Without the pendants, the necklaces were close to clavicle length. He tried on three different styles.
One featured a pendant shaped like the traditional Chinese character for “nothingness” (無), encrusted with tiny diamonds.
One was a slightly thicker chain, two delicate floral branches intertwined and studded with tiny colored gemstones.
The final pendant was a massive piece of black jadeite—understated, elegant, and luxurious. The deep green jade glowed with profound beauty under sunlight.
After photographing them, he sent all three images to Pei Siyue.
Seeing his designs prototyped for the first time filled him with such excitement he couldn’t sit still in the office.
After sending the photos, he felt the urge to skip work and go out for the first time.
Though Pei Siyue had said he could go out on his own when he was away, he had never done so before, believing it was better to focus on work when at the office.
Even though he often doodled design sketches instead of working, he was still technically present in the office. This was the first time he planned to leave during work hours.
He gathered his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and as he walked past the secretary’s office, he deliberately stopped to say to Jiang Wu, who was working inside, “Secretary Jiang, I’m heading out.”
Jiang Wu paused for a moment before replying, “Alright. Would you like me to call Ji Huai to drive you?”
“No need,” Ruan Shuyang shook his head with a smile. “I’ll just take the subway.”
He still wasn’t used to inconveniencing others.
After Ruan Shuyang left, Jiang Wu immediately messaged Pei Siyue: “Mr. Pei, Ruan Shuyang has left the company.”
Pei Siyue had just finished a business meeting and was now in the car rushing to the next venue. He glanced at his messages during the ride and first saw three photos Ruan Shuyang had sent him.
In the photos, the young omega’s smile was bright and captivating, clearly radiating joy—a stark contrast to his nervous shyness during their first photo shoot.
Each necklace looked stunning on his neck.
Ruan Shuyang possessed remarkable design talent and wore these necklaces exceptionally well.
Pei Siyue extended a finger, gently tracing Ruan Shuyang’s face on the screen.
He missed him deeply.
As the bond deepened, not only would the omega grow dependent on the enigma, but the enigma would also yearn intensely for his omega.
If it weren’t for this urgent business trip—with flights only available at ungodly hours—he would have insisted on bringing Ruan Shuyang along.
But the little omega didn’t seem to miss him much, judging by Jiang Wu’s message saying Ruan Shuyang had left the company without letting Ji Huai accompany him.
Immediately after, Ruan Shuyang messaged him too, proactively saying he wanted to go out and have fun.
That meant Ruan Shuyang would definitely be able to wear that GPS-enabled barrier material necklace when he started college.
And next week, classes would begin.
**
Ruan Shuyang took the subway to the downtown commercial district, wanting to check out new collections from other jewelry brands, as well as store designs and renovations.
He hadn’t walked far in the commercial district before spotting the Ruan Jewelry boutique.
Even in the busiest shopping area, the store was sparsely populated, with one or two salespeople idling.
Out of sight from customers, the staff exchanged wry smiles.
Over the past year or two, Ruan’s Jewelry’s performance had steadily declined. Numerous stores had already been closed. If the group couldn’t turn things around, this store in the commercial center would likely be next.
Regardless of the power struggles among the higher-ups, most of it had little to do with the rank-and-file employees.
If Ruan’s Jewelry truly declared bankruptcy, would many employees lose their jobs?
Ruan Shuyang felt utterly lost.
He hesitated at the store entrance before stepping inside. Immediately, an enthusiastic salesperson approached him, showing no sign of disdain for his youth, and began introducing the jewelry.
Ruan Shuyang offered a stiff yet polite smile, pointing to a popular 18K gold necklace on display. “I’d like to purchase this one.”
The salesperson, rarely encountering such a straightforward customer, smiled and nodded. “Certainly.”
This was an 18K gold diamond necklace, its pendant featuring two hearts pierced by an arrow, connected together. The design was unique, elegant, and graceful.
It was a classic K-gold necklace designed by Yu Xianbo.
Unfortunately, despite being designed by Yu Xianbo, he couldn’t own it. Ruan Jianchuan and Pan Lan never gave him anything valuable, and an 18K gold necklace clearly fell into that category.
Priced at several thousand yuan, he had never been able to afford it before. Now, he finally could.
He had left Ruiji excitedly to go shopping, yet now felt inexplicably sad.
After leaving the Ruan Jewelry boutique, he walked to a nearby jewelry store, intending to browse the new season’s collection. Suddenly, he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
“Hey, you’re that one from the Ruan family, that…”
Ruan Shuyang looked up to see Yu Ling at the store entrance—a man he’d only met once—accompanied by a salesperson, both appearing ready to leave.
Though Yu Ling had sent an omega to seduce Chi Ye, Ruan harbored no personal animosity toward him. Perhaps it was because Yu Ling had bluntly stated the Ruan family’s genes were subpar.
“Here to buy jewelry?” Yu Ling raised his chin at Ruan Shuyang, his tone tinged with pride. “Well, what a coincidence. I happen to like your taste. Take my VIC card and get 50% off the labor fee.”
Ruan Shuyang found himself amused, though he shouldn’t have been. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this Yu family scion played the comic relief at gatherings.
“No, thank you,” he replied politely yet distantly. “I haven’t decided what I want to buy yet.”
“You…”
Yu Ling’s words trailed off as he suddenly noticed a sliver of silver-white metal peeking from Ruan Shuyang’s collar. The metal was stunning, shimmering as if it flowed in the sunlight.
“What material is that necklace around your neck?” Yu Ling asked immediately. “Where did you get it?”
Ruan Shuyang: “…?”
He instinctively touched the necklace around his neck—the one Pei Siyue had given him. Crafted from a special barrier material, it was both practical and unexpectedly beautiful.
Just very expensive.
After Pei Siyue told him the cost, he’d been silent for a long time, unsure if it could even sell. But one couldn’t back down from a business venture right at the start. He’d remained resolute: “I’ll do my best.”
If jewelry worth hundreds of millions could find buyers, he refused to believe a necklace priced in the millions wouldn’t sell.
He was now an omega with his own business to consider.
Having lived with the Ruan family for years, he’d absorbed their marketing tactics and strategies for jewelry. Cultivating relationships with wealthy, high-end clients was always wise— their purchases and wearing of his jewelry served as living advertisements.
The Ruan family had always invested considerable effort in nurturing client relationships over the years.
With this in mind, he took a step forward in his career, explaining to Yu Ling, “This is crafted from a special material.”
“What material?”
Yu Ling found it beautiful. If it was indeed made of this material, Wen Yusheng might like it and not send it back.
He was also troubled about what to give Wen Yusheng. Every gift he sent was returned. Whenever he had free time, he would come to the store’s VIP room to select designs. Today, he happened to have time and came, but unfortunately, he didn’t see any good designs.
He never expected to find an unexpected delight here with Ruan Shuyang.
Ruan Shuyang looked at Yu Ling, hesitating to speak.
Yu Ling still had some sense left and immediately said, “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
At the café next to the boutique, Ruan Shuyang fully revealed the necklace. The ruby, larger than a pigeon’s egg, nearly blinded Yu Ling with its brilliance.
He gasped. “Where did this necklace come from? Does your Ruan family even own such a stunning piece with a ruby this size?”
He’d crammed extensively on jewelry to buy gifts for Wen Yusheng, the second young miss of the Wen family. A ruby of such exceptional quality and size would likely cost over a hundred million yuan. Could the Ruan family really afford to give Ruan Shuyang something like this?
It wasn’t that he looked down on Ruan Shuyang; he genuinely believed the Ruan family wouldn’t be so generous as to give such an expensive item to an illegitimate child.
“It’s not from the Ruan family,” Ruan Shuyang immediately denied. “I’ve already left the Ruan family.”
“Leaving is probably for the best,” Yu Ling remarked. “Just look at Ruan Qi—it’s clear the Ruan family isn’t a good place.”
Ruan Shuyang smiled. “I plan to launch my own jewelry brand. I haven’t settled on a name yet—it’s still in the early planning stages. For now, I’m only planning to sell these necklaces made from this barrier material.”
Yu Ling was curious. “What exactly is this barrier material? Tell me more.”
Ruan Shuyang explained the material properties Pei Siyue had described to him. Yu Ling’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“There’s a material like this? I’ve never heard of it!”
Once developed, this material should have caused an immediate sensation in the market.
“It’s newly developed,” Ruan Shuyang explained. “High production costs and lengthy manufacturing cycles have delayed sales. Don’t worry about quality—the material has medical certification.”
Yu Ling remained skeptical. “Really? Show me the certification. If I verify it’s valid, I’ll buy it at any price.”
Now it was Ruan Shuyang’s turn to be skeptical. “Seriously?”
Yu Ling nodded. “Of course I’m serious. Where’s the certification?”
Ruan Shuyang showed Yu Ling images of the medical certification and patent grant.
Now completely convinced, Yu Ling immediately declared, “I’ll buy every single one you have right now.”
With such a unique and effective material, Wen Yusheng would surely never refuse.
Ruan Shuyang: “…”
He’d never imagined the shopping fervor of the wealthy could be so intense. Steeling himself, he replied, “I’m sorry, but currently there’s only this one piece. The others are still in the design and manufacturing stages.”
Yu Ling: “…”
Staring at the massive ruby on the necklace, he estimated its price might exceed all his savings combined. Resolved to borrow money from his father even if it meant shedding tears, he asked, “So, how much for this one?”
Ruan Shuyang grew increasingly hesitant to meet Yu Ling’s gaze. Lowering his head, he stammered, “Um… this one isn’t for sale.”
This necklace was originally crafted by Pei Siyue for someone very important. He was only wearing it temporarily and couldn’t sell it.
After saying that, he steeled himself to add, “Due to its special materials, we’re currently only accepting pre-orders and purchases from omegas.”
“You—”
Yu Ling raised his eyebrows, about to explode, but then remembered something and broke into a delighted smile.
Accepting only omega reservations was fine. He’d call the person over right now—Wen Yusheng wouldn’t refuse such a special necklace.
That way, he could see Wen Yusheng.
“Hold on, I’ll make a call.”
Ruan Shuyang nodded, sipping his coffee while watching Yu Ling across from him make the call.
Once the call connected, Yu Ling’s smile turned ingratiating and obsequious.
“Yusheng, don’t hang up just yet. I’ve come across a newly developed material…”
Ruan Shuyang listened as Yu Ling gently described the barrier material to the person on the other end, then assured them everything was true.
Finally, he hung up and instructed Ruan Shuyang to send over images of the medical certifications and patent grants.
After Ruan Shuyang sent them, Yu Ling quickly said, “She’ll be here in about half an hour. Wait a moment.”
With nothing else to do, Ruan Shuyang waited patiently.
While waiting, he received a message from Pei Siyue asking, “What are you doing?”
Ruan Shuyang: Doing business—trying to sell a necklace I designed.
Ruan Shuyang: Someone saw me wearing it and wants to buy it.
Ruan Shuyang: Happy enough to spin in circles.jpg
Ruan Shuyang: What about you?
Pei Siyue sent him a photo of a conference room: Just finished a meeting.
Ruan Shuyang: You work so hard, patting.
Pei Siyue: The one you’re wearing now isn’t for sale.
Pei Siyue: It’s only for you to wear.
He saw the message, thinking it was perfectly normal, yet his heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
Ruan Shuyang: I know, I won’t sell it.
Not long after, Ruan Shuyang spotted a female omega with short hair and androgynous beauty carrying Gloaming’s new season mini leather bag walk into the cafe. She approached their table and sat down.
Yu Ling beamed at her arrival: “Yu Sheng, you’re here!”
Wen Yu Sheng shot Yu Ling a glance before asking, “Where’s the item?”
Yu Ling pointed to the necklace around Ruan Shuyang’s neck: “That one.”
Wen Yusheng examined Ruan Shuyang’s necklace with curiosity and politely inquired, “May I take a closer look?”
Ruan Shuyang nodded, then felt the other person lean in, holding his necklace with one hand to inspect it.
“It is indeed made of a very unique material,” Wen Yusheng remarked as he examined it. “It’s also quite beautiful. Besides the one around your neck, are there other styles available?”
Ruan Shuyang immediately replied, “Yes.”
He pulled out three prototype necklaces from his backpack: “So far, I’ve only designed these three styles. Since the material is expensive and the production cycle is long, I plan to design and craft each one specially.”
Wen Yusheng picked up the three prototypes and smiled, “These three look much more beautiful.”
Then the other person asked keenly, “That thing you’re wearing—it wasn’t designed by you, was it?”
Ruan Shuyang didn’t deny it, just gave an embarrassed smile.
Wen Yusheng looked at Ruan Shuyang thoughtfully. “This material probably wasn’t developed by you either. Which tech company or pharmaceutical company created it?”
“It was developed by Ruiji Technology. They… well, they supply it exclusively to me.”
He didn’t hide it, knowing everyone would find out sooner or later.
Wen Yusheng studied the three necklaces intently before asking, “How much does each of these three necklaces cost?”
Ruan Shuyang considered the costs Pei Siyue had mentioned, factored in other operational expenses, and steeled himself to quote: “The plain inlay and colored gemstone versions are one million each. The black jade one is one million ten thousand, because the black jade inlay is very expensive.”
Wen Yusheng didn’t even blink upon hearing this. He simply said, “I’ll buy them all.”
Ruan Shuyang was stunned, frozen in place, unable to react for a long moment.
Wen Yusheng chuckled, waving a finger in front of his face. “What’s wrong?”
Ruan Shuyang snapped back to reality. “You’re buying all of them? These three together are very expensive. Honestly, one would be enough.”
“Money isn’t an issue for me,” Wen Yusheng replied without hesitation. “What matters is that it’s both useful and beautiful. I have a feeling this material might become scarce soon. Better to buy them all now—I can keep them for myself or give them as gifts.”
Yu Ling finally found an opening to speak and immediately chimed in, “Exactly! Money isn’t an issue. As long as Yusheng likes it.”
“But… my jewelry brand isn’t fully established yet. During this initial setup phase…”
Ruan Shuyang was also selling items for the first time, especially something this expensive, and wasn’t sure how to proceed.
Wen Yusheng thought for a moment and asked, “Can you produce physical pieces that are identical to these three prototypes? How long would it take?”
“It can be done,” Ruan Shuyang affirmed confidently. “The production time would be around two months.”
“Alright.” Wen Yusheng smiled. “I’ll wait two months then. I can pay a partial deposit now and settle the full amount once the pieces are finished, is that acceptable?”
Ruan Shuyang saw no issue with this—it was part of the plan anyway.
He agreed to Wen Yusheng’s proposal. The other party promptly requested his bank account details and promptly transferred a 1 million yuan deposit.
Seeing the extra million in his account, Ruan Shuyang felt like he was dreaming. He’d earned a million?
He asked Wen Yusheng, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off?”
Giving him so much money upfront.
Wen Yusheng shook his head and said readily, “Little brother, I trust you.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand to Ruan Shuyang. “My name is Wen Yusheng. I’m also from T University and know both Chi Ye and Gu Jin. Gu Jin mentioned you to me.”
Ruan Shuyang shook Wen Yusheng’s hand and then said earnestly, “Senior, I will definitely finish the necklace as soon as possible.”
“Give it to me as soon as it’s done,” Wen Yusheng winked at him. “I’ll wear it to promote your work.”
They exchanged contact information, and Ruan Shuyang soon left. As he departed, he noticed Yu Ling leaning close to Wen Yusheng, speaking intently. Wen Yusheng’s expression remained neutral, responding only occasionally.
Pushing open the café door, he walked along the commercial street. Suddenly, he couldn’t resist sharing the good news with Pei Siyue: All three necklace designs had been pre-ordered, with a million-yuan deposit paid upfront.
Ruan Shuyang: Feels like I’ve made a fortune. So happy!
But the pressure was immense—all his newly designed pieces had been snapped up, forcing him to start from scratch with new designs, prototypes, and sketches.
Pei Siyue seemed busy on his end, replying only after a while: Great job.
Pei Siyue: Good boy. I’ll take you out to celebrate when you get back.
Ruan Shuyang felt like he was being coaxed again. Pei Siyue’s main goal wasn’t really to praise him—he wanted to ask about the production schedule. But after thinking it over, he decided to wait until their video call tonight to bring it up.
Pei Siyue video-called him every night during his business trip, mostly asking about his daily routine. The calls were brief, occasionally extending to a few casual words.
Ruan Shuyang: All my design sketches sold out. Feeling so much pressure now, decided to rush back and sketch more.
Pei Siyue: Get back early.
Later that night, while browsing images for inspiration, Pei Siyue asked if he was busy. Upon learning he wasn’t, the video call came through almost immediately.
Around 9 PM, Pei Siyue’s background showed a hotel room. He appeared on screen in a dress shirt and slacks, his expression serene, eyes deep as the sea.
Ruan Shuyang smiled the moment he saw Pei Siyue, calling out “Brother” with a particularly sweet and joyful expression.
Pei Siyue asked, “Did you have fun out today?”
“Yes,” Ruan Shuyang admitted immediately. “But all the designs I planned got bought up. The pressure to keep designing is huge.”
Pei Siyue didn’t say things like “If you’re tired, don’t design.” He simply encouraged him: “Keep it up.”
“Oh, Brother,” Ruan Shuyang asked, “I promised that senior student I could finish it in a little over a month. Is that timeline okay?”
Pei Siyue nodded: “It’s fine. If she confirms the design drawings and samples are acceptable, I’ll have the R&D department start working on it right away.”
Relieved, Ruan Shuyang added, “Also, the senior student paid me a million yuan deposit. I’ll transfer it to you.”
“Keep this money for now,” Pei Siyue said, looking at him. “When you find gemstones you like in the future, buy them to create designs or set them.”
“Next month, the company will open a business account. Future payments can be directed there.”
Ruan Shuyang nodded. “Alright.”
After wrapping up business, he stared at Pei Siyue on the screen, unsure what to say next but reluctant to end the call.
Just as his silence lingered, Pei Siyue asked, “Did you miss me?”
His voice on the other end was cool and deep, like chilled, rich red wine—utterly intoxicating.
Ruan Shuyang flushed, unable to speak.
Pei Siyue waited patiently.
After a moment, Ruan Shuyang whispered softly, “I did.”
Very much so.
“Good boy,” Pei Siyue murmured soothingly. “I’ll be back tomorrow to be with you.”
Ruan Shuyang blushed, unable to look at the phone screen, yet his expression brimmed with anticipation.
He truly missed Pei Siyue. Had he become this dependent on him already?
Though Pei Siyue always left him pheromone extract solution when he departed, ensuring his treatment wouldn’t be interrupted, it wasn’t the same as having him there in person.
He couldn’t explain it. At first, he’d been shy about those markings, afraid to even think about them. But now, he missed them.
He missed Pei Siyue’s body heat. He missed the sensation of being marked.
It was so hard to admit.
But it felt so good.
**
The next afternoon, just past two o’clock, Pei Siyue arrived at Ruiji. Several documents were already waiting on Ruan Shuyang’s desk for him to review.
Carrying the papers, he walked around the potted plants toward Pei Siyue’s office. He saw him standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking on the phone.
He placed the documents on the desk and stood quietly waiting.
A moment later, the call ended. Pei Siyue walked to his desk, sat down, and motioned for him to join him.
Ruan Shuyang sat down in the chair beside Pei Siyue and watched as he pulled a necklace from his briefcase—the very Thorn Rose design he had originally created.
The gemstone, larger than a pigeon’s egg, still adorned it. Ruan Shuyang looked at the finished piece and said, “It’s beautiful.”
Pei Siyue gazed at him and asked, “Do you like it?”
Ruan Shuyang didn’t notice Pei Siyue’s gaze, only looking at the completed necklace and replying, “I like it very much.”
“This one is for you.”
Ruan Shuyang was utterly surprised. “But isn’t this meant for someone very important to you? Why give it to me?”
After saying this, he felt a wave of inexplicable sadness wash over him.
He knew this all along, yet now it stung anew, leaving an indescribable ache in his heart.
The person important to Pei Siyue—was it someone he loved?
But in all this time, Ruan Shuyang hadn’t seen anyone around Pei Siyue outside of work.
Pei Siyue didn’t explain. He only said, “It’s my own choice.”
Ruan Shuyang couldn’t make sense of it.
Pei Siyue quickly produced another necklace, nearly identical, and placed it before Ruan Shuyang. “This one, I plan to give to my late mother.”
Ruan Shuyang suddenly understood. “Brother, is that important person your late mother?”
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