Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Though his tone was commanding, it lacked the overwhelming, irresistible pheromones from before—clearly not an act of dominance.

But Ruan Shuyang’s mind seemed to short-circuit, and he foolishly asked, "How should I accept it?"

Pei Siyue’s aura was so potent that it compelled people to unconsciously follow, obey, and even submit.

Unbeknownst to himself, Ruan Shuyang began to follow his instructions.

Pei Siyue slightly moved the swivel chair back from the desk, turned to face Ruan Shuyang, and said in a calm, composed voice, "Sit here."

Ruan Shuyang’s face instantly flushed, as alluring and delectable as a ripe peach.

He recalled that night—though he couldn’t remember it upon waking the next morning, his recent dreams had brought everything back.

He had apparently… sat on the other’s lap.

"Does it… have to be this position?"

Pei Siyue didn’t confirm if it was strictly necessary, only stating, "This position is the most convenient."

…Indeed, the most convenient for him to lean down and bite.

Since he had already done it once, doing it again shouldn’t matter, a voice whispered in Ruan Shuyang’s mind.

With that thought, he bit his lip, his face still flushed, and walked over to sit on Pei Siyue’s lap.

He sat with his back to Pei Siyue’s chest, perched lightly and cautiously.

But the next second, an irresistible large hand settled on his waist, pulling him back until he was nestled perfectly in the embrace, without the slightest gap.

He was startled but offered no resistance.

Once close, Pei Siyue’s subtle yet overwhelming pheromones enveloped him like a liquid cage, trapping them both.

Perhaps because the desired pheromones were so near, the gland at the back of his neck suddenly pulsed intensely, even secreting a clear fluid that soaked through the blocking patch.

Waves of heat surged through him again, crashing against his body, leaving him increasingly weak and limp.

A hand gently removed his blocking patch, and a deep, slow breath grazed his gland. His sensitive nape twitched, and he couldn’t suppress a sound from his throat—one that would make him blush with embarrassment if he heard it himself.

"I—"

The air was thick with the delicate fragrance of lily of the valley.

He was about to say something, to ask if the situation was strange—being held in Pei Siyue’s embrace, about to be marked.

How had things gotten so muddled…

But—

A slow, heavy breath drew near without warning, and his gland was abruptly bitten.

He clenched his lips, desperately enduring the mix of pain and tingling numbness.

The surrounding "water" had, at some point, transformed into a cage, its gentle yet irresistible tide slowly closing in on the lily of the valley.

At first, the lily’s petals were closed, a budding flower not yet in bloom.

But the waves surged again and again, lapping at the petals, gently yet forcefully commanding the lily to open.

Ruan Shuyang was enveloped by an overwhelming Enigma pheromone, which slowly flowed into his body through the gland, forcefully claiming him.

Though he tried his best to endure, he couldn't help but let out a small whimper.

He was being marked by Pei Siyue, receiving a temporary mark from Pei Siyue…

He mused faintly.

Pei Siyue’s pheromones were calming the waves of heat within his body.

The marking process was exceptionally long, much longer than the first time he could recall.

The Enigma pheromones didn’t flood in all at once but instead seeped through him bit by bit, persistent and demanding, slowly enveloping him in the tide.

His body gradually grew strange, trembling slightly as he softly asked, "Mr. Pei… are you done yet?"

His voice was as soft as melting spring snow.

Pei Siyue’s lips pressed against the back of his neck, his breath brushing against the gland as he spoke. Ruan Shuyang shivered sensitively, hearing the other’s low voice reply, "Not yet."

Does marking… take this long?

Ruan Shuyang had never been marked by anyone else and didn’t know if it always took this long. He only knew he was finding it hard to handle, his body slowly beginning to convulse. He opened his mouth to pant, trying to negotiate, "Can we… next time…"

It felt so strange; he was losing control of his body.

But before Pei Siyue could answer, he couldn’t help but struggle lightly.

The next second, however, the tide pressed down on him, making it impossible to resist.

"Mr. Pei…"

He pleaded with a voice choked with tears, instinctively clutching Pei Siyue’s clothes, though he didn’t even know what he was asking for.

The lily of the valley began to slowly bloom, its originally fresh and elegant fragrance turning rich and intoxicating.

A moment later, Pei Siyue finally pulled back from his gland.

Ruan Shuyang let out a relieved sigh, but it was followed by a wave of complete exhaustion, as if he had expended too much energy. He swayed, almost falling.

Pei Siyue’s large hand firmly supported him, shifting him to sit sideways in his embrace, his head resting against Pei Siyue’s shoulder.

The sound of a package being torn open echoed in the air, and Ruan Shuyang felt something pressed against his gland.

"Blocking patch," Pei Siyue explained softly, then held his head and asked, "Are you alright?"

A temporary mark was utterly draining for any omega, let alone Ruan Shuyang, who had endured the subtle yet fiercest Enigma pheromones.

After the marking ended, his head grew fuzzy. He struggled to stay awake only because he remembered he had just been marked by Pei Siyue—the older brother of the fiancé he wanted to break up with. He should stay alert, but…

A large hand gently covered his eyes.

"Rest for a while."

Pei Siyue’s gentle voice seemed to have a hypnotic effect. Ruan Shuyang, though fighting to stay awake, lost consciousness the next second, slumping bonelessly into Pei Siyue’s arms.

Another minute passed, and Pei Siyue supported Ruan Shuyang, slightly shifting the other’s body away from his embrace.

The little omega was soaked through as if he'd been pulled from water, even dampening his trousers.

Perhaps due to the marking process, Ruan Shuyang appeared more flushed than usual—his lips had turned from a light cherry pink to a deep crimson, glossy and moist, while his pale, almost translucent cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue.

It was an incredibly enticing sight.

The air was filled with the fragrance of lily of the valley, sweet and intoxicating.

Initially fresh and elegant, the scent of lily of the valley became overpowering and intoxicating once satisfied, so sweet it made one restless.

Pei Siyue, who should not have been affected by an omega's pheromones, found his breathing had grown heavier after the marking.

He closed his eyes, taking a moment to compose himself, then reopened them.

Ruan Shuyang was small and slender—Pei Siyue could easily carry him with one arm—and he had poor stamina, leaving him disoriented each time after being marked.

Pei Siyue had never marked anyone else and didn't know if all omegas were this delicate, found it so difficult to endure his pheromones and the marking process.

After watching for a moment, he picked Ruan Shuyang up and carried him out of the lounge, murmuring to Jiang Wu, who was seated outside, "Back to Lanyuan Yuting."

After returning to the country, he hadn't lived in the Pei family mansion but had bought a villa at Lanyuan Yuting.

Enigmas had an extremely strong territorial instinct and were highly resistant to anyone but their mates entering their space, so he lived there alone, with staff only coming to clean during the day and leaving in the evening.

As Jiang Wu notified the driver to wait at the entrance, he glanced at Ruan Shuyang being carried by Pei Siyue, his mind reeling.

This was progressing too quickly. Last time, he’d at least had Chi Hang’s secretary wait outside, but this time he was actually carrying him home personally.

To think that even the Pei family had never been to that residence at Lanyuan Yuting, and now the fiancée of someone in the Pei family was going there first?

And this wasn’t even Pei Siyue’s own fiancée.

Jiang Wu couldn’t shake the feeling that his boss had lost his mind, confusing his brother’s fiancée with his own.

He held back for a moment but ultimately couldn’t suppress his curiosity. He asked Pei Siyue, "Young Master, what are you thinking? He’s Pei Siming’s fiancée."

"Are you trying to steal Ruan Shuyang to get back at Pei Siming and his mother, or do you think Ruan Shuyang might be a spy sent by Pei Siming and you’re playing along with it? It can’t be that you’ve genuinely fallen for him at first sight, right?"

Pei Siyue looked at Jiang Wu for a moment, then coldly reminded him in a low voice, "Keep your voice down. Don’t wake him."

Jiang Wu: "..."

So he could only watch as Pei Siyue carried Ruan Shuyang into the car, while he himself was banished to the passenger seat.

It somehow gave off the vibe of someone head over heels in love.

Upon arriving at the residence in Lanyuan Yuting, Pei Siyue turned down help from the housekeeper Ji Huai, only asking him to prepare a set of clothes. He carried Ruan Shuyang upstairs himself, laid him on the guest room bed, and then helped remove his shoes and socks.

He wasn’t used to caring for others, but Enigmas had strong learning abilities—he quickly figured out how to remove the shoes and socks without disturbing the sleeping omega.

After that, he went to the bathroom, ran a towel under warm water, and gently wiped the sweat from Ruan Shuyang’s body.

The omega’s body was even more delicate than he had imagined; the slightest pressure would leave red marks, so he wiped carefully and gently.

Once finished, he pulled the covers over Ruan Shuyang and stood there looking down at him.

The little omega had unknowingly entered his domain, now carrying his scent, completely defenseless.

After watching for a while, he left the room and went to his study to attend a video conference.

After the meeting, Jiang Wu approached him to review the investment in Ruiji Technology's fourth-quarter R&D projects. Pei Siyue examined the projects listed on the form and set the priority for the vas deferens-blocking drug research to the highest level.

Jiang Wu asked in surprise, "Why focus on developing alpha contraceptives first?"

This topic had always been on the table, but due to the high difficulty and risks associated with developing vas deferens-blocking drugs, progress had stalled. It was estimated that doubling the investment might be necessary to achieve a breakthrough.

Pei Siyue replied in a neutral tone, "The market demand is huge, isn’t it?"

...It was huge, but the research difficulty was also enormous. Increasing investment didn’t guarantee success, as drug development often relied on luck.

"This project is too difficult," Jiang Wu advised. "Increasing investment might just be money down the drain."

"It won’t," Pei Siyue stated with absolute certainty. "I will personally participate in the research. We should be able to begin clinical trials by the end of this year."

Jiang Wu: ???

He almost doubted his hearing.

Pei Siyue had studied medicine and had worked on many drug-related projects during his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies. The best-selling blocking patches and inhibitors initially produced and sold by Ruiji Group were personally developed by Pei Siyue and his team.

Enigmas possessed remarkable intelligence, which allowed Pei Siyue to excel in R&D, creating several classic products. Ruiji had rapidly expanded its market share thanks to its high-quality products, growing from startup to established enterprise.

However, as Ruiji Technology expanded, managerial duties had taken precedence, and Pei Siyue had long stepped back from frontline research, only outlining broad directions and providing ideas while leaving execution to the R&D department. He no longer had time for hands-on experimentation.

Moreover, given that he had recently begun managing the Pei family’s businesses, he should have been busy enough to wish for 48 hours in a day. How did he still find time to research this?

Was the potential market for blocking drugs really so vast that Pei Siyue would squeeze out time to return to frontline research?

Jiang Wu couldn’t help feeling that this was just an excuse.