Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Ruan Shuyang nuzzled against Pei Siyue's back and muttered softly, "I just want to stick with you, brother."

Pei Siyue knew that Ruan Shuyang was feeling insecure—his emotional turmoil of the afternoon had left him in need of comfort and companionship.

He decided to put aside what he was doing and took Ruan Shuyang upstairs to their room, leaving Ji Huai to handle the remaining tasks while he focused on comforting the little omega.

He carried Ruan Shuyang back to the room and sat on the bed, settling him on his lap.

To him, Ruan Shuyang was still small, soft, and delicate, fitting perfectly in his arms, looking delicate and entirely enveloped by his embrace.

The little one slumped listlessly, as if nothing could lift his spirits.

Pei Siyue regretted letting Ruan Shuyang meet Ruan Jianchuan and the others.

But he also knew that Ruan Shuyang wouldn't have been satisfied without meeting them, so he had no choice but to agree.

After holding and comforting him for a while, Pei Siyue noticed the tablet lying on the bed. He picked it up, tapped a few times, and handed it to Ruan Shuyang, saying in a low voice, "Softie, take a look at our engagement party plans. Let’s choose one together."

Ruan Shuyang’s attention was somewhat diverted as he lowered his head to examine the engagement ceremony proposals.

To his surprise, none of the plans were set to take place in their city.

There was an island venue, a cruise ship venue...

Each one was as lavish as a wedding.

But they were only getting engaged.

He timidly asked, "Isn't this a little too extravagant, brother?"

Then, noticing Pei Siyue’s inscrutable expression, he quickly corrected himself obediently, "I’ll leave it up to you."

But Pei Siyue still seemed to think his attitude was too casual and pointed at a few options on the tablet, asking, "Which one do you like?"

Ruan Shuyang had no choice but to study the proposals as seriously as homework.

For him, the easier, the better. The island option would require flying, while the cruise ship was not far from City B and could be reached by car. Without hesitation, he chose the cruise ship option.

Pei Siyue didn’t object to his choice and instead pulled him closer to review the details together. By the time they finished, Ruan Shuyang’s mind was completely drained, too tired to think about anything. He found the engagement process exhausting.

Why had he ever suggested getting engaged? He deeply regretted it.

In this state, he no longer remembered his sadness. He forced himself to go downstairs for dinner, then lay on the bed staring into space, feeling the fatigue of mental overload.

At times like these, he couldn’t help but admire Pei Siyue, who handled so many responsibilities every day and still had the energy to accompany him after returning home. It was truly impressive.

The Ruan family matters had no impact on Ruan Shuyang’s school life. He had always kept a low profile in class, never talked about his family. No one knew he was the son of the chairman of Ruan's Jewelry; they only knew he lived with an older brother and never connected him to Ruan Jianchuan.

**

Amid this peaceful life, the general manager of Yu's Jewelry contacted him, saying they had received at least a hundred orders for necklaces made of shielding material.

Ruan Shuyang felt his vision go dark at the news. Even if he were split into eight people, he couldn't possibly design a hundred sketches. He suddenly realized he had underestimated the wealth of these people.

For the rich, a million meant nothing—if the product was good, they were willing to pay even more.

He deeply regretted his earlier decision to design each necklace individually. It would wear him out completely.

Sometimes, having a product that sells too well can be a sweet problem.

Ruan Shuyang, who learned the news on Friday evening, was completely listless. When Pei Siyue took him out for dinner, he was sluggish and had no appetite. He only ate a little seafood fried rice and said he was full.

Pei Siyue frowned at Ruan Shuyang’s bird-like appetite and urged, “Eat a bit more.”

Ruan Shuyang laid his head on the table, his chin resting on his folded hands, and said weakly, “I’m full.”

Pei Siyue didn’t push further. Instead, he scooped Ruan Shuyang onto his lap and brought the food closer.

Startled, Ruan Shuyang tried to slide off Pei Siyue’s lap but was stopped by Pei Siyue's arm around his waist.

Pei Siyue’s large hand rested firmly on his waist, and when he sensed Ruan Shuyang’s intention to move away, he squeezed his waist gently.

Ruan Shuyang felt the warmth of Pei Siyue’s hand and froze, stammering, “Brother, we’re… we’re out in public.”

“Mm,” Pei Siyue replied calmly. “So?”

“Th-there are a lot of people watching us.”

Pei Siyue simply said, “Then eat quickly.”

As he spoke, he scooped up some of the rice with a spoon and fed it to Ruan Shuyang, his movements unhurried as he watched the little Omega patiently.

Ruan Shuyang was extremely uncomfortable being held on someone’s lap in public and quickly ate the food Pei Siyue offered. “Brother, let me down. There are so many people watching.”

Pei Siyue continued feeding him calmly and asked, “What does it matter?”

Ruan Shuyang: “…”

Well, it didn’t really matter that much.

No restaurant had a rule against sitting on someone’s lap to be fed. At most, people might think they were being overly affectionate in public.

But the restaurant they were at was expensive, with tables spaced well apart. They had specifically chosen a spot screened by plants, so unless someone was paying close attention, hardly anyone would notice.

Besides, he knew Pei Siyue never cared about being watched and rarely bothered with what others said.

Still, Ruan Shuyang felt self-conscious but couldn’t get free from Pei Siyue’s hold, so he had no choice but to cooperate and eat.

He soon felt stuffed, his eyes watering from being overfull. When he really couldn’t take another bite, he took Pei Siyue’s hand and placed it on his stomach. “Brother, I can’t eat anymore. Please stop feeding me, okay?”

Pei Siyue gently felt Ruan Shuyang’s stomach before finally relenting.

After feeding him, he wiped Ruan Shuyang’s mouth and asked, “Will you eat properly next time?”

Ruan Shuyang nodded eagerly, looking pitifully at Pei Siyue. “Brother, can I get down now?”

Pei Siyue released him.

Ruan Shuyang felt as if he had been granted amnesty and immediately slid off Pei Siyue’s lap.

Whimper, Pei Siyue was really strict—if he didn’t eat properly, he would even feed him.

Pei Siyue finished his own meal quickly and then led Ruan Shuyang out. They had agreed to watch a light show together that night.

As they left, Pei Siyue helped Ruan Shuyang into his overcoat.

By late October, the weather was starting to get chilly. Ruan Shuyang wore a cream-colored high-neck knit sweater under a light blue, thin overcoat that reached below his knees, enveloping him completely. The fitted style made him look slender and elegant.

Not long after living with Pei Siyue, Ruan Shuyang started wearing custom-made clothes that fit his figure perfectly, making him increasingly handsome and confident.

Some classmates secretly gave him love letters, but he returned them unread while displaying his engagement ring.

The other person immediately showed regret and wished him happiness.

He experienced many things he had never experienced before.

He felt his youth was without regrets.

When they went down to the parking lot and got into the car, Pei Siyue asked him, "What’s on your mind today?"

Ruan Shuyang: "Hmm... is it that obvious?"

Pei Siyue touched his cheek, "It’s practically written all over your face."

Ruan Shuyang leaned back in the car seat, tilting his head with a hopeless expression, "Brother, I’ve received over a hundred orders. There’s no way I can finish them all."

Pei Siyue wasn’t surprised at all and simply said, "I didn't have Yu's Jewelry’s general manager announce the ordering details."

Ruan Shuyang perked up immediately and asked, "Brother, what’s going on?"

But Pei Siyue didn’t explain further, "Figure it out yourself."

Then Pei Siyue drove him to see the light show.

Ruan Shuyang pondered the whole way. When he got out of the car and was hit by the cold wind, he suddenly understood what Pei Siyue meant.

"Brother, are you saying I should change my approach?" Ruan Shuyang hugged Pei Siyue’s arm and rested his head on the other’s shoulder. "I’ll design just one style, and every necklace order will be this same design."

Pei Siyue didn’t say whether it was good or bad, only replied, "Think again."

When they reached the square, Pei Siyue reminded him, "Softie, you’re running a jewelry company, not just selling necklaces made of isolation material."

After watching the beautiful light show, Ruan Shuyang finally had another idea.

He excitedly grabbed Pei Siyue’s hand and said, "Brother, I thought of a good method."

"We can set up a VIP system at Yu's Jewelry. Customers who spend a certain amount on regular jewelry can become members at different tiers. High-tier members can purchase custom isolation-material necklaces, while regular members can only buy standard retail versions."

Pei Siyue gently patted Ruan Shuyang’s forehead and said, "Not bad."

He had some business talent after all.

"First, I’ll design a standard retail version for sale. For the custom version, customers need to accumulate a certain amount of spending at Yu's Jewelry. As for the jewelry designs for Yu's Jewelry, I’ve already drawn many and sent them to the factory for sampling. If there are no issues, we can start selling them."

Pei Siyue showed a faint smile and nodded, "Good."

Sometimes he wished Ruan Shuyang had his own career because Ruan Shuyang’s face lit up when talking about his work.

But often, he also wished Ruan Shuyang didn’t have too much of a career so he’d have more time for him.

He had helped enough with Ruan Shuyang’s career; how far he could go from here depended on himself. If the jewelry company didn’t grow big, that would be fine—more time for him.

**

Since Ruan Shuyang started designing for Yu's Jewelry, he spent his free time shopping and checking out other jewelry brands. When Pei Siyue found out, he made sure to get him invitations to auctions so he could see jewelry there.

Ruan Shuyang would decide whether to go based on the auction previews. Most of the time, Pei Siyue went with him, though occasionally Pei Siyue was away on business and couldn’t join.

For example, in early November, right after his midterms, there was an auction he wanted to attend.

Pei Siyue didn’t have time for this auction, so Ruan Shuyang simply invited Wen Yusheng to go with him.

Pei Siyue had no objections but asked Jiang Wu to go along to protect the little omega.

Jiang Wu, after previously introducing Ruan Shuyang to dramatic soap operas, had been sent by Pei Siyue to a conference in Africa for a week. After returning, he didn’t dare chat much with Ruan Shuyang, afraid the highly possessive Enigma would send him somewhere else.

So for this auction, Ruan Shuyang entered with Wen Yusheng, while Yu Ling and Jiang Wu, both alphas, followed behind.

Wen Yusheng was no stranger to such auctions and was about to lead Ruan Shuyang to their private box when they ran into Jin Nan and his alpha brother, Jin Cheng.

Seeing Jin Nan reminded Ruan Shuyang of the incident at the private club—the beginning of a life-changing moment for him.

Jin Nan gave him a calm smile, as if telling him not to worry, showing no hostility.

But Jin Cheng behind him was full of hostility, scrutinizing Ruan Shuyang with a cold, piercing gaze.

Jiang Wu immediately stepped in front of him and said with a distant smile, "Mr. Jin, if there’s nothing else, please step aside."

Jin Cheng said bluntly, "There is something."

Yu Ling also stepped forward and asked, "What do you want?"

Jin Cheng looked at the two alphas blocking him and addressed Ruan Shuyang directly, "Ruan Shuyang, do you only know how to hide behind others and wait to be protected?"

"Pei Siyue must be blind to fancy you." Jin Cheng said coldly, "You’re useless, you can’t offer him anything, and you always need him to take care of and protect you. How do you have the nerve to stay by his side?"

Wen Yusheng held Ruan Shuyang’s arm and whispered, "Ignore him, let’s go. He’s just a jealous loser."

To be honest, Ruan Shuyang didn’t feel attacked or upset.

On the contrary, he found it rather novel.

Was this one of Pei Siyue’s admirers?

He always thought someone as outstanding as Pei Siyue would have many admirers, but he had never encountered any. Even after their engagement, no one had come to him saying they liked Pei Siyue and asking him to step aside—nothing that dramatic.

Jin Cheng was the first to come and tell him he wasn’t good enough for Pei Siyue.

The biggest thing he felt after hearing it was that the gender seemed off.

Why was Pei Siyue’s admirer an alpha?

That was what he couldn’t understand the most.

He simply stepped around Jiang Wu and walked forward, asking curiously, "So, did you bring Pan Lan to the club?"

After Pan Lan was kicked out last time, he had seen these two from the Jin family behind her.

"Of course." Jin Cheng sneered, admitting directly. "You’re useless; you can’t even handle Pan Lan without help. How are you worthy of standing by Pei Siyue’s side?"

"I grew up with him. I know him best—what kind of partner he needs, what kind of relationship he wants."

"Hmm..." Ruan Shuyang pondered for a moment, then tilted his head and asked Jin Cheng, "Are you jealous?"

Jin Cheng’s expression froze, looking at Ruan Shuyang with shock and doubt.

Ruan Shuyang smiled and continued, "This is between me and my brother."

"If he thinks I’m useless, let him tell me himself. Outsiders shouldn’t comment on our matters."

“Since you said Brother grew up with you, you two must be very close. Go persuade him then.”

“Oh right, if Brother ignores you, it’s not my problem anymore.”

After saying this, he smiled and told Wen Yusheng, “Senior, let’s go in. Brother gave me a private booth invitation, we can go directly upstairs.”

Jin Cheng frowned and tried to follow, but was stopped again by Jiang Wu and Yu Ling.

After entering the private room, Wen Yusheng said with a smile, “I didn’t expect our Junior to be seemingly innocent but actually shrewd.”

Ruan Shuyang replied innocently, “Senior, this is normal, right? Matters between Brother and me shouldn’t be commented on by outsiders. If he has something to say, let Brother tell me himself. If he’s capable, let him go persuade Brother.”

As for the whole “grew up together” claim, it held no weight for him. He had grown up with many people including Ruan Qi, yet there was no real connection between them at all.

Moreover, if he remembered correctly, Pei Siyue went abroad at twelve, while Jin Cheng seemed to have stayed in the country for university before leaving. So where did this “growing up together” come from?

It was all just empty words.

Ruan Shuyang considered himself not stupid—after all, if he were truly foolish, he wouldn’t have survived in the Ruan family.

But he was still angry, because now even an alpha was competing with him in some “mate rivalry.”

Annoying.

He opened his chat with Pei Siyue and sent a message directly: You’re annoying.

Ruan Shuyang: Brother, you’re annoying.

He’d attracted an alpha.

This message didn’t get an immediate reply because Pei Siyue was in a secure meeting with no phone signal.

Before Pei Siyue’s message arrived, Ruan Shuyang received a friend request. The sender’s name clearly read Jin Nan, with a note: “Lu Zheng has been having serious troubles lately, probably Pei Siyue’s doing.”

Ruan Shuyang didn’t accept it. He had Pei Siyue’s secretary right beside him—why would he seek information from others?

He put down his phone and directly asked Jiang Wu, “How has Lu Zheng been lately? Did Brother have you do something?”

Jiang Wu shook his head, “It wasn’t me. Cheng Yi, the secretary from Hanfeng Group, took action and caused Lu Zheng to lose many business deals. He also has a large bank loan coming due soon, so he’s probably in serious trouble right now.”

Ruan Shuyang was surprised that Pei Siyue had even gotten revenge for him against Lu Zheng, and suddenly regretted sending the “annoying” message earlier.

He quickly picked up his phone and sent another: Brother, I forgive you, I’m not annoyed anymore.

Wen Yusheng patted him and reminded, “The auction is starting. If you’re feeling down, spend more of Brother’s money on jewelry you like. Don’t worry about saving for him—the amount in President Pei’s bank account is astronomical.”

Ruan Shuyang smiled and said, “Okay.”

After their engagement, Pei Siyue had given him a supplementary card, telling him to buy anything he liked with it, but he had never used it.

He wasn’t in the habit of buying luxury items, and his own bank account had plenty of money—there was no need to spend Pei Siyue’s.

But today he decided to make a purchase, because Pei Siyue’s admirer had upset him.

The auction Ruan Shuyang attended mainly featured jewelry, many of which were antique pieces, along with some high-end items from dealers.

This time, he took a liking to an antique brooch with a brilliantly saturated sapphire that was stunning at first glance. He used Pei Siyue’s card to bid over ten million yuan for it.

While bidding, his hands trembled—he had never bought anything so expensive before. Wen Yusheng comforted him, “Junior, you need to get used to this. Bidding at auctions will become normal for you. Some favors are repaid through auction purchases. My father often buys things at auctions to help my other father repay favors.”

Hearing this, Ruan Shuyang gradually calmed down, realizing there would be many such occasions in the future, and steadied himself.

By the time Jiang Wu drove Ruan Shuyang home, Pei Siyue’s confidential meeting had just ended. After the meeting, he saw Ruan Shuyang’s messages and spending record, as well as Jiang Wu’s report that Ruan Shuyang had encountered Jin Cheng, who had said some unpleasant things.

He first sent Ruan Shuyang a message: Where are you, Softie?

Ruan Shuyang replied after seeing the message: In the car.

Pei Siyue: How long until you get home?

Ruan Shuyang: Twenty minutes.

Not long after arriving home, Ruan Shuyang received a call from Pei Siyue, perfectly timed for when he had taken off his coat and changed his shoes.

Pei Siyue’s low, gentle voice came through the phone: “Softie.”

Every time Pei Siyue used his nickname, Ruan Shuyang would blush slightly, and this time was no exception, though Pei Siyue couldn’t see it over the phone.

Ruan Shuyang suddenly felt hurt: “Brother.”

Hearing the hurt in his voice, Pei Siyue immediately explained: “The Pei and Jin families have some history. I met Jin Cheng a few times as a child, but after my parents divorced, we rarely saw each other. After going abroad, we lost touch until this year when we met again due to business matters.”

Ruan Shuyang muttered, “Secretary Jiang Wu must have tipped you off.”

Otherwise, how could he explain it so clearly?

Pei Siyue didn’t deny it, “I had him accompany you to protect you.”

“Jin Cheng and I have no personal connection,” Pei Siyue said clearly and firmly. “Our interactions are limited to business contexts, and I will reduce interactions in the future.”

Listening to this, Ruan Shuyang felt a bit guilty about his earlier immature behavior.

In truth, he knew there was nothing between Pei Siyue and Jin Cheng.

Pei Siyue was so busy, and what little free time he had was spent with him. He didn’t doubt Pei Siyue—he was just upset about being challenged by an alpha.

“Brother, I don’t doubt you,” Ruan Shuyang said in a soft voice, sitting on the sofa. “I was just angry earlier and sent that message on impulse. I’m sorry.”

He had regretted it soon after, but the message had been sent too long ago to retract, so he could only add “I’m not annoyed anymore” afterwards.

“No need to apologize,” Pei Siyue said. “You had every right to be angry. I could have handled it better.”

Ruan Shuyang bit his lip, not wanting to linger on the subject, and instead asked, “Jin Cheng is an alpha—does he also want to be with Brother?”

This was something he had wondered about earlier.

Pei Siyue reminded him, “Softie, don’t forget I’m an enigma.”

“I know,” Ruan Shuyang’s voice still held confusion. “But, Brother, what does that have to do with this?”

“An enigma can mark an alpha,” Pei Siyue said softly, reminding him. “They can turn an alpha into their omega.”

Ruan Shuyang covered his mouth in shock, “So that’s how it is.”

This explained why Jin Cheng, as an alpha, would want to be with Pei Siyue—because Pei Siyue could turn an alpha into his own omega.

He thought enigmas were both powerful and somewhat frightening, able to turn alphas into omegas.

This also made him curious.

"Brother, do many enigmas end up with alphas?"

Pei Siyue was silent for a moment before honestly telling Ruan Shuyang, "Many."

"Enigmas who partner with alphas are the most common."

Ruan Shuyang immediately understood the implication, "So the best match for an enigma is actually an alpha, right?"

Just as an alpha's best match is an omega, each gender has its optimal partner category, though the ideal doesn't always reflect real-life choices.

Pei Siyue didn’t hide this from Ruan Shuyang and admitted softly, "Yes, because enigmas possess far superior physicality, and typically only alphas can handle it."

"But, Ruan Ruan," Pei Siyue's voice was low and gentle, like a rich, intoxicating red wine, "the best match doesn’t mean you have to choose that. Many enigmas also choose omegas."

"Just like how many alphas also choose beta?" Ruan Shuyang tilted his head curiously. "The physical best match is just a label—it doesn’t actually determine individual choices."

Pei Siyue replied, "Yes."

Ruan Shuyang grumbled, a little defiant, "Why is it said that only alphas can handle it? Why is the physiological best match an alpha?"

He felt that omegas could handle it too—omegas are also very resilient.

Pei Siyue rubbed his temples, not really wanting to discuss the matter further, as he thought it might upset the young omega.

"This is just a physiological definition; it doesn’t reflect reality."

Ruan Shuyang was still puzzled, "Then why? Is an omega not an option?"

"It’s not that they wouldn’t work." Pei Siyue closed his eyes briefly and calmly asked in a low voice, "Ruan Ruan, could your body endure being held down on the bed by me for a full day and night?"