Chapter 58

Chapter 58

H-husband?

Ruan Shuyang was delirious from the heat, yet he still found those two words difficult to utter, too embarrassing to voice, unsure how to get them out.

“We’re already married,” Pei Siyue coaxed in a low voice, his tone like a glass of rich red wine, intoxicatingly fragrant. “You should call me husband.”

Ruan Shuyang despairingly realized that even without the influence of pheromones, he couldn’t escape Pei Siyue’s allure.

He was so hot that his eyes were red-rimmed, his body completely limp. Even the fingers clutching Pei Siyue’s clothes were slowly slipping.

Pei Siyue grasped his slender, soft fingers, leaned close to his cheek, and whispered, “Softie, if you call me that, I’ll give you what you want.”

Ruan Shuyang couldn’t help but curl his body, his voice like a kitten stretching out its soft paws to scratch.

“H-husband.”

The next moment, Pei Siyue turned him over and marked him.

He closed his eyes, feeling as if he were embraced by the sea, kissed by the ocean waves.

When he came to his senses again, Pei Siyue was holding him and kissing him. He had melted into a puddle in the other’s arms, completely limp, his breath burning hot with every exhale.

…

He finally understood why Pei Siyue had said last time that he couldn’t enter.

Because even during his heat, it felt as if he were being split in two, the pain so intense that Pei Siyue’s pheromones couldn’t ease it.

…

He was continuously battered by the waves, until the petals of the lily of the valley were scattered by the seawater, layer upon layer of petals parting to reveal gaps, releasing a sweet, cloying fragrance.

It felt as if something was being permanently imprinted on him. Suddenly, he couldn’t control his sobbing, trembling uncontrollably, his heart filled with fear.

Pei Siyue held him tightly, whispering in his ear, “Softie, I love you.”

“My Softie will always have the freest soul.”

“I will continue developing post-operative medication for the Mark Cleansing Technique, so it can be used after the permanent mark removal surgery for Enigmas. Don’t be afraid.”

“But I won’t give you a chance to use it. I will always treat you well.”

…

Pei Siyue gently pressed his stomach and carried him to the bathroom to wash.

Ruan Shuyang faintly felt as if there was water sloshing in his belly, unsure whether it was from hunger or something else.

Cleaning was difficult. Pei Siyue used his fingers to slowly open him up and wash him, taking a long time.

He trembled, wanting to escape, but had no strength. He didn’t know when he lost consciousness, only waking up more than ten hours later.

Enigmas were terrifying—they could make an omega in heat sleep for over ten hours without any physical needs, only to wake up still weak and sore all over.

He lay in bed for a moment to recover, then slowly sat up, instinctively touching his stomach.

It felt as if there was nothing left inside; he had been cleaned thoroughly. Though his body showed no obvious changes, he could clearly feel Pei Siyue’s marks on him.

Strangely, he didn’t feel much fear or panic.

The room door opened, and Pei Siyue entered carrying a meal tray, not surprised to see him awake.

“Softie, time to eat.”

The island was by the sea, and the pre-stocked fridge contained mostly seafood. Pei Siyue placed the grilled fish fillet and seafood congee on the nearby table, walked over, sat by the bed, and held Ruan Shuyang while massaging his waist. “Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”

Ruan Shuyang leaned into Pei Siyue’s embrace, took a deep breath, and nuzzled his chest. “So tired.”

It was that same feeling—not exactly painful, but utterly exhausting.

Pei Siyue picked him up and set him on a chair with a soft cushion, pushing the fish fillet and seafood congee in front of him.

Ruan Shuyang hadn’t eaten in over ten hours and was starving. The moment he smelled the food, he picked up his utensils and started eating.

As he ate, he glanced out the window at the sea. The waters around the private island were pristine, the ocean clear and transparent.

Noticing his gaze, Pei Siyue said, “If you like it, Softie, I’ll take you out on the boat in a few days.”

Ruan Shuyang asked curiously, “Why not now?”

Pei Siyue looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you like it on the boat? That’s fine too, but the weather might be a bit cold now.”

Ruan Shuyang nearly buried his face in his chest. “Brother, that’s not what I meant.”

He had almost forgotten he was still in heat—perhaps because he had been thoroughly satisfied, his body hadn’t felt the usual weakness and craving, making him overlook his condition.

“I don’t want it on the boat,” he shook his head. “Brother, no more.”

But this time, Pei Siyue didn’t agree, only saying, “We’ll try everything eventually.”

Ruan Shuyang: “…”

…

This heat made him realize how terrifying Pei Siyue could be. By the end, he didn’t even know who was really in heat.

When he couldn’t take it anymore and tried to escape, he was caught and pulled back. The Enigma who usually doted on and pampered him seemed completely deaf to his pleas of “no more” and “I’m full, my stomach is bulging.”

Pei Siyue only whispered in his ear, “Softie, you can handle it.”

The previous restraint and gentleness seemed like a fragile layer of skin, easily torn away. Once stripped, Pei Siyue devoured him completely.

An omega’s skin is delicate—even a little pressure leaves marks. During those days, there was hardly a spot on Ruan Shuyang’s body that remained clean and unmarked.

Tears brought him no mercy, only fiercer possession.

Moreover, Pei Siyue sometimes liked to let his “markings” linger a little longer—though not for too long, usually just a short while, because Pei Siyue said it would be unhygienic otherwise.

Hearing this, Ruan Shuyang’s face flushed red with embarrassment. He wanted to cover his ears, but his arms were too weak to move.

Although Pei Siyue always cleaned him quickly afterward, sparing him the effort, the process itself was still deeply humiliating.

He once asked why they didn’t use condoms instead of him taking suppressants. Pei Siyue explained that Enigmas tend to be very intense, and condoms are prone to slipping or breaking.

After experiencing it a few times, Ruan Shuyang fully believed that explanation.

Because it really was intense—many times he felt as if he’d been shattered, only to realize later that he was perfectly fine.

These days had been so disorienting that he lost all sense of time. It wasn’t until Pei Siyue took him out to see the ocean that he pulled out his phone and realized seven days had already passed.

The New Year celebrations were almost finished.

He vaguely remembered Pei Siyue wishing him a happy New Year on New Year’s Eve, but he was too sleepy to keep his eyes open. He murmured drowsily, trying to say "Happy New Year" back, but he likely fell asleep before he could get the words out.

Even when they went out to sea, he had almost no energy. Dressed in thick clothes, he was carried aboard by Pei Siyue, who then drove the boat out to sea.

The deep ocean water was so clear and pure it was beyond description.

Looking down, the seabed was visible—fine sand and reefs clearly seen, with schools of fish and shrimp playing in the water, so captivating it was hard to look away.

The weather was perfect on the day they went out on the boat, and they could even see dolphins breaching through the waves in the distance.

Ruan Shuyang leaned against Pei Siyue and asked curiously, "Brother, have you piloted a boat before? Have you seen the ocean?"

"I’ve seen the ocean, but I haven’t piloted a boat before," Pei Siyue replied. "I learned specifically for this recently."

"Can you pilot a plane, Brother?"

"I can," Pei Siyue nodded, kissing Ruan Shuyang’s cheek. "Does Softie want to learn?"

"A little," Ruan Shuyang said with a smile. "I kind of want to learn how to pilot a plane, and I also want to learn shooting."

Pei Siyue agreed: "Alright, next time we go out, I’ll take you to learn how to pilot a plane and shoot."

**

After ten days passed and they returned to City B, Ruan Shuyang thought they wouldn’t have to engage in intimate activities, since Pei Siyue himself had said it was impossible to enter when not in heat.

But Pei Siyue said it was difficult at first, but it would get much easier once he could adjust to it, and usually it was just that the foreplay took a long time.

Pei Siyue was always patient in preparing him. Many times when Ruan Shuyang felt it was overwhelming and thought it was enough, Pei Siyue would continue patiently, holding back while watching him, though his dark eyes seemed like they wanted to devour him.

Once, when Pei Siyue had just started, there was an urgent call from M Country that he had to join. Pei Siyue made a "shh" gesture and continued working him with his fingers while sitting fully dressed and proper in front of the computer for the call.

The camera only showed from the chest up, so no one in the meeting could see that Pei Siyue was sitting seriously in front of the screen while teasing his omega on the bed beside him, like a wolf in suit's clothing.

Ruan Shuyang was afraid of making any sound and being heard by the people on the call, so he could only bite Pei Siyue’s pillow. When the call finally ended, he was so angry that he grabbed Pei Siyue’s shoulder and bit down hard, leaving two small teeth marks.

**

Soon, it was the start of the semester. Before school began, Ruan Shuyang seriously emphasized to Pei Siyue: "Brother, I need to focus on classes. You can only have sex once a night at most, not again and again like before..."

Multiple times a night.

After returning from the island, he usually woke up almost at noon the next day and didn’t get up until the afternoon to half-heartedly go to work.

It wasn’t that Pei Siyue kept him up late every night, but the physical difference between an Enigma and an omega was too great. Even if they only did it twice, he would still be unable to get up the next morning.

That’s why he said at most once.

If it was only once, he might have the energy for class. If not, he would have to turn Pei Siyue down.

Although refusing seemed difficult—he often thought about refusing, but Pei Siyue always made it impossible—he really didn’t have the energy for it with school.

Pei Siyue didn’t say whether it was okay or not, just looked at Ruan Shuyang until the latter blushed too deeply to speak, then asked, "Softie, don’t you like it?"

Ruan Shuyang blushed and couldn’t speak, like a fresh, juicy peach that made people want to take a bite.

"You should like it a lot. You always moan so comfortably, getting me wet..."

He couldn’t help clamping a hand over Pei Siyue’s mouth.

It wasn’t about whether it felt good or not—he had classes and needed to study.

Pei Siyue didn’t resist having his mouth covered, just looked down at him with a burning gaze.

Ruan Shuyang pleaded plaintively, "Brother, I really want to study well."

Pei Siyue couldn’t bear to see his little omega struggling listlessly through studies, so he said, "Then you have to keep your weekends for me."

Hearing Pei Siyue compromise, Ruan Shuyang immediately nodded and agreed, "Okay."

Pei Siyue was unsatisfied with the short answer and held Ruan Shuyang’s shoulder, asking, "What should you call me? Remember?"

Ruan Shuyang looked at Pei Siyue shyly and stammered, "Hus... husband."

After school started, Ruan Shuyang suddenly felt like he had more time than during winter break. During the break, Pei Siyue alone took up almost all his time, and he was so tired he spent most of it sleeping in bed. After school started, he occasionally spaced out in class and saw some news.

**

For example, Lu Zheng had been arrested a few days ago, currently charged with abusing and maliciously permanently marking multiple omegas, as well as involvement in unfair business competition, etc.

Not long after he saw the news about Lu Zheng, Pei Siyue told him that the Pei Enterprise anniversary celebration was in mid-March and asked him to come along.

Ruan Shuyang said okay and went back to focusing on class.

After acquiring Ruan's Jewelry, Pei Siyue hired professional management to conduct a thorough restructuring in the company.

All the deadwood members of the Ruan family were removed. Pei Siyue had never had any goodwill toward these people—they had watched Ruan Shuyang suffer for so many years without offering any help, so now they shouldn’t expect any leniency from him.

The professional managers then consolidated some poorly located stores, updated the brand logo, and replaced the designs in both physical and online stores with Ruan Shuyang’s new designs.

When it came time to rename the jewelry brand, Ruan Shuyang didn’t name it Yu's Jewelry. He didn’t want to run a traditional family business, as family businesses had too many drawbacks.

He named the new jewelry brand "*Sihua Nian*".

"The ornate zither has fifty strings for no reason, each string and bridge recalls the splendid years."

The obstruction-style necklaces sold very well. The regular designs he created had already sold in the triple digits, with sales reaching the hundreds of millions.

Because the necklaces were expensive to produce, they usually weren’t shipped via courier but were instead available for pickup at physical stores or through special delivery service.

Some customers chose to pick up their necklaces in stores while shopping, and when they saw the beautiful jewelry designs in the store, they would often buy more.

Over time, the *Sihua Nian* brand gradually replaced people’s impression of Ruan's Jewelry.

*Sihua Nian*'s designs were novel and beautiful. Although the high-end products were prohibitively expensive, there were also many affordable styles, and both sales and net profits slowly improved.

Occasionally, when Ruan Shuyang passed by a *Sihua Nian* counter and saw many customers inside, he couldn’t help sharing with Pei Siyue: Brother, there are so many people in the *Sihua Nian* store~

Pei Siyue: Softie is amazing.

Ruan Shuyang sent an emoji of someone standing proudly and said: I just feel really happy seeing that so many people like the jewelry I designed.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Pei Enterprise anniversary celebration.

**

Ruan Shuyang was taken by Pei Siyue to his office in Hanfeng Group. The office was on the top floor of the entire building, with an enormous space. Standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, he could overlook the night view of City B’s bustling district.

Neon lights lit up one after another beneath them, weaving together into a glorious tapestry of city lights.

Ruan Shuyang pressed his hand against the glass of the window, trying to grasp something, but it was in vain.

Pei Siyue was marking him (from behind).

As he had said before, after the permanent mark, he no longer felt that addiction to the Enigma pheromone, but he still liked Pei Siyue's pheromones very much; he wanted them and felt comfortable when receiving them.

So he could never refuse Pei Siyue's marks.

But this time, the marking lasted too long. The pheromones flowed in bit by bit, making him feel saturated.

"Gege..." he struggled to endure, "It's too much, I can't handle any more."

Pei Siyue's lips pressed against his scent gland, brushing against it as he spoke, making Ruan Shuyang shiver from the sensitivity.

"Almost done."

Ruan Shuyang closed his eyes, trembling slightly.

Though he said "Almost done," it was actually fifteen minutes later when it truly ended.

If it weren't for Pei Siyue's arm supporting him, his legs would have nearly given way.

He was covered in Pei Siyue's pheromones, carrying the same overpowering aura as the other.

An Enigma's nasty habit—topping up the mark before a gathering.

Pei Siyue held Ruan Shuyang by the waist, half-supporting, half-embracing him downstairs to attend the celebration banquet.

After exiting the elevator, Ruan Shuyang held onto Pei Siyue's arm as they walked along the red carpet into the decorated banquet hall. The matching vintage-style wedding rings on their fingers gleamed with a liquid beauty under the lights.

As they entered the banquet hall and cameras focused on them, Pei Siyue suddenly publicly kissed Ruan Shuyang's cheek in front of the cameras.

Ruan Shuyang looked at Pei Siyue in surprise, then felt Pei Siyue squeeze his hand before letting go and stepping onto the stage to deliver a speech.

It dawned on him belatedly—was Pei Siyue flaunting their relationship in front of the media?

Nearby, Pei Siming saw this scene, his eyes reddening with anger.

That was clearly his fiancé—not only had Pei Siyue taken him away, but he was also boldly claiming ownership in front of the media!

No matter how many times Pei Siming saw this scene, it always made his blood boil.

As soon as Pei Siyue stepped on stage to deliver his speech, Pei Siming hobbled through the crowd on crutches to Ruan Shuyang's side.

While searching for evidence of Lu Zheng's crimes, he had been discovered by the other's bodyguards. During his escape, he accidentally broke his leg. With broken bones taking time to heal, he could only walk with difficulty with a cast and crutches.

The doctor had advised him not to attend, but he refused to miss this chance to see Ruan Shuyang and insisted on coming.

Ruan Shuyang sat in a corner, quietly watching Pei Siyue deliver his speech on stage.

Pei Siming looked at Ruan Shuyang up close and suddenly felt that he noticed a significant change in him compared to half a year ago.

Half a year ago, Ruan Shuyang had been haggard, tense, and nervous in every move.

Now, Ruan Shuyang's smile was bright, with peach-blossom cheeks and snow-white skin—so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Pei Siming suddenly felt something stuck in his throat, rendering him speechless.

He slowly approached Ruan Shuyang, but before he could get close, he felt a familiar presence—so familiar it was like facing Pei Siyue.

Pei Siming: "..."

He was almost certain that Pei Siyue had done this on purpose.

The other had guessed he might show up. Instead of stopping him, Pei Siyue had left strong scent marks on Ruan Shuyang, making it clear who Ruan Shuyang belonged to and ensuring Pei Siming saw the conspicuous matching wedding rings on their fingers.

He stopped a few steps away from Ruan Shuyang and said with difficulty, "I got revenge for you."

Ruan Shuyang's expression was cold upon seeing Pei Siming, and he showed no reaction to the other's words, only nodding slightly.

After so long, he could hardly remember the fear and panic he once felt facing Lu Zheng.

Seeing Ruan Shuyang's indifferent and unchanged expression, bitterness washed over him.

"I... I'll try to appear less in front of you from now on," Pei Siming said with difficulty, as if letting go of what he cherished most. "I wish you... happiness."

"Then let's not meet again."

Pei Siyue, having finished his speech at some point, walked over to Ruan Shuyang, held his Omega, and coldly looked at Pei Siming, ending the conversation.

Pei Siming: "..."

He was furious at his eldest brother's shameless, brazen act of taking someone away. But seeing Ruan Shuyang nestled in Pei Siyue's arms, he swallowed his anger, though it rankled, and slowly hobbled away on his crutches.

He had foolishly made a fool of himself—he could blame no one else.

He had been wrong from the very beginning, but realized it too late. It was too late to fix anything.

Pei Siming was just a minor episode. Ruan Shuyang paid no mind and instead smiled as he asked Pei Siyue how the speech went.

Ruan Shuyang found that with a better life, his outlook had broadened. He didn’t sweat the small stuff, focusing only on the present.

Pei Siyue carefully observed Ruan Shuyang's expression and, seeing that the other truly didn’t care about what had just happened, casually mentioned a few things about the speech.

Noticing Pei Siyue's lingering gaze, Ruan Shuyang stuck out his tongue playfully and asked, "It's been so long—you're not still bothered about Pei Siming, are you, Gege?"

"Call me 'husband'," Pei Siyue gave a light pat on the small of his back, then nodded in admission. "You liked him once."

"Hmm..." Ruan Shuyang pondered for a moment before saying seriously, "Gege, actually, looking back now, I don’t think it was really liking him. It was more like pinning my hopes on him to escape my life and circumstances back then."

Those hopes were like clouds in the sky or summer breezes—vanished with the wind.

Pei Siyue showed a subtle smile and kissed Ruan Shuyang's cheek.

Whether it was true love or not, Ruan Shuyang belonged to him now.

Besides, Pei Siming had "volunteered" to go to Africa for relief work, doing public service to atone for his sins. Ruan Shuyang likely wouldn’t see Pei Siming again.

Today was their last goodbye.

**

In April of the following year, on Ruan Shuyang's twentieth birthday, he and Pei Siyue got married locally.

Curiously examining the vivid red marriage license in his hand, he remarked, "I think this has more sense of ritual than the one in M Country."

Pei Siyue asked, "Where would you like to hold the wedding?"

Remembering how tiring their previous engagement ceremony had been, Ruan Shuyang said, "I’m not sure. Let’s think about it later."

"Alright," Pei Siyue replied calmly. "Let’s go on our honeymoon first."

Ruan Shuyang: "...?"

He looked at Pei Siyue with a pout: "Brother, if we go on a honeymoon, I want to go out and explore and sightsee, not just stay in the hotel all the time."

In the past, when Pei Siyue took him out, he mostly ended up lying in the hotel because he was too exhausted to get up.

Although he enjoyed those moments too, one really can’t stay in bed all the time—he also wanted to see the sights.

Pei Siyue looked at him amusedly: "Softie, I meant taking you out to play. What did you think I meant?"

Ruan Shuyang eyed Pei Siyue warily and started laying down the rules: "Let's agree that even if we end up spending the night together while we're out, it can only happen once at most."

Pei Siyue listened quietly and nodded cooperatively, only asking after Ruan Shuyang finished: "But what if Softie is the one who wants it?"

Ruan Shuyang: "..."

His face flushed red. Although most of the time it was Pei Siyue who initiated, he occasionally wanted it too...

Pouting, he punched Pei Siyue’s shoulder and mumbled under his breath: "We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Pei Siyue replied noncommittally: "Okay."

Then they started looking at honeymoon destinations together.

But before they could decide on a honeymoon location, the university sent a notice saying that third-year students could choose to study abroad for a year. Ruan Shuyang was very tempted and went back to discuss it with Pei Siyue.

Studying abroad was one of life’s experiences, and Ruan Shuyang wanted to experience it during university.

Pei Siyue didn’t object, only insisting that if he went, it had to be to the US, because Ruiji’s headquarters were there, and he could accompany him as his partner.

He also made it clear that he wasn't willing to do long-distance.

Ruan Shuyang didn’t have strong feelings about which country to go to; he just wanted to experience different cultures and customs abroad. In the end, he chose a university in New York, US as an exchange student and flew there at the end of August for a year.

Pei Siyue went along as a partner to accompany him.

As an exchange student, Ruan Shuyang’s life was rich and varied. He often participated in various hands-on activities at school, competed in campus-wide competitions, went on short trips with friends, and was busy with his own career. Sometimes he wouldn’t come home for a week, even busier than Pei Siyue.

Whenever he didn’t come home for a week, he would come home to find Pei Siyue waiting with a dark look. He would then cautiously walk over and turn on the charm, coaxing his Enigma not to be angry.

Although he often ended up being pulled into bed for some "disciplinary action," Pei Siyue seemed to have enough patience and tolerance, always being firm but gentle in how he handled things.

Actually, sometimes being "dealt with" felt pretty good too.

Ruan Shuyang patted his flushed cheeks. Every time he thought about what being "disciplined" entailed, he felt like he’d become a little corrupted.

The year abroad passed quickly, and he returned to prepare for his senior year.

Pei Siyue asked if he wanted to go to grad school, but he felt he didn’t want to for now, preferring to focus on his career and life.

If he missed studying in the future, he could always apply for graduate school later.

And so, after graduating as a senior, he left campus.

Pei Siyue cleared his schedule for half a day to accompany him to his university graduation ceremony, taking photos of him with a camera. He looked at himself in the lens, then dug out his high school graduation photo from his phone. Looking at the person in both photos, he could hardly recognize his former self.

Over these four years, he had grown a lot taller, like a young bamboo shooting up silently in the forest—slender and tall, with a bright, cheerful smile. His eyes were as clear as when they first met, but he had shed his initial timidness and shyness, becoming radiant and self-assured.

Pei Siyue looked at the two completely different versions of Ruan Shuyang in the photos and suddenly felt like the young man he'd watched grow had finally grown up.

He lowered his head and kissed Ruan Shuyang’s forehead, saying softly: "My Softie has grown up."

Ruan Shuyang nodded, "Yeah, I’ve even graduated from university."

Suddenly feeling emotional, he hugged Pei Siyue.

"Brother, I feel like these four years have been very happy. I've loved being with you." He smiled sheepishly at this point. "There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you—why did you choose to help me back then?"

He had wanted to ask this for a long time but never found the right moment. Later, he felt the answer wasn’t that important as long as they were happy.

Now, with the timing and atmosphere just right, he finally asked.

"Softie, I’ve told you before." Pei Siyue bent down a little, gazing into Ruan Shuyang’s eyes, seeing his own reflection in the other’s amber eyes. His voice was deep and gentle: "Because my pheromones recognized it before I did—that I love you."

"It was love at first sight for me."

Ruan Shuyang closed his eyes and kissed Pei Siyue.

Often, he would forget that he was an omega with a lifelong mark, because the mark didn’t make him feel restrained or controlled. Just as Pei Siyue had promised during the marking, he truly didn’t bind or restrict him. Instead, he chose to tether him with an invisible thread—no matter how high or far Ruan Shuyang flew, he would always return to his side.

This rope was long enough not to hinder any of his actions, only providing the most comfortable shelter when he wanted to rest or come home.

Pei Siyue would always wait for him, accompany him.

He would forever have complete freedom and the warmest, safest home.

Happiness never depends on the lifelong mark, but on whether one meets the right person.

Pei Siyue was that right person.