TPLTMOE - Chapter 2

Ling Ran instinctively took half a step back, reflexively refusing, "No need, I can—"

Before he could finish, a bolt of lightning split the dark clouds overhead, its deafening roar shaking the sky.

Startled, Ling Ran glanced upward and pressed his lips together silently.

It looked like a thunderstorm was coming.

A faint chuckle seemed to come from inside the car, followed by an unyielding tone. "Get in. Don't make me say it a third time."

Ling Ran recalled what Sheng Yi had once told him—his uncle was domineering and ruthless by nature. When some family members had opposed his corporate reforms and stirred up trouble at headquarters, his uncle had personally shattered the ringleader's leg bone in front of the entire family. The brutality of the act had terrified everyone into submission, and no one dared to openly defy him after that.

If he ended up angering this uncle...

Ling Ran immediately pulled open the car door and slid inside.

The window rolled up, and the driver stepped on the gas, sending the Maybach speeding away.

The downpour seemed to unleash itself the moment he got in. The interior was eerily quiet, save for the relentless drumming of raindrops against the windows.

Fidgeting uneasily, Ling Ran murmured softly to the man beside him, "Thank you... Uncle."

Even though his voice was barely above a whisper, it was crystal clear in the soundproofed cabin.

Jiang Zhiyu turned his gaze toward him, seemingly intrigued by the address. "What did you just call me?"

The young Omega beside him was visibly tense, his body rigid, perched precariously on the edge of the leather seat.

His clothes were slightly damp from the rain, and his usually soft, wavy hair now clung limply to his pale neck.

A faint, delicate sweetness seemed to emanate from him.

Ling Ran tugged at his damp jacket and obediently repeated, "Uncle."

Since he and Sheng Yi were about to get married, it was only right to show respect to Sheng Yi's elders as his own.

But this particular elder didn't seem to hold much respect for him. Those sharp, cold eyes lingered on the back of his neck.

Though a small, discreet scent patch was in place, it felt incredibly inappropriate for an Alpha to stare so openly at an Omega's scent gland... Ling Ran raised his hand, his soft palm covering the patch. Only then did he realize that the edges had begun to peel from the rain.

He tried pressing it back down, but the adhesive had weakened. The patch refused to stay put, dangling precariously, almost ready to fall off.

Ling Ran frantically searched through his pockets, only to realize with dismay that he had only brought suppressant spray today—no extra patches.

Just as he was fretting over what to do, the man beside him spoke in a low voice to the driver in front, "Give him a suppressant patch." Stopped at a red light, the driver Zhao Qin conveniently rummaged through the storage compartment before handing one back.

Ling Ran shot Jiang Zhiyu a grateful glance before carefully accepting the patch with both hands.

"Thank you," he murmured almost inaudibly.

It seemed he had misunderstood earlier—though his uncle looked intimidating, he was actually quite kind and considerate.

But then, this "kind and considerate" uncle spoke again, "The one on your neck is soaked."

Ling Ran's mouth fell open slightly, "Ah..."

"Take it off and replace it."

Ling Ran's eyes widened, "Huh?!"

The red light had ended, and Zhao Qin, ever perceptive, pressed a button. A partition slowly rose in the spacious Maybach, dividing the rear cabin into two sections.

Clutching the patch tightly, Ling Ran still hesitated.

Jiang Zhiyu, on the other hand, reclined lazily against the leather seat, his long legs bent casually as he asked offhandedly, "Don't know how to change it yourself?"

Ling Ran bit his lip lightly. "I do."

He had just never done it in front of others before.

Feeling the increasing ache from the gland at the back of his neck, he worried his pheromones would soon flood the entire car.

After much hesitation, Ling Ran finally tore open the packaging of the new patch—it was labeled "For Alphas."

This was a suppressant patch designed for Alphas in rut, meant to prevent uncontrolled pheromone leakage. Omegas could use it too, and the blocking effect would only be stronger.

As he unwrapped it, Ling Ran thought to himself, So he really is an Alpha.

It took him a while to finally open the packaging. Holding the new patch in one hand, he reached behind his neck with the other, fingers brushing against the slightly curled edge of the damp patch.

He took a deep breath, mentally psyching himself up.

It's just changing a suppressant patch in front of someone—it's not like changing clothes. There's nothing to be embarrassed about.

If he moved quickly enough, no pheromones would escape.

With a sudden flick of his fingers, he tore off the soaked patch in one swift motion.

The slender arm quickly lifted, preparing to apply the new patch, but just as the wrist reached his side, it was suddenly seized by a powerful grip.

That intoxicatingly sweet scent of rose-infused grape instantly permeated the car's interior—like freshly crushed grape juice spilled across the floor, mingled with the alluring fragrance of roses, aggressively invading every breath.

Jiang Zhiyu tightened his grip around that fragile wrist, as if the slightest pressure from his fingertips could snap this delicate Omega like a flower stem.

He intercepted the Omega's movement, not only preventing him from reapplying the scent blocker, but even using his jade-like fingers to gently brush aside the damp strands of hair clinging to that pearly nape.

Beneath lay the slightly swollen, vulnerable gland—now completely exposed to the humid air, causing the rich grape aroma to intensify dramatically.

Ling Ran was utterly terrified by this sudden assault. He struggled helplessly, only for his wrist to be gripped even tighter.

Those predatory eyes were now fixed unrelentingly on his vulnerable gland, allowing no escape.

Tears welled in Ling Ran's peach-blossom eyes, his heart swelling with misery.

"L-let me go... please..."

An Omega's scent gland was an intensely private area—never to be exposed to anyone except one's mate, especially not to an alpha radiating such danger.

Moreover, no one had ever stared at his gland like this before. Not even Jiang Shengyi had seen it.

Jiang Zhiyu's darkened gaze studied that delicate gland nestled against the slender, pale neck. Though slightly inflamed, its surface remained pristine—completely unmarked.

"Never been claimed?" he asked.

Ling Ran's wrist ached from the grip, the scent blocker nearly slipping from his trembling fingers.

"N-no..." he whimpered.

Jiang Zhiyu narrowed his eyes skeptically. "You've been engaged to Shengyi for nearly two years. You're telling me he's never marked you?" Hearing the doubt in his tone, Ling Ran desperately wrenched his wrist free. He hastily applied the blocker, tucked his hair back, and pulled his collar high, his face a mask of wariness.

"Shengyi said... we'd wait until after marriage," Ling Ran muttered defensively. "He respects me."

Unlike you...

Jiang Zhiyu remained unfazed. His gaze dropped to the slender wrist he'd gripped—already faintly reddened.

This was precisely why he disliked such fragile Omegas.

Though he hadn't expected Jiang Shengyi to have left this Omega untouched. Weren't they supposed to be fated mates with 100% compatibility?

How underwhelming.

The car soon stopped before the Ling residence, the rain having ceased just in time.

The moment the door opened, Ling Ran bolted out like a startled rabbit. Through the window, he hastily called, "Thank you for the ride, Uncle Zhiyu!"

Then he fled inside without a backward glance.

Watching that retreating figure, Jiang Zhiyu's lips curled slightly.

Timid... but obedient.

***

After returning home, Ling Ran rushed straight to his second-floor bedroom. He quickly took a hot shower, washing away the sticky dampness clinging to his body.

The Omega in the mirror had a slender figure, fair skin, and a supple waist so delicate it seemed made to be completely enveloped by an alpha's large hands.

Only the faint red marks on his wrists remained, left by someone's forceful grip in the car earlier that day.

The back of his slender neck still bore the alpha-specific scent patch. Ling Ran reached up and gently peeled it off from his scent gland. Almost instantly, an intense aroma of roses and grapes burst forth from his nape like an explosion.

The steamy bathroom was immediately enveloped in the rich floral and fruity fragrance, though the grape scent was noticeably stronger than usual.

He could feel his pheromones racing wildly through his bloodstream to every extremity, violently demanding release from every pore—struggling, surging, crashing—desperately seeking some solace and comfort within the petite Omega's body.

Yet no trace of alpha pheromones could be found to soothe them.

His blood flowed even more turbulently as Ling Ran's breathing grew increasingly labored. Overwhelmed by the sudden pheromonal turmoil, he braced himself against the sink with trembling hands, barely able to stand.

The captivating peach-blossom corners of his eyes were damp with involuntary tears. He didn't understand what was happening, only that his body ached as if being torn apart, with thousands of ants gnawing at every inch of his flesh and bones.

The scent gland at the back of his neck throbbed painfully.

After weakly resting against the sink for some time, he finally managed to steady his breathing. When he gingerly touched his scent gland, a piercing pain shot through him.

"Mm..."

Ling Ran let out an involuntary whimper. Wrapped in his bathrobe, he leaned against the wall as he left the bathroom, frantically rummaging through drawers for an inhibitor before hastily injecting it into his slender arm.

The cool liquid gradually soothed the restless burning pain within his body, even easing the ache at the nape of his neck.

Finally regaining some composure, Ling Ran buried himself messily under the covers.

He realized he might not last until after the wedding. This frail Omega body had relied on inhibitors to endure every heat cycle since presentation.

But the more pheromones he absorbed from his fated mate, the more violent his next heat would become.

The red marks on his wrist from being gripped still burned hot.

His craving for an alpha's mark was becoming unbearable.

<<Chapter List