Chapter 26

Ruan Shuyang murmured, “But where can I go?”

　　T University hadn’t started yet, and he couldn’t find anywhere else to stay.

He felt utterly useless, still unable to find a job that paid.

Pei Siyue reached out and gently stroked Ruan Shuyang’s cheek, his voice low as he asked, “Why don’t you live with me?”

　　Ruan Shuyang stared at Pei Siyue with utter surprise, clearly having never considered this option before.

Suddenly faced with this proposal, Ruan Shuyang couldn’t process it fully, his expression blank with confusion.

Pei Siyue didn’t press him, simply saying, “Come back with me first.”

　　The Wind Son drove out of the parking lot, heading toward Lan’an Yuting.

Ruan Shuyang was lost in thought, contemplating what lay ahead. By the time he snapped back to reality, the car had already pulled up and parked at Pei Siyue’s residence.

He wasn’t very adept at opening the Wind Son’s rotor door. Pei Siyue opened it for him and then helped him unbuckle his seatbelt.

　　Ruan Shuyang stepped out alongside Pei Siyue. He gazed at the familiar white villa before them and followed Pei Siyue inside.

Once inside, Pei Siyue switched on the lights and turned to Ruan Shuyang. ” After Ruan Qi wakes up, Jiang Wu will take him to the hospital for tests and arrange for him to stay a few days. You don’t need to worry about Ruan Qi during this time. Take it easy, think things through, and then decide.”

Ruan Shuyang stood at the villa entrance, replying somewhat stiffly, “Thank you.”

　　Pei Siyue led him upstairs to the guest room where he had stayed once before.

“You’ll stay here tonight. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Alright.” Ruan Shuyang replied with his head bowed. “I don’t need anything.”

　　Pei Siyue merely nodded and turned to go downstairs.

Ruan Shuyang stood in the familiar guest room, feeling somewhat lost and at a loss. Yet, surrounded by Pei Siyue’s pheromones, he instinctively felt a sense of security.

A moment later, Pei Siyue came back upstairs, bringing him a cup of hot milk and placing it on the bedside table. He then left again to fetch a set of clothes for him.

　　“The clothes Ji Huai helped prepare last time. No one’s worn them.”

Ruan Shuyang touched the fabric curiously. “Is this AETHOS too?”

Pei Siyue nodded. “Yes.”

　　Recalling the story about AETHOS, Ruan Shuyang couldn’t help but smile.

This was his first smile since witnessing Ruan Qi’s incident earlier that night.

Though the AETHOS brand had caused him some trouble, the outcome had ultimately been positive.

He addressed Pei Siyue with unusual earnestness: “Thank you.”

　　Pei Siyue ruffled his hair, said nothing more, and turned to leave, giving Ruan Shuyang space.

Ruan Shuyang sat alone on the bed, feeling lost about the future.

Moving out of the Ruan household was something he’d always wanted to do, yet various reasons had prevented it.

Before, he was underage, had no other relatives, and no money.

　　Now he was an adult, still without money, and nowhere else to go.

Pei Siyue had invited him to move out and live together.

Could he really do that?

But he couldn’t even afford rent, let alone living expenses. Would he starve?

Ruan Shuyang agonized over the thought.

　　He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, then decided to take a shower and get ready for bed.

　　Staying at Pei Siyue’s place felt reassuring, and he found himself growing inexplicably willful—as if someone would bail him out no matter what reckless thing he did.

He slipped into his pajamas and lay down under the guest room quilt. At first, he thought he’d ponder what to do next, but soon he drifted off.

　　He dreamt of things from the past.

When he was little, Ruan Qi snatched his textbooks. Holding his books and backpack high above his head, Ruan Qi forced him to kneel, threatening to tear the textbooks to shreds and throw away the backpack if he didn’t comply.

　　Fearing Ruan Qiyi would actually tear them apart, Ruan Shuyang had no choice but to slowly kneel down, crying and begging Ruan Qiyi.

The next moment, the dream shifted. He was a bit older, taken by Pan Lan to a golf course to accompany Ruan Qiyi playing golf.

　　Ruan Qi maliciously hit golf balls at Ruan Shuyang, laughing at his pain-induced tears. He then deliberately tossed balls far away, forcing Ruan Shuyang to run and retrieve them—scolding him for being too slow.

Next, at the horse ranch, Ruan Qi forced him onto a tall horse’s back, intentionally whipping both the horse’s flank and Ruan Shuyang’s leg with a soft whip.

　　The startled horse bolted; without the stablehands’ intervention, he might have broken his neck….

In the dream’s final scene, Ruan Qi was kicked to the ground by Chi Ye. Pei Siyue stomped off both of Ruan Qi’s arms, causing him to scream in agony.

　　Pei Siyue walked over, embraced him, and reassured him it was all over….

When he awoke again, daylight flooded the room.

Ruan Shuyang sat up in bed clutching his quilt, a look of bewilderment on his face.

　　Last night, he seemed to have dreamt—dreamt that Ruan Qi bullied him, then Chi Ye and Pei Siyue avenged him, with Pei Siyue holding him and comforting him…

The beginning of the dream felt oppressive. Ruan Shuyang didn’t want to recall those nightmare-like moments, but the dream’s conclusion seemed to turn sweet and reassuring.

　　Pei Siyue’s embrace always made him feel exceptionally safe, as if all his troubles vanished the moment he was held.

He was growing increasingly dependent on Pei Siyue, Ruan Shuyang thought. Was this an omega’s instinctive reliance on the one who marked him?

　　He sat on the bed for a moment before getting up to wash up. Changing into the clothes Pei Siyue had given him last night, he opened the bedroom door.

He spotted Pei Siyue drinking coffee in the first-floor living room. Upon seeing him come downstairs, Pei Siyue set down his coffee cup and said, “Let’s have breakfast.”

　　Ruan Shuyang followed him to the dining room, where tuna sandwiches, yogurt, and fruit were laid out on the table.

He sat down and took a bite of the sandwich. The bread was toasted to crisp perfection, and the tuna filling was delicious.

He took a sip of water and asked Pei Siyue curiously, “Where did you get these sandwiches? They’re really good.”

　　Pei Siyue only looked at him, saying nothing.

Then he realized something, growing even more surprised.

“You… made them?”

Pei Siyue nodded.

Ruan Shuyang’s face flushed instantly. He stammered, “Th-thank you.”

　　He was staying at Pei Siyue’s place, and it should have been him cooking for the other person. Yet, the moment he woke up, breakfast was already prepared, waiting for him to eat together.

He shouldn’t have slept in…

But he hadn’t really slept in much either. He’d gotten up around eight in the morning. Pei Siyue really did get up so early. It felt like pressure.

　　“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, hanging his head. “I should’ve gotten up early to make breakfast for you.”

“No need to apologize,” Pei Siyue replied first, then asked Ruan Shuyang, “What time do you usually get up in the morning?”

“When I was in school, it was around six in the morning. When I’m not in school, it depends on whether I make breakfast or not.”

　　If Pan Lan insisted he make breakfast, he still had to get up around six. If he didn’t make breakfast, he could sleep until after seven. If he was lucky and no one disturbed him, he could sleep until after eight.

　　Just like now.

Pei Siyue watched Ruan Shuyang eat breakfast quietly. His mouth was small, taking only tiny bites of the sandwich at a time. His eating manner was dainty, occasionally wrinkling his brow childishly when he bit into a large piece of green vegetable.

Ruan Shuyang had only just turned eighteen this year. He really was still a child.

　　He calmly informed the other, “From now on, you’ll live here. Sleep in as late as you want.”

Ruan Shuyang still felt awkward about the possibility of living with Pei Siyue and hastily changed the subject. “So what time do you get up every morning?”

　　Seeing Ruan Shuyang blush at the mention of cohabitation, Pei Siyue felt a mischievous urge. He deliberately asked, “Why didn’t you call me?”

Ruan Shuyang hadn’t processed the question. “Call you?”

Pei Siyue prompted, “What did you call me last night?”

　　Ruan Shuyang’s face flushed instantly, a sunset-like blush spreading across his cheeks as he recalled last night’s words.

He’d spoken impulsively then, and hadn’t dared to think about it afterward. Now, sitting face-to-face with Pei Siyue over breakfast, he genuinely couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.

　　But wasn’t it impolite and disrespectful to others to never use formal titles?

He didn’t want to disrespect Pei Siyue. After a moment’s internal struggle, he gathered his courage and stammered out: “Brother… big brother.”

Pei Siyue’s eyes darkened slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

　　If Ruan Shuyang lived with him and obediently called him “Brother” every day, he couldn’t guarantee how long he’d last.

Ruan Shuyang felt Pei Siyue’s expression grow peculiar after he spoke—deeper, yet not coldly so. It didn’t feel frightening; instead, it made him feel as if he were being held fast by the other’s gaze.

　　Uncomfortable, he turned his head and whispered, “Did I call you wrong?”

Why else would Pei Siyue’s gaze be so strange?

“No,” Pei Siyue replied immediately. “You called me perfectly. Very obedient.”

Ruan Shuyang puffed out his cheeks. He was an adult now, yet whenever he was in front of Pei Siyue, he always felt like a child again.

　　“I wake up at 5:30 every morning,” Pei Siyue continued from earlier. “I should probably make breakfast.”

5:30?

Ruan Shuyang couldn’t believe it. How could anyone get up that early? He rarely woke up at 5:30 even during his school days.

“Aren’t you tired getting up so early?” he asked curiously.

　　Pei Siyue shook his head. “Enigmas possess far greater stamina and vitality than ordinary humans. I’ve always risen at this hour.”

But this came at a price.

Pheromones granted Enigmas their position at the apex of the pyramid—exceptional intellect, physical strength, and endurance. Their bodies brimmed with an extraordinary abundance of pheromones.

　　Consequently, if their emotions fluctuate too wildly, or if pheromones accumulate within their bodies triggering a vulnerable period or pheromone-induced chaos, it becomes far more difficult to manage and far more dangerous than an Alpha’s vulnerable period.

Pei Siyue had always maintained excellent control, never experiencing any issues related to his pheromones.

　“That’s impressive.”

Ruan Shuyang admired Pei Siyue. “I couldn’t get up that early.”

Getting up at 5:30 a.m. was truly beyond him. He probably wouldn’t be able to help Pei Siyue prepare breakfast anymore.

Pei Siyue told him, “You don’t need to get up that early. You’re still growing—you should sleep in a bit longer.”

　　Ruan Shuyang wanted to point out he was past the age of physical growth, but then remembered his secondary growth glands and reproductive cavity—it seemed he really was still growing.

Breakfast ended quickly. Pei Siyue had to go to work and told Ruan Shuyang, “I’ll have Ji Huai come keep you company. He can drive. Just tell him where you want to go.”

　　Ruan Shuyang obediently replied, “Okay.”

After Pei Siyue left, Ji Huai arrived promptly. After asking Ruan Shuyang and learning he had no immediate plans to go out, he went into the kitchen to prepare delicious snacks for him.

**

　　Ruan Qi had passed out and slept until past seven the next morning. Upon waking, every part of his body ached, especially his shoulders—they burned fiercely. He suspected both shoulders were ruined, but when he tried moving them, they still had some range of motion.

He sat up in bed, unsure of his location, and called out loudly.

　　The attendant stationed at the door heard his call and immediately knocked before entering. “Mr. Ruan, how are you feeling?” he asked.

“Everything hurts!” Ruan Qi shouted angrily. “This is assault and abuse! Call my parents! I’m calling the police!”

The attendant replied without changing his expression: “Please wait a moment, Mr. Ruan. I’ll go get someone.”

After a while, Su Yan, Chi Heng’s secretary, entered the room with Jiang Wu.

Since Chi Ye was also involved in the assault, Chi Heng hadn’t entirely dumped the matter on Pei Siyue to handle. He had left a secretary behind to assist.

　　After entering, Su Yan asked with a formulaic smile: “Mr. Ruan, how are you feeling now?”

“Terrible!” Ruan Qi shouted. “I want to see my parents. I want to call the police.”

　　“You may call the police,” Jiang Wu stated politely from beside Su Yan. “It is every citizen’s right. However, if you do so, the police will retrieve all surveillance footage from the premises. They will also hear about the abuse of Omegas you mentioned earlier—the bullying that occurs within the school. We cannot guarantee how that information will be handled.”

　　Though arrogant, hot-tempered, and self-important, Ruan Qi wasn’t stupid. He immediately grasped Jiang Wu’s implied warning.

As a socially vulnerable group, omegas enjoyed extensive government protections, particularly against alpha bullying.

　　While proving psychological abuse and control proved difficult, any Alpha found physically assaulting or torturing an Omega would be immediately arrested and detained, facing criminal charges based on the severity of the offense.

Ruan Qi’s arrogance diminished slightly, yet he stubbornly insisted, “I was just speaking off the cuff. You won’t find any evidence.”

　　Jiang Wu didn’t engage on whether evidence could be found, simply stating, “Shall we settle this privately? We can arrange for Mr. Ruan to be admitted to the hospital immediately for a comprehensive physical examination. Any issues found will be treated promptly, and even if nothing is wrong, he can rest in the hospital for a few days. How does that sound?”

　　Unconsciously led by Jiang Wu’s suggestion, Ruan Qi found this acceptable. Yet he still replied in a nitpicking tone: “I want the best hospital. Give me the full battery of tests—the more comprehensive, the better.”

Jiang Wu’s smile deepened as he assured him: “Rest assured, we’ll conduct a full examination.”

　　Su Yan: “Mr. Ruan, we’ll arrange for you to undergo examinations at the main hospital of Ruiji Technology’s Ruiji Medical Group. We’ll also notify your parents. Please rest assured.”

Though Ruan Qi had never visited Ruiji Hospital, he’d heard its praises—excellent environment, top-notch service, and highly skilled doctors. Its only drawback was the high cost.

　　At this moment, Ruan Qi felt the higher the fees, the better—he could fleece them thoroughly.

But Ruan Qi hadn’t yet grasped what a comprehensive medical examination truly entailed.

When Ruan Qi arrived at the hospital, Ruan Jianchuan and Pan Lan rushed over.

　　Ruan Jianchuan immediately asked what had happened. Hearing that Ruan Qi had been beaten up, he found it odd that Ruan Qi would provoke trouble, but also saw this as a golden opportunity—perhaps they could settle this privately and extort some money.

　　However, upon learning that surveillance footage captured Ruan Qi confessing to abusing an omega and being implicated in school bullying, he abandoned the extortion idea. Instead, he turned on Ruan Qi, berating him for being useless, speaking without restraint, and being utterly foolish.

Pan Lan, however, felt heartbroken for Ruan Qi and demanded immediate arrangements for a physical examination—the more comprehensive, the better.

　　The doctor at Ruiji Hospital handed over the physical examination form. Pan Lan saw the items listed were exceptionally detailed—bronchoscopy, endoscopy and colonoscopy without anesthesia, urodynamic testing, lumbar puncture, digital rectal exam, and sigmoidoscopy, among others. Finding it very thorough, she had Ruan Qi sign it.

　　Ruan Qi also found the list thorough and signed it.

　　The nurse first wheeled him to draw blood, taking not only venous blood but also arterial blood.

For the arterial blood, an extremely fine needle was inserted into an artery. Ruan Qi turned pale with pain and struggled desperately, held down by two burly male beta nurses behind him.

　　One of the male nurses held him down while explaining, “Mr. Ruan, we’re drawing arterial blood now. You absolutely must not move. If you move and the needle tears the artery, you might need surgery to suture it and stop the bleeding.”

　　The warning sent a chill through Ruan Qi, and he instantly froze, daring not to move.

After the agonizing blood draw finally concluded, he thought he’d endured the worst only to be wheeled in for a urodynamic study.

The name offered no clue about the procedure. Ruan Qi assumed it was just a simple urine test, but upon entering the room, he realized it was far more terrifying than having his shoulder dislocated.

　　Upon entering, a male nurse immediately stripped him of all his lower-body clothing. As he lay on the hospital bed, the doctor walked over, glanced at him, and remarked that his upper garments were too tight, instructing him to remove those as well.

Thus, Ruan Qi lay stripped naked on the hospital bed, clad only in a pair of black socks at his feet, looking utterly bizarre.

　　Next, all his limbs except his ankles were bound. Shocked and furious, he demanded, “What are you doing?”

The doctor explained calmly, “We’re restraining you to prevent struggling during the procedure.”

Ruan Qi: ???

　　What the hell? It’s just an exam—why would he struggle?

But later he’d learn he was just too young, completely unaware that hospital exams were like eating a person whole, leaving no bones behind—pain so intense it made you unable to cry.

The doctor quickly wheeled in an IV stand holding two bags and informed Ruan Qi it was saline solution.

　　Next, the male doctor donned disposable medical gloves, sterilized his hands, then disinfected Ruan Qi. He opened several packages containing a bunch of tubes of various sizes. Picking up a flexible tube about five millimeters thick and over a meter long, he swiftly lifted Ruan Qi’s front and inserted it.

　　A piercing scream instantly filled the examination room.

Pan Lan, listening outside, felt her heart wrench. She grabbed the accompanying nurse and demanded, “What’s going on? Why is my son screaming so relentlessly?”

The nurse explained, “It’s true that some patients may not tolerate this procedure well and react strongly. If you’re concerned, you can go in and see.”

　　Pan Lan was naturally uneasy. She immediately pushed open the door and entered. Inside, she saw Ruan Qi tightly restrained, tubes inserted both front and back. The rear tube was a full five centimeters thick. Her vision darkened, and she nearly fainted.

　　A nurse nearby steadied Pan Lan and pointed to the wall display, saying, “Mrs. Pan, please review the explanation for this procedure.”

Pan Lan finally pulled herself together from the sight of Ruan Qi’s distress and looked at the wall display. Seeing it only deepened her despair, for she realized the doctors were following standard protocol—this was how the procedure was conducted.

　　The male doctor held Ruan Qi firmly, using the front tube to search for the correct position. It took over two minutes of probing before he found it, then proceeded to insert the tube, over a meter long.

At this point, Ruan Qi felt fainting would be a blessing, but the pain was so intense he couldn’t lose consciousness.

　　For a full hour, he endured relentless torment from the tubes front and back. The doctor monitored the instrument readings while directing Ruan Qi’s movements. Finally, two large bottles of saline solution were infused into his bladder, and he was ordered to urinate to test the flow.

　　God only knew how humiliating it was to urinate for five minutes with that five-millimeter-thick tube inside him—five minutes of uncontrollable, utterly undignified urination, five minutes of inhuman torment.

　　After this procedure concluded, the doctors removed both tubes. The extraction sent Ruan Qi shuddering in pain. He was wheeled out, his face contorted in agony, eyes rolled back, screaming incessantly. He refused to undergo any further examinations.

　　The doctor approached with a troubled expression, suggesting they could skip it but only if they signed a liability waiver—the patient voluntarily waiving the physical examination, with the hospital bearing no responsibility for any subsequent issues.

Upon hearing this, Pan Lan refused. She feared that if any part of Ruan Qi’s body went undetected, it could lead to problems. She insisted he undergo the remaining tests.

　　Thus, Ruan Qi underwent a bronchoscopy, an endoscopy and colonoscopy without anesthesia, a lumbar puncture, a digital rectal exam, and a rectoscopy. By the time the lumbar puncture to extract cerebrospinal fluid was finally completed, he was barely breathing.

　　After finally enduring the ordeal, Ruan Qi desperately wanted to escape the hospital—this place that devoured people whole—only to be told he must lie flat for at least six to eight hours post-lumbar puncture.

　　Pan Lan, who had only Ruan Qi as her son, was exceptionally protective. Hearing the doctor’s instructions, she immediately refused to let him leave the hospital.

Ruan Qi felt utterly miserable all over. After enduring this battery of hospital tests, he felt even worse—even the beating from last night seemed trivial in comparison. The hospital truly made one feel like crying but couldn’t.

　　He asked why they couldn’t perform the endoscopy and colonoscopy under general anesthesia. The doctor rattled off a bunch of technical terms about poor anesthetic response, leaving him completely baffled. Pan Lan, fearing complications, had insisted against general anesthesia. Now he was in excruciating pain all over, unable to vent his anger. After the lumbar puncture, he had to lie flat and stay calm—any sudden surge of blood pressure was strictly forbidden.

　　Additionally, since they drew arterial blood, he couldn’t shower for 24 hours. He had to endure another day wearing the same clothes and bearing the same filthy body from last night when someone had pinned him down and rubbed him against the floor.

　Ruan Qi was in pain and frustrated, cursing the hospital for being a place that devours people whole.

But even if the police came, they wouldn’t get involved—it was all medical examinations, and he’d signed the consent forms himself.

　　He could only blame himself for not understanding these procedures.

The hospital staff, however, were exceptionally accommodating. They arranged for a nurse to massage him and provided various snacks. Even Pan Lan now felt the hospital’s examinations were thorough and attentive.

Ruan Qi had never endured such humiliation. He nearly rolled his eyes and fainted from anger.

　　**

Around ten in the morning, Ruan Shuyang sat in the sunlit restaurant eating the snacks Ji Huai had prepared for him when he received a message from Chi Ye. Chi Ye asked how he was doing, whether Ruan Qi was giving him any more trouble, and invited him to lunch.

　　Recalling how Chi Ye had beaten up Ruan Qi yesterday to vent his anger, Ruan Shuyang felt deeply touched and accepted the invitation.

After agreeing, he told Ji Huai he’d be going out for lunch with a friend. When Ji Huai asked who the friend was, Ruan Shuyang replied it was an acquaintance from university named Chi Ye.

　　Thus, Pei Siyue received the news that Ruan Shuyang would be dining with Chi Ye at noon.

Pei Siyue’s fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop.

Chi Ye—the younger brother of Chi Heng.

An impulsive youngster who acted without regard for the bigger picture.