Chapter 16

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Ling Ran could tell that his elder brother looked rather displeased. Heaven only knew how Jiang Ronglian and the other woman had embellished their story when speaking to him.

Seeing that Ling Ran had returned, the two women on the sofa rose to leave.

As he saw them to the door, Jiang Ronglian did not forget to turn back and give Ling Ran a contemptuous once-over.

“Ran, you shouldn’t have kept your illness from us. But I’ve already discussed the matter with your family. Now that things have come to this, all we can do is listen to the doctor and get you treated as quickly as possible. Don’t let it interfere with your wedding to Shengyi.”

She had originally intended to come to the Ling residence, make a scene, and call off the engagement. But the old man at home had objected, saying that the Ling family still held considerable influence in Southeast Asia and other regions, and that they would be of tremendous help to her son in expanding the Jiang family’s overseas market. Therefore, the marriage absolutely could not be called off.

All she could do was offer a few grand, respectable-sounding words of concern.

Aunt Jiang wrinkled her nose. “Exactly, exactly. Especially that pheromone disorder of yours—you must get it treated quickly. Otherwise, it may affect your fertility in the future. If an Omega can’t have children, what use would the Jiang family have for you?”

As though she had suddenly remembered something, Jiang Ronglian added, “Oh, and you should wear that suppressor less often from now on. If you feel unwell, just take a few more injections of suppressant. If people see you wearing that thing outside, they might think our Jiang family’s daughter-in-law has some kind of contagious disease.”

Ling Su hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. I’ll have him take it off right away, and I absolutely won’t let outsiders see him wearing it again.”

Only after hearing Ling Su’s assurance did Jiang Ronglian leave in peace.

Once they were gone, Ling Su’s expression changed abruptly. He shouted angrily at Ling Ran, “What are you waiting for? Take off that useless ankle band! You let everyone see it—aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

Ling Ran stood before his brother with his head lowered. Yet after hearing those words, he cautiously took two steps backward.

He shook his head and refused to remove it.

It was merely a device used to suppress pheromones. He was merely ill.

How was it that, in their mouths, he seemed to have committed some unforgivable crime?

Their concern for appearances mattered more to them than his health.

When Ling Su saw that he actually dared to resist, he strode forward and shoved him to the floor. He forcibly removed the black metal device from Ling Ran’s ankle, then stepped down on its display screen right before his eyes, crushing it to pieces.

“No—”

Ling Ran’s eyes burned with tears. He desperately tried to gather the shattered black ankle band from beneath Ling Su’s foot, but the glass screen had broken into fragments all over the floor, and no matter how he tried, he could not piece it together. Only his tears fell with soft little taps onto the cold tiles.

Ling Su snorted. “It was only a worthless ankle band. Good that it’s broken. Don’t wear it again.”

The small, thin figure lying on the floor did not move. After a moment, he said in a very soft voice, “Brother, Sister, I don’t want to get married anymore.”

The instant those words left his mouth, Ling Su’s face changed dramatically. He knitted his brows and demanded, “What did you say? You don’t want to get married? Do you think your engagement is child’s play? You can’t simply decide not to marry because you don’t feel like it!”

A sharp stab of pain suddenly pierced Ling Ran’s fingertip. He lowered his eyes and saw that he had accidentally cut his finger on a jagged shard of glass. The pain shot straight to his heart.

But no one cared.

Ling Mo crouched down beside him and tried to persuade him. “Ran, are you saying you want to break off your engagement with the Jiang family? Our parents have been worrying over the Ling Corporation’s cash-flow problems lately. They’re counting on the second branch to help us out after you and Jiang Shengyi marry. And, of course, Jiang Shengyi can also rely on the Ling family’s influence in Southeast Asia to enter the overseas market smoothly. It’s a win-win situation for both families. So, for the sake of the Ling family, don’t ever say anything about breaking off the engagement again.”

Ling Ran’s vision blurred.

Everyone cared only about profit. No one had ever truly cared about him.

Not his brother and sister.

Not his father and mother.

Not even Jiang Shengyi.

“Leave him alone. Let him think carefully about the foolish thing he just said.” As he spoke, Ling Su pulled Ling Mo toward the study to discuss work.

Ling Ran wiped at the corner of his eye, picked up the shattered suppressor, and slowly rose from the floor. In silence, he went upstairs.

His body had not recovered properly in the first place. Without the suppressor, he developed another fever during the night.

Only this time, there was no one beside him to tell him whether he was suffering from a fever or entering heat.

In a daze, he climbed out of bed and took some antipyretic medicine. Still uneasy, he searched through the medicine box and injected himself with a dose of suppressant.

The cold liquid entered his burning body. His slender white neck arched high, like an elegant swan lifting its head to cry out.

Then his strength suddenly gave way, and his head drooped weakly.

*

Ling Ran spent three days in a stupor in his bedroom, sustaining himself during that time with only several nutritional injections.

Ling Su and Ling Mo left early and returned late every day. No one noticed that he had not left his room once.

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Jiang Shengyi, however, unexpectedly took the initiative to message Ling Ran.

Seeing the nickname displayed on his phone, Ling Ran curled up beneath the blankets. His slender, pale fingertips tapped repeatedly at the screen, changing the contact name from “Darling A-Yi” to “Jiang Shengyi.”

**Jiang Shengyi:** I’ll pick you up tonight. The company is having a gathering. Come with me, and bring your brother as well.

**No Grapes:** I’m not going. I don’t feel well today, and my brother isn’t home either.

Jiang Shengyi stared at the reply, momentarily stunned.

Not only had the little Omega failed to contact him of his own accord for three days, he had now learned to refuse his invitations?

Ever since the memorial service, Ling Ran had been acting strangely.

**Jiang Shengyi:** I already spoke to your brother. He’ll be attending. Get ready. I’ll come pick you up later.

Ling Ran sighed. Since his brother was going, there was no way he could avoid it. He had no choice but to reply with a bent finger.

**No Grapes:** Fine.

That evening, Jiang Shengyi picked Ling Ran up, and the two of them headed for the most luxurious club in Sea City.

Along the way, Ling Ran behaved completely out of character. He sat quietly, staring out the window without saying a word.

Jiang Shengyi glanced at his loose tracksuit and frowned with distaste. “Didn’t I tell you to get properly prepared? Why did you leave the house dressed like that?”

Ling Ran’s lips were somewhat pale, and his head was still muddled. He merely said softly, “I didn’t have time to change.”

Jiang Shengyi shot him a glance. He had no idea what mood Ling Ran was in, nor did he seem inclined to coax him with a few comforting words.

After parking, the two entered the club one after the other.

They had reserved two private rooms. The larger one was filled with managers and employees from the various departments of the Jiang Corporation. This was an internal company gathering, and Jiang Shengyi had not originally intended to bring Ling Ran. But he wanted to use the opportunity to introduce Ling Su to members of his own team, paving the way for future dealings and cooperation. Thus, he had reserved a smaller room next door as well, taking only two managers and several trusted aides with him.

As for Ling Ran, he was merely there as decoration.

The moment they entered the smaller private room, Yin Chu came forward with a smile.

“Ran is here. Come sit over here.”

His smile was gentle and friendly as he reached for Ling Ran and led him to his side.

Ling Ran tried to refuse, but Jiang Shengyi pressed down on his shoulder and forced him into a seat, his eyes warning him not to be ungrateful.

Ling Ran ended up sitting beside Yin Chu.

As Yin Chu and Jiang Shengyi chatted, the others around them discussed business and matters within the industry. Ling Ran could neither understand nor participate, so he silently lowered his head and drank fruit juice.

He had a poor tolerance for alcohol and never dared drink outside.

Before long, Ling Su arrived.

Ling Ran obediently stood to make room for his brother. Ling Su did not bother with pleasantries and sat directly between Yin Chu and Jiang Shengyi. The three of them talked and laughed, getting along exceedingly well.

Seeing that there were no empty seats left at the table, Ling Ran slowly poured himself a large glass of fruit juice and moved to the sofa at the side, sipping it in small mouthfuls.

The people in the private room grew louder as their conversation became more animated. Their laughter rang like thunder, making Ling Ran’s head spin even more. He felt restless and irritable, longing to return home and collapse back into bed.

His cheeks felt somewhat hot, so he pressed the icy glass of juice against them to cool himself down.

He had no idea how long he had waited in boredom before the people at the table finally finished drinking and talking.

Ling Su had business to attend to and needed to return to the company, so he left ahead of them.

Ling Ran had intended to leave with his brother, but Ling Su refused.

“Let Jiang Shengyi take you home. Of course, if you have the ability to go home with him, that would be even better.”

Ling Ran glanced at Jiang Shengyi, who was still laughing and talking with Yin Chu, and could only follow the two of them out of the private room.

The larger room next door had ended even earlier. When they passed by, it was already empty, with only a server cleaning up the trash.

Ling Ran glanced inside and saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing by the window with his back to the door, speaking on the phone. His long, pale hand was marked by faint blue veins. Paired with his impeccably tailored, expensive suit, the figure possessed a lethal, irresistible sensuality.

Ling Ran looked only briefly before immediately turning his gaze away.

He quickly shook his small head, thinking that the fever must have addled his mind. Otherwise, how could he look at nothing more than a tall figure with long legs and mistake it for Jiang Zhiyu?

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By then, the three of them had reached the entrance of the club. A damp chill rushed toward them. Somehow, heavy rain had begun to fall outside again.

“I’ll take you home,” Jiang Shengyi said to Yin Chu.

Yin Chu glanced at Ling Ran with a smile. “Don’t. Ran is right here. You wouldn’t want the little one to get the wrong idea. Ran, don’t worry. Shengyi and I have only known each other since childhood. There’s nothing between us, so don’t get jealous.”

He said to the two of them, “I can go back on my own. You should leave as well.”

“All right, there’s no need to explain it to him.” Jiang Shengyi looked at Ling Ran coldly. “I’ll take Chu Chu home first.”

With that, Jiang Shengyi went to bring the car around, leaving Ling Ran and Yin Chu standing beneath the steps, waiting out the rain.

Ling Ran inhaled the faintly cold scent of rain. It seemed to have rained especially often that summer. Every time he went out, it felt as though rain was waiting for him.

A little dazed, he thought that he really was unlucky.

Seeing the car approaching from the distance, the person beside him suddenly stepped forward with feigned intimacy and took Ling Ran by the arm. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, “That night, did you see everything?”

Ling Ran’s footsteps stopped abruptly.

He thought of that night when the rain had poured down in torrents, and the two entwined figures hidden behind the bamboo grove.

He turned toward Yin Chu in disbelief, his lips parting slightly, yet unable to form a word.

Could Yin Chu have seen him that night?

That was impossible. He and Jiang Zhiyu had clearly hidden themselves well. How could Yin Chu have discovered them?

And why did Yin Chu know that Ling Ran had seen them, yet act so unconcerned—as if he had deliberately wanted Ling Ran to witness it?

Ling Ran’s thoughts were in complete disarray. His body temperature was still rising faintly, leaving him uncomfortable, so he pulled his arm from Yin Chu’s embrace.

“I…”

Before he could finish, Yin Chu, who had been standing perfectly steadily in front of him, suddenly let his body go slack and slipped down the steps, tumbling from the high staircase into a puddle of rainwater.

From the car’s angle, it looked as though Ling Ran had forcefully flung Yin Chu down the steps.

Ling Ran stared at the person lying in the rain, his withdrawn arm still frozen stupidly in midair. He had no idea what to do.

He was certain he had not used that much force. He had no idea why Yin Chu had fallen down the steps.

But Jiang Shengyi hurriedly opened the car door and ran straight toward the figure sprawled in the downpour.

Yin Chu’s face twisted with pain. His ankle appeared to have been injured in the fall, leaving him unable to move. Jiang Shengyi lifted him from the ground with an expression full of concern, then glared at Ling Ran on the steps with the coldest, most bone-deep hatred before driving away with Yin Chu into the rainy night.

Ling Ran’s head spun violently, and even his breathing became unsteady. He had forced himself to endure throughout the entire evening, but now he was finally reaching his limit. He staggered, nearly pitching headfirst down the high steps.

Suddenly, however, a pair of strong, powerful arms encircled his waist. They turned his slender, flexible body backward and lifted the petite Omega horizontally into their embrace.

The damp, frigid rain was shut out by the broad, heated embrace. His thin body was firmly fitted against a chest that radiated enough security to block out the entire world.

Ling Ran’s head spun even more fiercely. The world before his eyes seemed to whirl, and even the stern, sharply defined chin above him turned in circles beneath the dim light.

A slender, pale hand reached up and tentatively touched the man’s profile.

Warm. Gently warm.

A living person.

So he had not been mistaken after all. It really was Jiang Zhiyu.

The hand gripping his slender thigh tightened slightly. The tender, yielding flesh struggled free between the fingers, swelling into the shape of the long gaps between them.

The small hand resting against his chin brushed it only lightly before withdrawing in a timid recoil like that of a little animal.

Jiang Zhiyu felt the distinctly feverish heat of the person in his arms. His gaze dropped briefly to the slender, pale ankle exposed to the air.

It was bare—spotlessly white.

“Where is your suppressor?”

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