Transmigrated Into a Scummy Alpha Who Stole the Male Lead's Mermaid Fiancée - Chapter 29

“What is that?” Seeing Lan Xing hand Yu Ke a cloth-wrapped book, Li Jian’an immediately scurried over, excitement bubbling in his voice. “Let me see it too!”

Yu Ke shot him a look, and Li Jian’an instantly hunched his shoulders, squinting with a grin. “What’s the good stuff? Can’t we share?”

“Betas should know their place and mind their own business,” Yu Ke retorted coldly, hiding the cover.

Li Jian’an clutched his chest dramatically as if struck by an arrow, wailing, “Why discriminate against us Betas? One day, I’ll become the pride of Betas! I’ll make all you Alphas regret it and fall for my charm!”

Yu Ke ignored him, her heart fluttering nervously as she secretly flipped a page of Into Nature. She had hoped to find thoughtful annotations from Lan Xing, but something felt off.

The book was filled with illustrations, starting with the history of the mermaid race joining the interstellar community. It touched on the early slave trade of mermaids, so many images were explicit, one even depicted slave traders committing violence. But the catch? Every single photo was scribbled over with marker-drawn mosaics!

Mermaid arms, tails, chests, all indiscriminately covered in mosaics. Yu Ke flipped through page after page; everything was censored. Even hand-drawn anatomical diagrams were completely obscured.

“…”

She nearly laughed aloud. What had she been expecting? For a moment, she thought Lan Xing had given her the book to discuss… unspeakable topics. Never did she imagine it would be a sea of mosaics!

During the lunch break, Yu Ke spotted Lan Xing alone in the lounge. She walked over, returned the book, and tossed out, “Seriously??? All mosaics???”

Lan Xing took the book, hugging it to her chest, embarrassed as she rubbed her nose and hung her head. She let out a soft “Mmm,” speechless.

Of course, Yu Ke was only teasing. If Lan Xing didn’t want her reading such explicit material, she wouldn’t. But the thought of Lan Xing secretly taking the book, painstakingly censoring every page, then carefully returning it… the whole process was oddly endearing.

“S-sorry,” Lan Xing murmured, eyes downcast. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Not at all. I found it amusing.” Yu Ke placed her coffee cup under the machine and pressed the button. It whirred to life, quickly brewing a fresh cup. Once the noise ceased, she added, “You can talk to me about your thoughts. If you don’t like such books, you can tell me to toss it or just throw it away yourself. No need for such roundabout methods…”

Then again, would Lan Xing ever secretly discard her things? That wasn’t her style at all. As a well-mannered, polite young lady, her solution was simply to mosaic everything!

“I’m not saying you did anything wrong,” Yu Ke rambled, as if suddenly at a loss for words. “You did great, at least I understood your intention…”

Lan Xing remained silent, but she was listening intently. Her long, curled eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her fair cheeks. Her lips, slightly full, were pursed just enough to remind Yu Ke of that jelly-like softness and tenderness.

Yu Ke felt uneasy. She didn’t look directly at Lan Xing as she rambled on, “I think this is good too. You can talk to me more, I want to understand you better… If you’re not used to face-to-face conversations, you can send me messages… just like before…”

“So,” Lan Xing parted her lips and spoke softly, “you’ve read all those messages I sent before?”

Yu Ke hesitated with an “uh,” realizing her mistake, and quickly explained, “I only saw them later. My phone was turned off during that time…”

“Then why didn’t you reply?” Lan Xing lifted her face to look at her, her clear blue eyes blinking gently. Her tone was soft, not accusatory, she just wanted to understand how Yu Ke had been during that period.

Yu Ke: “…I forgot.”

At first, she hadn’t replied because she was nervous and unsure of what to say, nothing seemed appropriate. Later, she simply… forgot.

Lan Xing had expected Yu Ke to offer a perfect explanation, but all she got was a simple “I forgot.” Instantly, her cheeks puffed up in frustration, leaving her speechless!

After a moment’s thought, Yu Ke added, “You sent so many messages, I had no idea how to respond.”

Hearing this, Lan Xing tossed the book Approaching Nature into the trash bin and stomped away angrily.

So, it was her fault for sending too many messages?

Yu Ke stood frozen in place, forgetting even to make coffee. She took out her phone and scrolled through their chat history again, thinking and thinking, until she decided to compose a message to her. Just then, Lan Xing hurried back in with quick, light steps and handed Yu Ke a pitcher of milk.

Yu Ke took it and asked belatedly, “What’s this?”

Lan Xing tilted her chin up slightly, looking uncomfortable as she said, “The coffee machine… ran out of milk!”

Yu Ke glanced at the coffee machine and bluntly reminded her, “There’s still more than half a pot left.”

Lan Xing ruffled her hair, her golden wavy locks falling messily over her head. As the strands parted, her beautiful blue eyes were filled with exasperation, like a doll that had been played with too roughly.

Yu Ke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She reached out and gently brushed the hair away from Lan Xing’s forehead, saying softly, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not angry at all,” Lan Xing’s crystal-clear eyes shifted as she looked at Yu Ke. She licked her lips and muttered under her breath, unconvincingly, “Not even a little!”

It was just that she wanted to be closer but didn’t know how to go about it clumsily.

Lan Xing lowered her face, feeling troubled.

“Mhmm!” Yu Ke said firmly, “I know you’re not angry at all! Our Princess Lan Xing has the best temper and the sweetest personality!”

Lan Xing lifted her eyelids, her eyes brightening as she asked quietly and uncertainly, “Really?”

“I’d be a dog if I lied to you,” Yu Ke said with a laugh, pinching her cheek.

Lan Xing, feeling flustered by the commotion, curled her lips into a smile and nodded vigorously. She whispered, “You can be a little… dog-like sometimes.”

“What did you say?” Yu Ke didn’t catch her muttering.

Lan Xing curved her lips into a smile and shook her head.

Yu Ke finished brewing the coffee and was about to return to the cockpit. Before leaving, she made an effort to keep the conversation going to cheer up the little one. Lan Xing was easily won over by this approach and, along with Xiao Nan, voluntarily cleaned the entire “Princess” ship from top to bottom that day!

During the cleaning, they also unlocked Lan Zhen’s room. As a result, while Yu Ke was in the cockpit, she could hear Lan Zhen throwing a tantrum from afar.

Li Jian’an looked worried and said, “Captain, you should go back to your room and rest. Don’t mind her. As a Beta, I’m not afraid of her at all…”

No sooner had he spoken than Lan Zhen stormed into the cockpit. Li Jian’an jumped up from his seat, flustered and stammering, “You… you better not cause any trouble…”

Lan Zhen, dressed in a black slip dress and high heels, had veins bulging on her forehead. Her gaze fixed fiercely on Yu Ke as she glared and snarled, “How dare you lock me up?! Have you lost your mind?”

Yu Ke remained calm, sitting in her chair with one hand resting on the armrest, her thumb gently rubbing her index finger. She lowered her eyelids and spoke in a composed, almost indifferent tone, “Lan Zhen, let’s settle this once and for all.”

Lan Xing happened to overhear this as she stepped out and immediately grew tense. Just as she was about to speak, Lan Zhen agreed without hesitation, “Fine! If I win, the Princess ship and everyone on it will have to obey me.”

“I don’t want to listen to you, you mermaid bully!” Li Jian’an grabbed Yu Ke’s arm, his round eyes wide with alarm, and pleaded, “Captain, don’t gamble with her. You’re already the boss here!”

Yu Ke pushed his hand away, still composed, and rotated her wrist to loosen up.

Li Jian’an called out to Xiao Nan, “Xiao Nan, you… you try to talk some sense into them!”

Xiao Nan opened her mouth but spoke with little conviction, “Please don’t fight. I really don’t want to clean up after you.”

Li Jian’an let out a frustrated groan and turned to Lan Xing for help, “Lan Xing, you try to talk some sense into them!”

Lan Xing hesitated, but when she met Yu Ke’s gaze, her eyes lit up. Clenching a small fist and raising her arm, her sapphire-like eyes shimmering like the sea, she didn’t try to dissuade them. Instead, she cheered Yu Ke on, “Go for it!!”

Li Jian’an looked as if he were about to cry, while Yu Ke couldn’t help but grin, flashing an “OK” sign. She said to Lan Zhen, “Your terms are acceptable. But if you lose, you’ll have to obey me for the rest of your life. Understood, Third Princess of Panda?”

Lan Zhen cracked her knuckles, her expression turning serious. “When it comes to competing against Alphas, I’ve never lost. What do you want to compete in? Martial arts, boxing, fencing, taekwondo?”

“None of those,” Yu Ke replied. “We’ll play a game of chess.”

“Heh,” Lan Zhen pulled over a chair and sat down with an air of authority, crossing her legs and lighting a cigarette. She took a slow drag and pointed the hand holding the cigarette toward Lan Xing. “Ask Lan Xing how good I am at chess.”

Yu Ke glanced at Lan Xing, who hesitated before saying, “Third Princess is unmatched in chess within the royal family. She even won first place in the intergalactic chess tournament held at Datianxi!”

As she spoke, Lan Xing made a less-than-optimistic expression toward Yu Ke.

Li Jian’an clutched his head and wailed, “It’s over, it’s over! What’s the point of competing now?!”

Xiao Nan also tightened her grip on her clothes, sweating nervously for Yu Ke.

Lan Zhen raised her eyebrows smugly; her prominent brow bones adding to her haughty demeanor. She said coldly, “For the first game, I’ll give you a two-stone handicap. If you lose, you’ll take care of all the chores on the spaceship for the next three days.”

Yu Ke interjected abruptly, “But we’re not playing chess.”

“Go? Or Chinese chess?” Lan Zhen flicked the ash off her cigarette confidently. “Child’s play.”

“No, we’re playing this.” As she spoke, Yu Ke produced a chess box in front of everyone.

“…Gomoku?” Li Jian’an slowly read the words, his expression as confused as everyone else’s.

“What is this?” Lan Zhen showed a hint of panic. “I’ve never heard of it…”

Lan Xing covered her mouth with her fist and whispered, “I’ve never seen it either. It might be a lost game from some civilization…”

The four of them exchanged bewildered glances as Yu Ke spread out the board, arranged the black and white stones, and began explaining, “This is the simplest game of chess. I guarantee you’ll all learn it in ten seconds. You know black stones, right? White stones, right? Connect them in a line, right? That’s how you win.”

Lan Zhen looked utterly disdainful. “You think you can beat me with this?”

Yu Ke replied, “Exactly. If you can’t even win at such a simple game, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

The taunt worked perfectly on Lan Zhen. She sat down and studied the board seriously, picking up a white stone to start her strategy. But within half a minute, she realized she had lost.

“You’re taking advantage of my unfamiliarity with the rules!”

Lan Zhen switched to black stones and immediately started a new game, yet she still couldn’t last half a minute before watching Yu Ke connect five white stones in a row.

In the third game, Lan Zhen managed to hold out for two minutes, but in the fourth, she lost again in no time.

Yu Ke leisurely took a sip of water and reminded her, “Third Princess, if you keep losing, our bet will stand.”

Convinced she had figured out the rules and mastered the trick to winning, Lan Zhen vowed to defeat Yu Ke, only to lose again quickly.

Lan Xing watched from the side, studying intently and taking notes meticulously.

After Yu Ke won twelve consecutive games against Lan Zhen, the others began to admire her.

“Little Zhenzhen, if you lose again, you’ll have to call me Grandpa,” Yu Ke reminded her.

“I. Will. Not. Lose. Again,” Lan Zhen gritted her teeth. “I’ll win one game to redeem my honor!”

Yu Ke raised an eyebrow lazily. “Ah, you forgot the honorific, Little Zhenzhen.”

Lan Zhen bowed her head in frustration and humiliation, forcing out each word with difficulty, “Yes, Your Noble Highness, the Princess.”

“Good girl,” Yu Ke patted Lan Zhen’s head. “Don’t forget it from now on.”

After losing three more games, Lan Zhen fell completely silent and walked away without a word.

Li Jian’an, eager to try his hand, played a game with Yu Ke and lost quickly. Xiao Nan, more patient, managed to hold out for eight minutes before finally conceding defeat.

Only Lan Xing hadn’t challenged Yu Ke yet.

Encouraged by Li Jian’an to take on Yu Ke, Lan Xing felt too embarrassed and ran off with her notebook.

Thus, with a record of seventeen wins and zero losses, Yu Ke firmly secured her position as captain, earning the crew’s respect.

Lan Zhen had lost everything, not only did she have to handle all the chores, but she also had to take over Yu Ke’s shifts.

Freed from having to stay in the cockpit, Yu Ke wandered around the spaceship to see what the crew members were up to.

In the lounge, Li Jian’an and Xiao Nan were practicing Gomoku. When they saw Yu Ke, they immediately grew excited and challenged her to a game.

“I refuse.” Yu Ke said with a smile.

Li Jian’an felt regretful and disappointed, pounding his chest in frustration, but he didn’t press further and quickly ran off instead.

Not finding Lan Xing in the lounge, Yu Ke searched the gym, the cinema, and the greenhouse, but returned empty-handed.

The next day, as Yu Ke was washing up after waking, Li Jian’an rushed over excitedly to tell her, “Captain, your undefeated streak is about to be broken!”

Yu Ke had already forgotten about the matter, but his reminder brought it back. “Oh? Have your skills improved?” she asked.

“No, but we have Lan Xing now,” Li Jian’an said, inexplicably proud. “She’s been wiping the floor with all of us. None of the three of us can beat her at this point!”

Seeing his foolish grin, Yu Ke couldn’t help but remark, “Is that something to be proud of?”

Li Jian’an’s smile instantly froze. Yu Ke cruelly reminded him, “That just means you can’t even beat an Omega. What’s there to be proud of?”

An adult’s breakdown can be that simple. After hearing Yu Ke’s words, Li Jian’an felt like an idiot. His morning excitement turned into bitter frustration, and he ran off howling.

In the lounge, Lan Xing had just beaten Lan Zhen again. This Alpha, having lost to everyone, was beginning to question his life choices.

As soon as Yu Ke appeared, Lan Zhen tucked his tail and fled. Lan Xing put away the board, ready to find something else to do.

Yu Ke suspected that all four of them had been studying ways to defeat her, even Lan Xing was no exception.

It seemed that the game of Gomoku had inflicted deep psychological wounds on them. It was time to redirect their interests.

So, she suggested, “How about we play a mobile game? We can team up for dungeon runs. I can carry all four of you.”

Lan Xing replied coldly, “No.”

Li Jian’an, disheartened, said, “No.”

Xiao Nan followed suit, “No.”

Yu Ke looked at Lan Xing, stroked her chin, and thought for a moment. “If you win, you can ask for anything, as long as it’s within my power to grant!”

Lan Xing stared straight at her and asked, “Anything?”

Yu Ke emphasized, “As long as it’s something I can do. For example, calling you ‘Aunty,’ giving you a leg massage, or cooking something delicious to soothe your wounded pride.”

Lan Xing stacked the pieces, lifted her eyelids, and said, “That’s it?”

“…Ahem,” Yu Ke suddenly felt she couldn’t handle Lan Xing. Why was she acting this way so early in the morning? Had she done something wrong?

At that moment, Lan Xing pushed the Gomoku board forward and said seriously, “I want to beat you with this.”

Yu Ke felt both amused and exasperated. Had Lan Xing been practicing all night?

She agreed with an “Okay,” and only then did Lan Xing brighten up, a smile appearing on her face.

Yu Ke coaxed her, “Do you want to be the captain and challenge me too?”

Lan Xing shook her head and carefully placed a piece.

Yu Ke played along absentmindedly, intending to chat with her a bit more. But when she glanced at the board, she realized the situation had turned unfavorable.

After a moment’s thought, she cleverly resolved the crisis. Lan Xing, unfazed, continued setting up her strategy and said, “If you lose, will you be our doll for a day?”

Yu Ke pondered, gazing at her, her heart fluttering. The piece in her hand strayed from its intended spot.

“Ah! Lan Xing won!” Li Jian’an shouted excitedly, hugging Xiao Nan in delight.

Yu Ke remained calm, leaning back slightly as she looked at Lan Xing and mouthed silently:

“Only for you.”

Lan Xing was momentarily dazed, the extra chess piece in her hand slipping down as a blush spread across her face.

That evening, when Lan Xing stepped out of her room, she discovered a massive handmade dolphin plushie in the lounge. The plushie lay motionless on the sofa, its tail propped up on the coffee table.

Her eyes lit up at the sight. Slipping into her sandals, she settled beside the plushie on the sofa and observed it for a while before gently stroking its belly.

A soft “hiss” emerged from within the dolphin.

Lan Xing hugged the plushie tightly, pressing her cheek against its soft belly. Her voice, sweet and tender like sticky rice, murmured, “Plushies aren’t supposed to make sounds…”

“Yes, my little fish,” Yu Ke replied with a chuckle.