A Boyfriend Worth Investigating

The dining hall was just as formal as the rest of the estate—long polished table, expensive plates, and an atmosphere that made Nene want to slouch just to be annoying.

She was seated between Alexander and Meiling, with her mother and stepfather across from them.

Her grandparents were elsewhere, probably plotting world domination.

It was… fine.

Or at least, it was fine until Meiling, smiling brightly, turned to her and said—

"So, Nene, tell me about your love life!"

Nene choked on her drink.

Her stepfather paused mid-cutting his steak.

Alexander raised a single eyebrow.

Meiling, completely oblivious, giggled. "Oh, come on! We never got to talk about this stuff before! Are you into anyone? Do you have a crush?"

Nene stared.

Meiling blinked. "Wait—oh! Right! You're married now! I guess I should be asking about your husband!"

She turned to Alexander, smiling sweetly.

"How's married life?" she asked. "Is Nene treating you well?"

Alexander set his fork down, calm as ever.

"She's adjusting," he said smoothly.

Nene kicked him under the table.

He didn't even flinch.

Meiling giggled. "Well, I hope you two get along well! I mean, I know arranged marriages are a little old-fashioned, but sometimes they work out! My boyfriend and I weren't arranged, but I think he'd make an amazing husband."

Nene, desperate to change the subject, immediately jumped on that.

"You have a boyfriend?"

Meiling nodded eagerly. "Yes! His name is Wei Jun. He's so smart and kind, and he always listens to me when I have problems."

Nene blinked.

She had expected Meiling to fall for some typical Alpha heir—someone raised for politics, someone their father approved of.

But instead, she was gushing about a guy who sounded… normal.

"Huh," Nene muttered, intrigued despite herself. "What does he do?"

Meiling beamed. "He's a researcher! He studies genetics and pack traits—he's brilliant!"

Nene narrowed her eyes slightly.

Genetics?

That seemed oddly specific.

Alexander, beside her, was still silent, listening.

Nene narrowed her eyes, slowly twirling her fork between her fingers.

"So, this Wei Jun guy…" she said casually. "How did you two meet?"

Meiling beamed. "Oh! It was totally random! I was at a charity event last year—one of those boring ones Baba makes me go to—and he was there with some of his colleagues. We got to talking, and he was just… so different from all the other men I've met."

Nene arched a brow. "Different how?"

Meiling sighed dramatically. "He actually listens to me. He doesn't treat me like some dumb sheltered girl. He explains things, but not in a condescending way. And he's so smart, Nene! You should hear him talk about his work. It's incredible!"

Nene exhaled slowly.

Okay.

So Meiling was fully enamored.

That wasn't surprising—she was raised in a bubble, protected from politics, constantly treated like a fragile flower.

Of course she'd be drawn to someone who made her feel smart and special.

But that didn't mean this guy was harmless.

Nene tapped her fingers against the table. "And what exactly does he research?"

Meiling tilted her head, thinking. "Mostly pack genetics—how dominant traits are passed down, the differences between Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. He also does some work on fated mates!"

Nene froze.

Beside her, Alexander went completely still.

His golden eyes sharpened, barely perceptible, but Nene caught it.

Fated mates.

Meiling, completely oblivious to the sudden shift in atmosphere, kept going.

"He says fated mates are way rarer than people realize," she continued. "And that some families have stronger genetic markers for it!"

Nene gritted her teeth.

Her stomach twisted.

Because of course he was studying fated mates.

And she?

She was suddenly way too aware of the fact that she had been waking up in places she didn't remember going to.

She forced herself to sound neutral. "Sounds like complicated stuff."

Meiling nodded eagerly. "It is! But he's so good at explaining things! You'd love him, Nene—he's so logical about everything."

Nene leaned back, studying her sister carefully.

"Meiling," she said slowly, "does he ever ask you about our family?"

Meiling blinked. "What? No, not really. I mean, he knows who we are, obviously, but he never pries. He's not like that."

Nene hummed. "And he never asks about you specifically? Like… about your bloodline?"

Meiling laughed. "No! If anything, I ask him about that stuff. I'm always curious!"

Nene forced a smile. "Right."

Her mind was racing.

Because there were too many coincidences.

A genetics researcher.

A man studying dominant bloodlines.

A man researching fated mates.

And he just happened to date the most sheltered daughter of a high-ranking Alpha family?

Nene didn't believe in coincidences.

She glanced at Alexander.

Alexander had been silent.

Watching. Calculating.

Letting Nene lead the conversation.

But now?

Now, he was done waiting.

He set down his fork carefully, tilting his head slightly as he turned to Meiling.

"You said your boyfriend studies fated mates," he said smoothly. "What exactly does that research entail?"

Meiling blinked.

She wasn't expecting Alexander to jump in.

Nene, however, immediately recognized his tone.

That wasn't a casual question.

That was a test.

Meiling, oblivious, smiled brightly. "Oh, well, it's super interesting! He studies mate bonds—how they form, what triggers them, how rare they actually are. He says a lot of what people assume about fated mates is just old superstition!"

Alexander's gold eyes flickered slightly.

"Superstition?" he repeated.

Meiling nodded. "Yeah! Like how some packs believe fated mates are 'destined' or whatever. Wei Jun says it's actually more scientific—certain wolves are genetically predisposed to have stronger mate bonds, but it's not as mystical as people think."

Nene narrowed her eyes.

"Predisposed how?" Alexander asked.

Meiling tilted her head. "Oh, like—certain families have a higher chance of producing fated mates because of genetic markers! He says there are specific bloodlines that show a pattern."

Nene's stomach twisted.

Because that?

That was not casual research.

That was targeted knowledge.

Alexander leaned back slightly, still calm. "And has he ever tested these theories?"

Meiling blinked. "Huh?"

"Experiments," Alexander said. "Has he studied anyone directly?"

Meiling laughed. "Oh, no! Nothing like that! It's mostly data collection and pattern analysis. He just compares historical cases of confirmed fated mates and looks for similarities."

Alexander hummed, tapping his fingers against the table.

"So he studies existing fated mates."

Meiling nodded. "Exactly!"

Alexander was quiet for a moment.

Then—**too smoothly—**he asked,

"And has he ever expressed interest in your bloodline?"

Meiling froze.

Nene stiffened.

Because there it was.

The real question.

Meiling, clearly caught off guard, hesitated for just a second.

Then she laughed nervously. "I mean, not really? He knows my family is important, obviously, but he's never asked anything weird about it."

Nene narrowed her eyes. "Meiling."

Meiling fidgeted slightly. "What?"

Nene leaned forward, staring her down.

"Think carefully," she said. "Has he ever asked about your bloodline, even indirectly?"

Meiling bit her lip.

Then, hesitantly, she muttered,

"Well… he does think it's interesting that both sides of my family have Alpha leaders."

Nene's pulse spiked.

And beside her, Alexander went completely still.

Meiling, still oblivious, kept talking.

"He says it's rare to have that much Alpha dominance in one direct line," she said. "And that my bloodline must have really strong genetic traits."

Nene's stomach twisted.

Because that?

That was exactly the kind of information someone would want if they were looking for…

She shoved the thought away.

It wasn't enough yet.

But it was too close for comfort.

Alexander exhaled slowly, his golden eyes unreadable.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Nene knew that tone.

That was his 'I just found something I don't like' voice.

The moment Meiling let those words slip, the entire atmosphere shifted.