After The Mission Failed, The Scumbag Alpha Ran Away - Chapter 15

15: Your Highness, Please Behave

Ning Yunze didn’t know why, but he suddenly turned his head and glanced back, catching sight of Jiang Youbai and Lou Huaiche .

He quickly averted his gaze. Prompted by Ning Yunze, Jiang Qingxian, who was being observed by both Jiang Youbai and Lou Huaiche , turned around and smiled at them.

From a distance, she waved her hand, seemingly unconcerned about being seen with Ning Yunze. Then, she walked out with him.

Once they rounded the corner and were out of sight, Ning Yunze carefully tugged at Jiang Qingxian’s sleeve. “Thank you for bringing me here today, Sister Qingxian. I’ve been craving this restaurant’s almond tofu for a long time.”

Jiang Qingxian’s lips curled into a faint, pleased smile. “It’s nothing. Is there anything else you’d like to eat? We haven’t seen each other in so many years—we should catch up properly.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Youbai asked Lou Huaiche , “Is there anything else you’d like to eat? It’s rare for us to go out together after knowing each other for so long.”

Lou Huaiche shot her a sidelong glance, her expression tinged with exasperation. “Your Highness, if I recall correctly, this should be our first time going out together.”

Jiang Youbai smoothly nodded with a smile. “Indeed. Our first date should be even more special.”

Date.

The word rolled off Jiang Youbai’s tongue, dripping with affection and ambiguity.

She gazed intently at Lou Huaiche , her demeanor shifting imperceptibly. Her eyes brimmed with tenderness and a hint of mischief, exuding the nonchalant arrogance typical of the capital’s spoiled elites.

Lou Huaiche studied Jiang Youbai for a moment, then suddenly smirked mockingly. “Your Highness, you seem utterly enchanted by me.”

At her words, Jiang Youbai stepped forward abruptly, grabbing Lou Huaiche ’s collar and pulling her close. Lou Huaiche instinctively retreated, only to be pressed against the railing by Jiang Youbai.

Jiang Youbai was much taller than Lou Huaiche . As she loomed over her, the light cast a shadow over them, amplifying her domineering presence.

Tilting her head slightly, Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Miss Lou, I think I’m completely smitten by you.”

Though she claimed to be enchanted, her tone was haughty, her eyes filled with provocative arrogance.

Lou Huaiche remained unmoved, her expression icy. “Really? Your Highness’s current attitude doesn’t seem very smitten.”

They stood locked in a stalemate for a few seconds before Jiang Youbai suddenly released her and took a step back.

As Lou Huaiche straightened, she froze. Jiang Youbai flicked her wrist near Lou Huaiche ’s shoulder, and like magic, a blue rose appeared in her hand. “Miss Lou, for you.”

She narrowed her eyes and smiled, her gaze bright and soft, as if Lou Huaiche truly filled her heart and mind.

In just a few minutes, this woman had changed her expression three or four times.

Lou Huaiche was so angry she laughed. She didn’t take the rose and muttered under her breath, “Are you insane?”

Jiang Youbai’s voice was laced with amusement as she countered, “Don’t you like it?”

Lou Huaiche searched her conscience. She did like it.

She liked the way Jiang Youbai smiled faintly under the dim light, her vivid, bewitching charm radiating from her brows and eyes. She liked the little magic trick, the blue rose blooming in her hand.

She even liked the faint madness that seemed to seep from Jiang Youbai’s shadow under the golden light—a madness that mirrored her own.

All of it sent Lou Huaiche a clear signal: they were kindred spirits, rare companions in this oppressive, suffocating world devoid of hope.

Like a single candle flickering to life in the darkness.

Every bit of it enticed her. Every bit of it tempted her.

But… Lou Huaiche ’s mind flashed with a thought, and she averted her gaze, her tone distant and indifferent. “Your Highness, behave yourself.”

Jiang Youbai replied, “Miss Lou, I refuse.”

“Tch.” Lou Huaiche didn’t want to argue. She turned and walked down the stairs.

Though there were few surveillance cameras near the restaurant, making it unlikely they’d be caught, Jiang Youbai didn’t follow Lou Huaiche . Instead, she turned and headed to the third floor.

At the stairwell’s end stood a wooden door, stately and imposing. Jiang Youbai pressed a small mechanism in the corner. A faint mechanical whirr sounded, and the door split down the middle, retracting into the walls to reveal a metal door.

A scanner extended from the door at eye level, quickly analyzing Jiang Youbai’s iris.

Once the scan completed, the door opened, revealing the third floor. Unlike the floors below, the third floor was serene and dimly lit, filled with tall potted plants and decorative screens. Hanging ornaments dangled from the ceiling at intervals, obscuring sight and sound.

This design prevented intruders and eavesdroppers. Additionally, the walls were embedded with signal jammers to block surveillance and listening devices.

Jiang Youbai often held meetings with her subordinates here.

The old emperor’s surveillance network blanketed the entire capital, and citizens’ personal terminals were equipped with monitoring systems. Thus, their meetings weren’t conducted in person. Instead, reports were left at the restaurant’s third floor, where Jiang Youbai and Chi Ruo would retrieve them every half-month.

Jiang Youbai and Chi Ruo’s personal terminals had been modified to transmit falsified records of their daily conversations and movements. However, the technology was too risky for widespread use, so even at this stage of extraterrestrial civilization, Jiang Youbai still relied on such archaic methods to relay information.

The capital’s patrol teams conducted weekly surprise inspections. The Chi family’s restaurant stood conspicuously in the open, and the old emperor would’ve loved to raid it multiple times a day—but they never found anything.

Jiang Youbai navigated past the screens. Chi Ruo was counting the hanging ornaments.

The third floor was adorned with wind chimes made of stone, shells, and crystal. Their shapes and quantities corresponded to numbers, which translated into letters, forming the reports after several layers of decoding—an ancient method of recording information, dating back to prehistoric times.

Chi Ruo had already organized the information. In a hushed voice, she said, “Your uncle’s health is deteriorating… The council will propose a motion next month to appoint an heir. The cabinet is currently controlled by the conservatives, who are torn between you and Jiang Qingxian.”

The conservatives were primarily Alphas. These long-entrenched elites were stubborn and domineering. Their opposition to the old emperor stemmed from him being a Beta with only Beta children. Now that Jiang Qingxian had returned, they naturally considered her—an Alpha.

If they backed Jiang Qingxian, the old emperor would alienate the reformists, who were mostly Betas and opposed to Alpha leadership. Half of the emperor’s power came from them, and he wouldn’t willingly undermine his own foundation.

Among the old emperor’s three Beta children, only the eldest prince was remotely presentable. The other two were little more than clowns.

If the eldest prince were appointed, the conservatives would object. Despite years of suppression by the aging emperor, their entrenched influence in the cabinet remained formidable.

If Jiang Qingxian were appointed, the reformists would revolt.

Meanwhile, Jiang Youbai had the backing of the late crown princess’s faction, scattered across various departments in the capital and beyond. The council also had Chi Ruo and the old imperial faction supporting her, whose influence, once mobilized, couldn’t be ignored.

Everyone wanted the succession to favor their interests. Given the circumstances, a bloody struggle for the throne was inevitable.

The old emperor’s decades-long reign had seen the rise of many Beta nouveau riche, who seized half the economic pie from the Alpha aristocracy. Having a favorable emperor on the throne was crucial for every noble family—especially one like the old emperor, whose longevity guaranteed decades of stability.

Chi Ruo sighed. “It’s not an easy path. It’s really not.”

Jiang Youbai murmured, “We’ve walked this road for so many years already… Many in the old imperial faction have been exiled to the provinces or even satellites, far from the capital. They’re the ones most desperate to see their emperor ascend. Even if I wanted to stop now, they’d push me forward.”

The old imperial faction would maneuver relentlessly, forcing Jiang Youbai to advance under immense pressure. No one wanted to relinquish their shot at boundless wealth.

Chi Ruo nodded. “True. It’s not up to you. At least it’ll all be over soon.”

“What will be over? My life?”

“Stop joking,” Chi Ruo handed her a sheet of paper. “This is next month’s palace patrol routes. I just decoded it.”

“Not very useful. We get this every year, but there’s never an opportunity.”

Chi Ruo insisted, “Memorize it anyway, useful or not.”

After a brief exchange, Jiang Youbai suddenly said, “By the way, I just saw Jiang Qingxian with Ning Yunze. They seemed very close.”

Chi Ruo fell silent for a long moment. “Ning Yunze… That’s the prime minister’s son. The prime minister is the conservatives’ figurehead. Though he’s only a nominal leader, his son’s actions might reflect the conservatives’ stance.”

After another prolonged silence, Chi Ruo said, “Jiang Youbai, if necessary, you’ll have to marry Ning Yunze. Whether the old emperor likes it or not.”

The political landscape shifted rapidly. Jiang Youbai was merely a pawn in the game of power.