Chapter 14

　　Bad, so bad!

After hanging up, Ruan Shuyang puffed out his cheeks and muttered a silent complaint.

He thought Pei Siyue was truly awful.

Even after learning Pei Siyue was the one who saved him that day, he didn’t believe the ruthless, cold-blooded description from Pei Siming. He saw Pei Siyue as a good person.

　　But today, he felt Pei Siyue was being a bit mean, picking on him.

He thought resentfully that if Pei Siyue asked him that again next time, he wouldn’t answer honestly anymore.

But Ruan Shuyang, who had just made that decision that morning, woke up from his nap feeling a slight ache in his stomach.

　　The location and sensation were strange, like a hand tugging inside his lower abdomen. He’d never felt this before and wondered if it was related to the treatment.

Though he’d resolved that morning not to be completely honest with Pei Siyue, he remembered his promise to report any physical changes during the treatment process promptly.

　　This surely counted as a bodily change during treatment that needed reporting.

Sitting on his bed, Ruan Shuyang wrestled with the decision for a moment before resolving to tell Pei Siyue.

He sent a message: Woke up from nap feeling a bit of stomach pain.

Ruan Shuyang: Feels like a hand is tugging inside my lower abdomen, kind of achy.

　　A few minutes later, Pei Siyue called back, his voice steady. “Is it severe?”

“Not really,” Ruan Shuyang replied. “Just a dull ache.”

　　“Then try to endure it for now,” Pei Siyue said. “I’ll help you figure out what’s going on tonight.”

Pei Siyue seemed very busy on his end. After saying that, he hung up, leaving Ruan Shuyang hesitant to mention what happened next.

　　He had other plans tonight—Pei Siming was taking him to a banquet hosted by Ruiji Technology.

Wait—Ruiji Technology?

Suddenly, he didn’t mind accompanying Pei Siming anymore.

Before, he’d only gone because he was dependent on others and had no choice. Now… he wouldn’t feel resentful about attending.

　　Because he was attending the dinner with Pei Siming, Ruan Jianchuan took it very seriously. He specially ordered a dinner suit for him and instructed him to follow Pei Siming’s lead throughout the event, warning that if he messed up, he’d be in for it.

　　Ruan Shuyang agreed, using the excuse of trying on clothes to return to the room.

　　After Pei Siming announced his decision that day, he deliberately looked into Ruiji Technology.

Founded abroad ten years ago, Ruiji Technology rapidly captured the market with its exceptional product quality, design, and attentive service, becoming one of the top medical industry giants overseas. Its main products include AO-related inhibitors, barrier patches, and certain therapeutic drugs.

　　Five years ago, Ruiji Technology entered the domestic market, partnering with the Chi family’s offline pharmacies to promote its products. This collaboration achieved tremendous success, granting the company near-monopoly status in barrier patches and inhibitors. As a medical industry titan, its domestic subsidiaries alone held a market value exceeding ten billion yuan.

　　After being expelled from the Pei Corporation, Pei Siming could no longer openly interfere in its affairs. He sought to start anew, exploring both the medical and jewelry industries. The best approach to entering a new field was to align with an established player to secure a share of the market. Thus, he aimed to collaborate with Ruiji Technology, investing in their newly developed pharmaceuticals.

　　At the time, Ruan Shuyang reviewed the company’s materials and concluded it was a legitimate, large multinational corporation, which eased his concerns somewhat. his only worry was being taken somewhere secluded behind closed doors. He resolved that no matter what, he would stay in the banquet hall—a crowded area—and refuse to accompany Pei Siming to any isolated lounge.

　　At the very least, in public, Pei Siming wouldn’t dare openly harm him or force him—doing so would guarantee front-page headlines the next morning.

Around 4 PM, while Ruan Shuyang was changing clothes and scrolling through his phone in his room, he unexpectedly received a message from Chi Ye.

Chi Ye: Sorry, I couldn’t find out that person’s identity.

　　He didn’t understand what was going on with the boss. As the club owner, he claimed he couldn’t find out the person’s identity and told him not to meddle in other people’s business. But Chi Ye couldn’t pry anything out of the boss either, so he had to find another way.

Chi Ye: I asked the doctor for you. The doctor said your condition can also be treated by extracting pheromone fluid. I can assist with the extraction, but the process will be somewhat painful.

　　Chi Ye: After all, your body still carries Enigma pheromones.

During treatment, the clash between the two pheromones is inevitable. Though Alpha pheromones are vastly inferior in quality to Enigma pheromones, they can prevail through sheer quantity. This would allow the treatment to continue.

　　Ruan Shuyang was startled upon seeing the message. He hadn’t expected Chi Ye to actually take it seriously and even consult a doctor about alternative treatments. He hurriedly replied: “Thanks, senior. But the issue is already resolved.”

Chi Ye: Resolved? How?

Ruan Shuyang: I ran into that Enigma guy again. He’s really nice and agreed to treat me.

　　Enigma is nice?

Chi Ye recalled his older brother Chi Heng’s description of Enigma: just one word—dangerous. He’d been warned to stay away and minimize contact. Trusting Chi Heng’s judgment on such matters, he was skeptical of Ruan Shuyang’s claim that Enigma was “nice.”

　　Chi Ye asked anxiously: Could it be dangerous? Did he make any strange demands?

　　He did make one request—to cooperate with treatment feedback. Ruan Shuyang didn’t find this odd, considering it part of a clinical trial.

　　Not wanting to keep Chi Ye worried, Ruan Shuyang simply replied: “Nothing strange. Everything’s going smoothly now. Don’t worry, senior~”

　　Chi Ye stared at the message on his screen and finally replied: “Alright. If anything else comes up, let me know.”

Ruan Shuyang: “Sure thing~”

He put down his phone. The thought that Chi Ye was a senior at the university he was about to attend suddenly filled him with anticipation for college life.

　　It seemed like a place where you could meet wonderful people.

Around five in the afternoon, Pei Siming came to pick him up at the Ruan residence. His smile was as refined and courteous as ever. In the past, Ruan Shuyang would have looked forward to seeing Pei Siming, but now he just wanted to keep his distance. Yet he couldn’t, because Ruan Jianchuan had pushed him toward Pei Siming.

　　Pei Siming took his hand. He resisted slightly, struggling gently. The grip tightened instantly, the smile deepening though not reaching his eyes.

Ruan Shuyang sensed danger and dared not struggle again.

　　After bidding farewell to Ruan Jianchuan, Pei Siming pulled Ruan Shuyang into the car. The driver sat up front, the partition raised, leaving Ruan Shuyang and Pei Siming together in the backseat.

Ruan Shuyang squeezed himself into the corner as much as possible. Seeing this, Pei Siming felt irritated.

　　Clearly, when he’d taken his to the club last time, Ruan Shuyang had sat intimately beside him, occasionally asking silly yet adorable questions.

　　Now he kept such a distance.

He’d only asked Ruan Shuyang to accompany Lu Zheng, and in the end, nothing had happened. He hadn’t even said anything—never mentioned that Ruan Shuyang had messed up that time, or that he’d tried his best to make amends afterward. Why did Ruan Shuyang still act so resistant now?

　　The thought only made him more irritable.

He forced himself to calm down. “Come sit over here.”

　　Ruan Shuyang was extremely reluctant to move, but seeing Pei Siming’s dark expression, he dared not stay put. He could only inch over cautiously, bit by bit.

Before, he had thought Pei Siming was a humble and refined gentleman. But now, he felt that humility and refinement were merely a mask, one that could be torn off easily.

　　He moved just a little, then froze as he was about to touch Pei Siming.

Pei Siming frowned deeply at Ruan Shuyang, clearly displeased. He grabbed Ruan Shuyang abruptly, causing the latter to lose his balance and crash into Pei Siming’s embrace.

　　This was the first time Ruan Shuyang had been this close to Pei Siming. He felt extremely uncomfortable, struggling twice to break free. Yet Pei Siming’s large hands gripped his shoulders like iron clamps, making escape impossible.

Pei Siming was an A-grade Alpha with superior genetics, possessing far greater strength than this Omega.

　　Moreover, the proximity allowed him to catch a faint whiff of Pei Siming’s pheromones—a sharp, tangy scent reminiscent of sour lemons.

　　Though they were engaged, Pei Siming had previously seemed reluctant to interact with him. Since the engagement, he hadn’t touched him, never actively offered his pheromones, and certainly hadn’t marked him—not even with a temporary mark.

Now, with a clear head, Ruan Shuyang reflected that perhaps Pei Siming had never liked him from the start. How could someone who truly liked someone be so stingy with their pheromones?

　　Before, he’d only caught faint whiffs when occasionally near her. This time, colliding into Pei Siming’s embrace brought unprecedented physical closeness, allowing him to clearly smell that sour lemon scent.

“You are my fiancée,” Pei Siming said, looking down at Ruan Shuyang. “You cannot reject my closeness.”

　　Seeing Pei Siming up close, Ruan Shuyang suddenly noticed a certain resemblance to Pei Siyue—after all, they were blood brothers. Yet upon closer inspection, they differed in many ways.

　　Pei Siming appeared outwardly refined and courteous, but prolonged observation revealed an underlying gloominess.

Pei Siyue, on the other hand, initially struck one as a coldly handsome, aristocratic figure. Yet over time, one sensed the warmth and thoughtfulness hidden beneath his aloof exterior.

Ruan Shuyang slowly lowered his head. He wanted to dissolve the engagement.

　　Just endure it. Once he moved out for college, the Ruan family could no longer restrict him, and he could openly declare the annulment.

Fortunately, the car soon arrived at tonight’s banquet venue. Throughout the ride, Pei Siming had only held him close, making no other advances. Yet the proximity between them was intense, and the scent of sour lemon clung to his body.

　　Protected by barrier patches on his glands, the sour lemon scent hadn’t seeped into his body, lingering only on his clothes and skin’s surface.

As soon as Pei Siming’s car entered the underground garage, Jiang Wu knocked on the third-floor study door and reported to Pei Siyue: “Young Master, Pei Siming and Ruan Shuyang have arrived.”

　　Pei Siyue, absorbed in business matters, didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Have Liang Qiang entertain them. Bring along those omegas from the bar who volunteered to accompany guests.”

Jiang Wu instinctively asked, “What about Ruan Shuyang?”

　　Pei Siyue lifted his head from the computer screen, his icy, piercing gaze fixing on Jiang Wu.

Jiang Wu’s heart skipped a beat, suddenly remembering Pei Siyue disliked others prying into his thoughts.

　　Just as cold sweat broke out on his back and he was about to explain his earlier behavior, Pei Siyue spoke:

“Bring him here.”