Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The next morning, Ruan Shuyang awoke to his alarm, feeling disoriented.

He sat up in bed, and it took him a few minutes to slowly realize that his memory was hazy after drinking the fizzy drink the night before.

He only vaguely remembered his limbs turning weak and being unable to walk after drinking it. Chi Ye offered to take him home, but he refused and called Pei Siyue instead.

Pei Siyue, displeased, came to pick him up and asked why he had been drinking.

He… had been drinking?

But wasn't it just a fizzy drink? Could it have contained alcohol?

Ruan Shuyang rubbed his nose, concluding there must have been alcohol, otherwise he wouldn't have felt so weak, and his memory after that wouldn't be so blurry.

Feeling guilty, after washing up, he went downstairs and saw Pei Siyue making breakfast in the kitchen. He stood meekly at the kitchen door and confessed, "Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have drunk last night."

Pei Siyue was frying salmon and didn't turn to look at him, simply asking, "So you know you were drinking?"

Ruan Shuyang hung his head, crestfallen, and said, "I didn't know when I was drinking, but I know now."

Pei Siyue placed the cooked salmon on the table, washed his hands, untied his apron, and walked over to Ruan Shuyang. He gently ran his fingers over Ruan Shuyang's lips—they were indeed more swollen than usual.

He hadn't controlled his strength last night and had kissed a bit too forcefully.

Ruan Shuyang felt a slight sting and instinctively flinched.

Pei Siyue asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It's fine," Ruan Shuyang replied, feeling it. "It doesn't hurt much."

Pei Siyue led him to sit at the dining table and asked again, "Does your head hurt?"

Ruan Shuyang answered truthfully, "It hurt a little when I first woke up, but it doesn't hurt now."

Pei Siyue pushed a plate of salmon towards him. "Eat your breakfast."

Ruan Shuyang was surprised and confused.

"Brother, aren't you going to punish me?"

Pei Siyue simply said, "You were punished last night."

Last night?

Ruan Shuyang tried hard to recall what happened after he returned last night but found much of it hazy.

Seeing his confusion, Pei Siyue kindly reminded him, "Last night, when I was feeding you water, you wouldn't let me leave and grabbed me to kiss me."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Shuyang’s face immediately flushed crimson.

He stammered, "I… I grabbed Brother and kissed him last night?"

Pei Siyue gave a confirming "Mm-hmm."

"You kissed so hard your lips are swollen," Pei Siyue calmly pointed out the key detail. "So there's no further punishment."

Ruan Shuyang: "..."

He practically buried his head in his plate, too embarrassed to look at Pei Siyue.

How could he have done such a thing—clinging to Pei Siyue and kissing him? And the crucial part was that Pei Siyue had… cooperated.

He knew himself well; if Pei Siyue hadn't cooperated, he definitely wouldn't have been able to hold onto him.

As he walked to school with his backpack, he slowly emerged from the earlier embarrassment, and memories of the previous night gradually returned.

Pei Siyue had taken the initiative to kiss him and had also reciprocated his kisses.

Were they… dating?

But Pei Siyue hadn't said anything, only told him to figure it out on his own.

He couldn't make sense of it.

By the time he reached school, the first class was about to begin, so he sat in the lecture hall and listened attentively.

After the first two general history classes, he received a message from Chi Ye, who formally requested to have lunch with him, saying he had something important to discuss.

Ruan Shuyang thought it might be about the club and agreed.

They met at a Western restaurant off campus. When Ruan Shuyang arrived, Chi Ye was already seated at a corner table.

After they sat down and ordered, Ruan Shuyang asked, "What did you need to discuss, Senior? Is it something about the club?"

"No."

Since Ruan Shuyang had entered the restaurant, Chi Ye had been observing him closely.

Frankly, from the surface, it was hard to tell whether Ruan Shuyang was under surveillance or being mentally manipulated.

Ruan Shuyang looked to be in high spirits, his large eyes bright and alert, his smile playful and vibrant. He wasn't difficult to arrange a meeting with and didn't seem like someone whose freedom was restricted.

If anything, Chi Ye actually felt that Ruan Shuyang was doing much better than during their first meeting, when he had been timid and reserved.

Back then, Ruan Shuyang had seemed like a wilting lily of the valley, his eyes lacking light and life, and he had appeared very ill at ease.

Now, Ruan Shuyang was clearly much more self-assured and at ease, as if he had been doing well these days.

Maybe Chi Ye had overthought things or misunderstood?

But whether it was a misunderstanding or not, he felt it necessary to caution Ruan Shuyang.

Ruan Shuyang, seeing that Chi Ye had been silent and just staring at him, asked a bit uneasily, "Senior, what’s this really about?"

Chi Ye took a deep breath and first asked, "Is Pei Siyue good to you?"

Ruan Shuyang answered without hesitation, "Very good."

"Does he often ask you to report your whereabouts? Does he have someone monitoring you or have a tracker on you?"

Ruan Shuyang frowned at that, and the smile disappeared from his face.

"Senior, what are you trying to say?"

Chi Ye closed his eyes for a moment and explained, "It's like this: last night, when you called Pei Siyue to come get you, he asked where you were, but you didn't tell him. Afterward, he didn't call to ask but found you in a very short time."

"I suspect he has someone monitoring your whereabouts or has put a tracker on you. Do you have anything he gave you on you?"

Ruan Shuyang was taken aback upon hearing this and immediately shook his head, saying, "Impossible!"

Chi Ye's expression was serious. "Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. If he didn't do those things, how did he track you down last night?"

Ruan Shuyang fell silent after hearing this and murmured, "Maybe I mentioned the location, but you don't remember, Senior. Besides, gatherings are usually near campus, so it's easy to find."

Chi Ye shook his head. "I’m sure I never heard you say it, and I didn't mention it either."

Ruan Shuyang went quiet.

Chi Ye knew Ruan Shuyang didn't believe him and was even resistant to discussing it, which made him even more worried.

He didn't know how to persuade someone in this situation or how to wake someone who might be pretending to be asleep. Frowning, he thought it over again and again but could only say bluntly, "You need to be careful, protect yourself. Don't let someone slowly mentally control you like a frog boiled in water, little by little, trapped at home until you can only rely on them."

Chi Ye didn’t hold back. He wasn't afraid of Pei Siyue retaliating or anything else. Second Young Master Chi wasn’t easily intimidated.

Ruan Shuyang was particularly sensitive to the topic of mental control, and he went pale upon hearing it.

His lips trembled slightly, as the phrase "mental control" brought up very bad memories.

Before Yu Xianpo died, he had almost been mentally controlled by Ruan Jianchuan, to the point where he was out of his mind.

He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not think about the past.

What Chi Ye had just said was, "little by little, trapped at home until you can only rely on them."

Ruan Shuyang looked down and stayed quiet for a moment before saying in a quiet but firm voice, "No."

Not only was it not happening, but Pei Siyue also encouraged him to build his career, helped him gradually get to know the company, and didn't restrict his schooling or normal interactions with classmates.

Chi Ye gave him a frustrated look. "You won't even let others give you a ride home because of him, and you still say you're not mentally controlled?"

Ruan Shuyang replied matter-of-factly, "But when an omega has an enigma, they should maintain distance from other enigmas or alphas."

Because an enigma wouldn't want to smell another’s pheromones on their omega.

Chi Ye was too stunned to speak for a long time, slumped back in his seat, unable to process it.

Were Ruan Shuyang and Pei Siyue actually a couple?

The two were such a bad match. Pei Siyue's mind was too complex, like a piece of paper dyed solid black—no white left, while Ruan Shuyang was a blank slate.

Ruan Shuyang would be eaten alive by Pei Siyue, not even a trace left. He might truly be mentally controlled by Pei Siyue, be PUA’d.

It was said that enigmas could easily achieve mental control through their pheromones.

After a long while, he asked, his voice rough, "Then, will Pei Siyue keep his distance from others for you?"

Ruan Shuyang cocked his head, thinking. He hadn't made such a request, but...

"I’ve never caught another’s pheromone scent on him."

He paused, then added, "Senior, thanks for looking out for me, but this is between me and Brother."

He left right after the meal. On his way to the classroom, he reviewed the events of the previous night.

He indeed hadn't mentioned his location during the phone call last night, yet Pei Siyue found him quickly.

He also did have things Pei Siyue gave him—all his clothes were from him—but he wore different clothes every day, and Pei Siyue wouldn't know what he’d wear the next day.

The only things he always carried were his phone and the necklace.

Ruan Shuyang absentmindedly touched the spiked rose necklace he always wore and clutched his phone.

He stood still for a moment before continuing to walk as if nothing had happened.

When he reached the classroom, he started fretting over something else.

Were he and Pei Siyue really dating?

Why did almost everyone who saw or knew them think so?

What did Pei Siyue think? Would he want to be in a relationship with him?

He recalled that kiss, the frequent confusion, and asking why Pei Siyue treated him so well, only to be told to figure it out on his own.

Now he was starting to understand.

If they weren't a couple, they wouldn't kiss.

If they weren't a couple, Pei Siyue wouldn't treat him so well.

If they weren't a couple, Pei Siyue wouldn't give him so many things.

No wonder Pei Siyue didn't like being seen as an elder—did he want them to be partners?

He wasn't sure if his reasoning was correct even as class began.

He decided to ask Pei Siyue tonight.

It was hard for him to hide things from Pei Siyue, and besides, Pei Siyue was so sharp that he didn't even try to hide. It was better to just ask directly.

Pei Siyue liked directness and disliked concealment.

After his afternoon classes, he received a message from Pei Siyue saying he would be home around nine tonight and that Ruan Shuyang should eat dinner without waiting.

He sent a message reminding him: "Brother, don't forget to eat dinner too. Send me a picture."

After starting school, he no longer had time to deliver documents, but he still made sure to remind Pei Siyue about meals three times a day. Without reminders, Pei Siyue would skip meals when busy, finding them troublesome and a waste of work time.

Ruan Shuyang wouldn't allow Pei Siyue to harm his health like this. After discovering Pei Siyue's tendency to neglect meals, he even asked for photos of what he ate.

When he first made this request, he felt audacious for daring to manage Pei Siyue's affairs. But then he remembered that this was precisely the duty of a life assistant—to take care of Pei Siyue's well-being and ensure he didn't starve himself.

Pei Siyue, who was in the lab, felt helpless upon receiving the message. He could only ask someone to buy him a boxed meal from the cafeteria and then dutifully send a picture to Ruan Shuyang as if completing a task.

Since Ruan Shuyang became his assistant, he experienced for the first time what it was like to be managed, with someone monitoring his three daily meals.

He was supposed to be unruly and dislike such control, but he didn't actually mind being managed.

This was a right he had granted Ruan Shuyang.

He was willing.

Giving him the position of life assistant was precisely for the little omega to do this.

He just hadn't expected that the role, initially created to give the little omega pocket money, would be taken so seriously—to the point where he was truly being managed.

Seeing Pei Siyue's compliant response, Ruan Shuyang inexplicably recalled Chi Ye's words again.

He refuted so firmly because he felt completely free, without any sense of being controlled.

He even dared to tell Pei Siyue what to do.

He'd seen what mentally controlled people were like—they wouldn't dare to challenge the one controlling them.

Moreover, he'd heard that people who are PUA'd are constantly put down, lose their confidence, and become dependent on their manipulator.

Although he was indeed growing more reliant on Pei Siyue, he hadn't lost his confidence. On the contrary, he felt much more self-assured than before.

He even dared to sell items worth millions—something that would have been absolutely impossible in the Ruan family.

So he trusted Pei Siyue.

**

When Pei Siyue returned home a little after nine, Ruan Shuyang was sitting on the sofa watching an anime, laughing out loud at the funny parts.

His laughter was like the clear, pleasant sound of a silver bell chiming in the wind.

Pei Siyue put down his things, washed his hands, and sat on the sofa, asking, "What are you watching?"

Ruan Shuyang smiled and said, "It's a cooking anime show. I think a lot of cooking anime are super exaggerated—the dishes they show can't really be made in real life."

As he spoke, he picked up the remote and turned off the projector. Sitting back on the sofa, he worked up the courage to look at Pei Siyue.

Although Pei Siyue had never been harsh or angry with him, he still felt pressure whenever he wanted to have a serious conversation with him.

The Enigma's pheromone level was far higher than his, creating a really oppressive feeling—a fear rooted in his biological instincts that was hard to control.

However, it was said that after a lifelong mark, the Enigma's pressure over the Omega would lessen.

Oh no, what was he thinking?

He patted his cheeks to snap out of it and looked up at Pei Siyue sitting beside him.

Pei Siyue’s expression was as calm as ever, his dark eyes as deep as the ocean.

He swallowed, unsure how to begin.

Pei Siyue reached out and gently touched his cheek, asking, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Ruan Shuyang suddenly felt less nervous. He rubbed his cheek against Pei Siyue’s hand, then held that large, slender, and strong hand in his. "Brother, last night I don't think I told you where I was. How did you find me so quickly?"

Pei Siyue looked down at him and asked in a light tone, "What do you think?"

Ruan Shuyang shook his head honestly. "I don't know."

Pei Siyue traced Ruan Shuyang’s pink lips with his finger, then slid it down to his collarbone.

Ruan Shuyang was very thin, and even a slightly loose collar revealed his delicate collarbones, now adorned with a thin silver necklace.

Ruan Shuyang asked seriously, "Brother, will you control me?"

He tilted his head up, exposing his graceful neck and delicate throat. Pei Siyue’s hand gently brushed over it, but Ruan Shuyang showed no fear or resistance, still looking at him with complete trust.

Ruan Shuyang’s beautiful almond eyes were as clear as water, easily revealing all his emotions.

Pei Siyue still didn't answer directly, instead asking softly, "What do you think?"

Without hesitation, Ruan Shuyang shook his head, his voice clear, soft, and full of trust. "Brother, you're so good—you wouldn't control me."

"I believe you wouldn't hurt me."

Pei Siyue raised his other hand and gently covered Ruan Shuyang’s eyes.

Faced with such innocent, trusting eyes, he felt tainted and unworthy.

He wasn't a good person—never had been.

His lips moved slightly as he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Don't think I'm that good."

Ruan Shuyang gently took hold of Pei Siyue’s hand covering his eyes and slowly lowered it, holding it with his slender fingers.

"As long as you're a good person to me, that's enough."

He didn't want to push the subject further and thought of bringing up something else, but he didn't know how to start.

Unconsciously, his face flushed, and his eyes darted around nervously.

Pei Siyue asked, "What's wrong?"

"Um, I…"

This time, Ruan Shuyang really didn't know how to put it, stammering with a timid expression.

Pei Siyue didn't rush him, waiting patiently.

After a long moment, Ruan Shuyang worked up his nerve again and looked at Pei Siyue. "Brother, a lot of people at school who see us think we're dating. Are we… dating?"

To his great surprise, Pei Siyue laughed when he heard this.

A faint smile appeared on Pei Siyue’s face, his voice low and gentle.

"You finally caught on."

Ruan Shuyang looked both shocked and confused.

Then, Pei Siyue gently lifted his chin.

Pei Siyue leaned in close, surrounding him completely in the Enigma’s pheromones, his handsome face right in front of him.

He heard Pei Siyue say clearly and directly for the first time, "Ruan Shuyang, I like you."

"Not as a brother likes a brother, but as an Enigma likes an Omega—the way one likes a partner."

Ruan Shuyang’s jaw dropped, completely frozen.

Meaningless noise roared in his mind, and it took him a long time to process what Pei Siyue had said.

He liked him—the way one likes a partner.

Since when? Had Pei Siyue helped him because he liked him?

Too many thoughts flashed through his mind, making it impossible to think calmly or rationally.

He wanted to ask for time to think, to go back to his room and sort it out, but Pei Siyue wouldn't let him.

Pei Siyue’s hand gripped his slender shoulders, not letting him escape. Despite the forceful gesture, Pei Siyue’s tone remained polite as he asked, "Can we start dating?"

Those words were like a spell, breaking Ruan Shuyang’s docile demeanor.

He was startled, his body trembling violently before he began shaking his head frantically.

"No, no, I don’t want to be in a relationship..."

On some level, he was deeply resistant to the idea of being in a relationship, which was why he had never even considered it.

Pei Siyue’s expression darkened instantly, but he didn’t snap immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself before asking, "Why?"

Ruan Shuyang’s lips parted slightly, his delicate, striking face filled with confusion and helplessness. For a long moment, he didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

Pei Siyue waited patiently for a response, appearing calm on the surface, yet never releasing his grip on Ruan Shuyang’s shoulder.

Ruan Shuyang slowly came back to himself and looked at Pei Siyue, who had been sitting beside him waiting. He pressed his lips together, feeling that he should at least muster the courage to tell Pei Siyue everything.

Pei Siyue had been so good to him, had helped him so much—the least he could do was let him know why he wanted to refuse.

Gripping Pei Siyue’s arm, Ruan Shuyang’s soft, gentle voice sounded a little raspy as he said, "Brother."

Pei Siyue looked down at Ruan Shuyang, his expression unusually grim.

Ruan Shuyang swallowed hard and began to speak with difficulty, "You should know... I am the child of Ruan Jianchuan’s extramarital affair with my mother, Yu Xianpo."

Pei Siyue nodded.

Ruan Shuyang took a deep breath and continued, "By all accounts, my mother was the 'other woman' who destroyed someone else’s family, unforgivable. We owe a great debt to Pan Lan and her child, who were hurt because of this. But the truth is... it wasn’t like that."

"When Ruan Jianchuan pursued my mother, he told her he was single. At first, my mother didn’t like him. She thought Ruan Jianchuan had no talent or ability and had a bit of a temper. But Ruan Jianchuan pursued her for half a year, spending most of his time orbiting her, playing humble and attentive. Eventually, my mother was moved and thought she could give him a chance, so they started dating."

"But just one week after they started dating, when my mother invited Ruan Jianchuan to her home, he intentionally removed her blocking patch and used his pheromones to induce her heat, to induce…"

Ruan Shuyang couldn’t go on. His hand, holding Pei Siyue’s, trembled, and his lips were bitten until they turned pale.

Pei Siyue seemed to understand what he was trying to say. He released Ruan Shuyang’s shoulder and instead held his trembling hand, whispering gently, "If it’s too painful, you don’t have to say it."

Ruan Shuyang shook his head, tears streaming down his face. Choking back sobs, he said, "After that... my mother was permanently marked, and she became pregnant with me."

"Ruan Jianchuan talked her into carrying the pregnancy to term, promising to take responsibility but refusing to marry her. By the time my mother realized something was wrong, I was already too far along to terminate."

"After giving birth to me, Ruan Jianchuan leveraged his paternal rights to take me to Pan Lan’s side while we were still in the hospital. He used me and the permanent mark to control my mother, making her design jewelry for him without pay, to make money for him."

"It was only then that my mother found out Ruan Jianchuan was actually the third son of the chairman of Ruan's Jewelry, the least talented of them. But later, thanks to the jewelry designs my mother created, which sold extremely well, he raked in huge profits and became the true successor."

"Just like that, Ruan Jianchuan controlled me and used the dominance and submission bound up in the permanent mark to force my mother to design for him, until her health deteriorated and she could no longer draw. She passed away."

In this entire situation, it might seem as though Pan Lan and her child were innocent, largely blameless.

But Yu Xianpo didn’t believe that Pan Lan was unaware of what Ruan Jianchuan was doing.

Half a year of pursuit—buying breakfast every morning, accompanying her at work late into the night, staying by her side during the early stages of her pregnancy, monitoring Yu Xianpo to prevent her from aborting the child.

All of these actions required time. Yu Xianpo refused to believe that Pan Lan didn’t know what her husband, who never came home, was doing. She had clearly turned a blind eye to his actions.

She was enabling him.

Ruan Jianchuan and his wife worked together, exploiting an omega’s vulnerabilities and using a child to manipulate Yu Xianpo.

The courtship had been a calculated scheme from the very beginning.

In her final days, Yu Xianpo’s mental state deteriorated significantly. Often, she would clutch Ruan Shuyang’s arm with her skeletal fingers, telling him not to get involved with an alpha, not to accept a mark, warning him that he would be controlled, dominated, and driven to submit by instinct.

These words left a deep imprint on Ruan Shuyang’s heart.

Because of this, he was terrified of the dominance and submission inherent in marking, and he was equally afraid of entering a relationship with anyone.

He was afraid of being induced into heat by pheromones, which was also why he had been so deeply moved when he discovered that Pei Siyue had made a blocking necklace for him.

Ruan Shuyang’s voice was very soft as he held Pei Siyue’s hand, so faint it could barely be heard.

"Brother, my mother told me not to fall in love with anyone, because once you’re in love, people change."

"I’m so afraid."

In her final moments, Yu Xianpo had rasped out many warnings to him, including not to believe an alpha who talks about dating—it’s all a lie. If they’re truly sincere, they’ll propose marriage directly.

Even though he knew it wasn’t right, he couldn’t help but be afraid.

Ruan Shuyang’s tears fell like scattered beads, streaming down endlessly.

He cried silently, his expression filled with sorrow and guilt.

He knew his mental state wasn’t right, knew that perhaps he shouldn’t resist Pei Siyue like this, but he was powerless against it.