Chapter 9: The Orchid on the Windowsill

The car came to a stop in front of the familiar villa. Ji Duan leaned against the car, watching his boss, Xiao Jin, forcefully pull someone inside without any gentleness.

Ruan Yan struggled to keep up with Xiao Jin, but since he was being pulled, he couldn’t break free and had to quicken his pace to follow.

Xiao Jin directly dragged him up to the third floor.

Ruan Yan was yanked into the room, and the place was dim, with no lights on. He was suddenly thrown forcefully onto something soft.

At this moment, Ruan Yan felt as though his mind was filled with searing molten lava, making him dizzy. His gaze was drawn to a light in the distance. It was still afternoon, and the sky hadn’t yet darkened. The window nearby seemed to have been left slightly ajar, with the curtains swaying gently from the breeze.

He saw an orchid in full bloom on the windowsill, with morning dew clinging to its petals.

At that moment, a bee flew in from outside.

…

**

Xiao Jin came out of the bathroom and suddenly felt an itching sensation at his feet. Looking down, he saw a fluffy white cat rubbing against his legs.

A cat?

“Xiao Bai, come here.” Ruan Yan leaned over the edge of the bed and suddenly called out.

He didn’t know when his pheromone’s animal manifestation had appeared, but at this moment, his whole body felt a bit weak, and he couldn’t bring himself to retract it.

Ruan Yan didn’t notice that when he called out for Xiao Bai, Xiao Jin’s gaze shifted slightly.

The white cat turned its head to look at the bed, and was about to head toward Ruan Yan when—

“Roar—”

The sudden growl of a beast startled Ruan Yan, causing his heart to race. He looked up and saw, to his shock, a half-human-sized white tiger standing in the bedroom.

The enormous tiger paw pinned the white cat underneath, which could only whimper pitifully.

The pheromone animal manifestation connects to its master’s five senses, and Ruan Yan didn’t sense any danger from the tiger. It seemed to be merely playing with Xiao Bai.

But a massive tiger didn’t just appear out of nowhere. He glanced sideways at Xiao Jin, and guessed that this was likely his pheromone’s animal manifestation.

Ruan Yan stood up, intending to take a shower, but just then, Xiao Jin pulled back the covers and lay down, trapping Ruan Yan in his arms.

The rich scent of alcohol and icy pheromones tangled together, suffocating the air. Xiao Jin had been busy for the entire month and now needed something to numb himself so he could finally get a good night’s sleep.

Ruan Yan’s pheromones were a good choice.

They provided a numbing sensation far better than alcohol, and at least he wouldn’t have a headache the next day.

Ruan Yan struggled a few times but couldn’t break free, so he finally spoke up, “I need to take a shower.”

Xiao Jin held him firmly, his nose pressing close to Ruan Yan’s neck, inhaling the strong scent of alcohol. “Take one tomorrow.”

“I don’t feel well.” Ruan Yan didn’t like the sticky feeling on his skin.

Xiao Jin still didn’t loosen his hold, a faint smirk curling on his lips. “Endure it!”

Ruan Yan stopped struggling, knowing he couldn’t win against Xiao Jin.

Not far off, the large white tiger had also settled down. Ruan Yan’s small white cat had been used as a little cushion, resting under the tiger’s chin.

No matter how the small white cat scratched with its paws, it was in vain. Eventually, it gave up, angrily falling asleep under the giant head.

The next morning, Ruan Yan woke up and glanced at the time on the bedside.

It was exactly 10 o’clock.

He had been tossed around for five hours the previous afternoon, and by the time he fell asleep, it was barely 9 in the evening.

Had he really slept for this long?

He moved slightly, feeling warmth from behind. Xiao Jin’s chest was pressed tightly against his back, and the rhythmic sound of his strong heartbeat resonated through his body.

Xiao Jin was still asleep.

Ruan Yan shifted to remove Xiao Jin’s arm from his waist and sat up. The discomfort in his body caused him to frown. He was completely naked.

He glanced at the clothes on the floor—most of them had been torn apart.

The only thing left on the bed was a black shirt.

It was Xiao Jin’s.

Even though he was still in the bedroom, Ruan Yan couldn’t bring himself to stay exposed like this in the open air.

He reluctantly took the black shirt and put it on.

As he stood and got off the bed, his legs wobbled the moment they touched the floor. He almost thought he was going to fall, but instead, he landed on something soft and warm.

Ruan Yan was supported by a tiger’s head. The sensation in his hand was soft, and he couldn’t resist giving it a few squeezes.

Then his gaze dropped to the white tiger’s paws.

He had a little-known preference—he really liked soft, fluffy animals.

Ruan Yan reached out his hand, then hesitated, pulling it back. He steadied himself on the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

A cat’s meow came from his feet. Ruan Yan looked down.

He almost forgot about it.

When Xiao Bai disappeared, the white tiger suddenly let out a low growl.

Ruan Yan, who was about to step into the bathroom, paused and then crouched down.

Before he could raise his hand, the white tiger walked over. The man and the tiger locked eyes, and Ruan Yan asked, “Do you like Xiao Bai?”

‘Grrr—’

Though he couldn’t communicate with his own pheromone-based animal, they understood each other’s thoughts. While he couldn’t directly converse with Xiao Jin’s pheromone-based animal either, from the tiger’s gaze, he could tell it still wanted to play with Xiao Bai.

Ruan Yan thought for a moment, then extended one hand.

The white tiger tilted its head, looking at his hand for a few seconds, as if understanding something. It lifted its own paw and placed it on Ruan Yan’s hand.

The soft, fleshy pad of the tiger’s paw felt different from the small, delicate paw pads of his white cat.

When Xiao Jin woke up, he saw Ruan Yan wearing his shirt, holding onto Xiao Bai’s tiger paw.

Ruan Yan had just squeezed the white tiger’s paw when, suddenly, everything in front of him vanished. The white tiger disappeared, and the soft paw pads were gone.

He raised his eyes and saw Xiao Jin, bare-chested, leaning against the headboard. His sharp, eagle-like eyes were fixed on him.

Ruan Yan turned around, preparing to enter the bathroom, when he heard a teasing voice behind him. “So, it turns out that Ruan Hong never cared about you, his son, because your pheromone-based animal is too weak.”

Ruan Yan’s movements halted. Without turning to look at Xiao Jin, he coldly spoke, “So what? Does having weak pheromones mean I deserve to be casually humiliated by the likes of you, with your higher-level pheromones?”

Xiao Jin pondered his tone.

So, he was angry?

Ruan Yan himself didn’t understand why he was suddenly upset. Maybe it was the exhaustion from last night, or maybe it was the anger he’d been holding inside ever since his father, Ruan Hong, treated him the way he did.

Did Omegas have to always be subservient to the Alphas who marked them?

Or perhaps it was because Xiao Jin had taken away the big paw he had finally managed to hold, and he never even got a chance to feel the softness of that tiger’s paw.

Frustrated, Ruan Yan entered the bathroom.

Xiao Jin looked at the bathroom door.

The kid sure had a temper.