Transmigrated Into a Scummy Alpha Who Stole the Male Lead's Mermaid Fiancée - Chapter 74

The Persian Gulf was a notorious zero-polarity region in the Eagle Nebula system. Originally occupied by anarchists, it later opened its trade to the entire interstellar community, offering sanctuary to individuals of any identity or gender. Over time, the Persian Gulf evolved into a gathering place for pirates, a refuge for fugitives, while also concealing undercover agents from the Republic’s police force and a number of travelers drawn by its reputation.

When Jenny first arrived here, she never imagined she would end up being auctioned off, she had been betrayed by her companions. Strictly speaking, they weren’t truly her companions, just a group of underlings carrying out her tasks. Yet among these underlings, someone had uncovered Jenny’s true identity and sold the information to a wealthy magnate in the Persian Gulf.

What followed felt like a forced transaction. Jenny was lured into the territory of the local Persian Gulf syndicate, nearly losing her life in the process.

Now that she was back by Yu Ke’s side, Jenny found it impossible to be completely open with her. She still had her own mission to fulfill, and at the same time, she didn’t want Yu Ke to meet the real Lan Xing.

After changing her clothes, Jenny attempted to leave to deliver a letter but was stopped at the door by Annie’s subordinates.

Fully aware of her current standing, Jenny addressed the guards: “If it were the Princess who wished to confine me, I would naturally comply. But your superior is not the Princess, what right does she have to stop me?”

The guard replied calmly, “You misunderstand. Lady Annie assigned us here not to prevent you from leaving the hotel, but to inform you that should you encounter any danger outside, this will allow you to contact us immediately.”

With that, he retrieved a pendant from his pocket and politely extended it toward Jenny.

It was an exquisitely crafted teardrop-shaped jade pendant, its color a translucent emerald green, radiating an enchanting glow. At its center, the faint outline of an auspicious cloud was barely visible. The moment Jenny noticed this detail, she felt her breath catch.

With just one glance, Jenny was almost certain, the object in the guard’s hand was the Royal Pendant of the Green Water Planet!

In the land of her birth, on the distant Green Water Planet, ancient shamans used such a royal pendant to perform rituals and command other shamans, both great and small.

When Jenny was still an infant, she had seen the Shaman King, dressed in magnificent robes, approach her with this very pendant, using it to gently touch her forehead as part of her baptism ceremony.

When war descended upon the Green Water Planet, Jenny had also witnessed this pendant hanging from the Shaman King’s waist, standing alongside millions of the planet’s inhabitants as they bore witness to the destruction of their world.

Seeing the pendant now, Jenny’s mind went blank. Without a second thought, she snatched it from the guard’s hand. The moment her fingers made contact with the jade, a faint surge of magical energy flowed into her body. Jenny’s eyes widened in disbelief, her expression dazed.

Unfazed, the guard smiled and said to Jenny, “Lady Annie sends her regards.”

That such a precious royal pendant, so significant to Jenny, would be casually handed over by a guard left her with mixed emotions as she regained her composure.

Without a word, she lowered her head and walked past the guard.

She still had matters to attend to, matters that were not only crucial to her but also held great significance for Her Highness the Princess.

Eight hours after her departure, Annie finally informed Yu Ke, “Your little maid has run away.”

Yu Ke couldn’t believe it. She had been waiting for Jenny to provide the answers she sought. For Jenny, she had invested energy, money, and even a part of her emotions, she genuinely wished for this pitiable girl to end her life of wandering and start anew.

If Jenny had truly fled, it meant her future would be one of being hunted, pursued, forever living in darkness and fear. What hope was there in such a life? Yu Ke refused to believe that Jenny would choose betrayal and escape over staying to help her.

The thought was somewhat disheartening.

Seeing Annie’s expression devoid of any jest, Yu Ke’s lips twitched slightly as she insisted, “Impossible.”

Annie shrugged helplessly, her tone indifferent. “I thought, since she’s your maid and you’re her former mistress, you even traveled all this way to secure her at the auction, out of loyalty, she shouldn’t betray you. So, I didn’t have anyone follow her and let her go out.”

“When did this happen? What did she go out for?” Yu Ke stared bewildered at the beautiful, older mermaid, unable to suppress her irritation. “Why are you only telling me now?”

Anne narrowed her eyes and smiled faintly. “I thought… she’d return after a short while.”

“She stole your crystal, refused to give me clues about Lan Xing, and I don’t even know what she’s been through all this time. How could you trust her?” Yu Ke challenged.

“Easy, easy, my baby,” Anne shushed her. “Don’t get so worked up…”

Yu Ke pressed a hand to her forehead, turning away, truly overwhelmed by agitation. For so many days, she had been sailing alone, sometimes going an entire month without anyone to talk to. Her former companions, the crew of the Princess, were scattered across the stars, as if she and they had never crossed paths. Whenever she encountered trouble, there was no one to consult.

She strongly disagreed with Annie’s handling of the situation regarding Jenny but couldn’t be bothered to argue. After all, given Annie’s age, she was practically an old woman, confusion was only natural.

Without another word, Yu Ke grabbed her leather jacket and left the lounge, heading to her motorcycle. She turned the ignition, firing up the engine and switching on the night lights.

Annie, still in her mermaid form, could only drag herself slowly with her tail. With some effort, she caught up to Yu Ke, slightly out of breath, and asked, “Do you even know where Jenny went? Where will you look for her? The Persian Gulf is vast, searching for her is like finding a needle in a haystack!”

The roar of the engine buzzed in Yu Ke’s ears, nearly drowning out Annie’s words. She could only see her lips moving but understood perfectly, as if she were an expert lip-reader. She stopped and looked at Annie, cutting the engine. As the rumbling ceased, she asked, “Do you know where she went?”

“I have people, informants. With a little time, we can definitely track her down,” Annie replied calmly.

Yu Ke looked at Annie with a skeptical expression. Annie gave a faint, ambiguous smile and said, “At the very least, you’ve now figured out your little maid’s true nature. If we hadn’t done this, you’d never know how many secrets she’s been keeping from you.”

Yu Ke asked, “Was this your plan?”

Annie tilted her head and smiled. “Though I may not be as sharp as I was in my youth, I am still a pirate. All these years, I’ve relied on my wits to survive. But you… flustered and panicked, how can I possibly feel at ease?”

Yu Ke got off the motorcycle and looked at Annie. “Are you sure… we can find her?”

Annie nodded, her eyes carrying a gentle warmth.

Yu Ke finally calmed down. Thinking it over carefully, she realized Annie wouldn’t be foolish enough to simply let Jenny escape. If Jenny truly had something to hide, letting her go intentionally and then tracking her to uncover her actions would surely lead them to clues.

It was indeed a clever plan, far better than interrogating Jenny directly. Jenny was stubborn; if she didn’t want to talk, Yu Ke had almost no way of getting anything out of her.

“Then let’s wait a little longer,” Yu Ke said. “If she really ran away, she must have had no other choice.”

Annie couldn’t help but laugh. “The way you were panicking earlier didn’t seem like someone so open-minded.”

“…Open-minded?” Yu Ke was taken aback. She shook her head, thinking to herself: If one day… Xing’er were gone, life would hold no meaning for her. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate form of open-mindedness?

Not caring about anything, not concerned with anyone, even if everyone abandoned or betrayed her, it would make no difference.

Annie seemed to sense her despondency and placed a hand on Yu Ke’s shoulder, comforting her, “Don’t worry. Maybe she’ll come back on her own.”

Yu Ke remained silent, casting a lonely glance toward the garage entrance. Just then, the sound of a descending speeder bike echoed from outside, followed by the engine cutting off. Someone stepped off the bike, and the sharp, hurried click of high heels on the metal floor rang out clearly. Then the door swung open, and a face, illuminated by the garage’s kaleidoscopic lights, squinted uncomfortably before noticing the tense standoff inside.

She looked like a runaway princess caught in her escape, a flush of embarrassment on her face. Step by step, she approached Yu Ke and slowly knelt down.

Yu Ke cleared her throat and said, “I almost thought you wouldn’t come back.”

Jenny bowed her head low, her short hair brushing the floor, her forehead gently touching the tip of Yu Ke’s shoe. Softly, she whispered, “In this world, only you can protect me. I have nowhere else to go but by your side.”

Yu Ke fell silent for a moment before turning away, her heavy footsteps tinged with unmistakable disappointment and displeasure.

Jenny lifted her gaze, watching the princess’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

“She was worried about you. She was planning to go look for you,” Annie bent down, helping Jenny to her feet. “You’re the only person she can trust. If even you were to betray her, it would break her heart completely.”

Jenny was taken aback, her hand trembling slightly in Annie’s grasp. Annie noticed the detail, a gentle smile on her face as she asked softly, “You went to see Lan Xing, didn’t you?”

“You followed me?” Jenny raised her eyelids, her gaze sharp as she glared at Annie. “What else do you know?”

Annie wasn’t intimidated by her ferocity. Instead, she curved her lips into a smile and told Jenny, “The Land of Chaos.”

Those four words seemed to strike like venomous snakes or fierce beasts. The usually composed Jenny turned deathly pale upon hearing them, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.