TPLTMOE – Chapter 49

Bare feet on cold tiles, Ling Ran burned—fire spilling from his lips down his throat, rough touches igniting his skin wherever they roamed, leaving scorched red trails in their wake.

The scorching tequila pheromones in the air surged and spread, filling the vast room almost instantly.

Even with a suppressor, Ling Ran could still smell the overwhelmingly strong alcoholic scent.

The enigma, driven by primal instinct, licked and explored his mouth, greedily swallowing the faint traces of rose-scented grapes.

But it was merely pouring a cup of sweet water over a volcano on the verge of eruption—far from enough, nowhere near enough. Ling Ran was kissed into a daze, his vision spinning even with his eyes closed.

His legs trembled violently, barely able to support his own weight.

He had never seen the enigma so ferocious and domineering before, as if determined to devour him right there in the entryway without giving him a chance to react.

A surge of fear rose in his chest. He weakly pushed against the enigma's broad, heaving chest, mumbling incoherent protests.

But it was futile—his feeble resistance couldn't budge the enigma in the slightest.

Tears welled in Ling Ran's eyes. He parted his lips slightly, as if in invitation, but when the enigma plunged in again, he clenched his teeth, biting down lightly on his tongue.

It wasn't painful, but it was enough to pull the enigma back from the brink of that overwhelming heat, his rationality finally returning. Jiang Zhiyu lifted his head slightly, his dark gaze fixed intently on the small Omega before him.

Ling Ran gasped for breath, his long lashes fluttering helplessly, his lips red and glistening with moisture.

Only a few days apart, yet it felt like an eternity of restraint.

If Ling Ran hadn't taken half a step back earlier, Jiang Zhiyu would have kissed him right then and there, consequences be damned.

But he was afraid—afraid Ling Ran wouldn't want it, afraid he'd be angry. So he forced himself to wait, to endure.

Yet even patience has its limits. In the throes of his rut, all he wanted was to hold him, kiss him, drown in his pheromones—to possess him completely.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze trailed downward—the slender waist, the long, delicate legs, and finally, the pale, almost blindingly white feet, tender and soft.

He wasn't wearing shoes.

An enigma's vision was far sharper; even in the dim light, he could see everything clearly.

Omegas were naturally petite, so everything about them was small—even their feet, dainty and adorable.

Jiang Zhiyu's eyes darkened.

He wanted to lick them.

Ling Ran had no idea what the man before him was thinking. He had rushed to open the door in such a hurry that he hadn't put on shoes. Now, under that intense gaze, he felt self-conscious, lifting one foot to hide it behind the other.

Suddenly, Jiang Zhiyu scooped him up in a bridal carry, striding into the room and depositing him onto the bed with precision.

The moment Ling Ran's body touched the soft sheets, he tried to sit up—but in the next second, a large hand seized his ankle, dragging him forward effortlessly before he could resist.

Ling Ran's eyes widened, his heart seemingly stopping as all sensation rushed to that captured foot.

Then—the dry, searing heat of a palm pressed against his slightly cool sole.

Ling Ran's back trembled violently, as if scorched by that searing heat.

He tried to pull his leg back, but the enigma held firm, slowly wiping it clean with his palm.

This gesture could no longer be described as intimate—it was, rather, something deeply private.

Ling Ran's voice wavered, his fingers clutching desperately at Jiang Zhiyu's sleeve, his damp eyes glistening with a mix of shame and vulnerability.

"N-no, don't touch..." He shivered at the sensitivity. "It's dirty..."

But Jiang Zhiyu seemed deaf to his pleas, his focus unwavering. Far from disgusted, after cleaning one foot, he moved to the other with the

same care.

His large hand could nearly envelop the entire foot, warming it with his own burning heat.

Just as Ling Ran tried to shrink away again, he suddenly felt something moist and warm press against the top of his foot.

He froze in shock, lips parting slightly, his retreat halted mid-motion as if half his fragile soul had been stolen by that fleeting kiss.

The towering enigma before him had bent low, pressing his lips to Ling Ran's foot with a reverence bordering on sacred.

Yet it was less a kiss than a shackle, a claim meant to cage and possess him.

"Ah..."

A choked sob escaped Ling Ran, tears threatening to spill.

Jiang Zhiyu released his foot, pulling him up from the bed to straddle his lap face-to-face.

This position at least offered Ling Ran some semblance of security. In the darkness, he could barely make out the contours of the man before him.

"J-Jiang... sir..."

The omega's tongue felt numb as he whimpered the address.

But there was no response.

Jiang Zhiyu remained silent, only reaching to remove his inhibitor.

A torrent of enigma pheromones crashed over them, overwhelming in their intensity. The omega trembled violently, collapsing forward against the sudden assault.

Jiang Zhiyu encircled him, hands soothing along his back, though his own eyes burned crimson with restraint. He couldn't mark him yet—not when Ling Ran was still adjusting.

"P-please... Jiang sir..." Ling Ran wept openly now. "S-slower... go slower..."

The flood of pheromones needed to ease.

Cupping the omega's tear-streaked face, Jiang Zhiyu's desperation for comfort drove him to peel away the scent blocker at Ling Ran's nape. The air gradually sweetened with the omega's own pheromones in hesitant response.

Stimulated by the enigma's scent, Ling Ran began clumsily reciprocating.

Only when the trembling in his arms subsided, when tension melted into pliant relaxation, did Jiang Zhiyu finally lower his head to administer a slow, temporary mark.

Ling Ran hadn't been in heat, but engulfed so completely by the enigma's pheromones—every vein, every sinew thrumming with their insistent pull—he might as well have been dragged through the prolonged grind of one.

By the time the temporary marking ended, he seemed to have endured an entire induced cycle.

The mark brought Jiang Zhiyu some relief, the feverish edge dulling as the red receded from his eyes.

But the little omega in his arms appeared thoroughly ravaged by the pheromone storm—damp and limp against the enigma's chest, eyes shut, tear tracks still glistening on his cheeks.

Jiang Zhiyu laid him back on the bed, wiping away his tears before bracing his arms on either side of him, hot breath fanning against his parted lips.

Ling Ran opened his eyes to find a dark silhouette hovering mere inches away. His body reacted before his mind could catch up—lips parting slightly, eyelids fluttering shut again.

But no kiss came.

Instead, a soft click sounded beside his ear, followed by the dim glow of a bedside lamp flickering to life.

Ling Ran frowned, reopening his eyes. This time, in the faint light, he could finally make out the face before him.

Jiang Zhiyu remained dangerously close, traces of wild desperation still lingering in his bloodshot eyes—though ruthlessly restrained now—his lips barely grazing the damp, flushed softness beneath him.

"Still letting me kiss you?"

After all, he'd been too rough earlier. The Omega seemed thoroughly shaken.

Ling Ran gazed up at him, lashes trembling faintly before whispering, so quietly it was almost inaudible:

"...Yeah."

It wasn't like they hadn't already kissed anyway.

Jiang Zhiyu smirked, pressing further.

"What about other places? Still letting me?"

Ling Ran appeared to consider it seriously, though his thoughts swam hazily. After a moment, he nodded again.

"...Yeah."

Where else could he kiss? He'd already taken his fill everywhere else.

Jiang Zhiyu brushed a chaste kiss against his lips.

"Good boy."

But he didn't linger there.

Ling Ran watched, wide-eyed and disbelieving, as he lowered his head—

The flesh of his thighs, long restrained by garters, suddenly freed, spilled softly in plush layers, tender skin flushed and quivering.

What followed could hardly be called kissing.

It was licking. Sucking. The sharp, relentless prodding of a tongue.

Ling Ran squirmed, only for a firm hand to pin him down, leaving him helpless, immobile.

Tears welled at the corners of his eyes as the ceiling above swayed dizzyingly.

It wasn't just his slender, pale legs—soon, searing kisses mapped every inch of his body.

The dim lamplight bore witness to the thorough devastation.

By the time Ling Ran collapsed face-first into the sheets, heavy with exhaustion, he'd long lost track of time.

Earlier, he'd worried—would Qin Chengyue return unexpectedly? Would he see them like this?

But in the end, coherent thought abandoned him entirely. His fate lay entirely in another's hands.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed determined to brand every part of him, to drown him in his scent, to remake him as his Omega—his alone.

At one point, he paused, pressing a startlingly polite murmur against his ear:

"Do you want this?"

Do you want me to do this to you?

Ling Ran, dazed beyond comprehension, could only whimper faintly in response—before even those tears were licked away.

Jiang Zhiyu kissed his eyes and smiled, "As long as you're willing, my good boy."

***

The horse race began promptly at 9 a.m. The best seats in the VIP section had been reserved, but they remained empty the entire morning.

After sending Jiang Ronglian and his aunt to the hospital last night, Jiang Shengyi had been busy there all night. When he left the hospital in the morning, he somehow found himself driving back to Cold Mountain Ranch.

Jiang Zhou's employees were checking out this morning, leaving in small groups.

Some spotted Jiang Shengyi during checkout and thought, After the humiliation he and his mother suffered last night, how does he still have the nerve to show up here?

Jiang Shengyi ignored the stares. He had already asked for Ling Ran's room number and went straight to the door he shared with Qin Chengyue.

After steeling himself, he raised his hand and knocked lightly.

Last night had gone too far. Ling Ran hadn't done anything wrong—it was him who couldn't let go, who kept clinging desperately.

Now, all he wanted was for Ling Ran not to resent him, not to cut off all chances of meeting again.

But after waiting outside the door for a while, there was no response from inside.

He called Ling Ran using a secondary number—his main one had long been blocked.

Sure enough, the familiar ringtone sounded from inside the room. Hope flickered in Jiang Shengyi's eyes as he knocked again.

"Ran, it's me. I just want to talk to you. Could you open the door?"

The ringing inside abruptly stopped.

Jiang Shengyi hung up but still refused to give up. "Ran, I'm begging you. Just give me a chance to apologize to your face. Even if it's out of pity—Jiang Zhou won't be under my name anymore, so I won't be around to upset you often. But please, don't shut me out completely. Don't be so cruel..."

His voice gradually weakened as he spoke, his forehead pressing against the door, his once-proud spine bent under the weight of despair.

But silence was all that answered him, as if no one inside could hear his suffering.

Behind the door, two figures were squeezed onto a narrow single bed.

The enigma was broad-shouldered and long-limbed, his imposing physique hidden beneath tailored suits. Now, stripped of formal attire, his muscular frame was on full display—veins prominent, strength evident—easily enveloping the petite Omega in his arms, shielding him completely.

Ling Ran hadn't slept well all night. The bed was small—fine for him alone, but cramped with an enigma added to the mix.

He had been held all night, shifted into one position after another, his scent glands teased until he released pheromones, his breath stolen in kisses that kept changing in intensity.

The disparity in their stamina was vast. Now, he lay sprawled across the enigma's firm chest, sleeping soundly, oblivious to the knocking or his own ringing phone.

Jiang Zhiyu swiped through Ling Ran's phone, pleased to see Jiang Shengyi's numbers all blocked. A faint smile touched his lips as he leaned down to kiss the person in his arms.

But then a text came in from the same number that had just called.

[Can you open the door, Ling Ran?]

[If you don't, I won't leave.]

[I just want to see you. Nothing else.]

[Just one look. Please.]

Jiang Zhiyu remained expressionless as he raised his phone and took a photo.

The little Omega's fluffy head rested on his chest, soft strands of hair clinging obediently to the bare, muscular expanse.

A small, rounded shoulder peeked out—smooth and pale—marked by faint red imprints. Upon closer inspection, it was clear they were bite marks left by someone's teeth.

Correspondingly, the enigma's collarbone bore its own set of teeth marks, though deeper.

He added the photo to a text message and hit send.

Outside the door, Jiang Shengyi's veins bulged violently the moment he saw the image.

That back of the head was unmistakably Ling Ran's—but who the hell was this damn alpha underneath, flaunting such provocation?!

Had they already slept together? Done it?

Could it be... Ling Ran had been permanently marked by someone else?!

The mere possibility made Jiang Shengyi nearly lose control of his surging fury. He wished he could tear through the screen right then, snatch Ling Ran back from that alpha's side.

He and Ling Ran were destined partners—how could Ling Ran become someone else's Omega?!

Just as Jiang Shengyi prepared to resume pounding on the door, Qin Chengyue suddenly appeared behind him, disheveled hair sticking out in all directions. One hand clutched his collar tightly, the other rubbing his head as if still half-asleep, unclear which room he'd stumbled out from.

"What are you doing here?"

They spoke simultaneously.

Qin Chengyue's face was still slightly flushed, but the sight of Jiang Shengyi seemed to sober him up considerably.

"Here for Xiao Ran again?" Qin Chengyue lied without missing a beat. "He left ages ago—last night, actually."

Jiang Shengyi wasn't convinced. "Then why did his phone just ring inside?"

Qin Chengyue shouldered past him, patting his pockets in front of the door. "He left in a hurry last night and forgot it. I came back to grab it for him."

Jiang Shengyi lingered behind him, waiting as if expecting the door to open.

Unfortunately, Qin Chengyue searched his pockets for a long while but found no key. His memory was hazy, and after a moment of thought, he muttered, "Did I leave it in there? That can't be..."

Seeing Jiang Shengyi still hadn't left, Qin Chengyue crossed his arms and shot him a sidelong glance. "I told you—Xiao Ran's gone. Waiting here won't do you any good. If you hurry to the office, you might catch him working overtime."

"Really?"

"Really. Xiao Ran's a secret workaholic—he even brought his laptop yesterday. Don't tell me you don't know him that well?"

Jiang Shengyi didn't sense deception, nor did he believe Ling Ran would bring that alpha here. They definitely hadn't slept in this room last night.

Without hesitation, Jiang Shengyi turned and left.

Only after he was gone did Qin Chengyue resume his frantic search for the key.

But before he could find it, a pair of slender, straight legs suddenly appeared in front of him.

He looked up to see an alpha towering over him, and his guard instantly went up, fingers tightening around his collar.

Shang Ye found it amusing. "Scared of me?"

Qin Chengyue stiffened. "W-who's scared?"

"Oh, so you're not," Shang Ye nodded lightly. "Then why did you run?"

Qin Chengyue's expression grew visibly uncomfortable. He shouldn't have drunk so much last night—with his notoriously low alcohol tolerance (just one cup could knock him out), he'd foolishly downed three glasses and even boasted he could find his way back to his room alone.

Groping around in the dark, he'd ended up in the wrong room—and with the wrong person.

That morning, he'd sneaked out of Shang Ye's room. His memories were hazy; he couldn't recall exactly what had happened the night before, but his neck was now dotted with several hickeys that stung when he touched them.

It felt like he'd been bitten by a dog.

Shang Ye didn't seem as unapproachable as Jiang Zhiyu, nor was he as intimidating. He spoke amiably to the omega, "You might've left your room card at my place. Want to go back and check?"

Qin Chengyue thought it was highly possible, but he wasn't too keen on returning to that room.

"Fine," he said, "but I'll wait outside while you go in and look for it."

Despite having barely interacted before, he had no qualms about ordering the other man around.

Shang Ye chuckled. "Alright."

The two walked off, one after the other.

Ling Ran didn't wake until noon, enveloped in warmth as if he were being roasted over a stove, accompanied by a pleasant pheromone scent that had lingered in his dreams.

Stretching lazily, he sighed in contentment—so comfortable...

He didn't want to open his eyes. Didn't want to get up...

Then his lips grew damp, parting slightly as something warm and slick slipped inside, tangling with his soft tongue in a teasing dance.

Ling Ran moaned faintly into the kiss, only groggily opening his eyes once it ended.

Right before him was a strikingly handsome face, so close he could see the drowning tenderness in those eyes as they gazed at him.

Ling Ran's eyes widened instantly, all drowsiness vanishing.

The person who should've only existed in his dreams was now lying perfectly real beside him. Shocked, he jerked backward, nearly tumbling off the bed.

Luckily, an arm around his waist tightened just in time, pulling him back into a warm embrace.

Jiang Zhiyu gently wiped the corner of his lips, voice soft. "You slept with me last night."

"So, you'll have to take responsibility."

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