Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The thought made him forget his earlier plan to stay at school for the night; he decided to immediately go find Pei Siyue.

His closest roommate, Shen Bianyan, saw him getting out of bed and dressing, and asked curiously, "Are you going out?"

"Yeah," Ruan Shuyang replied as he dressed. "I need to go back. Something's come up with my brother."

"Going back alone so late? Isn't that dangerous?" Shen Bianyan instinctively asked. "Did you drive today?"

He knew Ruan Shuyang had a car—he’d ridden in it once or twice during class outings. It was a luxury car, worth more than all his family’s fixed assets combined.

He’d marveled at the time that his roommate was a hidden scion from a wealthy family.

But Ruan Shuyang had laughed and said he wasn’t a scion from a wealthy family—the car was a gift from that "brother" of his.

Shen Bianyan was speechless with shock for a moment before finally saying, "Your brother is really generous and treats you so well."

Ruan Shuyang also felt that Pei Siyue treated him very well, and he still felt that way now—it had never changed.

But he hadn’t driven today.

Ji Huai had driven him to school today. They’d agreed on a pickup time, but then that whole incident happened. Now it was already past Ji Huai’s working hours, and he felt bad about asking him to come back…

Wait.

Ji Huai hadn’t shown up today—it was Pei Siyue who came. Did Pei Siyue drive that Maybach to pick him up?

But when Pei Siyue left, he hadn’t headed toward the school garage. Instead, he went straight to the school gate.

Was that car still at school now?

He took out his phone, opened the app, and checked the Maybach’s location. It was still in the school garage.

His car was still there. Pei Siyue hadn't taken it but left it for him.

Yet Pei Siyue had walked alone in the cold winter, not knowing how long he’d walked or how long he’d waited for a driver.

Ruan Shuyang’s eyes and nose stung with emotion.

He put away his phone and said to Shen Bianyan, "It’s at school. I’ll drive back."

Shen Bianyan felt relieved and told him to be careful, to message if anything happened, then walked him to the elevator.

Ruan Shuyang drove home first and was surprised to find no one there.

He checked the fingerprint lock’s entry records but found no sign of Pei Siyue returning. He felt lost.

Was Pei Siyue angry with him? So angry he didn’t want to come back?

Or had something happened, and he went somewhere else instead?

He stood in the empty living room for a moment before working up the courage to call Pei Siyue. But the phone rang for a long time, until it disconnected without an answer.

He then sent a message: *Brother, where are you? I want to come find you.*

But this message also went unanswered.

**

After leaving the company alone, Pei Siyue first went to the cemetery. While his pheromones weren’t completely out of control, he visited Jiang Ruowan, as his condition tomorrow might not be suitable for a visit.

He stood before Jiang Ruowan’s tombstone, used the pheromone-blocking necklace as an offering, informed her about the medication after the Mark Cleansing Technique, and stayed quietly with her for about an hour before leaving.

After leaving, he drove directly to the house at Lanyan Yuting.

When he first renovated Lanyan Yuting, considering the possibility of an estrus cycle, he specially built a secure room in the basement designed for Enigmas during their estrus cycle.

Now he planned to go there.

As Jiang Wu had hinted, he would lock himself up and restrain himself.

After returning, he went straight to the basement, entering the hidden secure room from the equipment-filled treatment room, and locked the door.

Then he took out handcuffs and leg irons and put them on himself, like a prisoner.

But even with the handcuffs and leg irons, the violent impulses within him didn’t diminish. He could still clearly feel the chaotic pheromones raging throughout his body.

In a state of extreme suppression and irritability, he walked to the punching bag he'd prepared and began hitting it bare-handed.

However, it didn’t take long for the punching bag to break, sand spilling all over the floor.

Pei Siyue: "..."

He had overestimated the quality of the punching bag and underestimated his destructive power during estrus.

He sat back down in the corner and saw several missed calls and messages on his phone but had no desire to check them.

During estrus, an Enigma’s thoughts become particularly dark and obscure. He didn’t think Ruan Shuyang would look for him.

The little omega had probably grown tired of him and didn’t want to bother with him anymore.

But it didn’t matter. As long as he couldn't leave him, he would go find him after the estrus cycle passed.

**

After receiving no response to his calls and messages, Ruan Shuyang, desperate, asked Jiang Wu where Pei Siyue was.

Jiang Wu said he didn’t know—as an employee, he didn’t dare inquire about his boss’s whereabouts. But he mentioned that if the boss was truly in estrus, he might have gone to the residence at Lanyan Yuting.

Jiang Wu had overseen the renovation of the Lanyan Yuting residence before Pei Siyue returned to the country. He knew there was a secure room there prepared for Enigmas during estrus and guessed the boss might have gone there.

Ruan Shuyang immediately drove there.

The road beast, the Maybach S580, sped through the cold winter night. The streets were mostly empty, and Ruan Shuyang drove alone, the colorful neon lights outside the window blurring into streaks of light as they passed by.

As he drove, Ruan Shuyang pondered and sorted out many things in his mind.

Pei Siyue had indeed used many methods, but he had never truly violated his will or attempted to control him. Instead, he had influenced Ruan Shuyang’s choices in matters where he was already uncertain.

Even when Ruan Shuyang insisted on things Pei Siyue strongly objected to or didn’t want to agree to, he had ultimately consented.

For example, going to school while sick in Pei Siyue’s eyes, or wanting to think alone tonight.

But using pheromones to influence his thinking was absolutely unacceptable. He needed to make it clear to Pei Siyue that he could never use pheromones to coax or manipulate his thoughts again.

When he drove to the residence at Lanyan Yuting and pulled into the garage, Ruan Shuyang noticed that the area that used to be lawn and plants looked different. The soil showed clear signs of being turned, and it seemed like something had been added, though he couldn’t tell what.

Because of school, he and Pei Siyue had been living in the residence near the campus, and it had been a long time since he’d been back here. As he got out of the car, he thought maybe Pei Siyue had hired someone to redo the landscaping.

But soon, he had no time to worry about the lawn. The dark villa stood like a giant beast capable of devouring people, quiet and threatening.

He stood alone in the dark villa living room, feeling afraid.

It seemed like no one had been here for a long time, empty and lifeless, but he picked up on a hint of Pei Siyue's scent.

Scorching and volatile, like water about to explode at any moment.

Pei Siyue must have been here, just a moment ago.

He pressed the switch on the wall, and the soft white light instantly dispelled the darkness in the living room. Standing there, he thought for a moment, following a gut feeling, and slipped through the door leading to the underground treatment room.

The lights in the underground treatment room were on, but it was empty.

Ruan Shuyang walked down the steps.

He had heard that some alphas or omegas would build a safe room to spend their rut or heat alone, made of special materials that were sturdy and less likely to cause injury.

He thought Pei Siyue might have built one too, hidden somewhere in this house, which was why he had come here.

He walked along the walls of the treatment room and noticed a well-hidden keypad on the side wall. Just as he was about to try entering, his phone suddenly received a message.

Pei Siyue: Stay out.

From what happened this afternoon until now, he had finally received a message from Pei Siyue, but it was only three words: Stay out.

Ruan Shuyang looked at the words on his phone screen, thought for a moment, and straight-up called Pei Siyue’s number, choosing the most effective way to communicate.

This time, the call was answered, but neither of them spoke immediately. Ruan Shuyang could hear that the breathing on the other end was rougher than usual and cautiously asked, "Ge, you okay?"

After a moment, Pei Siyue said, "I’m not safe to be around right now."

Ruan Shuyang bit his lip, feeling that Pei Siyue’s vibe was totally off.

Normally, Pei Siyue’s voice was cool and deep, but now it sounded raw and strained.

"Don’t come in."

Ruan Shuyang heard Pei Siyue say it again.

He fell silent for a moment and tentatively asked, "Then, Ge, can I do anything to help?"

Omegas can soothe alphas during their ruts, so they should be able to soothe enigmas during their ruts as well.

This time, there was only dead air on the other end of the call, and the answer was obvious.

If he couldn’t help, Pei Siyue would have directly said so. The silence only meant that he could help but was afraid of losing control if Ruan Shuyang entered.

He patted his face, dug into his pocket for something he had bought at the convenience store earlier, took a deep breath, and asked again, "Then, if I come in, are you gonna hurt me, Ge?"

After a long pause, Pei Siyue finally replied, "I’d never mean to, but no promises."

Especially now, when he ached for Ruan Shuyang to be near and comfort him more than ever, he was afraid that once the other approached, he wouldn’t be able to control his raging hormones and do something irrational.

But Ruan Shuyang felt relieved upon hearing this.

"Ge, you’ve got such a good heart."

"You’re an enigma who, even during your rut, refuses to let me get close because you’re afraid of hurting me."

He pulled up the keypad’s screen and tried entering his own birthday. Soon, the lock gave a soft click.

He pushed the door open and saw a room that was almost entirely white, with several freestanding punch bags inside. However, it seemed they had all been smashed to bits, with sand scattered all over the floor.

Ruan Shuyang’s throat went dry, trying hard to ignore the enigma’s terrifying destructive power.

Wait, why couldn’t he see Pei Siyue?

As he thought this, he was suddenly yanked forward by a powerful grip.

He stumbled into Pei Siyue’s chest, looking up at the other. The tall enigma, holding his hand with one hand, had a storm brewing in his eyes more intensely than ever before.

He looked up at the other, his eyes as clear as always, soft but steady.

He had known what he would face before coming, so without hesitation, he ripped off his gland patch, slowly lowered his head, and exposed his smooth, vulnerable gland, fully revealing it to Pei Siyue’s gaze.

Pei Siyue’s throat bobbed. He didn’t speak but stared intently at Ruan Shuyang’s nape, as if fixated on a prize he meant to take.

Ruan Shuyang closed his eyes, mustered his courage, and whispered, "Ge, mark me."

A jolt of pain instantly shot through his gland, and the influx of pheromones was more intense and rapid than ever, like a hurricane.

Ruan Shuyang soon blanked out, his thoughts scattering.

It felt as if he were floating in the sea, tossed by the swells, instinctively staring at the white sky above, unable to think.

White... sky.

Ruan Shuyang blinked, slowly coming back to himself, and realized he was lying flat on Pei Siyue’s lap, with the white ceiling above him.

Pei Siyue’s hands, cuffed together, rested beside his head, gently stroking his hair. His gaze was more settled than before, yet deeper.

Ruan Shuyang thought for a moment and released another wave of pheromones to soothe Pei Siyue.

He had just been marked by Pei Siyue, and his entire body was filled with the other’s pheromones. The Lily of the Valley scent had turned honeyed, fragrant and sweet.

He had learned in physiology class that alphas in rut would want to mark those they considered partners. Once the other person was drenched in their scent, their emotions would be soothed.

Enigmas were probably similar, which was why Pei Siyue was much calmer now.

He tentatively asked, "Ge, are you okay now?"

"I’m okay for now, but I don’t know how long it’ll last." Pei Siyue pointed to the ankle cuffs on his feet and said, "While I can still control myself, use your fingerprint to unlock the ankle cuffs on my feet, wrap the chain around the stone column over there, and then click them shut again."

Ruan Shuyang understood what Pei Siyue meant, but he was reluctant. He didn’t want to see Pei Siyue shackled like a prisoner.

But Pei Siyue urged him in a low voice, "Don’t hesitate. I don’t know how long my rationality will last."

Ruan Shuyang stopped hesitating and tried using his fingerprint to unlock the ankle cuffs on Pei Siyue’s feet. Surprisingly, it worked.

He stared in astonishment at the heavy ankle cuffs in his hand, suddenly realizing that this was a power Pei Siyue had granted him—the decision to lock or unlock was his to make.

He could choose to keep the other locked up or grant him freedom.

But since the rut wasn’t over yet, he had to keep him restrained.

After unlocking the ankle cuffs, Pei Siyue took the heavy ankle cuffs and walked to the stone column in the corner of the safe room. He wrapped the chain around it once and then asked Ruan Shuyang to lock them back on.

After doing all this, Pei Siyue sat down, closed his eyes, and leaned against the corner, fighting to keep a lid on his emotions.

Ruan Shuyang watched for a moment before kneeling beside him, trying to rest the tall enigma’s head in his arms.

Ruan Shuyang was very slight-framed, and holding Pei Siyue’s head was a bit of a struggle, but he still stretched out his thin arms and did his best to hold him. As he was held, Pei Siyue breathed in the scent of Lily of the Valley from Ruan Shuyang’s embrace.

This embrace, perhaps not broad or sturdy, was exceptionally soft and warm, making him feel deeply secure.

He imitated the way Pei Siyue usually comforted him, gently massaging his scalp with his fingers.

Pei Siyue suddenly asked in a low voice, “Still running a fever?”

Ruan Shuyang pressed his forehead against Pei Siyue’s. “Don’t worry, ge, I’m all better now. My temperature returned to normal this afternoon.”

“Mhm.”

Pei Siyue went quiet.

Ruan Shuyang offered, “Brother, this afternoon you asked me if I regretted meeting you. I didn’t answer right away because I didn’t know how to tell you.”

The body in his arms stiffened unconsciously. Perhaps Pei Siyue didn’t even realize it himself, but at that moment, he was like a convict waiting for the verdict, waiting only for the axe to fall or be spared.

Ruan Shuyang slowly rested his head against Pei Siyue’s and said in a clear and firm voice, “Brother, I don’t regret meeting you.”

“If I hadn’t met you and truly become a beta, things might’ve been different, but I’m not interested in that picture anymore.”

“I’ve already seen the best scenery.”

“Brother, my danger didn’t start because of you, but you’re the reason I’m safe. At the club that time, I couldn’t dictate how you saved me, and I don’t blame you for saving me the way you did.”

“Besides, I don’t regret at all not becoming a beta, because only omegas have pheromones and can help you during your rut.”

“So,” Ruan Shuyang said, opening his eyes and looking at Pei Siyue, whom he held in his arms, asking softly, “Brother, can you tell me what you were thinking? You must have known who I was from the very beginning, right?”

That’s why, when they reunited outside the club later, Pei Siyue showed no surprise upon hearing his name and identity—he must have known all along.

Knowing who he was, Pei Siyue still saved him that way.

Pei Siyue also opened his eyes, gazing at the young omega right in front of him. Those clear, almond eyes, distinct in black and white, shimmered with a watery glow due to the fresh marking.

Ruan Shuyang was smart and kind, and Pei Siyue suddenly felt unworthy.

He was so tainted, so dark.

But he still wanted to hold onto this pure white lily of the valley, never letting go.

Pei Siyue spoke softly, “My childhood wasn’t happy.”

“My father blamed me for not helping him keep Mom from leaving. My mother didn’t like me, though she never showed it and tried her best to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.”

Enigmas in rut were more emotional and sorrowful than usual.

Pei Siyue had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, but for a child, intelligence often meant sensitivity. He could easily pick up on grown-ups’ feelings.

He could sense Pei Yan’s dissatisfaction with him and the distance behind Jiang Ruowan’s gentle but strict facade.

Neither of them liked him.

Ruan Shuyang listened quietly, gently stroking Pei Siyue’s head, doing his best to comfort the enigma in his arms.

“My mother thought I was like my father. I never believed it until I met you.”

“Only then did I realize that I, too, like to control my omega, to hold them tightly in my palm, to be crazy and obsessive.”

Ruan Shuyang softly countered, “No, brother, you’re not like him.”

He placed Pei Siyue’s head on his lap, gazing into his eyes, and said, “Brother, you’re someone who chooses to tie yourself up even during your rut.”

“Your craziness might only hurt yourself.”

And not others.

Pei Siyue raised his cuffed hands and gently caressed Ruan Shuyang’s face, his gaze tender.

“The reason my father cheated was because he had someone followed and watched my mother. When he found out she had met with Uncle Wei, he cheated out of anger—with Zhou Wei.”

“Actually, that day, my mother was only saying goodbye to Uncle Wei. He was planning to settle abroad, and she went to the airport to see him off.”

“But my father had been entitled and unreasonable since childhood, domineering and proud, never learning to be understanding or back down.”

“After my mother discovered his infidelity, she asked for a divorce, even if it meant leaving with nothing. She was completely disgusted with my father.”

“Later, in court, I chose to leave with my mother. After that, we both underwent a mark-clearing procedure. She didn’t want to carry my father’s mark, even if it shortened her life.”

“She hated my father, I know,” Pei Siyue said calmly. “And she didn’t like me either. Her responsibility to raise me far outweighed any maternal love she had for me. Her demands on me were extremely strict.”

So strict it was almost harsh.

Many times, Pei Siyue wondered why he was even born.

If no one liked him, why bring him into the world?

Children can’t choose whether to be born or who their parents are—they have no choice but to accept.

Ruan Shuyang slowly understood. “So that’s why Uncle Wei called you a wolf cub back then.”

Pei Siyue’s childhood hadn’t been easy either. Perhaps he didn’t lack food or clothing like Ruan Shuyang did, but he grew up insecure, guarded and cold toward others, even a little fierce.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been called a wolf cub.

At the very least, Ruan Shuyang had experienced maternal love—Yu Xianpo had truly loved him.

“Since childhood, whatever I had, I held onto tightly and never let go,” Pei Siyue said, looking at him. “But I didn’t kill that cat Pei Siming mentioned. It had FIP and passed away despite treatment.”

Ruan Shuyang nodded, speaking earnestly, “Brother, I believe you.”

After saying this, he puckered his lips in a little pout. “But brother, you still haven’t answered my earlier question.”

“Also, you have to tell me—did you intentionally make me hooked on your pheromones?”

“Don’t lie to me,” he added seriously. “Brother, I’m clever. I’ll know if you lie.”

Pei Siyue’s throat moved. He suddenly wanted to kiss Ruan Shuyang but was afraid he’d lose control.

He had just barely gotten a grip and needed to restrain himself.

“I knew,” Pei Siyue admitted. “Before returning to the country, I looked into the Pei family. Your information was included, and I saw your photo. I remembered your appearance.”

That was pretty much a photographic memory.

Ruan Shuyang was envious.

He wished he had a photographic memory when studying, life would be way easier.

Pei Siyue continued, “But I saved you that time because my pheromones responded to you first. On some level, I felt I had to help you. It wasn’t about anyone else.”

He thought back to that incident—it was that very marking that shattered Ruan Shuyang's hope of becoming a Beta through inhibitor injections.

"I admit, I was selfish back then," Pei Siyue said, gazing at Ruan Shuyang with gentle eyes. "I wanted to leave my mark on you."

"Besides, your physical condition at the time wasn’t suitable for inhibitor injections anyway."

He hadn’t known then that Ruan Shuyang wanted to become a Beta. Moreover, suppressing that level of heat would have required extremely strong and potent Omega inhibitors. He was afraid that using them could damage Ruan Shuyang's gland and reproductive cavity.

"Later, I did intentionally make you addicted to my pheromones. But don’t worry, Ruan Ruan—this kind of addiction won’t harm your body. It will fade once we complete the permanent marking. As long as my mark remains in your body, you won’t experience addiction symptoms like you do now."

After saying all this, he looked at Ruan Shuyang as if awaiting judgment. "Ruan Ruan, will you hate me?"

His rut (heat period) made his emotions unstable, his thoughts darker and more pessimistic, and his pheromones more chaotic.

He was deeply afraid that Ruan Shuyang would come to resent him because of this.

"I won’t hate you," Ruan Shuyang replied with a sweet smile, his delicate face full of sincerity and without a moment’s hesitation. "Brother, I never expected you to be perfect."