TPLTMOE - Chapter 18

Ling Ran glanced down—the white lace ring left a slight indentation in the soft flesh of his thigh.

It didn't hurt. Against his fair skin, it looked innocent yet somehow indecently suggestive.

[Little Grape]: Not big.

Ling Ran hugged his phone and lay on the bed, waiting as the screen lit up and dimmed repeatedly.

No further reply came.

Eventually, he couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep.

The leg ring suppressor was indeed far more effective. When Ling Ran woke up the next morning, he felt refreshed, with no trace of his feverish symptoms.

He went to the hospital alone to see Xu Guanyi for a checkup, bringing along the broken ankle suppressor.

Xu Guanyi sighed regretfully several times, but the damage was too severe—it couldn't be repaired.

Ling Ran was quite dejected and carefully placed it back into the box.

Seeing the little Omega on the verge of tears, Xu Guanyi patted his shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. The Jiang family is footing the bill anyway. Your condition was caused by Jiang Shengyi's pheromones in the first place, so technically, it's all his fault."

At this point, arguing over who was to blame was meaningless. But if he were to break off the engagement with Jiang Shengyi, then he would have no ties to Jiang Zhiyu whatsoever—meaning he'd have to pay back the money regardless.

"Your pheromone levels are relatively stable now, but you still can't afford to be careless. Remember to take the medication I prescribed on time, and don't forget to come back for regular checkups," Xu Guanyi reminded him.

This little Omega was clearly the young master of the Ling family, yet when he fell ill, not a single person stayed by his side to care for him. Xu Guanyi couldn't wrap his head around the convoluted dynamics of these wealthy families.

"Thank you, Dr. Xu," the little Omega murmured obediently, clutching the box in his arms.

Unable to resist, Xu Guanyi added, "Last time, since Mr. Jiang was present, I couldn't speak too plainly. But honestly, your condition is easy to treat—getting an alpha to bite you once would be more effective than any medication. Of course, a permanent mark would be ideal. If the alpha knots inside you, their pheromone concentration would peak, directly stimulating your atrophied reproductive cavity to continue developing. Ultimately, your complications stem from an excessive dependence on your partner's pheromones, leaving your body unsatisfied. For Omegas with severe dependency like yours, we usually recommend marriage as soon as possible..."

As Xu Guanyi bluntly explained the condition, Ling Ran's face first paled in shock, then flushed crimson, until he was practically burying his head in the box in front of him. The tips of his ears burned so red they looked ready to drip blood.

Xu Guanyi knew inexperienced Omegas like him were easily embarrassed, so he coughed awkwardly and didn't press further.

"Oh, right—that Yin... whatever his name is, Chu? He's in a room upstairs. Do you want to visit him? I heard you were there when he got injured?"

Xu Guanyi had only asked casually, but the color rapidly drained from Ling Ran's face.

His slender, pale fingers tightened slightly around the white box in his arms. In the end, Ling Ran still asked for Yin Chu's room number and took the elevator upstairs.

Arriving outside the VIP ward, Ling Ran didn't push the door open. He merely peered through the glass window, taking a distant glance inside.

Yin Chu was indeed lying on the hospital bed. His usually radiant and delicate face was now as pale as paper. His left ankle was heavily bandaged, clearly swollen into a large lump—it looked quite serious, likely keeping him off his feet for several days.

After Jiang Shengyi brought him to the hospital last night, he immediately arranged for Yin Chu's admission. Though it was just a sprained ankle, for an omega who had been pampered since childhood, the pain was still considerable.

The Yin family truly doted on Yin Chu, holding him in the palm of their hands. From a young age, he got whatever he wanted—even when he demanded the best news program from Jiangzhou Entertainment, the Yin family patriarch personally went to the Jiang family to secure it for him.

But what he truly wanted was Jiang Zhiyu. He had thought of him every single day since presenting as an omega.

Yet the enigma's reason for rejecting him was an unsolvable dead end.

Because he was an omega—not the ideal partner choice for an enigma.

Yin Chu refused to give up. Knowing Jiang Shengyi liked him, he kept him as a backup. If he couldn't marry Jiang Zhiyu in the end, he could at least marry Jiang Shengyi. As long as he entered the Jiang family, there would be countless opportunities to get close to Jiang Zhiyu.

Ling Ran stood silently by the door when he suddenly heard faint sobbing from inside the room. Looking closer, he saw Yin Chu crying.

Tears welled in those beautiful eyes as he stared unblinkingly at the tall, handsome man sitting not far away. His tear-streaked face was heartbreakingly lovely.

Ling Ran's gaze shifted to the sofa beside the bed. From his angle, he could only see a broad, imposing back—a figure dressed in an impeccable suit, exuding nobility.

Recognizing who it was, Ling Ran's heart suddenly pounded violently.

For some reason, a wave of sour bitterness rose from his chest, flooding his eyes with inexplicable grievance.

He couldn't hear what Yin Chu was tearfully saying to Jiang Zhiyu.

Stepping into that room to voice his own grievances? He didn't have the courage.

Besides, Jiang Zhiyu had only helped him out of a few tight spots—mere trivial gestures for him, but to Ling Ran, they were kindnesses worth eternal gratitude.

But who said such kindness was reserved for him alone?

A child who had never known favoritism would treasure even the smallest act of kindness, secretly holding it close to his heart to cherish.

Lowering his eyes, Ling Ran looked at the white box in his arms—inside lay the broken inhibitor his brother had stepped on.

Suddenly, footsteps of doctors and nurses doing rounds approached from behind. Spotting Ling Ran, one called out, "Are you here to visit a patient?"

Startled, Ling Ran nearly dropped the box. Clutching it tightly, he quickly shook his head. Unaware of the gaze now directed his way from inside the room, he kept his head down and fled.

The damaged ankle inhibitor was placed in the bedside drawer, its shattered display carefully pieced back together.

But no matter how well it was restored, the cracks would always remain.

***

Ling Ran was meticulously preparing for the final interview next week when Qin Chengyue called to say she had also been selected for the final round. They would be going to the Jiang Corporation headquarters together for their interviews.

Every night, they practiced late into the evening, taking turns as each other's mock interviewers.

Ling Ran was confident that his hard work would pay off—he would pass the interview and secure his spot at Jiangzhou Entertainment.

But the day before the interview, his parents, who had been on a business trip abroad for nearly two months, returned home.

Eager to see them after so long, the Omega hurried downstairs with light steps.

"Dad, I—"

Before he could finish, Ling Ran froze at the sight of his parents' icy, stormy expressions. Fear crept in, and his foot instinctively retreated a step back on the stairs.

His father, an alpha who had dominated the business world for decades, was a stern and imposing figure who rarely smiled at Ling Ran. Now, with his face dark and rigid, Ling Ran knew something was terribly wrong.

"Your mother and I were only away for a short time, and you've already caused such a disaster at home! Clearly, I've been far too lenient with you!"

His father's voice was sharp as he glared at the bewildered Omega on the stairs. "How dare you lay a hand on Yin Chu?! Do you want the Yin and Jiang families to come knocking on our door, shaming your mother and me to our faces?! Get over here and kneel!"

Tears welled up instantly in Ling Ran's eyes. He turned desperately to his silent mother, hoping—praying—that at least she would believe him, stand by him.

But the female alpha, who had always favored his older siblings, remained as unyielding as stone. She watched him from a distance and said, "Xiao Ran, you've gone too far this time. No matter how close Yin Chu and Sheng Yi are, you had no right to hurt him like that. Do you understand how much worse this will make Sheng Yi despise you?"

Ling Ran never imagined that the first thing his parents would do upon returning was not to listen to his side of the story but to side with outsiders and condemn him.

"No... I didn't do it, I didn't hurt him—"

To his father, these words were nothing but feeble excuses. He strode forward, grabbed Ling Ran's slender arm, and yanked him down the stairs, forcing him to kneel on the cold, hard tiles.

"You still dare to lie? Ling Ran, is this how your mother and I raised you?!" His father's fury burned uncontrollably as he snatched an object from a nearby shelf and hurled it at him.

It was an ornate ceramic vase. It struck Ling Ran's slender frame with a dull thud before shattering loudly on the ground.

His mother stepped forward, tugging at his father's arm. "Calm down. Xiao Ran must realize his mistake by now. Don't resort to violence—he's grown up. If you explain things properly, he'll understand."

Shards of the broken vase had scattered, unnoticed, and one had sliced open the sole of Ling Ran's foot. Blood trickled down his pale skin, but he seemed numb to the pain, kneeling silently with his head bowed, his small back rigidly straight.

"Look at that stubbornness! Do you really think he's capable of listening to reason?!"

Father Ling erupted in fury, "I wish I could crack open his skull to see what nonsense is stuffed inside that foolish brain of his! All he does is mess around with those worthless news reports. In the future, he'll just be a laughingstock paraded for others' amusement. If he'd obediently married Jiang Shengyi, at least it would've brought some benefit to the family. But now, right before the wedding, he's gone and created this mess!"

Ling Ran raised the back of his hand to roughly wipe the corner of his eye.

He had an even bigger mess he hadn't revealed yet.

"Father, Mother," Ling Ran said softly, "I'm not getting married."

The silence in the villa was suddenly shattered as if by a thunderclap. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ling felt their vision swim.

"What did you say?!"

Ling Ran's tone was calm but unusually firm.

"I'm calling off the engagement."

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