TPLTMOE - Chapter 20

Jiang Zhiyu wrapped one arm around the trembling Omega, pressing the scent-blocking patch even more firmly into place.

The slender body in his arms shuddered violently, a faint, animal-like whimper escaping his throat. Only then did Jiang Zhiyu ease his grip slightly, his hand moving upward instead.

Long fingers threaded through the soft, fluffy strands of hair, gently massaging the scalp to soothe the sharp pain from having his hair pulled earlier.

Ling Ran lay limply against the enigma's chest, his exposed neck now tinged with a faint misty pink. His endless tears smeared against Jiang Zhiyu's shirt.

From behind them, a few groans gradually rose. Ling Ran peeked over Jiang Zhiyu's shoulder with teary eyes.

Tang Jun was sprawled on the floor at some point, his head still covered by an expensive tailored suit jacket. Now, as if roused by pain, he let out a pained cry and tried to push himself up.

Jiang Zhiyu steadied Ling Ran against the wall before turning and walking toward Tang Jun.

Just as Tang Jun was about to yank the jacket off his head with a string of curses, Ling Ran watched as Jiang Zhiyu calmly undid his shirt cuff.

Then, in the next second, the alpha on the floor was hauled up with brutal force. The suit jacket remained tightly wrapped around his head as a hand pressed down through the fabric—before another dull thud echoed through the hallway, his skull slammed mercilessly into the wall.

Tang Jun was struck again, his vision swimming as he nearly collapsed to the floor. But the hand gripping his head showed no mercy—once, twice—relentlessly smashing his skull against the cold, hard ceramic tiles.

The three-hundred-thousand-yuan suit was ruined, though at least this way the blood wouldn't splatter everywhere.

Ling Ran couldn't decipher the emotions hidden in those abyss-like eyes. By now, Tang Jun had fallen silent, long since knocked unconscious.

Jiang Zhiyu rarely resorted to violence, especially not on such an important evening.

Suddenly, a pair of slender, pale arms wrapped around his waist from behind, pressing a body warmer than usual against him.

He released the alpha, now a limp heap on the floor, and turned to scoop the Omega into his arms.

The embrace was warm and broad, faintly carrying the scent of premium tequila—a small haven of security. The Omega's body was still wracked by the clash of two warring pheromones, their flushed face nuzzling closer, eager for more of that tequila-infused scent.

Noticing the Omega's silent plea, Jiang Zhiyu adjusted his hold and carried them back through the long corridor to a secluded suite, stepping inside and shutting the door behind them.

After laying the Omega on the bed, Jiang Zhiyu called Zhao Qin, instructing him to deal with the unconscious alpha still sprawled in the hallway and summon a doctor.

Zhao Qin, having worked under Jiang Zhiyu for years, nearly lost his composure when he saw the bloodied face beneath the ruined suit. Recognizing Tang Jun, his soul almost left his body.

Trembling, he checked the alpha's pulse—thankfully, there was still breath.

Soon, Zhao Qin returned with the island's doctor and knocked on the suite door.

After a moment, the door opened.

Jiang Zhiyu had just showered, washing away the revolting stench of alpha pheromones and blood.

He wore only a loosely tied robe, his tall, powerfully built frame unmistakably dominant. The contours of his muscles—more refined and formidable than the average alpha's—peeked through the white fabric, exuding an aura of barely restrained aggression.

Fortunately, the doctor was a beta, professional enough to keep their eyes averted as they approached the bed to examine the Omega.

Carefully, they extracted the shards of broken glass embedded in the Omega's palm. Luckily, the wounds weren't deep enough for stitches—just some ointment and bandages would suffice. The blood staining their clothes, it seemed, belonged entirely to someone else.

Just as the doctor moved to lift the covers and check for other injuries, a voice interrupted from behind.

"Leave us."

Zhao Qin immediately ushered the doctor out, though not before they left behind three tubes of ointment—one for the hand, two for the scent glands.

Once the door closed again, Jiang Zhiyu lit a cigarette and approached the bed, looking down at the Omega lost in deep slumber.

Even in sleep, they were restless, their cheeks flushed a deeper pink than before. That delicate, rosy haze spread from their pale, pointed chin down beneath the collar of their shirt.

This was because he had just been temporarily marked by his destined mate. Although the inhibitor was at work, the pheromones that had directly entered his bloodstream from the gland were too concentrated and too intense for a fragile Omega to resist.

Moreover, his gland was currently covered with a scent patch saturated with an enigma's pheromones.

On one side was his destined mate with a 100% compatibility rate, and on the other was a supreme enigma who stood far above all other genders.

A fierce, silent battle was raging violently within the Omega's body.

The cigarette between his fingers was nearly burnt out. Jiang Zhiyu casually stubbed it out, then leaned over the bed and yanked the blanket aside.

The Omega shivered at the sudden rush of cold air, his brows furrowing slightly, but he didn't wake.

Jiang Zhiyu touched his clothes—they were almost completely soaked with sweat. The Omega seemed even thinner than when he had last seen him a few days ago, the sharp ridges of his hip bones protruding prominently on either side of his slender waist.

The scent of roses and grapes in the air had grown stronger. What had once been a tart, unripe grape had now been thoroughly steeped in honeyed water, its skin peeled away to reveal the tender flesh inside, dripping wet, ripened—no, overripe—by the competing pheromones, until it was thoroughly ruined.

When Jiang Zhiyu noticed the white thigh band the little Omega was obediently wearing, his usually impassive, handsome face finally showed a flicker of emotion, his narrow eyes narrowing further.

It really wasn't very big. He had misjudged—he had assumed that with the Omega's slight frame, there wouldn't be much flesh to speak of.

His legs were still slender, but well-proportioned, with just enough softness around the thighs to create a pitifully indented ring of plush flesh where the band dug in.

But further down, the small, rounded kneecaps were marred with dark bruises. They didn't look like fresh injuries—more like punishment inflicted days earlier.

Jiang Zhiyu reached for the ointment on the bedside table, squeezed some onto his fingers, and gently applied it to the bruises, as well as a faint scratch on the pale skin of the Omega's foot, tending to each mark with meticulous care.

After applying the ointment, he made a call to Xu Guanyi, who was currently in Europe.

After briefly explaining Ling Ran's condition, Xu Guanyi's tone turned serious.

"Is he still feverish?"

Jiang Zhiyu brushed his fingers over the little Omega's face—soft, smooth, finer than the most delicate jade, and slightly damp with tears. "Yes."

Xu Guanyi sighed. "That's not good. You've helped him through his heat before, so his body has already developed an instinctive acceptance of your pheromones. The two pheromones will now be warring inside him, fighting to the death—though there's no telling how long this will last. He'll be in excruciating pain..."

"How do we fix it?" Jiang Zhiyu cut straight to the point.

Xu Guanyi hesitated before answering. "Two options. Either have his destined mate bite him again, giving him a deeper temporary mark, or you bite him. An enigma can overwrite any alpha's temporary mark—just give him enough of your pheromones to completely replace the original mark."

Of course, this approach might also lead to some other consequences, such as directly inducing the Omega into heat or worsening their dependency symptoms. But no matter what, the situation couldn't possibly be worse than it is now.

Xu Guanyi seemed to know exactly what choice the person on the other end would make. Before hanging up, he kindly reminded them, "Oh, and don't forget to remove his inhibitor collar beforehand."

The room fell into silence once more, broken only by the Omega's uneven, labored breathing.

The phone rang again.

The caller was Yan Xiwen, the newly appointed president of Yan Corporation, who had just negotiated a partnership on the cruise ship earlier that day. He was deliberately calling to share insider information and curry favor.

"President Jiang, you missed quite the spectacle while you were away," Yan Xiwen chuckled over the phone. "Half an hour ago, your Jiang Corporation's Sheng Yi made a grand announcement in front of everyone—he's called off the engagement with the Ling family. In other words, he's broken off the marriage with that youngest son of theirs."

The man on the other end of the line didn't seem surprised. A faint smile curled at his lips as he gave a soft laugh.

"Is that so."

His jade-cold fingers reached out, barely grazing the soft flesh of a thigh as he activated the display on the slender white leg band.

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