Clingy! The Sickly but Beautiful and Strong Alpha Is a Loyal Puppy Who Needs Pampering - Chapter 17

Ruanruan seemed to have just noticed him: “Huh? Why is there someone else here?”

Her dark eyes glinted coldly as she sized up the speechless man. “Sister, who is he? Are you two close?”

Bei Yin answered first, “A friend, Bai Yi.”

Then added, “Not as close as with you—just average. No need to waste your jealousy on Bai Yi. Save it for later.”

“Ohh~” Ruanruan’s smile turned warm. “Hello, Mr. Average. I’m Sister’s Alpha. Happy 30th birthday! I hear that age marks the beginning of old age—be careful not to break a hip.”

Bai Yi twitched his lips. “…Thanks for the well-wishes.”

After that, he made up an excuse to pull Bei Yin aside for a private talk.

But that Alpha clung tightly to Bei Yin’s arm, not saying a word—just staring at her with pitiful eyes.

Bai Yi silently retracted his earlier lion-like impression of her.

Now, she reminded him more of a black-and-white panda from old footage—once it latched onto its caretaker’s leg, nothing could pry it loose, clingy to the extreme.

Then, he watched as Bei Yin kissed the Alpha’s forehead, ruffled her hair, and coaxed her into letting go with just a few words.

Ruanruan sat there obediently, watching them leave with docile eyes.

Bei Yin followed Bai Yi to the second-floor open-air balcony.

The summer breeze was warm but not stifling. Bei Yin looked up at the starry sky stretching across the night—though the stars were no longer as bright as they had been a century ago. Whether day or night, the sky was always veiled in a grayish haze.

Bai Yi didn’t beat around the bush. First, he relayed Jiang An’s assessment of that Alpha.

A few pots of Earth roses, gifts from Bei Lin, thrived on the balcony under Bai Yi’s care.

Bei Yin bent slightly, cradling a bloom to inhale its fragrance, her tone calm. “They’re not the same. The idea that they’re alike is nonsense.”

Between an unfamiliar pervert and a longtime friend, Bai Yi naturally trusted the latter unconditionally.

“Jiang An’s got some nerve, openly admitting she planted someone near you without fear of retaliation. What’re you gonna do about it?”

“I already know who it is. I’ll deal with them later.” Bei Yin picked up a fallen white rose, trimming its withered leaves. “What else did Jiang An tell you to pass along?”

“What’s HO-23T? She wants to use it to lure you in.”

Bei Yin froze, thinking she’d misheard. “Say that again. Slowly.”

“H. O. Dash. 2. 3. T.”

Bai Yi enunciated each syllable, then frowned at Bei Yin’s pensive expression.

“Is it something valuable? If it’s buyable, just say the word. We don’t need her trash.”

Bei Yin shook her head. “It’s not buyable. It’s an extract from the Sea People’s bodies, used in medicine. The treatment I’m developing for Mom right now—the most crucial component is a synthetic version of HO-23T.”

Bai Yi looked baffled.

Bei Yin simplified it. “The original compound is five times more effective than the synthetic version. You could say it’s my dream ingredient.”

The Sea People possessed incredible regenerative abilities. As long as they weren’t dead, even if they were on the brink, they could recover fully in no time.

The HO compound in their bodies could aid the recovery of over half the species in the universe.

Unfortunately, their rarity made them targets. Decades ago, warlike planets attacked them, slaughtering nearly all of them to extinction.

Now, only a handful of Sea People remained, scattered across the stars.

Bai Yi asked in confusion, “There hasn’t been any news about the Sea People for nearly twenty years. Where did Jiang An get the extracted components from?”

“That’s unknown.”

“Should we negotiate with her?”

“She’s the richest person in District 6—what could she possibly lack?” Bei Yin adjusted the flower tucked behind her ear and glanced at Bai Yi’s furious expression. “There’s no need to hire interstellar mercenaries. I don’t want to get too involved with her.”

“But she’s been spying on your private life! I can’t just let this slide!”

Standing still, Bei Yin gazed at the small garden hidden in the night shadows ahead and said firmly, “Someone has already gone to deal with it.”

“Who? Did your Alpha overhear my conversation with Jiang An?”

At the mention of that Alpha, this Omega couldn’t help but smile. “Mm-hmm, their hearing is incredibly sharp.”

Twenty minutes earlier—

Only after Bei Yin’s figure had completely disappeared did Ruan Fei withdraw her gaze, which had been brimming with greed.

She sent a message to Chen Chen, who was waiting outside: Investigate—what is HO23T?

Soon, she received a reply: A component found in Sea People, known for its powerful restorative properties.

Chen Chen, being sharp-witted, also sent along additional relevant information: It’s the most crucial ingredient in Dr. Bei’s P52 treatment serum for her mother—though all of it is synthetic.

After reading, Ruan Fei closed her wrist communicator.

As soon as she descended to the second floor, several aristocratic Omegas who had been sneaking glances upward immediately abandoned their Alpha dance partners.

They crowded around, maintaining a two-to-three-meter social distance, batting their eyelashes and winking, subtly trying to seduce her.

Ruan Fei sneered, “If your eyes are bothering you, go see a doctor. Why are you twitching in front of me?”

The Omegas were nearly choked by her words.

Still unwilling to accept defeat—and unable to believe any Alpha would reject high-quality aristocratic Omegas—they took a sip of wine for courage.

With sultry glances, they crossed the two-meter boundary and blocked Ruan Fei’s path, cooing, “Big sister, want to hang out tonight?”

For Ruan Fei, restraining the violent urge to grab these Omegas and toss them into the sky—and instead coldly uttering a single “Move”—was already an exceptional display of courtesy and patience for the usually ruthless commander.

But the Omegas persisted. “Big sister, which district are you from? Why not add us to your list of desired mates?”

Her courtesy and patience evaporated entirely. Her pitch-black eyes bore down on them with a predatory glare.

“You think trash like you is worthy?”

As she spoke, an overwhelming, oppressive aura surged through the banquet hall like a tidal wave.

The lively atmosphere instantly fell dead silent.

Both Alphas and Omegas paled slightly, not daring to look her way again.

The Omegas in front of her turned sheet-white.

Though they desired Alphas, their instincts as Omegas made them inherently fearful of them.

Their previous infatuation was now completely overshadowed by terror.

Trembling, their legs weak with fear, they scrambled out of her way without another word.

Only after the Alpha had vanished did the suffocating darkness in the hall dissipate.

But it reappeared with even greater ferocity—this time directed at the dimly lit garden illuminated by a single ambient light.

Before Ruan Fei even stepped close, Jiang An, seated under the glow, could already feel the murderous intent in the icy pheromones rushing toward her—sharp enough to tear her apart.

Like a hurricane, it carried undisguised brutality.

The area instantly felt as if it had been plunged into a blizzard of knives.

The air was thick with fifty percent concentrated frigidity, its mere contact with exposed skin causing needle-like pain that flushed the skin with an allergic-looking redness.

Soon, in the icy wilderness, a woody pheromone scent spread, mingled with a faint trace of bl00d.

A silent battle of dominance unfolded between the approaching Alphas.

The dim lighting cast only the faintest glow.

From the shadows, a pair of pitch-black eyes brimming with hostility gazed down at Jiang An, whose forehead was already beaded with sweat.

A mocking laugh cut through the air. “Even more pathetic than I imagined. A worthless thing like you dares to covet her?”

With those words, the pheromones surged abruptly to full concentration—a merciless, overwhelming force that crushed the opposing scent entirely.

Within seconds, not a trace of the woody aroma remained, replaced by the biting chill of snow.

The victor didn’t retract their pheromones, and the loser showed no sign of anger.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Jiang An didn’t so much as flinch, even as her skin burned crimson and throbbed as if sliced by knives.

She only chuckled darkly. “As expected of District 1’s Supreme Commander. You’re even more ruthless than I thought.”

The hidden Alpha didn’t respond, simmering like a beast with no outlet for its fury.

Jiang An’s laughter grew more deranged. “Hahaha… Does it eat at you? Wanting to erase me but being unable to?”

A sudden, searing pain shot through her previously untouched scent gland.

As if numb to the agony, Jiang An’s eerie laughter only grew louder.

“I know—we’re the same. Like rats living under a manhole cover, staring up through that tiny circle, coveting and lusting after the beautiful moon in the sky.”

Wiping the bl00d from her lips, her gentle face twisted grotesquely.

“You hide your vicious nature so well, only daring to show your good side. That’s why you won’t touch me—because you’re afraid she’ll fear you. Hahaha… Am I right?”

Ruan Fei’s expression twisted into a snarl as she lunged forward, grabbing Jiang An by the collar.

The sound of fists striking flesh echoed for several minutes before finally ceasing.

Jiang An was thrown to the ground. Spitting out a mouthful of bl00d, she grinned through crimson-stained lips.

“Ruan Fei, here’s some advice—better keep that nature of yours hidden. Otherwise, all that awaits you is disgust and scorn. Care to guess how I know?”

“A pheromone-deficient waste like you has no right to lecture me.” Ruan Fei didn’t even glance at her.

Her figure, still radiating fury, disappeared into the unlit night.