TPLTMOE – Chapter 61

Ling Ran whimpered, shaking his head repeatedly.

"No, there wasn't..."

Although his engagement with Jiang Shengyi had lasted a long time, their two-year progress couldn't compare to the intimacy he had achieved with Jiang Zhiyu in just two months.

With his former fiancé, they had been practically strangers—rarely even holding hands.

Yet with his pursuer, they had already ended up in bed, thoroughly familiar with each other inside and out.

And they could become even more familiar.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed satisfied with his answer: "From now on, will you only let me touch you?"

Ling Ran could no longer respond.

The order of things between them seemed completely backward. Who would ask to be together only after countless temporary marks? Who would ask for permission to kiss or touch only after they had already slept together?

They had long since become more intimate than most couples.

Jiang Zhiyu marked the Omega inside and out with his scent, branding him as his own so no one else could lay a finger on him.

The sheets gradually became too wet to sleep on, soaked through with everything that should and shouldn't have been spilled.

Ling Ran, overwhelmed by shame and unwilling to face it, trembled uncontrollably as blinding white light swallowed his consciousness whole.

Jiang Zhiyu cradled him in his arms, soothing him with gentle kisses, reassuring him that it was just a normal physiological reaction—that there was nothing wrong with losing control.

But Ling Ran was heartbroken and humiliated to the extreme. His body no longer obeyed him, and this wasn't how things were supposed to be.

A bed was meant for sleeping—how could it be used for... for something else like this?

Yet soon, he collapsed against the Enigma's chest and fell into a deep sleep, his stamina utterly spent.

Jiang Zhiyu carried him to the bathroom. Despite his usual fastidiousness, he didn't mind the mess now, still utterly enamored with the disheveled little Omega in his arms.

After carefully washing him inside and out with warm water, he wrapped Ling Ran in his own robe and carried him back to the desk, settling him in his lap.

Ling Ran squirmed restlessly, only to be stilled with a warning smack on the lower back.

Finally obedient, he curled up in the warm embrace, his pitiful face still flushed an unnatural, feverish red from the steam.

Jiang Zhiyu applied a bit of ointment to his body before turning his attention back to the computer screen.

It wasn't work files or a meeting—just a series of chaotic, muddled scenes.

On the desk lay a small grape-shaped pin, equipped with an extremely discreet pinhole camera.

Originally meant to record the happenings of his "treasure," it had unexpectedly captured something else entirely.

The camera was directly linked to an external network, meaning the footage should have been live-streamed to another computer.

Jiang Zhiyu first severed the connection to the other device, then transferred all the video files to his own computer.

Before Ling Ran woke, he had been watching the recording.

But the camera had eventually run out of power, leaving only six hours of footage.

The first three hours showed Ling Ran entering the club, encountering the blond-haired man, and then hiding in the wardrobe before being discovered by Dong Hui. The further Jiang Zhiyu watched, the colder his expression grew.

The way Dong Hui looked at Ling Ran filled him with intense displeasure. No one could tolerate their Omega being scrutinized by another male with such a gaze.

It wasn't the look one gave a person—it was the look one gave an edible piece of cake.

The Enigma's arms tightened possessively around the figure in his lap, radiating dominance and aggression.

Omega could only belong to him alone, already thoroughly saturated with his scent—no one else could even think of coveting them.

Simply dragging Dong Hui down wasn't enough. He wanted everyone to know the consequences of daring to lay hands on what was his.

The progress bar dragged to the backseat of the Rolls-Royce.

Beyond that were glimpses of snow-white, delicate skin, glistening with sweat and tears, trembling pitifully.

The camera angle wasn't ideal—most of the time, the two figures were barely visible. Only faint, wet sounds and the rhythmic thud of flesh could be heard, accompanied by kitten-like whimpers.

Jiang Zhiyu's temple throbbed violently.

Only when he lifted the person onto the table or gripped their slender waist to settle them onto a chair did the footage become somewhat clearer.

Jiang Zhiyu watched in silence, his hand absently stroking the back of the person nestled in his arms in a soothing motion.

The images played on loop before his eyes, each frame striking with intensity. When certain reactions caught his attention, he would pause to admire them or rewind to study the Omega's flushed cheeks, their enchanting, dazed expression.

At some points, the commotion grew too loud, startling the figure in his arms.

Ling Ran nuzzled against him, slowly blinking awake before turning his head groggily toward the computer screen.

What he saw made his breath hitch.

The massive screen displayed two entangled figures.

The Enigma was overwhelmingly tall and powerful, his broad frame nearly eclipsing the Omega's body entirely—only a pair of slender, trembling legs draped over his shoulders remained visible, clad in black stockings torn with several ragged holes...

What... what was this?!

Ling Ran's eyes widened in shock. He frantically slapped at the keyboard, desperate to close the video, but accidentally hit the volume button instead. The obscene sounds suddenly blared through the room.

Jiang Zhiyu caught his flailing hand, pulling it back with a lazy smirk. "Want to watch together?"

Ling Ran couldn't bear to look—or listen. He buried his face against Jiang Zhiyu's chest, refusing to lift it again.

How could he have forgotten about the cameras? Those scenes had all been recorded. If the rest of the team had seen them... he'd rather die right here in Jiang Zhiyu's arms.

Jiang Zhiyu turned his face back. "Relax. No one saw."

When he had exported the footage, he'd noticed the stored content was new—no one had accessed the recordings after Ling Ran had been retrieved from the Palm Star.

Ling Ran's team had only exported the first half of the video, believing he had already been safely extracted.

As for what happened afterward... no one knew.

Jiang Zhiyu forced him to endure a little longer, pausing at particularly heated moments to pinch his chin and kiss him.

Ling Ran responded instinctively, but when he realized the Enigma wanted more than just kisses, he trembled in resistance, his teary eyes unbearably pitiful. "N-no more..."

He truly couldn't take any more—his body was already overflowing with Enigma pheromones, threatening to burst.

And if they kept kissing, it would lead to more. He was already spent, unable to even lift a finger.

He hadn't eaten properly in days, surviving only on nutrient injections. It was convenient—his stomach never growled—but the back of his hand bore five needle marks, the delicate skin bruised a faint blue.

Jiang Zhiyu simply kissed him, knowing he couldn't take much more.

If they were to go again, he'd probably have to give him more of that medicine.

But the medicine couldn't be taken too often. Though harmless to the body, the Omega still needed some recovery time.

Their physical endurance couldn't compare to an Enigma's, let alone Ling Ran, who was among the more delicate and fragile even among Omegas.

After kissing for a while, Jiang Zhiyu paused the video.

He couldn't keep watching—otherwise, the fire would only grow stronger, and he'd be tempted to pick up the blade again.

Carrying Ling Ran out of the master bedroom, he figured since no one was home, they could even walk around naked if they wanted.

The master bedroom wasn't fit for sleeping now, so he slipped a shirt onto Ling Ran and carried him toward the guest room.

Ling Ran clung to his shoulder, pitifully clutching his stomach, then suddenly whimpered that he felt uncomfortable inside. Jiang Zhiyu pulled out his phone to call Xu Guanyi.

Ling Ran stopped him—it was three in the morning. If they really dragged the doctor over at this hour, he'd be so embarrassed he'd want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Jiang Zhiyu massaged his stomach with his hand and asked exactly what kind of discomfort he was feeling.

Ling Ran thought carefully, frowning. "I... want to eat something..."

He hadn't had a proper meal in days, yet his stomach didn't feel hungry—instead, there was a bloated, stuffed sensation, as if something was pressing against it.

But Ling Ran didn't want to be fed nutrient injections again. Truthfully, he'd always been afraid of needles. Every time he had to inject himself with suppressants, he panicked—he just forced himself through it.

At three a.m., Song Yi wasn't home, and Ling Ran refused to have anyone deliver food. If they did, they'd inevitably see them in this state. He'd rather starve than endure that.

In the end, Jiang Zhiyu carried him into the kitchen, holding him up with one hand while opening the fridge with the other.

Before leaving, Song Yi had organized the fridge meticulously. The top two shelves were filled with neatly washed and portioned green vegetables, the middle four layers stocked with fresh fruits like jaboticaba, longkong, and ruby pomelo, while the lower shelves held other vegetables. Another freezer compartment was packed with all kinds of meat and seafood—since Ling Ran loved seafood congee, Song Yi made sure to buy the freshest ingredients daily and freeze them.

Everything was well-stocked.

Jiang Zhiyu patted him lightly. "What do you want to eat?"

During his years studying abroad, Jiang Zhiyu had occasionally cooked for himself. His skills were good enough to satisfy even his own picky tastes, let alone an Omega. But after returning to the country, he'd grown too busy and rarely cooked anymore. Still, his skills shouldn't have deteriorated.

Ling Ran turned his head to look at the fridge, seemingly deep in thought, silent for a long while.

Jiang Zhiyu pulled open the freezer. "Steak?"

Ling Ran shook his head.

"Seafood?"

Another shake.

"Vegetables?"

Still no.

Jiang Zhiyu gave him a light pinch. "If you can't decide, I'll feed you something else."

Ling Ran caught the implication and, suddenly fearful, quickly said, "I want... instant noodles."

Jiang Zhiyu: "..."

Jiang Zhiyu: "Eat something nutritious."

Ling Ran pouted, aggrieved. "You told me to say it..."

There was just something about instant noodles—if you went too long without them, the craving hit hard, especially in the dead of night at three a.m.

In the end, Jiang Zhiyu took out some greens, two eggs, six shrimp, two abalones, and a portion of handmade noodles Song Yi had prepped. The mighty head of the Jiang family, rolling up his sleeves in the kitchen to cook for his little Omega.

A pot of greens, seafood, and egg noodles.

Holding Ling Ran made it inconvenient to move, so Jiang Zhiyu found a soft cushion and placed him on the kitchen counter.

Ling Ran sat uncomfortably, forced to lean sideways, his fair, slender legs dangling below, elbows propped on the countertop. His gaze remained fixed on Jiang Zhiyu.

The enigma's robe hung loosely over his broad shoulders, the collar wide open, revealing a bare, muscular chest and well-defined pectorals—now marred with several deep scratches, clearly clawed out with force.

Ling Ran's fingertips tingled faintly. He hadn't realized he had scratched Jiang Zhiyu so badly, and a pang of guilt pricked his heart.

But when he glanced down, the marks on his own legs were far more numerous and obvious—covered in red streaks and bite marks. The soft flesh where he usually wore his leg ring suppressor had been bitten the deepest, still bearing a glaring set of teeth imprints.

Like a beast marking its territory, his once snow-white, delicate skin was now almost entirely branded by the enigma's claim.

Ling Ran's legs trembled weakly.

Jiang Zhiyu moved with practiced ease, heating oil in the pan to fry a perfectly round, soft-centered egg.

The rich aroma caught Ling Ran's attention, his stomach growling even more insistently. He longed to take a bite of the egg, to savor the creamy yolk.

But he licked his lips and forced himself to hold back.

He couldn't let himself seem too eager.

Jiang Zhiyu quickly finished cooking the noodles, balancing the bowl in one hand while scooping the Omega off the counter with the other, carrying him to the dining table.

Knowing Ling Ran wouldn't sit comfortably on a chair, he settled him onto his lap instead, then placed chopsticks in his hand. "Eat."

The bowl was filled to the brim with steaming noodles, loaded with ingredients and topped with that flawless soft-boiled egg.

Definitely far more nutritious than instant noodles.

In the dead of night, Jiang Zhiyu didn't complain about the inconvenience, didn't find him bothersome.

When Ling Ran said he was hungry, he simply made him a bowl of noodles.

Ling Ran's nose stung sharply. It was just the most ordinary bowl of noodles—not some rare delicacy or imperial feast. How could he be so moved by something so simple? How pathetic.

A meal wasn't anything special. But the feeling of being cherished like this was so rare—once tasted, he never wanted to let it go.

Bowing his head, Ling Ran prepared to eat, but Jiang Zhiyu suddenly caught his wrist, reminding him, "Blow on it first."

Freshly cooked, it was too hot to eat straight away.

When the Omega didn't react, Jiang Zhiyu thought he was feeling unwell again. Cupping his face to check, he found his palm damp with moisture.

So Ling Ran had been silently crying again.

His heart twisted sharply, pain radiating through his fingertips. Jiang Zhiyu kissed away his tears, murmuring softly, "If you don't want this, I'll make you instant noodles instead, alright?"

Ling Ran sniffled and shook his head, voice hoarse. "I want to eat this..."

Instant noodles had no nutrition. He liked soft-boiled eggs and seafood noodles.

Helpless, Jiang Zhiyu took the chopsticks from him, picking up a shrimp and blowing on it before feeding it to him.

The Omega's mouth was small, his throat shallow. Just two large shrimp filled him up completely.

No wonder he had cried so much when taking him in.

Jiang Zhiyu waited patiently, only continuing to feed him after he had completely swallowed each bite.

The omega didn't eat much of the bowl of noodles—just the runny yolk of the soft-boiled egg, leaving most of the whites behind. He had three shrimp, one abalone, a few greens, less than half a bowl of noodles, and a couple of sips of broth before clutching his stomach and declaring he was full, unable to take another bite.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't force him. Instead, he swiftly devoured the leftovers, wiped the omega's glossy lips, and then took him to the bathroom to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth.

Only after everything was done did he lead him back to the guest bedroom to rest.

But the moment they lay down, Jiang Zhiyu couldn't resist pulling him into his arms, and before long, their lips met again—though soon, it wasn't just their lips involved.

After intimacy, some invisible distance between them had shortened.

It felt like anything was allowed, like nothing they did was wrong.

The omega, like a dewy grape ripe for the taking, was left untouched as Jiang Zhiyu slipped out from under the covers, wrapped him snugly in the thin blanket, and then pulled him close like a human-sized plush toy.

"Alright," Jiang Zhiyu murmured softly. "Sleep."

Ling Ran, who had just been stirred up: ":<"

This man... how could he just stop like this...

Jiang Zhiyu glanced down at him and chuckled. "No condom."

The condoms and other small necessities were in the master bedroom. He hadn't planned on doing anything earlier, so he hadn't brought them over.

Ling Ran's cheeks flushed as he whispered, barely audible, "You... don't have to use one..."

After all, his reproductive tract had atrophied—he couldn't get pregnant anyway.

Jiang Zhiyu froze for a moment, seemingly surprised that the omega would indulge him to this extent.

"You'd let me do it without one?"

Ling Ran didn't answer, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. The words had slipped out in a daze, and only after speaking did he realize just what kind of thoughts had been swirling in his mind.

He could only add in a tiny voice, "Because... I can't get pregnant..."

Jiang Zhiyu leaned down, kissing his eyelids, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips.

"Condoms aren't just for contraception. They also protect you from injury and infections," Jiang Zhiyu explained. "Of course, I've always been in perfect health. I can have someone prepare a medical report for you if you'd like."

Ling Ran shook his head. "That's not what I meant..."

It wasn't that he wanted to see Jiang Zhiyu's medical records—he could already tell the man was in excellent health.

Jiang Zhiyu asked, "Do you want to get pregnant?"

Ling Ran's ears burned so hot they might as well have been steaming. His eyes widened in panic. "N-No, that's not it..."

"You will," Jiang Zhiyu said.

Ling Ran stared at him blankly. "Huh...?"

Jiang Zhiyu simply kissed his cheek and smiled. "You'll get pregnant."

***

A week of shameless indulgence at home passed. Not going to work was nice, but spending all that time in bed wasn't exactly ideal.

For the sake of the omega's delicate health, Jiang Zhiyu gave him a full day to rest—but it wasn't enough.

Ling Ran looked utterly drained, as if all his energy had been sucked dry. If Jiang Zhiyu wasn't carrying him, he refused to even leave the bed, lying there all day and only eating when food was brought to his lips.

In this state, there was no way he could return to work—he could barely walk without limping, a pitiful sight.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhiyu was radiant, full of vigor now that his rut had passed. He granted Ling Ran two more days off, instructing him to rest properly at home, and had Song Yi return to take care of him.

There was indeed a backlog of work at the company that needed handling. Jiang Zhiyu finally left the house during the day to visit the Jiang Corporation building.

Ling Ran slept fitfully at home for most of the day, only waking as dusk approached.

Song Yi had already cleaned up the master bedroom and prepared a lavish spread of delicious food for Ling Ran.

Ling Ran was deeply embarrassed, his cheeks flushed red, unable to meet Song Yi's gaze.

Song Yi, however, was completely unfazed. He pulled out several scattered packs of condoms from the master bedroom, laid them out in front of Ling Ran, and asked with utmost seriousness, "Mr. Ling, which variety do you prefer? I can stock up on that type next time."

Ling Ran, who had been sipping seafood congee, choked violently, nearly coughing himself to death. His face turned even redder, his eyes glistening as he stared at Song Yi.

Song Yi blinked innocently. "Don't like any of them? I spent a long time carefully selecting these. Enigma-specific varieties are hard to come by—this is pretty much all that's available on the market. Though I recall there might be more options overseas. Next time, I'll have someone purchase them all for you to try."

Ling Ran couldn't take it anymore. He lunged forward to cover Song Yi's mouth, his face burning crimson. "Stop talking..."

Song Yi gently pulled his hand away. "Don't worry, Mr. Ling. These were all purchased under Mr. Jiang's instructions. And to ensure your experience is optimal, he specifically asked me to consult your preferences. If you have any special requests, feel free to mention them. Oh, and how did you find those little toys I delivered earlier?"

Ling Ran blinked in confusion. "What little toys?"

Song Yi explained earnestly, "You know, bedroom accessories—tools to enhance intimacy between couples. For example, there's one that can... and another that allows the dominant partner to... for extended periods... There's also this thing called..., which fits over... and when inserted into..., it can..."

The more Ling Ran listened, the wider his eyes grew, as if a whole new world had opened before him. He had never heard of such combinations before, and the bizarre descriptions made his entire body burn with embarrassment...

This time, instead of covering Song Yi's mouth, he clapped his hands over his own ears.

"Stop, stop, I don't understand any of it," Ling Ran protested. "I've never used any of those..."

Truthfully, he hadn't needed them. Just dealing with an Enigma was already more than enough for an Omega—how could he possibly handle anything else?

Song Yi looked slightly disappointed. "Not even one? What a waste."

Ling Ran was on the verge of tears.

After dinner, Jiang Zhiyu still hadn't returned home.

Ling Ran curled up on the sofa and watched TV for a while. Jiangzhou News Network happened to be airing a live broadcast—this episode was hosted by Qin Chengyue, covering the investigative piece their team had previously pitched about construction sites.

This was Qin Chengyue's first time anchoring a program. Though nervous, he performed flawlessly.

Ling Ran watched the entire broadcast attentively, feeling both happy for Qin Chengyue and deeply gratified.

He sent a message in the group chat, congratulating Qin Chengyue on the successful premiere of his show.

Yang Jia and Xiao Feng also chimed in with their well-wishes, while asking how Ling Ran was feeling and which hospital he was staying at so they could visit.

Ling Ran quickly explained that it was nothing serious—perhaps just a scare from that night at Pearl Pavilion that led to catching a cold and developing a fever after returning home.

Fortunately, the two in the group chat didn't press further, and everyone tacitly avoided mentioning why President Jiang had appeared at Pearl Pavilion that night or why he had shown Ling Ran such special attention.

Qin Chengyue must have just finished the show and hadn't had time to check his phone yet, which was why he hadn't replied in the group chat.

Ling Ran then asked Yang Jia and Xiao Feng to send him some materials about Palm Pearl so he could start preparing for the show at home. The two shared the good news that their superiors had approved this topic choice, and they'd been waiting for Ling Ran to recover so he could return to the company and lead them in this project.

Hearing this, Ling Ran's eyes began to sparkle.

As for who might have issued such an order—he didn't need to think twice to know.

His heart felt weightless, as if floating in a bottle of fizzy soda bubbles.

He rushed to sit at the desk in the master bedroom, logging into his account on the laptop to start revising the draft immediately.

This computer probably belonged to Mr. Jiang. It didn't seem frequently used, with only two folders on the desktop.

One folder had a long string of random numbers as its name. Out of curiosity, Ling Ran clicked into it—only for an enlarged video thumbnail to instantly appear before his eyes, making his face burn crimson.

This... was this the video recorded that night?!

He vaguely remembered possibly seeing it before, but his consciousness had been too hazy at the time to recall any details.

Now alone in the room, he swallowed hard and quietly clicked play.

The footage began moving—intense scenes, glistening sweat, accompanied by sounds too indecent to describe.

Ling Ran had never imagined his voice could sound so... coquettish...

Not only had this video been exported, it had been brazenly placed right on the computer desktop.

As if someone frequently took it out to... appreciate.

Unable to watch properly, Ling Ran covered his eyes with one hand, only daring to peek through his fingers.

While the screen showed passionate advances, the tightly shut bedroom door—unnoticed—had been quietly pushed open.

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