This time, the pheromones flowed slowly. There was none of that overwhelming, helpless feeling of being completely consumed, yet it was far more torturous. He felt unsatisfied, craving more.
He let out a soft, low sob, instinctively tightening his grip on Pei Siyue’s arms wrapped around him.
The pheromones gradually intensified. The scent of lily of the valley seemed to float on water, soothing and gently swaying.
After the marking concluded, Pei Siyue gently licked the droplet of blood from the gland, applied a barrier patch, yet still couldn’t snap out of it, immersed in that blissful sensation.
Pei Siyue held him close and asked softly, “Are you still uncomfortable? Does it hurt?”
Ruan Shuyang slowly came to his senses, his clear, moist voice slightly hoarse. “No.”
After uttering those two words, he suddenly began to cry.
He didn’t cry out loud, but tears fell like beads from a broken string.
Pei Siyue was speechless, then felt utterly helpless.
He’d only been a few minutes late, using his pheromones to torment the little omega who’d annoyed him so many times tonight. How could the other end up crying so bitterly?
He really was so delicate.
He could only coax him patiently, bit by bit. He sat down first, then cradled Ruan Shuyang in his arms like a child, letting him sit sideways. He pulled out a tissue to wipe away his tears. “Why are you crying?”
Ruan Shuyang couldn’t speak, only shaking his head.
Pei Siyue gave a bitter smile before saying earnestly, “I’m sorry. If you don’t like it, I won’t do it again next time.”
If you want it, I’ll give it to you.
Using pheromones to bully someone really wasn’t right.
“No, it’s not your fault.” Hearing Pei Siyue apologize, Ruan Shuyang forced back tears and said, “It has nothing to do with you. It’s my own fault.”
After snapping back from that exceptionally comfortable sensation, he remembered the exhaustion and grievances of recent days—the anxiety of being jobless, income-less, and unable to move out of the Ruan household. These burdens had weighed heavily on his heart all along.
He could have endured it, but perhaps because Pei Siyue’s presence made him feel unusually at ease, the pent-up emotions found an outlet and poured out uncontrollably.
In truth, Pei Siyue hadn’t done anything wrong. He shouldn’t have been made his emotional dumping ground.
Pei Siyue’s voice was gentle, like soft water continuously soothing him, its tone concealing a subtle coaxing: “What’s wrong?”
An omega marked by enigma instinctively trusts the other, lowering their guard in their presence. Ruan Shuyang found this feeling hard to resist, for Pei Siyue had always made him feel trustworthy and dependable.
“I’m so useless,” Ruan Shuyang murmured, tears still silently streaming down his face. “I can’t do anything right.”
Pei Siyue gently lifted his chin, wiping away the tears from his cheeks as he affirmed, “You’re exceptional.”
“I—”
Before Ruan Shuyang could continue, Pei Siyue interrupted him.
“I’ve seen your designs. They’re beautiful.” Pei Siyue wiped away his tears and suddenly brought up something Ruan Shuyang had never dared to imagine. “Do you want to have your own jewelry brand?”
Ruan Shuyang’s eyes widened in surprise. He instantly forgot his tears, stunned into near speechlessness. “My own… jewelry brand?”
When he was young and still allowed himself to dream, he too had imagined growing up to own his own jewelry brand, selling designs he created.
But as he matured, he gradually understood how impossibly distant that dream was—something he might never achieve in his lifetime.
Now, Pei Siyue suddenly brought it up.
“I did,” he murmured softly. “But it’s so hard.”
Pei Siyue replied, “It’s not hard. You just need to design the pieces. I’ll handle the rest.”
Ruan Shuyang didn’t quite grasp the meaning. “You mean you want to buy my designs?”
“No.” Pei Siyue shook his head without hesitation. “What I mean is, you design the jewelry styles. You get the credit. I handle the investment, manufacturing, and later sales.”
“All the pieces will bear your name. I won’t buy the designs.”
“I’ll have our partner law firm draft the contract. You can review it and sign once you’re satisfied.”
Contract?
A distinct sense of reality slowly washed over Ruan Shuyang.
Pei Siyue wanted him to design the pieces, while he handled the investment—together they’d establish a jewelry brand?
Launching a jewelry brand must require a fortune. Ruan Shuyang didn’t know the exact figure, but it would likely be in the eight or even nine figures.
Was Pei Siyue really willing to invest such a huge sum in a young man who had just turned eighteen and hadn’t won any design awards?
For some reason, he felt even more like crying.
He choked out, “It takes a lot of money.”
“Mhm.” Pei Siyue didn’t reassure him it wouldn’t cost much. He simply said, “I believe in your ability, and I believe in mine. I can afford it, and I can afford to lose it.”
“Besides, I don’t think we will lose.”
Ruan Shuyang’s designs had captivated even someone like him, who held little interest in jewelry, with their stunning, vibrant beauty. He trusted the young man’s talent; all he needed was an opportunity.
He was willing to provide it.
“But… but…”
He knew Pei Siyue likely had no shortage of investment capital, yet he didn’t want to burden the other with such immense risk.
“Don’t rush to refuse.” Pei Siyue’s finger gently pressed against Ruan Shuyang’s lips, his voice steady, his gaze deep as the ocean. “Think carefully. Don’t you truly want your own jewelry brand—one that completely surpasses Ruan Jewelry?”
He couldn’t refuse Pei Siyue’s words.
He had once dreamed of owning his own jewelry brand, proving to everyone that his design talent was inherited from Yu Xianpo. He wanted them to see that without Yu Xianpo’s exceptional design skills, Ruan Jewelry would never have achieved its current status.
Ruan Jewelry had exploited Yu Xianbo, even allowing the world to label him a mistress, subjecting his to relentless torment until he died in despair.
It was clear that when Ruan Jianchuan had pursued Yu Xianbo, he had claimed to be single.
He wanted revenge against the Ruan family. He wanted it desperately.
He couldn’t refuse Pei Siyue’s request.
He trusted Pei Siyue. If he said he’d do something, he would. Pei Siyue was a man of his word, utterly trustworthy, and had always been kind to him.
Ruan Shuyang suddenly burst into tears again, unable to stop them.
For the first time since birth, he felt that perhaps good fortune could find him too.
“For the first time, I feel like fate might favor me.”
Pei Siyue wiped his tears and looked at him earnestly, promising, “You will always be favored by fate.”
The person he loved was destined to be blessed by fate.
Because he possessed the strength to make that person happy.
It took Ruan Shuyang a long while to stop crying. Through tear-filled eyes, he asked Pei Siyue, “Why did you help me? Is there anything I can do for you in return?”
Pei Siyue looked at Ruan Shuyang and replied slowly, “Actually, there are a few things you could do for me.”
Ruan Shuyang hurriedly replied, “Just tell me. I’ll agree to anything.”
“Don’t rush into agreeing,” Pei Siyue said with a faint smile, watching her. “You wouldn’t want me to ask for something you can’t do, would you?”
Ruan Shuyang paused for a moment, then made a solemn promise: “No matter how difficult it is, I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”
Pei Siyue looked at Ruan Shuyang and asked, “Then can you promise me you won’t mind if I tease you with my pheromones?”
Ruan Shuyang froze.
Pei Siyue stroked his hair with a faint smile. “Don’t worry, I was just joking.”
“Just don’t treat me like an elder from now on.”
As he spoke, he slid his fingers through Ruan Shuyang’s soft hair, gently combing it.
Ruan Shuyang was utterly confused. Why did Pei Siyue say that? If not an elder, then what?
He recalled their earlier conversation: “Then can I treat you like an older brother from now on?”
Pei Siyue found this acceptable and nodded. “Alright.”
Ruan Shuyang looked at Pei Siyue, hesitating to speak, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
Pei Siyue said, “If you want to ask me something, just ask directly. No need to hesitate.”
Ruan Shuyang hesitated briefly before softly calling out in a clear, gentle voice: “Brother.”
Pei Siyue’s pupils contracted sharply. He nearly lost control, wanting to pull him into his arms and kiss him fiercely.
Fortunately, Ruan Shuyang’s next question snapped him back to reality.
“How… old are you, exactly?”
He thought Pei Siyue looked young—strikingly so among the gray-haired tycoons—yet there was an air of maturity about him that made his age hard to pin down.
Pei Siyue took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness within him, and told Ruan Shuyang, “I’m twenty-seven this year.”
Ruan Shuyang murmured, “Oh,” then added, “That’s really young.”
Not even thirty years old, yet so accomplished—able to found Ruiji and invest in his jewelry brand. If he were half as capable as Pei Siyue, he wouldn’t have been bullied so badly by the Ruan family.
Seeing Ruan Shuyang’s low spirits, Pei Siyue said nothing. He simply gently combed the other’s hair while soothing him with pheromones.
After a few minutes, he suddenly heard Ruan Shuyang whisper, “It’s okay.”
Pei Siyue froze in surprise before realizing he was referring to the earlier pheromone teasing.
Okay?
He asked again, “Really?”
Ruan Shuyang flushed, too embarrassed to say it a second time.
He felt that since Pei Siyue treated him so well, being teased by his pheromones wasn’t so bad—it was just a bit unbearable at first, but once he got through it, it would feel good.
Just then, his phone buzzed repeatedly with several message notifications. He pulled out his phone as if to escape, checking the messages without answering Pei Siyue’s question.
Gu Jin sent him several photos and messages. In the pictures, Ruan Qi looked utterly disheveled—his hair and face drenched, his expression a mix of fury and terror.
Gu Jin: Are you still there? Want to come take a look?
Gu Jin: He was talking trash earlier. Ye Ge just threw a drink at him.
Ruan Shuyang: What did he say?
Ruan Shuyang: Was it about me?
Gu Jin: Sort of. It was pretty nasty—I couldn’t even listen to it.
Gu Jin: Ye Ge just threw a glass of wine at him and kicked him to the ground. But it happened outside the banquet hall, so it didn’t draw much attention.
Ruan Shuyang: Where are you? I’m coming over.
After seeing the address Gu Jin sent, Ruan Shuyang turned to Pei Siyue and said, “Something’s happened. I need to go check it out.”
It wasn’t the first time Ruan Qi had told people how he bullied Ruan Shuyang, how he maliciously tormented his omega younger brother at home. But this was the first time someone had stood up for him.
Ruan Qi was a sophomore this year, only two years older than him. They often attended the same school during their younger years. Whenever Ruan Qi felt unhappy, he would seek out classmates from his own class, telling them how he bullied and humiliated Ruan Shuyang at home.
Some classmates joined in for the amusement, some remained indifferent, while a few righteous ones would tell him to stop talking about it, that it was wrong.
But no one had ever acted as directly as Chi Ye—throwing a glass of wine in Ruan Qi’s face and kicking him to the ground.
He felt that in moments like this, he couldn’t just cower in the background while others fought for him.
He had to cherish every person who was kind to him.
He said this while still sitting in Pei Siyue’s embrace. After speaking, he tried to slide down, but Pei Siyue held him by the waist and stopped him.
“Where to?”
“Let’s go downstairs and check,” Ruan Shuyang said, opening his phone to view the specific address Gu Jin had sent. “It’s beside the pavilion on the left side of the villa entrance.”
Pei Siyue set him down and stood up, saying, “I’ll go with you.”
Ruan Shuyang was taken aback and hurriedly protested, “I can go alone. No need to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble. Let’s go.”
Ruan Shuyang didn’t move immediately, instead looking at Pei Siyue hesitantly.
Pei Siyue asked, “What is it?”
“Wouldn’t it be awkward for you to appear at a banquet like this? I can go down alone, it’s fine.”
On both previous occasions at banquets where he encountered Pei Siyue, the other party either had his secretary call him away or appeared briefly before leaving. They had only met privately, never in the banquet hall itself.
Pei Siyue simply replied, “No, let’s go.”
As they reached the doorway, Pei Siyue suddenly pulled Ruan Shuyang close. He extended a finger and gently tapped his gland, saying, “Barrier patch.”
Ruan Shuyang flinched sensitively as the finger brushed his gland. Just as he reached to retrieve his own gland patch, the sound of tearing packaging came from beside him. Pei Siyue applied the gland patch with gentle, practiced movements.
Pei Siyue seemed to have done this many times before, Ruan Shuyang thought. The other man appeared to carry gland patches with him at all times.
While waiting for the elevator, Pei Siyue asked Ruan Shuyang, “Why do you think it’s inconvenient for me to be in this kind of setting?”
“Because you always call me away,” Ruan Shuyang explained. “I assumed you might feel uncomfortable.”
Pei Siyue replied firmly, “There’s no inconvenience.”
Enigma possessed an innate territorial instinct, marked by distinct exclusivity. He disliked crowded places, preferring quiet solitude within his own domain.
But it was merely dislike, not inability.
By the time they rode the elevator down and reached the location Gu Jin had mentioned, Chi Heng had also arrived. He grabbed Chi Ye, who was still intent on reprimanding someone, and whispered, “Stop it. Even if he did something wrong, this isn’t the time to bring it up. Hurry back with me—Mom and Dad are looking for you.” Stop fighting. Even if he did something wrong, this isn’t the time to make a scene. Come back with me now. Mom and Dad are looking for you.”
Gu Jin, standing nearby, also whispered, “Yeah, Ye, let’s go back. Uncle and Aunt are waiting for you.”
Chi Ye struggled a couple more times, but he simply couldn’t break free from Chi Heng’s iron grip. He snapped irritably, “You’re just siding with Mom and Dad to pressure me. You know perfectly well I hate those arranged meetings, yet you still come looking for me to go back.”
Chi Heng: “…”
He shot Chi Ye a look that said he was both annoyed and yet obligated to intervene, like a parent dealing with a troublesome second child. His tone turned stern. “You’re in your twenties now. Could you at least think about the consequences before acting on impulse? Mom and Dad invited so many old friends and their Omegas today. Even if you don’t like it, you have to show up and make an appearance. Otherwise, how are you going to save face for all those people?”
Chi Ye wanted to retort that he hadn’t organized this gathering or invited all these people, so why should he bear the consequences? But he kept his thoughts to himself.
His family had provided him with a privileged upbringing, and he knew he owed it to them to prioritize their concerns.
He addressed Ruan Qi coldly: “If I ever hear you say those things again, or if I find out you’re bullying Ruan Shuyang, I’ll beat you even worse than today.”
Ruan Qi shuddered, not daring to speak, yet his eyes burned with venom and resentment.
Chi Ye was pulled away by Chi Heng. Gu Jin breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave when he spotted Ruan Shuyang standing nearby, accompanied by the tall man he’d seen earlier in the banquet hall.
He had called Ruan Shuyang over earlier to keep an eye on Chi Ye and prevent trouble. Now that Chi Ye was gone, he approached Ruan Shuyang and said, “Little brother, it’s fine now. Brother Ye warned him. He shouldn’t dare do anything to you after this.”
He paused there, considering asking Ruan Shuyang if he wanted to go inside together. But noticing the imposing, stern-faced alpha beside him and sensing the latter’s pheromone level was significantly higher than his own, he changed his words: “I’ll head in first. Junior, if you need anything, you can find me again.”
Ruan Shuyang thanked him earnestly, “Thanks, senior.”
After Gu Jin left, only Ruan Shuyang, Pei Siyue, and Ruan Qi remained.
Chi Ye’s kicks had been brutal. Ruan Qi lay sprawled on the ground, unable to rise for the moment. His thoughts turned venomous as he pondered: What was the deal with the second young master of the Chi family? Could he really sense when Ruan Shuyang was being bullied? Could he actually come looking for trouble?
Damn Ruan Shuyang. It was all his fault that Chi Ye had beaten him up.
If he couldn’t take on Chi Ye, did that mean he couldn’t torment Ruan Shuyang?
He had plenty of ways to deal with Ruan Shuyang, ways that would leave him unable to even cry, Ruan Qi thought with cold determination.
Pei Siyue stood beside Ruan Shuyang for a moment before whispering, “Wait here for me.”
Ruan Shuyang paused, then nodded obediently.
He didn’t know what Pei Siyue intended to do, only watching as the other man stepped into the moonlight and walked toward Ruan Qi.
This spot was some distance from the banquet hall; the clamor of the party didn’t reach them here. The night sky here was clear and serene, interrupted only by the occasional chirp of insects or bird call.
Ruan Qi felt a shadow descend over him. Instinctively turning his head, he saw an exceptionally tall “alpha” standing beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.
The man was towering, his expression cold. He looked at Ruan Qi as if he were observing a lifeless object.
An instinct etched into his genes made him instinctively fear Alphas with higher pheromone levels. The greater the disparity in pheromone strength, the deeper the dread.
The moment Ruan Qi saw this figure beside him, the hairs on the back of his neck instantly stood on end. It felt like being targeted by a predator at the apex of the food chain. His brain screamed incessantly for him to flee, yet he couldn’t move a muscle.
He was pinned down by the highest-level enigma pheromone, utterly immobilized.
His voice trembled as he asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”
The next instant, he watched as the man before him raised his foot and stomped down on his shoulder.
Excruciating pain exploded from his shoulder. He rolled his eyes back in agony and couldn’t help but scream.
He didn’t know how long it lasted before that terrifying force lifted from his shoulder. But to his horror, he discovered his right arm was useless.
His right arm had been forcibly dislocated.
The man repeated the process on his left arm, dislocating both limbs.
The pressure on his shoulder was immense, so intense that cold sweat drenched his body as he felt his bones nearly shatter under the weight.
Ruan Qi, overcome with terror, screamed hoarsely, “Who are you? What have you done to me?”
“Help! Someone, help me—”
Ruan Shuyang froze, sensing trouble and starting to move toward the commotion. But he saw Pei Siyue shake his head at him, signaling him to stay back.
Ruan Qi’s agonized screams quickly drew patrolling security guards. They rushed over to find Ruan Qi sprawled on the ground, both arms dislocated, his clothes crumpled and mud-spattered, a pitiful sight.
The security guard observed the man beside him who had dislocated Ruan Qi’s arms. He possessed an air of noble, cold detachment, radiating an unmistakable aura of superiority. Realizing he was unable to handle the situation, the guard promptly called Chi Heng.
Thus, Chi Heng was summoned for the second time. He arrived to find Pei Siyue standing nearby while Ruan Qi lay on the ground in an especially pitiful state. Both arms had been dislocated, and he was moaning in pain incessantly.
He was utterly exasperated and couldn’t help but confront Pei Siyue: “How old are you that you still lash out impulsively? How can you be even more of a troublemaker than my own brother?”
Pei Siyue replied coldly, “This has nothing to do with you. I’ll handle it.”
Chi Heng: “…Then handle it yourself.”
Pei Siyue continued to look down on Ruan Qi, who was so terrified his face contorted. A thousand thoughts of revenge and vicious curses raced through his mind, yet not a single word escaped his lips.
Jiang Wu arrived swiftly. Pei Siyue stepped aside, unwilling to waste words on someone like Ruan Qi.
Upon arriving, Jiang Wu first offered a sincere apology. Then, he placed his hand on Ruan Qi’s shoulder, feeling for the right spot.
Ruan Qi felt a sharp crack followed by excruciating pain. The spot where he’d been trampled earlier suffered a second blow, and the wave of agony nearly made him lose control.
He trembled, wanting to say something—that he didn’t need Jiang Wu to set his bones—but the agony left him speechless. He could only watch helplessly as Jiang Wu used the same method to reset the bones on the other side.
His face was drenched in sweat and tears from the relentless agony endured throughout the night, draining what little strength his already frail Alpha physique possessed.
Once the other bone was set and the excruciating pain subsided, he rolled his eyes back and passed out.
“Oh my,” Jiang Wu exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, staring at the unconscious Ruan Qi. “It’s just setting a bone—how could he pass out? I swear I didn’t do anything extra. The surveillance footage can prove it.”
Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he’d deliberately twisted the bone during the setting to make Ruan Qi suffer more.
His movements were exceptionally subtle—utterly undetectable on the surveillance footage.
Chi Heng stared down at Ruan Qi, unconscious from the pain. “What do you want to do?”
“Keep him here tonight,” Pei Siyue instructed Chi Heng. “Once he wakes up, have someone notify Jiang Wu. He’ll handle it.”
Jiang Wu also addressed Chi Heng: “Mr. Chi, I’ll stay here tonight too. If he regains consciousness, have someone inform me. I’ll take care of the follow-up matters—no trouble for you.”
“It won’t be much trouble,” Chi Heng shook his head. A mere Ruan Qi from the Ruan family hardly counted as trouble. “It’s just that you two… you’re so impulsive…”
Pei Siyue walked over to Ruan Shuyang, took his hand, and led him away.
After reaching Pei Siyue’s Wind Son and getting inside, Pei Siyue didn’t start the car immediately. His expression was cold and solemn as he asked Ruan Shuyang in a tone devoid of emotion, “Does Ruan Qi often bully you?”
Ruan Shuyang wanted to say no. He feared that if he told the truth, Pei Siyue might do something to Ruan Qi again, bringing trouble upon them later. Yet, denying it felt impossible.
He had endured too much bullying since childhood to lie and say “no.”
The car was saturated with Pei Siyue’s pheromones. He knew this scent well, depended on it, and found himself opening up without realizing it. Scenes from the past flooded his mind, making his eyes sting and his nose burn.
Pei Siyue understood the situation at a glance from his expression.
A moment later, Ruan Shuyang heard Pei Siyue command him in a stern tone: “Move out of the Ruan residence.”