After Being Deceived, I Married Someone Else and Had Children Chapter 97

In that instant, Gu Heng was seething with fury, teeth clenched as he glared at the communicator in Zuo Shihuan’s hand.

He wanted nothing more than to snatch it away immediately, to stop Zuo Shihuan from hearing another single word of Yu Lizhu’s nonsense.

Clearly, Yu Lizhu was still holding a grudge, she was just taking revenge because he’d once stood in the way of her and Ji Shenwen, and now she was subtly badmouthing him to Zuo Shihuan.

The thought made Gu Heng restless and uneasy.

He wanted to grab the communicator, but he also knew that if he actually did it, it’d only make Yu Lizhu’s insinuations seem true, Zuo Shihuan might really start to believe those things about him.

Gu Heng had never cared much about age before, but right now he hated that he wasn’t a few years older. If only he were older than Zuo Shihuan, then maybe Zuo Shihuan wouldn’t have agreed, even half-heartedly, with Yu Lizhu’s jab about him being “immature.”

He wasn’t like that…

Even if he sometimes acted childish or willful, it was only ever with Zuo Shihuan.

It might look like he was picking on Zuo Shihuan, but Gu Heng knew that wasn’t true.

It was precisely because he cared so much about him that he’d go out of his way to provoke, tease, and play with him, using seemingly childish, mischievous gestures just to capture Zuo Shihuan’s attention, to stir his emotions.

He’d never behaved like that with anyone else.

Maybe because, in the past, no one had ever truly mattered to him. He’d never loved anyone. People could call him proud, cold, heartless, whatever they wanted.

Because he simply didn’t care. Their opinions meant nothing.

If he hadn’t met Zuo Shihuan, he’d still be the same indifferent Imperial prince, someone who wouldn’t even blink if an unimportant person died before his eyes.

But that same indifference had come back to bite him now.

Gu Heng’s expression grew heavier, fingers laced together so tightly they trembled.

It was the first time he’d ever eavesdropped on someone’s call, and his heart was pounding like mad, palms sweating, as if he were defusing a live bomb and any second could be his last.

He was terrified Yu Lizhu might say something, just one “explosive” word, that would shatter the dependable, composed image Zuo Shihuan had of him.

For the first time, Gu Heng felt a flicker of regret.

Maybe he should’ve treated Yu Lizhu better back then, ignored Ji Shenwen’s date with that Omega from the Federation, and just stayed out of it.

Then maybe things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

But he knew himself too well. Even if he had ten thousand chances to do it over, he’d still glare coldly at Yu Lizhu every single time.

Back then, Yu Lizhu had seemed to him like a shallow, love-struck Omega socialite from the Federation, an idle rich girl constantly pestering his subordinate Ji Shenwen, utterly annoying and disruptive.

She distracted Ji Shenwen, made him careless, and increased the risk of their cover being blown.

A nuisance like that, why wouldn’t he chase her away?

No one could’ve predicted that this nuisance would one day bring someone completely unexpected into his life, someone who would change him entirely.

That person being Zuo Shihuan.

Now, Gu Heng could admit it, meeting Zuo Shihuan was, in part, because of Yu Lizhu. And their relationship had all kinds of tangled, fateful threads tying back to her.

Even though Gu Heng was often jealous and possessive, he knew perfectly well that Zuo Shihuan had never liked Yu Lizhu that way. She was simply a good friend.

Even if that friend happened to be an Omega, and even if she was the fiancée his family had arranged for him.

Most people believed that an Alpha and an Omega could never have a purely platonic friendship.

That if they were close, they must either be lovers, or inevitably become lovers.

How could there be no ambiguity between them? How could an Alpha and an Omega ever be “just friends” the way Omegas might be girlfriends, or Alphas might be brothers-in-arms?

Part of Gu Heng wanted to use that selfish excuse to separate Zuo Shihuan from Yu Lizhu, but even he knew deep down how ridiculous that was.

He himself was an Alpha who had fallen in love with another Alpha.

He had no right to hide behind that shallow reasoning. Nor could he bring himself to act possessive and controlling, to cut off Zuo Shihuan’s friendships, isolate him, and make his entire world revolve around him alone.

Some people might find that kind of control romantic.

But to Gu Heng, truly loving someone meant never doing something so selfish or cruel, never isolating or hurting the person you love most.

Even if that “friend” irritated him to no end.

So all he could do was sit there, letting them continue their call…

Gu Heng lowered his dark eyes gloomily, watching Zuo Shihuan with quiet resentment as he chatted and laughed easily with Yu Lizhu, pretending not to notice his burning stare.

What could they possibly have so much to talk about?

Did they really need to talk this long?

Couldn’t Yu Lizhu just go chat with her own Alpha boyfriend instead of holding onto someone else’s Alpha and talking his ear off?

She already had Ji Shenwen, didn’t she? Those two were practically glued together, disgustingly inseparable.

As an Omega, couldn’t Yu Lizhu be a little more reserved? Keep some proper distance in her social interactions with Alphas?

Go find your own boyfriend, stop dragging Zuo Shihuan into your endless chatting!

The more Gu Heng thought about it, the more sulky and irritable he became. He scooted closer to Zuo Shihuan, inch by inch.

But Zuo Shihuan, alert as ever, reached out a hand to block his face from getting too close. When Gu Heng leaned in stubbornly, he bit him, lightly, on the fleshy web between thumb and index finger.

A small crescent mark appeared where his teeth had pressed down.

It didn’t really hurt, but…

Zuo Shihuan, still calmly chatting with Yu Lizhu, turned his head slowly toward Gu Heng, raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

That silent, polite smile that was somehow more terrifying than any scolding.

He didn’t need to say a single word.

Just that one look made Gu Heng’s heart sink. He immediately released his bite, shrinking back a little.

Zuo Shihuan gave him a brief, cool glance, a wordless warning, before turning back to his call, continuing to talk animatedly with Yu Lizhu as though Gu Heng weren’t even there.

Leaving Gu Heng stewing beside him, bored, sulky, and quietly miserable.

“…Thank you for reminding me, Yu Lizhu. I also want to apologize to you on Gu Heng’s behalf. I’ve been too indulgent and spoiled him too much.”

Zuo Shihuan frowned slightly, his light brown eyes filled with sincerity and composure. His hand rested thoughtfully on his chin, and every word and gesture carried a convincing, mature elegance, one that inspired admiration rather than resistance.

Gu Heng, who already showed early signs of being a henpecked husband, scowled in frustration but kept his mouth shut out of stubborn pride.

He was only doing this for Zuo Shihuan’s sake, absolutely not because he thought he’d done anything wrong. He didn’t need to apologize to Yu Lizhu at all.

If anything, Yu Lizhu was the one who should hurry up and leave.

Could she not tell she was intruding on his and Zuo Shihuan’s private time together?

Of course, he only dared complain about this silently in his heart.

Because Zuo Shihuan was smiling at him while watching him closely, one hand holding the communicator to his ear, the other gently but warningly covering the back of Gu Heng’s hand.

“I promise you, he’ll be more careful from now on and won’t do such things again… right, Gu Heng?”

The moment Zuo Shihuan said his name, Gu Heng, His Imperial Highness, a seasoned battlefield commander and top Alpha, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

It was as if he could smell danger.

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes were bright, his smile perfectly mild and gentle, yet Gu Heng’s heart tightened, cold sweat breaking out across his skin. His mouth felt glued shut, completely incapable of uttering even a word of protest.

He could only obediently nod, dazed.

Gu Heng: “Mm, Shihuan.”

Finally satisfied, Zuo Shihuan smiled and handed him the communicator. His voice was soft and pleasant: “I’ve already spoken with Yu Lizhu for a while. Why don’t you say hello to her too?”

“…” Gu Heng frowned instinctively, rejecting the idea. Who the h*ll wanted to say hello to that boring, shallow Federation socialite?

“What’s wrong? Is it that hard?” Zuo Shihuan’s voice remained tender, his hand still resting lightly over Gu Heng’s. The slow, gentle tone carried such subtle threat that it made Gu Heng’s heart pound in terror.

“N–no,” Gu Heng forced the words out through clenched teeth.

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes curved in a smile. “Good. You know, Yu Lizhu is my friend, and she’s also your friend Ji Shenwen’s girlfriend. I’d like for you two to get along.”

Gu Heng immediately felt a wave of nausea. Who wanted to get along with Yu Lizhu?

But under the gentle yet unmistakably menacing tone of Zuo Shihuan’s voice, Gu Heng could only swallow his disgust.

She was just Yu Lizhu. He’d fought off alien invaders before, how hard could dealing with her possibly be?

Taking the communicator, Gu Heng froze for several seconds, mentally resisting every fiber of it before reluctantly forcing out a dry, perfunctory greeting:

“Hello. Zuo Shihuan asked me to say hi to you.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Yu Lizhu finally replied, voice cool and faintly impatient.

“…Oh. Hello to you too.”

“…”

“…”

An awkward, mutual silence fell between them, both clearly disliking the other.

At last, under Zuo Shihuan’s pleased and expectant gaze, Gu Heng had no choice but to continue.

“How have you been lately?”

His eyes were dull, his tone mechanical, like a soulless walkie-talkie trying to force conversation out of thin air.

Meanwhile, Yu Lizhu, hiding in the bathroom, paused for a long moment. She glanced down at the white porcelain toilet lid beneath her, premium material, fine luster, smooth texture, quite comfortable to sit on.

Then she looked out the window at the blue sky and drifting clouds.

How could she possibly say she wasn’t doing well?

So…

Still staring at the sky, Yu Lizhu spoke expressionlessly, her tone polite but stiff: “Pretty good… and you two?”

Gu Heng glanced back at Zuo Shihuan, whose smiling gaze was filled with anticipation. The invisible pressure on him was suffocating; sweat trickled down his temple as he forced himself not to show any irritation.

“Shihuan and I are doing well too,” Gu Heng said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“That’s good,” Yu Lizhu replied, sounding genuinely relieved. She’d been worried they might not be doing well, but hearing Zuo Shihuan’s name seemed to ease her mood, even making her a bit chatty.

Looking out at the wide blue sky again, she said, “I didn’t expect that after yesterday’s engagement banquet, you and Zuo Shihuan would already be together today. Tell him not to worry about me, I’m fine here.”

Gu Heng frowned, dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.

What did she mean by that? Was there a problem with Zuo Shihuan choosing him? What, did she think he should’ve chosen her instead?

And why would Shihuan need to worry about her in the first place? How she lived had nothing to do with him.

Still, for Shihuan’s sake, Gu Heng repressed his irritation and replied coolly, “I’ll pass the message along. He doesn’t need to worry.”

Yu Lizhu said, “Then he should just wait patiently.”

Gu Heng interpreted that as her referring to the fallout from their elopement, the uproar it had caused in the Zuo family, and her meaning that they simply had to wait for the storm to pass.

“I’ll tell him,” Gu Heng said, frowning. “But there’s no need for you to worry. I’ll be by Shihuan’s side to protect him and make sure he stays safe.”

Yu Lizhu blinked, then smiled softly. “That’s good to hear. At first, I didn’t understand what Zuo Shihuan saw in you. But now, I guess I kind of do.”

Gu Heng managed not to roll his eyes.

Why wouldn’t Shihuan like him? He didn’t need Yu Lizhu to “understand” anything. All that mattered was that he would treat Shihuan well, devotedly, wholeheartedly.

He didn’t need outsiders’ approval, even if that outsider was Shihuan’s friend.

Impatiently, he said, “That’s all then. I’m hanging up.”

Yu Lizhu rested her chin on her hand, her almond eyes turning thoughtful before she lowered them and said quietly, “I hope you’ll take good care of Zuo Shihuan from now on.”

Gu Heng’s tone softened slightly. “Of course I’ll take good care of him. You don’t need to remind me.”

Yu Lizhu gave a small smile. “It’s hard for me not to worry. Zuo Shihuan is my best friend, and his decision to elope with you was something none of us ever expected, it was a difficult choice for him. I just hope you won’t let him down… Because even if you flee to the ends of the earth one day, even if you’re Ji Shenwen’s friend, if you ever hurt Zuo Shihuan, I won’t let you off.”

“No need for you to say that, I would never betray Zuo Shihuan,” Gu Heng said, his brows knitting tight, dark eyes flashing with anger. His voice was low but firm. “Even if I suffer, even if I’m the one in pain, I’ll never let him be hurt in the slightest. And you, you’re just his friend. Don’t meddle in things you shouldn’t. You’d better focus on cleaning up your own mess with Ji Shenwen first. From what I know, Yu Lizhu, you haven’t even told him about your engagement.”

“If someday you think I’ve wronged Zuo Shihuan, you can come after me all you want,” he continued coldly. “But by then, I probably won’t have forgiven myself either. Meanwhile, Yu Lizhu, aren’t you doing the same thing? As someone in an official relationship, you actually hid the Zuo–Yu engagement banquet from Ji Shenwen?”

Yu Lizhu pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

Gu Heng gave a faint, mocking laugh. “What, were you planning to wait until the day you and Zuo Shihuan were officially married before telling your boyfriend?”

“……”

Yu Lizhu fell into dead silence, her eyes reddening, unable to refute him.

To Gu Heng, there was nothing wrong with his harsh questioning.

If Yu Lizhu hadn’t concealed the news of the engagement banquet, he would’ve known sooner, he never would have let Zuo Shihuan go through with it. He would’ve made his feelings clear and taken Zuo Shihuan away before the banquet.

Every time he thought about how stupid he’d been, thinking that leaving was somehow good for Zuo Shihuan, that he was being noble because of the so-called enmity between the Empire and the Federation, he could only feel bitter regret.

How ridiculous.

He wished he could turn back time and slap himself awake.

Now, though he resented Yu Lizhu for her secrecy and deception, deep down he hated himself more, for almost letting go, for almost standing by and watching Zuo Shihuan marry someone else.

If that had truly happened, if Zuo Shihuan had really taken another Omega as his wife, Gu Heng had no idea what he might have done. Something shocking, no doubt. Would he have gone mad, lost all restraint, taken Zuo Shihuan back by force, no matter the cost?

Even Gu Heng himself didn’t know.

Just imagining such a scene filled him with darkness and dread. If it had come to that, how low would he have sunk, how pitiful, how desperate, just to beg for Zuo Shihuan to return to him?

The thought alone made his expression sink, shadowed and grim. He pressed a hand to his forehead, forcing himself to calm down. Slowly, he realized how overbearing and rude his tone toward Yu Lizhu had been.

The one at fault wasn’t her, it was himself.

He wasn’t trying to make excuses; he simply knew that, in the end, he could only blame his own foolishness back then, his hesitation, his inability to see his own heart clearly.

Even now, though part of him was angry that Yu Lizhu dared question his feelings for Zuo Shihuan, believing she had neither the right nor the standing to doubt his devotion, he also knew where that anger came from.

His long-held bias against her made him instinctively resistant and irritated, especially since she had once been Zuo Shihuan’s fiancée.

Even knowing that there had been nothing romantic between them, that Yu Lizhu’s Alpha boyfriend was Ji Shenwen, someone Gu Heng personally knew, he still couldn’t help feeling prickly whenever she spoke about Zuo Shihuan in that familiar, caring tone.

It made him bristle like a hedgehog, overreactive and sensitive.

He didn’t want to hear Zuo Shihuan’s name from her lips.

He didn’t want to hear their easy, friendly conversations.

He didn’t want a mere friend like her showing such concern for Zuo Shihuan’s affairs.

And yet…

If Yu Lizhu hadn’t cared at all, if she’d shown indifference instead, then she truly wouldn’t deserve to be called Zuo Shihuan’s friend.

Gu Heng’s brows twitched slightly. He rubbed his forehead, eyes clouded with annoyance and reflection. Realizing he’d been too harsh on her, he cautiously glanced sideways at Zuo Shihuan.

Would treating his friend like that make Shihuan angry?

But to his surprise, Zuo Shihuan didn’t blame him.

Though his brows were slightly furrowed, more in concern than reproach, his eyes were warm and full of understanding. He reached out and took Gu Heng’s hand, a silent gesture of reassurance and comfort.

That simple touch filled Gu Heng’s chest with a spreading warmth. When he looked at Zuo Shihuan again, his eyes grew deep with a mixture of longing, struggle, and an even more genuine love, and also a pang of guilt.

He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to himself.

Maybe Yu Lizhu’s sarcastic jab earlier hadn’t been entirely wrong.

He knew what he was, a prince of the Empire who’d been pampered and idolized since birth. No matter how much hardship and training he’d endured, he was still proud, arrogant, and unruly, nothing like Zuo Shihuan’s composed, steady maturity.

He could defeat a hundred Zerg enemies on the battlefield, yet still couldn’t hold a proper conversation with people.

Couldn’t open his heart, either.

All his life, people had either flattered him or betrayed him, family members who used him, deceived him, even stabbed him in the back.

So he built walls higher and higher around his heart.

No one had ever taught him what true, equal communication meant.

When someone approached him, he met them only with pride and suspicion. And even if he wanted to lower his guard… why should he? Who could possibly be worth that?

There had been so few people or things in the world that he truly cared about.

Until he met Zuo Shihuan.

Only then did Gu Heng willingly lay everything down for him, and the way Zuo Shihuan had responded proved that he truly was worth it.

Gu Heng tightened his grip around Zuo Shihuan’s hand, his brows furrowed deeply. After a brief inner struggle, he forced himself to say to Yu Lizhu, “…I’m sorry. Don’t take what I said earlier to heart. Yu Lizhu, you have your own difficulties too. Still, thank you for caring so much about Zuo Shihuan as his friend. And, I also want to apologize again for how poorly I treated you before.”

Yu Lizhu’s eyes reddened slightly; a trace of surprise flickered across her face. She had never imagined she would one day hear an apology from Ji Shenwen’s arrogant, headstrong Beta friend.

But Gu Heng’s criticism of her wasn’t wrong either.

She had hidden things from Ji Shenwen, and from his friends.

As Ji Shenwen’s friend, Gu Heng had every right to be indignant on his behalf. Meanwhile, she, thinking herself to be Zuo Shihuan’s friend, had stepped out of line and meddled in their relationship…

And she herself wasn’t exactly blameless, either.

She had lectured Gu Heng about treating Zuo Shihuan well and not letting him down, yet in the end, she was the one who betrayed Ji Shenwen.

She hadn’t dared to tell him about the engagement banquet, not even a hint of it, and had even come up with excuses, saying she’d be busy those days, that she might not be able to talk to him often.

No wonder Gu Heng was so angry and dissatisfied with her.

What right did she have to judge him? At least Gu Heng had the courage to take Zuo Shihuan away from the engagement banquet, while she hadn’t even had the nerve to tell Ji Shenwen that the banquet existed.

Yu Lizhu’s eyes flushed with guilt, her voice choked as she said, “You don’t need to apologize. You weren’t wrong. I was the one who was afraid to tell Ji Shenwen about the engagement, I hid it from him out of cowardice and selfishness. You’re his friend, so you were right to scold me.”

Gu Heng’s brows drew together tightly; at the mention of Ji Shenwen, he suddenly remembered there was something he’d forgotten to say.

Yu Lizhu, still remorseful, continued softly, “Actually, I should be the one apologizing to you. Because you once tried to stop me from seeing Ji Shenwen, I had a bad attitude toward you, and I even said some unkind things about you to Zuo Shihuan. I should apologize for that…”

The memory of her snide remarks earlier made Gu Heng’s jaw clench.

She had ruined the perfect, dependable image he’d built in Zuo Shihuan’s heart!

Just thinking about it made him want to grind his teeth in frustration.

Still, since Yu Lizhu had already taken the initiative to admit her fault and apologize, he couldn’t hold onto the grudge, especially since she was someone Zuo Shihuan valued and had even helped them escape that disastrous engagement.

Besides, he had been biased against her from the beginning, and his attitude back then had indeed been unkind.

After a moment’s hesitation, Gu Heng nodded stiffly. “…Mm. I accept your apology.”

Yu Lizhu let out a soft breath of relief and said, “Then, for Zuo Shihuan and Ji Shenwen’s sake, let’s get along peacefully from now on?”

Gu Heng replied, “…Mm. Sure.”

Yu Lizhu frowned slightly, adding, “I’ll tell Ji Shenwen soon. I shouldn’t have kept it from him this long, but I kept putting it off and off… Forget it, I’ll message him later and explain everything clearly. I just hope he won’t be too angry. But… he hasn’t replied to any of my messages these past two days.”

Gu Heng’s expression turned tense and uneasy, he suddenly remembered exactly what it was he had forgotten to tell her.

Yu Lizhu, however, felt a sense of relief at having finally made up her mind. She didn’t want to keep hiding things anymore. Even if Ji Shenwen got angry, she could coax him later.

Besides, the engagement banquet between the Zuo and Yu families had already fallen apart.

The groom had literally run away with someone else.

The alliance was as good as broken, everyone was just waiting for the official cancellation. Once that came, she could finally leave the Zuo residence.

After gathering her thoughts, Yu Lizhu said to Gu Heng with a hint of gratitude, “I should thank you, actually. Without that engagement banquet, both Zuo Shihuan and I can finally breathe easier. No matter what happens next, at least now I can explain everything to Ji Shenwen with a clear conscience.”

The sudden words of thanks, from Yu Lizhu, of all people, made Gu Heng feel strangely awkward.

He rubbed at his fingers irritably, mood unsettled.

He had no intention of getting along too well with Yu Lizhu. It was already enough if she would stop badmouthing him to Zuo Shihuan.

Yu Lizhu muttered to herself, “Seems you’re not such a terrible person after all. Since Zuo Shihuan chose you, there must be a reason, maybe you have some hidden good qualities others can’t see…”

Gu Heng’s face darkened instantly, his teeth grinding.

Just because you have no taste doesn’t mean Zuo Shihuan doesn’t!

Yu Lizhu, still chatting casually, went on, “Normally, with Zuo Shihuan’s personality, he’d probably prefer someone gentle and considerate, especially those soft, gentle Omega women…”

That sentence stabbed Gu Heng straight through the heart.

He couldn’t even refute her, because, deep down, hadn’t he thought the same thing himself?

It did seem like Zuo Shihuan would go for the kind, tender, wifely Omega type.

And even though Gu Heng was confident in many ways, he knew all too well, between a tall, handsome Alpha and a gentle, delicate Omega woman, the latter would almost always appeal more to the average man.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Fury smoldered in his chest as he clenched his jaw and decided bitterly…

He should never have been so polite to Yu Lizhu.

Listen to her spouting such nonsense!

Even if Zuo Shihuan did look like the type who would choose that soft, wifely Omega woman…

Even if he did…

The image flashed through Gu Heng’s mind for an instant.

His eyes went red. His chest ached so badly it felt like he could almost cry, but he gritted his teeth hard, forcing the words out through his burning throat: “So what if that’s true? Zuo Shihuan and I truly love each other! In the end, he still chose me!”

Then, a second later, Gu Heng turned his head, face flushed with distress and grievance, eyes red and shimmering with unshed tears, and hoarsely asked Zuo Shihuan, “Tell me, Shihuan, do you choose me… or that kind of woman?”

The utterly bewildered Zuo Shihuan: “Wh–what?”

Gu Heng, voice thick and trembling, repeated, “Shihuan, do you choose me, or that kind of woman?”

Zuo Shihuan, completely lost: “What’s that supposed to mean? Why do I have to choose, and what woman are you even talking about?”

He was becoming more and more confused about what on earth Gu Heng and Yu Lizhu had been talking about. How did the topic even end up like this?