The Top-Tier Alpha Is Lured and Captured by a Green Tea Merman - Chapter 28

The next day, Pei Yan was awakened by the sound of the butler knocking on the door.

His consciousness was hazy as he reached out his arm to grab his phone on the nightstand, wanting to check the time. Just as he touched the nightstand, he was pulled back by the waist by the person behind him. A cool hand trailed from his shoulder down his arm, eventually covering the back of his hand and interlocking their fingers.

The phone fell to the floor with a thud. Pei Yan’s expression went blank for a second as his senses returned; he then slammed his elbow backward with force.

He heard Xie Yu let out a pained hiss. The man then pressed close to the nape of Pei Yan’s neck, murmuring aggrievedly, “Brother, you’re so cruel.”

Pei Yan didn’t have the energy for his nonsense. He sat up, but as the movement pulled at a certain unspeakable place, his face contorted in a grimace of pain. The quilt slid down as he sat up, revealing an upper body covered in marks—there was hardly a patch of clean skin left.

Propping his head up with one hand, Xie Yu lay on his side, admiring the “spoils of war” he had left behind. A smile of happiness and satisfaction hung on his face; he didn’t seem to feel a shred of remorse for his lack of restraint last night. His gaze was burning and dark, sweeping over Pei Yan’s body inch by inch, occasionally lingering as if reminiscing.

A surge of nameless fury rose within Pei Yan. He grabbed the pillow behind him and hurled it at Xie Yu’s face.

This beast!

He had begged for mercy so many times last night, yet the man hadn’t listened once! And they had clearly agreed that he would be on top…

“From today on, you are not allowed to touch me!” Pei Yan snapped.

Xie Yu’s smile froze. “How can that be?”

Pei Yan didn’t want to hear another word. He picked up his wristband to check the time; fortunately, there was still enough of it. He stepped into his slippers, got out of bed, and began to change.

As he was fastening his cuffs, Xie Yu, still sitting on the edge of the bed, suddenly suggested, “Brother, how about I go to the Imperial Research Institute?”

Pei Yan stopped mid-motion. He turned around instantly and rejected the idea: “No!”

“Brother, I am a merman. I have healing abilities; nothing will happen to me.”

The image of that green-tailed merman’s miserable death flashed through Pei Yan’s mind. Just imagining Xie Yu in that position made his heart throb with pain.

“I said no, and I mean no!”

He spoke with absolute finality, leaving no room for Xie Yu to argue.

Xie Yu sighed helplessly. He took Pei Yan’s hand, pulled him closer, and said softly, “The merman race is in trouble. As one of them, I cannot sit by and watch.”

“I don’t care!” Pei Yan was incredibly obstinate. He reached out and pinched Xie Yu’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I said no. Listen to me: I will handle the merman affairs myself. You are not to interfere!”

Xie Yu stared at him quietly for a few seconds before finally giving in. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, Brother.”

After a moment of stalemate, Pei Yan released his grip. “In the future… I don’t want to hear you say things like that again.”

Xie Yu nodded. “Okay.”

With the conversation over, Pei Yan went to the bathroom to wash up, headed downstairs for a quick bite, and left for the Alliance Command Center.

Coincidentally, today was the day of the annual exchange program between the Alliance and the Imperial Family. Pei Yan volunteered for it. His superiors teased him, thinking he just wanted an excuse to slack off, but they readily approved his request.

When Pei Yan gathered with the leaders from other departments to depart, he was surprised to see He Bai among them. Seeing him, He Bai walked over with a smirk and nudged Pei Yan’s shoulder. “What’s this? Are you looking to slack off today too?”

Pei Yan gave him a flat look. “You think everyone is like you?”

“Eh, you’re mistaken there.” He Bai wagged a finger. “This time, I’m actually not.”

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow. “?”

He Bai leaned in closer. “I heard the Imperial Research Institute recently developed a very impressive agent. I want to go take a look.”

“An agent?” Pei Yan froze.

“Yeah, didn’t you know?” He Bai looked at him in surprise. “Last night, the Research Institute announced a new medicine. They claim that no matter how severe your injuries are, just one sip will heal you completely, making you as good as new.”

Pei Yan frowned. Why so sudden?

Could the Imperial Family be trying to drag all the citizens into this? By letting them taste the benefits of the mermen’s self-healing abilities first, they would gain a mass of supporters. If anyone tried to expose their crimes later, no one would want to give up such a powerful temptation.

But why announce it now? Right after he and the Underground City Lord had discovered the inhumane experiments?

Pei Yan couldn’t wrap his head around it. Was it really just a coincidence?

“What’s wrong with you?” He Bai waved a hand in front of his face. “You look so serious all of a sudden.”

Pei Yan grabbed his hand. “Do you know how they developed it?”

He Bai was taken aback. “How should I know? That’s top secret. Why do you think this military exchange was moved forward?”

“…”

Pei Yan was at a loss for words. He had thought he at least had time to investigate. Even if he couldn’t catch everyone, he could have unearthed a few key players and slowly traced the line back to the masterminds to expose their conspiracy to the world.

But now, the Imperial Research Institute wanted to drag everyone down with them. This meant he had to move faster.

He followed the group and arrived at the Military Headquarters belonging to the Empire. To his surprise, among the welcoming party, Pei Yan spotted Song Yan.

Seeing him, Song Yan took the initiative to walk over. He politely extended his hand and greeted with a smile, “Hello, Commander Pei.”

The other officials from the Research Institute looked on with shocked expressions. Song Yan, who usually ignored everyone, was actually taking the initiative to greet Pei Yan? This was the first time they had seen him act so cordially. For a moment, they wondered if Pei Yan possessed some extraordinary hidden talent.

Pei Yan was also stunned. He didn’t think he had ever crossed paths with Song Yan. Out of politeness, he shook the hand. “Hello, Mr. Song.”

Song Yan arched an eyebrow, his hand not letting go. “Commander Pei knows me?”

“…”

Should he say he didn’t?

He Bai, standing nearby, was intrigued. He remembered the rumors saying Song Yan was cold and detached, a man who cared only for research and understood nothing of social graces—someone who frequently infuriated his superiors. But looking at him now, he seemed quite warm. It seemed the rumors were wrong.

He Bai smiled and answered for Pei Yan, “Dr. Song is famous for being a genius. Who wouldn’t know you? And I heard that a huge part of the credit for this new healing agent goes to you…”

Song Yan glanced at him. The smile he had for Pei Yan vanished instantly when he turned to He Bai, the speed of the change being startling. His deep eyes flashed with a cold light, devoid of any emotion, looking as mechanical as a machine.

He Bai’s heart skipped a beat, and his voice died in his throat. Good lord, the rumors weren’t wrong. This guy is terrifyingly cold.

Pei Yan’s hand was still being held. He gave a slight tug to signal Song Yan to let go. Realizing this, Song Yan immediately put on a polite smile and released his grip, sounding apologetic. “I’m sorry, Commander Pei. I lost track of time for a moment.”

Pei Yan: “…”

He got the feeling something was off about this man. That gaze was clearly harboring some hidden motive; he wouldn’t be easy to deal with. However, since this man was the primary researcher behind the healing agent, he was undoubtedly involved in the slaughter of the mermen. Since Song Yan had come to him, Pei Yan could use him as an entry point.

“Commander Pei.”

Just then, a somewhat familiar voice called out. He Bai, seeing someone else he didn’t recognize near Pei Yan, instinctively asked, “Who are you?”

The Omega ignored him and walked straight up to Pei Yan, smiling warmly. “Commander Pei, it’s been a long time. I hope you’ve been well.”

Pei Yan recognized him. It was Chen Ci, the Omega he had brought back from the Northern Base. He was wearing the uniform of the Imperial Research Institute; it was clear he worked here now. Pei Yan was surprised; he hadn’t expected the person he had helped on a whim to have risen to a position within the Imperial staff.

“I was planning to look for you,” Chen Ci murmured, “but the work at the Institute has been so busy lately that I couldn’t find the time.”

Pei Yan shook his head. “It’s fine. Work is more important.”

He Bai clicked his tongue and grabbed Pei Yan’s arm, whispering an interrogation, “Why are there so many people around you that I don’t know?”

“I met him at the Northern Base. His name is Chen Ci,” Pei Yan introduced immediately.

As Pei Yan turned to introduce He Bai to Chen Ci, he was interrupted. “I know him,” Chen Ci said. “Chief He of the Intelligence Department.”

He Bai’s lips curved up, thinking his charm had caught Chen Ci’s attention. But then, the Omega suddenly gave Pei Yan a shy, blushing smile. “I’ve made a special effort to learn about everyone close to Commander Pei.”

He Bai: “…”

Fine, another Omega attracted to Pei Yan.

With Chen Ci being so blunt, it was hard for Pei Yan not to notice his feelings. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t just abruptly say he already had a lover—there were eyes and ears everywhere—yet he didn’t want to acknowledge that marriage contract either. In his dilemma, Pei Yan turned a pleading gaze toward He Bai.

He Bai caught the signal and delivered a blunt, “Thank you for your interest in our Ah Yan.”

Chen Ci: “…” Pei Yan: “…”

I should have just spoken for myself, Pei Yan thought.

“How is your life here? Have you adjusted?” Pei Yan tried to change the subject, thinking it might be safer to gather intelligence through Chen Ci.

Chen Ci pouted and spread his hands. “How else? Every day is just one word: exhausting.”

Seeing the attention being diverted by Chen Ci, Song Yan’s expression grew cold. He snapped at Chen Ci, “How do you have time to stand around gossiping? Don’t you have work?”

Chen Ci didn’t seem afraid of him. He replied confidently, “You aren’t my supervisor. Besides, I already told the leadership. They knew I was coming to catch up with Commander Pei and specifically gave me half a day off.”

As he finished, he gave Pei Yan a sweet smile that made He Bai feel quite salty. Why weren’t there any Omegas admiring him? He wanted to experience being passionately pursued too.

Being talked back to made Song Yan even more displeased, but he didn’t explode in public. Instead, he extended a sincere invitation to Pei Yan. “Commander Pei, perhaps we can have a chat when you have time?”

Pei Yan frowned. Was this man trying to tell him something?

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. Did Song Yan know about him breaking into the Research Institute?

Song Yan smiled enigmatically. “I have everything Commander Pei wants to know here. As long as you ask, I will tell you everything.”

Pei Yan: “…”

It seemed he really did need to meet with Song Yan in private.