Transmigrated Into a Scummy Alpha Who Stole the Male Lead's Mermaid Fiancée - Chapter 28

Seeing Lan Xing’s flustered yet determined attempt to feign composure, Yu Ke felt she could still salvage the situation.

She awkwardly picked up another book and placed it over the copy of Cross-Species Dating Guide, forcing an air of calm as she slowly withdrew her hand. “Don’t mind the details,” she said coolly.

“Mm, I won’t…” Lan Xing murmured softly.

Yu Ke breathed a sigh of relief. If they could just let this awkward incident pass, she didn’t want Lan Xing to think she was some kind of pervert.

But just then, Lan Xing’s gaze fell on the book that had been placed on top, Into Nature: The Mysterious Marine Life. Beside the title, a line of fine print read: “Using mermaids as a case study, this book delves into their unique physiological structures, analyzes the mechanisms of their secondary sexual differentiation, and deeply explores the mysteries of their reproductive behaviors.”

Oh no.

Lan Xing’s eyes froze, then widened in shock. Her grip on the mug in her hand loosened, and coffee sloshed over the rim.

Yu Ke hadn’t noticed the fine print yet. She was busy tidying the workstation, sweeping melon seed shells into the trash, stacking books, and trying to restore the surface to a clean and orderly state.

The book Into Nature now lay on top of the pile, its cover featuring a deep-sea photograph. If one looked closely, they could make out the figure of a naked mermaid.

Yu Ke, completely unaware of anything amiss with the book, continued her task. Lan Xing, however, was stammering, struggling to speak. She touched her own cheek, it was burning hot!

Mermaids, living long in the deep sea, naturally developed fair, cool-toned skin. Even the slightest blush was noticeable, let alone a flush this intense!

She couldn’t face anyone like this, wuwu!

Lan Xing tugged at her sleeve, covering her face as she slowly crouched down from her seat. She wished she were a turtle, able to retreat completely into its shell, hiding deep beneath the ocean where no one could see her!

“Lan Xing?” Yu Ke paused her movements, noticing Lan Xing crouched on the floor, and grew concerned. “What’s wrong? Do you have a stomachache?”

Lan Xing shook her head vigorously, her face still buried in her hands.

She really wanted to be a turtle!

“If your stomach hurts, I can get you some medicine.” Yu Ke didn’t dare get too close. She reached out, wanting to stroke Lan Xing’s soft, fluffy hair, but withdrew her hand in the end.

Lan Xing huddled beneath the workstation, her white nightgown covering her knees, revealing a pair of adorable cloud-patterned slippers. Her ankles were slender, her skin so tender it seemed one could squeeze water from it. Yu Ke stared for a moment, and a terrifying thought crossed her mind.

She wanted to kiss Lan Xing’s ankle.

She must be going mad or maybe she really was a pervert. What kind of thoughts were these?

“Lan Xing,” Yu Ke’s throat felt dry as she spoke hoarsely, “did I scare you?”

“N-no…” Lan Xing was frustrated with herself. It was her own lack of composure, just seeing a book had triggered such wild associations, leaving her too embarrassed to show her face. How mortifying!

“I…” Lan Xing whispered, her hands still covering her face, “I’m fine. I’d like some ice water… Could you please…”

“I’ll get it for you,” Yu Ke stood up, wondering as she left whether drinking cold water was a good idea for someone with a stomachache.

As soon as Yu Ke was gone, Lan Xing practically sprang up, grabbed the copy of Into Nature, and nervously flipped it open to a random page.

On the screen, a young mermaid was showcasing her figure from every angle. The moment Lan Xing saw it, she nervously snapped the book shut.

Yu Ke soon returned with a glass of ice water. Her slippers made soft, squishy sounds as she walked, but due to her leg injury not being fully healed, the rhythm of her steps seemed slightly off-balance.

Lan Xing rolled the book up and hid it behind her back, tucking it into the waistband of her underwear. When she stood, the fluffy pajamas completely concealed it.

She rose to take the water and gulped it down in big, hurried swallows, her face flushed as if… she had just finished some strenuous activity in bed.

Yu Ke couldn’t help but think that.

She had never seen Lan Xing drink so frantically. Worried, Yu Ke stepped forward, intending to pat her back to help her calm down,

“Cough, cough…”

Just as she reached out, Lan Xing coughed twice, her body abruptly shrinking back. Her shoulders stiffened, and she subtly avoided Yu Ke’s outstretched hand!

Yu Ke felt as if she had committed a crime, slowly withdrawing her hand, left hanging in the air.

“Sorry, sorry,” Lan Xing set down the cup, flustered and apologetic. “I… I think I should head back now!”

That was close, Yu Ke had almost discovered the book hidden behind her back.

“Mm… alright,” Yu Ke replied with a gentle smile, sitting back down to continue her night watch. Her tone was light as she added, “If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to force yourself to stay with me.”

Lan Xing paused slightly. It seemed Yu Ke had misunderstood something. She quickly insisted, “I’m not forcing myself!”

“Alright then, go get some rest,” Yu Ke said softly, as if coaxing a child. “Don’t stay up so late that you’re too tired when it’s your turn to keep watch!”

“You should take care too,” Lan Xing glanced at Yu Ke’s injured leg, her expression growing concerned. She murmured, “Does your leg still hurt a lot?”

“It does,” Yu Ke stretched her leg out, leaning back against the chair with a roguish grin. “But there’s a way to make it stop hurting.”

Lan Xing’s heartbeat quickened abruptly. Gazing at Yu Ke’s upturned, beautiful face, she unconsciously pursed her lips, gently biting her lower lip.

Yu Ke didn’t carry the aura of a pure, domineering queen. Her features leaned toward an elegant coolness, reminiscent of a classical Eastern beauty. When her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, they exuded a lazy, intoxicating charm. As the saying goes, “Beauty lies in the bones, not the skin.” She was the kind of beauty who left a deep impression at first glance, her allure radiating from within.

When Yu Ke smiled like that, Lan Xing felt utterly flustered.

Yu Ke usually seemed nonchalant, yet she always managed to say things that stirred Lan Xing’s heart, like when they were discussing names for the spaceship, and she said, “Because of your arrival, this ship finally has a name.” At that moment, Lan Xing’s heart had bloomed with joy, and she’d nearly lost control of her expression!

Now, with Yu Ke looking at her like this, Lan Xing felt completely overwhelmed. She whispered, “What would make the pain go away?”

She subtly pressed her legs together, unable to articulate what she was secretly hoping for.

Yu Ke curved her lips into a smile. “If you call me ‘big sister,’ I’m sure the pain will vanish.”

Lan Xing was taken aback for a moment before replying, “That’s it?”

…Wasn’t there going to be any “kissing, hugging, or touching”?

Yu Ke let out a soft “ah,” momentarily speechless.

And here she was, worried she might have overstepped.

“Big sister,” Lan Xing’s sapphire-like eyes blinked earnestly, her expression serious as she said, “I hope you recover quickly!”

Yu Ke was quite satisfied and waved her hand to bid goodnight.

Lan Xing breathed a sigh of relief, carrying the book Into Nature stiffly as she walked out of the cockpit.

Yu Ke glanced at the stack of books on the workbench and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Cross-Species Dating Guide was still on top. Without giving it much thought, Yu Ke tossed the book into the trash.

What did she mean by “That’s it?”

Was she mocking her for being too childish?

Yu Ke propped her legs up on the workbench and thought idly, The little mermaid’s thoughts are a bit hard to figure out!

Lan Xing’s mug was still on the counter, the coffee inside only half-finished.

Yu Ke stared blankly at the rim of the cup for a moment before picking it up and taking it to the sink to wash.

Just as she was about to pour out the remaining coffee, she couldn’t resist touching the rim of the cup, where a faint lip print lingered, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.

It was a mark left by Lan Xing’s lip balm. Yu Ke lifted the cup and, as if bewitched, took a small sip.

…

When her shift ended, Yu Ke fell into a deep sleep. Upon waking, Li Jian’an poured out his grievances, complaining about how Lan Zhen had tormented everyone while she was asleep.

“She changed all the recipes! She told Xiao Nan to only cook Western food from now on. She won’t even let us eat the cabbages I grew, just because she prefers Western cuisine!”

“She changed the schedule too. We used to have a late-night snack at 10 p.m., but she said it would make us gain weight, so she told Xiao Nan not to prepare any! That late-night snack was your rule, why is she casually changing the regulations you set?!”

“And what’s more, the roses you placed in the cockpit, the ones you said not to touch, she threw them into the storage room!”

“Also, we used to only need to work out for half an hour, but now she’s demanding that every crew member run for an hour and do a hundred sit-ups!”

“…”

Yu Ke ruffled her hair. “How is it that I only remember sleeping for one day?”

Listen to this, does it sound like things that could happen in just one day?

“You rested for eight hours and fifteen minutes,” Li Jian’an said. “In that time, the other Alpha tried to deny everything about you!”

This only proved how strong an Alpha’s desire for control could be. As a Panda princess, Lan Zhen was long accustomed to taking charge, to having everything around her revolve around her will. She felt that once she boarded this ship, it was only natural that she should become the one in command.

Xiao Nan was more than willing to cooperate with her. During this journey, Lan Zhen had given Xiao Nan a great deal of emotional support, and she was completely happy to follow Lan Zhen’s instructions.

But Li Jian’an was like a child driven mad by a strict parent, stubbornly opposing Lan Zhen at every turn and refusing to obey the new leader’s orders.

Why should he have to answer to a new boss just because Yu Ke took a nap?

Xiao Nan chimed in with an analysis: “Actually, the root of the problem is that there’s no clear hierarchy between you and the Third Princess. She doesn’t think she should be on equal footing with you, she might even believe you should submit to her, just like other weak Alphas.”

How absurd.

Yu Ke rubbed her temples, exasperated. “So, what should I do to make Lan Zhen truly submit to me?”

“You could undergo a pheromone certification. If your pheromones are strong enough to be certified as S-class, then all other Alphas would be considered weak in your presence. That way, the Third Princess wouldn’t dare disobey you.”

Just like a pet cat, if you dare claim to be a show-grade cat, you must produce a pedigree certificate. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful you are, your bloodline will be questioned for impurity.

Yu Ke felt this world was somewhat absurd.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

After finishing breakfast, she went to Lan Zhen’s room, pulled the blanket over her head, punched her twice, and locked the door on her way out to avoid any further trouble.

This way, until they reached Datianxi, no one would be contradicting her every day.

She returned to her workstation, tuned into the interstellar broadcast, and prepared to begin her long hours of work.

On the table, conspicuously placed, was that book, Cross-Species Dating Guide. Yu Ke nearly spat out her tea.

“Oh, that belonged to the Third Princess,” Li Jian’an remarked casually as he passed by. “Her things, just have Xiao Nan return them later!”

Yu Ke was amused. Could it be that the book she had thrown into the trash had been picked up by Lan Zhen, read for a whole day, and now everyone knew about it?

But why were Li Jian’an and Xiao Nan so calm about it? Didn’t they think there was anything wrong with this book?

Yu Ke, with exaggerated delight, drawled sarcastically, “That Third Princess is really something, reading this kind of book. Tsk tsk, who would’ve thought she was that kind of person…”

“Well, they’re not the same species,” Li Jian’an said, wearing headphones and listening to the broadcast. “The merfolk are quite unrestrained. We should be more open-minded, broaden our knowledge, and not fall behind the times. Cross-species relationships are incredibly common these days!”

Yu Ke found herself in complete agreement. After hearing Li Jian’an’s words, she began to realize she had been too reserved before. She needed to prioritize learning about merfolk knowledge as soon as possible.

She had bought a related book earlier, what was it called again?

As she rummaged through her things, Lan Xing appeared behind her, handed her a cloth-wrapped book, and quickly scurried away.

Yu Ke unwrapped the book and saw that Lan Xing had attached a sticky note to the cover, which read: “There are errors and omissions in the book. I’ve made annotations, hope this helps you!”

Yu Ke examined the cover carefully. The title read: Into Nature: The Mysterious Marine Life, with a subtitle beside it: “Using mermaids as a case study, this book delves into their unique physiological structures, analyzes their secondary gender differentiation mechanisms, and deeply explores the mysteries of their mating practices.”

Yu Ke: “…”

Lan Xing had personally annotated it.

Seemed like it was going to be… just a tiny bit thrilling.