TPLTMOE – Chapter 95

 Chapter 95: Extra 12 – Marry first, love later (4)

The bedroom was eerily quiet, so silent that Ling Ran almost believed he was the only one lying on the bed.

If not for the faint scent of alcohol drifting in the air.

The unbearable heat within him was slowly soothed and eased by an invisible hand, and Ling Ran's body even instinctively responded.

He stealthily peeked his face out from under the covers, taking small, cautious sniffs of the enigma's pheromones. The more he inhaled, the more comfortable he felt.

He wanted just a little more.

Moving slowly and quietly, he shifted slightly closer to the enigma's side, surely he wouldn't be noticed.

Sure enough, the scent of tequila grew stronger, weaving into an intricate, delicate net that slowly enveloped the unsuspecting little Omega.

The alcohol scent became a bit heavy, and as Ling Ran breathed it in, his head began to spin, as if he were getting drunk. He already felt much better—this was enough—and tried to shift back to the other side.

But before he could move, a hand suddenly appeared on his slender nape.

It didn't rush to remove the inhibitor patch but instead gently covered it with a dry, broad palm.

A faint warmth spread from his sensitive gland, and Ling Ran could no longer pretend to be asleep. Like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes widened abruptly, his body tensed, and he turned his head in a fluster, meeting a pair of pitch- black eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu had been watching him all along, taking in every tiny change in his body and every subtle shift in his expression.

"Still uncomfortable?"

Ling Ran felt the hand on his nape stroking his inhibitor patch, as if preparing to slowly peel it from the edge.

He hadn't yet fully processed the large amount of enigma pheromones infused into his gland last night.

Ling Ran's breath trembled lightly. "N-no, I'm not uncomfortable anymore..."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Zhiyu suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, and the soft, warm little Omega was helplessly drawn into his embrace.

"Then why are you trembling?"

Ling Ran was almost completely encircled against the enigma's chest, and at that moment, the inhibitor patch on his nape was swiftly removed. He let out a muffled whimper, realizing how pitiful his voice sounded, and quickly bit his lip, determined not to make any more embarrassing sounds.

Jiang Zhiyu rubbed circles over his nape, where traces of the pheromones he had injected the night before still lingered.

Ling Ran's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "I-I'm not trembling..."

The enigma's hand slid down, easily encircling the little Omega's well-proportioned thigh. It was clearly trembling intensely. Applying a bit more pressure, he gripped it firmly to stop the shaking, feeling the incredibly soft flesh spill out from between his fingers until every gap was filled.

The sensation was unfamiliar yet addictive.

This wasn't Jiang Zhiyu's intention, but he couldn't help squeezing it a while longer, unable to let go.

"Your heat isn't over yet," Jiang Zhiyu said. "If you need my pheromones, why didn't you come to me?"

These past couple of days, if he hadn't taken the initiative to check on the little Omega, the little Omega wouldn't have known to come to him on his own. How did he plan to endure the unbearable heat all by himself?

The little Omega trembled like a leaf, his face buried against the enigma's chest as he wept, tears falling like rain-drenched pear blossoms.

"Wu, wu......."

That was his leg, not modeling clay, sob.

Suddenly snapping back to his senses and realizing the mischief he had caused, Jiang Zhiyu soothingly rubbed the area a couple of times, then raised his hand to wipe away the little Omega's tears.

"Did I hurt you?"

Ling Ran whimpered and nodded. The enigma's grip was strong—he had thought his leg was about to be crushed.

While releasing calming pheromones, Jiang Zhiyu lifted the little Omega's chin and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so rough, right?"

"Don't cry anymore, okay?"

Ling Ran sniffled a couple of times. Being coddled and comforted like this for the first time gave him the fleeting illusion that the two of them were a loving married couple.

He stopped crying, but his beautiful face was still streaked with tear stains, making him look utterly pitiful and miserable.

"Good, don't cry," Jiang Zhiyu said, as if coaxing a child, wiping the moisture from his face before pulling back the covers. "Spread your legs a little. I'll rub them, and it won't hurt anymore."

Ling Ran wasn't actually in that much pain. He wanted to tell Jiang Zhiyu to stop rubbing—the more he did, the more Ling Ran felt something was off, and his body temperature was slowly rising again.

Jiang Zhiyu simply turned the little Omega over, pressing his back against his own chest.

Bending his head, he could catch the rich, fragrant scent of roses and grapes.

"Did you faint at school a couple of days ago?"

If Zhao Qin hadn't had someone investigate and report back to him, the little Omega probably wouldn't have planned to tell him about it.

Ling Ran didn't know how Jiang Zhiyu had found out. He spoke softly, as if he had done something wrong, “

Jiang Zhiyu asked from behind him, "What happened?"

Ling Ran found it hard to explain and mumbled vaguely, “It's just... during P.E. class, I felt a bit unwell."

"Ling Ran, don't lie to me," Jiang Zhiyu warned, tapping his fingers lightly against Ling Ran's scent gland. "If I find out the truth myself, I won't let you off so easily."

Ling Ran seemed to think of something and quickly said, “Mr. Jiang, please don't worry. I can assure you it's nothing serious, and it won't affect you... Besides, I've asked the doctor. Once it's treated, I can still... still carry a baby in the future..."

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, but Jiang Zhiyu heard every word clearly.

He had asked about his health, but Ling Ran thought he was concerned about this.

"You want to have a child for me?"

Ling Ran was grateful the bedroom lights were off—his face was so red it felt like it could drip blood.

He nodded very, very lightly and said, “Didn't you marry me... because you wanted a baby...?"

This was the mindset his parents had instilled in him before the marriage—that after marrying into the Jiang family, he must keep his head down and serve Jiang Zhiyu well, and it would be best if he could quickly bear children for the Jiang family. This was his duty as an Omega.

Ling Ran felt deeply uncomfortable with how his parents defined his worth, but he didn't know if Enigma felt the same way. Did he also see him as a mere tool for political marriage and breeding?

"No," Jiang Zhiyu said. "You previously suffered from hormone dysregulation syndrome, making it difficult for you to conceive."

Ling Ran's eyes widened in surprise. "H-how did you know...?"

Jiang Zhiyu countered, "Did you think I wouldn't thoroughly investigate my marriage partner before the wedding?"

Ling Ran swallowed quietly. "How... thorough?"

Jiang Zhiyu deliberately lowered his head, his warm breath ghosting over the fragile gland. "Thorough enough."

"So, Ling Ran," he continued, "from now on, you're not allowed to hide anything from me. If you confess everything willingly, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble. Understood?"

Ling Ran's back trembled violently. He sniffled softly and replied obediently, "U-understood..."

Jiang Zhiyu seemed somewhat satisfied. "Now tell me again about what happened when you fainted at school."

Ling Ran recounted the day's events in detail. Jiang Zhiyu immediately scheduled a check-up for him in a few days, planning to take him personally after his heat cycle ended.

Ling Ran politely thanked him. The corner of Jiang Zhiyu's mouth lifted slightly as he responded, "You're welcome."

They remained intimately entwined when Ling Ran noticed the pheromones from behind him suddenly intensifying, enveloping him completely and attempting to penetrate his pale skin to merge with his very bones and blood.

Overwhelmed, Ling Ran kicked his legs under the blankets, but he was held too tightly to break free.

Gradually, the feverish heat melted him into a pliant, soft mess.

"Feeling unwell again?" Jiang Zhiyu noticed his physical changes, his voice growing husky. "Do you need a temporary mark?"

The corners of Ling Ran's eyes were damp and red. Gasping for breath, he seemed confused—nodding, then shaking his head, before finally nodding again with tears streaming down.

Jiang Zhiyu brushed away the tear stains on his cheeks and sighed softly. "Why so many tears, hmm?"

They seemed endless.

Lowering his head, he gave Ling Ran a gentle, prolonged temporary mark.

This heat cycle of Ling Ran's lasted intermittently for nearly a week—perhaps related to his hormone dysregulation syndrome.

Every night, Jiang Zhiyu would return home and visit the little Omega's bedroom to infuse him with calming pheromones before returning to his own room to sleep.

They still slept separately, but sharing the same bed no longer felt as unfamiliar.

Ling Ran even found great comfort and security falling asleep each night enveloped in the Enigma's pheromones. When he woke alone in the large bed each morning, he'd feel an inexplicable emptiness.

Jiang Zhiyu took him to see Dr. Xu, who was knowledgeable and provided numerous precautions and treatment methods.

Ling Ran initially wanted to ask Dr. Xu for medication, but before he could speak, the Enigma beside him intervened.

Jiang Zhiyu: "How long will pheromone therapy take?"

Dr. Xu: "That's hard to say."

Jiang Zhiyu: "Will there be recurrences after recovery?"

Dr. Xu stroked his chin: "That's also hard to say."

Jiang Zhiyu: "Are there any long-term effects or side effects?"

Xu Guanyi said helplessly, "Well, it's still hard to say."

Seeing the enigma's expression growing colder, Xu Guanyi quickly added, "It really is difficult to draw a conclusion. Everyone's constitution is different. The only thing I can guarantee is that pheromone therapy definitely has fewer side effects than medication. As for long-term effects, he might develop a strong dependency on your pheromones."

Ling Ran was a bit confused and asked softly, "Dr. Xu, what does 'strong dependency' mean?"

Xu Guanyi looked at the beautiful and youthful little Omega in front of him, his heart overflowing with affection, and said gently, "Strong dependency means that in the future, you won't be able to live without the enigma's pheromones. You'll want to be by his side all the time, wanting him to hold you, kiss you, and engage in all kinds of intimate behaviors with you. If your needs aren't met, you'll feel even worse than when you were sick."

"Ah..." Ling Ran's face flushed slightly, and he glanced somewhat flustered at the enigma beside him.

This... this wouldn't do...

Even if he could accept it, Mr. Jiang definitely wouldn't be able to…

It seemed more appropriate to opt for medication after all.

"Dr. Xu, maybe you could prescribe me some..."

Before he could finish the word "medication," he heard the enigma say, "That's it?"

Xu Guanyi frowned and said, "Isn't that troublesome enough? Many Omegas suffer from pheromone dependency, but most of their partners can't stand having an Omega constantly clinging to them. Whether it's during their heat or not, they're always trailing behind, demanding pheromones. Even an alpha's body can't handle that."

After saying this, Xu Guanyi glanced at Jiang Zhiyu and added, "Oh, sorry, I almost forgot—you're an enigma."

Jiang Zhiyu stood up, looking as though he was about to leave.

Xu Guanyi quickly added a few more points of caution, though he wasn't sure if the esteemed Mr. Jiang had taken them in.

Ling Ran was still sitting on the stool, clearly hesitant, and looked at Xu Guanyi as if he wanted to say something more. But suddenly, a large, well-defined hand appeared in front of him, palm up, lingering before him and disrupting his thoughts. Ling Ran looked up in confusion. The enigma was extending his hand toward him, his eyes lowered as he gazed at him. Seeing him frozen in place, Jiang Zhiyu prompted, "Your hand."

Ling Ran dazedly placed his hand in the enigma's. The warm, broad palm tightly enveloped his slender, soft hand, gently pulling him to his feet.

Ling Ran followed the enigma toward the door, like a well-behaved child being led home by a parent.

When they reached the door, Jiang Zhiyu stopped and said to the little Omega behind him, "Say goodbye to Dr. Xu."

Ling Ran obediently turned back, smiled at Xu Guanyi, and said, "Thank you, Dr. Xu. We're leaving now. Goodbye."

Xu Guanyi, pleasantly surprised, waved at them repeatedly. "Goodbye, goodbye. Take care."

Even after the two had disappeared from sight, Xu Guanyi was still a bit dazed.

What was going on?

Had Jiang Zhiyu changed after getting married?

After Ling Ran recovered, he returned to school. At first, he didn't take the pheromone therapy seriously. After all, Mr. Jiang was so busy with work—how could he possibly have time to help him with the treatment?

To his surprise, Jiang Zhiyu actually came home for dinner several days in a row and even provided him with pheromone comfort before bedtime.

At first, they would sit at a distance, ensuring only that Ling Ran received a sufficient concentration of pheromones. After all, Ling Ran wasn't in heat and was fully conscious, so they maintained a surface-level politeness and courtesy.

But that distance, unnoticed by either, began to shrink day by day.

Until one day, Jiang Zhiyu mentioned he still had some work to finish and suggested moving the treatment to the study. Ling Ran agreed without much thought—after all, Mr. Jiang was the one helping him.

However, there was only one chair at the desk. Jiang Zhiyu sat there attending a video conference, while Ling Ran stood beside him, gradually feeling his legs grow weak.

With both hands braced against the edge of the desk, Ling Ran's eyes reddened under the overwhelming pressure of the pheromones, his arms trembling slightly, looking as though he might collapse to the floor at any moment.

Jiang Zhiyu, listening to the report on the screen, glanced sideways at the little Omega standing beside him with his head bowed.

Just as Ling Ran was about to lose his balance and fall, Jiang Zhiyu reached out, grasped his trembling wrist, and pulled him into his embrace.

Ling Ran abruptly tumbled into a chest filled with the scent of tequila—far more concentrated than the pheromones he had sensed in the air. His legs splayed apart as he sat on the Enigma's lap, his lower back supported, his soft, warm body fitting snugly against the broad chest.

Jiang Zhiyu adjusted his position, one hand cradling the back of his head, and pulled back slightly to look down at him.

Ling Ran's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, a few drops falling from the sudden, intense surge of pheromones. His hands pressed against the Enigma's chest, his lips shimmering with a glossy, rosy sheen. A delicate, pretty Cupid's bow seemed to tremble faintly, as if he were nearing his limit. His damp eyes looked dazed and unfocused.

The person in the video continued speaking, unaware. Jiang Zhiyu had his camera off, so no one knew what was happening. They asked repeatedly for the CEO's opinion but received no response.

Everyone in the meeting assumed they had done something to displease him again, and for a moment, no one dared to breathe, straining to hear any sound from the other end.

A deep, gentle voice, and another that was sweet and soft enough to melt one's heart, pierced through the static and clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Why are your legs so weak?"

"T-too much... Wuwu..."

"Be good, it'll be over soon."

"N-no... No more..."

"Will you behave?"

"Then be good and don't move around."

"Wu, wu..."

"Mm, good baby, don't squeeze your legs."

"It's... a little uncomfortable..."

"Where?"

"Right... here..."

The video call fell silent for a brief moment before it was abruptly disconnected.

Jiang Zhiyu tossed his headphones onto the desk and looked down at the little Omega in his arms, whose face was flushed. His gaze lingered on those beautifully wet, crimson lips, his voice dropping even lower and huskier.

"How about a kiss?"

Ling Ran was a bit slow to react. Before he could answer, someone had already pinched his chin, causing his lips to part slightly—a posture ready for a kiss.

The Enigma was so close to him that their noses were almost touching.

But the little Omega hadn't agreed yet, and the imminent kiss hung in the air, unfulfilled.

Zhiyu could smell the cloyingly sweet scent on him. Omega pheromones always carried such a soft, sugary fragrance, yet he didn't feel repulsed by Ling Ran's pheromones—instead, he found himself quite fond of them.

He took a sniff, then another, a bit urgently, wanting to taste the water in Ling Ran's mouth, which was rich with highly concentrated pheromones.

He had already tasted it that night when he fed Ling Ran ice water, knowing just how sweet and delicious it was, so now he found it even harder to restrain himself.

So he leaned in closer and asked, "Is it okay, hmm?"

Is it okay, is it okay.

Ling Ran didn't know if this was really okay or not.

His breathing felt a bit feverish, and the moisture on his lips had already dried up, leaving them parched and rough. He really wanted to lick them.

His crimson, soft little tongue indeed trembled as it tentatively peeked out, managing only to moisten his slightly dry Cupid's bow before he slowly, very slowly, nodded.

Okay.

An overwhelming, fierce kiss immediately descended upon him, urgent and aggressive, as if wanting to devour the little Omega whole.

Ling Ran had never been kissed like this before. Within moments, he was struggling to breathe, his long lashes trembling pitifully as he wished for the person before him to release him, at least to let him take a few breaths of fresh air.

But he wasn't going to be let off so easily; he could only draw breath from the air being forced into him. The study was exceptionally quiet, with only the faint, ambiguous sounds of wet kisses echoing softly.

The kiss went on for so long that Ling Ran felt as though his tongue was about to be sucked out and eaten. Finally, the Enigma relented, letting him rest his head on his shoulder to catch his breath for a moment. A large hand stroked his back from head to tail, over and over, soothing him and calming his breathing.

Once the little Omega, who had been trembling lightly in his arms, gradually settled down, Jiang Zhiyu lifted his head again and leaned down to continue kissing him.

In the end, the unfinished work remained incomplete. Ling Ran was carried, his bottom supported, back to the bedroom on the second floor. Once on the bed, they found themselves kissing again.

As the kissing continued, he grew utterly exhausted and drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.

Unlike before, when he woke up in the morning, the bed wasn't empty except for himself.

He merely shifted his body and was abruptly startled. Lifting the covers, he saw a strong, muscular forearm resting across his waist, with clearly visible veins tracing its surface, exuding an unparalleled sense of strength and sensuality.

Ling Ran's back stiffened instantly. Before he could turn to look, the arm around his waist tightened, pulling him entirely into an embrace, holding him tightly as if he were a human-shaped pillow.

The Enigma buried his face in Ling Ran's neck, taking a deep breath, and asked, "Awake?"

Ling Ran's mind felt a bit frozen. He tried to answer but found his tongue sore and weak, and his lips swollen and numb—as if they had been kissed swollen.

Kissed... kissed swollen...

Ling Ran quickly covered his cheeks with both hands and mumbled a vague response.

Noticing how red his earlobes were, Jiang Zhiyu reached out and flicked one lightly, chuckling softly. "We're legally married. It's perfectly normal for us to sleep together."

Lingran shyly buried his head under the covers, his voice muffled as it drifted up from beneath: "But... but we always slept separately before..."

Jiang Zhiyu pulled him out, flipping him over to face himself.

"Mhm, not anymore."

Having separate rooms with his little Omega was quite possibly the worst decision he had ever made.

"Ah..." Ling Ran exclaimed in surprise, "Will we have to sleep together from now on?"

"For the convenience of your treatment," Jiang Zhiyu said calmly, "Don't worry, the treatment process will proceed step by step, within what you can accept. For example, kissing at the level we did last night—can you accept that?"

Although he had been kissed until he felt dizzy last night, Mr. Jiang was doing it all for his health, everything was for the sake of treatment. Ling Ran clenched his small fists and nodded: "I can."

It was just kissing, after all.

He added, "But... next time, could you be a little gentler..."

Jiang Zhiyu asked, "Did it hurt?"

The little Omega was delicate, soft everywhere, as if he could easily be broken.

Jiang Zhiyu reached out to gently open his mouth. "Let me check if you're injured."

Ling Ran quickly grabbed his wrist, shaking his head repeatedly. "No, I'm not injured."

Jiang Zhiyu's movements were very gentle as he parted his lips and whispered softly, "Don't move, be good."

"Stick out your tongue, let me check."

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