……”

Meanwhile, back at the feeding area, Zuo Shihuan said to the staff, “I’d like another hundred pounds of fish feed.”

The staff member looked pained. After hesitating a long time, he said, “Sir, do you really need more? The entire three-day visitor quota of feed has already been used up — by you. Maybe… you’d like to try another attraction?”

Zuo Shihuan turned around.

Behind him, the feeding zone had drawn a crowd of astonished onlookers — a baby blue whale had squeezed into the center of the fish, claiming the spotlight, its enormous watery eyes seeming to plead with him for more food.

Zuo Shihuan nodded resolutely. “I’m sure. Give me the rest of the feed from the warehouse.”

The staff, near tears, swiped his card and stammered, “W-well then… we hope you have an enjoyable visit, sir.”

“Of course.”

After saying that, Zuo Shihuan lifted an entire cart full of fish feed and walked toward the feeding zone crowded with fish.

Just then—

He caught sight of a great white shark swimming through the seawater above.

And on top of that great white shark sat two people.

One was Yu Lizhu, her face glowing with excitement, gripping the reins and urging the shark to go faster; the other was Zuo Shiyun, whose arms floated limply like strands of seaweed in the current—her entire being seemed to have left her body.

Zuo Shihuan wanted to wave and call out to them, but the great white shark shot forward like a shooting star and vanished from view in an instant.

He could only glance up at the sky ocean, then calmly drag his cart of feed onward, continuing to enjoy his solitary leisure time.

“……”

Half an hour later—

Zuo Shiyun finally regained consciousness. Her face was pale, her body weak, and she needed support just to stand. She swore she would rather die than step into that park again.

Yu Lizhu looked longingly back toward the Sky Ocean park, but seeing that Zuo Shiyun couldn’t handle any more excitement, she had to relent and suggest a calmer place.

“Then let’s go rest at the Interstellar Gourmet Zone,” she said. “They’ve got cuisine from different planets, and some specialty chefs cook rare ingredients you can’t find anywhere else—like the softfish imported from Ocean Resource Planet.”

Zuo Shiyun nodded blankly.

Anywhere was fine—as long as it was far, far away from that place.

Yu Lizhu turned to Zuo Shihuan. “What do you think?”

Zuo Shihuan shrugged lightly. “Anything’s fine with me.”

After all, he’d already fed the park’s marine animals enough to empty out half a month’s worth of fish feed. Until they restocked, the feeding area had to be closed to visitors.

Having personally satisfied the appetites of the entire marine park, Zuo Shihuan no longer had much interest in anything else.

“Then we’ll take the hover tram inside the mall to Zone C—where the Interstellar Gourmet Zone is.”

Yu Lizhu helped steady Zuo Shiyun, then turned to find Zuo Shihuan standing still. “Zuo Shihuan, why aren’t you coming?”

Zuo Shihuan frowned slightly, looking toward an empty corridor. Just a moment ago, he thought he’d glimpsed someone who looked like Gu Heng—accompanied by a woman.

“I think I just saw someone I know,” he said.

Yu Lizhu blinked. “Who?”

Zuo Shihuan lowered his gaze, pressing his lips together. “No one important.”

***

At the center of the mall—

The Delores Plaza, one of the Federation’s most famous landmarks, was bustling with activity.

A stage was being assembled by robotic workers, gradually taking shape into what would soon host tonight’s grand performance.

“Your Highness, what are you looking at?”

A mature Omega woman with brown hair and violet eyes leaned intimately against Gu Heng’s shoulder, her movements suggestive, the scent of her perfume warm and teasing.

Gu Heng coolly moved away. “Du Manning, I am not—nor have I ever been—any of your husbands. You don’t need to curry favor with me like this.”

The Omega named Du Manning covered her mouth and laughed softly. Her violet eyes glimmered with a mixture of nostalgia and chill as she said, “If only you were my husband, Your Highness.”

Gu Heng’s lips curved into a cold smile—mocking her foolish delusion.

Du Manning spoke wistfully. “If you were my husband, you’d be strong enough that I wouldn’t have to fear someone killing you.”

But in this world, there are no ifs—and no medicine for regret.

To avenge her murdered first husband and unborn child, Du Manning had become a spy for the Empire. With their help, she’d successfully assassinated her second husband.

“I actually have one-quarter Empire blood,” she said. “My grandmother told me so many stories about her childhood there—but I’ve never been to the Empire myself.”

“If all this ends well,” she added with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “I’d really like to visit, just once.”

Gu Heng, uninterested in her emotional games, said coolly, “When this is over, I’ll make sure you can go safely.”

Du Manning’s smile brightened. “Then I’ll thank Your Highness in advance. I’m just waiting for the show to begin.”

She gazed at the half-constructed stage below.

Gu Heng turned away, his voice faint and indifferent.

“This ‘show’ is still a long way from truly beginning.”