The Most Qualified Alpha

Yumian turned back from afar and spotted the two of them at a glance.

For a moment, he was deeply shaken. The next moment, he felt he was making a fuss over nothing.

His eldest brother's special treatment of Shi Sheng was far too obvious. He should have gotten used to it long ago.

Yet seeing Elaine lift Shi Sheng up and kiss him still felt surreal to Yumian.

He had never seen such a gentle gaze in his eldest brother's eyes before.

It was the kind of gaze that seemed to say that, as long as he looked at that person, all ice would melt and all suffering would fade away.

Wave after wave surged through Yumian's heart.

He could not even describe how he felt.

How could there be an Omega in this world who, after seeing Carlos's deepest secret, was still willing to stay?

And this Omega sincerely loved his eldest brother.

Yumian should have been happy for Elaine, but he could not bring himself to be.

Given Elaine's personality, he would never mark Shi Sheng.

But what would become of an Alpha and Omega in love if they did not mark each other?

Or if Shi Sheng was marked someday and affected by Carlos's curse, would he lose the life of an ordinary person like his mother had?

Would Shi Sheng still love his eldest brother without regret then?

Yumian did not know the answer.

Noticing Yumian's arrival first, Elaine tidied Shi Sheng's slightly messy bangs before turning a bland gaze on his younger brother.

"Why aren't you heading back?"

Yumian shrank his neck. He was afraid Elaine would hold him accountable for bringing Shi Sheng here.

On the way back, Yumian was allowed to ride in the same aircraft as them for once.

But that was hardly a good thing for him.

Elaine asked, "Did you go see Hovis?"

Yumian looked around. "No. He just happened to be handling the procedures at the Capital Police Bureau."

Elaine said coolly, "Look at me when you answer."

Yumian did not look at him, nor did he say anything.

The atmosphere between the brothers was somewhat delicate. Shi Sheng curiously looked at Yumian, then at Elaine.

"Yumian," Elaine said. "The Empire does not lack one Alpha like him."

Shi Sheng's eyes widened as he looked at Yumian again.

But Yumian clenched his hands tightly, his gaze fixed coldly out the window, saying nothing.

Elaine said only that one sentence before falling silent as usual.

Only Shi Sheng, tortured by curiosity, remained in the aircraft.

Keep talking. Why did you stop?

Ugh, this is Elaine's only flaw. He doesn't like gossip at all.

Elaine lifted his gaze from his documents.

Shi Sheng immediately leaned close to him and smiled with crinkled eyes.

He still did not know that Elaine could hear his thoughts.

Why did Elaine specifically mention Hovis to Yumian?

Hovis... Hovis...

Hearing the Omega repeatedly mutter another man's name in his heart, Elaine narrowed his golden eyes.

The next second, he and Yumian heard Shi Sheng's shocked and flustered thoughts.

No wonder he felt familiar the first time I saw him.

Hovis is... the Alpha who threw Yumian to the fish for Noah!

Yumian abruptly turned his head, his face quickly going pale.

After returning to Carlos, Yumian did not say a word and went straight back to his room.

Shi Sheng was somewhat worried. He had not seen much of Elaine and Yumian's interactions and did not know whether this counted as a conflict between them.

Elaine merely had the butler keep an eye on Yumian.

"Don't worry. He knows how to work things out himself."

Elaine took Shi Sheng's hand and led him toward the dining room. "Merico said you went out without eating. Don't do that again, all right?"

Shi Sheng nodded guiltily and apologized in sign language. "Sorry for making Elaine worry."

"I've been too busy with other matters lately," Elaine said. "It was my fault for not noticing what you wanted in time."

Shi Sheng felt that this was probably the first time Elaine had ever "admitted fault."

He quickly waved his hands and signed, "Elaine's important work matters."

Elaine took his hand down again and said gently, "Your matters are important too."

He paused, his voice clear and cool. "Sorry. This is my first time... being someone else's Alpha. Am I doing terribly?"

Shi Sheng hurriedly emphasized through his voice device, "Elaine, very, good!"

"You always think too highly of me." Elaine bent down until his eyes were very close to Shi Sheng's, his voice lowering as well. "Shengsheng, perhaps one day you'll discover that I am not a sufficiently qualified Alpha in the conventional sense."

Seeing Shi Sheng about to say something, Elaine did not listen for once, gently speaking before him.

Elaine pressed his forehead to Shi Sheng's. "But could you give me a little beginner's grace period?"

"If I don't do well enough... please give me the chance to correct it."

The Alpha's low voice drifted into Shi Sheng's ears, gentle yet solemn.

He felt that no gesture, words, or even expression could convey how he felt at that moment.

Shi Sheng had wanted to refute Elaine's words about not being good enough, but now he swallowed them all back. He nodded hard and, from that close distance, kissed Elaine firmly.

Elaine was stunned for once.

Shi Sheng smiled and signed, "Then I want a resurrection coupon too. If I make a mistake, Elaine has to forgive me."

"How could you make a mistake, Shengsheng? Didn't I say you can do anything you want?"

Elaine understood the latter half but not the beginning. "What does that gesture mean?"

"Res-ur-rec-tion coupon!" Shi Sheng pressed his voice device.

Elaine said, "So that's what it is? I thought it was a talisman."

Shi Sheng tilted his head to think, then signed with a bright smile, "I already have a talisman. Elaine is my talisman."

This time, Elaine understood. "Thank you."

By the time Merico returned from Yumian's room, Shi Sheng was still "talking" with Elaine.

Merico said Yumian had not thrown a tantrum, but he had no idea what he was thinking.

Elaine merely nodded to show that he understood.

Once Merico had moved farther away, Shi Sheng could not help asking in sign language, "Did something happen between Yumian and Hovis, Elaine? Are you angry because Yumian went to see Hovis?"

Elaine served Shi Sheng some food and said calmly, "I'm not angry."

Shi Sheng shook his head and pointed at Elaine. "You are."

Then he pointed at himself. "I can tell."

"Elaine is angry because he worries about Yumian."

Elaine was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly lowered his eyes and chuckled.

Shi Sheng looked confused, not knowing what he was laughing at.

But Elaine looked too handsome when he laughed softly, and Shi Sheng could not help looking at him several more times.

"Sometimes I wonder whether you can hear my thoughts," Elaine said gently. "Or perhaps our Shengsheng has the gift of second sight?"

For once, he made a joke from the Old Earth era.

Shi Sheng smiled a little smugly. "Because I understand Elaine."

The corner of Elaine's lips lifted, and there was something in his eyes that Shi Sheng could not quite understand.

But Elaine soon resumed his usual expression and answered Shi Sheng's earlier question.

"Yumian was lost for a period of time once. He stayed at Hovis's home then."

Shi Sheng instinctively perked up at the gossip, even forgetting to put down his spoon.

He had not expected Yumian and Hovis to have such a connection!

"He went looking for Hovis afterward, but they had no further contact after that." Elaine explained patiently, though vaguely.

He deftly used the crab crackers to remove the meat into Shi Sheng's bowl, then calmly commented, "Hovis is not an Alpha suited to Yumian."

Shi Sheng looked utterly bewildered.

Wait, wait, wait. Does what Elaine said mean Yumian likes Hovis? Or Hovis likes Yumian?

Neither of them seems likely...

If I'm not mistaken, Hovis is much older than Yumian!

And Hovis is the Alpha who'll kill Yumian. I don't approve of this match either!

There had been a smile in Elaine's eyes as he listened to Shi Sheng's thoughts, but it cooled again at the end.

For some reason, whenever it involved Shi Sheng's inner thoughts, he could not bring himself to ask aloud. So even after hearing that Hovis would kill Yumian, Elaine did not ask Shi Sheng what that meant.

But it did not matter. There were some things he could investigate himself.

Shi Sheng signed, "So Elaine doesn't want Yumian to see Hovis again. Elaine is worried about Yumian."

Elaine asked, "In your heart, am I such a qualified older brother to Yumian?"

Shi Sheng nodded without hesitation.

A trace of self-mockery appeared in Elaine's nearly imperceptible smile.

Before he could speak, Shi Sheng caught that hint of self-mockery.

The Omega leaned half his body across the table toward Elaine, took his hand, and made Elaine look into his eyes.

In this way, he showed Elaine his sincerity.

Then he signed, "Elaine protected Yumian and let him grow up safely. Isn't that being a very good older brother?"

He listed each point earnestly.

"Elaine shelters the people of the Empire, and he shelters Yumian too."

"Giving Yumian the best life makes you a good older brother."

"Worrying about his safety makes you a good older brother."

"And—"

Shi Sheng paused, then signed in an irrefutable manner, "What matters most is that Elaine has always wanted Yumian to be happy."

"Elaine, you are the best, best older brother in the world!"

"I believe Yumian will understand that too."

Elaine was silent for a long time before asking another question. "What about you? Was your older brother good to you?"

Shi Sheng nodded almost instinctively.

"My brother is the person who treats me best in the world—except for Elaine now!"

He signed with a beaming smile, "Now, Elaine is the one who treats me best."

Elaine's heart was nearly scorched by Shi Sheng's bright eyes.

He raised a hand and gently covered Shi Sheng's eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Shengsheng. I'll want to..."

His voice trailed off there, and Elaine said nothing more.

But his hand was pulled down, and Shi Sheng leaned over to give Elaine a light bite.

"I want to, too."

Though the Omega made no sound, Elaine seemed to hear his slightly smug, candid, and adorable voice.