The Top-Tier Alpha Is Lured and Captured by a Green Tea Merman - Chapter 3

Pei Yan lay on the bed, allowing Xie Yu to treat him.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this kid was being a bit restless—his licking felt strange.

What “normal” person licks like that? He could feel Xie Yu’s sharp teeth lightly grazing his knuckles, while his tongue flicked back and forth over the wound in a teasing manner, as if simulating something else entirely.

Memories of that night rushed back into Pei Yan’s mind, making his face flush. Was he just being lewd, or was this fish actually a total pervert?!

Or… did he still want to eat him?!

Pei Yan sat up abruptly.

Noticing his movement, Xie Yu looked up while still licking, his eyes gazing at him with a pure, innocent look that struck right at the heart.

Pei Yan: “…”

Was he overthinking it?

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was tapped. The butler’s voice drifted in, “Young Master, Master Lu Xiao has arrived.”

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow. Why was he here?

Lu Xiao was a Major General in the Army of the current Alliance Combat Headquarters. They had met back at the Alliance Military Academy and had fought side-by-side many times. He was an invaluable comrade-in-arms and one of Pei Yan’s best friends.

“Got it,” Pei Yan replied, his tone noticeably lighter.

It seems this human is very important to Brother.

Xie Yu lowered his eyes, a flicker of gloom passing through them.

But Brother can only be mine!

Pei Yan flexed his fingers. “Alright, that’s enough.”

When Xie Yu looked up again, he had already resumed his harmless, innocent facade. His tongue remained out for a second as if he’d forgotten to retract it, before he sheepishly nodded.

Pei Yan chuckled, got out of bed, and grabbed a first-aid kit. He took out a roll of bandages and wrapped them loosely around his hand.

Xie Yu leaned in curiously. “What is that?”

“This is how we humans heal,” Pei Yan explained. “If my wound heals too quickly, it’ll make Uncle Xu and the others suspicious. I’m using this to cover it up. The fewer people who know about your abilities and identity, the better.”

Hearing this, a spark of light danced in Xie Yu’s eyes.

As expected, Brother does care about me.

Pei Yan didn’t know what he was thinking, but he noticed the previously gloomy boy suddenly brighten up. His mood swung as fast as a child’s. He tentatively patted Xie Yu on the head; as expected, Xie Yu squinted his eyes in pleasure. If he were in his merman form, his silver tail would surely be wagging happily right now.

Pei Yan smiled. What a simple creature.

The two went downstairs to the living room.

A man sat on the sofa in full military uniform. His posture was as straight and unyielding as a pine tree. Hearing them, the man turned his head. He was handsome with sharp, well-defined features. His pitch-black eyes were as piercing as a hawk’s, but they softened visibly when they landed on Pei Yan.

Xie Yu keenly noticed this change.

“Lu Xiao,” Pei Yan called out.

Lu Xiao nodded slightly, his expression somewhat cold.

Pei Yan was used to this frosty demeanor. He remembered that during their time at the Military Academy, Lu Xiao was highly sought after by Omegas. Unfortunately, because he was so cold, the Omegas eventually got frustrated and moved on to other Alphas.

Lu Xiao’s gaze shifted to Xie Yu. “And this is?”

Pei Yan turned to introduce him. “This is my friend, Xie Yu.”

Lu Xiao suddenly stiffened. His eyes focused on Pei Yan’s gland. Normally, this would be an incredibly rude gesture, but the gland was covered in obvious, possessive teeth marks that were an absolute eyesore.

Realizing where he was looking, Pei Yan reached up to cover his neck. “Uh, that… it was an accident, haha.”

Lu Xiao’s voice was dry, and his face turned slightly pale. “Is he an Alpha?”

Even as he said it, he didn’t believe it. During an Alpha’s rut, they would never tolerate another Alpha invading their territory, let alone biting their gland—an act of extreme provocation. If it were two Alphas, it was a miracle one of them hadn’t died in bed.

He had only chosen that ridiculous guess because it was slightly more acceptable to him than the alternative.

Pei Yan looked at him, puzzled by the guess, but laughed it off. “How could he be? He’s an Omega, of course.”

Lu Xiao’s lips tightened into a thin line. His already cold expression grew even icier. For an Alpha to allow an Omega to bite their gland meant that Pei Yan was incredibly indulgent toward him—to the point of discarding his dignity and suppressing his instincts out of affection.

Lu Xiao clenched his fist. “Did you mark him?”

Pei Yan paused. He hadn’t thought that far ahead; after all, he had slept with an Enigma, so it wasn’t like he was the one who needed to take responsibility.

He lied, “No, he ran away.”

Lu Xiao felt a surge of relief.

A second later, Pei Yan’s tone turned serious. “You just got back from another star system, right? Is there something urgent you came to see me about?”

Lu Xiao: “…”

He had seen the message sent by He Bai and had immediately accelerated his tactical plans just to rush back and see Pei Yan. He wasn’t here to interrogate him—he didn’t have the right—he just… wanted to see for himself.

But none of that could be said out loud.

Seeing his grim expression, Pei Yan assumed something was wrong. “Is the war situation looking bad?”

“No,” Lu Xiao answered immediately. One does not joke about the battlefield.

Pei Yan’s muscles relaxed. He let out a small laugh. “When you didn’t speak, I thought something had happened while I was on leave.”

He draped an arm casually over Lu Xiao’s shoulder. “Since you’re here, why don’t we call He Bai tonight and go grab a few drinks?”

The corners of Lu Xiao’s mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

“Then Brother, can I go too?” Xie Yu chimed in, leaning closer.

Pei Yan glanced at him. “You want to come too?”

Xie Yu nodded.

Pei Yan didn’t mind. “Sure, come along.”

Lu Xiao shot a cold glance at Xie Yu, his lips thinning again. He suddenly said, “I’ll change into different clothes before we go. The clothes I left here last time are still here, right?”

Xie Yu gave him a disdainful side-eye, then turned a smiling face toward Pei Yan. “Brother, since I’ll be staying here permanently in the room next to yours, surely that wasn’t the room this gentleman used to stay in, was it?”

The butler standing nearby: “…” I don’t think I’ve given you the keys yet, sir.

Lu Xiao stopped mid-step on the stairs. He turned around, his gaze clashing with Xie Yu’s provocative stare. It was a silent, bloodless war.

Pei Yan: “…” Why does the atmosphere feel so weird?

He answered Lu Xiao first. “Yeah, they’re still here.” Then he turned to Xie Yu. “How could that be? He has a specific guest room. The one you’re in has never been used.”

Xie Yu maintained his smile. “Is that so? I was thinking that if it was the room this gentleman used, I could give it up for him.”

Pei Yan: “…” Are you mentally ill?!

Lu Xiao changed into casual clothes. By the time he came out, Pei Yan was already sitting in a sports car wearing sunglasses. Seeing Lu Xiao, Pei Yan gave a flashy hand gesture, floored the engine, and sped off.

Lu Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. A wild, unrestrained Pei Yan was always so dazzling. He got into his military jeep and followed behind.

When they arrived at the bar, He Bai was already there. He raised a glass to greet them. Noticing Xie Yu, he said curiously, “And who is this?”

Pei Yan sat down heavily on the sofa, poured a drink, and downed it in one go. After satisfying his craving, he smacked his lips. “A new friend, Xie Yu.”

He Bai raised an eyebrow, glanced at the approaching Lu Xiao, and smiled. “Any friend of Ah Yan is a friend of mine. Sit, sit.”

Xie Yu sat right next to Pei Yan. Watching him pour another glass, he asked expectantly, “Is it good?”

Pei Yan handed it over. “Want a taste?”

Xie Yu took it and took a small sip under Pei Yan’s watchful eye. A second later, his face twisted. He stuck out his tongue and winced. “Gross.”

Pei Yan burst into laughter and took the glass back. “Then don’t drink it.”

He Bai asked, “Master Xie, is this your first time drinking?”

It took Xie Yu a moment to realize the man was talking to him. He nodded with a refined, slightly haughty air.

He Bai: “…” Why do I feel like this guy is looking down on me?

Seeing the two of them acting so harmoniously, Lu Xiao gripped his glass so hard his knuckles turned white. He said coldly, “Since Master Xie can’t drink, he shouldn’t come along just to join the bustle next time.”

“Exactly,” Pei Yan agreed. “You shouldn’t follow me next time.”

To everyone’s surprise, Xie Yu didn’t follow the script. He put on a tea-flavored, pitiful act. “Is Brother disgusted by me now?”

Lu Xiao: “…” This guy is a total fake.

Pei Yan usually responded well to “soft” tactics rather than “hard” ones, but he couldn’t forget that this person was a physically dominant Enigma.

He put on a cold face. “Yes, I’m disgusted.”

Xie Yu: “…” Oops, I overacted a bit.

He quickly pivoted, picking up a glass. “Then for Brother’s sake, I can learn.” With that, he mimicked Pei Yan and downed the whole thing.

The next second, a thunderous fit of coughing echoed through the private booth. Xie Yu’s face turned bright red, and his eyes filled with tears. Because he was coughing so hard, droplets hung from his eyelashes, and his lips became flushed.

He was already beautiful; now, looking so piteous, he looked like he was being bullied.

Pei Yan patted his back. “If you can’t drink, don’t force it! Why are you showing off?!”

Sigh. Even if he was an Enigma, he was still just a poor little fish hiding in the human world, ignorant of human customs. He needed to be more patient with him—as long as he didn’t cross any bottom lines, he should be more tolerant.

Xie Yu wiped the alcohol from his lips and looked at Pei Yan piteously. “Will you still bring me next time?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll bring you!” Pei Yan was completely worn down by him.

The nearby Lu Xiao and He Bai: “…” Is it just us, or is Pei Yan being totally played?!

Once Xie Yu calmed down, Pei Yan leaned back against the sofa and suddenly asked his two friends, “Do you guys know Gu Xibai?”

He Bai took a sip of his drink. “The little Prince of the Empire? I heard he’s been traveling through other star systems and is about to return. Why are you asking about him?”

Pei Yan’s eyes grew cold as he swirled his glass. “Pei Li wants me to enter an arranged marriage with him.”

“What?!” He Bai slammed his glass onto the table. “Isn’t he afraid of what the Alliance will think?”

Pei Yan: “He only owes loyalty to the Empire. He’s never cared about the Alliance’s opinion.”

“He doesn’t even consider your feelings…” He Bai stopped mid-sentence, then said venemously, “I forgot. He doesn’t deserve to be called a father!”

“What do you plan to do?” Lu Xiao asked, remaining more composed.

“Heh, what else can I do?” Pei Yan said self-deprecatingly. “I’ll follow his orders and meet Gu Xibai first. Whether it actually happens is another story.”

Lu Xiao: “If you need anything, let us know at any time.”

Pei Yan raised his glass to them. “Naturally.”

“Brother… mine…”

Just then, Xie Yu suddenly grabbed him in a hug. Pei Yan jolted, spilling some of his drink. He frowned at Xie Yu. “What are you doing?”

Xie Yu stared at Pei Yan with a dazed expression. “Brother, last night we…”

Pei Yan immediately covered his mouth.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Xie Yu’s eyes widened, and a faint blue tint began to surface in his pupils.

Pei Yan was shocked. Did mermen start reverting to their original form when they got drunk?

To prevent his best friends from witnessing a “man-to-fish” transformation right then and there, Pei Yan hurriedly excused himself, saying he had to get back. Without waiting for a response, he dragged Xie Yu out of the booth, leaving Lu Xiao and He Bai staring at each other.

“Is Xie Yu really an Omega? He doesn’t have the build for it, but I guess there are exceptions,” He Bai said suddenly.

Then he looked like he’d realized something huge. “Wait! Could he be in heat?! I mean, he’s tall and fit, but no Alpha would act like that, right?”

The more He Bai thought about it, the more convinced he became. “Maybe it started because of what happened last night…”

Lu Xiao shot him a cold look, and He Bai immediately shut up.

Recalling Xie Yu’s provocation back at the house, Lu Xiao’s brow furrowed.

He is definitely not an Omega…

He had better not be!