Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Pei Siyue touched Ruan Shuyang's forehead, confirming it was warm. The lily of the valley scent in the lounge had also grown sweet and intoxicating.

They were flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The plane was steady, and the lounge was quiet, with only the occasional faint hum of the engine.

No one knew how hot and humid it was inside the lounge.

Ruan Shuyang didn’t understand why Pei Siyue was again looking at him with those deep, dark eyes but doing nothing.

He felt so uncomfortable that he couldn’t help but plead, calling out softly, "Brother."

"Are you uncomfortable?" Pei Siyue still appeared calm, stroking his hair and gently patting his back. "Tell me, are you hot?"

"Hot."

Ruan Shuyang sniffled, his eyes red and warm. His mind wasn’t clear; it felt like there was a huge void inside him that could only be filled with pheromones. He didn’t understand why Pei Siyue still refused to give them to him.

After holding back again and again, seeing that Pei Siyue wasn’t making a move, he decided to seek out the pheromones himself.

He remembered Pei Siyue saying that bodily fluids also contained a lot of pheromones—last time, it seemed like kissing.

Vaguely recalling this, his slender, pale arms, like lotus roots, wrapped around Pei Siyue’s neck as he slowly brought his small, cherry lips closer.

Just one second before their lips touched, Pei Siyue asked in a low voice, "Does it itch inside?"

"No."

His soft lips pressed against Pei Siyue’s, and Pei Siyue parted his lips in response, gently coaxing his soft, wet tongue.

Finally tasting the pheromones was like drinking the sweetest mountain spring water. He kept drinking him in.

Pei Siyue held Ruan Shuyang’s body, kissing him back while struggling to maintain his composure.

It probably wasn’t a real heat—just a false heat triggered by the three markings.

Not a true heat, but it would only subside after being fully satisfied once.

After all, an Enigma’s pheromones easily captivate omegas. Giving even a little more was like prying open a gap; it had to be filled completely to satisfy.

That’s why he had always been cautious not to give too much. But today, he couldn’t hold back. Even three brief markings had left Ruan Shuyang craving stronger pheromones.

He wanted Ruan Shuyang to be enchanted by his pheromones, so he would never leave.

But he also didn’t want Ruan Shuyang to become too obsessed, losing himself in the process.

However, Ruan Shuyang’s gland couldn’t handle another marking now. He turned Ruan Shuyang’s body, laying him on top of himself, then gently cradled Ruan Shuyang’s head and deepened the kiss.

Ruan Shuyang’s tongue felt numb from the suction, and he let out a soft whimper. Then he felt Pei Siyue rip off his own gland patch on the back of his neck.

The pheromones in the lounge instantly intensified. Ruan Shuyang felt as if he were floating in a vast ocean, his consciousness slipping away.

The scent of lily of the valley grew increasingly sweet and cloying.

Ruan Shuyang didn’t know when he was laid flat on the bed. Pei Siyue’s hand moved downward as he continued kissing him. Under the intense stimulation of the Enigma pheromones, Ruan Shuyang’s mind went blank.

When he came to, he was breathing softly, feeling so comfortable it was as if every pore in his body had opened. He felt warm, lazy, and too blissfully exhausted to move a finger.

Pei Siyue was wiping him clean and changing him into fresh clothes. He knew he should be doing it himself, but he was too comfortable and drained of energy.

By the time he slowly recovered, Pei Siyue was already lying beside him again, holding his shoulder and asking softly, "Feel good?"

Though Ruan Shuyang was still shy, his previous experiences made it easier now. Mustering his courage, he whispered, "So good."

Pei Siyue’s fingers gently brushed his cheek, his voice even softer. "Get some sleep."

Ruan Shuyang’s body was indeed exhausted, as if he had just done an intense workout that drained all his energy. He curled up against Pei Siyue but didn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he kept his eyes open, struggling to stay awake.

Pei Siyue looked down and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Ruan Shuyang hesitated, gazing at Pei Siyue. After a long moment, he blushed and mumbled, "Brother, you... you haven’t..."

He had a feeling that Pei Siyue wanted something too but hadn’t done anything. He knew it was partly due to his own body’s limitations.

But there had to be another way to satisfy him, just as Pei Siyue had done for him.

He couldn’t be the only one feeling good every time. He couldn’t always receive without reciprocating.

After he said this, he clearly felt Pei Siyue’s pheromones change. The surrounding scent grew searingly intense.

Pei Siyue closed his eyes briefly. When he looked at Ruan Shuyang again, his dark eyes seemed to hold a deep, swirling whirlpool that could pull someone in and never let them go.

Suddenly, Ruan Shuyang understood—this look actually represented holding back.

"Brother, you—"

But Pei Siyue reached out and covered his eyes, his palm burning hot.

"Sleep."

Pei Siyue’s voice was rough with strain.

Otherwise, they might as well not sleep. After all, the womb was stretchy enough to accommodate a six- or seven-pound baby—it wouldn’t really be damaged.

Under Pei Siyue’s palm, Ruan Shuyang’s eyelids trembled lightly, his eyelashes brushing against the palm like feathery brushes.

Ruan Shuyang bit his lip and suddenly copied what Pei Siyue had done, reaching downward. His slender, beautiful hand, smooth and delicate, was caught as soon as it made contact.

Pei Siyue rolled him over and, for the fourth time that day, bit into Ruan Shuyang’s gland to mark him.

A rush of Enigma pheromones instantly flowed into Ruan Shuyang’s body. His mind went blank, and the next second, he went limp onto the bed, losing consciousness.

Pei Siyue abruptly sat up from the bed and gave himself two doses of suppressant before slowly calming down. He looked at Ruan Shuyang, who had blacked out briefly and was now lying unconscious on the bed. Gently, he released a bit more pheromones to soothe him, watching as Ruan Shuyang’s face relaxed, his breathing steadied, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

Pei Siyue smiled wryly. He was really making things hard on himself.

If he had known it would be like this—if he had known Ruan Shuyang would be so bold—he might as well have booked a flight instead of ending up in this situation.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but it wasn’t possible right now. An omega’s body was too delicate and needed to be nurtured slowly.

If something happened now, he really might hurt him.

But the little one was getting bolder.

He gently stroked Ruan Shuyang’s face. Recently, Ruan Shuyang’s skin had been improving, becoming like moonlit porcelain—silky-smooth to the touch, even more comfortable than the finest silk.

Enigma pheromones nourished a partner’s body. Ruan Shuyang was thriving.

And, of course, becoming more and more dependent on him.

Pei Siyue got out of bed and took a cold shower, returning to the room a long while later. He took ointment from the medical kit and applied it to Ruan Shuyang's raw gland.

He had bitten him four times today. The first three marks made Ruan Shuyang's body instinctively crave that sensation of satisfaction and pleasure. After satisfying himself, he hadn't expected the little Omega to want to satisfy him too.

But that level of physical contact could never truly satisfy him—better not to start at all.

So he had no choice but to bite him a fourth time.

He applied the ointment gently with a cotton swab, but Ruan Shuyang still flinched from the sensitivity.

After finishing, he got back into bed and, after a moment's thought, pulled Ruan Shuyang into his arms to sleep together.

The little Omega’s fluffy head rested against his chest, soft strands of hair brushing gently against his chin like feathers drifting down, the lingering sensation persisting.

Restraining himself, he lowered his head to kiss the soft hair, patting Ruan Shuyang’s back gently to lull the little Omega into deeper sleep.

But he himself was restless, struggling to fall asleep, yet unwilling to let go.

Pei Siyue woke after only a few hours of dozing, sitting up in bed and taking out his laptop to attend to business.

Ruan Shuyang had slept soundly. If Pei Siyue hadn’t woken him to wash up before the plane landed, he might have slept right through until touchdown.

After he got up and washed, the plane began its descent. In all the commotion, it wasn’t until he was seated in the car that he slowly began to recall the events of the previous night.

What had happened last night?

He only remembered reaching out to touch Pei Siyue, then Pei Siyue suddenly biting his gland—after that, nothing.

At this thought, he instinctively reached to touch his gland, but before he could, Pei Siyue caught his hand.

The driver was in front, and he sat in the back seat with Pei Siyue, who held his hand and said quietly, "Don’t touch it."

Ruan Shuyang looked puzzled and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"It needs time to recover. I’ll apply more medicine for you later."

Ruan Shuyang slowly realized, "Was it... was it you who bit me, brother?"

Pei Siyue looked at him sternly and didn’t answer.

Ruan Shuyang continued with his guess, "Were you purposely preventing me last night, brother? Not letting me touch you?"

Pei Siyue tapped his head and said sternly, "You’re becoming too bold."

Ruan Shuyang felt wronged—he’d only been trying to help Pei Siyue.

"You can touch me, but I can’t touch you?"

Pei Siyue rubbed his temples. He felt that Ruan Shuyang truly wasn’t afraid of him anymore, bold enough to say things like that.

"No."

The Enigma’s voice sounded cold and unfeeling.

Ruan Shuyang pouted, feeling bullied by Pei Siyue.

He was the only one who lost control, doing things he’d never imagine when sober.

A moment later, Pei Siyue gently lifted his chin, leaning in slightly to look at him. His deep, dark eyes seemed capable of pulling Ruan Shuyang in, the Enigma’s intimidating presence immediately felt. Ruan Shuyang swallowed nervously, instinctive tension taking over.

"The consequences of provoking me are beyond what you can handle right now," Pei Siyue’s voice was low and deliberate. "Understand?"

Ruan Shuyang instantly quieted down like a silenced kitten, behaving obediently. His large almond eyes gazed at Pei Siyue, glistening with unshed tears.

He seemed to understand what Pei Siyue meant. If Pei Siyue had been like this last night, he definitely wouldn’t have dared to provoke him.

Seeing that Ruan Shuyang didn’t dare protest further, Pei Siyue released his chin, lowered his head, and gently kissed his lips, holding the kiss briefly before whispering, "Don’t be afraid."

Ruan Shuyang slowly exhaled. He wasn’t exactly scared, but he really didn’t dare to make any more trouble.

Due to the time difference, they arrived in New York at night. The bustling downtown was brightly lit and extraordinarily lively. Having slept well on the plane, Ruan Shuyang wasn’t tired and gazed curiously at the night scenery outside the window.

Seeing his curiosity, Pei Siyue said, "After we unpack our bags, I’ll take you out to see."

Ruan Shuyang’s expression brightened, his large eyes full of curiosity and delight.

"Thank you, brother."

The driver dropped them off at their accommodation and left. Ruan Shuyang looked at the light gray villa before him—situated in the bustling downtown yet set apart from other buildings.

It felt similar to Pei Siyue’s residence back home; Pei Siyue had always preferred living in quiet spots amid the hustle and bustle.

He followed Pei Siyue inside and asked, "Brother, did you used to live here?"

"Yes," Pei Siyue nodded. "We’ll likely come here often from now on and stay here each time."

The interior of the villa still featured Morandi color palettes and a spacious, minimalist style. But perhaps because it had been unoccupied for so long, he couldn’t detect Pei Siyue’s Enigma pheromone.

Pei Siyue carried the luggage with one hand and held Ruan Shuyang’s hand with the other, leading him upstairs to the bedroom and pushing open the guest room door.

The housekeeper had already prepared the bedroom for them. Pei Siyue helped Ruan Shuyang unpack, organizing everything neatly.

Ruan Shuyang wanted to help but was stopped. Pei Siyue quickly finished, then looked at the wide-eyed, energetic Ruan Shuyang and picked up the car keys. "I'll take you out."

Ruan Shuyang’s eyes curved as he smiled sweetly.

This was his first time traveling abroad, and he was curious about everything, eager to go out and explore.

But when the car actually arrived downtown, surrounded by dazzling neon lights and giant billboards, standing amid the surging crowds with unfamiliar smells washing over him, he felt unconsciously afraid in this foreign land and moved closer to Pei Siyue.

Pei Siyue simply wrapped an arm around his shoulders, surrounding him with his Enigma pheromones. Ruan Shuyang’s panic subsided, and he slowly began to look around curiously.

It was somewhat similar to the bustling areas back in B City, but the architectural style was different, and most of the passersby were fair-haired with blue eyes or had dark skin—few looked like him and Pei Siyue.

As they walked through the lively commercial district, he asked, "Who is the elder you mentioned, brother? When are we going to see him? Do we need to prepare anything?"

Pei Siyue pulled him closer and said quietly, "I’ll tell you tomorrow."

After being taken out for a walk by Pei Siyue, he felt very tired on the way back, but once lying in bed, he found it hard to fall asleep.

This was a very unfamiliar place to him—large and empty, lacking any familiar smells. He closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, feeling completely unsettled.

He dimly recalled being in Pei Siyue’s arms on the plane, feeling so warm and secure.

But he couldn’t selfishly ask Pei Siyue to stay with him again—he remembered the other was taking suppressants to control himself.

He had taken suppressants before and knew how unpleasant the injections felt. He didn’t want to see Pei Siyue endure that again.

But lying alone felt unbearable. After a while, he couldn’t bear it any longer. He turned on the light, sat on the bed clutching his knees, resting his face on them, unsure what to do.

Pei Siyue returned to his room to handle some work. After finishing, he felt concerned about how Ruan Shuyang was doing, worried that he might not be able to sleep because of the unfamiliar bed. He opened his door and walked to Ruan Shuyang's room, to listen for whether he was asleep.

An Enigma's senses are extremely sharp; he could hear from outside the door whether Ruan Shuyang was sleeping well.

But this time, he didn't need to listen. As soon as he reached the door, he saw light coming from under the door. He raised his hand and knocked, then heard Ruan Shuyang's surprised and flustered voice: "Brother."

He turned the doorknob and walked in, seeing Ruan Shuyang curled up on the bed with his knees to his chest, his fair and pretty face buried between them. Pei Siyue sat by the bed and asked softly, "What's wrong? Can't sleep?"

Ruan Shuyang mumbled in response, "A little."

Pei Siyue wrapped an arm around his shoulders, gently pulling the little Omega up from his curled position, then helped him lie down and pulled the blanket over him.

Ruan Shuyang burrowed into the pillow and blankets, only his small face visible, his clear, almond-shaped eyes looking at Pei Siyue with confusion and guilt. "Do you need to sleep with me?"

"Yes."

"No need." Ruan Shuyang shook his head gently, his voice soft but firm. "Brother, I can sleep by myself. You don't need to worry about me."

Pei Siyue picked up on the refusal in his words and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Brother always feels uncomfortable after sleeping with me." After all, he wasn't really a child anymore; he was eighteen, an age where he could have relationships with others, a grown Omega. "I can't be so selfish, making you comfort me every time only to feel bad afterward."

After Ruan Shuyang finished speaking, Pei Siyue fell silent for a while. His deep, dark eyes flickered with complex emotions—tenderness, struggle, and deep restraint.

No one understood better than Pei Siyue how difficult restraint was, but he had to do it.

He reached out and gently stroked Ruan Shuyang's beautiful, delicately arched eyebrows, then covered his eyes.

"It's okay. You're still a child. You can be selfish."

"You can also be willful."

Pei Siyue covered his eyes, dimmed the bedside lamp, and slowly began releasing pheromones to soothe the little Omega to sleep, leaving only after he had truly fallen asleep.

After leaving, Pei Siyue returned to his room and took a cold shower.

Every time he was on the verge of losing control of his possessiveness, Ruan Shuyang would always find a way to help him restrain himself.

He reminded himself that what he wanted was not a puppet but a lively, adorable, and vibrant Omega with flesh and blood.

**

The next morning, Ruan Shuyang woke up feeling frustrated.

He had been coaxed to sleep by Pei Siyue again.

He couldn't resist the other's pheromones.

After lying in bed feeling conflicted for a little while longer, he finally got up, washed up, and went downstairs.

Pei Siyue had said they were going to see an elder today, and he couldn't be late.

Downstairs, there was an additional Chinese housekeeper, a female Beta in her forties, putting things into the refrigerator.

Pei Siyue had already been up for a while, standing in the living room on the first floor making a phone call. When he saw Ruan Shuyang coming downstairs, he hung up and waved for him to come over.

Because he was on vacation, Pei Siyue was dressed more casually. The cuffs of his shirt were unbuttoned, and two buttons at the collar were missing, faintly revealing well-defined arm muscles and a broad, solid chest.

Outwardly, Pei Siyue wasn't overly muscular—tall and lean—but in reality, Ruan Shuyang often sensed the powerful, explosive strength beneath Pei Siyue's clothes.

This was also why he always obediently listened when Pei Siyue insisted—the difference in size was too great.

But Pei Siyue was very good to him. Even when punishing him, he never actually struck him, often cradling him in his arms to soothe him. Perhaps because of their size difference, sometimes he felt like a real child in the other's embrace.

Pei Siyue touched his hair and asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"Pretty well," Ruan Shuyang replied. "What about you, brother?"

Pei Siyue nodded briefly, then pulled Ruan Shuyang to sit with him on the living room sofa.

The housekeeper was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, and Pei Siyue began telling Ruan Shuyang about the elder they were going to meet.

Ruan Shuyang inexplicably sensed a heaviness and oppressive atmosphere from Pei Siyue's expression, as the surrounding pheromones felt oppressive, like the stifling weather before a summer storm, making it hard to breathe.

"He is an elder who is not related to me by blood." He paused, looking ahead with a calm expression, and spoke more plainly: "My mother's first love."

Ruan Shuyang widened his eyes in surprise, covering his mouth silently. He didn't speak or interrupt, listening quietly.

"My mother did not marry my father out of love." Pei Siyue's tone was flat, as if discussing something unrelated to himself. "Similar to your situation, she was also caught by my grandfather exploiting her weakness, induced into heat, permanently marked, and then had me. She married my father for the sake of me, who wasn't yet born."

"Before that, she had a lover she was very deeply in love with. They were engaged, had exchanged engagement rings, and were preparing to marry."

That lover was the elder they were going to meet today.

Ruan Shuyang understood.

"After what happened, that uncle, heartbroken, left for a foreign country." Pei Siyue continued, "Not long after I went abroad, I ran into him. He helped me a lot while I was overseas."

He was only a twelve-year-old boy who hadn't yet presented, studying alone in a foreign country. Wei Yuan had indeed helped him greatly.

Ruan Shuyang looked at Pei Siyue, listening quietly.

He felt that, compared to Pei Yan, Pei Siyue seemed to respect this elder more.

"He is a very kind elder." Pei Siyue reached out and stroked Ruan Shuyang's soft hair, brushing aside the fine strands near his cheek, and gently kissed his cheek. "Don't be nervous. We're just going to have a meal with him, and then I'll take you out to play."

Ruan Shuyang could hardly say he wasn't nervous, as he didn't have much experience meeting elders, and his limited experiences with the Pei family hadn't been good.

But he could see that Pei Siyue held this elder in high regard and proactively said, "It's okay, I'm not a child who needs to play. You finally have time; you should spend more time with the elder."

Pei Siyue leaned back slightly, looking into Ruan Shuyang's clear, spring-like eyes, and restrainedly kissed his eyelids. "I want to play with you. You are a child."

"You are my child."