After the first monthly exam, Xie Ling and Qin Han tied for first place in the grade once again.
During self-study class, after Zheng Qianqian announced the scores and rankings, Xie Ling’s tense body finally relaxed a little.
Qin Han, sitting beside him, watched that small motion and felt his heart stir restlessly.
In the past, whenever scores were announced, Xie Ling never paid any attention and just went about his business. This time, though, he had been so nervous—anyone could guess who it was for.
As Xie Ling’s hand, resting on the desk, relaxed and drooped down, Qin Han instinctively reached out to grab it. But before he could make contact, Xie Ling nimbly dodged.
“The 38th parallel,” Xie Ling warned with a smile.
Qin Han glanced at the narrow gap between their desks. Just as he was about to shamelessly cross it, he saw Xie Ling pick up the mechanical pencil from the desk.
Lately, Qin Han had been using all sorts of excuses—tired from studying, tired from company matters, just plain exhausted—to sneak a touch of Xie Ling for a quick energy boost.
Xie Ling could see how hard he was working and always ended up softening, which made their so-called 38th parallel basically meaningless.
Today, with one major weight off his mind, Xie Ling was in a good mood and determined to lay down the law with Qin Han.
Seeing how serious the little guy seemed, Qin Han lowered his gaze. “Little Ling…”
With all thirty-six classmates in the room and Zheng Qianqian up front analyzing the overall exam results, Qin Han’s sudden call sent tingles racing from Xie Ling’s head to his toes.
Xie Ling whispered back, “Cut it out. Pay attention to the lesson.”
Qin Han put on a pitiful expression. “I want to touch you. Otherwise, I can’t focus.”
…
Here we go again. Xie Ling steeled his resolve. “Rules are rules.”
Qin Han’s eyelashes fluttered. “What if I let you poke me once? Then can I hold your hand?”
Xie Ling froze for a second, still processing, when he saw Qin Han about to slam his hand onto the pencil lead.
Xie Ling grabbed his hand at once. “Are you insane?!”
He had only meant to scare Qin Han, not actually poke him. He had seen news stories before about pencil lead getting stuck in someone’s palm and causing an infection because it wasn’t treated promptly.
“I’ve been insane for a while,” Qin Han said with a soft chuckle. “Ever since I fell for you.”
Xie Ling: “…”
A clear cough came from the front of the room.
Zheng Qianqian had been watching the two of them for a while now. She had held her tongue at first, but seeing them actually holding hands during class, she couldn’t help laughing. “You two grade first-placers—even if this is self-study and you don’t need to hear my review tips, it’s still class time. Don’t you think you’re getting a bit carried away?”
Her words had the whole class whipping their heads around to zero in on the pair.
Once they saw the two boys’ positions, a wave of commotion swept through the room.
Zhang Chengrui gleefully tugged at Xia Yu. “Hey, hey, hey—did Qin God finally win him over?”
Xia Yu’s eyes sparkled with gossip. “Nah, check it out. Their 38th parallel is still right there.”
Zhang Chengrui looked puzzled. “Then why’s Ling Bro the one holding Qin God’s hand?”
Xia Yu snickered. “That’s Qin God’s talent for you. Take notes.”
They went back and forth, thinking they were keeping it quiet, but the classmates around them heard every word and burst into stifled laughter.
Zheng Qianqian arched a brow. “Not letting go yet, Ling Bro? You two are that close now?”
Xie Ling finally snapped out of the teasing chorus. He immediately released Qin Han’s hand and opened his mouth to speak, but a classmate beat him to it with a laugh. “Teacher, I know! This is their socialist brotherhood hitting a new milestone!”
Everyone already knew about Qin Han pursuing Xie Ling, so the class dissolved into laughter. Even Zheng Qianqian joined in.
Xie Ling’s ears grew redder by the second. He scooted his desk a little farther out.
He had to widen that 38th parallel!
The class laughed even harder at the sight.
Zheng Qianqian was having fun with her students, but she still had her duties as a teacher. “Alright, settle down. If I have to call in Director Cai, we’ll all be in hot water.”
Xie Ling seized the opportunity. “Exactly, everyone. Quiet please.”
Qin Han could tell Xie Ling was about to combust on the spot, so he knew when to quit. He smiled, turned his attention seriously to Zheng Qianqian, and pretended to listen intently.
With the two big shots behaving and the teacher laying down the law, the class finally quieted. Only Xia Yu, still itching for mischief, whispered to Zhang Chengrui from the back row, “See that? That’s what wife singing along with husband looks like.”
Xie Ling: “…”
~~~
In two weeks, the school’s Art Festival would kick off. After wrapping up her analysis of the monthly exam results, Zheng Qianqian emphasized the event heavily. This year’s festival coincided with the school’s seventieth anniversary celebration, so the administration was going all out. The whole school, including the senior year, would get a day off. Seniors, weighed down by their heavy workload, could skip rehearsals and just watch, but every other grade’s classes had to prepare a performance and a play.
The Drama Club had provided uniform scripts for the plays, and each class sent a rep to draw lots for their assignment.
After class, Liu Fei returned with the script they had drawn.
After reading it over, Qin Han smiled at Xie Ling. “You gonna act?”
“Of course. Our class’s stage play without me would be a billion-yuan loss.” Xie Ling had always been enthusiastic about these activities and had a real talent for them. He turned the question back. “What about you?”
Qin Han smiled. “I’ll act.”
Xie Ling blinked in surprise. He had only asked casually, knowing Qin Han usually had zero interest in this stuff. He had been ready to coax him into joining, but hadn’t expected such a straightforward yes.
“Nice one, bro. Strong sense of collective duty these days.”
Qin Han just smiled. “Not really. There’s just a role in here that suits me perfectly.”
Xie Ling was about to respond when Qin Han added, “Besides, I don’t want to miss any event you’re in.”
The two guys in the back row who overheard: “Yoooooo~”
Xie Ling’s face heated up. He didn’t want to look like a pushover in front of the bros, so he played it cool with a grin. “The Aruba game in the Small Woods has me in it too, Qin God. You signing up?”
Qin Han thought for a moment. “That one’s got some risks, and it’s not exactly classy with everyone watching.”
Xie Ling secretly agreed, which was why he only ever watched those things—and no one dared let him play anyway. Still, he was thrilled to have gotten one over on Qin Han for once. He was gearing up to tease him some more when Qin Han leaned in and murmured, “If you’re into that sort of thing, I can take you straight to the bathroom.”
Xie Ling: “?”
“Don’t worry, I can handle you all by myself. I’ll make sure you feel good—no need to brace against a pole.” His voice dropped even lower. “That spot of yours… only I get to touch it.”
“…Qin Han!!”
Xia Yu and Zhang Chengrui hadn’t caught the rest of it. They just saw Xie Ling’s face turning redder and redder, which set them off laughing. “Hahahahahaha! Qin God, you’re the man!”
Xie Ling: …Damn it.
~~~
With the event looming and time short, the school demanded cast lists the very next day.
Mu Yin had switched roles this semester, from organization committee member to arts committee member. During lunch break, she went around discussing parts with the kids who had signed up.
When she got to Xie Ling, he flashed a confident smile. “No need to discuss. Just put my name down for Hades.”
Their class had drawn a Drama Club adaptation of a Greek myth—the story of Hades, the lord of the underworld, and Persephone, the goddess of spring.
Mu Yin touched her nose awkwardly. “Um, Ling Bro…”
“Sorry,” Qin Han cut in, sensing her hesitation. He turned to Xie Ling. “I really like this role, so I talked to Mu Yin last night about giving it to me.”
Xie Ling remembered what Qin Han had said after reading the script. He smiled. “No need to apologize. If you like it, go for it. And yeah, I think it suits you too.”
According to the script’s description, Hades was peerlessly handsome, with the aloof air of a lone flower atop a high mountain. The first person Xie Ling had thought of was Qin Han.
Sure, it was a shame he wouldn’t be playing the lead, but he was genuinely looking forward to seeing Qin Han in the part. And after knowing him so long, it was rare to hear Qin Han say he liked something… well, aside from him. Xie Ling was happy to yield.
He asked Mu Yin, “So, what other roles do you think fit me? The side characters all look pretty cool and fun—ABO, whatever. Just slot me in.”
Mu Yin touched her nose again, her eyes flickering with a mix of nerves and excitement. “Well, Ling Bro… I still think you should play the lead.”
Xie Ling paused. “But…”
“Apart from Hades, isn’t there another lead?”
Xie Ling’s expression grew complicated. “Persephone’s primary gender seems to be female.”
Mu Yin shot back without missing a beat. “Oh, come on, you can cross-dress! That’s super common in plays. And with your skills, Ling Bro, only a tough role like that can really show off your talent.”
Too bad Zhang Chengrui was out buying her milk tea. Otherwise, with his usual hype for Xie Ling, her odds of success would have been even higher.
Xie Ling did feel a bit flattered by the praise, but dressing in drag…
As he hesitated, he suddenly noticed Mu Yin and Qin Han exchanging glances. A realization hit him.
Persephone was Hades’ queen of the underworld. If Qin Han played Hades and he played Persephone… wouldn’t that make them a married couple onstage??
Xie Ling was just about to say something when Qin Han seemed to read his mind. With an utterly innocent expression, he said, “I didn’t team up with her. If you don’t believe me, you can check our chat history from yesterday.”
With that, he pulled out his phone and handed it to Xie Ling.
Aaaah! So adorable! How was this doting vibe where he was always ready to hand over his phone for his wife to inspect?!
Mu Yin fought back the urge to squeal. “Ling Bro, Ling Bro, it has nothing to do with Qin God. It was my idea to have you cross-dress for the role. First, I trust your acting skills, and I think it suits you perfectly. Second…”
She grinned mischievously. “Your ship with him has been blowing up lately. If you two acted together, our class would lock in the student votes for the awards, no question. Ling Bro, for the glory of our class, won’t you at least think about it?”
“You make a compelling case,” said Little Xie Ling, who always put the collective’s honor above all else. He fell into deep contemplation.
Qin Han stifled a sneaky chuckle. He truly hadn’t schemed with Mu Yin, but since he was playing Hades, who else would she cast as Persephone? He could figure that out with his eyes closed.
Still, he knew convincing Xie Ling to take the role wouldn’t be easy. As he pondered how to broach it, Zheng Qianqian suddenly walked in. “Alright, everyone, back to your seats. Let me introduce our new classmate.”
“Holy shit? A transfer student at this time of year?”
“Must be another academic god. Wonder if they’re an Alpha, Beta, or Omega.”
“Woo, I hope it’s another hunky Alpha!”
“Nah, send us a pretty, soft Omega. I’m parched over here.”
The class erupted in a chorus of chatter. But the moment Zheng Qianqian led the new student in, silence fell over the room.
Xie Ling had been midway through replying to a message on his phone when the noise died down. He wondered if another drop-dead gorgeous hunk or beauty had arrived to steal everyone’s breath. Lifting his head, he froze.
The newcomer at the front of the classroom was indeed stunning—not just beautiful, but strikingly familiar.
The young man curved his eyes into a smile as he scanned the room. His gaze lingered for a moment on Qin Han before he greeted everyone warmly. “Hello, everyone. I’m Lin Mo. Nice to meet you all—please take good care of me.”
