After breakfast, Pei Siyue had to go to the office to work overtime. He asked Ruan Shuyang if he wanted to go out for the weekend, but Ruan Shuyang felt he wouldn’t enjoy himself alone. He decided to accompany Pei Siyue to the office instead, fulfilling his role as a competent personal assistant.
Though he hadn’t done anything particularly important so far—at most reminding him to eat—he hadn’t yet encountered tasks like handing over documents because Pei Siyue had been away on business for over a week, leaving him with little to do.
But that didn’t negate his earnest work ethic.
Ruan Shuyang felt he was still diligent at work every day, rarely slacking off.
After Pei Siyue worked all day, he finished one design sketch.
He had completed three sketches so far, each in a different style.
The pendants featured intricate traditional Chinese characters without text, lavishly set with black jade, or adorned with tiny colorful gemstones.
He had always been fascinated by jewelry design. In his free time, he would pore over books and research materials, though he’d never had the chance to sketch designs. Now that the opportunity finally presented itself, he immediately drew several styles he’d long envisioned.
When Pei Siyue returned to the office after clearing a week’s worth of business trip backlog, he saw Ruan Shuyang intently sketching designs. He didn’t disturb him, quietly approaching from behind to look over his shoulder.
After filling in the details of the black jade necklace design, Ruan Shuyang stretched his neck and shoulders, noticing Pei Siyue standing behind him.
Surprised, he asked, “Brother, are you done with work?”
“Mhm.” Pei Siyue murmured softly. “You’re drawing designs?”
Ruan Shuyang smiled and nodded, showing Pei Siyue the freshly drawn sketches. “Yep, I’ve done several already—all designs for necklaces using that special material.”
Pei Siyue stood beside Ruan Shuyang, lowering his gaze to watch the animated expression on Ruan Shuyang’s face as he talked about jewelry design. His bright, large eyes sparkled with dazzling enthusiasm, and his porcelain-like skin flushed with a faint blush from joy and excitement.
He gently traced his finger across that blush, more beautiful than any overglaze enamel, and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking, since this material has a long production cycle and high costs, why not design each necklace with a unique style and position them as luxury items…”
He paused mid-sentence, fearing Pei Siyue might grow impatient, but seeing the other listened patiently, he found encouragement and continued, “That way, we can set a higher selling price, increasing profits. Seeing the profit margins and potential market, others might gain motivation to invest in R&D…”
He hoped more materials like this would emerge, hoping omegas wouldn’t be forced into heat by alpha pheromones.
“Understood.” Pei Siyue lowered his gaze to study him, then posed another question: “Would you like more omegas seeking to erase their markings to have access to the newly developed post-operative medication?”
Ruan Shuyang answered without hesitation: “Of course.”
Pei Siyue’s voice was low, like a solemn promise: “You shall have your wish granted.”
Ruan Shuyang didn’t understand the implication and tilted his head, asking, “Does that mean you’ll set the drug price very low?”
But Pei Siyue shook his head, offering no further explanation. He simply said, “It’s getting late. Let’s go home.”
“Oh, okay.”
Ruan Shuyang instinctively trusted Pei Siyue. Since he’d said he’d get his wish, he believed many omegas wanting to erase their markings would be able to use the newly developed post-operative medication, greatly reducing side effects.
After arriving home, they went upstairs together. On the spiral staircase, Pei Siyue reminded Ruan Shuyang, who was about to enter his room, “Don’t stay up late watching shows tonight.”
Ruan Shuyang watched Pei Siyue standing not far from his door. The other man’s expression held a hint of lazy indifference, his tone casual as he remained at the doorway, showing no intention of entering.
Without hesitation, he walked over to Pei Siyue, tugged at the hem of his shirt, and shook it gently. Looking up at him with a sweet, delicate smile that filled his small face, he resembled a budding lily of the valley.
“Brother, I only have a few episodes left to finish the finale. Could you watch it with me tonight?”
“If you watch with me, someone will remind me of the time, and I won’t stay up too late.”
Pei Siyue sensed that Ruan Shuyang was unconsciously acting spoiled toward him.
Pei Siyue, who had never watched soap operas and had zero interest in them: “…”
He lowered his gaze at Ruan Shuyang and said, “Alright.”
But his tone carried a hint of resignation that Ruan Shuyang didn’t catch.
He’d made the promise himself. If he refused Ruan Shuyang the first time, it would be even harder later if the little omega retreated into his shell and stopped being affectionate.
So he had no choice but to agree.
Ruan Shuyang pulled Pei Siyue into his room. The space resembled the one Ji Huai had arranged, save for a faint, elusive scent of lily of the valley.
Seeing Ruan Shuyang open his laptop to watch a show, Pei Siyue stopped him. Glancing at the time, he said, “Wait a moment.”
Half an hour later, a massive curved color TV was set up in Ruan Shuyang’s room. After installing the video software, Pei Siyue gestured for Ruan Shuyang to sit down and watch together.
“Tomorrow, we’ll install a projector and home theater system in the first-floor living room,” Pei Siyue said. “If you want to watch shows or movies, you can do it downstairs. Just don’t stay up too late.”
Ruan Shuyang felt incredibly excited.
He’d already researched during his free time recently—there were so many dramas and movies he could catch up on.
The only downside was that his university semester was about to start.
For the first time, he felt summer break was too short. Back at the Ruan residence, he’d thought it dragged on endlessly, wishing classes would begin immediately.
He rubbed against Pei Siyue’s arm. “Brother, you’re so kind.”
The show began on TV, and soon Ruan Shuyang was engrossed in the plot.
As it neared the climax, the story unfolded with twists and turns, filled with misunderstandings and heartache.
Ruan Shuyang couldn’t hold back his tears for long.
Pei Siyue watched helplessly as Ruan Shuyang sobbed uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down his face. He genuinely couldn’t understand what was so sad about it.
To him, the plot was exceptionally dull, riddled with illogical twists and countless continuity errors. He couldn’t fathom why Ruan Shuyang was watching so intently, crying so uncontrollably.
All he could do was hold him close, wiping his tears as he soothed her, “Stop crying. It’s just acting.”
“But it’s so heartbreaking to watch,” Ruan Shuyang said, his eyes still wet. “Why all the misunderstandings and coincidences? Why can’t they just talk it out?”
And worst of all, the ending was tragic!
After watching the conclusion, Ruan Shuyang couldn’t shake it off. The sentimental little omega was completely immersed in the ending, wishing he could track down the director, screenwriter, and actors to reshoot a perfect ending for him.
His eyes streamed like a faucet, his grief overwhelming and uncontrollable.
By the end, though he’d finally stopped crying, his body still shook in spasms.
Pei Siyue applied eye drops for him. After watching him wash up and lie down, he fetched an ice pack for his eyes. Just as he was about to leave after telling him to sleep early, Ruan Shuyang grabbed his sleeve.
“What is it?”
“Will you stay with me?” Ruan Shuyang’s voice was thick with a nasal tone. “I’m a little scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Scared that those things will happen to me.”
Pei Siyue sat on the bedside and comforted him calmly: “It won’t. I’m not that brainless Alpha from the show, and you’re not that Omega who keeps everything bottled up inside.”
Ruan Shuyang murmured softly, “But I’m still so scared.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Pei Siyue’s voice was unwaveringly steady. “The more you think about it, the more scared you’ll get. Go to sleep.”
Pei Siyue’s fingers gently massaged Ruan Shuyang’s scalp through his soft hair, releasing more pheromones. Though Ruan Shuyang’s mind was still filled with sorrowful scenarios, he instinctively felt reassured and slowly drifted off. Even in sleep, his hand clung tightly to the hem of Pei Siyue’s shirt, utterly insecure.
Pei Siyue didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he sat on the bedside and stayed with Ruan Shuyang.
Unable to sleep late into the night, he took out his phone and messaged Jiang Wu: You’ll attend next week’s medical aid conference in Africa.
Jiang Wu: ???
Jiang Wu: Young Master, Mr. Pei, CEO Pei—can’t you just send a project manager to these meetings? Why me?
Pei Siyue: Because you made Ruan Shuyang watch those melodramas
and made the poor omega cry so hard.
Jiang Wu: .
Jiang Wu: Is sharing a hobby such a crime?
Pei Siyue: So you’re going to Africa.
Jiang Wu: …
Jiang Wu: You can’t settle personal scores!
Pei Siyue: I can, because I’m the boss.
Jiang Wu had no retort, thinking bitterly inside: Big deal, he’s the boss!
Fine, he really is formidable. His high-paying job was in Pei Siyue’s hands—life or death—so he had no choice but to obey the boss.
Being a worker is no picnic.
**
Ruan Shuyang cried herself to sleep that night, then fell into a deep slumber with an ice pack on his forehead. He didn’t wake until past nine in the morning. When he opened his eyes, Pei Siyue was already gone. He clutched a pillow, its fabric still carrying his scent.
Thinking back to how he’d clung to Pei Siyue last night, refusing to let him leave, he flushed.
He buried his face in the pillow, too embarrassed to lift his head.
How humiliating. How could he have done something like that?
He stayed buried under the pillow like an ostrich for a long while before finally getting up. When he went downstairs, sure enough, Pei Siyue was in the living room.
Besides Pei Siyue, several others were in the living room packing things—likely the home theater and projection equipment he’d mentioned yesterday.
By the time he descended, the setup was nearly complete. Pei Siyue invited him to breakfast in the dining room first.
After breakfast, the home theater system was finished. Pei Siyue urged him to check out the results.
The massive projection screen delivered stunning video and movie quality—he instantly fell in love with it.
Seeing his enthusiasm, Pei Siyue casually suggested, “If you like it so much, you can just stay home and watch all day. No need to go to work.”
Ruan Shuyang found the offer incredibly tempting. After a moment’s thought, he resisted the urge and declined.
“No way.” Ruan Shuyang frowned, his expression serious. “I still need ambition. I can’t just waste my days away.”
So he’d just watch when he got home at night. Watching all day… the thought was thrilling, but he couldn’t do it.
Still, he couldn’t resist the temptation. On Sunday, he spent the entire day at home watching movies and shows.
This time, Pei Siyue had deliberately selected some funny anime and movies suitable for teenagers. Ruan Shuyang watched happily and didn’t cry again.
The following afternoon, Chi Heng walked into the conference room at Ruiji Technology and discovered Pei Siyue was actually reading a book. He deliberately glanced at the title and found it was—
How to Support Your Teenager
After a moment of stunned silence, Chi Heng was utterly speechless. “But didn’t you want to steal him? Why raise him like a child once you got him?”
“He’s too young. Doesn’t get it yet.”
Chi Heng stared at Pei Siyue for a long moment before saying in a tone laced with astonishment, “I’m just now realizing you’re actually quite the romantic.”
Abducting someone into your home and then raising him like a child—most people couldn’t pull that off. Few possess such endurance.
Pei Siyue admitted he felt like he was becoming a saint from all the restraint lately. But what could he do? The little omega’s primary sexual characteristics were developing, and he was powerless to intervene.
“Then what’s with this book? Did you discover something while raising him?” “ Chi Heng, with his wealth of childcare experience, inquired, ”Tell me about it.”
Pei Siyue: “Sometimes he likes to stay up late. His empathy is too strong—he cries for ages while watching dramas.”
Chi Heng: “…”
“Isn’t that perfectly normal? Many omegas are emotionally rich. Besides, what teenager doesn’t pull all-nighters? I remember Chi Ye staying up all night that summer right after his college entrance exams, completely messing up his schedule. Don’t set the bar too high.”
Pei Siyue frowned: “It’s bad for his health.”
Chi Heng cut straight to the point: “Did you stay up late when you were eighteen?”
Pei Siyue: “…”
Of course he did. Back then, pulling all-nighters to meet development deadlines was routine.
“So you can’t be too controlling with Ruan Shuyang either,” Chi Heng advised earnestly. “A parental mindset won’t do. You’re raising a wife, not a child. Over-managing might just make him rebel against you.”
Pei Siyue frowned, flatly dismissing Chi Heng’s assumption: “No way. He’s well-behaved.”
Chi Heng stared expressionlessly at Pei Siyue, convinced his interference was unnecessary.
Outsiders meddling in couples’ affairs only invites trouble.
Better to focus on the matter at hand.
**
Another weekend arrived. Pei Siyue measured Ruan Shuyang’s gland diameter and reproductive cavity diameter again. After finishing, he said, “It’s grown a little.”
Ruan Shuyang asked eagerly, “How much?”
“The reproductive cavity is three millimeters, the gland is one millimeter. The gland diameter increase is negligible—one millimeter falls within the margin of error.”
Ruan Shuyang: “…”
It felt like it hadn’t grown at all.
“Take it slow, don’t rush,” Pei Siyue said. “It will develop properly eventually, and the current treatment is showing clear results.”
Ruan Shuyang was puzzled: “Clear results?”
He felt like the glands and reproductive cavity hadn’t grown at all.
“Of course it’s obvious,” Pei Siyue stated bluntly. “You already have desire now.”
Ruan Shuyang’s face visibly flushed, the color spreading across his cheeks. He panicked and couldn’t bring himself to look at Pei Siyue.
Damn it, why bring this up? Could you not mention it?
“No.” Pei Siyue regarded Ruan Shuyang calmly. “This is part of the treatment. I need to understand every change in your body, especially your thoughts about sex. It indicates the development of your primary sexual characteristics.”
Was that really the case?
Ruan Shuyang puffed out his cheeks and glared at Pei Siyue, but Pei Siyue’s expression remained unchanged as he looked back at him, showing no sign of panic or guilt.
He gradually began to wonder if he was being overly sensitive, reading too much into everything.
Doctors did ask these kinds of questions during treatment, didn’t they?
Ruan Shuyang slowly sat down, his face flushed. He avoided Pei Siyue’s gaze, trying to convince himself this was simply a doctor examining him.
“Not before. Never.”
Truthfully, he’d only ever felt an unfillable void inside his body before—no specific symptoms. He rarely thought about such things. When classmates occasionally discussed them in the past, he’d been curious about the sensation, since he’d never even touched himself and had never once considered doing so.
When Pei Siyue marked him, that was his first time. Holding Pei Siyue’s quilt that night was his second.
Thinking about it now, it seemed his primary sexual characteristics had never truly developed.
Both his first and second times were given to Pei Siyue…
It all felt strangely off.
Pei Siyue immediately understood, looking at Ruan Shuyang thoughtfully: “Was that your… first time?”
Thinking about it himself wasn’t a big deal, but hearing Pei Siyue say it out loud made him feel truly ashamed.
His face flushed crimson. He bit his lip, stood up, and tried to turn and leave, but Pei Siyue grabbed him.
Pei Siyue spoke in a calm tone: “Your previous medical report indicated malnutrition. Combined with low pheromone fluctuations, your primary sexual characteristics haven’t developed, and your body lacks desire.”
“Now that your nutrition is on track and your primary sexual characteristics are developing, you’ll encounter many such situations.”
Ruan Shuyang stopped in his tracks, still feeling embarrassed and annoyed. Why did Pei Siyue just blurt it out like that?
Pei Siyue continued explaining, “As everyone’s body matures, desires naturally arise. This is your body’s instinct—there’s no need to feel ashamed. You must learn to face and accept it.”
He bit his lip, silent for a long moment, then suddenly whispered, “Do you feel it too?”
Pei Siyue admitted frankly, “Yes.”
Ruan Shuyang felt his face flush even redder, his heart racing. He found himself inexplicably unable to ask more.
But perhaps because Pei Siyue had also admitted it, he felt less awkward. Realizing everyone experiences this, he no longer insisted on leaving and was pulled back down to sit by Pei Siyue.
Pei Siyue explained to him with the demeanor of a doctor analyzing a patient’s condition: “Every healthy, normal adult experiences it. Your primary sexual characteristics developed later, so the situation you might face could be more complex and difficult to predict.”
When he reached this point, he noticed Ruan Shuyang’s face had flushed an impossible crimson. He stopped describing further and instead said, “If you encounter anything you don’t understand or don’t know how to handle, come ask me.”
Ruan Shuyang just wanted to end this topic as soon as possible. Hearing this, he nodded frantically: “Okay.”
Whether it was because of his conversation with Pei Siyue or not, Ruan Shuyang found himself unable to sleep that Sunday night.
He tossed and turned, fidgeting with the sheets, yet found no relief. His body felt alert, and sleep eluded him.
Soft strands of hair tangled messily across his cheek. Most of his body was curled up beneath the covers, only a small head peeking out.
His pale cheeks were flushed, his expression a mix of shyness and frustration.
Something felt off.
Clearly, that time in Pei Siyue’s arms had been so natural and comfortable.
Now he felt like he didn’t even understand his own body, unsure how to proceed, the discomfort building unbearably.
He remembered classmates saying this was how it was done.
He shoved his hand back under the covers to fumble around, but the more he tried, the more chaotic it felt. He longed for those moments in Pei Siyue’s embrace, for the other person holding him.
He missed the other’s scent, their pheromones…
Ruan Shuyang withdrew his hand, wiped himself clean with tissue, and in despair peeled back the covers for a glance. Switching on the bedside lamp again, he resolved to search for some videos on his phone.
He intended to study others’ positions and movements.
But the search only deepened his despair—he couldn’t find any resources.
By the time Pei Siyue finished his overtime work, it was already past eleven at night. In the summer darkness, Ruan Shuyang’s slender figure and dazzlingly pale, supple waist involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Ruan Shuyang lived right next door.
He felt an unusual heat that night and went downstairs to the kitchen for a bottle of ice water.
Carrying the water back upstairs, he passed Ruan Shuyang’s room. Light seeped from beneath his door. He frowned and glanced at his watch.
It was already 11:30 PM.
Worried he was staying up late watching dramas until his eyes were bloodshot, he knocked and reminded him, “Go to bed early.”
Late at night, the detached villa, far from the clamor, was exceptionally quiet. Ruan Shuyang could only hear his own breathing.
He had finally followed a forum link to access the website, but before he could enter, he heard Pei Siyue knocking on the door.
The muffled knocking echoed abruptly in the quiet room. Startled, Ruan Shuyang dropped his phone from his trembling hands onto the wooden floor, where it clattered with a “thud, thud.”
Because they’d rushed to move in, only the study, basement, and master bedroom had soundproofing installed. The guest room lacked it—and now he was profoundly grateful for that oversight, for he clearly heard the sound of a heavy object crashing within Ruan Shuyang’s room.
He grew concerned. “What happened?”
After a moment, Ruan Shuyang’s panicked voice came through: “N-nothing.”
The voice sounded much hoarser than usual, hardly like nothing was wrong.
Worried he might be sick, Pei Siyue rushed to open the door without a second thought.
Ruan Shuyang had felt there was nothing to guard against here, sleeping with only the door closed but not locked. Now he deeply regretted his earlier actions.
Because Pei Siyue had entered.
As Pei Siyue came in, Ruan Shuyang had just picked up his phone. In his panic, he must have pressed the wrong spot on the screen, and the video he’d opened moments ago immediately began playing.
“Mmm…”
“Baby, does this feel good…”
Ruan Shuyang was mortified and furious. He frantically pressed the volume buttons to silence it, then turned off the screen and tossed the phone onto the bedside table.
He sat on the bed, too afraid to look at Pei Siyue’s expression, nearly burying his face in his chest. “How… how did you get in?”
Pei Siyue closed the door behind him, walked to Ruan Shuyang’s bedside, and loomed over him. His deep voice asked, “What were you doing just now?”
As Pei Siyue drew near, the familiar pheromones swirled around him, making Ruan Shuyang’s face flush even redder. He couldn’t help but recall the sensation from that time.
At first, it felt like thousands of ants crawling over his skin. Then, the sensation became so pleasurable that every pore opened, leaving him unable to move a finger.
Whether it was the memory of that moment or not, he felt a dull ache in his lower back. The sensation he had been able to endure was now becoming unbearable.
Pei Siyue glanced unobtrusively at Ruan Shuyang’s nape. There was no gland patch there.
He released a hint of pheromones to coax him: “Remember? I’m your attending physician. You can discuss any issues with me.”
Ruan Shuyang thought about it even more, uncontrollably clenching his legs together and curling his toes.
He was in agony, unable to resist lifting his head to complain softly to Pei Siyue: “Why did you come in?”
Making him feel this miserable.
Pei Siyue sat on the bedside, patiently asking, “What happened?”
Most of Ruan Shuyang’s rationality had been swallowed by his discomfort, leaving him barely coherent. He sniffed and said plaintively, “I feel so miserable.”
Pei Siyue guided him with an exceptionally gentle tone, ” Where does it hurt?”
Ruan Shuyang couldn’t bring himself to say it, only whimpering softly.
Pei Siyue thoughtfully placed his hand on the quilt. “Is it here?”