Transmigrated Into a Scummy Alpha Who Stole the Male Lead's Mermaid Fiancée - Chapter 16

At 2:40 a.m., Yu Ke received an anonymous message on her phone:

“Is the money with you?”

“Why are you alone?”

“Lan Xing is in our hands. She’s fine for now, but that might change soon…”

“Can you see our drone?”

“Where is the other person?”

Messages arrived almost every five seconds, catching Yu Ke completely off guard.

“Where is Lan Xing?” she typed, but the notification read: “Message failed to send.”

She contacted Bai Qiuchi, “They’ve reached out to me. Has the palace received any messages?”

“Yes,” Bai Qiuchi replied gravely. “The one messaging you might be a decoy! The palace technicians have made a breakthrough; the source of the anonymous messages is right here in the royal capital. They now suspect the kidnapping is a complete bluff. Princess Lan Xing is likely… in the royal capital!”

Yu Ke drew a sharp, quiet breath. She had considered this possibility, if Lan Xing was indeed in the royal capital, the rescue mission would be far simpler.

But it was only speculation. If Princess Lan Xing was truly in the royal capital, what did Queen Jiao mean by, “You’ll know when you get there”?

“Can they confirm Princess Lan Xing is in the royal capital?” Yu Ke asked Bai Qiuchi.

“They can’t be entirely sure; it’s just an inference,” Bai Qiuchi paused. “That’s precisely why the king asked you to stay.”

“That possibility does exist,” Yu Ke said. “If this is all a bluff and Princess Lan Xing is actually in the royal capital, then sending both heirs alone into the desert would clearly be falling into the enemy’s trap.”

“Exactly,” Bai Qiuchi’s tone was calm. “The enemy has yet to show themselves. Most people in the palace now suspect the real target is the kingdom’s two heirs.”

“Right. So, they took the crown prince away to avoid the trap, but since they aren’t completely certain, they left me behind.” Yu Ke’s voice was icy. She didn’t know how she felt, but if this was Queen Jiao’s design, the method seemed unduly cruel to her.

“It was a decision made after weighing the pros and cons. Since we can’t fully confirm this is the enemy’s scheme, one heir had to remain.” Bai Qiuchi’s voice, mingled with the sound of airplane engines, faded into the distance.

Yu Ke glanced at the dark desert, then found a dune to sit on. Just as she settled, a new message arrived on her phone:

“Is the black card with you?”

“Can you see our drone? Hand the card to the drone.”

Yu Ke scanned her surroundings. A faint whirring sound came from the left front, growing louder until a drone the size of a motorcycle appeared, flashing lights to signal its position.

Its coating was a muted, stealthy color, and its jet engines were noise-reduced. Without the light signals, it would have been hard to detect.

A sense of foreboding washed over Yu Ke. She rose slowly, drawing a small pistol from her pant leg with her right hand. She stared intently at the drone and said to Bai Qiuchi, “They’re here.”

“What?” Bai Qiuchi was taken aback. “Don’t do anything rash! How many of them are there? Have they spotted you?”

On the live stream, Crown Prince Yu Jie was on the aircraft, disarming his weapons and striking a handsome pose. In the background, Bai Qiuchi was anxiously communicating with Yu Ke.

Comments:

[Can the live feed please show the Princess? How is she doing alone in the desert?]

[Camera crew, stop focusing on this idiot prince! We only care about how the rescue mission is going right now!]

[Why was only the Crown Prince evacuated? Was the Princess just abandoned like a disposable pawn?]

[Imagine being left alone in a desert wasteland, especially in the early hours of the morning, what kind of person does that?]

[Look at the commander in the background! He seems really worried!]

The live feed switched to Bai Qiuchi, who was speaking with Yu Ke, advising her not to act rashly. Yu Ke’s low voice came through the communication device: “Commander Bai, I respect the palace’s decision, but the situation is right in front of me. I need the palace to grant me full authority to negotiate with them.”

[!!!]

[What’s happening?!]

[Off-topic, but the Princess’s voice is seriously attractive.]

[Same here! Her calm tone under pressure is just too cool!]

[Help! What’s going on? Why were most of the rescue forces withdrawn, leaving the Princess alone to face this?!]

[I really don’t understand this decision! Isn’t saving lives the top priority right now?]

Bai Qiuchi relayed Yu Ke’s request to the palace, and soon, the King’s steady voice came through the communicator:

“A’Ke, you have full authority over the desert situation. But if anything goes wrong because of you, you know what the consequences will be, right?”

Yu Ke: “If something goes wrong, I doubt I’ll be able to return anyway.”

“If your actions lead to the failure of the rescue and harm comes to Princess Lan Xing, the kingdom will exile you. You will be forbidden from returning to Ferrari or any other Ferrarian-controlled planets in the galaxy for many years. Do you understand?”

“…” So, she was being set up as the scapegoat?

Yu Ke let out a light, cold laugh. “Fine.”

The King sighed softly. “Do your best to survive. We’ll send reinforcements.”

Ignoring his last remark, Yu Ke turned to Bai Qiuchi. “Commander Bai, analyze the threat level of the drone they sent.”

“Understood,” Bai Qiuchi replied calmly. “It appears to be an older model, twin-engine jet-powered, with engines located at the tail, difficult to disable. Be cautious; missiles could launch from the wings at any moment. There should be a communication device on the nose, allowing direct contact with the drone’s operator.”

Yu Ke put on her goggles, approached, and activated the communication device. Speaking into the mic, she said, “Hello.”

As the engine noise faded, a voice came from the drone’s nose: “Princess?”

Yu Ke’s soul seemed to jolt. “Lan Xing?! Princess Lan Xing, are you alright?!”

The live feed remained on Bai Qiuchi, who was still connected to Yu Ke’s comms, broadcasting the exchange instantly. Everyone was stunned!

It really was Princess Lan Xing?!

The palace was in chaos. Ministers pointed fingers and shifted blame, yet not long ago, they had unanimously demanded, “Bring back the Crown Prince to prevent him from falling into the enemy’s trap.”

If their flawed decision led to the failure of this rescue mission, they stood to lose not only Lan Xing but possibly even the princess herself.

Panic gripped everyone, and the king was deeply troubled. He tried several times to speak directly with Yu Ke, but she ignored him each time.

Then, someone in the hall finally stepped forward and spoke words that brought a sliver of reassurance: “Although we made the decision to leave the princess alone in the desert, it was the best choice after weighing the pros and cons given the current situation. No one could have predicted things would turn out this way. Moreover, based solely on the voice, we can’t confirm it’s truly Princess Lan Xing, what if it’s a pre-recorded message?”

The clamor subsided as everyone in the hall turned to look at the speaker, Queen Jiao, Yu Ke’s birth mother.

“The queen is absolutely right! We should focus on finding ways to support the princess, not bicker among ourselves.”

“Her Majesty is the one most concerned about the princess, yet she remains clear-headed and rational for the greater good. Truly, the queen is the most admirable of all!”

With that, even the staunch supporters of the Crown Prince began shifting their allegiance to the queen.

On the live-streaming platform, the comments exploded. What started as worry and sarcasm soon turned into an outpouring of encouragement for Yu Ke:

[Succeed or face exile, if the mission fails, the consequences are too severe. I hope the princess can complete her task successfully.]

[There’s no other way. The king made this decision to show the people of Panda Planet our determination to rescue the princess!]

[I hope both of them return safely!]

Meanwhile, Yu Ke was still dealing with the enemy:

“How can I be sure that’s Princess Lan Xing and not a recording you prepared in advance?”

“Princess Lan Xing, can you hear me?”

“Answer a few questions for me, Lan Xing.”

Lan Xing’s voice was soft and weary as she whispered, “A’Ke…”

“Princess,” Yu Ke’s voice was urgent, pausing briefly before she continued, “Answer me one question. Three days ago by Swan Lake, what color was the dress you wore? Do you remember?”

Comments flooded in:

[???]

[So meticulous, using this method to confirm her identity…]

[I actually find it quite romantic. The princess’s words are filled with concern, even remembering what she usually wears. That’s no small feat.]

[So, the Crown Prince’s accusations weren’t baseless after all. Does the princess really have a crush on the Panda Planet princess?]

[Well, who could resist a beautiful, adorable, and gentle mermaid princess?]

“…White,” Lan Xing’s voice came through, gentle and tender, “I remember you were wearing a champagne-colored shirt that day and spoke with Sang Jiu for a while…”

Yu Ke’s heart tightened, and she began to stumble over her words, “Lan Xing, Lan Xing, don’t be afraid… I’m coming to find you right away…”

“Okay…”

“Can we confirm it’s her now?” an electronic voice interjected. “Do you have the black card? Place it on the drone.”

“I have it. First, tell me the terms of the exchange and how you plan to release Lan Xing,” Yu Ke said urgently.

“Can you be sure that’s Lan Xing herself?” Bai Qiuchi reminded, “Maybe the kidnappers were also present three days ago and happened to know the answer to your question. Ask her something else!”

As if doused with cold water, Yu Ke began to hesitate: “…I can’t be completely certain.”

“Then ask her something else!” Bai Qiuchi urged.

Yu Ke thought for a moment. Following this logic, she would need to ask more private questions next, even including the fact that she had once marked Lan Xing.

But Yu Ke didn’t do that. Instead, she made a decision that left everyone stunned: “No, I won’t ask any more questions.”

“Why? Can you be completely sure she’s Princess Lan Xing?”

“I can’t. Even if I ask more questions, I still can’t be entirely certain. Voices can be synthesized, information can be forged. Continuing to ask questions won’t satisfy you or anyone else.”

Yu Ke took a soft breath and continued, “But among these countless possibilities, there’s one chance that Princess Lan Xing is indeed in their hands, waiting for rescue. As long as that possibility exists, I should give it my all, even if it means risking my life.”

“A true knight cannot tolerate the princess being in danger.”

Bai Qiuchi fell silent. Every word from Yu Ke moved him deeply. In this rescue operation, he felt utterly useless.

“Are you planning to give them the black card directly?” Bai Qiuchi asked.

Yu Ke wasn’t keen on that idea. What if she gave them the card, but they didn’t release the princess?

She gently touched the body of the drone and chuckled softly: “No, I plan to follow this drone and go find Lan Xing directly.”

Comments:

[!!!]

[How does she plan to go? Ride the plane?!]

[Oh my god! Is she crazy? What kind of move is this?! I really want to see the princess riding a plane!]

[So cool! If I were the princess and knew the princess was risking so much to save me, I’d marry her without hesitation!]

[Who says the princess has to marry a prince? Our princess sister is absolutely dashing too!]

[Go, Princess Sister! You’re the true knight in our hearts!]

In the darkness of the unmanned night, Yu Ke flipped onto the drone, lying low with her body, gripping the edges of the wings with both hands. Propelled by the engine, she flew higher and faster.

Two moons rose in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the desert.

A clear spring, like a tear from a deity, lay in the desert. A young deer drinking from it immediately fled at the sound of the plane’s engine. Under a poplar tree, Princess Lan Xing, dressed in a white gown, leaned against the silvery trunk. When she looked up and saw Yu Ke, her eyes lit up with brilliance.