TPLTMOE - Chapter 3

The next morning, Ling Ran came downstairs to find the living room eerily silent.

His parents were vacationing abroad, leaving only him and his siblings at home.

As soon as he descended the stairs, his sister Ling Mo grabbed his arm.

"Ran, where were you yesterday? We didn't see you all day."

Noticing his brother Ling Su sitting sternly on the sofa, Ling Ran answered obediently, "I went to visit Grandma Jiang."

Ling Su asked sharply, "Didn't Jiang Shengyi go on a business trip to Southeast Asia recently? He shouldn't be back yet, right? Did you go to the Jiang family alone?"

Ling Mo also said, "Xiao Ran, be honest with us. With Mom and Dad abroad, you can't hide anything from your brother and sister. Your wedding with Sheng Yi is just around the corner—we can't afford any mishaps at this critical moment. The Jiang family has many rules, so don't give them any reason to find fault before you're even married."

Although the Ling family had declined somewhat in recent years, their deep-rooted influence still held considerable prestige in Haishi.

The Ling parents had three children. Ling Su and Ling Mo were alpha twins, destined to inherit the family business. The youngest, Ling Ran, was a delicate and charming Omega, perfect for a political marriage.

Initially worried Ling Ran might refuse, the Ling parents had spent considerable effort persuading him. To their surprise, the moment Ling Ran heard it was a marriage alliance with Jiang Sheng Yi, he blushed and agreed without hesitation.

Over the past two years, as Jiang Sheng Yi flourished within the Jiang Corporation while the Ling family struggled in business, the Lings grew increasingly anxious that the Jiangs might call off the engagement. They frequently reminded Ling Ran to visit the Jiang family more often.

To the entire Ling family, Ling Ran's marriage to Jiang Sheng Yi was nothing more than a lifeline to save their declining fortunes—Ling Ran himself was merely a tool to secure their ties to the Jiangs.

Ling Ran replied softly, "I understand, Sister."

But Ling Su suddenly raised his voice, "Understand what? As an Omega, your sole purpose is to serve Jiang Sheng Yi and help our family climb the social ladder through the Jiangs. If you dare fool around with other alphas, just wait until Mom and Dad return—they'll break your legs."

Ling Ran kept his head lowered in silence, as if long accustomed to such scolding. His dark lashes fluttered slightly before he nodded in acquiescence.

Soon after, Ling Su and Ling Mo left for the company, leaving Ling Ran alone on the sofa, idly watching the news.

Then, his phone rang.

The moment he answered, Qin Chengyue's cheerful voice burst through the receiver.

"Xiao Ran, Xiao Ran! Remember how I told you Jiangzhou Entertainment News was hiring interns? I submitted both our resumes a couple of days ago—and we both got through! Today's the interview! Are you up yet? I'm almost at your door, so hurry up and let me in!" Ling Ran was still dazed. "Huh?"

Qin Chengyue's voice grew even louder. "Right now! Open the door!"

A knock sounded just then. Ling Ran opened it, and Qin Chengyue bounded inside excitedly.

"You signed me up too?" Ling Ran asked.

Qin Chengyue beamed. "Of course! You kept hesitating just because Jiangzhou Entertainment is a Jiang family business, so I took the liberty of applying for you. No need to thank me!"

Jiangzhou Entertainment was indeed part of the Jiang family's entertainment division. Though it wasn't directly under Jiang Shengyi's name, it was still connected to the Jiang family.

Ling Ran didn't want to be seen as someone who got in through connections, so when he saw Jiangzhou Entertainment recruiting interns for broadcasting and hosting, he hesitated to apply on his own.

He and Qin Chengyue were university classmates. As graduation approached, students in their broadcasting program were all actively sending out resumes and job hunting.

Ling Ran really wanted to join Jiangzhou Entertainment's news channel, especially their exclusive 7 PM news segment. This program always approached hot topics from sharp, critical angles and never followed the herd like other media outlets—it truly embodied the pioneering spirit of journalism.

But getting into Jiangzhou Entertainment was fiercely competitive, let alone for fresh graduates like them.

Yet Qin Chengyue kept pushing him, insisting on dragging Ling Ran to the preliminary interview. Ling Ran was wavering internally—since his resume had already passed screening, maybe he should just go with Qin Chengyue and give it a shot.

He went back to his room to change, stuffed a few scent patches into his backpack, and left with Qin Chengyue.

Qin Chengyue's driver had been waiting outside. As soon as the two emerged, he hurried over to open the car door.

Once inside, Ling Ran nervously adjusted his shirt.

He was dressed in a preppy white button-up layered under a light gray knit vest, with a small backpack slung over his shoulders—the picture of a well-behaved, model student.

Qin Chengyue studied him for a moment before exclaiming, "Xiao Ran, I'm not just saying this—you were born to be on TV. It'd be a waste not to put that face to good use."

Ling Ran smiled at him. "You look great today too."

Qin Chengyue knew his own limits. "Yeah, right. At best, I'm the 'cute' type—can't compare to your level of beauty. But I can win people over with my charm."

He puffed out his chest proudly, then added with a shudder, "Thank god your brother wasn't home today. Every time I see him, I'm scared half to death. Even for an alpha, he's way too intimidating. Does he bully you at home?"

Ling Ran pulled out several scent patches, two suppressants, and three bottles of scent blockers from his bag. He sprayed himself thoroughly four or five times before carefully tucking everything back in.

"No," he answered.

Qin Chengyue gaped at the sheer volume of items that had fit into that tiny backpack. "You know we're going for an interview, not some underground orgy, right?"

Ling Ran shot a horrified glance at the driver in the front seat. "What are you even saying?"

Qin Chengyue pointed at the bulging bag. "Then why bring all this? Jiangzhou Entertainment is a legit company, not some black-market Omega trafficking ring."

Ling Ran couldn't explain—he was terrified of suddenly falling into another uncontrollable heat like last night, so he had to keep these emergency supplies on hand at all times.

He made up a flimsy excuse. "I'm a germaphobe."

The car pulled up in front of Jiangzhou Entertainment's headquarters—a towering, opulent skyscraper that stood proudly along the city's most luxurious coastal stretch.

The two got out of the car and entered the building, taking the elevator up to the interview conference room, only to find twenty to thirty people already seated outside.

Their interview numbers were in the middle, so they had to wait a while longer in the hallway.

Ling Ran took a photo of the corridor and sent a message to his fiancé.

[Little Grape] photo.jpg

[Little Grape]: Guess where I am?

[Little Grape]: well-behaved cat head.gif

The other party, [Kisses A Yi], didn't reply for a long time.

Ling Ran couldn't help but feel a little down. He absentmindedly scrolled up through their chat history—most of it was him enthusiastically sending multiple messages, only to receive lukewarm, sporadic replies in return.

He knew Sheng Yi was always busy, so he had always been understanding.

But lately, Sheng Yi's responses had grown shorter and fewer, sometimes even ignoring him altogether.

He was human too, and being treated with such indifference hurt.

Beside him, Qin Chengyue seemed to notice his mood and nudged his arm excitedly. "Xiao Ran, if you get into Jiangzhou Entertainment, wouldn't that mean you'd be working at the same company as your husband?"

People were coming and going around them. Even though no one knew him, Ling Ran quickly covered Qin Chengyue's mouth. "Keep your voice down."

Just then, two interviewees walked out from the room ahead.

One muttered under his breath, "I thought today was just the first round? Who knew the CEO of Jiang Corporation would personally oversee it? The moment I stepped in, the atmosphere was so intense my legs almost gave out. I stuttered through my script—definitely failed."

The other sighed. "Yeah, I heard President Jiang might have been invited by Yin Chu, the head of News Broadcast. There are even rumors floating around that they're involved."

Ling Ran heard every word clearly. His fingers, gripping his shirt, turned white at the knuckles.

The "President Jiang" they mentioned must be Jiang Zhiyu.

Was he inside too?

At the mention of that name, Ling Ran's mind involuntarily flashed back to yesterday—the cramped car in the pouring rain, those pitch- black, fathomless eyes fixed intently on his scent gland.

Qin Chengyue, sitting beside him, suddenly looked unwell.

"Xiao Ran, lend me your bag for a sec. I don't feel too good—I need to go to the restroom and take an inhibitor."

Lost in thought, Ling Ran absentmindedly handed over his backpack.

Only after Qin Chengyue disappeared with it did Ling Ran snap back to reality.

The elegant female secretary at the conference room door called out, "Next up for the interview—Number 17, Ling Ran."

There was no time to look for Qin Chengyue now. Ling Ran pressed his lips together, steeled himself, and followed the secretary to the door. Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself before slowly pushing open the heavy glass door.

The moment he stepped inside, he understood what the previous interviewee meant by "intense atmosphere."

One side of the spacious conference room was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, pristine and bright. On the other side sat seven stern- faced interviewers in sharp suits. The moment the door opened, their scrutinizing gazes locked onto him like a firing squad.

Especially when he realized the most intensely scrutinizing gaze came from the tall, handsome "alpha" sitting in the center, Ling Ran's gland beneath the scent-blocking patch grew slightly warm and throbbed violently twice.

It was Jiang Zhiyu.

Suddenly, his legs felt weak.

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