Chapter 30

Chapter 30

He instantly grew so nervous he didn't know what to do with himself, not daring to look at the other person, his heart racing wildly.

Pei Siyue took Ruan Shuyang’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”

It wasn’t until they reached the underground parking garage and sat in the car that Ruan Shuyang came back to his senses. Still not daring to look at Pei Siyue, he kept his head down and stared at the passenger seat. “I can't tonight.”

Pei Siyue tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his tone unreadable. “Why?”

“I want to go back to the Ruan family. I don’t want any complications,” Ruan Shuyang explained. “Everyone else is at the hospital. Dad is probably too busy to go back right now. It’s fine for me to go back and stay alone. After all, it’s… the last night anyway.”

Pei Siyue reminded him, “You could leave today.”

Seeing that he couldn’t hide it from Pei Siyue, Ruan Shuyang had no choice but to tell the truth. “There are still some things I need to do back at the Ruan house.”

As he spoke, he took a sealed kraft paper envelope from the bag he was carrying and handed it to Pei Siyue.

“If tomorrow I…”

Before he could finish, Pei Siyue reached out and placed a finger on his lips, his eyes dark and intense.

“I’ll hold onto this for you, but there are no ‘ifs.’”

“Call me if anything happens, understand?”

Ruan Shuyang nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Pei Siyue drove him back, then, as if knowing what he intended to do, arranged for a private bank's managers to take Ruan Jianchuan to a club and get him drunk.

The night passed quietly.

When Ruan Shuyang returned to the Ruan house, he found that aside from the servants, no one else was home. The servants had already retreated to their rooms early and didn’t come out. He smoothly made his way into Ruan Jianchuan and Pan Lan’s bedroom to search for the video.

The video of him being abused.

Pan Lan had recorded it, often replaying it to revel in it, and would also show it to him, as if certain he could never escape.

**

The next morning, around ten o’clock, Ruan Jianchuan returned, barely enduring his hangover headache. The moment he saw Ruan Shuyang, his mood soured and he flew into a rage, ordering him to go back to his room and change into the clothes Pei Siming had sent.

After changing, Ruan Jianchuan spoke to him in an unusually stern tone. “I don’t care who you get help from in the Pei family or what methods you use, you must get what I want today. Understand?”

“If you don’t get it, you don’t want to know what the consequences will be.”

Ruan Shuyang nodded lightly, not looking at Ruan Jianchuan.

Ruan Jianchuan asked again, “Do you have a plan—”

But before he could finish, the Pei family sent a driver to pick him up, so Ruan Jianchuan had to let him go.

Ruan Shuyang sat in the Pei family’s car, looking back at the gradually receding Ruan house, hoping he would never have to set foot in it again.

The car arrived at the Pei mansion a little after eleven. After parking, a servant led him inside. Pei Siming, whom he hadn’t seen in many days, was waiting for him at the entrance.

Though Pei Siming wore an elegant and refined smile, it didn’t reach his eyes, which were unusually deep and intense.

He walked up to Ruan Shuyang, took his hand, and spoke softly yet in a way that sent chills down one’s spine. “Are you happy to see me under house arrest for a week?”

“Did you have fun playing with my eldest brother?”

Ruan Shuyang struggled to endure the feeling of Pei Siming holding his hand—it felt like being coiled around by a cold, slippery snake. He said to Pei Siming, “Let’s go to the garden.”

Pei Siming didn’t object to the suggestion and led Ruan Shuyang to the corridor in the garden.

As soon as they reached the secluded corridor, Ruan Shuyang immediately shook off Pei Siming’s hand with great force. Pei Siming didn’t insist and let go.

Ruan Shuyang took a deep breath, looked at Pei Siming, and mustered his courage. “Let’s call off the engagement.”

Since he had already made up his mind to move out of the Ruan house, the Ruan family could no longer control him, and the engagement could be called off.

This was another reason he had come to the Pei mansion today—to discuss calling off the engagement with Pei Siming.

When they got engaged, he hadn’t received a single gift from Pei Siming. The engagement ring was only worn during the engagement banquet and was taken away by Pan Lan afterward.

All the benefits exchanged during the engagement were between Pei Siming and the Ruan Jianchuan couple; it had nothing to do with him.

He had never owed Pei Siming anything. On the contrary, Pei Siming owed him.

Pei Siming’s expression instantly turned icy. He leaned in close, gripping Ruan Shuyang’s shoulders tightly. “What, you think just because you’ve gotten involved with my eldest brother, you can discard me?”

“You think he genuinely likes you and wants to be with you? Dream on! Let me tell you, he’s only doing this to get back at me!”

“The moment you break off the engagement with me, he’ll toss you aside like trash the very next day.”

“No, that’s not it…” Pei Siming was too close, and the alpha’s oppressive aura made it hard for Ruan Shuyang to breathe. His words came out fragmented. “It has nothing to do with him. I want to call off the engagement because… because you tried to give me to Lu Zheng…”

“That’s all?” Pei Siming looked incredulous, as if he’d heard a joke. “Nothing even happened with Lu Zheng, and you want to call off the engagement over that?”

Ruan Shuyang stared at Pei Siming in disbelief, unable to understand how someone could be so shameless.

He had been given away to someone else, yet Pei Siming thought it was acceptable just because nothing had happened.

He wasn’t a commodity; he was a living person.

If it hadn’t been for Pei Siyue that night, he didn’t know what would have happened.

He struggled fiercely, trying to break free from Pei Siming’s grip. “Let go of me, or I’ll call for help.”

Pei Siming slowly released him, took two steps back, straightened his collar, and suddenly calmed down.

“It’s about time. We should go in for lunch.”

“Whether my eldest brother is sincere or not, you’ll find out soon enough. If you really let him talk you into breaking off the engagement, don’t come crying to me when he abandons you. I won’t pity you.”

Ruan Shuyang frowned slightly, sensing something unusual in Pei Siming’s words. It felt like something was happening that he didn’t know about.

Pei Siyue still hadn’t appeared.

With a heavy heart, he followed Pei Siming into the Pei mansion. The previously empty living room was now filled with people, mostly members of the Pei family’s collateral branches and their wives and children.

It was said that Pei Yan disliked lavish celebrations, so today’s birthday banquet was kept small, with only the Pei family in attendance.

As Pei Siming’s nominal fiancé, he was considered half a member of the Pei family and was allowed to attend.

Some members of the Pei family had attended his engagement to Pei Siming, and he recognized a few familiar faces, though he couldn’t recall their names.

As soon as they entered the mansion, Pei Siming was pulled away by Zhou Wei. Ruan Shuyang didn’t know anyone else there, so he took a drink and retreated to a corner, trying to keep a low profile.

He sipped his drink slowly when he suddenly noticed someone approaching. He instinctively turned his head and saw Pei Siyue, whose expression was calm. Unable to help himself, Ruan Shuyang’s face lit up with pleasant surprise.

It seemed that wherever Pei Siyue was, he felt completely at ease.

He knew this dependence wasn’t good—it might burden others—but he couldn’t help relying on him.

He lowered his head and murmured, "You’re here."

Though his voice was quiet, it carried an uncontrollable joy.

Pei Siyue stood beside Ruan Shuyang and noticed he was wearing a tailcoat today. The material and cut were good, but it didn’t suit Ruan Shuyang.

Ruan Shuyang was only eighteen; the tailcoat made him look overly mature, drowning out his delicate beauty.

Through the collar of the tailcoat, he could see Ruan Shuyang wearing that silver-white necklace, which lifted his spirits noticeably.

"Wait for me after the birthday banquet ends. I’ll take you to see Father."

Ruan Shuyang asked in surprise, "Why?"

Pei Siyue’s gaze deepened as he reminded him, "To break off the engagement."

Ruan Shuyang was surprised that he and Pei Siyue had thought of the same thing. This must have been the reason Pei Siyue had quietly encouraged him to come today.

He wanted him to break off the engagement and shake off the label of Pei Siming’s fiancé.

He nodded eagerly, "Okay."

Before, when Pei Siyue said there would be a chance to break off the engagement, he hadn’t dared to believe it, afraid that the higher his hopes, the harder the fall.

But now, with the opportunity right before him, he began to believe that maybe he was truly looked after by fate.

Everything would slowly get better.

Soon, it was time for lunch. The large Pei family slowly began filing into the dining room. Pei Siming and Zhou Wei, who had been absent for a while, reappeared to mingle with relatives.

Noticing it was time to eat, Pei Siyue led Ruan Shuyang along. Ruan Shuyang felt it was inappropriate to walk with Pei Siyue in front of so many Pei family members, fearing others might misunderstand Pei Siyue, but the other pulled him close.

Ruan Shuyang whispered a reminder, "This… isn’t really appropriate, is it?"

Pei Siyue quirked his lips, "It’s fine."

He had always dared to act and take responsibility.

And so, Ruan Shuyang followed Pei Siyue into the dining room. The Pei family members kept looking at them with curious eyes. Some wanted to come over and ask questions, but they were too intimidated by Pei Siyue’s cold expression to speak up.

After returning to the country, Pei Siyue had taken charge of the Pei Corporation with a series of aggressive reforms, including firing Pei Siming less than a week after joining the group. This had shocked many people, leaving them fearful and apprehensive.

They wanted to suck up to Pei Siyue but had no way to approach him. Moreover, Pei Siyue had gone abroad in his teens and stayed overseas, so they rarely saw him and barely spoke two words to him. Thus, they didn’t dare ask him anything.

They only whispered among themselves after seeing Pei Siyue’s actions; no one dared to ask directly.

And so, Ruan Shuyang followed Pei Siyue to the dining room and sat down.

Pei Yan was on Pei Siyue’s left, and he was on his right.

Then, Pei Siming sat to his right.

Ruan Shuyang: "…"

Why did this keep happening? But this time, perhaps because he was wearing the necklace, he didn’t feel suffocated. The alpha’s pressure felt much less intense to him.

The necklace was really wonderful.

He couldn’t help but touch the necklace around his neck.

During the meal, the Pei family chatted, mostly using the opportunity to curry favor with the main family—asking for positions in the company for their children or more money from the family fund.

Occasionally, someone would ask Pei Siyue something, but he mostly answered briefly. If the question was too intrusive, he wouldn’t respond at all.

Ruan Shuyang kept his head down, eating quietly.

Halfway through the meal, servants brought out soup courses for everyone.

While serving the soup, somehow, a servant tripped over a chair leg, spilling some soup on Pei Siyue.

Pei Siyue’s white shirt now had a very noticeable stain.

Pei Yan frowned and said, "Go change. Your old room is still kept."

Pei Siyue looked coldly at the servant, who didn’t dare meet his gaze and trembled nervously.

"Don't bother," Pei Siyue said simply. "I have clothes in my car."

He stood up and walked out, giving a discreet pat to Ruan Shuyang’s shoulder to reassure him before leaving the dining room.

If it weren’t for needing to discuss calling off the engagement with Ruan Shuyang today, he would have left right then.

He walked to the garage, opened the trunk, wiped himself with a towel stored there, changed into a clean black T-shirt, and headed back toward the main house.

But on the small path separating the garage from the main house, he suddenly caught a glimpse of fabric flashing by—if his eyes didn’t deceive him, it was the tailcoat Ruan Shuyang had worn today.

And he remembered that at the end of the corner was only a disused servant’s room.

Pei Siyue narrowed his eyes and walked toward the corner.

The door of the disused servant’s room, which should have been locked year-round, was unexpectedly slightly ajar. Muffled sounds escaped from within.

An Enigma’s senses were extremely sharp; he could smell traces of sour lemon and lily of the valley pheromones lingering here.

Pei Siyue pushed open the door of the disused servant’s room, and an intensely strong grapefruit-scented pheromone rushed out. On the bed lay an omega with a flushed face, writhing restlessly.

Given the omega’s condition, it seemed they had fully entered their mating cycle.

Such strong omega pheromones could greatly affect an alpha; if an alpha’s resolve was weak or the compatibility was high, the alpha could lose control.

But it didn’t affect Pei Siyue.

There was only one omega in this world whose pheromones could affect him, but it wasn’t this one.

He stood at the doorway for a moment, noticing the omega wearing the same tailcoat as Ruan Shuyang, and instantly pieced it all together.

He intended to leave, but a sudden shove came from behind him.

**

Not long after Pei Siyue left, Pei Siming also made excuses to leave the table, saying he needed to use the restroom.

Ruan Shuyang saw that Pei Siming had also left, and Pei Siyue still hadn’t returned. An inexplicable unease grew in his heart.

Remembering Pei Siming’s pointed comments from this morning, his unease intensified. He couldn’t help but lower his head and send a message asking Pei Siyue where he was.

But Pei Siyue didn’t respond.

He glanced around and, finding no one paying attention to him, got up and left, intending to go to the garage to look for Pei Siyue.

Pei Siming stood in a hidden spot behind the wall of the servants' room, hidden from view from the front. As soon as he heard footsteps and sensed the door being opened, he slipped out quietly and indeed saw Pei Siyue standing at the door.

He shoved Pei Siyue in the back as hard as he could, but the moment his hands touched Pei Siyue’s back, the other suddenly turned around, his expression so calm it was almost cold.

Pei Siming couldn’t believe it—how could Pei Siyue not react at all to an omega with such high compatibility?

The next moment, Pei Siyue grabbed his wrist and flung him away hard. With lightning speed, he tore off the gland patch from the back of Pei Siming’s neck, snatched the inhibitor, and threw it into the abandoned servants' room.

After the door was closed, Pei Siyue saw the lock Pei Siming had prepared in advance and locked him right in.

After finishing all this, he stood at the door, listening to the muffled thumping sounds and the omega's moans from inside, his expression icy and scornful.

He hadn’t initially intended to retaliate against Pei Siming.

When those events happened in the previous generation, Pei Siming was just a newborn baby, merely a pawn pushed forward by Zhou Wei.

In their few brief interactions over the years, Pei Siming appeared clever but was actually utterly foolish. Pei Siyue couldn't be bothered with anyone that dumb. After returning to the country, he expelled Pei Siming from Hanfeng Group because Pei Siming had used his position to line his own pockets, causing losses to the group.

If Pei Siming had been smart enough to lay low and stop making a scene after being expelled, Pei Siyue might have tolerated him continuing to receive money from the family fund each year.

But Pei Siming was clearly not smart. Not only did he fail to learn his lesson, but he also turned his attention to Pei Siyue.

If that was the case, Pei Siyue had no issue cutting off all of Pei Siming’s options.

Especially after he discovered that Pei Siming was actually in love with Ruan Shuyang.

It was just that his foolish younger brother was always too blind to see what he truly wanted, always pushing away what he truly liked.

Fortunately, Pei Siming was foolish.

Otherwise, it would have been somewhat difficult for Pei Siyue to win Ruan Shuyang over, because Ruan Shuyang had once had feelings for Pei Siming.

He had felt his phone buzz earlier and was about to pull it out to respond when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the mansion entrance.

It was Ruan Shuyang.

He was very familiar with Ruan Shuyang’s footsteps—light and fast.

As soon as Ruan Shuyang stepped out of the Pei mansion, someone covered his mouth and pulled him by the waist into a nearby corner. He initially struggled but relaxed when a familiar aura enveloped him, remaining still.

Once they reached the corner, he saw Pei Siyue standing safely beside him and sighed in relief, asking softly, "Did something happen? You took a long time changing clothes."

"Something did happen," Pei Siyue admitted. "I’ll take you to see a show later."

Ruan Shuyang looked worried and confused, unsure of what had happened.

Pei Siyue didn’t say more, only lowered his head to stare at Ruan Shuyang, his index finger gently brushing Ruan Shuyang’s soft, pink lips.

Ruan Shuyang looked up and suddenly caught Pei Siyue’s intense, dark stare. His face turned red without him realizing, and his heart pounded.

At the dining table, Zhou Wei got more and more anxious as Pei Siming still hadn’t returned.

It was one thing if Pei Siyue hadn’t returned, but why hadn’t Pei Siming come back either? Had something gone wrong?

To avoid complications, only she and Pei Siming were involved in planning today’s scheme. In theory, Pei Siming should have returned by now to signal her about the outcome, but he still hadn’t appeared.

Her unease grew until she couldn't sit still any longer. Mustering her courage, she turned to Pei Yan beside her and said, "Siming hasn’t returned yet. I’d like to go check on him."

Pei Yan gave her a cold glance, completely cold, icy to the core, as if he saw right through her and was utterly disgusted.

Zhou Wei didn’t receive a response from Pei Yan, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She quickly stood up and hurried out.

One after another, people had left the dining table and hadn’t returned, which also caught the attention of the other Pei family members.

Pei Yan’s second cousin, the second uncle of Pei Siyue and his brothers, asked, "What’s going on? Everyone’s leaving and not coming back."

Pei’s second aunt added, "Let’s go out and take a look too."

Pei Yan neither approved nor objected. He watched as the second uncle and second aunt stood up and headed toward the garage.

Pei Yan also got up decisively to go and see.

As soon as they reached the entrance, they heard a muffled cry and immediately moved toward the source of the sound.

In a corner near the garage, Zhou Wei listened fearfully to the sounds coming from the abandoned servants' room. Pei Siming’s hoarse voice shouted, "Let me out!"

The second uncle and second aunt moved closer and clearly heard Pei Siming’s voice as well, their expressions turning grim.

Only Pei Yan remained calm. He instructed a man who seemed to be a steward beside him, "Bring an axe and break the lock."

The steward quickly brought an axe and broke the lock. Pei Siming rushed out immediately, his temple bloodied and his eyes wild with frenzy. He grabbed the second uncle and said, "Inhibitor, give me an inhibitor."

The second uncle, an alpha, quickly handed him the inhibitor he carried with him.

Pei Siming gave himself two shots before slowly calming down.

By then, the other family members of the Pei family had gradually gathered to see what was happening.

But upon seeing the scene, everyone fell silent, not daring to speak first.

Pei Yan said to the steward, "Escort the guests out."

Then he pointed at Zhou Wei and said, "You, go deal with the omega in the servants' room."

Zhou Wei was completely stunned. She didn’t understand why Pei Siyue, who should have been locked inside, had been replaced by Pei Siming. How had Pei Siming gotten injured? What exactly had happened inside?

But Pei Yan’s icy words snapped her back to reality. Trembling, she walked inside, afraid of what she might find.

To her relief, although the omega was struggling incessantly, flushed with heat, their clothes were intact, and it seemed nothing had happened.

She stepped forward and administered three doses of the strongest inhibitor to the omega. The omega convulsed a few times, rolled their eyes, and passed out.

It seemed nothing had happened.

She walked back out and saw Pei Siming, now calmer but with a bleeding forehead. She was worried and wanted to ask what had happened, to help treat his wound, but she didn’t dare say anything in front of Pei Yan.

Pei Siming slowly regained his composure, touched the wound on his temple that he had caused by hitting himself, and was furious.

Pei Siyue had taken his blocking patch and inhibitor and locked him in with an omega in heat. His compatibility with that omega was not low, and he had nearly lost his mind.

But subconsciously, he felt he couldn’t lose control. He struggled desperately to stay clear-headed, pushing away the omega that clung to him. To stay clear-headed, he even hurt himself, using pain to maintain rationality.

Fortunately, the door was broken open quickly; otherwise, he didn’t know what might have happened.

When he came to his senses, he saw Zhou Wei’s panicked face and Pei Yan’s cold, indifferent expression. Then, behind the crowd that hadn’t fully dispersed, he spotted Pei Siyue and Ruan Shuyang.

Instinctively, he wanted to go to Ruan Shuyang, to explain something, to say that all of this was Pei Siyue’s scheme. But then he saw Pei Siyue gently shaking Ruan Shuyang’s hand.

Ruan Shuyang glanced at Pei Siyue, and in his eyes was the trust and dependence he'd once seen—a look that had once been directed at him, but now...

He heard Pei Siyue say something to Ruan Shuyang, who was silent for a moment before slowly walked over to Pei Yan.

He heard Ruan Shuyang say, "Mr. Pei, I want to break off the engagement with Pei Siming."

He said this quietly, but the area around the servants' quarters was quiet, and everyone present—including the Pei family relatives who hadn’t yet left—heard it clearly.

Pei Siming felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him to the core and jolting him awake completely.

He suddenly realized that Ruan Shuyang had stopped liking him the moment he gave him over to Lu Zheng.

He was like a clown, putting on a farce.

Pei Siyue followed Ruan Shuyang and also walked over to Pei Yan, saying only, "I'll take my leave now."

He had no interest in the following drama and, after Ruan Shuyang finished speaking, took his hand and led him away.

Even after sitting in Pei Siyue’s car, Ruan Shuyang still hadn’t fully processed what had happened.

He had a vague sense that Pei Siming had tried to scheme against Pei Siyue but failed, and in the end, it seemed Pei Siming was the one who suffered.

He frowned, looking completely bewildered.

Pei Siyue, asked him while driving, "What’s wrong?"

Ruan Shuyang said sheepishly, his voice small, "I didn’t understand what just happened."

Pei Siyue said offhandedly, "Just a farce."

"Was Pei Siming trying to scheme against you?" Ruan Shuyang asked curiously. "He just didn’t succeed?"

Pei Siyue nodded, not denying it.

Ruan Shuyang pouted, dissatisfied, "He’s so terrible, always trying to scheme against everyone."

Just as they stopped at a red light, Pei Siyue took in Ruan Shuyang’s indignant pout and thought it was adorable.

Truthfully, he didn’t want to discuss Pei Siming at all and simply said, "He’s both foolish and wicked."

Totally twisted by how Zhou Wei raised him.

After passing another traffic light and gradually moving farther from the Pei family, he asked Ruan Shuyang, "Did you get enough to eat earlier?"

Ruan Shuyang had barely eaten after Pei Siyue left and answered honestly, "No."

"What would you like to eat?"

This time, Ruan Shuyang thought for a moment and said, "I feel like some good eel rice."

Pei Siyue took him to get eel rice. As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Ruan Shuyang received a message from Ruan Jianchuan asking how things were at the Pei family. He looked at the screen for a minute before replying directly: I won’t be returning to the Ruan family anymore. Don’t look for me.

After sending the message, he cut off all contact with the Ruan family. Then, turning to Pei Siyue, he asked, "After we eat, can we go somewhere?"

Pei Siyue nodded. "Where do you want to go?"

"I want to get a new SIM card."

A new number, to say goodbye to everything from the past.

After enjoying a delicious meal of eel rice, Pei Siyue took Ruan Shuyang to get a new SIM card. When they returned to Pei Siyue’s home, Ruan Shuyang saw Pei Siyue take out a brand-new, unopened phone and hand it to him.

Ruan Shuyang looked at the phone curiously. "Is this for me?"

Pei Siyue nodded.

Ruan Shuyang thought it was too much. "My current phone still works fine; I don’t need a new one."

Pei Siyue ruffled Ruan Shuyang’s hair. "I heard every child who finds a job receives a gift. Consider this your employment gift."

It seemed he was being treated like a child again, Ruan Shuyang thought, but being treated this way by Pei Siyue felt incredibly comforting.

He couldn’t put the new phone down, exploring its features, transferring data from his old phone, and updating all his accounts with the new number.

It seemed he was truly about to start a brand-new life.

Ruan Shuyang thought to himself.