Chapter 3

The next morning, after Ling Ran came downstairs, he found the living room enveloped in an unsettling silence. His parents had gone abroad for vacation, leaving only him and his older siblings at home.

As he stepped down the stairs, his sister Ling Mo grabbed him abruptly. "Xiao Ran, where were you yesterday? We didn’t see you at all."

Ling Ran noticed his brother Ling Su sitting sternly on the sofa. Obediently, he replied, "I went to visit Grandma Jiang."

Ling Su snapped, "Isn’t Jiang Shengyi currently on a business trip to Southeast Asia? He shouldn’t have returned yet. You went to the Jiang family alone?"

Ling Mo added, "Xiao Ran, be honest. With Mom and Dad out of the country, you can’t keep anything from us. Your wedding with Shengyi is coming up soon. At a critical moment like this, nothing can go wrong. The Jiang family has many rules; don’t let them find any faults before you’re even married."

Although the Ling family had somewhat declined in recent years, their roots ran deep, and they still held considerable influence in Haishi City. Ling’s parents had three children: Ling Su and Ling Mo, twins and both Alphas, destined to inherit the family business; and the youngest, Ling Ran, a delicate and charming Omega, best suited for a political marriage.

Fearing Ling Ran might refuse, their parents had tried to persuade him. Unexpectedly, once he heard the match was with Jiang Shengyi, his cheeks flushed, and he agreed.

Over the past two years, as Jiang Shengyi thrived in the Jiang Corporation while the Ling family repeatedly faltered in business, they worried the Jiang family might call off the engagement. So Ling Ran was often reminded to visit the Jiang household more frequently.

To the entire Ling family, Ling Ran’s marriage to Jiang Shengyi was a lifeline, and Ling Ran himself was merely a tool for forging ties with the Jiang family.

"I understand, sister," Ling Ran said.

Suddenly, Ling Su raised his voice, "Understand what? Being born an Omega means you have a duty. Your only mission right now is to serve Jiang Shengyi well and help the Ling family climb the Jiang’s mighty tree. If you dare fool around with other Alphas outside, just wait until Mom and Dad come back—they’ll break your legs."

Ling Ran hung his head silently, seemingly accustomed to such reprimands. His long, raven-black lashes fluttered lightly before he nodded.

Ling Su and Ling Mo soon left for the company, leaving Ling Ran alone on the sofa to watch the news channel.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

As soon as he answered, Qin Chengyue’s cheerful voice came through. "Xiao Ran, Xiao Ran! Remember how I told you Jiangzhou Entertainment News Channel was hiring interns? I sent both our resumes a few days ago, and guess what—we both passed! Today’s the interview day. Are you up? I’m right outside your door. Hurry and let me in!"

Ling Ran was a bit dazed. "Ah?"

Qin Chengyue’s voice grew louder. "Now! Immediately! Open the door!"

Just then, there was a knock. Ling Ran went to open the door, and Qin Chengyue burst in excitedly.

"You signed me up too?" Ling Ran asked.

Proudly, Qin Chengyue said, "Of course! You said Jiangzhou Entertainment is a Jiang family business, and you were too shy to apply yourself, so I took the liberty. No need to thank me."

Jiangzhou Entertainment was indeed part of the Jiang family’s entertainment sector. Although not directly under Jiang Shengyi, it was closely related to the Jiang family.

Ling Ran didn’t want to be seen as a nepotism case, so even though he noticed they were hiring broadcast hosting interns, he hadn’t dared to apply himself.

He and Qin Chengyue were university classmates, and as graduation approached, all the broadcast hosting students were actively submitting resumes.

He truly wanted to join Jiangzhou Entertainment’s news channel, especially their 7 p.m. prime-time solo news segment. That program always offered sharp commentary on hot topics and never compromised with other mainstream media—a true pioneer in journalism.

But Jiangzhou Entertainment was fiercely competitive, nearly impossible to enter, especially for fresh graduates like them.

Yet Qin Chengyue kept urging him to at least try the initial interview. Ling Ran’s heart wavered; since they had passed the resume screening, he decided to accompany Qin Chengyue for the interview.

He returned to his room, changed clothes, stuffed a few suppressants into his bag, and left with Qin Chengyue.

Qin Chengyue’s driver was waiting outside and promptly opened the car door for them.

Once inside, Ling Ran nervously adjusted his shirt.

He wore a collegiate-style white shirt, a light gray knitted vest over it, and carried a small backpack—looking like a well-behaved student.

Qin Chengyue studied him for a moment before praising, "Xiao Ran, I’m not just flattering you—you’re born to be on TV. Such beauty would be wasted otherwise."

Ling Ran smiled faintly. "You look great today too."

Qin Chengyue was self-aware. "Come on, I’m more on the cute side. I can’t compete with your kind of good looks, but I can win with my charm."

He straightened his posture proudly, then added with a hint of fear, "Good thing your brother wasn’t home today. I get scared half to death every time I see him. Even as an Alpha, he shouldn’t be so fierce all the time. Does he ever bully you at home?"

Ling Ran pulled out a few suppressant patches, two inhibitors, and three blockers from his bag, spraying them back and forth over his body four or five times before putting them away.

"No, he doesn’t," he replied.

Qin Chengyue was amazed that such a small bag could hold so many items. "Do you know we’re here for an interview, not some secret Omega trade party?"

Ling Ran looked nervously at the driver in front. "What are you talking about?"

Qin Chengyue pointed at his bulging bag. "Then why carry so much? Jiangzhou Entertainment is a legitimate company, not an underground Omega market."

Ling Ran couldn’t explain. He was afraid of suddenly falling into uncontrollable heat waves like last night, so he had to be prepared at all times.

He mumbled, "I’m a bit of a neat freak."

The car stopped in front of Jiangzhou Entertainment’s towering skyscraper, a magnificent building soaring into the clouds, standing proudly by the city’s busiest beachfront.

They got out and entered the building, took the elevator up, and arrived outside the interview room—only to find it already packed with twenty or thirty candidates.

Their interview numbers were in the middle, so they had to wait in the corridor for a while.

Ling Ran snapped a photo of the corridor and sent a message to his fiancé.

[No Grapes]: photo.jpg
[No Grapes]: Guess where I am?
[No Grapes]: Cute kitty face.gif

[Dear Yi] did not reply for a long time.

Ling Ran felt a little disappointed and casually scrolled through their chat history, which was mostly his enthusiastic messages met with bland responses.

He knew Shengyi was always busy, so he had been obedient.

But recently, Shengyi’s replies grew shorter, sometimes not coming at all.

He was human too and couldn’t help feeling hurt by the cold treatment.

Qin Chengyue, noticing his mood, poked his arm excitedly. "Xiao Ran, if you get into Jiangzhou Entertainment too, won’t you be working in the same company as your husband?"

People passed by, and although no one recognized him, he quickly covered Qin Chengyue’s mouth.

"Keep your voice down."

Two candidates were just leaving the interview room.

One muttered, "I thought today was just the initial interview, but who knew the Jiang family’s CEO personally came to oversee it? When I went in, his aura nearly made my legs go weak. I stuttered through my script multiple times—I’m definitely out."

The other said, "Yeah, I heard Mr. Jiang might have been invited by Yin Chu, the head of the solo news segment. There are rumors they’re involved with each other."

Ling Ran listened carefully, his fingers clutching his shirt so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The Jiang family CEO they mentioned had to be Jiang Zhiyu.

He was inside too?

Hearing that name, Ling Ran’s mind flashed back to yesterday’s cramped car during the storm, and those deep, dark eyes fixated intently on his glands.

Qin Chengyue sitting beside him suddenly looked unwell.

"I’m feeling a bit off. Xiao Ran, can I borrow your backpack? I’m going to the restroom to take some inhibitors."

Still dazed, Ling Ran handed over his bag.

After Qin Chengyue disappeared, Ling Ran snapped back to reality just as the voluptuous female secretary called out, "Next interviewee, number seventeen, Ling Ran."

No time to find Qin Chengyue again, Ling Ran pressed his lips together, steadied himself, and followed the secretary to the meeting room door.

He took a deep breath, braced himself mentally, and slowly pushed open the heavy glass door.

The moment he stepped in, he understood what the previous interviewee meant by the overwhelming aura inside.

The large meeting room had floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, shining brilliantly, while on the other sat seven stern-faced interviewers in suits.

As soon as they heard the door open, their piercing, scrutinizing gazes swept over him.

Most notably, the sharpest, most playful gaze came from the tall, handsome Alpha seated at the center.

Ling Ran’s glands twitched violently beneath the suppressor patch.

It was Jiang Zhiyu.

Suddenly, his legs felt weak.