TPLTMOE – Chapter 68

The celebration banquet was held at a private club. Though called a "banquet," only Shang Ye, Yan Xiwen, and a few close friends—all prominent figures whose names Ling Ran could mostly recognize—were in attendance.

He had taken Jiang Zhiyu's words to heart, walking with his back unnaturally straight, his entire body tense as he struggled to maintain the appearance of being perfectly fine despite his discomfort.

A single day of rest wasn't nearly enough. His waist still ached terribly, and his legs trembled with every step, the lingering sensation making him feel as though something remained inside...

Qin Chengyue grumbled indignantly, "I told them I wanted to go home and sleep. That Shang guy is downright inhuman."

Ling Ran replied softly, "Just think of it as keeping me company."

Qin Chengyue glanced at him. "If it weren't for you, I'd have turned around and left ages ago."

Then he studied Ling Ran more closely. "Ran, are you feeling okay?"

Ling Ran shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Then why does your walk seem a little off?"

Ling Ran's legs weakened further. "N-no, it doesn't..."

Qin Chengyue rubbed his head. "Maybe I'm just too tired. Let's hurry inside."

Following the others, the two entered the private room, where a large rotating dining table awaited. Jiang Zhiyu sat at the head, while the rest took their seats.

Ling Ran had initially planned to sit near the entrance with Qin Chengyue, but before he could settle into his chair, he sensed a gaze piercing through the table, fixed intently on him.

As if drawn by instinct, he looked up—and met a pair of deep, penetrating eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu had Shang Ye on one side and an empty seat on the other, reserved for whom was obvious.

Ling Ran hadn't intended to act too intimately with Jiang Zhiyu in front of so many people. He wasn't sure how many present knew about their relationship, and if they were merely perceived as a high-ranking executive and his subordinate, sitting too close would be inappropriate.

He tried to ignore the scorching stare, but just as he was about to sit down, the man at the head of the table spoke.

"Ling Ran."

No more restraint, no more pretense.

The moment he saw those tears onstage, he had wanted to pull him into his arms and lick every drop from his face.

Jiang Zhiyu commanded, "Come here."

Instantly, every pair of eyes at the table turned toward the young Omega by the door. Shang Ye and Yan Xiwen remained unfazed, while the others reacted with varying degrees of realization, shock, or poorly concealed amusement, their gazes roaming over Ling Ran with undisguised interest.

Having known Jiang Zhiyu for so long, none of his friends had expected him to favor this type.

The young anchor was delicate and radiant, like morning dew or some tender, juicy fruit—an Omega so soft he seemed to tremble and weep at the slightest touch.

The kind that looked easy to break.

"Hurry up, little one, the chairman's calling you."

"Don't sit by the door, sweetheart—what if you get burned when the food comes?"

"Just go sit next to Chairman Jiang. Or on his lap."

"Do whatever's convenient for you two—we'll pretend we don't see anything."

Amid the laughter, Jiang Zhiyu's cold gaze swept over them, and the group quickly fell silent, sensing they might have crossed a line.

Something wasn't right. When had Jiang Zhiyu ever brought someone to a drinking gathering before, let alone to their small circle's private meetups?

This seemed like the very first time.

And he even had the person sit beside him. Just for one meal—could he really not hold back?

Under everyone's gaze, Ling Ran was practically forced into moving, inching his way reluctantly until he finally reached the empty seat beside the head of the table.

Only then did he notice that a soft cushion had already been placed there by the staff, as if it had been prepared for him from the start.

After a brief pause, he sat down beside Jiang Zhiyu.

Qin Chengyue was also guided by a server to switch seats, moving to the other side of Shang Ye.

With everyone present, dishes began to be served in the private room.

Yan Xiwen was the first to raise his glass, addressing the head of the table. "Let me set the tone. Today is mainly to celebrate President Jiang's promotion to Chairman Jiang. I watched the whole event earlier—the competition was fierce, yet Chairman Jiang still managed to break through with a commanding lead. From now on, we'll be counting on Chairman Jiang to look out for us in the industry. I'll finish this—Chairman Jiang, take it easy."

With that, he downed his drink in one go.

Having grown familiar with Jiang Zhiyu, Yan Xiwen deliberately delivered a formal speech. The others at the table followed suit, addressing him as "Chairman Jiang" one after another, toasting him glass after glass. They weren't actually expecting Jiang Zhiyu to help them in the future—they just wanted to liven up the atmosphere. Getting Jiang Zhiyu drunk was their primary goal for the night.

Qin Chengyue was the last to stand up, aside from Ling Ran. Though he had arrived reluctantly, he wasn't the least bit intimidated by such an occasion.

"Respected President Jiang, the great Chairman Jiang, the world's finest, most brilliant and heroic leader, the backbone of the Jiang family, the most admired prodigy I worship above all else," Qin Chengyue said with an earnest expression, "I must offer you a grand toast. Whether you drink or not is up to you, but I must finish this to express the excitement in my heart."

Hearing this, Ling Ran was about to remind him not to forget his notoriously low alcohol tolerance when he saw Qin Chengyue actually drain his glass in one go.

He sat back down without so much as a flush or a pant.

Beside him, Shang Ye didn't say a word—he simply reached over, took Qin Chengyue's glass, and sniffed it.

Before Qin Chengyue could snatch it back, he heard a low chuckle from the man next to him.

His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he angrily reclaimed his glass. "What's wrong with you?!"

The "wine" had long been replaced with watered-down juice. The color was nearly identical, but the taste was sweet.

Shang Ye looked at him. "What's wrong with what?"

Qin Chengyue glared at him. Though his trick had been exposed, he decided he would never speak to him again and buried himself in shoveling food into his mouth.

No one else seemed to notice their little exchange. Though the others appeared to be chatting, their eyes kept flickering toward the head of the table.

They wanted to see just how much more lovey-dovey those two could get.

Ling Ran didn't think there was anything lovey-dovey between him and Mr. Jiang. Their interactions were just normal, polite social etiquette.

The wound on Mr. Jiang's hand hadn't fully healed yet—he had even covered it with a scar patch for today's event. So, serving him food and pouring his drinks was simply to avoid aggravating the injury.

Previously, it was always Ling Ran who was taken care of during meals. This time, being able to look after Jiang Zhiyu in return—like seeing an inherently strong person reveal a softer side—made one feel even more tender and protective. Thus, Ling Ran was especially enthusiastic and took extra care to attend to Jiang Zhiyu.

When the table took turns toasting, Ling Ran would lean close and whisper, "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, so drink less."

Jiang Zhiyu only needed to lower his gaze to see those moist, red lips parting and closing before him, dizzyingly mesmerizing.

Good thing he had him sit beside him.

"Alright."

Though he agreed obediently, Jiang Zhiyu was clearly in high spirits today, accepting every toast without refusal. After downing several glasses, he reached up and undid the top two buttons of his shirt.

From Ling Ran's angle, he could catch a glimpse of the collarbone hidden beneath the shirt collar, adorned with a distinct set of bite marks. Left there last night when Ling Ran had sobbed and bitten him.

Though no one else could see it—everyone else was engrossed in lively conversation, paying no attention to them—Ling Ran still felt his ears grow warm. He wanted to reach over and rebutton those two buttons.

But Jiang Zhiyu suddenly leaned toward him, their thighs pressing tightly together beneath the tablecloth, the heat between them searing through the thin fabric.

Ling Ran felt as if he might burn, instinctively trying to close his legs to avoid further contact. Yet a large hand slid beneath the tablecloth, resting firmly on his slender thigh, refusing to let him pull away.

Jiang Zhiyu's tone was calm; no one could see what was happening below.

"Baby."

"I want a shrimp."

His voice was soft, drowned out by the noisy chatter in the private room—only Ling Ran could hear.

"O-okay..."

Ling Ran used the serving chopsticks to pick up a shrimp and placed it on the enigma's plate.

The hand on his thigh didn't move. Jiang Zhiyu looked at him. "My wound hurts a little from earlier."

Ling Ran tensed. "What should we do...?"

"Feed me."

Ling Ran nodded, picking up the shrimp again and raising it high to the enigma's lips.

"Open wide, ah—"

As he spoke, he unconsciously mimicked the motion himself, lips parting slightly, his eyes fixed on the shrimp, waiting for Jiang Zhiyu to take it.

Jiang Zhiyu caught a glimpse of the little pink tongue flashing between those lips, remembering its sweet, soft taste. His Adam's apple bobbed before he opened his mouth, accepting the shrimp and chewing slowly.

The others, who had been pretending to chat while observing the pair's every move: "..."

It's just a scratch—how long are you going to milk this?

Ling Ran watched as Jiang Zhiyu swallowed, then asked gently, "Want another?"

Jiang Zhiyu replied, "Sure."

Ling Ran picked up another shrimp and repeated the process.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to relish this doting treatment, though after a couple more bites, he declined further.

Instead, he had the waiter bring out a few more dishes—all ones Ling Ran had favored earlier. Knowing his preferences, Jiang Zhiyu had them placed directly in front of him.

The others at the table happened to be discussing new and interesting places to visit recently. Yan Xiwen sighed regretfully, "Didn't I mention a while ago that Qin Shixing was setting up a grape vineyard? I was planning to send out invitations for everyone to visit once he finished the renovations. But who knew it fell through before it even opened."

"What happened? Issues with permits or funding? If there's any trouble, just talk to President Jiang—he'd sort it out in no time."

"Exactly. Did Qin Shixing feel too embarrassed to ask?"

Yan Xiwen waved his hand. "No, no, it's not like that. I just asked Shixing yesterday, and he said the vineyard was bought by a private buyer. He didn't want to sell, but the offer far exceeded the vineyard's actual value. There wasn't much point in holding out, so he took the deal."

"Who's this mysterious buyer?"

Yan Xiwen shrugged. "No idea. I couldn't find out, and I don't know what they plan to do with it. The vineyard even had its own wine cellar for traditional winemaking. Guess we're out of luck—won't get to taste any."

"Someone should dig deeper. It sounds interesting—would be nice to visit sometime."

"Is the buyer from Haishi? Who else besides us would have the leisure to splurge on an idle vineyard just for fun?"

"Who cares? Maybe they're just loaded and burning money. Could even be a gift for someone."

The group continued debating back and forth.

Ling Ran, meanwhile, had eaten his fill—so much so that he was practically stuffed, zoning out in a post-meal daze.

Jiang Zhiyu stepped out to take a call. His phone had been ringing nonstop all evening with endless congratulatory messages, most of which he ignored or left unanswered. He'd even instructed Zhao Qin to decline all other drinking invitations in advance.

Old Qian had also sent someone early to invite him, but Jiang Zhiyu refused outright. Unexpectedly, the old man took offense, accusing Jiang Zhiyu of kicking away the ladder after climbing up—now that he'd secured his position, he was trying to cut ties.

Old Qian's call came through to Jiang Zhiyu's private line. It wasn't until the third ring that Jiang Zhiyu finally answered, stepping into the hallway.

Old Qian's voice seethed with fury. Between curses about betrayal and breaking the rules of the underworld, he tried to assert his authority, attempting to keep Jiang Zhiyu under his thumb.

But this was likely the first time Old Qian had encountered someone as unyielding as Jiang Zhiyu—someone who could turn cold and ruthless without hesitation.

Long before tonight's election, Jiang Zhiyu had discovered Old Qian's behind-the-scenes maneuvers, including secretly switching his support. Yet the outcome remained unchanged: Jiang Zhiyu won by a landslide. Now, Old Qian was shamelessly crawling back, pretending nothing had happened.

"Your dealings with Dong Hui weren't limited to Zhangshang Mingzhu, were they?" Jiang Zhiyu said. "He's already under investigation. Do you really think you'll escape?"

The voice on the other end turned panicked. "Wh-what are you trying to do? You've already brought Dong Hui down. What more do you want?"

Jiang Zhiyu chuckled. "He's not the only one who's made mistakes."

"Don't even think about framing me. Let me tell you, Jiang Zhiyu, Dong Hui is no pushover either. After what you did to him, he'll never let you off. He's the kind of petty man who always settles scores—he'll definitely come after you!"

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at the wound on the back of his hand. "Good. Let him come find me then."

"I'll be waiting."

***

Standing outside for a while longer, letting the wind cool his temper, Jiang Zhiyu finally returned to the private room. He noticed that the little Omega, who had been sitting obediently in his seat earlier, had somehow moved to the head of the table. Now, he was holding Jiang Zhiyu's wine glass with both hands, tilting his head back as he drank.

Beside him stood Yan Xiwen and another friend, both holding their own glasses, watching Ling Ran with amused smiles.

No ulterior motives—they were simply charmed by his actions.

Jiang Zhiyu frowned and strode over, taking the glass from the little Omega's hands. He saw his eyes glazed with a hazy sheen, cheeks flushed a delicate pink, and the corners of his soft, red lips stained with spilled wine.

He was clearly already quite drunk.

Ling Ran was indeed a little tipsy. Having mixed two different types of alcohol earlier, the effects had hit him harder. Now, he strained his neck to look up at the towering Enigma beside him, the effort making him tired.

He waved a hand at the Enigma, pouting in dissatisfaction, his voice soft and whiny as he commanded, "You... bend down a little..."

"I... can't see... your face..."

Jiang Zhiyu leaned in closer, getting a deeper look into his eyes while catching the faint scent of alcohol on him.

He'd only been gone for half an hour, and the little Omega had already been coaxed into this state.

His expression darkened as he swept a cold glance around the room.

Yan Xiwen immediately felt a chill run down his spine and hurried to explain, "Hey, don't get the wrong idea! We weren't forcing him to drink—he wanted to. I was just pouring you a drink for when you got back, but he saw it and said he could drink it for you. I thought he meant he could handle it, so I agreed. Who knew..."

He couldn't hold his liquor at all.

The moment Jiang Zhiyu leaned in, Ling Ran's eyes fluttered shut, and he trustingly rested his head against the Enigma's shoulder. The soft flesh of his cheek squished slightly, forming a cute, rounded curve as he nuzzled like a kitten, searching for a more comfortable position.

Jiang Zhiyu simply wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him straight off the chair, supporting him by the hips as he draped himself over the Enigma's body. Warm, damp breaths brushed against his neck.

This position was undeniably much more comfortable. Ling Ran smacked his lips a couple of times, as if contemplating whether to bite something again.

After maintaining a polite distance all evening, he was now breaking that boundary entirely—into negative territory.

Everyone else in the room had frozen, their gazes locked onto the pair.

So much for playing the aloof wolf all night—he couldn't keep up the act anymore.

Jiang Zhiyu's expression remained perfectly composed as he addressed the room. "He's drunk. I'm taking him home first."

The others looked as if they'd been struck by lightning.

Home?!

Jiang Zhiyu carried the man in his arms with steady steps, his long legs carrying them swiftly out of the private room.

The moment the two left, the room erupted into chaos.

"What the hell? Are they for real?"

"Who is that Omega? Which family is he from? He looks familiar, but I can't quite place him."

"Are they already living together? Why do I feel like he's completely smitten by that Omega? So he doesn't dislike the delicate type anymore?"

"Dislike? Didn't you see how his eyes were practically glued to him? Probably couldn't wait to get home and take care of business."

"He only had two drinks, yet he guarded him like a treasure. It's not like we're going to eat him."

Yan Xiwen, who knew the whole story, kindly reminded, "You'd better be more careful from now on. We might be welcoming a new sister- in-law soon."

***

Carried into the car, then carried upstairs back home.

Ling Ran felt dizzy the entire way, unable to distinguish directions or even recognize where he was.

When he was finally pulled out of that warm, comforting embrace and tucked into bed, he regained a bit of clarity. Blinking his hazy eyes open, he saw a blurred figure standing by the bed, seemingly undoing the buttons on his shirt.

So he began fumbling with his own buttons under the covers, but his hands wouldn't cooperate. After struggling for a while, he only managed to undo one.

The buttons seemed to be fighting his fingertips, and his eyes reddened with frustration, welling up with tears as he lifted his gaze in silent pleading.

But the person by the bed didn't seem to notice his pitiful state at all—instead, he simply turned and walked away.

Ling Ran: *Whimper*

He was being held hostage by his clothes. Someone, please save him...

Unable to win the battle, he resigned himself to sleeping uncomfortably in them.

Ling Ran curled deeper into the blankets, his nose filled with the sweet aftertaste of wine.

Just as he was about to drift off, the person by the bed returned, reaching under the covers to pull out the neatly dressed little Omega.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected to see such a sight.

The small, fragile figure lay tangled in the sheets, nearly curled into a ball. Only one button of his shirt had been undone, revealing just a sliver of jade-like collarbone, boldly marked with a deep love bite.

The little Omega's cheeks were flushed, his breath laced with the rich scent of wine. His long, thick lashes trembled faintly, damp at the roots, and his delicate skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat from being bundled under the covers, making him slippery to the touch.

His small hands still clutched desperately at the buttons on his chest, as if he had fought a fierce but futile battle against them.

Jiang Zhiyu had originally intended only to change him into pajamas, but after feeling the dampness at his neck, he changed his mind.

Alcohol wasn't always a bad thing—it could stir desire.

Cradling the little Omega in his arms, he carried him toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water ceased abruptly—the bathtub was already filled with warm water.

Steam filled the cramped space, the high temperature accelerating the effects of the alcohol, sending it rushing to his head. The little Omega, too dizzy to sit steadily on the counter, was steadied by a hand gripping his waist to keep him from sliding off.

With his bandaged hand, Jiang Zhiyu leisurely undid the troublesome buttons for him.

Like peeling the smooth shell off a hard-boiled egg, or stripping away the skin from ripe, juicy fruit.

Drunk people often find boldness in their intoxication. Ling Ran opened his eyes wide, looking down at that hand.

Then he was pressed against the fog-covered mirror.

A slender, pale little hand suddenly slammed onto the surface—more like it was thrown against it—with a dull, muffled thud.

Followed by a long, powerful palm, its back veined with restrained tension, pressing down over that delicate hand, completely enveloping

it. The fingers forced their way in, separating his, intertwining tightly behind him like tangled vines.

Later, Ling Ran was carried into the bathtub, his body cradled as if by countless warm, gentle hands, soothing him.

The man behind encircled him, murmuring intimately by his ear, "Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

Tonight, there were too many congratulations and well-wishes, but this was the one I most wanted to receive.

The tears in the venue had already said it all, but Jiang Zhiyu wanted to hear it from his lips personally.

Ling Ran had been worn down to the point of having no resistance left, soft like a mochi oozing with cream. His pale, delicate skin was tender to the touch—a delectable dessert after the celebration banquet.

Tears spilled from his eyes as the nape of his neck was nipped between teeth.

His consciousness was hazy, entirely at the mercy of another, obediently complying as he murmured, "C-congratulations..."

Jiang Zhiyu tilted his head down to kiss him, their lips and tongues entwining. "Not enough."

His damp, red eyes fluttered open, his flushed lips trembling helplessly. "Ah... then... what should I do...?"

He seemed to have forgotten everything, his mind muddled with intoxication, needing someone to guide him patiently, step by step.

Jiang Zhiyu gripped his waist tightly beneath the water, his deep, mesmerizing voice whispering by his ear.

"Baby, ride me."

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