TPLTMOE – Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Extra 1 – Pregnancy (1)

After Ling Ran became pregnant, Jiang Zhiyu stopped going on business trips and rarely attended social events. But this time was different.

Chairman Jiang was to represent the Chamber of Commerce at an important overseas conference and deliver a speech. The International Chamber of Commerce had shown great interest in both the Jiang family and Jiang Zhiyu, and it was likely they would invite him to join their committee after this meeting.

Before leaving, Jiang Zhiyu had someone pack his little Omega's luggage—he intended to take Ling Ran with him.

But Ling Ran was already six months pregnant, his belly noticeably large and his movements somewhat restricted. Xu Guanyi mercilessly vetoed the idea.

"Even during the second trimester, you still need to be cautious. Don't think that just because the early stages are over, there won't be any issues, Xu Guanyi warned. "You know how delicate your wife's health is. Do you want to exhaust him by making him sit on a ten-hour flight? Besides, it's only three days apart—can't you handle it?"

Jiang Zhiyu replied seriously, "No."

He knew his little Omega too well—even a single day apart was unbearable.

Xu Guanyi: "..."

Damn you married couples.

In the end, they had to follow the doctor's orders, and Song Yi unpacked the little Omega's luggage again.

When Jiang Zhiyu was about to leave, Ling Ran accompanied him to the airport. In the car, he nestled limply against his husband's chest, arms tightly wrapped around his neck, looking utterly reluctant and dependent.

"Husband, when will you be back?"

Jiang Zhiyu rested his hand on Ling Ran's round belly, gently stroking through the thin fabric, supporting it with tender care.

"Very soon. If you miss me, I'll come back immediately."

The little Omega nuzzled his cheek against Jiang Zhiyu's neck. "Then I miss you now..."

Jiang Zhiyu ruffled the back of his head, then cupped his chin and lifted it, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Then I won't go, alright?"

Ling Ran's lips were stained a faint, tempting red. He lifted his misty eyes, gazing at him with a pitiful expression.

Though he desperately wanted his Enigma to stay in Haishi with him, he forced himself to be sensible. "No... the conference is important. You have to attend."

Jiang Zhiyu kissed the delicate bow of his lips, the gesture heavy with reassurance.

"Such a good boy," he promised. "I'll be back in two days."

The third day was just tedious banquets and socializing—it didn't matter if he skipped them.

Ling Ran still couldn't bear to part. He lingered in Jiang Zhiyu's embrace until Shang Ye, who was accompanying them on the trip, couldn't take it anymore and knocked on the Rolls-Royce's window.

The window lowered just a crack, revealing a pair of dark, unreadable eyes.

Shang Ye: "Still not done?"

No one answered from inside. The window slowly rolled back up.

Another ten minutes passed before the car door finally opened, and the Enigma stepped out.

Ling Ran rolled the window down again, resting his arms on the sill like an obedient child, his chin propped on them as he gazed up at Jiang Zhiyu. He seemed to have more to say but held back, afraid of sounding unreasonable.

He held back his tears too.

The little Omega's expression was unbearably endearing. Jiang Zhiyu stood by the window, reaching out to cradle his face.

The little head by the window nuzzled softly against the large palm like a small animal, prompting Jiang Zhiyu to lean down and lick open his lips, continuing their interrupted kiss as if no one else was present.

Shang Ye simply walked away.

Once the kiss ended, it was truly time to leave.

But before Ling Ran could roll up the car window, his phone rang.

It was a call from the old mansion. Knowing Jiang Zhiyu had likely already left by this hour, the old master couldn't wait a single second—he immediately instructed Ling Ran to move back to the family estate for the next couple of days, returning only after Jiang Zhiyu came back.

Ling Ran had intended to politely decline, but the old master mentioned that two new chefs had recently been hired, their skills extraordinary, and invited Ling Ran to come try their new dishes.

Now in his second trimester, Ling Ran had developed quite the appetite. At home, Jiang Zhiyu strictly controlled his diet—almost to a harsh degree. Every meal had to be nutritionally balanced, timed, and portioned. Eating too much wasn't allowed for fear of overeating, and eating too little was even worse—Jiang Zhiyu would pull him onto his lap and feed him bite by bite.

But returning to the old mansion was different. The old master not only had the chefs prepare all his favorite dishes but also had the servants pile his plate high, indulging his cravings without restriction.

So, shamelessly, Ling Ran agreed. Before Jiang Zhiyu even entered the airport terminal, he caught sight of the black car speeding away in the glass reflection.

His expression instantly darkened.

Staying at the old mansion without his enigma's discipline, Ling Ran indulged freely in food and drink. The first meal left him so stuffed he suffered mild indigestion, his stomach aching before bed and sending the entire household into a panic. Several family doctors were summoned overnight.

In the end, the doctors assured them it was nothing serious—just that he shouldn't eat so much for dinner in the future. They prescribed some digestive aids before leaving.

Alone on the grand carved mahogany bed, Ling Ran lay awake until the early hours of the morning before finally drifting off.

Without his enigma's embrace, he couldn't find a comfortable position, a faint unease and restlessness gnawing at him.

By morning, he felt slightly better and didn't dare overeat at lunch.

That evening, Song Yi visited the old mansion to deliver a few things to Ling Ran.

Ling Ran arranged the clothes carrying his enigma's scent all over his bed—laying a suit jacket beneath him, wrapping two shirts around his pillow and tucking them against his sides, then draping a black overcoat over himself.

Like a tiny figure submerged in a tequila cellar, he curled up on his side, legs drawn up, one hand gently cradling his belly while the other clutched the overcoat, burying his nose in it to inhale deeply.

The enigma's pheromones remained potent and dominant, seeping into his bones with each breath. Though only traces lingered on the fabric, it was enough to comfort the pregnant Omega.

With his husband absent, the poor Omega could only console himself—and the little one in his womb, equally in need of their father's scent—this way.

The next day, Ling Ran slept in late, skipping breakfast entirely. Had Jiang Zhiyu been there, he would've woken him up early for a meal before letting him go back to sleep.

Song Yi came to inform him that President Jiang had called this morning, saying the meeting in Australia had been extended by another day. So instead of returning today, the earliest he could be back was tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, Ling Ran's face immediately fell.

He had slept in until noon, planning to happily go out for a meal and then obediently wait for his husband to pick him up and take him home.

But now, his husband wouldn't be coming back today, and they'd have to wait until tomorrow to see each other again.

He missed his husband terribly. His eyes stung, and he felt like crying.

Song Yi quickly tried to cheer him up, saying the old master had ordered plenty of delicious dishes and everyone was waiting for him. Ling Ran, his eyes slightly red, followed him to the main hall.

To his surprise, the dining table was already packed—members from the third, fourth, and fifth branches of the family were there, along with a few distant relatives.

The Jiang family was large, and Ling Ran hadn't fully familiarized himself with everyone yet.

When Jiang Zhiyu had accompanied him back, he had explicitly forbidden the old master from inviting random people to the estate. These people usually had no chance to get close to Jiang Zhiyu, who also disliked being swarmed by sycophants during meals.

But now, with Jiang Zhiyu absent, they clung to Ling Ran like a lifeline.

At the table, the old master seated Ling Ran beside him, personally serving him dishes while introducing him to the relatives present. "This is your Third Uncle and Third Aunt."

The young Omega was both beautiful and well-mannered, his voice soft and gentle. "Hello, Third Uncle. Hello, Third Aunt."

"This is your Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt."

"Hello, Fourth Uncle. Hello, Fourth Aunt."

After a round of introductions, Ling Ran had mostly memorized everyone. Several elders invited him to visit their homes sometime, and Ling Ran politely agreed. There were also a few young people who looked older than Ling Ran but were of a lower generation than Jiang Zhiyu.

Like Jiang Shengyi, they had to address Jiang Zhiyu as "Little Uncle," and now, they also had to call Ling Ran "Little Aunt."

Ling Ran flushed slightly at the title, nodding shyly.

The Omega seemed easygoing, and as the meal progressed, some began subtly probing Ling Ran for information about Jiang Zhiyu's recent activities. A few even had the audacity to ask for Ling Ran's home address, claiming they wanted to visit— though their real goal was just to catch a glimpse of Jiang Zhiyu.

All in all, Ling Ran didn't enjoy the meal much. Constantly pulled into conversations, he barely tasted the food.

As soon as dinner ended, he quickly excused himself and retreated to his room.

He had deliberately asked the servants not to tidy his bed, so the small nest he had built remained undisturbed on the mattress.

Ling Ran took off his pants, the oversized shirt completely covering his bottom. However, the front was stretched taut by the round, prominent curve of his belly, lifting the hem slightly.

His legs were still slender and straight, but his skin appeared even softer and fairer, glowing with a delicate radiance due to the pregnancy hormones.

He lowered his head, realizing his belly had grown significantly since the fifth month—now, he couldn't even see his own feet.

Ling Ran lifted the "door" of his little nest and curled up inside, completely enveloping himself beneath the trench coat before drifting back into a drowsy sleep.

That dinner had been no less exhausting than a business banquet. No wonder his Enigma had never let him interact with the Jiang family before.

Ling Ran slept straight through until dusk. Song Yi came to ask if he wanted dinner, but he was still groggy. His head emerged from beneath the overcoat just long enough to mumble "Not hungry" before disappearing back under the covers.

Soon after, butler Uncle Song made another attempt, pleading with him to eat at least something. He worried that if Ling Ran got hungry later and had midnight snacks, it might upset his stomach again. The young Omega had only been at the old residence for two days, yet his eating schedule was already irregular. After the recent stomachache that required a doctor's visit, Uncle Song feared the consequences if President Jiang found out—the roof might literally come off the old house.

But Ling Ran, deep in slumber and feeling utterly drained, couldn't muster the energy to rise. He didn't even bother showing his face this time, insisting "No dinner, just sleep" from beneath the covers. Uncle Song had no choice but to retreat.

Silence reclaimed the room. Ling Ran fumbled blindly by his pillow until his fingers closed around a slender silk tie. He wound it around his fingers, bringing it to his nose for intermittent sniffs. This was the tie Jiang Zhiyu had worn to the airport—the same one used to wipe his mouth in the car before being tucked into his pocket. Now it carried not just the enigma's pheromones but also traces of sweet floral-fruity fragrance.

Still not enough. Ling Ran squirmed with restless longing.

The door creaked open unnoticed. Heavy, deliberate footsteps entered, pacing slowly until they reached the bedside. Only then did the Omega realize someone had entered.

"I really don't want..." His muffled voice emerged from beneath the clothing, "I'm not hungry at all, couldn't eat even if I tried..."

No response came. Song Yi again? Or Uncle Song? Their dinner persuasion tactics were relentless, but his midday meal still sat undigested, leaving his stomach uncomfortably full.

Suddenly, a hand slipped silently beneath the overcoat—knuckles pronounced, palm broad and dry, radiating scorching heat. It traveled upward from his slender ankle, making Ling Ran's captured leg tremble violently. He finally peeked out, squinting at the enigma's sharply defined silhouette against the dim light.

The familiar scent overwhelmed him. His nose stung as he whimpered pitifully, "Husband...?" Weren't you supposed to return tomorrow? He'd resigned himself to another night in this makeshift nest—how had his alpha appeared so unexpectedly?

Instead of embracing him immediately, Jiang Zhiyu's fingers traced upward from his thighs to the rounded curve of his abdomen, then glided toward his chest.

"Little one," came the even-toned inquiry, "Have you behaved these past two days?"

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