His tone didn’t sound particularly special at first glance, but Xie Ling somehow detected a hint of grievance in it.
He hadn’t expected Qin Han to ask him so directly.
Not gonna lie, it felt pretty satisfying, but also a little awkward.
This was completely out of character for Qin Han—probably because he was starved half to death. Xie Ling eyed Qin Han’s face, inches from his own. The guy could talk without standing quite so close, couldn’t he? Though his complexion did look even paler than it had that morning.
“Whatever. Who asked for Ling Bro to be so handsome and kind-hearted?” Xie Ling shoved the porridge into Qin Han’s arms and strode into the classroom without a backward glance.
Qin Han followed behind, cradling the disposable takeout container. The curve at the corner of his mouth deepened almost imperceptibly.
The Omegas in the classroom spotted Xie Ling and Qin Han entering one after the other, and they buzzed with excitement, not knowing where to position themselves.
Xie Ling sauntered over to his seat. Seeing them still clutching their snacks, he flashed a lazy smile. “Mind if I snag a bite?”
The tilt of his fox-like eyes made him look irresistibly alluring.
The Omegas’ hearts raced as they instantly crowded around Xie Ling’s desk.
“Ling Bro, Ling Bro, take whatever you want!”
“I brought your favorite beef jerky!!”
Xie Ling’s gaze first skimmed over a box of candies, lingering for a couple of seconds before he grabbed some beef jerky from another classmate’s hand.
“Thanks. I’ve got some snacks here too—help yourselves to whatever you like.”
With that, he pulled a bag of goodies from his desk drawer and dumped them all out.
“Aaah! Thanks, Ling Bro!!”
The group swarmed forward.
Xie Ling seized the moment to shoot Qin Han a provocative glance, his face screaming: See? Dad’s way more popular than you.
Qin Han happened to be looking right at him, his expression no longer as soft as it had been when he’d begged for food earlier.
It had to be because he’d stolen Qin Han’s spotlight! Xie Ling wagged his little tail smugly in his mind as he peeled open a piece of beef jerky and popped it into his mouth.
Once the snack swap was done, a few Omegas drifted back to Qin Han with offerings in hand.
“No need.” Qin Han gently stirred the thick, soft rice porridge in his bowl with his spoon and smiled. “This is more than enough for me. Thanks.”
After they dispersed, Qin Han turned to Xie Ling. “Can you bring me along to eat tomorrow too?”
He took a sip from his spoon, adding with refined restraint, “After all, it wouldn’t be right to make you fetch food for me every day.”
…This guy had some nerve. Xie Ling laughed in exasperation. “Who said anything about fetching it for you every day?”
Still, after Qin Han had pleaded with him outside like that, Xie Ling suddenly felt there was no need to keep him hanging. The guy was new here, and First High was Xie Ling’s turf—what better chance to settle old scores when the tables had turned?
“Fine. Seeing how pitiful you are, Dad will reluctantly agree.” Xie Ling propped his elbow on the edge of Qin Han’s desk, looking like he was up to no good. “But you’ll have to fetch the food for me. Fair warning, I like a lot of dishes…”
“Got it.” Qin Han agreed without hesitation, even offering Xie Ling the half-spoon of porridge he hadn’t finished. “Do you like this?”
Xie Ling: “…”
Like hell he did. Xie Ling cursed inwardly and turned away with a blank expression.
Qin Han polished off the porridge right before afternoon classes started. Xie Ling ignored him after that. Once finished, Qin Han grabbed the empty takeout box from the desk and a blue bag from beside his feet, then headed downstairs.
He ducked into a seldom-used bathroom on the first floor and pulled out the contents of the blue bag.
It was a meal specially delivered at noon by the Qin Family’s head chef. Just judging by the aroma and presentation, it could’ve fetched hundreds or even thousands at a restaurant.
Qin Han dumped the gourmet dishes into the empty takeout box, then carried it over to the nearby Little Garden.
Class was about to start, so the garden was mostly empty, though students often came here to feed the cats.
With a straight face, Qin Han set down his family’s high-end cuisine right where the cats usually prowled.
Before heading back to class, he stopped by the restroom again. Cool water gushed from the faucet as he took out a sample of makeup remover oil, dabbed some on his face, and rinsed it off with the stream.
Once washed, the face that had looked increasingly pallid from hunger and stomach pain in Xie Ling’s eyes instantly regained its healthy color.
Qin Han regarded his reflection in the mirror, a meaningful smile tugging at his lips.
~~~
The next day at noon, Zhang Chengrui, on orders, snagged a five-person table in the cafeteria. Though labeled for five, the chair arrangement made it six seats due to even pairings.
“Why switch spots today? Abandoning our prime real estate?” Xiao Yanfei set his tray down across from Xia Yu and glanced at the empty-handed Xie Ling. “Xie Ling, where’s your food?”
“It’ll be here in a sec.” Xie Ling swung into his seat, stretching his long legs lazily under the table. “Picked up a new lackey to fetch and carry for me.”
Xia Yu’s gossip antennae shot up immediately. “New lackey? Who? Why recruit some gofer for tea and snacks when our group chat’s full of sisters dying to feed you? Heck, if you let them offer up their bodies too, even better.”
Zhang Chengrui piped up with earnest loyalty right away. “Ling Bro, I’m willing to offer food and body too!!”
Their cheeky banter cracked Xie Ling up. He was about to reply when a clatter sounded—two stainless steel trays thudded down in front of him.
Qin Han gave a slight smile to everyone seated. “Hey.”
Then he slid into the seat right next to Xie Ling, on his left.
Everyone: “???”
Xie Ling shot him a sideways glance. “Why sit so close?”
“Easier to fetch and carry, serve up food…” Qin Han paused, lowering his voice. “Need me to offer my body too?”
Xie Ling had just picked up a piece of spicy chicken and nearly choked before he could eat it.
This guy’s schemes ran deep—trying to take him out like this.
“I could accept if you offered up your life.”
The others watched in bewilderment as the two huddled together, whispering who-knew-what. From an outsider’s view, the scene looked oddly harmonious.
Zhang Chengrui tugged at Xiao Yanfei beside him. “Xiao Ge, Xiao Ge, what’s going on? Their vibe doesn’t match the rumors.”
Xiao Yanfei had already heard from Xia Yu about Qin Han skipping lunch the day before. Glancing at the current setup, he got the picture and whispered, “Your Ling Bro’s strategically humiliating his old rival here.”
He shared his theory with Zhang Chengrui, which wasn’t far off the mark.
Xia Yu had been fidgeting since Qin Han sat down, his eyes straining to peer past Xie Ling.
Finally catching Xie Ling’s gaze, Xie Ling gave his head a light knock. “Classmate Xia Xiaoyu, I’m seriously suspecting you’re leaning toward betraying the organization.”
“No way.” Xia Yu rubbed the spot, chuckling as he changed the subject. “Little Lingling, you ditching class this afternoon for the Figure Store?”
Jiangning No.1 High School was a ten-minute walk from Commodity Street, a hotspot for young folks. Xie Ling was a regular at one of the figure shops there, hitting it up every Wednesday for years.
Xie Ling hummed. “Next week. Owner’s on vacation this Wednesday—shop’s closed.”
Next Wednesday. Qin Han prodded the tofu in his tray with his chopstick tip. He remembered there was a practice test that day.
“Fair enough.” Xiao Yanfei picked the last stray carrot from Xia Yu’s tray as he spoke. “Old Cai’s been on a rampage these days, dragging kids to the Moral Education Office for confessions daily. If you got caught skipping on this witch hunt, with your influence? You’d be reading it from the Assembly Rostrum.”
Xie Ling shrugged it off. “No sweat. No one catches me unless I want them to.”
Xiao Yanfei subconsciously glanced at Qin Han, thinking of something.
Xie Ling noticed, and irritation flared up instantly. He’d skipped class for years without a hitch—his one or two slip-ups had all been thanks to Qin Han. Pure humiliation.
Those memories stirred him up again.
He eyed Qin Han’s tray: stir-fried greens, tofu with shrimp, steamed fish slices…
Tch, eating like a monk.
“I suddenly want some fish slices.” Xie Ling propped his chin on his hand and told Qin Han.
Tension crackled in the air like invisible gunpowder. Zhang Chengrui clutched his own little tray protectively.
Xia Yu eyed the steamed fish in his own dish, about to speak, when Qin Han plucked a slice and dropped it onto Xie Ling’s tray.
Xie Ling’s brow arched. About to push his luck for more, Qin Han slid the entire dish over. “What else do you want? It’s all yours.”
His expression and tone were uniformly gentle, as if he hadn’t clocked Xie Ling’s provocation at all.
Zhang Chengrui marveled to Xiao Yanfei. “Why doesn’t Qin God seem humiliated at all?”
Xiao Yanfei’s gaze flicked over Qin Han’s face for a second. Something felt off, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. “Real pros can bend with the wind.”
Xie Ling hadn’t expected Qin Han to be so accommodating—it kinda killed his momentum. “Fine. Don’t eat too little, or your paper-thin stomach will act up again, and you’ll come bothering me.”
With that, he popped the fish slice into his mouth.
Qin Han suddenly said, “Wait.”
“What? Regretting even this one piece already?”
“No. I just remembered—my chopsticks touched that piece earlier by accident.”
Xie Ling wasn’t obsessive about cleanliness, so he replied, “So?”
Qin Han’s eyelids drooped slightly, as though he felt a touch of embarrassment. After a moment, he spoke in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear. “Sorry for making you kiss me… indirectly.”
Xie Ling: “……”
