Chapter 10

Though spoken in a commanding tone, this time it lacked the oppressive pheromones that had rendered resistance impossible moments before. Clearly, it wasn’t a dominance play.

Yet Ruan Shuyang’s mind felt like it had short-circuited. He dumbly asked, “How do I accept it?”

　　Pei Siyue’s aura was so powerful it made people unconsciously follow, obey, even submit.

Without realizing it, Ruan Shuyang began following the other’s instructions.

Pei Siyue slightly pulled his swivel chair away from the desk, turned to face Ruan Shuyang, and said calmly, “Sit on it.”

　　Ruan Shuyang’s face flushed instantly, as tempting and luscious as a ripe peach.

He recalled that night. Though he’d woken up the next morning with no memory, the dreams over the past few days had pieced it all back together.

He seemed to have… been sitting on the other person’s lap.

“Must we use this position?”

　　Pei Siyue didn’t say whether it was necessary, only that, “This position is most convenient.”

　　Since he’d already sat there once, sitting again seemed harmless enough, a voice inside Ruan Shuyang urged.

Holding onto that thought, he bit his lip, his face flushing as he walked over and sat down on Pei Siyue’s lap.

He sat with his back against Pei Siyue’s chest, perched shallowly and cautiously.

　　But the next second, an irresistible large hand gripped his waist, pulling him backward until he fit perfectly into the embrace, not a single gap remaining.

He startled, yet offered no resistance.

Closer now, Pei Siyue’s scent—odorless yet impossible to ignore—enveloped him like a water-made cage, shrouding them both.

　　Whether it was the tantalizing pheromones within reach or something else, the pulsing in the glands at the back of his neck suddenly grew intense, even oozing clear fluid that dampened the barrier patch.

Wave after wave crashed over him, washing over his body and leaving him increasingly weak and limp.

　　A hand gently peeled away his barrier patch. Deep, slow breaths brushed over the gland, making his sensitive nape flinch. He couldn’t suppress a sound from his throat—a sound that made him blush with embarrassment just hearing it himself.

“I—”

The air overflowed with the delicate fragrance of lily of the valley.

　　He was about to say something—to ask if this situation was strange, being held in Pei Siyue’s arms, about to be marked.

How had things become so muddled…

But—

Slow, deep breaths drew near him, and without warning, his gland was bitten open.

　　He bit his lip, desperately enduring the sensation—a mix of pain and a tingling numbness.

The surrounding water had transformed into a cage, its tide gently yet irresistibly closing in on the lily of the valley.

At first, the petals remained closed, a bud yet to bloom.

　　But wave after wave surged up, lapping against the petals, gently yet forcefully commanding the lily of the valley to bloom.

Ruan Shuyang was engulfed by an overwhelming flood of enigma pheromones. These pheromones flowed slowly through his glands into his body, forcibly taking hold.

　　Though he tried his hardest to endure, he couldn’t help but let out a small whimper.

He had been marked by Pei Siyue. It was Pei Siyue who had given him a temporary mark…

He thought hazily.

Pei Siyue’s pheromones were smoothing out the waves of heat surging through his body.

　　This marking process was unusually long, far longer than he could recall from his first time.

Enigma’s pheromones didn’t flood in all at once but seeped into him bit by bit, forceful and domineering, leaving him no room to refuse as he was slowly engulfed by the tide.

His body gradually felt strange. He trembled faintly the whole time, whispering, “Mr. Pei… Is it over yet?”

His voice was soft as spring water slipping through fingers.

Pei Siyue’s lips pressed against the nape of his neck. His breath brushed over the gland as he spoke, causing Ruan Shuyang to flinch sensitively. All he heard was the other man’s low voice telling him, “Not yet.”

　　Marking… takes this long?

Ruan Shuyang hadn’t been marked by anyone else, so he didn’t know if it was always this lengthy. All he knew was he couldn’t take it anymore. His body began to spasm slowly. He opened his mouth to gasp for air, trying to negotiate, “Could we… maybe next time…”

　　It felt so strange. He was losing control of his body.

But before Pei Siyue could answer, he couldn’t help but struggle slightly.

The next second, a wave crashed over him, drowning his resistance.

“Pei… Mr. Pei…”

　　His voice cracked with tears as he clutched Pei Siyue’s clothes, though he didn’t know what he was begging for.

The lily of the valley blossomed slowly, its fresh, delicate fragrance turning sweet and intoxicating.

A little while later, Pei Siyue finally withdrew from his gland.

　Ruan Shuyang exhaled a deep sigh of relief, but it was immediately followed by a wave of exhaustion that left him weak and limp, as if he’d expended too much energy. He swayed and nearly stumbled.

Pei Siyue’s large hands steadied him firmly, helping him shift into a seated position against his chest, his head resting on his shoulder.

　　The sound of packaging being torn filled the air. Ruan Shuyang felt something pressed against his gland.

“Barrier patch,” Pei Siyue murmured, then cradled his head and asked, “Are you okay?”

　　Temporary marking was an immensely draining process for any omega, let alone Ruan Shuyang enduring the subtle yet most ferocious enigma pheromone.

After the marking concluded, his consciousness had blurred. He clung to lucidity only because he remembered being marked by Pei Siyue—the older brother of his fiancé, whom he intended to break off the engagement with. He should stay awake, but…

　　A pair of large hands gently covered his eyes.

“Rest for a while.”

Pei Siyue’s gentle voice seemed hypnotic. Ruan Shuyang clearly remembered telling himself not to fall asleep, yet the next second, he lost consciousness, slumping limply into Pei Siyue’s embrace.

　　Another minute passed before Pei Siyue gently supported Ruan Shuyang, pulling his body slightly away from his embrace.

The young omega was drenched as if pulled from water, his wetness even soaking through his pants.

　　Whether it was due to accepting the mark or not, Ruan Shuyang radiated an unusual sensuality. his lips had deepened from pale cherry to a vivid crimson, glistening with moisture, while his translucent, snow-white cheeks were dusted with a delicate blush.

It was an utterly captivating sight.

The air was thick with the scent of lily of the valley—sweet and intoxicating.

　　Lily of the valley’s scent started fresh and delicate, but after being satisfied, it turned sweet and intoxicating, so sweet it stirred restless agitation.

Pei Siyue clearly wasn’t affected by an omega’s pheromones, yet his breathing grew heavier after the marking.

He closed his eyes, taking time to steady himself, then opened them again.

　　Ruan Shuyang was petite, easily embraced with one arm, and physically weak. Each time he was marked, Ruan would lose consciousness.

Pei Siyue had never marked anyone before. He wondered if all omegas were this fragile, struggling so painfully to endure his pheromones and the marking process.

　　After observing for a moment, he picked the person up and walked out of the lounge. He lowered his voice to Jiang Wu, who was seated outside: “Back to Lanyan Yuting.”

Upon returning to the country, he hadn’t stayed at the Pei family mansion but had purchased a villa in Lanyan Yuting to reside in.

　　Enigma possessed an intensely territorial nature, fiercely rejecting anyone beyond his mate from entering his space. Thus, he lived there alone. Servants typically cleaned only during the day and departed at night.

　　This was moving far too fast. Last time, at least Chi Heng’s secretary had waited outside. Now he was personally carrying his home?

Consider this: not a single member of the Pei family had ever set foot in that Lan’an Yuting residence. And now the Pei family’s fiancée was going there first?

This wasn’t even Pei Siyue’s own fiancée.

　　Jiang Wu now had this bizarre illusion that his boss had lost his mind, mistaking his younger brother’s fiancée for his own.

He held back, but couldn’t resist the flood of wild thoughts. He finally asked Pei Siyue, “Young Master, what are you thinking? She’s Pei Siming’s fiancée.”

　　“Are you trying to snatch Ruan Shuyang away to get back at Pei Siming and his mother? Or do you suspect he might be a spy sent by Pei Siming and are playing along? Surely you didn’t fall for his at first sight?”

　　Pei Siyue stared at Jiang Wu for a moment before warning in a cold, hushed voice, “Keep your voice down. Don’t wake him.”

Jiang Wu: “…”

So he watched helplessly as Pei Siyue carried Ruan Shuyang into the car, while he himself was relegated to the passenger seat.

　　It felt strangely like a romantic fantasy.

Upon arriving at the residence in Lanyan Yuting, Pei Siyue declined the butler Ji Huai’s assistance, instructing him only to prepare a change of clothes. He carried Ruan Shuyang upstairs himself, laid him on the guest room bed, and then helped remove his shoes and socks.

　　He hadn’t much experience tending to others, but enigma’s learning ability was strong. He quickly figured out how to remove shoes and socks without disturbing the sleeping omega.

Afterward, he went into the bathroom, wrung out a hot towel, and gently wiped away Ruan Shuyang’s sweat.

　　The omega’s body was more delicate than he’d imagined—the slightest pressure left red marks, so he wiped gently and carefully.

After finishing, he tucked the covers around Ruan Shuyang and looked down at him.

The little omega had come into his den completely unaware, soaking up his scent without a shred of caution.

　　After watching for a while, he left the room to hold a video conference in his study.

After the meeting ended, Jiang Wu sought him out to review Rui Ji Technology Group’s fourth-quarter R&D project investments. Pei Siyue examined the items on the spreadsheet and set the priority for developing the Shu Mi Qing Guan blocker drug to the highest level.

　　Jiang Wu asked in surprise, “Why prioritize alpha contraceptive drug development first?”

This project had been ongoing, but progress had stalled due to the high difficulty and risk involved in developing the fallopian tube blocker drug. It was estimated that doubling the investment might be necessary to achieve breakthroughs.

　　Pei Siyue replied in a voice devoid of emotion: “Market demand is huge, isn’t it?”

…It was indeed huge, but the development difficulty was equally immense. Increasing investment didn’t guarantee success—drug development often relied on luck.

“This project is too difficult,” Jiang Wu cautioned. “Increased investment might still go down the drain.”

　　“It won’t,” Pei Siyue stated with absolute certainty. “I’ll personally oversee the development. We should be able to initiate clinical trials by the end of this year.”

　　Jiang Wu: ???

He almost doubted his own hearing.

Pei Siyue studied medicine, conducting numerous drug-related research projects throughout his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies. The initial blocker patches and inhibitors manufactured and sold by Ruiji Group—which remain their best-selling products to date—were all personally developed by Pei Siyue leading his team.

　　Enigma’s formidable intelligence had enabled Pei Siyue to excel in every research endeavor, yielding several groundbreaking products. Rui Ji had rapidly captured the market and expanded its operations through the exceptional quality of these products.

　　However, as Rui Ji Technology scaled up, the overwhelming administrative demands meant Pei Siyue had long since stepped back from frontline R&D. He now focused solely on strategic planning and providing conceptual direction, delegating all execution to the R&D department. He simply didn’t have time to conduct experiments on the ground.

　　Moreover, over the past few months, he had begun taking over the Pei family’s businesses. He should be so busy he wished there were forty-eight hours in a day—how could he possibly find time to develop this thing?

Was the potential market for the blocking drug really that huge, so huge that Pei Siyue needed to squeeze out time to rejoin frontline R&D?

　　Jiang Wu couldn’t shake the feeling this was merely an excuse.