Chapter 33

“Bro, I’m so handsome and dashing— you really gonna kill me?” Xie Ling asked. “What’s going on? You look pretty depressed right now.”

“…I broke a few bowls in the kitchen earlier, and now I’ve smashed two glass cups.”

???

Just that?

Xie Ling was starting to feel more and more that Qin Han, this top-tier Alpha, possessed a fragile inner heart that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.

“No big deal, just a few bowls. They’re not antiques or anything.” Xie Ling patted Qin Han’s back. “And even if they were, with your family’s wealth, buying a thousand or ten thousand more wouldn’t be an issue.”

A perfectly compatible Alpha-Omega pair was extremely sensitive to each other’s pheromones. Even though not a trace of Xie Ling’s pheromones had leaked out, Qin Han could still catch a faint, sweet floral scent in his breaths.

That hand on his back kept patting him rhythmically, now and then.

Qin Han felt the violent, oppressive emotions churning inside him gradually calm down.

Until Gu Ran came in from the balcony, now fully dressed.

Qin Han deliberately hugged Xie Ling tighter. “Sleep with me tonight, okay?”

Xie Ling blinked in confusion. “Why? You’re not heading home?”

“For our private business.” Qin Han glanced at Gu Ran, who had stopped not far away, a slight curve lifting the corner of his lips.

He usually treated people with a smile—never overly warm, but always polite and mild-mannered. He was the same with Gu Ran. But at this moment, facing the man who had just held Xie Ling naked in his arms, that pitiful mask finally slipped away.

In its place, Qin Han’s smile brimmed with chill and provocation.

Xie Ling had his back to the balcony and didn’t realize Gu Ran had come in, nor did he see the clash of smiles between Qin Han and him. Hearing this, he grew even more puzzled. “What private business do we have?”

Qin Han leaned in, his lips hovering just two or three centimeters from Xie Ling’s right ear, and whispered, “Forgot your heat period’s coming up soon?”

Xie Ling froze for a moment, then his ears inexplicably flushed red. He wasn’t sure if it was from Qin Han’s warm breath or something else.

True enough, judging by the dates, it was these next few days. Though he’d differentiated as an Omega long ago, his experience with heat periods was still like that of a total newbie. If Qin Han hadn’t mentioned it, he’d have completely forgotten.

He hadn’t remembered his own heat period, but Qin Han had kept track of it for him…

Xie Ling suddenly felt a bit uneasy. The hand resting on Qin Han’s back stiffened, and as he pondered what to do next, Gu Ran—who had been quietly observing them—spoke up. “It’s getting late. I’ll go sort and take out the trash.”

Xie Ling seized the opportunity. “I’ll come with you!”

With that, he gently pushed Qin Han away.

His arms suddenly empty, Qin Han clenched his fists despite himself. He was just about to come up with another excuse to pull Xie Ling back when Gu Ran chuckled softly. “No need, I can handle it. You’ve got class tomorrow—get some rest early.”

He added gently, “Oh, right—I’m handling some paperwork tomorrow, so I won’t be at school. Don’t bother looking for me at lunch.”

Xie Ling paused. A flicker of stagnation passed through his previously expressive eyes, and he murmured softly, “Alright then.”

~~~

After Gu Ran left, Xie Ling headed to the kitchen and chugged a full glass of water.

Qin Han leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching him, and tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Congrats on getting together with your senior.”

As he spoke, he dug his nails into his own flesh.

Only the pain could keep him grounded in basic sanity.

Xie Ling set down the glass and, after a moment, turned to Qin Han with a soft sigh. “Congrats on what? He didn’t agree.”

Qin Han blinked in surprise. “But you two already…”

Xie Ling’s eyelids drooped slightly as he recalled what Gu Ran had said when he’d stripped off his shirt and held him back then—

“Is this embrace doing anything for you?”

“I…”

“Little Ling, your eyes didn’t even change.”

“…I’ve just got superhuman self-control. Beauty doesn’t sway me!”

“Silly. Instincts aren’t that easy to suppress—especially when you really like someone.”

“Qin Han,” Xie Ling asked softly, “have you ever liked anyone?”

Qin Han stared at Xie Ling, wondering how to respond, when Xie Ling continued, “Never mind—I can guess you haven’t.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Heh.” Xie Ling walked over and patted Qin Han’s shoulder. “With your looks, if you actually liked someone, there’s no way you’d still be single.”

Qin Han’s brow arched slightly. “That much confidence in me?”

“Obviously. You’re a man on my level.”

Qin Han’s heart stirred. He grabbed Xie Ling’s hand—before the other could react—and pulled him back into an embrace.

Xie Ling jumped in surprise. “What’s up?”

He thought Qin Han was acting extra weird today. Beyond the routine pheromone treatment, he’d been hugging him over and over.

“An encouraging hug.” That was what Qin Han said, but out of Xie Ling’s sight, his smile spread wide, and the gloom that had weighed on him all evening finally broke like clouds parting before the sun.

He felt bad for the little guy, but he was truly thrilled. Just thinking about how this person didn’t belong to someone else made him want to laugh out loud.

“Don’t worry,” Qin Han said righteously, a glint of obsession flashing in his eyes. “Someday, someone perfect for you will show up. Someone who can’t live without you, who loves you to their core, who wants nothing more than to lock you away.”

“You’re scaring me a bit there, bro.” Xie Ling laughed, assuming Qin Han was just lightening the mood to comfort him.

In truth, even after being rejected by Gu Ran again, his heart wasn’t as heartbroken as he’d imagined. It just felt empty at the thought of Brother Gu Ran leaving—especially given the reason why.

“Brother Gu Ran said he’s going abroad to find his parents.”

Xie Ling wasn’t sure what had come over him. He wasn’t in the habit of confiding in others—it made him seem less like a strong Alpha—but right now, held in Qin Han’s arms, he couldn’t help wanting to say more.

He gave Qin Han a rough rundown of why Gu Ran was leaving.

“If Brother Gu Ran weren’t an Omega, would he really have to go?”

Qin Han paused, surprised that Xie Ling’s thoughts had circled back to the Omega issue.

“I know he prefers life here in the country. Back when he finished junior high, he didn’t even go abroad with his parents. But now, just because he differentiated as an Omega and he’s worried about his mom and dad freaking out… And he’s already in his senior year.”

“But didn’t your senior say he misses his parents too?” Qin Han replied. “It’s only natural for a kid to want to see their folks.”

Xie Ling paused again, suddenly remembering that Qin Han’s parents had both passed away. He hesitated, then patted and rubbed Qin Han’s back a couple times. “Yeah, true.”

That faint touch, barely worth noting, sent a powerful tremor through Qin Han’s heart. This guy… he still remembered.

“It’s late,” Qin Han said with a smile. “Class tomorrow—let’s head to bed.”

Xie Ling: “…” There it was again—that weird tone he couldn’t quite pin down.

He’d already revealed the gap in their secondary genders to Qin Han, and Xie Ling had never been too strict about boundaries in that regard. Normally, sharing a bed with Qin Han would be no big deal. But tonight…

He just wasn’t in the mood. He wanted to be alone.

“I’ll set up a guest room for you.” Xie Ling pulled out of Qin Han’s embrace. “I thrash around in my sleep—you bunking with me risks getting kicked half to death with a shattered bone or two in the middle of the night.”

Qin Han figured Xie Ling was just talking smack again and was about to fire back when Xie Ling walked off without a backward glance.

~~~

By the time self-study ended that evening, Xie Ling had finished all his homework. Back in his room, he sat blankly at his desk for a bit before picking up the sketchbook nearby. He flipped it open and started drawing.

The scratch of pen on paper filled the air. He didn’t know how much time passed before he dozed off.

He had a dream. The fragments were jumbled, but they all revolved around one youth.

First came a sunny afternoon. The youth pulled him to sit in a gentle, sunlit courtyard, where two small tables had been set up. One was piled high with chocolates, the other stacked with countless comic books.

“Next time Uncle visits, he’ll bring Little Ling more of these chocolates, okay?”

“Uncle wants to be a comic artist someday—what do you want to be, Little Ling?”

Xie Ling vaguely remembered that was second grade in elementary school.

The scene shifted. He was following Xie Cheng to a lavish, opulent mansion. One evening, as he passed a room—

“No!! Let me go!! Let me go!!”

“Don’t look… Little Ling, don’t look. Please, take him away!”

The youth was screaming in agony, his eyes brimming with desperate tears. Behind him, a tall, burly man pinned him down, teeth pressed against the youth’s gland in a forced marking. Blood stained the floor.

The fragment flipped again. Ambulances and police cars screeched to a halt at the mansion’s gates, sirens blaring. From the house to the front courtyard, paramedics carried a stretcher covered head to toe in white cloth, the youth lying beneath it.

Xie Ling remembered he was in fourth grade by then. He’d chased after the paramedics on wobbly legs, only for Xie Cheng to drag him back, hold him tight, and cover his eyes. “Be good, Little Ling. Don’t look. Be good.”

“Uncle!! Give me back my uncle!! Uncle!! Don’t you want Little Ling anymore?!”

“Uncle—”

“Xie Ling?! Xie Ling?! Wake up!” A muffled voice came from far away, yanking Xie Ling back from the overwhelming grief and terror.

He snapped his eyes open to find Qin Han’s handsome face looming close, somewhat blurry.

Qin Han stared at Xie Ling in a daze and reached toward his eyes. “Your eyes…”

“…I’m fine.” Xie Ling quickly wiped at his eyes, brushing away the tears.

He took a moment to steady himself, then lowered his head with a chuckle. “The sand these days is relentless. I was sleeping with my eyes shut tight, and it still managed to get in them.”

Qin Han fell silent for a beat, withdrawing his slightly trembling hand before forcing a smile. “Yeah, it’s pretty rude. Next time it acts up, just tell me. I’ll give it a talking-to.”

Xie Ling blinked, genuinely amused. “You’re a real tough guy, huh? Threatening the sand like that.”

He glanced at the little clock on the table. It was four-thirty in the morning.

Xie Ling frowned in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you cry out and came in.”

“No way? Was my yell seriously that loud, carrying all the way to the guest room? That’d put me on par with Old Cai. Nah, it’d rival the Roaring Emperor.”

It was hard to imagine that this teenager, lounging in the chair with a casual grin and chattering away so nonchalantly, had just woken up sobbing from a nightmare.

It was as if he’d long since grown accustomed to hiding all his inner turmoil behind this laid-back facade.

A sharp, piercing ache tugged at Qin Han’s heart, like flesh being hooked and dragged out inch by inch.

Qin Han tried his best to play it cool. “It wasn’t the guest room. I heard it from right outside the door.”

Xie Ling looked even more puzzled. “What were you doing up so early?”

“I wasn’t asleep.” Qin Han paused. “Last night, you looked… really worn out. I was worried you might need something during the night, so I kept watch by the door.”

Xie Ling stared at him, stunned. “You stood outside the door all night?”

“No.” Qin Han smiled faintly. “I sat on the floor with it, pondering the meaning of life.”

Only then did Xie Ling notice the Ahri Hug Pillow clutched in Qin Han’s other hand—the one from the living room sofa that he’d hugged before.

“…You really thought of everything. What could I possibly need?” A strange emotion bubbled up in Xie Ling’s chest, leaving his usually motor-mouthed tongue at a rare loss for words. “Was the floor cold?”

It was early November now, but as a top-tier Alpha, Qin Han’s constitution was exceptional to begin with. He’d spent the whole night focused on Xie Ling inside the room, so he hadn’t registered the floor’s chill at all.

But upon catching that rare flicker of concern in Xie Ling’s eyes, he curved his lips slightly and replied in a tone that was both pitiful and subtly enticing. “Pretty cold. Want to warm me up?”