It was not until all the paperwork was finished that the heat on Ruan Nian’s face finally began to fade.
After leaving the Information Bureau, the two walked side by side toward the parking area. As they neared the vehicle, Ruan Nian suddenly said in a low voice, “Wait a moment.”
Mu Yan stopped and turned his head to look at him. He saw the Omega walk quickly toward a nearby trash can and throw away the object he had been clutching the entire time.
It was the barrier tape, now misshapen and twisted from his fingers’ constant kneading; it was clearly unusable now.
The Alpha’s sudden, intrusive intimacy had been effective. The Tequila-scented pheromones had completely blanketed Ruan Nian from head to toe. The enticing scent of sweet milk was wrapped up tightly, and anyone else would only be able to smell the aggressive, possessive aura radiating from the Omega.
Mu Yan’s gaze followed Ruan Nian. When he saw the Omega running back toward him, he suddenly felt that he was perhaps a little happy?
The more powerful an Alpha is, the stronger their possessiveness becomes toward a partner they have marked. Mu Yan was no exception to this law.
When collecting the pheromones, Mu Yan could have purely released his own scent to soothe the Omega and let him calm down slowly. But as the milky scent began to diffuse rapidly, the Alpha’s possessiveness instantly defeated his rationality. Subconsciously, he did not want anyone else to smell even a trace of that sweet scent. Without hesitation, he used the fastest method to cover that spilled bottle of sweet milk, hiding it within his own embrace so that no one could catch a glimpse of the treasure that belonged solely to him.
The fact that the Omega carried his scent satisfied the Alpha’s possessiveness, transforming it into a subtle sense of pleasure.
However, this was likely only Mu Yan’s perception.
Ruan Nian’s nose was filled with the pungent scent of alcohol. Although the marking meant the Alpha’s pheromones would not cause him any physical oppression, the sharp feeling of claiming territory was fundamentally different from the mellow, soothing kind.
The pheromones that tightly enveloped him made Ruan Nian feel a bit suffocated, and he felt somewhat lethargic.
After getting into the car, Ruan Nian closed his eyes and leaned against the seat to regulate his breathing.
Mu Yan, who had been momentarily intoxicated by his own pleasure, finally noticed the Omega’s distress.
From his peripheral vision, he saw that a small patch of the Omega’s exposed nape was slightly red, standing out starkly against the surrounding fair skin. It looked like a mark left behind after the tape was torn off, though it could have been for some other reason.
Mu Yan realized belatedly that his action of holding the Omega’s neck earlier had been too aggressive.
The two had been standing somewhat far apart at the time; perhaps he hadn’t controlled his strength well, which left the red mark on the Omega’s neck.
Like a child clumsily trying to fix things after making a mess, Mu Yan silently adjusted his pheromones. The somewhat pungent scent of alcohol quietly became smooth and sweet.
After resting for a while, Ruan Nian felt much better, and his brow finally unfurled.
Mu Yan had been distracted, keeping a close eye on his state. Seeing that his expression had finally improved, he spoke the words he had been mentally drafting for quite some time.
“Just now, I made a sudden move without your consent. I apologize.”
His tone was very light, for fear that his words might annoy the Omega again.
Ruan Nian sensed the hidden caution in Mu Yan’s words. He instinctively began to search for words, wanting to brush the matter off in a polite way that wouldn’t embarrass either of them, but after thinking for a while, he couldn’t find the right thing to say.
Ruan Nian had to admit that using intimate actions to deepen a mark and prevent pheromones from diffusing was very much in line with Mu Yan’s style. Just like the marriage agreement, the language was concise, the rights and responsibilities were clear, and even the subtle blurred boundaries were handled perfectly. He was a successful businessman who possessed all the qualities needed in the field of interests: caution, meticulousness, and restraint.
Yet, he had crossed the line today.
This was somewhat unlike the version of him Ruan Nian had in mind.
As his thoughts churned, Ruan Nian’s fingers, which were unconsciously fiddling in his pocket, suddenly touched a hard object. He realized belatedly that it was the marriage certificate the staff member at the Information Bureau had handed him just moments ago.
One of the few remnants of romance in the interstellar era was the retention of paper proofs of marital relationships. Ruan Nian had tossed it into his coat pocket, but looking back, he found that Mu Yan was carefully closing his own marriage certificate and then meticulously placing it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.
Is he this earnest with every contract?
In his heart, what exactly is this marriage relationship?
His fingers tightened suddenly, and the sharp corners of the certificate left a shallow white mark in his soft palm. Ruan Nian instantly called a halt to the increasingly dangerous thoughts in his mind.
How could he have any expectations for this marriage?
This was not right.
“It’s okay. It was my fault at the time, wasn’t it? You handled it very well.”
After finishing, Ruan Nian paused for a second or two, then added in an even more earnest tone: “Really, it is fine.”
Ahead was a traffic light, and the hovercraft slowed down and came to a stop.
Just as Ruan Nian thought the matter had passed, Mu Yan turned around unexpectedly, his gaze heavy.
“Is that so?”
Isn’t it? Ruan Nian subconsciously replayed his words in his mind several times. His tone had been quite gentle, and he had clearly stated that he didn’t mind the incident. Ruan Nian wondered strangely: There shouldn’t be a problem, right? Perhaps this Alpha is just too serious and cautious about handling relationships?
So, Ruan Nian gave him a sweet smile, nodded firmly, and said, “Yes, it really is okay.” His eyes were sincere and frank, as if he were trying to persuade the Alpha not to keep dwelling on such a small matter.
But Mu Yan continued to stare silently at Ruan Nian for a long while. Only when Ruan Nian could no longer maintain the smile on his lips under his gaze did he slowly look away.
Ruan Nian felt that he seemed to have sensed something.
The Alpha’s gaze was too deep, causing an unprovoked sense of crisis to rise in his heart.
After dropping Ruan Nian off, Mu Yan drove the hovercraft back to the company. For some reason, Ruan Nian’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind. He felt as though he had missed something, but he couldn’t figure it out.
He stepped into the elevator. It was not the peak time for commuting, so he was the only one inside.
As the elevator doors slowly closed, a few loud shouts suddenly came from afar: “Wait! Wait a second!”
A familiar voice reached Mu Yan’s ears. He stood there with an unchanged expression, with no intention of pressing the open button.
When the elevator doors were just a sliver away from closing, a large hand suddenly appeared, slamming onto the doors and jamming the gap that remained.
The elevator reopened, and Mu Yan frowned, his expression showing clear distaste.
Outside the door was Song Qi, the most unconventional vice-chairman of Mu Yu Group, whose other identity was being Mu Yan’s brother of many years.
Mu Yan, Song Qi, and Qin Mo had grown up together. After graduation, Song Qi refused to stay in his own family’s business and instead ran to Mu Yu Group to work for Mu Yan. Relying on the fact that his older brother could take over the family business, he shamelessly said he wanted to gain experience on his own. Since the elders had seen Mu Yan’s ability with their own eyes, they knew Song Qi could learn a lot by following him, so they turned a blind eye to him.
Song Qi was already used to his good brother’s naked distaste. He didn’t care at all, gave a hehe sound, and took a long stride to stand beside Mu Yan, immediately launching into an impassioned speech.
“Old Mu! Let me tell you, that old thief from the X Group is too cunning! He actually dug a pit while we were discussing the contract and induced me to invest! The old thief looks benevolent and not the type to fight, but he cajoled me with his words. I was almost persuaded by him, I almost fell into his trap! Fortunately, I am sharp-witted and managed to pull back at the last minute. Eh, Old Mu, are you listening to me? Hey, Mu Yan!”
Induced? Cajoled?
Mu Yan finally came back to his senses.
He knew what was wrong with Ruan Nian now.
“It’s okay, brother.”
“I agree, I will marry you.”
“It’s okay. It was my fault at the time, wasn’t it? You handled it very well.”
The words Ruan Nian had spoken played back in Mu Yan’s mind like a rewinding tape. The young man’s obedient posture, and his soft tone. After magnifying every small detail several times over, he could finally catch a glimpse of the truth.
He seems to have always been like this. Even when treated roughly, he only emitted small whimpers. After self-repairing, he immediately went to comfort others without delay.
Has his personality always been like this? As if he has no temper at all, even a bit submissive.
But in the end, these were Ruan Nian’s and the Ruan family’s own affairs. Although Mu Yan felt something was wrong, he found that he had no qualifications or stance to interfere.
The elevator reached the top-floor office. Mu Yan ignored Song Qi’s incessant chatter and strode out of the elevator.