TPLTMOE – Chapter 48

The next day at work, Ling Ran was shocked to find a bouquet of flowers on his desk.

Colleagues passing by cast curious, gossipy glances his way. Ling Ran picked up the note attached to the flowers and read it—

"Would you like to have dinner together after work? —Jiang Shengyi."

Ling Ran reacted instantly, as if the note carried some kind of terrifying virus. He recoiled and immediately tossed it into the trash bin. Qin Chengyue sidled over. "Oho, who sent these?"

Ling Ran looked annoyed. "I thought I'd made myself clear enough to him."

Qin Chengyue caught a glimpse of the note and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I guess his whole family just doesn't understand human language."

Ling Ran gave him an innocent look, and Qin Chengyue quickly corrected himself, "Ah, well, except for President Jiang, of course."

Not wanting to deal with the nuisance, Ling Ran carried the flowers to the restroom—they could at least help freshen the air in there.

But the most infuriating part was that Jiang Zhou was under Jiang Shengyi's name. If Jiang Shengyi shamelessly used his position to harass him from time to time, what could he even do? Ling Ran felt a headache coming on.

When he returned to his desk, he happened to see Yang Jia whispering something to Qin Chengyue. He walked over and sat down. "What's going on?"

Yang Jia mysteriously pointed toward the manager's office: "President Sheng Yi came to the company again today. He rarely ever visited our 20th floor before. I guess he's finally getting anxious now that headquarters directly transferred several of Jiang Zhou's top executives recently."

Ling Ran and Qin Chengyue weren't as well-informed as Yang Jia. They asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

Yang Jia glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before explaining, "I heard this from some people in the entertainment department. Jiang Zhou's performance has been good these past two years, so headquarters has been scrutinizing us more strictly. Just yesterday, it was exposed that several top artists from the entertainment department might be involved in tax evasion. There were also issues with our news department's budget applications. Headquarters sent auditors for inspection two days ago and reportedly found many loopholes."

Ling Ran widened his eyes, "Will our program be affected?"

Yang Jia shook his head, "Hard to say. I don't know the details. The boss probably knows more."

Qin Chengyue asked, "From the looks of it, does this mean Jiang Shengyi will gradually lose control of Jiang Zhou? Are we going to be directly managed by headquarters now?"

Yang Jia shrugged, indicating he didn't know.

Just then, Ning Xinqiao came out of his office and waved at Ling Ran and Qin Chengyue from afar.

The two entered the director's office together, where Ning Xinqiao poured them each a cup of coffee.

The scene felt familiar—just like when they had first reported to Jiang Zhou.

Exchanging a silent glance, their hearts pounded nervously. After hearing Yang Jia talk about the undercurrents in the company, were they going to start cutting staff from the newcomers?

Ning Xinqiao said to the two Omegas before him, "Why so tense? Have a seat."

Qin Chengyue looked miserable, "Boss, you're not going to fire me and Xiao Ran, are you?"

Ning Xinqiao nearly spat out his coffee. They clearly didn't know the reason behind these internal changes—just hearing rumors had scared them like this.

"Relax. Jiang Zhou would fire anyone before firing you two."

Seeing their continued confusion, Ning Xinqiao explained bluntly, "Let me be direct. You've probably heard the rumors. There have been major personnel changes among Jiang Zhou's top executives. From now on, I'll also serve as head of the news department. The next step is to completely shut down the exclusive news program. 'Focus Perspective' will become Jiang Zhou's flagship program and the Jiang Group's brightest calling card to the public. Do you have confidence?"

Hearing this, the two young Omegas felt surprised but also a surge of passion and determination.

"Yes!"

Ning Xinqiao nodded in satisfaction, "The reason I called you in alone is that although you two joined the company most recently, your abilities are undeniable. More importantly, you haven't been involved in any factional disputes within the company, so I trust you completely. Jiang Zhou will gradually be taken over by headquarters. Soon, it will no longer belong to the second business group but will become a company directly under headquarters. This is good news for the program—you'll be able to work more boldly from now on, with headquarters backing you up no matter what happens."

A glimmer of light shone in Ling Ran's eyes. If Jiang Zhou really became directly managed by headquarters, would their leader then become Jiang Zhiyu?

He suppressed his inner joy and asked, "Does that mean I can choose any topic I want from now on?"

Ning Xinqiao smiled, "Of course, it still depends on whether headquarters approves it or not."

Ling Ran nodded, "I understand. I'll know my limits."

Ning Xinqiao placed high hopes on him, "I'll have you promoted to team leader first. If you perform exceptionally well in the coming months, we might even apply to headquarters for an exceptional promotion to assistant director of the program."

Ling Ran's eyes widened in surprise as he pointed at himself, "Me? Really?"

As a newcomer who hadn't been with the company long, being appointed as the regular host and team leader was already an exceptional opportunity.

Qin Chengyue reacted quickly, immediately pulling Ling Ran up to express their thanks before Ning Xinqiao could change his mind, then hurried out of the office.

No sooner had they left than the HR department issued a notice appointing Ling Ran as team leader of the program group. The other team leaders all had years of experience, making Ling Ran's rapid promotion astonishingly fast.

Qin Chengyue clung to Ling Ran's arm like an eager puppy, grinning, "Team Leader Ling, Team Leader Ling, you'll have to look out for me in the future."

Ling Ran laughed and patted his head, "Of course, of course."

Three days after Ning Xinqiao's meeting with the two, the audit team withdrew from Jiangzhou, reporting a series of issues they had uncovered to headquarters.

Headquarters immediately issued orders: Jiang Shengyi was to be removed from his position as head of Jiangzhou, which would now report directly to headquarters. Except for the problematic portion, the rest of Jiang Shengyi's shares in Jiangzhou would be forcibly reclaimed by headquarters.

On the day the decision was announced, it was said that Jiang Ronglian from the second branch of the family stormed into headquarters alone to make a scene. Unfortunately, Jiang Zhiyu was away on business, so she didn't manage to confront him and was instead stopped outside by Zhao Qin and several bodyguards.

But Jiang Ronglian wasn't one to take things lying down. While Jiang Zhisong and Jiang Shengyi were too proud to make a scene, she had no such qualms. Spoiled by both her marital and birth families, who saw her as a golden goose, they outwardly always took her side. After her aunt whispered in her ear a few times, Jiang Ronglian became furious, convinced that Jiang Zhiyu had gone too far recently and shown no regard for family ties. If that was the case, she saw no reason to maintain the Jiang family's dignity in front of outsiders.

Meanwhile, the employees at Jiangzhou were overjoyed. Being directly under headquarters not only sounded more prestigious, but most importantly, everyone got a raise. With no complaints left, they even moved overnight from the 20th floor to the 90th floor, working with renewed vigor as if injected with adrenaline.

To boost morale further, Jiangzhou organized a team-building event at a horse ranch at the end of Cold Mountain Road.

Ling Ran had no intention of joining. He had unpleasant memories associated with horseback riding from childhood when he fell off a horse during a family outing and spent over a month in the hospital before he could walk again. Since then, he had avoided the dangerous sport.

But Qin Chengyue loved horseback riding and had even owned a pony that later fell ill and died. He begged Ling Ran to accompany him, arguing that it was just an overnight trip—they would go Saturday morning, stay the night, and return Sunday morning.

Eventually, Ling Ran agreed.

The horse ranch was built right around Cold Mountain, surrounded by lush green hills and trees, with a hundred miles of blue waves. The mountain air was exceptionally fresh, invigorating anyone who took a deep breath.

The group first arrived at the accommodations inside the ranch. After settling in, they were given professional riding gear and then followed the trainers to select their horses for the ride.

Ling Ran didn't join the others. He stayed alone in his room, hugging his laptop as he continued drafting topics for next week's meeting.

Qin Chengyue wanted to pull him out for a walk, but Ling Ran seemed disinterested, so Qin didn't push further.

When focused on work, Ling Ran was extremely diligent. It wasn't until he finished his draft that he suddenly realized it was already dark outside.

A knock came at the door. Qin Chengyue, still in his riding gear, peeked in cautiously.

"Xiao Ran, are you done?"

Ling Ran stood up and stretched. "Pretty much. You're all back already?"

Qin walked in, relieved. "We've been back for a while, but didn't want to disturb you. Riding all afternoon was exhausting—we even had a horseback archery competition with people from other departments. Guess who won?"

He looked at Ling Ran with eager pride.

Ling Ran smiled. "Definitely you."

Qin couldn't help but jump excitedly. "Yes, yes! It was me! I took first place!"

Ling Ran clapped enthusiastically. "That's amazing! You're incredible!"

Qin pulled out two tickets. "These are the prizes I won—only for first place. Cold Mountain is hosting a horse race tomorrow. We can go check it out and maybe even make some money!"

Ling Ran didn't know much about horse racing, but seeing Qin's enthusiasm, he nodded with a smile.

"Let's go eat first. Everyone's having a barbecue and hotpot on the lawn. The meat's going to disappear soon."

Qin led Ling Ran outside to the lawn. Everyone was exhausted from the day's activities, now happily digging into their plates of food.

Yang Jia had saved some meat for the two of them and waved them over.

Ling Ran had barely taken a few bites when the roar of an engine suddenly approached. Blinding headlights flooded the lawn, forcing several people to shield their eyes and stop eating. Cursing, they stood up—only to fall silent in shock when they saw the Porsche Cayenne parked before them.

Jiang Shengyi stepped out first, circling to open the passenger door. Jiang Ronglian, in high heels and an imperious demeanor, stepped out with a dismissive gaze, clutching the latest Hermès bag as she stood imposingly in front of the car.

Aunt Jiang also emerged from the back seat, looking down her nose at the employees standing closest. "No greetings for your superiors? Is this the kind of quality Jiang Zhou's employees have? Tsk."

Although Jiang Shengyi was no longer Jiang Zhou's direct superior, he was still a member of the Jiang family. The employees didn't dare offend him, lowering their heads as they greeted, "President Shengyi, Madam Jiang."

The lively, cheerful atmosphere from moments ago instantly plunged into an icy silence.

Even the higher-ups were baffled by the situation, holding their breaths, not daring to make a sound.

Even if they weren't afraid of offending Jiang Shengyi, none of them wanted to provoke Madam Jiang from the second branch.

Jiang Shengyi found the whole thing tedious and said, "Mom, let's go inside first. I've already arranged everything for tomorrow's horse race."

Jiang Ronglian didn't have many hobbies—aside from buying designer bags and playing mahjong, she had recently developed a passion for horse racing, thanks to her sister-in-law, Madam Jiang.

The horse racing event had been scheduled long ago. Jiang Shengyi hadn't expected that escorting his mother to Cold Mountain for a night would coincidentally lead to running into Jiang Zhou's employees on their team-building retreat.

Then again, they had no obligation to inform him about their activities now.

The awkwardness of the situation hung heavy in the air. Jiang Shengyi had no intention of making things difficult for the ordinary employees. His gaze locked onto a particular figure in the crowd, staring intently for a moment before tugging Jiang Ronglian's arm to leave.

But then, someone in the crowd muttered under their breath, just loud enough to be heard, "He's not our boss anymore. What's he trying to prove?"

In the quiet night, the only sound had been the sizzling of meat on the grill, making that flippant remark cut through the air like a sharp, resounding slap—hitting the three standing by the Cayenne right across the face.

Jiang Ronglian's expression twisted with fury as she whipped around, glaring at everyone present. "Who just said that? Step forward!"

No one answered.

Madam Jiang seized the moment to stir the pot. "No matter what, they were your former superiors, weren't they? How long has it been since Jiang Zhiyu took over, and you're already turning your backs on them?"

Jiang Ronglian's rage flared even hotter. "Whoever said it had better come forward now. Otherwise, don't blame me for using extreme measures to find out—and when that happens, all of you will suffer for it."

The moment she finished speaking, a figure abruptly stood up from the crowd.

Qin Chengyue, fearless as ever, lifted his chin defiantly. "It was me. What about it?"

Jiang Ronglian narrowed her eyes, studying him. She didn't recognize Qin Chengyue, but her gaze shifted to the Omega beside him, who was desperately tugging at his arm.

A cold smirk curled her lips. "Ling Ran, isn't it? The newly promoted team leader at Focus Vision. Come here. Stand in front of me."

Qin Chengyue immediately snapped, "I was the one who said it! What does this have to do with anyone else?"

Jiang Ronglian ignored him completely. "I'm not dealing with you. I'm dealing with your superior. Ling Ran is your leader, isn't he? As a leader, failing to manage and discipline those under him—that's his fault!"

Ling Ran could feel the weight of everyone's stares on him. At this point, hiding wouldn't solve anything.

Jiang Ronglian had always looked down on him. Now that she knew Jiang Shengyi wanted to re-engage him, she probably hated him even more.

Ling Ran stood up from his seat, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then—under the watchful eyes of everyone—walked over to stand before them.

Qin Chengyue was utterly uneasy and hurried over to stand by his side.

Jiang Shengyi's gaze lingered obsessively on Ling Ran's face, unwilling to look away.

The Omega's cheeks were porcelain-smooth, his brows and eyes dark and bright, his lips red and teeth white—he seemed to grow more beautiful with each passing day.

Jiang Ronglian noticed Jiang Shengyi's gaze, and fury instantly surged in her heart.

"Some people in the company being disrespectful is one thing, but what's truly infuriating is that others can't even recognize their own place, shamelessly trying to seduce their superiors! As if someone so lowly could ever climb to higher branches?!"

Her words were laced with unmistakable implications, and the other employees immediately began murmuring among themselves.

Ling Ran's rapid promotions had already raised eyebrows, and now, connecting Jiang Ronglian's words to the situation, many could guess what was really going on—especially with the way Jiang Shengyi was looking at Ling Ran.

Amid the rising whispers, Ling Ran felt as if a sharp knife were stabbing repeatedly into his chest, leaving behind gaping, bleeding wounds. His heart turned ice-cold.

Jiang Shengyi noticed his pallor and quickly tried to stop Jiang Ronglian. "Mom, that's enough. Stop."

But Jiang Ronglian was beyond reasoning—the more he tried to intervene, the more her rage flared.

"You're still defending him?! Are you trying to kill me with anger?!"

Aunt Jiang hurried over with exaggerated concern, supporting Jiang Ronglian as she admonished, "Shengyi, he's not worth it. Your mother hasn't been well lately, and instead of coming home to take care of her, you're off with some little seductress, aren't you? No wonder the company was taken back."

Ling Ran lowered his eyes, his voice soft. "You're right."

Qin Chengyue looked at him in surprise. "Xiao Ran..."

Then Ling Ran clenched his fists, lifting his gaze. The delicate corners of his eyes, usually so gentle, now curved slightly upward in defiance.

"Your son has been causing me a lot of trouble lately. Maybe you should discipline him properly and keep him from harassing me any further."

A collective intake of breath rippled through the crowd. Those who had thought they understood the situation now gaped at Jiang Shengyi in shock.

So Jiang Shengyi was the one chasing after him?!

Jiang Ronglian clearly hadn't expected Ling Ran to say such things in front of everyone. Blood rushed to her head, and dizziness overtook her as if she'd been struck where it hurt most.

If she could control her own son, she wouldn't have needed to pressure Ling Ran publicly in the first place!

"You—you—!"

Speechless with rage, she swung her expensive crocodile-skin handbag at Ling Ran's face.

Qin Chengyue reacted instantly, snatching the bag mid-air and hurling it onto the lawn before stomping on it viciously.

Aunt Jiang shrieked as if the shoes weren't crushing a designer bag worth millions but her own face. She rushed to push Qin Chengyue aside and retrieve it, but Qin Chengyue was quicker—kicking the bag away, sending Aunt Jiang scrambling after it.

Jiang Ronglian still refused to back down, lunging at Ling Ran with none of her usual aristocratic grace left. Her face twisted into something ugly and venomous, all pretense of dignity gone.

But Qin Chengyue wasn't like the other employees who indulged the mother-son pair. This job meant little to him, and right now, he'd much rather slap that crazy woman's face repeatedly than worry about work.

The scene quickly descended into chaos. Qin Chengyue was practically wrestling with Jiang Ronglian, while Jiang Shengyi tried to pull them apart. Ling Ran took advantage of the confusion to shield Qin Chengyue.

The surrounding employees were stunned, gathering in a tight circle but hesitating to intervene.

On one hand, they had never seen the usually arrogant CEO Jiang and Madam Jiang behave so disgracefully. On the other, they had never encountered Omegas as bold as Qin Chengyue and Ling Ran, who dared to stand up to the Jiang family's second branch.

At some point, Ling Ran felt someone yank his hair hard, the pain instantly making his eyes water. He retaliated, grabbing a handful of hair in return and pulling with all his might.

"Ahhh—!"

Jiang Ronglian's shrill scream pierced the air. Ling Ran glanced at his palm, where a small clump of hair was tightly clenched.

Before he could react, Jiang's aunt, who had been lurking nearby, seized the moment. Clutching her handbag, she charged straight at him.

Ling Ran didn't even notice when the crowd parted. All he saw was a dark figure suddenly blocking his vision. The aunt, who had been rushing toward him, was viciously kicked—how, he couldn't tell—before collapsing onto the lawn with a sharp cry.

The force behind the blow was unrestrained. The woman on the ground likely had several broken ribs, as she lay completely motionless.

A tall, coldly imposing Enigma—as if materializing from a dream—stepped forward, bending slightly to meet the Omega's gaze. "Ling Ran."

Jiang Zhiyu's eyes darkened, ignoring the surrounding commotion as he studied Ling Ran intently—his reddened eyes, delicate nose, flushed lips, and the slender, pale column of his neck.

No visible injuries.

Ling Ran snapped back to reality, his eyes glistening with a faint mist. He blinked, realizing this wasn't a dream.

"Jiang..." he murmured softly, "President Jiang...

Hearing the formal address, Jiang Zhiyu said nothing.

Aware of the dozens of eyes still fixed on them, Ling Ran took half a step back, maintaining a polite distance. "Good afternoon, President Jiang."

Jiang Zhiyu's expression darkened further, but he still asked, "Are you hurt?"

Ling Ran shook his head and quickly turned to check on Qin Chengyue.

Qin Chengyue was being restrained by a sudden Alpha interloper, his wrists gripped tightly. Yet his eyes still burned with fury as he glared at Jiang Ronglian in the distance, baring his teeth as if ready to lunge and take another bite.

Shang Ye noticed a scratch mark on his neck and a few faint red marks, realizing the yapping little dog before him was actually a delicate Omega. His grip loosened slightly.

Jiang Ronglian wasn't faring any better—her hair and clothes were a mess, with bite marks from Qin Chengyue visible on her hands and face.

Qin Chengyue spat to the side with force. "Haven't bathed in days, disgusting."

Jiang Ronglian was so furious she nearly fainted. If not for Jiang Shengyi holding her up, she would've collapsed on the ground like Aunt Jiang.

"Zhiyu, you came just in time!" Jiang Ronglian shrieked hysterically. "Fire these two pieces of trash immediately! I want them gone! I'm suing them—I'll have them both locked up!"

Qin Chengyue struggled against Shang Ye's hold, kicking and punching in Jiang Ronglian's direction. "You old hag! Ugly witch! Go ahead, try to lock me up if you dare! You think you can sue me? You threw the first punch—if anything, I should be the one sending you to jail! I'll get my brother to do it!"

Shang Ye had a headache from his noise and simply covered his mouth with a handkerchief to shut him up.

Jiang Ronglian pressed on, "Firing two employees is no big deal! They're nothing but deadweight, a pair of troublemakers!"

Ling Ran lifted his gaze, an overwhelming sense of unease suddenly surging within him.

He looked at Jiang Zhiyu. Though only a few days had passed, the enigma's aura felt even more oppressive and domineering than before.

Most employees around them didn't dare meet Jiang Zhiyu's eyes directly, stealing glances before quickly lowering their heads to exchange frantic looks.

It seemed certain Ling Ran and Qin Chengyue would be fired. The two Omegas had been far too reckless—no matter what, they shouldn't have laid hands on a member of the Jiang family. Even if the family wasn't harmonious, they were still closer to each other than to outsiders.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, Jiang Zhiyu merely glanced at Ling Ran's disheveled hair and the damp, aggrieved eyes staring up at him.

The night breeze tousled the strands atop his head. Jiang Zhiyu was restraining himself—restraining the urge to step forward, smooth his hair, and pull him into a tight embrace to inhale his scent deeply.

"They should indeed be fired."

The moment those words left his lips, the shimmering tears in the Omega's eyes pooled even thicker, swaying precariously as if about to fall. Before the crowd could erupt into louder murmurs, Jiang Zhiyu smirked and continued, "One from Jiangzhou's PR department, two from HR, four from entertainment, and three executives. Corporate HR will dismiss them tomorrow."

Jiang Ronglian's eyes widened in disbelief, as though she couldn't fathom how he knew every single one of the people she had nepotistically placed in the company.

"As for these two, they're now corporate employees. The branch has no authority to interfere with them. Moreover, corporate policy has always been fair in rewards and punishments. Since they weren't at fault..." Jiang Zhiyu paused, his voice deepening. "Then come here and apologize."

"You want me—to apologize to them?!" Jiang Ronglian seethed. "Absolutely not!"

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to have anticipated this: "An apology isn't necessary, but you'll need to provide substantial compensation."

"What kind of compensation?"

"You should still hold 5% of Jiangzhou shares."

Jiang Ronglian's fingers trembled with anger. These 5% shares were secretly transferred without her family's knowledge—even Jiang Shengyi wasn't aware she still held clean shares.

"Are you... are you telling me to transfer them to him?!"

Jiang Zhiyu replied calmly, "The transfer process is complicated. I'll have the legal department draft an agreement—the transfer can be completed within a week at the earliest."

Jiang Ronglian challenged, "And what if I refuse to hand over the shares? What can you possibly do to me?!"

Jiang Zhiyu's tone remained indifferent, as if looking down at her futile struggle from above.

"Shall I have someone calculate exactly how much you've funneled from Jiangzhou to the Jiang and Li families over these years?"

At these words, Jiang Ronglian's face froze completely. Her mouth opened but no words came out.

The amount of funds that had passed through her hands would likely shock even the second branch of the family. For every legitimate transaction, there was an equally risky venture.

She didn't know how much Jiang Zhiyu had uncovered, but his confidence suggested he held substantial evidence.

Jiang Shengyi could no longer contain himself. Without giving Jiang Ronglian a chance to respond, he forcibly escorted her to their quarters to rest, while Aunt Jiang was carried away by the resort staff.

With the farce concluded, the remaining employees lost their appetite for the banquet. They gathered their belongings in small groups, bid farewell to Jiang Zhiyu, and quickly departed.

Ling Ran and Qin Chengyue were pulled along by Yang Jia and several others from their team, returning to their rooms together.

Back in the room, Ling Ran requested alcohol and cotton swabs from the front desk, carefully tending to the wounds on Qin Chengyue's neck.

Qin Chengyue winced in pain while waving his fists excitedly: "That old witch was no match for me at all! If Jiang Shengyi hadn't intervened, I could've taken her down in three moves!"

Ling Ran's eyes grew moist as he worked gently: "Doesn't it hurt?"

Qin Chengyue shook his head: "It's nothing, doesn't hurt at all."

Glancing at his phone, he told Ling Ran: "Yang Jia texted—they want us to join them for drinks. Everyone thinks our heroic deeds deserve celebration. Honestly, that old witch's behavior has pissed off many people—we practically did everyone a favor."

After putting away the medical supplies and discreetly wiping his eyes, Ling Ran said, "You go ahead first. I'll join later—I still have some writing to finish."

Qin Chengyue didn't suspect anything: "Alright, I'll wait for you there. Finish quickly—tonight we drink until we drop!"

Ling Ran pushed him out with a laugh. With Qin Chengyue's alcohol tolerance, one drink would be enough to knock him out.

"Alright, alright, you go ahead."

After Qin Chengyue left, Ling Ran returned to his desk and opened his laptop.

He intended to continue working on his draft from earlier, but though his eyes were on the screen, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.

Earlier, he had desperately wanted to throw himself into Mr. Jiang's arms, to feel his embrace and his touch through his hair. It had taken tremendous willpower to restrain himself.

Was Mr. Jiang protecting me in front of all those people just because I'm an employee from headquarters?

Ling Ran fiddled with his hair absentmindedly, feeling too agitated to write anything.

He glanced at his phone just as a new message popped up.

[NoWatermelon]: Stop working, Xiao Ran! Hurry up, we're all waiting for you~

Ling Ran smiled faintly and closed his laptop.

Another message appeared. Assuming it was from Qin Chengyue again, he looked closer—only for his heart to suddenly pound violently.

Afraid he'd misread it, he rubbed his eyes hard and stared at the screen.

[Mr. Jiang]: Open the door

Why was he being told to open the door? Unless...

The sender seemed impatient, sending another message immediately after.

[Mr. Jiang]: Ling Ran

Ling Ran leapt off the bed, bare feet hitting the floor as he dashed to the door and flung it open without hesitation.

"Mr. Jiang—“

Before he could finish, the enigma in the hallway descended on him like a starved beast finally tasting its prey—desperate, relentless, leaving no space between them.

His lips were captured in a searing kiss, one hand gripping the back of his head while the other pressed his slender waist flush against a hard body, as if trying to meld them together. Every scorching, aching need seemed to find release in him, tongues tangling until his scalp tingled with pleasure.

Ling Ran staggered backward under the assault, his vision filled with nothing but the overwhelming presence before him.

His back hit the wall with a thud, the impact softened by an arm braced behind his waist—but then a click echoed as his elbow accidentally hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.

Blind in the sudden blackness, he hadn't even glimpsed Mr. Jiang's face before being pinned again, head tilted back like fragile petals battered by a storm.

The omega whimpered weakly, voice breaking around swallowed moans as his tongue was claimed, leaving him speechless.

Yet the enigma seemed deaf to his pleas, merely reaching past him to slam the door shut.

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