Chapter 18: Yan Yan Asks Xiao Jin for Help

Ruan Hong had always looked down on him. His other four sons all chose finance as their major in college, while he alone chose a field completely unrelated to the Ruan family’s business—medicine.

Ruan Hong had always disdained him for having the “useless” Omega pheromones, and he had never considered entrusting any of the family’s business affairs to Ruan Yan.

Ruan Yan also had no interest in the Ruan family’s business.

So when the assistant asked him to submit a report, Ruan Yan had no idea how to write it.

Ruan Yan’s grades were already sufficient to skip a grade and graduate early. After fulfilling the required credits for his major, the professors generally turned a blind eye to whatever he wanted to do.

However, with Ruan Hong’s sudden assignment, he had no choice but to complete it.

But he had no knowledge of finance or economics, and after spending the entire afternoon, Ruan Yan only managed to grasp a vague understanding of the documents his father’s assistant had sent.

But when it came to writing a report, he could still manage.

If the professor from the lab were to put a vial of reagent in front of him and ask for a data report in an hour, he would be able to submit it in half that time.

Ruan Yan didn’t have evening classes, so after his regular lessons, he would go to the lab. He had called his professor in advance and clearly stated that he would only return to the lab after Jiang Yizhou left.

The professor sighed and asked about the reason, but when Ruan Yan was determined, no one could persuade him.

Jiang Yizhou, due to the competition from the Federal Genetic Research Institute, would continue to stay at A University.

With time on his hands, Ruan Yan followed Xiao Jin’s schedule to learn combat skills.

Xiao Jin seemed to be very busy. For two consecutive days, even though they lived under the same roof, they didn’t meet once.

Ruan Yan, having to attend classes in the afternoon and then practice combat skills, would spend his evenings exhausted from physical training and studying economics, and would fall asleep early every day.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jin left early and returned late every day, so they hardly had any chance to meet.

It wasn’t until the third day that Ruan Yan saw Xiao Jin.

Wednesday was the day Xiao Jin taught him combat, but after his classes at A University, Ruan Yan didn’t go to the combat gym. Instead, he went straight back to Xiao Jin’s three-story villa.

He had expected that Xiao Jin might not have time to teach him today, but he didn’t expect him to be home.

Ji Duan and Qi Yuan were also there. Qi Yuan was reporting something, but when he saw Ruan Yan return, he immediately stopped talking.

Xiao Jin said it was fine, and when Ruan Yan noticed he had something to do, he planned to go upstairs to wait for him. But Xiao Jin called him back.

He asked him to sit on the sofa and wait until they were finished before they could eat.

After not going to the lab, Ruan Yan had free time. Bored, he took out a book on economics and some company information from one of Ruan Hong’s subsidiaries from his bag.

Given how little Ruan Hong valued him, there was no way he would show Ruan Yan any information on the Ruan family business.

Ruan Yan liked to read quietly, so he treated these materials as casual reading to pass the time.

Just when he was getting engrossed in the book, someone suddenly snatched it out of his hands.

Ruan Yan wasn’t fond of being interrupted while reading. He instinctively furrowed his brow.

Looking up, he saw Qi Yuan still reporting across from him. When Xiao Jin suddenly leaned toward Ruan Yan, Qi Yuan paused for a moment.

Xiao Jin glanced at him sideways, and Qi Yuan lowered his head to continue.

“An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations?” Xiao Jin asked, half paying attention to Qi Yuan’s report while also teasing Ruan Yan. “Aren’t you supposed to be studying medicine? Why are you suddenly reading this stuff?”

Ruan Yan looked up at him. “Is it wrong for a medical student to read books on economics?”

Xiao Jin was caught off guard by his response, unsure of how to reply. He put the book down, picked up a piece of chocolate from the table, and slowly unwrapped it. The next moment, he shoved it into Ruan Yan’s mouth.

The bittersweet aroma of the chocolate lingered on Ruan Yan’s palate, and as their lips brushed, the rich scent of alcohol collided with his taste buds—a familiar, intoxicating fragrance.

It was the same as his pheromones.

Ji Duan, standing nearby, was dumbfounded. Usually, when he wanted to grab a piece of chocolate, he hadn’t even touched it before it was swatted away. But now, the boss was actively unwrapping it and feeding it to Ruan Yan!

The rich scent of alcohol was so familiar it seemed almost ingrained in his body.

Ruan Yan lifted his eyes slightly, and his gaze met the one with a hint of a smile in it. A wave of embarrassment rose from deep within him.

Why would Xiao Jin be eating whiskey-flavored chocolate?

Xiao Jin’s gaze deepened as it fell to Ruan Yan’s slightly reddened ears. He leaned closer and asked, “Is it good?”

Their breaths mingled for a moment, and Xiao Jin found himself unable to distinguish whether it was the scent of the whiskey on Ruan Yan’s lips or the one that lingered on his own skin.

Despite their three months of contact, Ruan Yan still wasn’t used to the rogue-like aura Xiao Jin carried with him.

Ruan Yan irritably pushed both the documents and Xiao Jin away, causing Xiao Jin, with a grin, to retreat slightly.

Then, Xiao Jin lowered his gaze to the documents in his hands, casually glancing at them. “This is a subsidiary of the Ruan Corporation?”

Ruan Yan belatedly realized that in his frustration, he had pushed both Xiao Jin and the documents away. Hearing his question, he responded with a soft “Mm.”

Ruan Yan added, “Ruan Hong asked me to write a report on this subsidiary.”

Xiao Jin glanced again at The Wealth of Nations discarded to the side, amusement flickering in his eyes as he asked, “So, is this what you’re reading because you couldn’t write the report?”

“Boss,” Qi Yuan spoke up at the right moment, “I’m done.”

Xiao Jin returned the book and documents to Ruan Yan, then began discussing something with Qi Yuan. Ruan Yan lost his focus on the reading, turning his attention to what they were saying instead.

After listening for a while, he realized they were discussing a company. Xiao Jin had a company?

He had thought Xiao Jin was just a thug who used guns to threaten others.

Ji Duan had just received a phone call. He stepped out to take it and returned looking somewhat grim. “Boss, a batch of banned drugs was being sent from Haikou, but we intercepted it.”

Xiao Jin stopped his conversation with Qi Yuan and looked up, his expression shifting. “Is it N78?”

Ji Duan nodded. “Yes.”

Xiao Jin’s gaze turned steely. “Hold onto it.”

“Alright.”

Ji Duan went out to make another call, while Xiao Jin continued his conversation with Qi Yuan. However, he could feel a gaze fixed on him.

He turned his head slightly to find Ruan Yan watching him, as if hesitating to speak.

Xiao Jin stayed silent for a couple of seconds, then offered a probing question, “Do you want N78?”

Ruan Yan didn’t hide it. “Yes. N78 is a popular banned drug on the black market for Omegas. When injected, it immediately triggers their heat, forcing them into estrus. A couple of uses might not cause much damage, but after three or more injections, the Omega’s glands will be permanently damaged.”

“But, N78 doesn’t just work on Omegas. It’s also effective on Alphas, though it’s not as destructive to them as it is to Omegas.”

Ruan Yan seemed to speak freely when it came to his expertise. Xiao Jin roughly guessed Ruan Yan’s intention. “So, you want to study N78?”

“Yes.” Ruan Yan nodded, but then, feeling a bit awkward asking for something, he added, “Is that okay?”

The black market drug was something he couldn’t get his hands on, so Ruan Yan didn’t expect Xiao Jin to have access to N78.

The rare soft words from the young man made Xiao Jin almost want to tease him a bit more, but before he could say anything, he casually replied, “I’ll have Ji Duan bring a few over for you.”

Ruan Yan didn’t expect such a straightforward answer from him.

Aunt Xu came over to call them for dinner, and after dinner, half an hour later, Xiao Jin took Ruan Yan upstairs to the third floor.

The third floor was Xiao Jin’s bedroom, and Ruan Yan thought he was going to…

However, they passed the bedroom and walked toward the innermost room. When they entered the room and Ruan Yan saw the setup inside, he was stunned.

The innermost room on the third floor had been turned into a training room for combat, though Ruan Yan wasn’t sure when it had been changed.

Xiao Jin didn’t tease him. His expression was unusually cool and detached. “You should already know the basic moves for combat.”

Ruan Yan nodded.

The coach had taught him the basics over the past few days.

Ruan Yan wasn’t very skilled yet, but he managed to remember the moves.

However, what Xiao Jin taught him next was real hand-to-hand combat.

It wasn’t until Ruan Yan was slammed onto the ground, his mind spinning and not even realizing what had happened, that the intense pain hit him.

Xiao Jin showed no mercy.

An hour later, Ruan Yan lay on the floor, only able to breathe; the rest of his body hurt so much that he couldn’t move.

Xiao Jin stood nearby, looking down at him from above. After a few seconds, he squatted beside him, his tone calm but carrying an edge, “Little one, still want to keep going?”

Ruan Yan breathed a few shallow breaths.

From the look in Xiao Jin’s eyes, he read something—a subtle offer, a chance to back out.

He moved his lips slightly, whispering, “I’ll keep going.”

Xiao Jin watched him, his gaze unwavering. “I won’t let go of Ruan Hong. Wouldn’t it be better to just stay by my side and behave?”

Ruan Yan lowered his eyelashes, unable to meet Xiao Jin’s gaze. He feared that Xiao Jin might see something in his eyes.

He knew that Xiao Jin still didn’t know about his identity as an Enigma.

Alpha?

Xiao Jin, of course, knew that Ruan Yan was an Alpha whom he couldn’t mark.

Recently, Xiao Jin had been harboring a selfish thought. If only Ruan Yan were an Omega—then he could mark him, keep him by his side, and he wouldn’t need to learn any more combat skills.

It wasn’t like Omegas hadn’t tried to seduce him before, but he had never been interested.

Out of nowhere, Xiao Jin reached out and gently touched the spot on Ruan Yan’s neck. He murmured, “If only I could mark you.”

The next moment, Ruan Yan suddenly jerked back about a meter, hastily covering his gland with his hand. His usually cold and detached eyes now held a rare trace of fear. “You can’t mark me!”

Xiao Jin hadn’t expected such a strong reaction, and it annoyed him. His rough, rogue tendencies resurfaced. “Mark you? What the hell, you’re an Alpha. How could I mark you?”

Hearing Xiao Jin’s words, Ruan Yan finally relaxed. He had feared that Xiao Jin might have figured out that he was an Enigma who could be marked by an Alpha.

Xiao Jin glanced at the time and stood up. “That’s enough for today. Go shower and sleep.”

Habit was a dangerous thing. With Xiao Jin’s pheromones filling the air in the villa, Ruan Yan had been sleeping soundly ever since moving into Xiao Jin’s three-story villa.

Ruan Yan tried to sleep in the guest room, but Xiao Jin dragged him into his own bedroom instead.

After showering, Xiao Jin waited for Ruan Yan on the bed.

Because of the intense combat training, Ruan Yan’s body still ached, and he thought Xiao Jin might do something tonight. But instead, Xiao Jin didn’t act on it.

After Ruan Yan climbed into bed, Xiao Jin pulled him into his arms and buried his head near the spot on Ruan Yan’s neck. Within moments, he was fast asleep.

The warmth from Xiao Jin’s body kept brushing against Ruan Yan’s gland. At first, he thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but the consistent heat and rhythmic heartbeat behind him slowly made him feel safe, eventually drifting into a deep slumber.

The next morning, Ruan Yan hadn’t yet submitted the report, and Ruan Hong’s assistant called to hurry him up.

Ruan Yan had never studied economics and was completely clueless when it came to business matters. He had no idea why Ruan Hong asked him to submit a report.

He wanted to defy the request, but he knew that if he did, his father would bear the consequences.

With no friends in the finance field to turn to, Ruan Yan ran through the possible people who could help him. Eventually, his thoughts landed on one person.

One day, after returning from the combat training center, Ruan Yan found Xiao Jin sitting in the living room, reading company materials.

This time, Xiao Jin didn’t ask Ruan Yan to stay, but instead, Ruan Yan obediently sat next to him. It wasn’t on a single couch, but on the long sofa beside Xiao Jin.

The familiar scent of whiskey surrounded him, but Xiao Jin was focused on the documents, leaving him little time to tease Ruan Yan.

Soon, Qi Yuan entered the villa. Upon seeing Ruan Yan sitting beside Xiao Jin, casually flipping through important company files, he realized that everything Xiao Jin handled was critical business, but Xiao Jin let Ruan Yan freely examine them.

About an hour later, Xiao Jin signed the documents, handing them over to Qi Yuan. In the next moment, a cup of tea appeared in front of Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin: ?

Xiao Jin didn’t like tea. His villa had always only stocked alcohol.

But ever since Ruan Yan appeared, tea had made its way into the house.

Xiao Jin’s gaze shifted from the tea to Ruan Yan’s face. Ruan Yan wore an expression that seemed to say he wanted to speak but didn’t know how to start.

Xiao Jin was amused by this look of someone wanting to ask for something. He casually took the tea from Ruan Yan, took a sip, and though he didn’t particularly enjoy it, he finished it in one go.

Xiao Jin: “Are you asking me for something?”

Ruan Yan immediately pulled out a laptop from his bag and also handed over the branch company materials that Xiao Jin had seen last time.

He said, “I’m not good at writing reports.”

Xiao Jin looked at the materials in his hand, realizing why Ruan Yan had been so obedient around him—turns out, it was because he couldn’t write reports.

“Alright, I’ll teach you,” Xiao Jin said, a smile tugging at his lips as he leaned closer to Ruan Yan’s ear. His warm breath brushed against the sensitive skin of his ear. “But… there’s a tuition fee.”

Ruan Yan’s ears turned red, but this time, he wasn’t as shy as before.

Habits are truly a terrifying thing. He had gradually gotten used to Xiao Jin’s occasional teasing remarks.

Xiao Jin didn’t even wait for Ruan Yan to nod in agreement, he directly moved Ruan Yan’s laptop in front of him. “Come on, I’ll teach you.”

Xiao Jin knew that Ruan Yan didn’t have much talent for business matters. He never hid or tested him when it came to such things.

But Ruan Yan didn’t take any action.

Unbeknownst to Ruan Yan, Qi Yuan had reminded him more than once.

After two hours of tutoring from Xiao Jin, Ruan Yan finally managed to finish the report and sent it to Ruan Hong’s assistant.

Those two hours of report-writing were filled with Ruan Yan being bullied the entire time.

The next day, he took the day off from both school and the boxing gym.

Xiao Jin’s study.

When Ji Duan pushed open the door, he saw Ruan Yan sitting on the soft couch by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a book. His boss, like a big dog, was lying on Ruan Yan, his handsome face buried in Ruan Yan’s neck. At first, Ji Duan thought they were asleep, but then he noticed that the troublesome hand of Xiao Jin was gently rubbing Ruan Yan’s waist.

Of course, Ruan Yan wasn’t used to Xiao Jin leaning on him like that, but when Xiao Jin got into his rogue mood, even if Ruan Yan wanted to refuse, it was impossible.

To avoid more trouble, it was better to just go along with him.