Ruan Shuyang sensed something different in Pei Siyue’s tone, but before he could press further, his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat and he nearly dropped the phone.
It was Ruan Jianchuan calling him.
It had been ages since the man had last called. Why now? Why when Ruan Qi was hospitalized and he hadn’t gone home all day?
Yet Ruan Jianchuan had never cared or called when he hadn’t returned the day before.
Pei Siyue noticed his troubled expression and immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
Ruan Shuyang’s face was deathly pale as he forced a smile. “Nothing.”
Pei Siyue saw the caller ID on his phone. His eyes darkened, his tone flat. “If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.”
Ruan Shuyang still lowered his head and answered the call.
He didn’t deliberately stand up to avoid Pei Siyue, because the other seemed to know everything.
He knew his desperation, witnessed his shame at home, had seen him at his most pitiful—yet still told him it was fine, that he needn’t hold back.
The phone connected to Ruan Jianchuan’s stern voice: “Where have you been? Why haven’t you come home? Do you know your brother’s in the hospital? You didn’t even visit today.”
Ruan Shuyang’s hands unconsciously clenched his clothes as he stammered, “I had some things to take care of outside…”
“Come home immediately,” Ruan Jianchuan ordered impatiently. “I need to ask you something.”
Ruan Shuyang lowered his eyelids. “Okay.”
The call ended abruptly. Ruan Shuyang looked at Pei Siyue, words on the tip of his tongue.
Pei Siyue asked coldly, “You’re going home?”
Ruan Shuyang hesitated, then slowly nodded.
“They don’t treat you well, do they?” Pei Siyue met his gaze. “Then why go back?”
At this question, Ruan Shuyang’s expression shifted from hesitation to resolve. “There are some very important things I need to retrieve. If I don’t go back, I fear they’ll search and destroy them.”
Pei Siyue offered, “I can have someone retrieve them for you.”
Ruan Shuyang shook his head.
This was his own business; he couldn’t trouble others.
“It’s fine. I… can manage.” He took a deep breath and gathered his courage to ask Pei Siyue, “Will you be attending the birthday banquet on Saturday?”
Pei Siyue nodded.
“Then… I’ll find you there.”
Pei Siyue ruffled Ruan Shuyang’s hair, ultimately choosing to respect his decision.
After dinner, Ruan Shuyang declined Pei Siyue’s offer to drive him home. He returned alone, fearing that if Pei Siyue’s car pulled up outside the Ruan residence, Ruan Jianchuan might spot it and suspect something.
He’d thought carefully about returning to the Ruan residence. At the very least, he could stay safely until Saturday, when he’d attend Pei Yan’s birthday banquet. Before then, Ruan Jianchuan wouldn’t make any moves.
Pan Lan and Ruan Qi were both in the hospital and wouldn’t be back before Saturday, so he didn’t need to worry about them.
Therefore, returning posed no danger.
Once Saturday arrived, he would go to the Pei residence to find Pei Siyue.
Though it would inconvenience the other party, there was no better solution. He hoped he could afford the rent and utilities, cover his living expenses, and eventually find a way to repay the favor.
He just didn’t know what position Pei Siyue had mentioned…
He used to dread when Ruan Jianchuan sought him out for discussions, but now his mind wandered elsewhere, and the fear had faded.
Perhaps he truly was leaving the Ruan household.
When he returned, Ruan Jianchuan stood in the living room making a call, his expression and tone uncharacteristically submissive. The call ended abruptly.
After the call ended, Ruan Jianchuan visibly grew irritated. Spotting Ruan Shuyang, he snapped, “Where the hell have you been? Why aren’t you home?!”
Ruan Shuyang quietly lowered his head, taking the scolding without reply.
After a few more curses, Ruan Jianchuan finally demanded, “What exactly is your relationship with the second young master of the Chi family?”
“The second young master of the Chi family?” Ruan Shuyang lifted her head again, looking at Ruan Jianchuan with confusion. “Big Brother took me to the second young master’s birthday banquet yesterday. I only learned there that he attends T University. He’s a senior at my future school, but I don’t know him personally.”
“You don’t know him?” Ruan Jianchuan narrowed his eyes slightly, sneering coldly. “Do you think I’m so easily fooled? If you don’t know him, how could he have helped beat up Ruan Qi?!”
Ruan Shuyang shook his head frantically. “I truly don’t know him. I have no idea why my brother got beaten up.”
Ruan Jianchuan fixed his gaze on his expression, suddenly asking, “What about the eldest son of the Pei family? What’s your relationship with Pei Siyue?”
Ruan Shuyang’s heart skipped a beat, nearly losing his composure.
“I don’t know him.” Ruan Shuyang shook his head, repeating the same line. “I only saw him once when I went to the Pei residence with Pei Siming. I don’t know him personally and never spoke to him.”
Ruan Jianchuan strode directly in front of Ruan Shuyang, yanking him up by the collar.
The past few days had left him utterly exhausted over the tens of millions in losses. He hadn’t eaten or slept properly, his face already gaunt and haggard. Bloodshot veins flashed in his eyes, making him look utterly bedraggled. When he glared, his eyes bulged, rendering him particularly terrifying.
“You think I’m so easy to fool? So easy to deceive? You think you can brush me off with a simple ‘I don’t know him’?”
“No.” Ruan Shuyang felt slightly breathless and reminded Ruan Jianchuan, “I still have to attend the Pei family’s birthday banquet on Saturday…”
Ruan Jianchuan did remember the Pei family banquet. After holding him for a moment, he tossed Ruan Shuyang to the ground and stared at him coldly.
“I know you’re disobedient, hiding things from me.” Ruan Jianchuan looked down at Ruan Shuyang sprawled on the floor. “But it doesn’t matter. You’re my son. You can’t escape my grasp. If you don’t bring back a satisfactory result by Saturday, I’ll put that whip I haven’t used in ages back to work.”
At the mention of the whip, Ruan Shuyang’s expression instantly twisted with terror. His entire body trembled as if he’d glimpsed his worst nightmare.
Ruan Jianchuan was thoroughly satisfied with the effect of his threat. “Get upstairs,” he snapped impatiently. “Get out of my sight down here.”
Ruan Shuyang struggled to his feet, clutching the banister as he fought the sensation of his legs giving way, climbing the stairs inch by inch.
Ruan Jianchuan had whipped him. Twice.
It all happened after Yu Xianbo passed away.
Yu Xianbo was an orphan with no maternal relatives, so after his death, Ruan Shuyang had no other family left—only the Ruan family remained.
At that time, he was just a teenager, bullied by Ruan Qi, tormented by Pan Lan, and berated by Ruan Jianchuan.
He couldn’t bear it and called the police. After arriving, the officers gave him a stern lecture before leaving.
Then Ruan Jianchuan whipped him with a whip.
Only then did he realize calling the police was useless—at best, they’d come and lecture him. He saw that while they would take the abusive parent away, custody would inevitably fall to…
Pan Lan.
Because Pan Lan was his legal mother—he had no other blood relatives.
He would still be abused, but in ways more insidious and invisible: relentless emotional cruelty and neglect.
He learned to tread carefully.
The whippings from Ruan Jianchuan were nightmares he dared not revisit. He had no doubt that if Zhou Xiao failed to deliver the results Ruan Jianchuan demanded this Saturday, he would be whipped.
Or sent to sleep with someone else.
He couldn’t stay in the Ruan household any longer. Once Zhou Xiao left, he wouldn’t return.
He had returned today solely to retrieve the evidence he had gathered—
evidence of the Ruan family’s abuse against him and Yu Xianbo.
Though he held some proof, the entire sky seemed to dim, leaving him uncertain how to seek justice for himself and Yu Xianbo.
Once, this seemed an endless struggle. Even after entering university, he’d have to scramble to build a life away from the Ruan household, with no idea when the evidence in his hands might see the light of day.
But now, suddenly, it felt within reach.
He opened his bedroom door and stepped inside, discovering a new evening gown laid out on his bed. He had no idea who had placed it there, nor what purpose it served.
That night, after Ruan Jianchuan fell asleep, he carefully climbed up to the attic. He pried out the nails securing the wooden floorboards and retrieved the document bag hidden deep within the space beneath.
Pei Siyue arrived home, placed the phone he’d bought but hadn’t yet delivered in the guest room where Ruan Shuyang had stayed, then returned to his own bedroom to send a message: How’s it going after getting home?
Ruan Shuyang: Fine. I’m back in my room now. Just going over some design materials before bed.
He didn’t tell Pei Siyue about the incidents that had occurred—they were resolved anyway.
He felt Pei Siyue had already helped him immensely and truly didn’t want to trouble him further, fearing Pei Siyue might eventually find him too much of a burden.
He read design books for a while longer before washing up and going to bed when it was time.
The next morning, the Ruan residence was deserted when he woke up. The housekeeper was nowhere to be found, Pan Lan and her son were still at the hospital, and Ruan Jianchuan had left early with his driver.
He felt incredibly happy—a rare sense of ease and freedom in the Ruan household.
After breakfast, he took the subway to Ruiji Technology.
Ruiji Technology’s industrial park was located in the newly emerging tech district to the north, not too far from the city center, with convenient transportation all around.
When he arrived, he checked the map and saw that this area was also quite close to Pei Siyue’s residence at Lan’an Yuting.
He arrived at the company lobby at 9:50. After hearing his name, the receptionist asked him to wait briefly. Jiang Wu soon came down to meet him and escorted him upstairs.
Jiang Wu, a tall Alpha with a gentle smile, led him to the 30th-floor meeting room and asked him to wait. He then brought tea, snacks, and juice.
“Mr. Pei will arrive at the company at 11:30,” Jiang Wu informed him with a smile. “He’s currently handling business matters at Pei Group’s Hanfeng Group.”
Running between two places in one day?
Ruan Shuyang couldn’t help but exclaim, “That’s incredibly busy.”
“It is very busy.”
Jiang Wu also felt that Pei Siyue was perpetually busy—arriving at the office before 7 a.m. to handle affairs, shuttling between the two groups, and now carving out time for drug development in the lab. It was a relentless pace.
That’s why he’d been so surprised yesterday when he saw Pei Siyue leave work at 5 p.m.
Jiang Wu picked up where Ruan Shuyang left off: “President Pei is extremely busy, which makes your role both crucial and incredibly challenging.”
Ruan Shuyang looked utterly bewildered. As a high school graduate with zero work experience, how could his job be considered crucial and challenging?
“What kind of work is it?”
“Reminding him to eat three meals a day, delivering urgent documents that bypass formal channels, and doubling as a personal assistant.”
Ruan Shuyang thought this sounded manageable—just meal reminders and document delivery.
“Well… that doesn’t sound too hard?” he hesitated. “Just meal reminders, document delivery, and personal assistant duties.”
Jiang Wu gave a wry smile, unsure how to respond.
Ruan Shuyang might genuinely not grasp the immense pressure Pei Siyue carried as an enigma. Every time he and his assistant braved that pressure to remind him to eat, they felt their hearts in their throats.
Delivering urgent documents was even tougher.
When Pei Siyue was working or handling matters, he disliked interruptions. Though he wouldn’t scold them coldly during emergencies, they could always sense the immense pressure radiating from an enigma.
Pei Siyue was truly an enigma with a terrible temper, an overwhelming presence, and, of course, exceptional leadership skills. Anyone who had worked closely with him in the company could feel it.
Only omegas marked by him seemed immune to this pressure.
This role suited Ruan Shuyang perfectly—indeed, only he could handle it.
Jiang Wu struggled to articulate the varying experiences of different individuals. He simply asked, “Are you willing to take this job?”
“Five hundred… oh, no, a thousand yuan a day. Is that acceptable?” ”
“If not, I’ll add more.”
When he’d reviewed the summer internship postings, five hundred a day seemed generous. But after hearing Pei Siyue describe the duties, he realized it was barely enough. Fearing Ruan Shuyang might decline, he decided to unilaterally raise it to a thousand a day, confident Pei Siyue would approve.
Or even more, if necessary. He genuinely wanted Ruan Shuyang to take this job.
Because he’d noticed that whenever Ruan Shuyang was near Pei Siyue, the latter’s oppressive aura seemed to lessen.
So omegas really could soothe their enigmas after all. Jiang Wu now believed it.
Ruan Shuyang stared blankly: “Isn’t that too much?”
With nothing to counter, he could only mumble, “I’ll think about it.”
“Alright.” Jiang Wu didn’t press further, leaving Ruan Shuyang alone in the meeting room before stepping out himself. He instructed Ruan to contact his secretary’s office if needed.
After Jiang Wu departed, Ruan Shuyang sat alone in the meeting room.
Not long after, his phone buzzed with several messages. It was Chi Ye asking how he felt about the club yesterday and if he was willing to take a summer internship there.
The choice was truly difficult. He needed to think clearly about what he truly wanted to do and where he felt more at home.
Struggling with the dilemma, he opened the contract Pei Siyue had given him yesterday and continued reading.
**
Pei Siyue was meeting with Ruan Jianchuan.
After hearing Ruan Qi’s words that night, he had someone investigate Ruan Shuyang’s life with the Pei family over the years.
The investigation before returning to China had focused primarily on the Pei family members themselves. For those merely connected by blood or marriage, only basic information had been gathered. Thus, he knew only Ruan Shuyang’s appearance and background, nothing else.
He could guess Ruan Shuyang hadn’t fared well in the Ruan household. For Pei Siming to have the audacity to hand Ruan Shuyang over to Lu Zheng must have been done with Ruan Jianchuan’s consent. To Ruan Jianchuan, Ruan Shuyang was likely nothing more than a tool for trading favors.
That’s why, upon meeting Ruan Shuyang for the second time, he had offered him assistance. He had refused.
He had assumed that while neglected and overlooked within the Ruan family, Ruan Shuyang hadn’t suffered any abuse.
But he was wrong.
From the scattered hints that night, he deduced Ruan Shuyang’s life was far worse than he’d imagined. He ordered an investigation, and the findings were horrifying.
Due to time constraints, he had only received a summary report so far. It revealed that Ruan Jianchuan had whipped Ruan Shuyang, nearly causing him to fall from his horse and become permanently disabled, while Ruan Qi had beaten Ruan Shuyang with a golf club…
After reviewing the files, Pei Siyue administered a dose of suppressant to himself.
Otherwise, he feared he might not contain the chaotic surge of his pheromones and act impulsively.
He had always maintained excellent emotional control, rarely needing suppressants. But this time, without it, he might truly do something reckless.
The suppressant gradually calmed him. Then, a secretary from the Pei side reported that Ruan Jianchuan from Ruan Jewelry had arrived at the company building, insisting on seeing Pei Siyue and mentioning Ruan Shuyang’s name.
Pei Siyue glanced at his schedule and instructed Ruan Jianchuan to come up, allocating fifteen minutes for him.
He knew what Ruan Jianchuan wanted. If the man had treated Ruan Shuyang well over the past decade, he might have been willing to grant it.
But there were no ifs.
Ruan Jianchuan was soon ushered into Pei Siyue’s office by the secretary.
In the most bustling economic hub, the tallest office tower housed an entire floor dedicated to Pei Siyue—his office, secretary’s room, and more.
The decor was understated and minimalist, lacking any ostentatious luxury. Yet the sheer scale of the office, spanning nearly half the floor with its massive floor-to-ceiling windows, still stirred envy and jealousy in Ruan Jianchuan.
Ruan Jianchuan possessed little innate business acumen—his position far exceeded his capabilities.
Only those close to him knew this truth, as did his competitors. He himself remained oblivious, still basking in the glory of Ruan Jewelry’s past decade of triumphs.
Once, Ruan Jewelry had created legendary designs that shattered sales records, with net profits soaring to unprecedented heights. During the company’s peak, Ruan Jianchuan’s foolishness and missteps went largely
Once, Ruan Jewelry had created legendary bestsellers that shattered sales records, with net profits soaring to unprecedented heights. During the company’s rapid ascent, Ruan Jianchuan’s foolishness and mistakes went largely unnoticed, cushioned by the massive net profits.
But now, with Ruan Jewelry in decline, a single misstep could prove fatal. At this juncture, Ruan Jianchuan’s errors would see him stripped of his board seat and ousted from management.
Ruan Jianchuan channeled all his intelligence into underhanded schemes—manipulating Yu Xianbo back then, exploiting Ruan Shuyang now.
He sensed something was amiss. Using money to pry information from the Pei family’s servants, he learned that the argument that day had been sparked by Ruan Shuyang—Pei Siyue and Pei Siming were fighting over her. He resolved to meet Pei Siyue face-to-face.
When Ruan Jianchuan entered Pei Siyue’s office, the latter stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows surveying his entire business empire. Hearing the sound, he turned to face Ruan Jianchuan, his gaze cold and piercing.
A chill ran through Ruan Jianchuan’s heart. He felt an instinctive fear—partly from the oppressive aura of Pei Siyue’s pheromone level, partly from the sheer force of his presence.
He couldn’t help but doubt: would such a seemingly arrogant, cold, and ruthless leader be willing to pay the price for Ruan Shuyang?
But at this point, he had no choice. He was nearly at the end of his rope.
He could still maintain his seniority in front of Pei Siming, but in Pei Siyue’s presence, it crumbled completely. The latter’s aura surpassed even that of the younger Pei Yan.
When Pei Siyue saw Ruan Jianchuan enter, he didn’t offer him a seat. He simply asked, “What is it?”
Ruan Jianchuan had intended to take control of the conversation, but upon hearing Pei Siyue’s words, his mind went blank. Unable to utter a single word, he could only respond to the question: “Mr. Pei, I… need some money.”
Pei Siyue remained silent, his gaze coldly fixed on Ruan Jianchuan.
Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Ruan decided to lay it all out: “I made a poor decision that cost Ruan Jewelry tens of millions. Now I need to find a way to cover that loss.”
“Tens of millions might be nothing to you, Mr. Pei—probably less than the price of one of your cars—but for me, it could solve an urgent crisis.”
“I know you have feelings for Ruan Shuyang. If you help me this once, I can personally arrange to dissolve my engagement with Pei Siming and have him betroth himself to you.”
Pei Siyue looked at Ruan Jianchuan with mocking disbelief, as if hearing something laughable. “If it were you, would you be willing to sacrifice so much for an omega?”
“I…” Ruan Jianchuan tried to lie, but for some reason, under Pei Siyue’s piercing gaze, not a single false word could escape him. He could only admit awkwardly, “I wouldn’t.”
Pei Siyue sneered in response, “And you think I would?”
Ruan Jianchuan hurriedly explained, “That’s because I have little to offer, but you have so much. Tens of millions are mere pocket change to you. Give me the funds to weather this crisis, and in return, you get an omega you somewhat favor. Everyone wins, don’t you think?”
Pei Siyue stared at Ruan Jianchuan, his gaze utterly devoid of warmth. After a long, lingering look, he finally spoke as if granting a favor: ” Business is business. Leave a proposal. If I find it suitable, I’ll invest.”
Ruan Jianchuan: “…”
Had he possessed a viable proposal, he would have secured a bank loan long ago. Why resort to such underhanded tactics?
He tried pleading again: “Mr. Pei…”
“Leave the proposal with my secretary,” Pei Siyue said coldly. “I’ll contact you within two days after reviewing it.”
With that, Ruan Jianchuan watched Pei Siyue walk to his desk and press something on the internal phone. Soon, a tall, muscular alpha male secretary entered and practically half-dragged him out.
He had entered Pei Corporation anxious and uncertain, only to be escorted out in disarray, leaving behind nothing but a proposal.
What kept him from despairing entirely was Pei Siyue’s promise of a response within two days.
Within those two days, he hoped Pei Siyue would keep his word.
Pei Siyue certainly kept his word, though what he thought was a lifeline might just be a death sentence.
Meeting with Ruan Jianchuan had delayed him, and by the time Pei Siyue arrived at Ruiji, it was nearly noon.
Spotting Jiang Wu waiting by the elevator doors, he asked, “Where’s Ruan Shuyang? What’s he doing? Has he had lunch?”
“He’s reviewing yesterday’s contract,” Jiang Wu replied. “I asked if he wanted to eat, but he said he’d wait for you. He only asked me to print out the contract.”
Pei Siyue strode into the conference room, leaving Jiang Wu behind.
Hearing footsteps, Ruan Shuyang turned and smiled upon seeing Pei Siyue.
Though he already knew, Pei Siyue still asked upon reaching Ruan Shuyang, “Have you had lunch?”
Ruan Shuyang shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Then let’s eat together. What would you like?”
“I understand everything.” Ruan Shuyang looked even more perplexed, glancing at Pei Siyue hesitantly. “But this contract…”
Pei Siyue asked calmly, “What is it?”
Ruan Shuyang murmured sheepishly, “Aren’t the terms a bit too generous? I only need to draw the designs—I shouldn’t be getting so much.”
The agreement stated he was solely responsible for the design, while Pei Siyue would handle all subsequent stages—prototyping, mass production, marketing, sales—investing in and assembling teams for each.
And in the end, he would receive 70% of the net profit, while Pei Siyue would only get 30%.
Wasn’t that ratio a bit too high?
As far as he knew, even renowned designers typically received around 10% of net profits. Yet here he was, merely sketching designs, and getting 70%.
“It’s not excessive,” Pei Siyue stated earnestly, his gaze fixed on him. “Only competitive products can sustain a company. The importance of design blueprints is irreplaceable.”