Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ruan Shuyang froze, his mind blank, unsure of what to do.

What was happening now?

His fiancé's elder brother had given him a temporary mark, and now, due to his physical condition, he had developed a dependency on Pei Siyue's pheromones.

...Could he just faint?

He desperately wanted to escape this situation.

Yet, despite his desire, he remained fully conscious, sitting right beside Pei Siyue.

He murmured softly, "But... Sister Su Yan said your surname is Chi..."

Pei Siyue raised an eyebrow, roughly understanding why Ruan Shuyang thought his surname was "Chi."

The club was Chi Hang's territory, and it wasn’t convenient for Pei Siyue to leave his own people there, so he had entrusted Chi Hang with the task. Chi Hang’s subordinates had likely told Ruan Shuyang that "President Chi" gave the orders, leading Ruan Shuyang to assume his surname was "Chi."

"The person Su Yan referred to wasn’t me," Pei Siyue explained quietly. "The club is Chi Hang’s territory. After everything that happened that night, I asked him to arrange for someone to see you home."

Ruan Shuyang slowly began to understand.

So it had been Pei Siyue helping him all along.

That night, Pei Siyue had saved him, given him a mark, and even arranged for someone to send him home.

Since childhood, no one aside from his mother had ever been so kind and considerate to him—not even Pei Siming during the period when they were still on good terms and he was gentle and refined.

The most Pei Siming had ever done was casually bring him some snacks and occasionally listen to him talk.

Then he pushed him into hell.

If it weren’t for Pei Siyue, he had no idea what would have become of him.

Pei Siyue had simply happened to be there, and Ruan Shuyang had happened to run into him, saved by Pei Siyue.

Setting aside their identities, it was all just a simple coincidence and act of kindness.

Thinking this, he sincerely thanked Pei Siyue: "Mr. Pei, thank you so much for that night."

Pei Siyue’s calm, indifferent gaze swept over his grateful expression before he tapped the table, signaling Ruan Shuyang to focus on the report.

"What are your thoughts on the treatment?"

"What thoughts?" Ruan Shuyang didn’t immediately understand. "Um... you mean the pheromone treatment?"

"Yes." Pei Siyue nodded, his tone steady as he explained to Ruan Shuyang: "Treatment methods include marking, sharing clothing and items, and so on."

"In terms of effectiveness, doing them simultaneously is best."

Ruan Shuyang froze. He would have to accept Pei Siyue’s mark and wear his clothes...

He seemed to already be wearing Pei Siyue’s vest—he was already undergoing treatment.

He was overwhelmed, unsure of what to do.

Given his position, shouldn’t he avoid intimate contact and relationships with Pei Siyue, especially since he was still looking for a way to break off his engagement with Pei Siming?

And he had always worried about what his mother had said.

His mother, Yu Xianpo, was a tragic figure—she had gone into an unexpected heat and was permanently marked by her then-boyfriend Ruan Jianchuan, who claimed to be single, and she gave birth to him.

After he was born, Ruan Jianchuan used him—just a newborn—along with the dominance and submission of the permanent mark to force Yu Xianpo to provide design drafts for Ruan's Jewelry without compensation...

Later, Yu Xianpo’s mental state deteriorated; she became emaciated, and on the rare occasions he saw her, she would grab his shoulders and sternly warn him: never let an alpha mark you, especially not with a permanent mark. Otherwise, you’ll be used, dominated, and stripped of your dignity.

These words left a deep impression on him, and he had always resisted being marked.

Fortunately, Pei Siming had previously looked down on him for being an illegitimate child and considered him "dirty," so he never marked him.

But it seemed he had escaped Pei Siming only to fall into Pei Siyue’s hands.

Of course, he knew Pei Siyue’s mark was meant to help him, but he still worried.

Pei Siyue waited a moment but received no response. He turned to look at the person sitting beside him.

The little omega hung his head, biting his lip until his pale cherry-colored lips turned white. His clear, almond-shaped eyes were filled with worry.

Ruan Shuyang’s neck formed a soft curve, his fair, delicate gland hidden beneath a blocking patch.

Pei Siyue’s voice softened almost imperceptibly as he said to Ruan Shuyang, "If you have any concerns, you can voice them. We can discuss them together."

Ruan Shuyang took a deep breath and looked at Pei Siyue. Feeling that Pei Siyue had been open and honest—directly telling him his name and identity—he shouldn’t hide anything either. Pei Siyue at least had a right to know. So he began, "My name is... Ruan Shuyang. Mr. Pei, I don’t know if you’ve heard of me, but I’m your younger brother Pei Siming’s fiancée."

Pei Siyue’s expression remained extremely calm, his handsome face unreadable. He simply said, "I know. It’s fine."

Hearing this, Pei Siyue showed no surprise, and Ruan Shuyang didn’t find it strange either. Subconsciously, he felt that Pei Siyue seemed to know everything—that nothing could be hidden from or escape his notice.

But then, he heard Pei Siyue ask, "Do you like him?"

Him?

Pei Siming?

Ruan Shuyang fell into confusion, not noticing that Pei Siyue had been watching him intently as he asked the question.

He said softly, "Yes."

He had liked him once.

Living in the suffocating environment of the Ruan family, unfamiliar with his classmates, he had walked alone in the darkness since Yu Xianpo’s death, enduring the Ruan family’s mistreatment and abuse.

Then Pei Siming appeared. At first, he was polite and refined, would listen attentively to him, never hit or scolded him, and even had his secretary bring him delicious little cakes from banquets.

It was like a beam of light illuminating his bleak life. He had even looked forward to marrying him and leaving the oppressive, painful Ruan family.

Liking Pei Siming felt like a dream—simple and pure—but it was shattered by Pei Siming’s own actions.

That night, the dream ended, and he stopped liking him, only wanting to escape.

...Maybe he didn't like him that much.

Because he now wanted to separate from Pei Siming, even break off their engagement.

He was immersed in his own thoughts, not noticing that after he said the words "I like him," the Enigma beside him instantly darkened his expression.

The surroundings suddenly became very cold; the previously gentle water suddenly felt freezing. He shivered from the cold, and unconsciously murmured, "It's so cold."

Pei Siyue closed his eyes, struggling to control his emotions, and asked in a distant tone, "So you're worried that Pei Siming will mind if he finds out?"

Ruan Shuyang scratched his head, "Not exactly."

"It's fine." Pei Siyue only looked at him, his expression calm but his gaze unusually intense. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Ruan Shuyang didn't mention it again, feeling that the matter was too complicated to explain clearly in a short time. Besides, he planned to find a way to call off the engagement with Pei Siming and didn't want any further entanglement.

So even if he accepted Pei Siyue's mark, it wouldn't constitute betrayal—after all, it was Pei Siming who sent him away first.

As an outsider, he didn't understand the relationship between the Pei brothers, but he instinctively felt their relationship wasn't very good.

Not wanting to trouble Pei Siyue, he obediently whispered, "I won't tell Pei Siming about this."

Pei Siyue's gaze grew even darker.

The little Omega before him seemed exceptionally innocent and obedient—so openly revealing his identity and promising not to tell Pei Siming.

Yet he claimed to like Pei Siming.

If he really liked him, why had he resisted Pei Siming so strongly that night?

Noticing Ruan Shuyang's hesitant look, Pei Siyue continued, "Do you have any other concerns?"

This time, Ruan Shuyang was clearly more hesitant, stammering as if unsure how to express himself.

Pei Siyue waited patiently.

After wrestling with himself for a long time, Ruan Shuyang finally tried to speak, "My mother once said that marking comes with dominance and submission—"

He couldn't finish, unsure how to express it.

But Pei Siyue understood immediately and asked directly, "Are you afraid I'll use the mark to dominate you?"

Ruan Shuyang lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers as he nodded.

Pei Siyue tapped the table with his middle finger and said, "If I recall correctly, it's been five days since the last mark. The pheromones left in your gland are very faint, so they won’t affect you."

Ruan Shuyang nodded.

It was indeed faint—otherwise, he wouldn’t have had that dream.

Suddenly, Pei Siyue used a commanding tone that brooked no refusal: "Stand up."

Ruan Shuyang felt an overwhelming pressure, like water pressure overwhelming him, leaving his mind blank. He slowly stood up.

A few seconds later, realizing his actions, his face turned pale.

Was he being… dominated?

The next moment, he heard Pei Siyue use the same tone: "Sit down."

He felt completely unable to resist and sat down immediately.

Only after sitting did he slowly regain his senses, trembling faintly. The act of standing and sitting had left him frightened and unsettled.

So this was what being dominated felt like?

Completely irresistible, with no way to fight back.

Pei Siyue's fingers moved subtly, but he offered no comfort. Instead, he calmly told Ruan Shuyang, "I don’t need a mark to dominate you."

Ruan Shuyang’s face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to speak.

"So you don’t need to worry about me dominating you through a mark." Pei Siyue stated firmly, "Only incompetent people use marks to command Omegas."

Ruan Shuyang gradually processed Pei Siyue’s words.

Pei Siyue didn’t need a mark to dominate him—clearly, dominance had nothing to do with marking and everything to do with whether Pei Siyue wanted to. Resisting the mark was pointless.

His heart, which had been pounding in his throat, slowly settled back into place. His nervous tension eased, and he looked up into Pei Siyue’s deep, dark eyes, asking earnestly and confused, "Mr. Pei, why are you helping me?"

"And… what kind of compensation do you require?"

The price the doctor mentioned for Alpha pheromone treatment was outrageously high—the higher the Alpha’s rank, the more expensive. And Pei Siyue was an Enigma, superior to an S-class Alpha. He couldn't begin to imagine what compensation Pei Siyue would demand.

It felt completely unaffordable.

"These can be discussed later. If there are no other issues—"

Pei Siyue changed his tone, fixing him with a commanding look: "Right now, you will accept the mark."

The Omega pheromones in the air had reached a level where even the blocking patch couldn't hold them back. He could smell the Lily of the Valley.

Ruan Shuyang’s body must be desperately eager.