Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Around six the next morning, a dazzling beam of sunlight pierced through the curtain gaps, falling on Ruan Shuyang's eyelids and gilding his curled lashes.

Ruan Shuyang drowsily opened his eyes, surprised to realize he had slept soundly until dawn after arriving home utterly exhausted.

He carefully climbed out of bed and headed to the second-floor communal bathroom to wash up. Afterward, he returned to his room, picked up his phone, and saw several messages from Pei Siyue, asking about his feelings during the marking and reminding him of a few things. He quickly sent back an apology emoji, explaining: "Sorry, I fell asleep as soon as I got home last night and just saw your messages."

Ruan Shuyang: "My body feels no different right now, and I don't need any pheromones for the time being. I had plenty yesterday."

Blushing, he typed "plenty yesterday," then asked: "Do I have to describe the feeling during the marking?"

Could he possibly skip that part? It was too embarrassing; he felt too shy to talk about it.

Pei Siyue had a habit of morning runs. Enigmas possess immense energy that needs to be expended, and Pei Siyue typically achieved this through running and gym workouts.

He rose around five for his morning run, ate breakfast around 6:30, and left for work by seven, often being one of the first to arrive at the company.

He usually checked his phone, replied to messages, and handled work matters during breakfast, which is when he saw Ruan Shuyang's message.

*Do all Omegas have such low stamina? One marking and he sleeps for so long...*

No wonder everyone who knew he was an Enigma advised him to find an Alpha. Betas couldn't offer mutual comfort without pheromones, and Omegas were too physically delicate to withstand an Enigma's demands.

But Pei Siyue simply replied: "You need to describe the feeling during the marking."

Pei Siyue: "It's relevant to the medical treatment."

Ruan Shuyang bit his lip, staring at the words on the screen, his small face scrunched up. After a long struggle, he hesitantly replied: "...It was fine."

Having finished breakfast, Pei Siyue finally received the reply. Seeing the words "it was fine" on the screen, he got into his car, signaled the driver to start, and dialed Ruan Shuyang directly.

Ruan Shuyang was startled by Pei Siyue's call but bravely answered, stammering, "Mr. Pei, g-good morning."

"Good morning."

Pei Siyue echoed the greeting, but then fell silent without hanging up. He waited patiently, not speaking unless Ruan Shuyang did.

After a few minutes, Ruan Shuyang couldn't bear the silence any longer and softly asked, "Mr. Pei, did you call this early for something?"

"Yes." Pei Siyue sat in the back seat, had the driver raise the partition, and once it was up, placed his phone in the car's holder, turning on the speaker. The little Omega's soft, sweet voice immediately filled the space.

"I don't believe 'it was fine' is sufficient feedback," Pei Siyue said in a deep, uninflected tone. "It's too brief."

"I'm sorry," Ruan Shuyang immediately replied, feeling ashamed. "I shouldn't have been so brief."

He shouldn't have downplayed his feelings out of shyness—it was his mistake.

Pei Siyue was providing treatment free of charge, and he had promised to cooperate by giving feedback. He should be detailed and serious, not dismissive.

The little Omega's voice on the other end was filled with panic. Even through the phone, Pei Siyue could picture Ruan Shuyang's ashamed and nervous expression, his beautiful almond-shaped eyes wide with unease.

He loosened his tie, leaned back in his seat, appearing much more relaxed.

"No need to apologize," Pei Siyue said calmly. "You haven't done anything wrong. I just want to know your specific feelings—was it comfortable or uncomfortable? I hope you can describe it in detail."

"I, I..."

Ruan Shuyang tried several times but still found it difficult to overcome his shyness and speak.

The marking was such an intimate act—how could he possibly articulate those feelings?

Pei Siyue patiently guided him: "Then first, tell me why you were trembling? During the marking yesterday, you kept trembling, and by the end, you even had some spasms."

Ruan Shuyang closed his eyes, recalling yesterday's marking, and stammered, "Be-because your pheromones flowed... flowed into my gland. It felt very sore and tingly..."

After that, he couldn't control the trembling; his body no longer felt like his own.

"Hmm—" Pei Siyue pondered for a moment, then asked in a very calm, almost clinical tone, as if analyzing an academic problem: "Why did it feel very sore and tingly? Was it because your body wasn't accustomed to my pheromones?"

Ruan Shuyang gritted his teeth, his face flushed, suddenly feeling that Pei Siyue was being cruel. Why did he insist on making him talk about such things?

It made him blush and his heart pound, and it made him feel wronged. Why did he have to expose such private feelings to another person?

But he also reminded himself that this was all for the sake of research. Pei Siyue also wanted to know how the treated person felt. He only blamed himself for not thinking it through when he agreed yesterday, not realizing the questions would be so detailed.

Finally, he said unhappily, "Because I was being filled, and my body needed to adjust."

Before being marked, there was always an emptiness inside him, a void that stirred up waves of craving. But after receiving Pei Siyue's pheromones, those waves slowly receded, and the desire to be filled was satisfied.

It was just that during the process of being filled, his body trembled slightly, unaccustomed to and enduring the deluge of pheromones.

"Filled..."

Pei Siyue repeated the word in a low, husky voice. Unseen by Ruan Shuyang on the other end of the phone, his eyes darkened terrifyingly. He opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of ice water, and drank half of it in one gulp.

Then Ruan Shuyang heard him ask, "Why does your body need to be filled?"

Hearing this question, Ruan Shuyang froze completely, so shocked that his phone dropped to the floor. A series of thumping sounds came through the receiver, and Pei Siyue heard Ruan Shuyang frantically apologize, "Sorry, I didn't hold the phone steady."

"It's fine," Pei Siyue said, finishing the rest of the ice water and soothingly. "Don't be nervous. Think of me as your doctor treating your condition. You need to truthfully describe your symptoms and feelings to the doctor so they can provide the right diagnosis."

Ruan Shuyang softly asked, "Mr. Pei, you also treat illnesses?"

"I have a medical doctorate and a physician's license. I can send them to you later if you'd like to see."

"No, it's okay, no need," Ruan Shuyang immediately said, not doubting Pei Siyue at all. "I was just curious, since you seem like... well, an entrepreneur."

"Entrepreneurs can also study medicine," Pei Siyue patiently explained. "Several of Ruiji Technology's products were personally developed by me, and I currently oversee the R&D for all products under development."

"Really?" Ruan Shuyang's first reaction was: "Mr. Pei, you're truly amazing, so impressive."

Developing so many high-quality products and even knowing how to treat illnesses—it was truly remarkable.

Although he couldn't afford Ruiji Technology's products, he had heard from other Omega classmates that Ruiji's items were genuinely effective—the blocking patches worked exceptionally well, and the inhibitors were safe, harmless, and had no side effects.

Their only drawback was the price.

Of course, the high price wasn't Ruiji's flaw; Ruan Shuyang felt it was his own.

Pei Siyue didn't want to discuss himself at the moment, so he brought the conversation back: "So now, as your doctor, can I hear you truthfully describe your condition? Why do you need to be filled?"

The topic returned to this, and Ruan Shuyang instantly blushed, his fair cheeks flushing crimson. Even though he was alone in his bedroom, he felt extremely embarrassed and looked down nervously.

But he comforted himself with the thought that this was a doctor treating him, and he needed to describe his condition honestly. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "It's just that before, when I used inhibitors, I always felt an emptiness inside me that couldn't be filled. But when you marked me that day, it slowly filled..."

The lily of the valley, from its petals to its pistil, was thoroughly drenched, exuding a sweet fragrance.

Pei Siyue calmly asked, "Which inhibitor were you using before?"

Ruan Shuyang named an inhibitor. His limited funds only allowed him to afford the cheapest options, and he couldn't even dream of asking Pan Lan for money to buy inhibitors. If he ever brought it up, he would undoubtedly face humiliation.

Pei Siyue said, "This inhibitor isn't ideal. It only suppresses the body's instincts, but each suppression leads to a deeper, more hidden craving. That's why you feel an emptiness inside—it's your body's natural instinct. There's no need to fear or be ashamed of it."

"You need to learn to face and accept your instincts."

After hearing Pei Siyue's words, Ruan Shuyang was silent for a few minutes. Then, in a very soft and obedient voice, he said, "I will try my best, Mr. Pei."

Pei Siyue was right. He was born this way—as an Omega, these instincts were natural. Since reality couldn't be changed, he had to learn to face and accept it.

"Good." Ruan Shuyang felt that Pei Siyue's voice sounded a bit softer this time. "I already understand why you tremble. Now, when you were marked, did you feel uncomfortable or pleasurable?"

Ruan Shuyang: !!!

He rescinded his earlier thought—Pei Siyue was not gentle at all. He was a total demon. Why did he have to ask about such intimate feelings?

Reluctantly, he mumbled, "Do I have to talk about this too?"

"Yes," Pei Siyue replied in a slow but firm tone. "I need to understand the experience during the treatment process so that I can observe more effectively during future clinical trials."

Ruan Shuyang wilted, offering no rebuttal. Once the matter involved drug development and clinical trials, framed with such a noble purpose, he found it hard to refuse.

He stammered out an explanation, "At first, it was... a little uncomfortable."

Pei Siyue continued patiently, "Why was it a little uncomfortable?"

"Well, your pheromones were very overwhelming, and my body wasn't used to the sensation of being invaded."

"Hmm." Pei Siyue responded, then asked, "And after that?"

"After that, it... it just..."

"What happened?"

Ruan Shuyang threw caution to the wind, closing his eyes and blurting out quickly, "It felt kind of nice."

Pei Siyue raised an eyebrow, grabbed another bottle of ice water, and drank it while asking calmly, "Why did it become pleasant afterward?"

"I don't know." After being questioned so many times in one morning, even Ruan Shuyang, who considered himself quite good-tempered, couldn't help but start to resist. "Maybe it's just what you said—the body's instincts."

It was as if the lily of the valley had been thoroughly saturated by Pei Siyue's water, its petals unfolding to reveal the pistil, gently washed and trembling subtly in the water.

"Alright."

This time, Pei Siyue was cooperative and didn't press further. Instead, he said, "Last time, I had Chi Hang's secretary deliver some inhibitors and blocking patches to you. Use those for now. I'll send more in the next couple of days. Don't use the inhibitors you bought yourself—they could affect the treatment results."

"R-really?" Ruan Shuyang had just been complaining inwardly but now felt embarrassed by the offer. "There's no need to trouble yourself so much, Mr. Pei."

Pei Siyue replied, "No trouble at all. This is part of ensuring accurate results. The company will cover the related experimental expenses and supplies."

*Is that so?*

Ruan Shuyang recalled that people participating in clinical trials often received medications and supplies.

He said obediently, "Thank you, Mr. Pei."

"You're welcome," Pei Siyue said. He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple moving as he lowered his voice and added, "I'll adjust my approach during the next marking."

Ruan Shuyang's jaw dropped in shock, his entire face flushing bright red.