TPLTMOE - Chapter 27

Jiang Zhiyu walked over to the bedside. "What kind of not good"?"

The moment he drew near, Ling Ran felt the urge to burrow into his embrace.

But he restrained himself—he was fully conscious now and couldn't act so shamelessly.

"Here," he removed his hand and lowered his head to show Jiang Zhiyu the gland, "it's a bit itchy... and numb."

The poor gland had been bitten too many times yesterday, and had only been bitten twice today. The pheromone concentration wasn't enough—after a brief respite, it was craving again.

Jiang Zhiyu reached out, lightly brushing over the swollen, flushed gland before concluding, "Not yet."

An Omega's body had limited endurance. Ling Ran's gland had originally been somewhat atrophied from underdevelopment. Though enigma pheromones had stimulated it to slowly continue growing, it still couldn't handle frequent, high-intensity marking from an enigma in such a short timeframe.

The gland needed time to recover.

As he withdrew his hand, he saw the little Omega's eyes redden further.

"Can't you... bite me one more time?" Ling Ran asked. "Just a light one... not even that?"

Jiang Zhiyu fetched some ointment, applying it to the gland with his fingertip.

"Did you see how to cover the mark earlier?"

The ointment carried a faint cooling sensation as it was slowly rubbed in by slightly cold fingertips. Ling Ran felt a bit better and nodded.

"I saw it."

"Which category does what I did to you fall under?"

There was even a pop quiz now?

Fortunately, Ling Ran had a good memory. After a moment's thought, he answered, "Multiple overlapping marks."

Jiang Zhiyu remarked, "You paid close attention."

A flicker of hope ignited in Ling Ran, his voice soft, "Then... can I have a bite now?"

Jiang Zhiyu withdrew his hand, his tone still calm and rational, "No."

Ling Ran pouted, utterly dejected, "Wuu..."

But the books all said it should work like this...

Jiang Zhiyu said, "There are precautions listed later. Didn't you see them?"

Ling Ran hung his head, somewhat deflated, "Haven't finished reading yet..."

Jiang Zhiyu patted his head in what seemed like encouragement. "Then wait until you've read through the book once."

Ling Ran lifted his eyes, a glimmer of light in them as he caught the implication in Jiang Zhiyu's words. "Once I finish the book, it'll be okay?"

The document was about a hundred pages long—reading it all would take at least two or three hours.

"Mm," Jiang Zhiyu agreed. "Consider it a reward."

Ling Ran pressed his lips together and nodded. "Okay."

He was good at studying—he should be able to finish quickly.

The two returned to the study one after the other. Ling Ran picked up the thick document from the floor and settled onto the sofa, cradling it as he resumed reading intently.

The tequila scent enveloping the room gradually grew richer, but unlike before, he didn't react excessively to it. Instead, he found it comforting.

The study was unusually quiet, with only the occasional sound of turning pages and the distant crash of waves outside the window. The sky had darkened by the time Zhao Qin called, asking if Jiang Zhiyu still planned to attend tonight's banquet.

Standing by the window, Jiang Zhiyu glanced at the well-behaved figure on the sofa and declined, instructing Zhao Qin to report anything important to him later.

Ling Ran was indeed a fast reader. In less than two hours, he had flipped through the entire hundred-page document. By the time Jiang Zhiyu hung up the phone, the little Omega was already standing by the desk, the closed document placed in front of him, his dark, bright eyes fixed on Jiang Zhiyu.

"Mr. Jiang, I've finished reading."

As he spoke, he fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, looking terribly embarrassed.

Jiang Zhiyu leaned against the desk, his long legs casually crossed, and picked up the document to skim through a couple of pages.

"Remembered everything?"

Ling Ran inhaled the rich tequila pheromones, his breathing unconsciously growing heavier as anticipation for the promised reward surged within him.

"Mostly," Ling Ran replied. "You can quiz me."

"What should you pay attention to before overlapping marks?"

Ling Ran answered, "First, release some pheromones to let the Omega's body adjust gradually. Only then can the marking begin."

"How do you treat atrophied reproductive cavities?"

"Medication can help, but it might cause some physical damage. The best treatment is stimulation from highly compatible pheromones to prompt secondary development of the glands or reproductive cavity. Higher grade Enigma pheromones can also serve as a substitute."

"What are the partner options for an Enigma?"

"Two," Ling Ran lowered his head. "Alpha or Beta—they're the best choices."

Jiang Zhiyu said to him, "Lift your head."

Ling Ran slowly raised his head and met a pair of profound, deep-set eyes.

The tall, imposing enigma before him gazed down as he spoke: "There are three types. Omegas can certainly do it too."

The sheer intensity in his stare made Ling Ran hesitate to meet his eyes, instinctively wanting to retreat—yet he found himself ensnared, denied any escape.

"But Omegas are too fragile, it wouldn't be appropriate..."

"There's nothing inappropriate about it," Jiang Zhiyu closed the document. "As long as their enigma partner has sufficient self-control." Coincidentally, his self-control had always been terrifyingly strong.

Ling Ran had answered everything else correctly, which surprised Jiang Zhiyu somewhat: "Were you a top student in school?"

Ling Ran's voice was soft and timid: "I did alright."

He'd always been the model student in his teachers' eyes, consistently earning scholarships throughout university and even being named outstanding graduate this year.

Yet this good boy's mind was now flooded with decidedly unvirtuous thoughts that startled even himself.

How could he—how could he feel such an overwhelming craving for Jiang Zhiyu's body? The dependence he once had on Jiang Shengxi's pheromones now seemed entirely transferred to this enigma before him.

Only amplified tenfold.

Ling Ran subtly tilted his head, waiting.

Jiang Zhiyu had promised another temporary mark after finishing the document.

Now that he was done, could he claim his reward?

Recognizing the anticipation in his eyes, Jiang Zhiyu first walked to the sofa before beckoning him over.

Ling Ran immediately followed, shoulders pressed down as he was seated.

When Jiang Zhiyu settled beside him, the plush cushions sank deeply under their combined weight.

Previous markings had occurred in hazy, half-conscious states, but now Ling Ran was fully alert—keenly aware as a large, warm hand gradually closed around the nape of his neck.

His body instantly trembled beyond control, fingers clutching at his clothes. Fear and excitement warred within him, thighs unconsciously tightening together.

He wanted to curl into himself.

Noticing his tension, Jiang Zhiyu paused. Instead of proceeding, he suddenly gripped Ling Ran's waist with both hands, parting his legs and positioning him to face the window while seated astride his lap.

Ling Ran was suddenly pulled into a strong, scorching embrace. The intense, heady scent of alcohol overwhelmed him as his back pressed tightly against a firm chest. A muscular arm wrapped around his slender waist, effectively trapping him to prevent any escape.

This position conveniently exposed the small, inflamed gland at the nape of his neck. Jiang Zhiyu glanced down—after some recovery time, the Omega's gland was no longer as swollen, though it remained damp and flushed a deep, irritated red.

"Relax," he murmured from behind. "We've done this many times now. It'll feel better if your muscles loosen up."

Ling Ran wanted to comply, but being enveloped so tightly, his heart pounded wildly, threatening to leap out of his throat. How could he possibly relax?

"Take a few deep breaths first," Jiang Zhiyu guided patiently. "Inhale deeply, exhale slowly."

Following his instructions, Ling Ran took several measured breaths, gradually feeling the tension in his stiff back ease.

Jiang Zhiyu held out his palm. "Give me your hand."

Ling Ran placed one hand in his—his small palm looked almost childlike against the other man's broad, long fingers.

"Both," Jiang Zhiyu reminded.

Ling Ran obediently placed his other hand in Jiang Zhiyu's grasp.

With effortless ease, the man enveloped both of Ling Ran's hands, kneading them gently yet firmly, his touch tender and lingering.

True enough, Ling Ran relaxed further, his back eventually melting against Jiang Zhiyu's chest, his head tilting slightly to rest against him. Like a kitten being soothed by its owner's strokes, he became pliant, almost unbelievably docile.

Then, Jiang Zhiyu's hands slid down, clasping his slender wrists and pressing his arms against his own chest.

Leaning in, Jiang Zhiyu gave him an exceedingly gentle temporary mark.

The tequila pheromones flowed in a slow, soothing current, quickly calming the restless agitation within the Omega. They traveled along his veins, smoothing out every frayed edge inside him.

By this stage of repeated marking, it no longer required an overwhelming infusion of pheromones—just enough to comfort the Omega properly.

Ling Ran remained fully conscious throughout, and by the end, his entire body felt light and at ease.

Jiang Zhiyu had already released him. Standing up, Ling Ran noticed the warmth lingering at his gland, the numbness fading.

"Thank you," he said, eyes glistening. "I feel much better. Is the covering mark complete now?"

Jiang Zhiyu lightly licked his lips, still tinged with traces of Omega pheromones.

"One more session left."

Ling Ran smiled brightly. "Alright! Then I won't disturb your work any further."

As he turned to leave, Jiang Zhiyu called him back, pulling out a thick document from the stack on his desk and handing it to him.

"Is this... a project proposal?" Ling Ran blinked in surprise. "Is Jiang Zhou planning to launch a new program?"

"Just a draft," Jiang Zhiyu replied. "See if you have any suggestions for revisions. Mark them directly on the document."

Ling Ran hesitated. "But I'm not officially a Jiang Zhou employee yet. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to review internal proposals?" "Consider it a pre-interview assessment," Jiang Zhiyu said. "If you can't clear this hurdle, the final interview will only be harder."

Ling Ran was promising talent, and honing his work skills early wasn't a bad thing. At the very least, it would shift his focus to work, leaving no energy to dwell on those messy affairs.

The new program was still in the planning stages, and this draft proposal was a complete mess. Jiang Zhiyu had already decided to reject it during the evening video conference and have the team redo it. Letting Ling Ran take a look was also to gauge whether he had any unique insights about a prime-time news program.

To see if he was worth all the groundwork Jiang Zhiyu had laid for him.

Ling Ran suddenly felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders. "I'll read it carefully," he said.

He sat back down on the sofa and began tackling the task Jiang Zhiyu had assigned him.

If Jiang Zhiyu trusted him with such an important document, he couldn't afford to let him down.

While Ling Ran was absorbed in the file, Jiang Zhiyu went to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, he emerged, changed into fresh clothes, his hair damp as if he'd just taken a shower.

A cold one, at that.

When he returned to the study, Ling Ran was scribbling notes on the proposal with a pencil, completely focused. Jiang Zhiyu ordered dinner, and after the food was delivered, they ate briefly before returning to work in the study.

At exactly nine in the evening, Jiang Zhiyu started the video conference.

Ling Ran, worried about disturbing him, initially wanted to leave, but Jiang Zhiyu assured him it was fine, so he stayed.

The conference mainly consisted of reports from the other end. Jiang Zhiyu wore headphones, occasionally making concise, pointed remarks, which the other side noted down for revisions.

An hour later, the headquarters meeting concluded, followed by several divisional meetings.

It was already very late. Ling Ran, drowsy from reading, struggled to stay awake, but since Jiang Zhiyu was still in meetings, he didn't feel right going to bed first and forced himself to keep him company.

He lasted less than ten minutes before his eyes shut, and he slumped onto the sofa, fast asleep.

On the screen, someone was still droning on with a flashy but largely meaningless PowerPoint, barely any useful data in sight. Jiang Zhiyu glanced distractedly at the sofa and saw the little Omega curled up into a ball, sleeping soundly.

"Let's take a ten-minute break."

He set down his headphones, walked over to the sofa, and bent down to scoop the young man up in his arms.

At the bedside, he intended to lay the Omega down, but those slender arms tightened around his neck, refusing to let go, as if clinging to his embrace like a lifeline, unwilling to leave.

He gently tugged at the Omega's arms, but the sleeping figure only furrowed his brows, as if trapped in a nightmare, his expression pained.

"No... don't..."

The soft, pleading murmur begged not to be let go.

He seemed to have nightmares often—a clear sign of deep-seated insecurity.

Jiang Zhiyu carried him back to the study and, as before, let him rest in his arms.

Turning off the camera, he kept his voice low. "Continue."

The reports resumed on the other end.

Jiang Zhiyu hadn't been in the office these past few days, so many matters had piled up for evening updates. The Jiang Corporation paid generous overtime, and even at this hour, the headquarters remained brightly lit.

After the vice presidents of several subsidiaries finished their reports one by one, the last was Jiangzhou Entertainment.

Jiang Shengyi was originally supposed to attend tonight's video conference, but he had been preoccupied with other projects at the second company branch and hadn't dealt with Jiang Zhou matters at all. Using his injury as an excuse, he sent one of his subordinate managers in his place.

The manager began reading the proposal for Jiang Zhou's new program, but was interrupted by Jiang Zhiyu after just a few sentences.

Through the cold screen, everyone could only hear a somewhat gloomy voice.

"Who wrote this?"

The manager was a little nervous and explained honestly, "The new program was initially discussed by Director Yin and General Manager Shengyi. Later, the project was rejected by headquarters, so it was shelved. Now that headquarters has approved it again, we made significant optimizations to the original proposal to create this draft."

In other words, they had simply recycled old ideas.

There had been a reason why headquarters rejected the previous proposal. Jiang Zhou Entertainment primarily operated in news and entertainment, divided into a news department and an entertainment department. The news department, as the name suggested, focused on traditional, serious journalism, with Yin Chu's exclusive news program being the most prominent. The entertainment department managed artists and various film and TV investments. The two sectors generally had no overlap.

Yin Chu's original idea was to bridge the two sectors with a new program—an entertainment news show where each episode would invite a celebrity to share behind-the-scenes stories of their work while also uncovering exclusive personal anecdotes, somewhat like a talk show.

But this didn't align with Jiang Zhou News' tone. Jiang Zhiyu wanted the new program to become another flagship for the Jiang Group—one that still focused on serious, hard-hitting social journalism, preferably addressing pressing societal issues to give the public a voice. This would enhance Jiang Group's social influence and public trust.

Jiang Zhiyu had already had his secretary relay the directive to Jiang Zhou's executives—headquarters was taking this new program very seriously, with no budget cap. And yet, they had come up with this garbage.

"Redo it," Jiang Zhiyu said, his voice unreadable. "If you still don't understand, have your deputy general manager report to me personally." The manager nodded repeatedly, but how could he dare to order Jiang Shengyi around?

As the meeting was winding down, the secretary summarized the key points on the shared screen.

"Does anyone else have anything to add?" the secretary prompted. "If not, we'll conclude today's meeting—"

Before the words could fully leave the speaker's mouth, everyone suddenly heard a strange sound.

A soft, muffled moan—gentle, yet carrying an indescribable hint of something suggestive.

The secretary immediately fell silent. The dozen or so people on the screen stared wide-eyed at each other, each wondering if they were hallucinating.

No—the voice had come from the side where the camera was turned off.

There was someone with CEO Jiang?!

Before anyone could react, the microphone was abruptly muted as well.

The secretary's lips twitched as he glanced at the group. Who could understand what this meant?

Then, the video call was abruptly terminated.

Secretary: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Well then, guess we're clocking out early.

***

Ling Ran woke up groggily from Jiang Zhiyu's embrace, his eyes still misty and unfocused. He had merely let out a soft murmur when Jiang Zhiyu tapped the screen.

Rubbing his eyes as he sat up straight, Jiang Zhiyu promptly turned off the screen.

Ling Ran looked slightly bewildered. "Is it time for the final marking?" he asked.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but Jiang Zhiyu only held him like this during marking sessions.

He had no recollection of simply dozing off peacefully in Jiang Zhiyu's arms.

"Mhm."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't deny it.

Still half-asleep, Ling Ran obediently lowered his head, pressing his cheek against Jiang Zhiyu's chest to expose the scent gland at the nape of his neck. "I'm ready."

The Omega's complete submission, willingly presenting his most vulnerable spot—after this final marking, would he no longer nestle so intimately in Jiang Zhiyu's arms like this?

Jiang Zhiyu realized his growing reluctance about this being the last time. Contrary to expectation, he found the little Omega's scent far from repulsive. The fresh, sweet blend of rose and grape was intoxicatingly addictive.

When no movement came after a while, Ling Ran lifted his head. "Is something wrong?"

A large hand guided his head back to rest against Jiang Zhiyu's chest. "Stay put."

This marking session turned unexpectedly intense, yet Ling Ran's body adapted surprisingly well.

Only at the very end did he nearly reach his limit.

His entire body was saturated with the rich aroma of alcohol, thoroughly intoxicated.

Jiang Zhiyu carried him back to bed, where he slept deeply this time, no longer clinging for embraces.

Ling Ran didn't wake until nearly noon the next day, roused by the room service bell.

The cart was laden with neatly arranged dishes. He casually selected a couple to keep.

The suite was empty—Jiang Zhiyu seemed to have left long ago.

Both of his sleeps last night had been remarkably comfortable—first in Jiang Zhiyu's arms, then in the large bed after the marking.

But since he'd taken the bed, Jiang Zhiyu must have slept on the sofa.

Feeling rather embarrassed, Ling Ran resolved to claim the sofa first tonight.

This was their final day at Blue Bay Harbor. Tomorrow they'd leave the island and return to the mainland.

Most island guests would likely spend the day out at sea. Preferring to stay in, Ling Ran returned to the study to review the unfinished proposal from last night.

He'd filled the margins with dense annotations, essentially drafting an entirely new version.

Finishing gave him a sense of accomplishment, and he eagerly awaited Jiang Zhiyu's return to show him.

But after watching TV in the room for a long time, Jiang Zhiyu still hadn't returned.

He took out his phone, wanting to send him a message. He typed and deleted for a while, but in the end, all he did was change the contact name from [Uncle] to [Mr. Jiang], then locked the screen.

He must be busy—he had worked late last night too. It would be terribly impolite to keep bothering him.

Before long, Zhao Qin knocked on the door, specifically telling Ling Ran that Jiang Zhiyu had gone to tonight's banquet and that Ling Ran should eat on his own and rest early.

Ling Ran agreed, then closed the door.

Alone in the room, the silence was almost eerie. The night was calm, so much so that even the sound of the waves was absent.

He felt a little bored, staring for a long time at the dark, empty beach outside the window.

Right now, everyone was probably in the banquet hall, clinking glasses and chatting merrily.

No one would be foolish enough to sneak out to the beach in the dead of night just to feel the sea breeze—no one but him.

Ling Ran walked alone to that stretch of sand. The surroundings were dim, with only the faint outline of the coastline visible, along with the gentle, rippling waves.

In the days he had been here, he hadn't had the chance to properly see the ocean. Now, with no one around—no pointing fingers, no scolding voices in his ears—his heart was utterly at peace. This kind of quiet felt deeply comforting.

Living alone like this, in such tranquility, didn't seem so bad.

He took off his shoes and walked barefoot along the shore, occasionally bending down to look for pretty shells. He picked up a few, rinsed them in the seawater, then tucked them carefully into his pockets like treasures.

Once his pockets were full, he sat on the sand, quietly letting the sea breeze wash over him.

When Jiang Zhiyu returned to the suite, the little Omega was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he was about to call Zhao Qin to ask where he was, he noticed an unread message.

[Little Grape]: Mr. Jiang, I've gone to the beach for a bit. I'll be back soon.

He glanced outside. On the vast, dark beach, there did seem to be a faint silhouette sitting alone—so small it would be easy to miss.

That slender figure looked especially solitary in the night.

Ethereal, as if the sea breeze might scatter him away at any moment.

He had been sitting there motionless for who knew how long.

The moonlight was dim, the sea devoid of light.

Jiang Zhiyu stood by the window, his gaze steady, silently watching.

Then the wind picked up, the sound of waves rushing in, and the suite door clicked open.

The sea breeze was damp and salty, growing stronger by the minute. Ling Ran began to feel cold.

He figured it was about time—the banquet was probably winding down, and he should head back soon.

Just as he was about to stand, someone suddenly grabbed his arm. He turned and collided with a warm chest. Looking up, all he could make out in the faint moonlight was the sharp, cold profile of the man before him.

"Mr. Jiang?" Ling Ran was surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer, his eyes dark. Instead, he draped his suit jacket over Ling Ran's shoulders.

The chilly sea breeze was instantly blocked out. Wrapped in the oversized warmth of the jacket, Ling Ran quietly sniffled. "Thank you..."

He had rushed out in such a hurry that he hadn't brought a coat.

But the suit was far too big on him—long enough to cover his hips, leaving only his slender, straight legs visible beneath.

The fabric carried a faint trace of alcohol—not tequila.

More like... rich, mellow wine.

Ling Ran raised his delicate face, his expression focused as he looked at Jiang Zhiyu. "Have you been drinking?"

"Mmm," the enigma didn't deny it, his brows slightly lowered. "So be good tonight."

Don't provoke him.

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