TPLTMOE – Chapter 31

When Yan Xiwen approached, he found Jiang Zhiyu engrossed in his phone.

"Still handling business back home?"

He hadn't meant to peek, but the lit screen flashed in his peripheral vision-a WeChat chat window.

Not work? He's actually replying to a personal message?

Yan Xiwen found it odd. Who could possibly warrant the great CEO Jiang's attention during a break at an auction?

Jiang Zhiyu flicked his fingers, turning off the screen.

Yan Xiwen: "..."

I wasn't even trying to snoop!

Shang Ye followed shortly after. Having recently returned from abroad, he and Jiang Zhiyu had once studied together in Europe. Among the wealthy elite, they had formed an exclusive circle-Shang Ye and Jiang Zhiyu being central figures within it.

At that time, Jiang Zhichen's leg hadn't been injured yet, and he got along well with the others.

After graduation, Jiang Zhiyu returned to China, while Shang Ye took a position at a top-tier law firm in Europe. It was only in the past two years, under increasing pressure from his family, that he gave up his partnership at the firm and resigned to return home and take over the family business. The two hadn't seen each other for a while. This time, not only had the Shang Group received an invitation to the auction, but the organizers had also chosen the Méi Nán Xiang Xie Club a Shang Group property as the venue.

Shang Ye was attending as one of the event organizers, so he flew to Haishi first before coming with Jiang Zhiyu.

Yan Xiwen only found out later that the two had been acquainted for a long time. Naturally sociable and skilled in smooth-talking, he not only managed to hitch a ride on Jiang Zhiyu's private jet but also stuck close to the two over the past couple of days, even helping out with minor tasks.

Shang Ye took a seat nearby, glanced casually at Jiang Zhiyu, and suddenly asked, "Did you secretly get married?"

That dreamy look in his eyes could only mean he was texting his wife.

Yan Xiwen nearly choked on his champagne, coughing as he stared at Jiang Zhiyu.

"No."

Shang Ye pressed further, "Isn't your cousin from the second branch about to get married?"

Yan Xiwen quickly interjected, "Not anymore. The engagement's been called off."

Shang Ye didn't seem surprised. After a brief silence, he turned to Jiang Zhiyu. "Did you sabotage it?"

Yan Xiwen: "?!"

Had his words implied that at all?

Jiang Zhiyu casually tucked his tie into his pants pocket and undid the top two buttons of his collar, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbones.

He didn't answer Shang Ye's question. The air between them was thick with the faint scent of champagne.

Shang Ye didn't need to ask more-Jiang Zhiyu's arrogant, untouchable demeanor told him everything.

"Won't the second branch come after you?"

With the engagement ruined and a meticulously planned collaboration snatched away, Shang Ye, who had dealt with Jiang Zhisong years ago, knew the man was no pushover.

Jiang Zhiyu looked mildly weary. "Let's see how many lives they have to spare."

If the man himself wasn't concerned, then the situation was clearly under control.

Shang Ye's gaze darkened slightly, and the three of them moved on from personal matters, discussing the new energy R&D project Yan Xiwen was about to collaborate on. After some back-and-forth, Shang Ye grew interested and decided to invest alongside them.

With backing from two major corporations, Yan Xiwen was overjoyed. He also shared some insider information about the Tang Group's recent movements with Jiang Zhiyu.

"Since securing the West Harbor project, Tang Bei has been boasting everywhere. That plot of land is right next to the relocation site the Haishi government has chosen-it'll probably be announced soon," Yan Xiwen sipped his champagne. "Tang Bei's been spreading word that this project requires massive investment, and the Tang Group is rallying other companies to join. His own stake must've been diluted quite a bit by now. Seems his ambitions are bigger than ever."

Shang Ye asked, "Did he transfer Blue Harbor too?"

Yan Xiwen nodded. "About half the shares. Liu Xiangheng bought them."

Liu Xiangheng had expressed interest in collaborating on the West Harbor project with Jiang Zhiyu long ago. Now that he could get a stake through Tang Bei's connections, he naturally jumped at the opportunity.

West Harbor was indeed a prime piece of land. After the Jiang Corporation secured it, countless people watched with envy from the shadows. Tang Bei, insatiably greedy like a snake trying to swallow an elephant, had already amassed a massive amount of capital, ready to throw everything into this project when the time came.

Jiang Zhiyu remarked, "They've gone all in."

Yan Xiwen couldn't help but ask, "What exactly does the Jiang Corporation plan to do with that land? Since they've chosen to partner with the Tang Group, are they still planning to develop it for tourism? Like turning it into a second Blue Lilia Harbor, a sapphire on the sea?"

Shang Ye was also curious about the answer. But Jiang Zhiyu had always been unpredictable, and what everyone speculated might not be the truth. Besides, West Harbor was different from Blue Lilia-it was closer to the mainland and connected to West Harbor Island by a 100- kilometer-long cross-sea bridge.

"Trade secret."

Jiang Zhiyu clearly had no intention of revealing more. Just then, a hostess signaled that the break was over and the auction could resume. The group stood up and returned to the venue.

The vast hall was filled with tycoons, magnates, and political figures from around the world. Bangkok's unique, vibrant warmth welcomed them all. Officially, this auction was for charity, but in reality, Bangkok had recently rolled out a series of favorable policies to attract global investors. The auction was merely a ticket to enter the game.

To join, one had to pay the price of admission.

The auction had already reached its third day. Most attendees had bid on a few symbolic items, but the real highlight the grand finale would only be unveiled at the very end of the evening.

A hostess wheeled in a transparent display case, and a spotlight immediately followed, illuminating a dazzling, rare vivid purple diamond.

Most of the world's existing purple diamonds come from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia. But this one, polished to a flawless 2 carats, originated from the frigid lands of Siberia the largest and purest purple diamond ever discovered.

Once owned by the British royal family, it was later acquired by a private collector and underwent six months of cutting and polishing, transforming into this breathtaking drop of purple tears.

Under the spotlight, the diamond radiated a deep, mesmerizing violet glow-like a star from an ancient, mysterious universe, or a plump grape dangling from a vine in midsummer, exuding an irresistible allure.

Shang Ye noticed that the person beside him had been engrossed in his phone earlier. Only when the purple diamond was placed on the stage did he finally deign to look up.

"Interested?" Shang Ye asked.

The auctioneer was announcing the bidding rules in English—starting at 220 million, with each paddle raise increasing the bid by 10 million.

Jiang Zhiyu tapped the number placard on the table with two fingers: "Somewhat."

When Zhao Qin had earlier suggested buying a gift for the Omega, he'd declined.

The auction catalog had been published online weeks ago, and he'd noticed this purple diamond then.

It would make a rather suitable present.

***

Ling Ran left his phone lying untouched on the table, fetching an ice-cold water bottle from the fridge instead. He gulped down half, then pressed the chilled bottle against his flaming cheeks while his other hand pressed against the scent blocker on his nape.

His gland wasn't swollen or painful, so why did his neck feel slightly numb? That tingling sensation seemed to seep into his chest, making his heart bubble with restless beats.

Mr. Jiang was asking him what to do.

What to do, what to do.

Ling Ran's face burned as strange, inappropriate images flashed through his mind—humid confinement, the haze of alcohol, himself being squeezed into thick, sweet grape juice.

[Little Grape]: Can we... pretend you never saw it?

Ling Ran reopened the photo, inexplicably saving it to his gallery.

[Mr. Jiang]: No

Ling Ran's fingers froze: ":<"

Wuwu...

[Little Grape]: Then what do you suggest we do?

The other end went silent—whether from contemplation or simply not checking messages, Ling Ran waited long minutes with no reply.

Qin Chengyue returned home just then, surprised to find Ling Ran still awake. "Why's your face so red?" He pressed a hand to Ling Ran's forehead. "Did you work yourself into a fever?"

Though his cheeks still burned, Ling Ran adamantly refused Qin Chengyue's insistence on a hospital visit. "I'm fine, really—just warm from my shower."

"Early heat then?" Qin Chengyue immediately asked.

Ling Ran startled like a scalded cat: "N-no!"

Having seen Ling Ran's thigh-ring suppressors and knowing his unstable cycles, Qin Chengyue monitored every fluctuation carefully. "If anything feels off, tell me immediately. No toughing it out alone—I'll drag you to the hospital myself."

Pushing Qin Chengyue toward the bathroom, Ling Ran nodded rapidly. "Got it, now go shower! Work tomorrow, remember."

Once alone, Ling Ran retreated to bed with his phone, which finally lit up again.

[Mr. Jiang]: We'll discuss it when I return

[Mr. Jiang]: It's late—get some rest

Ling Ran stared at the messages. Did this mean Mr. Jiang would see him immediately after his business trip?

An inexplicable anticipation bubbled up as he licked his lips, recalling the photo of that necktie coiled around a powerful wrist. The memory of muffled kisses felt like some hazy dream—his mouth held only mint toothpaste now, absent of any tequila scent.

The overwhelming sensation filling his entire mouth and the intense pressure pressing in didn't feel fake at all. Ling Ran couldn't help but carefully recall that feeling of being so full it was almost overflowing. His legs tightened slightly, gradually curling into a ball.

The tie could be half stuffed in his mouth, half tied around his wrists...

Realizing what he was thinking, Ling Ran panicked.

He must be losing his mind—why else would he start fantasizing about other places that could also be treated with that same mix of forcefulness and tenderness?

But not replying to messages was rude.

[Little Grape]: Okay, you should rest early too, Mr. Jiang.

[Little Grape]: Good night

The reply came almost instantly this time.

[Mr. Jiang]: Good night

Ling Ran barely slept all night. He could feel a strange emptiness in his body—maybe from working too hard these past few days. His usually calm glands inexplicably began to heat up in the early hours.

This wasn't a good sign. With the program recording tomorrow, Ling Ran didn't want any mishaps for his first on-screen appearance.

Before leaving in the morning, he hesitated for a long time before finally pulling out a suppressant from the drawer and slowly injecting it into his arm.

He prayed silently—please don't let me go into heat before the recording finishes.

Please.

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