Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Ruan Shuyang remained silent, offering no rebuttal. His face flushed visibly, a crimson so deep it seemed on the verge of bleeding.

Pei Siyue gently held Ruan Shuyang by the shoulders, easing him down. His thumb delicately traced Ruan Shuyang’s cheek and the soft hair at his temples, his voice a low, persuasive murmur, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you.”

Ruan Shuyang had been so overwhelmed by discomfort that his eyes were red-rimmed, a few tears welling up. His large, damp eyes were hazy, and for a moment, he couldn't quite grasp the nature of the help being offered.

That was until Pei Siyue’s hand slipped beneath the blanket.

The sensation was utterly unlike his own fumbling attempts. It was as if he, a traveler long parched under the desert sun, had suddenly encountered a gentle stream—an overwhelming urge to immerse himself completely, to drink deeply, more and more, as much as possible.

He burrowed entirely under the covers, only his small head peeking out, biting down on the blanket to stifle any sound or breath, his eyes tightly shut, eyelids quivering faintly.

A sudden emptiness washed over him, and he instinctively reached out beside the bed, blindly searching for Pei Siyue’s hand. Soon, his slender, soft fingers were enveloped by Pei Siyue’s larger hand, a silent comfort.

He drifted in the water, gently swaying with its currents, feeling increasingly at ease, when Pei Siyue suddenly tightened his grip on his other hand. Pei Siyue’s dark, intense eyes fixed on him as he asked, “Do you know who I am?”

At the same time, Pei Siyue slowed his pace, frustratingly teasing like scratching an itch through a boot—never quite satisfying.

Ruan Shuyang, left hanging and unbearably uncomfortable, couldn’t help but let out a muffled sob. With no other recourse, he pleaded with the very cause of his plight, “Gege.”

His voice was cloyingly sweet and intoxicating.

Pei Siyue resumed his meticulous, slow caresses, his tone coaxing and gentle. “So well-behaved.”

…

The water gently soothed the lily of the valley petals. The flower’s leaves gradually unfurled, trembling faintly, emitting an overwhelmingly sweet fragrance.

…

Ruan Shuyang suddenly curled into himself, tightly clutching Pei Siyue’s hand, his voice fractured and shaky. “Ge… Gege—”

Pei Siyue sat quietly by the bed, accompanying him, using his other hand to slowly pat and soothe his back and shoulders.

After a while, Pei Siyue withdrew his hand, wiped his fingers with a tissue, and said calmly, “Wait for me.”

He went to the ensuite bathroom, ran a towel under warm water, then returned to pull aside the soiled comforter and toss it at the foot of the bed. He used the warm towel to clean Ruan Shuyang.

Throughout, Ruan Shuyang lay curled on his side, still trembling slightly, too embarrassed to look at Pei Siyue.

By the time Pei Siyue returned from placing the towel back in the bathroom, Ruan Shuyang had already slipped into his underwear and sleep pants, mustering up his courage to glance at Pei Siyue.

The bedroom was brightly lit, and Pei Siyue’s face was clearly visible.

His expression was calm, but his gaze was unnervingly dark, as if it could devour him whole.

Ruan Shuyang’s heart leapt, a sudden panic washing over him. It took him a moment to remember what he wanted to say.

Hugging his shoulders and averting his gaze, he murmured, “Gege, thank you.”

But as soon as the word “Gege” left his lips, he remembered the circumstances under which he had called him that earlier.

He couldn’t help but feel vexed—why couldn’t he manage on his own? Why had he, in his muddled state, turned to Pei Siyue for help?

Pei Siyue walked to the wardrobe, opened it, took out a fresh blanket, and placed it beside Ruan Shuyang. Lowering his eyes to conceal his emotions, he restrainedly patted Ruan Shuyang’s hair. “Get some rest.”

With that, he picked up the soiled comforter from the foot of the bed and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Ruan Shuyang stammered, “I—I can throw it away myself.”

Pei Siyue only replied with a calm “It’s fine” before leaving with the dirty blanket.

Ruan Shuyang threw himself despairingly into the new blanket, covering his face with his hands, feeling too ashamed to ever face Pei Siyue again.

How could he have done such a thing—letting Pei Siyue help him, soiling the blanket, and then being cleaned up by Pei Siyue?

Moreover, when he tried to handle it himself, it was unbearably uncomfortable. But with Pei Siyue’s touch, it became so pleasurable that he couldn’t bring himself to refuse, until in the end…

He had made a mess of Pei Siyue too.

Ruan Shuyang thought despairingly. What made it worse was that he still hadn’t learned how to manage on his own. If this happened again, he truly didn’t know what to do.

**

Pei Siyue noticed that Ruan Shuyang was avoiding him.

During breakfast, he didn’t dare look at him, mumbling his words and keeping them as brief as possible. Even when commuting together, he sat rigidly upright in the passenger seat, minimizing his presence.

Pei Siyue understood Ruan Shuyang. He knew that a young omega experiencing such assistance for the first time was likely just shy. He could be patient—after all, the boy wasn’t going anywhere.

But when he saw Ruan Shuyang avoiding him even during lunch, he decided patience was no longer an option.

He had never been one to sit back passively; he preferred to take charge.

Coincidentally, that afternoon, Jiang Wu brought an urgent document for Ruan Shuyang, asking him to take it to Pei Siyue for the boss’s feedback.

Ruan Shuyang, still too embarrassed to face Pei Siyue, considered telling Jiang Wu to deliver it himself. But thinking of his salary and job responsibilities, he mustered his courage and took the document to Pei Siyue’s office.

After weaving past the potted plants into Pei Siyue’s office, he saw the man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on a phone call. Clutching the file, Ruan Shuyang waited quietly without a word.

Once Pei Siyue hung up, Ruan Shuyang kept his head down until he saw the other man turn toward him. Softly, he said, “Gege, there’s a document that needs your review.”

Pei Siyue returned to his desk chair and tapped the table. “Place it here.”

Ruan Shuyang approached, with downcast eyes, setting the file on the desk, intending to wait silently for Pei Siyue to finish before retrieving it.

But Pei Siyue didn’t open the file immediately. Instead, he looked at Ruan Shuyang’s lowered head, where only his black hair was visible, and asked, “Why won’t you look at me?”

Pei Siyue’s tone was calm, without any accusation, yet Ruan Shuyang grew instantly nervous. Stammering out, he replied, “I’m not avoiding you.”

Pei Siyue pointed out bluntly, “You haven’t lifted your head once.”

Reminded, Ruan Shuyang forced himself to look up, but the moment his eyes met Pei Siyue’s face, he quickly lowered his gaze again, not daring to look further. His cheeks flushed like the glow of dawn.

“You’re afraid to look at me,” Pei Siyue’s voice gave away no emotion. “Do you find me disgusting? Repulsive?”

Ruan Shuyang felt as if he had been backed into a corner. Startled by the question, he hurriedly looked up, flustered, and explained, “No, that’s not it! I don’t find you repulsive at all.”

Pei Siyue watched him quietly, neither urging him on nor speaking further.

Ruan Shuyang took a deep breath, his eyes darting away, but he mustered the courage to say, “I’m just… too embarrassed to look at you.”

“Why?”

Chewing on his lip, he whispered, “Last night… it was so embarrassing.”

Pei Siyue leaned forward, took Ruan Shuyang’s hand, and gently pulled him closer. He lifted Ruan Shuyang and settled him on his lap. Ruan Shuyang didn’t resist, only burrowed his head like an ostrich against Pei Siyue’s chest, not daring to meet his eyes.

Stroking Ruan Shuyang’s back, Pei Siyue continued to ask, “Why did you find it embarrassing?”

"It's just... I don't know how to do it myself." Ruan Shuyang buried himself in the familiar pheromones, instinctively feeling relaxed. Though still shy, he began to stammer, "Even watching videos doesn’t help me learn. I’m so hopeless, and I had to trouble you to help me, and even had that kind of physical reaction..."

"It's completely normal to have that reaction after last night." Pei Siyue's voice was soft and comforting as he gently coaxed, "There's no need to feel embarrassed. I'm your Enigma."

Ruan Shuyang slowly looked up, blinking in confusion as he gazed at Pei Siyue.

Could Pei Siyue really be considered *his* Enigma?

"Also, you always seem so calm, rational, and mature," Ruan Shuyang said, his tone slightly downcast. "But I'm so naive and green."

Pei Siyue took Ruan Shuyang's slender, soft hand in his palm and reassured him, "Don’t think like that. Maybe when I’m in rut, I'll need your help too."

"Sensitive period?"

Ruan Shuyang remembered learning about sensitive periods in biology class. Alphas seemed to have them every six months, but what about Enigmas?

"When will your next sensitive period be?"

Pei Siyue shook his head. "I don't know either. Enigmas don't have fixed sensitive periods. They're only triggered during extreme emotional fluctuations or under very intense emotions."

Ruan Shuyang paused for a moment before saying earnestly, "Then maybe it’s better if you never have one at all."

Pei Siyue gave a faint smile and gently touched Ruan Shuyang's cheek. "Okay."

Ruan Shuyang, too embarrassed to continue the topic, picked up the file he’d brought earlier and asked softly, "Can we look at it now?"

"Mm."

Pei Siyue responded casually but didn't open it. Instead, he peeled off Ruan Shuyang's blocking patch, revealing the soft scent gland beneath.

Ruan Shuyang grew nervous, swallowing hard before asking, "Are you... going to mark me?"

Wasn’t it just last Wednesday, and today was just Monday?

Pei Siyue didn't confirm whether it was a mark or not, only gently tracing Ruan Shuyang's gland and asking, "Did you feel any discomfort after the last marking?"

"No," Ruan Shuyang whispered, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is how it feels different really related to drug development?"

He had high school biology and felt something was off.

But biology class didn't cover drug development, so he couldn't be sure if Pei Siyue was right.

"It is related," Pei Siyue replied calmly, his expression betraying no guilt or nervousness. "It's about how fast the side effects fade for patients using the medication."

Ruan Shuyang found this explanation reasonable and nodded. It did seem to make sense.

In terms of treating his condition, Pei Siyue was basically his medication. The time it took for the discomfort to fade when Pei Siyue treated him would be the same for patients using the corresponding medication.

But... was that really how it worked?

Before Ruan Shuyang could think it through, he felt Pei Siyue's warm breath near his gland, his lips brushing lightly against it.

Then, he bit down.

There was a sharp prick at the moment of the bite, but it quickly turned into a blissful haze, intoxicating and irresistible.

The pheromones flowed in gently and slowly, making Ruan Shuyang feel as though he were drifting in waves, buoyant and weightless. He unconsciously closed his eyes, sinking weakly into Pei Siyue's chest, and fell asleep without even realizing when the mark ended.

Pei Siyue cleaned the blood and reapplied the blocking patch.

He had wanted to do this last night when he was helping but held back for fear of startling the young omega.

He opened the file Ruan Shuyang had brought, glanced over it, and sent the results to Jiang Wu.

After sending it, he thought about standing up to carry Ruan Shuyang to the bed in the break room for a more comfortable sleep. But as soon as he moved, the young omega in his arms let out a dissatisfied murmur, fisting his clothes tightly as if afraid he would leave.

Ruan Shuyang nestled in Pei Siyue's embrace, surrounded by the Enigma's pheromones, sleeping soundly. His small hand instinctively gripped Pei Siyue's clothes, unwilling to let go.

Seeing this, Pei Siyue simply adjusted Ruan Shuyang into a more comfortable position, continuing to hold him in his arms. He gently tapped Ruan Shuyang's cute nose with his finger.

"You avoid me when you're awake, but cling to me when you're asleep," he said with a light laugh. "You ungrateful little thing."

When Ruan Shuyang woke up, he was still nestled in Pei Siyue's arms. Pei Siyue was scrolling through documents on his computer, occasionally typing very softly on the keyboard.

At first, he was confused, disoriented about why he was cuddled up to Pei Siyue. Then he slowly remembered the mark.

It felt so good that he didn't even know when he had fallen asleep.

He cautiously glanced at Pei Siyue, who seemed engrossed in work and unaware that he had woken up. Slowly, he slid off Pei Siyue's lap. As he did, he accidentally got an eyeful of Pei Siyue’s partly unbuttoned shirt, revealing a toned and athletic build underneath—muscles not exaggerated but firm and strong.

Actually, leaning against him was really comfortable.

The thought made Ruan Shuyang's ears flush pink, and his heartbeat quickened.

Perhaps because the work he was handling was urgent, Pei Siyue didn't comment on him sliding off. He only lightly rapped his knuckles on the desk when Ruan Shuyang tried to leave after sliding down.

Ruan Shuyang, who had just turned away, went rigid instantly, not daring to move.

With his back to Pei Siyue, he couldn't see his expression but heard him ask in a rough, sleep-tinged voice, "Use me and then just leave?"

It sounded like an accusation of his heartless behavior.

Ruan Shuyang didn't understand how he had become the heartless one and slowly turned around to explain, "I—I saw you were working and didn't want to disturb you."

Pei Siyue turned away from the computer to look at him. "When has it not been you disturbing me?"

Ruan Shuyang thought about his job responsibilities and couldn’t argue.

It did seem like he was always the one disturbing him.

Ugh, now it felt like Jiang Wu had tricked him. Jiang Wu had said he was well-suited for this job and made it sound simple—just reminding him to eat, delivering files, or occasionally driving. He never mentioned how difficult it would be.

He had to disturb Pei Siyue many times.

Every time he disturbed him, he could sense that Pei Siyue wasn't happy.

A workplace veteran had bamboozled a newbie, glossing over the hard parts and never mentioning that Pei Siyue might get displeased.

Although Pei Siyue had never gotten angry with him or even shown a stern expression, Ruan Shuyang could still feel the low pressure, the water-scented pheromones becoming oppressive.

It kinda scared him.

His train of thought derailed, he blurted out, "It was me disturbing you. So... what should I do?"

Completely forgetting what Pei Siyue meant by "using" him.

Pei Siyue looked at him for a while, until Ruan Shuyang's heartbeat raced so fast he wondered if there was something strange on his face. Only then did Pei Siyue say, "Don't avoid me next time."

Ruan Shuyang sat back in his seat, *Oh no, was I that obvious?*

He didn't think it showed; he just didn't have the nerve to look.

But Pei Siyue noticed.

It seemed like he couldn't hide anything from him.

Pei Siyue was so clever while he felt so dumb.

**

After the incident at the villa, Pei Siming was down for several days.

He spent those days feeling lost until a call from Liang Qiang woke him up, and he slowly realized he couldn't continue like this.

If he worked hard and achieved something, maybe Ruan Shuyang would actually see him in a new light, no longer with such cold eyes.

Maybe he would see his strengths and care about him again.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt motivated again.

So, he attended several dinners with Liang Qiang. At the third one, when both were drunk, Liang Qiang revealed a project to him: post-mark cleansing medication.

This drug helps omegas recover their gland and reproductive tract functions after undergoing the Mark Cleansing Technique, greatly reducing surgical side effects.

It’s easy to imagine how popular this drug would be once it passed Phase III clinical trials and successfully hit the market, along with its massive market potential and profit margins.

Almost every omega who has undergone or is about to undergo the Mark Cleansing Technique would need this drug.

Though Pei Siming was no business whiz, he had good enough sense. After a moment’s thought, he understood the importance of this drug and asked incredulously, "You want to partner with me on this project?"

Liang Qiang, smelling like alcohol, said calmly, "If Mr. Pei doubts this project, you can check Ruiji’s official website. The R&D progress is publicly disclosed there."

Pei Siming felt this opportunity was too good to be true. Right then and there, he took out his phone in front of Liang Qiang to check the progress on the official website. He found that the project dated back seven years, had been in development for a long time, and had only recently entered Phase III clinical trials.

Of course, Phase III clinical trials also meant a funding shortfall.

Volunteers had already been recruited, and the trials were scheduled to start in half a month.

After confirming the project was legit, Pei Siming was still unsure why Liang Qiang had approached him.

They weren’t particularly close, were they? Pei Siming worried it might be a scam.

But Ruiji had been developing this project for seven years, with investment in the billions. It was impossible that so much time and money had been spent just to scam a little investment from him.

Liang Qiang showed Pei Siming the investment agreement and said meaningfully, "Mr. Pei, this opportunity won't last. You must seize this chance."

After Liang Qiang left, Pei Siming, though he was drunk, read the agreement. He found no issues and had his personal lawyer review it.

The lawyer said the investment agreement looked solid, with the biggest risk being that the project might not make money.

Pei Siming believed the project was sure to pay off. Once the drug was developed and approved for market release, it would be the only one capable of repairing glands and reproductive cavities after the Mark Cleansing Technique, with a massive market and huge profit potential.

The required investment was 100 million.

100 million.

He gritted his teeth and decided to invest all his assets, even asking Zhou Wei to contribute her savings. Together, it should be enough.

Since the project was already in Phase III clinical trials, it could get approved in six months to a year. Soon, he might even be able to buy a Pagani Zonda.

He could endure a year or so of tight budgeting, relying only on the family foundation’s monthly payout.

Although Pei Yan had recently reduced his allowance to one-tenth of its original amount—only about 100,000 a month—because of what he'd done, he could bear it.

Once the drug was approved, he would have an endless cash flow and would surely become richer than Pei Siyue.

Then, he could make Ruan Shuyang notice him again.

He had made a mistake, in a moment of poor judgment to try to hand Ruan Shuyang over to Lu Zheng. Once he made big money, he would make it up to him properly.

He could make it right.

Before investing, he called Liang Qiang to ask point-blank about the details.

"Such a great project—how did I get picked when I have little connection with Ruiji?"

"The group develops many drugs, and annual R&D investment is huge," Liang Qiang sighed, lowering his voice. "This year, a large sum is being invested in the vas deferens block drug, leaving this project short on funds. We tried applying for a bank loan, but the terms were too tough. Other local companies asked for too high a dividend share."

"Mr. Pei, frankly, private investors with your financial strength are rare."

These words were evasive, but Pei Siming got the picture.

As a private investor, he demanded fewer dividends and was easier to work with, unlike other companies with exorbitant demands.

With that, Pei Siming was completely sold and decided to invest all his assets.

He immediately withdrew all available funds and asked Zhou Wei to contribute her savings.

Zhou Wei was very reluctant, warning he might be getting scammed. He showed her the contract, saying it was a project he fought for and that such a good opportunity might not come again.

Seeing how determined, even almost desperate, Pei Siming was, Zhou Wei, as his only son, didn’t dare say more and reluctantly gave him the money.

Three days later, Pei Siming pulled together 100 million and went to Ruiji to sign the contract.

Another three days later, Phase III clinical trials officially began.

**

On Thursday, Jiang Wu brought a package for Ruan Shuyang. Discovering it contained samples of his designs, he excitedly opened it to see how his creations had turned out.

So beautiful.

Genuine pheromone-blocking materials were difficult to produce and unsuitable for sampling, so same-colored materials were used instead, which were sufficient for evaluating the effect.

He saw stunning silver-white necklaces, some adorned with tiny colored gems, others with large black jade. Each piece was exquisite and captivating.

Ruan Shuyang was finally beginning to appreciate the joy of running his own jewelry store.

Looking at beautiful jewelry truly lifted his spirits.

This was the first time he saw his designs turned into physical objects. He couldn’t resist picking up the samples and trying them on one by one in front of the mirror. The joy of seeing his designs come to life was like watching seeds he had carefully nurtured slowly bloom.

He desperately wanted to share this with someone.

But he didn’t have any particularly close friends. Would it be inappropriate to share such things with seniors like Chi Ye or Gu Jin?

Pei Siyue had left on urgent business the previous night and was likely busy with work. Ruan Shuyang didn’t want to disturb him.

But soon, Pei Siyue messaged him: "Did you receive the samples?"

Ruan Shuyang immediately replied: "Yes, they’re very beautiful."

Pei Siyue: "Send me some pictures."

Ruan Shuyang snapped pictures of a few necklace prototypes and sent them to Pei Siyue.

Pei Siyue: Put them on and send pics.

Ruan Shuyang: Got it.

He recalled that it was the same last time—Pei Siyue had asked him to put on the necklace and take a photo.

You get used to it. This time, he was less stiff than last time. He tried on each necklace one by one and took separate photos for Pei Siyue.