With that thought, he forgot all about his earlier plan to stay overnight at school. He immediately got up, determined to find Pei Siyue.
His closest roommate, Shen Bianyan, watched him climb out of bed and start dressing. “You’re going out?” he asked, puzzled.
“Yeah,” Ruan Shuyang replied while getting dressed. “I need to go back. Something’s come up with my brother.”
“Going back alone this late? That’s dangerous.” Shen Bianyan asked instinctively. “Did you drive today?”
He knew Ruan Shuyang owned a car. They’d ridden in it once or twice during class outings—an incredibly expensive vehicle, worth more than all his family’s fixed assets combined.
Back then, he’d marveled that his roommate was secretly the son of a wealthy family.
But Ruan Shuyang had just laughed and said he wasn’t some rich kid—his brother had given him the car.
Shen Bianyan’s jaw dropped in surprise for a moment before he managed, “Your brother is so generous. He really cares about you.”
Ruan Shuyang also felt Pei Siyue treated him exceptionally well—a sentiment that remained unchanged to this day.
But he hadn’t driven today.
Ji Huai had given him a ride to campus. They’d agreed on a pickup time, but then that incident happened. Now, at this hour, it was Ji Huai’s scheduled off-duty time, and Ruan felt awkward asking him to come back…
Wait.
Ji Huai hadn’t shown up today. It was Pei Siyue who came instead. Did Pei Siyue pick him up in that Maybach?
But when Pei Siyue left, he hadn’t headed toward the school garage. He’d walked straight to the school gate.
Is that car still at the school?
He pulled out his phone and opened the app, seeing the Maybach’s location still in the school’s underground garage.
His car was still there. Pei Siyue hadn’t driven it away but left it for him.
Yet Pei Siyue had stood alone in the bitter winter cold, waiting for his driver for who knows how long.
Ruan Shuyang felt a stinging ache in his eyes and nose.
He tucked his phone away and told Shen Bianyan, “It’s at the school. I’ll drive back.”
Shen Bianyan felt much relieved, urging him to be careful and promising to send him to the elevator after he messaged if needed.
Ruan Shuyang drove home first, only to find the house unexpectedly empty.
He checked the fingerprint lock’s entry log but found no trace of Pei Siyue returning, leaving him utterly at a loss.
Was Pei Siyue so angry at him that he didn’t want to come back?
Or had something happened, forcing him to go somewhere else instead?
He stood in the empty living room for a moment, then gathered his courage to call Pei Siyue. The phone rang for an eternity before the call dropped automatically.
He switched to texting: Brother, where are you? I want to come find you.
But this message also remained unanswered.
**
After leaving the company alone, Pei Siyue first went to the cemetery. He visited Jiang Ruowan while his pheromones were still somewhat under control, knowing his condition tomorrow might make a visit impossible.
He stood before Jiang Ruowan’s tombstone, using the barrier-material necklace for offerings. He informed her about post-marking cleansing medication, then quietly stayed for about an hour before leaving.
After leaving, he drove directly to the house in Lanyan Yuting.
When renovating Lanyang Yuting, he had anticipated potential susceptibility periods and deliberately built a specialized safety room in the basement for use during Enigma susceptibility phases.
He now intended to go there.
Just as Jiang Wu had hinted, he would lock himself away and then bind himself.
Upon returning, he headed straight underground. From the treatment room filled with instruments, he entered the hidden safety chamber and locked the door.
He then retrieved handcuffs and leg irons, fastening them onto himself like a prisoner.
But the restraints did nothing to dampen the violent factors within his body. He could still distinctly feel the chaotic pheromones surging through his entire being.
In a state of extreme emotional suppression and agitation, he walked over to the punching bag he had prepared earlier and began striking it barehanded.
However, it wasn’t long before he shattered the bag, sand spilling everywhere.
Pei Siyue: “…”
He had overestimated the sandbag’s durability and underestimated his own destructive power during his sensitive period.
Returning to his corner, he noticed several missed calls and messages on his phone but felt no urge to check them.
During his sensitive period, Enigma’s thoughts grew particularly dark and obscure. He didn’t believe Ruan Shuyang would be looking for him.
The little omega had probably grown tired of him and didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.
But that was fine. As long as he couldn’t leave, he’d go find him once the sensitive period passed.
**
After getting no response to her calls or messages, Ruan Shuyang, desperate, reached out to Jiang Wu to ask where he was.
Jiang Wu claimed ignorance. As an employee, he dared not pry into his boss’s whereabouts, but suggested that if the boss was indeed in his enigma period, he might be at the residence in Lanyan Yuting.
Jiang Wu had supervised the renovations at Lan’an Yuting before Pei Siyue returned to China. He knew the complex had a secure room prepared for Enigma’s susceptible period, leading him to suspect the boss might have gone there.
Ruan Shuyang immediately drove to the location.
The highway beast, a Maybach S580, raced through the cold winter night. With few pedestrians on the streets, Ruan Shuyang drove alone. Outside the window, colorful neon lights blurred into streaks of shifting light and color, drifting past the glass.
Pei Siyue had indeed employed various tactics, but he had never truly violated his will or attempted to control him outright. Instead, he had only influenced his choices regarding matters where Ruan Shuyang was already wavering.
Even when Ruan Shuyang strongly insisted on something, and Pei Siyue was deeply opposed or reluctant to agree, he would ultimately consent.
Take, for instance, the matter of attending school while sick—something Pei Siyue considered irresponsible—or tonight’s solitary reflection.
But using pheromones to influence his thoughts was absolutely unacceptable and must not be encouraged or condoned. He needed to make it clear to Pei Siyue: from now on, he could not use pheromones to coax him or cloud his judgment.
As the car pulled into the Lan’an Yuting residence and drove toward the garage, Ruan Shuyang noticed the lawn and vegetation looked different from before. The soil bore obvious signs of disturbance, and something seemed added—though he couldn’t quite place what it was.
Due to school commitments, he and Pei Siyue had been staying at their residence near campus. Having not returned here for a long time, he wondered as he got out of the car if perhaps Pei Siyue had hired someone to renovate the lawn.
But soon, he had no time to dwell on the lawn. The pitch-black villa loomed like a giant beast capable of devouring people—silent and dangerous.
Standing alone in the dark living room, he felt a wave of fear wash over him.
It seemed as though no one had been here in ages—utterly empty and lifeless. Yet, he keenly sensed a trace of Pei Siyue’s pheromones lingering in the air.
Hot and boiling, like water poised to erupt at any moment.
Pei Siyue must have been here. Just moments ago.
He pressed the switch by the wall. The warm, off-white light instantly banished the darkness from the living room. Standing there, he paused, a sudden intuition stirring within him. He pulled open the door to the underground treatment room.
The lights in the underground treatment room were on, yet it was empty.
Ruan Shuyang descended the stairs.
He’d heard that some Alphas or Omegas built safe rooms—constructed from special materials, hard and resistant to injury—to endure their vulnerable periods or heat alone.
He suspected Pei Siyue had built one too, hidden somewhere in this house, which was why he’d come here.
Circling the therapy room, he noticed an inconspicuous keypad lock on the side wall. Just as he was about to try entering, his phone buzzed with a message.
Pei Siyue: Don’t come in.
After the events of the afternoon, he finally received a message from Pei Siyue—just three words: Don’t come in.
Ruan Shuyang stared at the words on his phone screen, then decided to call Pei Siyue directly—choosing the most effective way to communicate.
This time the call connected. Neither spoke immediately. Ruan Shuyang heard heavier breathing than usual on the other end and asked cautiously, “Brother, how are you doing?”
After a moment, Pei Siyue replied, “I’m in danger right now.”
Ruan Shuyang bit his lip, sensing something profoundly different about Pei Siyue’s state.
Usually, Pei Siyue’s voice carried a coolness beneath its low tone, but now it sounded unusually hoarse.
“Don’t come in.”
Ruan Shuyang heard Pei Siyue say this again.
He paused, then tentatively asked, “Then big brother, can I help you?”
An Omega can soothe an Alpha in heat—they should be able to soothe an Enigma in heat too.
This time, silence hung heavy on the line. The answer was obvious.
If he couldn’t, Pei Siyue would have said so outright. This silence meant he could help, but feared he might lose control once inside.
He slapped his face, fumbled for the items he’d bought at the convenience store earlier, took a deep breath, and asked again, ” If I go in, will you hurt me, Brother?”
But Ruan Shuyang felt reassured upon hearing this.
“Brother, you’re truly kind.”
“You’re an enigma who refuses my closeness during your sensitive period, all because you fear hurting me.”
He tapped the screen to unlock the door, trying his birthday. Soon, the click of the lock opening echoed.
He pushed open the door to reveal a room almost entirely white. Several standing sandbags, designed to stay upright, were scattered about—all seemingly smashed to pieces, their sand spilled across the floor.
Ruan Shuyang swallowed hard, forcing himself to ignore the enigma’s terrifying destructive power.
Wait—where was Pei Siyue?
As the thought crossed his mind, he was suddenly yanked forward by a tremendous force.
He collided with Pei Siyue, looking up at the towering enigma beside him. The emotions churning in those eyes, clasping his hand with one arm, were more intense than ever before.
He looked up at him, his eyes as clear as ever, his gaze gentle yet resolute.
He knew what he was facing before coming, so without hesitation, he tore open his gland patch, slowly lowering his head to expose the clean, pale gland, fully revealing it to Pei Siyue’s eyes.
Pei Siyue’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his throat moving without sound. His gaze fixed on Ruan Shuyang’s nape, as if staring at prey he was determined to claim.
Ruan Shuyang closed his eyes briefly, gathering courage before whispering softly, “Brother, mark me.”
A sharp sting shot through the gland’s location. The surge of pheromones was more intense and rapid than any previous time, like a howling gale sweeping through.
Ruan Shuyang quickly drifted into a state of blankness, his mind going completely blank.
He felt as if he were floating in the ocean, rising and falling with the waves, instinctively gazing up at the white sky above him, unable to think.
White… sky.
Ruan Shuyang blinked, slowly regaining his senses. He found himself lying flat across Pei Siyue’s lap, staring at the white ceiling above.
Pei Siyue’s handcuffed hands rested beside his head, gently stroking his hair. His gaze was much calmer than before, yet also deeper.
Ruan Shuyang thought for a moment, then released more pheromones to soothe Pei Siyue.
He had just been marked by Pei Siyue, his entire body saturated with the other’s scent. The lily-of-the-valley fragrance seemed distilled into nectar, sweet and intoxicating.
He recalled learning in biology class that during their receptive phase, Alphas would seek to mark those they recognized as mates. When the other person was saturated with their pheromones, their emotions would be soothed.
Enigma likely functioned similarly, which explained why Pei Siyue was now much calmer.
He tentatively asked, “Brother, are you okay now?”
“I’m fine now, but who knows about later.” Pei Siyue pointed at the shackles on his ankles. “While I still have control, use your fingerprint to unlock these. Wrap the chain around that stone pillar over there, then reattach the shackles.”
Ruan Shuyang understood Pei Siyue’s meaning, but he felt reluctant. He didn’t want to see Pei Siyue shackled like a prisoner.
But Pei Siyue urged him in a low voice, “Don’t hesitate. I don’t know how long my sanity will hold.”
Ruan Shuyang hesitated no longer. He tried using his fingerprint to unlock the shackles on Pei Siyue’s ankles—and they actually released.
He stared in astonishment at the heavy shackles in his hands, suddenly realizing this was the power Pei Siyue had entrusted to him. Whether to unlock them was entirely his decision.
He could choose to keep the other locked, or he could choose to grant freedom.
But now, the sensitive period hadn’t passed yet. He would keep him locked.
After he unlocked the shackles, Pei Siyue took the heavy shackles to a stone pillar in the corner of the security room. He wrapped them around his ankle and asked Ruan Shuyang to lock them back on.
After completing this, Pei Siyue sat down, closed his eyes, and leaned against the corner, forcing himself to endure and suppress his emotions.
Ruan Shuyang watched for a moment before kneeling beside him, straining to cradle the tall enigma’s head in his lap.
Ruan Shuyang was quite petite, and holding Pei Siyue’s head felt somewhat straining. Still, he stretched out his slender arms and embraced him as best he could. When held, Pei Siyue caught the scent of lily of the valley from Ruan Shuyang’s embrace.
This embrace might not be broad or sturdy, but it was exceptionally soft and warm, offering a profound sense of security.
He mimicked the way Pei Siyue usually comforted him, running his fingers through the other’s hair to massage his scalp and ease tension.
Pei Siyue suddenly asked in a low voice, “Still feverish?”
Ruan Shuyang pressed his forehead against Pei Siyue’s. “Don’t worry, Brother. I’m fine now. My temperature returned to normal completely this afternoon.”
“Mm.”
Pei Siyue said nothing more.
Ruan Shuyang spoke up, “Brother, when you asked this afternoon if I regretted meeting you, I didn’t answer right away because I didn’t know how to tell you.”
The body in his arms tensed involuntarily. Perhaps he didn’t even realize it himself, but at that moment, he resembled a prisoner awaiting sentencing, waiting only for the guillotine blade to fall or be lifted.
Ruan Shuyang slowly rested his head against Pei Siyue’s. His voice was clear and resolute. “Brother, I don’t regret meeting you.”
“Had I not met you, becoming a beta might have offered a different landscape. But now, I no longer wish to see that landscape.”
“I’ve already seen the most beautiful landscape.”
“Brother, my danger didn’t come from you, but my safety came because of you. That night at the club, I couldn’t demand how you saved me, nor do I blame you for saving me the way you did.”
“And I don’t regret not becoming a beta at all now, because only omegas have pheromones. Only we can help you during your receptive period.”
“So—” Ruan Shuyang opened his eyes, gazing up at Pei Siyue cradled in his arms. He asked softly, “Brother, can you tell me what you were thinking? You must have known who I was from the very beginning.”
That’s why, when they met again outside the club later, Pei Siyue showed no surprise upon hearing his name and identity—he must have known all along.
Knowing exactly who he was, yet still saving him.
Pei Siyue also opened his eyes, gazing at the small omega mere inches away. Those almond-shaped eyes, starkly defined in black and white, remained crystal clear, glistening with a shimmering sheen from the recent marking.
Ruan Shuyang was intelligent and kind-hearted. Pei Siyue suddenly felt ashamed of himself.
He was so impure, so dark.
Yet he still wanted to grasp this pure lily of the valley and never let go.
Pei Siyue spoke softly: “My childhood wasn’t a happy one.”
“Father believed I failed to keep Mother by his side. Mother didn’t like me, though she hid it, striving to fulfill her duty as a mother.”
Enigma, in its sensitive phase, felt more emotional and sorrowful than usual.
Pei Siyue had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, but for a child, intelligence meant heightened sensitivity. He could easily discern adults’ emotions.
He could feel Pei Yan’s dissatisfaction with him, and the aloofness beneath Jiang Ruowan’s gentle yet stern exterior.
They didn’t like him.
Ruan Shuyang listened quietly, gently stroking Pei Siyue’s head, trying his best to comfort the enigma in his arms.
“Mom thinks I resemble Dad. I never thought I did until I met you.”
“Only then did I realize I too crave control over my omega—wanting to hold them tightly in my palm, becoming mad, becoming… twisted.”
Ruan Shuyang softly countered, “No, Brother, you’re not like him.”
He placed Pei Siyue’s head on his lap, gazing into his eyes as he said, “Brother is someone who chooses to bind himself during his receptive phase.”
“Your madness might only hurt yourself.”
And never harm others.
Pei Siyue lifted his handcuffed hands, gently caressing Ruan Shuyang’s face with lingering affection.
“Dad cheated because he had people follow and monitor Mom. When he found out she’d met with Uncle Wei, he flew into a rage and cheated—with Zhou Wei.”
“Actually, that day Mom was just going to say goodbye to Uncle Wei. He was planning to settle abroad, and Mom went to the airport to see him off.”
“But Dad has always been the golden child—arrogant, stubborn, and unreasonable. He’ll never learn to be considerate or admit he’s wrong.”
“After discovering Dad’s affair, Mom demanded a divorce. She didn’t care if she walked away with nothing—she despised him completely.”
“Later in court, I chose to leave with Mom. After that, we underwent the marking removal surgery together. She refused to carry Dad’s mark, even if it meant dying young.”
“She hates Dad, I know.” Pei Siyue spoke calmly. “She doesn’t like me either. Her duty to raise me far outweighs any maternal affection she feels. Her expectations for me are incredibly strict.”
Strict to the point of being almost harsh.
Many times, Pei Siyue wondered why she had even given birth to him.
If she didn’t like him, why bring him into the world?
Children have no say in their birth, nor can they choose their parents. They can only passively accept their fate.
Ruan Shuyang slowly understood. “That’s why Uncle Wei called you ‘wolf cub’ back then.”
Pei Siyue’s childhood wasn’t easy either. While he might not have lacked food and clothing like others, he felt profoundly insecure. He grew wary and cold toward people, even a bit fierce.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be called a wolf cub.
At the very least, he had known maternal love—Yu Xianbo had truly cherished him.
“Ever since I was little, whatever I got my hands on, I’d cling to it tightly, never letting go,” Pei Siyue said, looking at him. “But that cat Pei Simin mentioned? I didn’t kill it. It had feline infectious peritonitis and passed away from the disease.”
Ruan Shuyang nodded earnestly. “Brother, I believe you.”
After saying this, he puffed out his cheeks and made a little pouty face. “But you still haven’t answered my question from earlier.”
“Also, you have to tell me—did you deliberately make me addicted to your pheromones?”
“Don’t lie to me, okay?” After asking, he added with solemn seriousness, “Brother, I’m smart. If you lie to me, I’ll know.”
Pei Siyue swallowed hard, suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss Ruan Shuyang, yet afraid of losing control.
He’d finally managed to calm down a bit, so he had to restrain himself.
“I know.” Pei Siyue admitted. “Before returning to China, I researched the Pei family’s records. Yours appeared in the same files. I saw your photos and remembered your face.”
That was practically photographic memory.
Ruan Shuyang felt a pang of envy.
Waaah, if only he could remember everything instantly while studying, it would be so much easier.
Pei Siyue continued, “But I saved you that time because my pheromones showed an initial attraction to you. Subconsciously, I felt compelled to help you. It had nothing to do with anyone else.”
He recalled that incident—the very marking that had dashed Ruan Shuyang’s hopes of becoming a beta through suppressant injections.
“I admit, I had selfish motives back then,” Pei Siyue said, his gaze tender as he looked at Ruan Shuyang. “I wanted to leave my mark on you.”
“Besides, your physical condition at the time wasn’t suitable for suppressant injections.”
He hadn’t known then that Ruan Shuyang wanted to become a beta. Besides, suppressing that level of heat required extremely potent omega suppressants. He feared the injection would damage his glands and reproductive tract.
“Later, I did intentionally make you addicted to my pheromones. But don’t worry, Softie—this addiction isn’t harmful. It’ll fade after the lifelong marking. As long as my mark remains in your body, you won’t exhibit these addictive symptoms like you do now.”
After saying all this, he looked at Ruan Shuyang, asking as if awaiting judgment: “Softie, will you hate me?”
The sensitive period made his emotions even more unstable, his thoughts dark and obscure, more negative, his pheromones chaotic.
He was deeply worried Ruan Shuyang would come to hate him because of this.
“I won’t hate you.” Ruan Shuyang smiled sweetly, his gentle face filled with sincerity as he answered without hesitation, “Brother, I never expected you to be perfect.”
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