TPLTMOE – Chapter 37

Ling Ran answered obediently, "It doesn't hurt."

The person on the other end of the line seemed to be moving. The receiver picked up the sound of someone calling out, "President Jiang." Ling Ran knew he must still be busy and began considering hanging up. He could ask for his phone back when Mr. Jiang had free time. But before he could speak, the other side said, "Wait a moment."

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to be exchanging a few words with someone before apologizing briefly. Then came the clamor of a lively social gathering, as if he were at a banquet with clinking glasses and toasts.

Ling Ran listened quietly, his mind automatically conjuring up the scene on the other end—he tall, handsome enigma in a tailored suit, exuding an imposing aura, naturally carrying the cold, noble demeanor of a man in power, effortlessly engaging with the sycophants around him.

Then, the noise suddenly quieted, as if he had deliberately sought out a secluded spot. Only a deep, unhurried voice came through.

"Ling Ran."

He hurriedly responded, "I'm here."

"Is your mouth still swollen?"

Ling Ran: "...!"

The Omega was instantly speechless. The flush that had just receded began creeping up again from his fair neck, slowly staining his cheeks.

He tentatively licked his lips with the tip of his tongue. They were still swollen, his Cupid's bow sore and tender. Even his tongue had felt sore while eating earlier, so he had taken his time with the meal.

But he had deliberately avoided mentioning it. Who would have thought the enigma would ask so bluntly, without the slightest hesitation?

"Don't lick them yourself." The voice through the receiver seemed to carry a hint of damp sea breeze.

Ling Ran: ":<"

They were on a phone call, not a video chat, so how did Mr. Jiang know what he was doing?

Ling Ran lowered his voice in defense: "I wasn't licking, I just... I just..."

Just testing if it was swollen.

Besides, how exactly had his mouth ended up in this state? His mind could only recall fragmented scenes.

"Yesterday, you were the one who tearfully kissed me," Jiang Zhiyu said, like a merciful Bodhisattva kindly helping him remember. "Pushing you away only made you cling back in tears. The temporary mark I gave you wasn't enough. You said you wanted to kiss, asked me why I didn't kiss you that night on the beach, and cried so much you soaked my clothes."

The more Ling Ran listened, the redder his cheeks grew. Finally, his gaze landed on the suit jacket on the bed—indeed damp with moisture. Could those be his tears?

He never imagined he could be so unreasonable during his heat. It sounded as if he had forced Mr. Jiang, who, out of kindness, couldn't bear to see him suffer and thus helped him.

As for the unfulfilled expectation from that night on the beach—it was something he had secretly buried in his heart. How had it slipped out when he wasn't in his right mind?

Overwhelmed with shame, Ling Ran collapsed weakly onto the bed, burying his face in the blankets, muffling his voice into a soft murmur. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Jiang..." he said. "I... I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine," Jiang Zhiyu remained kind. "Kissing seemed to help ease your heat. We can try it again next time."

Ling Ran quickly lifted his face from the blankets. "No, no! I've already caused you so much trouble. Thank you for helping me, but I'll go to the hospital as soon as possible. I can't... I can't keep relying on you every time I go into heat..."

If this continued, he worried he'd grow increasingly dependent on Mr. Jiang's pheromones. What if he reached a point where he couldn't let

go?

The other end of the line fell silent. After a long pause, Ling Ran heard the soft click of a lighter, followed by a faint sigh.

"Ling Ran," Jiang Zhiyu exhaled a wisp of hazy smoke, his voice unreadable. "Why do you think I'm helping you?"

Even after the call ended, Ling Ran still couldn't figure out what Mr. Jiang meant.

Why was he helping him like this?

Ling Ran had thought about it before. When he was still engaged to Jiang Shengyi, he had addressed Jiang Zhiyu as "Uncle," so it made sense for him to treat Ling Ran as a junior back then.

But now, his engagement with Jiang Shengyi was called off, and he had no ties left with the Jiang family. On top of that, he'd severed relations with the Ling family, leaving him as nothing more than an unaffiliated Omega, relying solely on himself to make ends meet.

What he had told Qin Chengyue was the truth—he believed Jiang Zhiyu was only helping him to treat his condition, ensuring he could repay his debts sooner.

Beyond that, he didn't dare to think further.

***

Jiang Zhiyu pocketed his phone, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. He took only a few shallow puffs, letting the sea breeze carry away the scent of smoke.

Shang Ye had arrived at some point, standing silently in the shadows. He took a sip of champagne before asking, "Still not together?" "He's young," Jiang Zhiyu chuckled. "Doesn't get it yet."

Shang Ye raised an eyebrow. "You're the one pursuing someone a generation younger than you, knowing full well how young he is."

"Hmm," Jiang Zhiyu casually flicked the slender ash into the night breeze before extinguishing his cigarette, speaking leisurely, "I couldn't help myself."

Originally, he hadn't planned to actually intervene—just having the Ling family call off the engagement with the second branch would have been enough.

But gradually, he found himself unable to let go. Every time he saw those red-rimmed eyes and restrained tears, he wanted to lend a hand. A simple mark meant nothing to an enigma like him.

Back and forth, he didn't even realize when he'd started caring for the little Omega—unwilling to let him marry Jiang Shengyi, and even less able to bear the thought of him becoming someone else's Omega someday.

So he schemed to keep him close.

But the little Omega had only just had his heart broken by his destined alpha. Now, the only way was to lure him, coax him, make him open his heart again—preferably enough to willingly nestle into his arms.

If he didn't want to let go, then he wouldn't.

There was nothing he couldn't obtain if he truly set his mind to it.

Shang Ye took one look at that calculating expression and knew Jiang Zhiyu already had victory in his grasp. Never mind that the other party was a young Omega, ten years his junior, barely stepping into society—now about to get a firsthand lesson in a capitalist's ruthless cunning.

Shang Ye asked, "If this really works out, how are you going to explain it to the family? Your nephew's fiancé becoming your wife—forget the second branch, will that hidebound old man of yours even accept it?"

Jiang Zhiyu's expression remained indifferent. "He's desperate for a grandchild. One baby will shut him up." Shang Ye: "?"

Shang Ye: "Isn't it a bit early to be talking about that?"

"Not at all," Jiang Zhiyu glanced at him. "It'll be soon."

Shang Ye:"..."

Shang Ye: "First, try getting him to accept the diamond."

The vivid purple diamond, bought for 500 million at the Bangkok auction, gleamed like a translucent grape.

Accepting something so extravagant would mean signing himself over as collateral.

Behind them, the glass doors slid open again as Yan Xiwen approached with a smile. "I couldn't find you two earlier—so you've been hiding out here."

Shang Ye asked, "Ling Su left?"

Yan Xiwen nodded. "He did. Spent half the evening trying to convince me to let him invest in the new energy project. I really wasn't going to agree, , but in the end, I gave him a small stake. He left happy after that."

Jiang Zhiyu leaned against the railing, the wind ruffling his shirt, his broad back casting a solitary silhouette.

He concluded, "Too eager for quick success."

Yan Xiwen smirked. "President Jiang, isn't he in such a hurry to make money to pay you back? The Ling family's business has been struggling lately. Rumor has it Ling Ran's father has been getting cozy with the Qin family. Could it be that since the marriage alliance with the Jiangs fell through, he's already lining up the next candidate for Ling Ran?"

Shang Ye glanced at Jiang Zhiyu without a word.

The enigma's expression remained indifferent. "The Qin family?"

Yan Xiwen nodded. "Don't underestimate them. The Qins have an eldest son named Qin Shixing, who's been making waves recently. Just a few days ago, he secured a plot of land in Pearl Bay—apparently in collaboration with higher-ups. Their family has some official backing, making them a solid ally. There's also a younger one who didn't join the family business. I think he graduated from the same school as Ling Ran."

"Qin Chengyue," Jiang Zhiyu said.

Yan Xiwen quickly agreed. "Right, that's the name. One 'star,' one 'moon—pretty memorable. You should ask Ling Ran later if he knows Qin Chengyue and Qin Shixing. Who knows, the two families might really end up together..."

Shang Ye cut him off. "Pearl Bay can't compare to West Bay."

And the Qin family certainly couldn't compare to the Jiangs.

Yan Xiwen was puzzled. "But Pearl Bay is quite decent too. The two plots serve different purposes—there's no real comparison. I heard the land in Pearl Bay is being developed into a wine estate. They'll probably plant a huge vineyard. I'm on good terms with Qin Shixing. Once the estate opens, I'll have him invite us for a visit."

Jiang Zhiyu remained silent, his thick lashes casting dark shadows over the bridge of his nose, his eyes unreadable in the night.

"A wine estate," he chuckled softly. "Sounds lovely."

***

Ling Ran took another day off at home before returning to work. He had sent the suit jacket to the dry cleaners and planned to return it to Mr. Jiang today when retrieving his phone.

The moment Ling Ran sat down at his desk, several colleagues from his team crowded around him, showering him with concern.

The alpha cameraman with the buzz cut looked at him hesitantly, his gentle tone a stark contrast to his rugged appearance. "Ran, are you really okay? You could take more time to rest. Our first episode was a huge hit—the station has already scheduled it for prime time every Friday at 8 PM. Most of the credit goes to you."

"Yeah, yeah! The boss said we're still throwing a celebration party. Once you're back, we'll go all out!"

"Are you really feeling better? What happened the other day? Chengyue said you had a fever—was it from exhaustion?"

Surrounded by so much warmth and kindness, Ling Ran was both touched and flustered. He answered each question obediently, though he wasn't quite sure how to handle such open affection.

Only after repeating "I'm fine" multiple times did his colleagues finally believe him.

Ning Xinqiao, seeing his return, called him into the office for a private conversation.

"Don't overwork yourself in the future. If it weren't for Chengyue taking care of you, the company would have to send someone to check on you at home. We can't have you collapsing from exhaustion right after starting work. Remember to balance work and rest." Ning Xinqiao advised earnestly.

Ling Ran didn't argue, nodding obediently: "I understand, boss."

"The first episode of "Focus View' had excellent ratings. The higher-ups are very satisfied with your work and have decided to confirm your position ahead of schedule. Also... Ning Xinqiao took a bank card from his drawer and placed it before Ling Ran, "This is your bonus. You receive a substantial amount when your topic is approved, and another when you host an episode. So this contains both payments. Keep it safe and don't mention it to others."

Ling Ran clearly hadn't expected additional bonuses. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the amount on the small label attached to the card.

"This... this much?"

Ning Xinqiao said, "It's not that much. If you become a regular host, the bonus will double, and your salary will increase significantly too."

He then added, "Don't mention this to anyone else. The company has a salary confidentiality policy. Everyone's pay and bonuses are graded—the better you perform, the more you get. If you don't perform well, naturally, there won't be any bonus for you."

Ling Ran still couldn't quite believe his eyes. Even though his first episode had gone well, the amount of these two bonuses exceeded his expectations.

It was nearly enough to pay off a quarter of his debts. He hadn't even received his salary yet, but this was definitely more than what he'd earn in a year.

Ning Xinqiao observed Ling Ran's reaction. Assistant Zhao had specifically reminded him not to give too much at once, worried Ling Ran might find it suspicious, but also not to give too little in case it wasn't enough. So they'd settled on a moderate amount.

But defining "moderate" was tricky.

Ning Xinqiao tentatively asked, "Is this enough for your daily expenses? This is just for the first episode. If you maintain this standard in the next one, the bonus could be even higher?"

Ling Ran clutched the card and nodded vigorously. "More than enough, of course it's enough. I don't spend that much."

He was used to being frugal. His family had claimed it was to instill good habits, never giving him much allowance. Sometimes, when his living expenses ran short, he'd secretly take on part-time jobs, careful not to let his family find out.

Now, he could earn his own salary and bonuses through hard work, gaining respect and a sense of accomplishment in the process. He much preferred who he was now.

"But..." Ling Ran seemed to sense something and quietly asked, "Is this really a company bonus? Not... something else?"

Ning Xinqiao coughed, taking a sip of water to suppress his unease. "Of course it's from the company. Who else would it be from?"

The actual bonus wasn't this large—the two extra zeros at the end had been added by Zhao Qin, who was undoubtedly acting on President Jiang's behalf. And President Jiang's will was essentially the Jiang Corporation's will.

So saying it was from the company wasn't entirely wrong.

Reassured, Ling Ran thought perhaps he was just inexperienced and hadn't realized how generous the Jiang Corporation could be.

When Ling Ran stepped out of Ning Xinqiao's office, he noticed that everyone from his team had left their workstations and was gathered in the neighboring team's area, caught up in some commotion.

Qin Chengyue turned around and spotted Ling Ran, running over to grab his arm and pull him along.

"What are you all looking at? What happened?"

Ling Ran securely tucked the bank card into his pocket before standing on tiptoe with the others to peer into the meeting room not far away.

Qin Chengyue whispered in his ear, "You weren't here the past couple of days, so you don't know. Yin Chu's team is in deep trouble. News Exclusive broadcasted false information during a live report, leading to an innocent victim being cyberbullied. Coincidentally, the victim had a history of depression and was so triggered that they swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They're in the ICU today. Just now, another media outlet, Coastal Chronicles, exposed the whole thing. Netizens are furious, slamming News Exclusive online, and the team members are getting an earful inside."

Ling Ran tilted his head to listen. The manager's furious voice boomed from the meeting room.

"If this isn't handled properly, every single one of you is fired!"

Yin Chu was also inside, his usual gentle smile absent as he argued with the manager. "This could very well be a scheme by Coastal Chronicles. They teamed up with that depressive lunatic to deliberately mislead our reporting and bring down News Exclusive!"

The manager stared at him in shock, as if unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Yin Chu, a life was lost!" The manager, no longer holding back, snapped. "Wasn't the topic your idea? Didn't the cameraman shoot according to your instructions? Didn't you write the script yourself? Before the broadcast, didn't I warn you to avoid inflammatory and accusatory language? The public would be misled by that angle—but you still altered the wording last minute, inciting mass cyberbullying. You must take full responsibility for this!"

Yin Chu's face paled. Over the years, he had relied on his background and seniority to enjoy high status in the station, even receiving deference from the manager. At Jiangzhou TV, he wasn't just the former star anchor—he had practically positioned himself as a quasi- deputy director.

He knew he'd messed up this time. Panic gnawed at him, but he couldn't afford to let others laugh at his downfall.

"Fine. I'll take responsibility for my own actions. But my team members have nothing to do with this—they shouldn't be dragged down. If the company wants to punish someone, punish me alone."

Not a single person spoke up in his defense. Everyone had already suffered enough under his leadership and had no desire to face further disciplinary action.

The manager raised his voice. "Effective immediately, News Exclusive is suspended indefinitely for rectification. I'll report this incident to headquarters and await their decision. In the meantime, those with no urgent tasks can either take unpaid leave to reflect at home or pack up and assist the Focus Vision and Entertainment departments."

"The meeting is adjourned!"

Before the people in the conference room could step out, the crowd of onlookers outside quickly scattered.

Qin Chengyue grabbed Ling Ran and swiftly pulled him back to their seats. Ling Ran glanced toward the conference room just as Yin Chu happened to exit. Their gazes collided head-on, and Yin Chu shot him a vicious glare before turning away.

Ling Ran shrank his neck slightly and asked Qin Chengyue, "Didn't Yin Chu already step back from the spotlight? Why is he personally appearing on the show now?"

Qin Chengyue curled his lip. "Isn't it obvious? He saw how our boss took you on the show and how you blew up overnight. Now he's just green with envy."

Ling Ran frowned. "What's there to be jealous about? Their Exclusive News is still the network's flagship program."

Qin Chengyue swiped on his phone a couple of times before shoving his Weibo page in front of Ling Ran.

"Have you not been online these past two days? You haven't seen the reception and feedback after the show aired, have you?"

Ling Ran blinked innocently. "I don't have a phone."

Qin Chengyue smacked his forehead. "Oh right, forgot about that. Here, use my account to check. You've gone viral—your Weibo's already gained nearly 200k followers in just two days!"

Ling Ran gasped and scrolled through his own Weibo homepage. He had only registered the account on his first day at the company, back when it had just a handful of bot followers gifted by Weibo itself. His profile had only one introductory post—a repost of Jiang Zhou's announcement.

Now, that same post had over 10,000 comments—

[Wifey wifey wifeyyyy]

[Damn it, I recognized my wife at first glance! Jiang Zhou, you lucky bastard, finding such a gorgeous new anchor. From now on, I'm only watching your news segment.]

[This one's good—clear enunciation, solid broadcasting voice, and insightful commentary. Kinda reminds me of Yin Chu back in the day.]

[Don't bring up Yin Chu here. Our baby's name is Ling Ran, and he's miles better than that mumbling so-called 'anchor.']

[Just a fresh-faced, professionally trained little anchor here- Everyone, make sure to tune in to Jiang Zhou's Focus every Friday at 8 PM!]

[Just came from the live broadcast. Didn't hear a single word the anchor said—just wanna kiss him.]

[The person above just wants a kiss? I wanna sleep with wifey, hehe~]

Qin Chengyue noticed Ling Ran's face growing redder the more he scrolled. Burning with curiosity, he leaned in to look—only to snatch the phone back after barely two glances.

"Kids shouldn't see this kind of filth. There are no decent people on the internet."

Ling Ran pressed his water cup against his cheeks to cool them down, making sure his expression was back to normal before picking up his phone to send a text.

[Mr. Jiang, are you free now? Can I come get my phone?]

Yesterday, Jiang Zhiyu had mentioned that the phone was in his office and told Ling Ran to contact him before retrieving it.

Ling Ran propped his chin on his hand and waited at his desk. A reply soon came through.

[Wait a bit. In a meeting.]

Ling Ran typed back, [Got it ^^]

He grabbed his cup and headed to the water dispenser, only to run into Yin Chu coming out of it.

Instinctively, Ling Ran wanted to dodge away, but after hesitating for a few seconds, he tightened his grip on the cup and stood his ground.

Yin Chu couldn't even pretend to be civil with him now. He stared coldly at Ling Ran and asked, "Happy now?"

Ling Ran met his gaze with clear, unwavering eyes. He didn't want to back down anymore—he had done nothing wrong.

Yin Chu, seeing his silence, grew even more agitated: "Does seeing me in trouble give you great pleasure? Let me tell you, don't think this minor incident can crush me. As long as I'm here, you won't be able to turn Jiangzhou upside down."

Ling Ran maintained a calm expression and countered, "Do you consider driving a depressive patient into the ICU a minor incident? Do you think causing the public to lose trust in journalists is a minor incident?"

Yin Chu was struck by the pointedness of his casual remarks, his face nearly collapsing: "What do you mean by that!"

Ling Ran tilted his head slightly: "Haven't you been in this industry for almost ten years? Do I really need to explain these principles to you?"

"You—you're mocking me?" Yin Chu's expression twisted with disbelief as he stared at Ling Ran. "You dare to sneer at me too?!"

Ling Ran had no desire to engage further: "Think whatever you want."

With that, Ling Ran walked past Yin Chu and entered the hot water room.

When he came out, Yin Chu was nowhere to be seen.

Returning to his seat, Ling Ran noticed a new text message on his phone from Jiang Zhiyu:

[Come upstairs]

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