His voice was sticky and lingering, as if it could hook away a person’s very soul.
Qin Han felt his reason crumbling bit by bit. If there weren’t so many people around, he definitely would have…
He ground his back molars, indulging Xie Ling as the young man poured glass after glass of liquor into him.
Truth be told, he rather wanted to get drunk. He wanted to see just how Xie Ling would make good on those words with actions.
Unfortunately, the last time had been an act on his part—drunkenness had ruined everything. He’d undergone special training since childhood, so his alcohol tolerance was exceptional. No ordinary amount of drinking could get him wasted.
In the end, it was the one doing the pouring who got drunk first.
Qin Han looked down at Xie Ling, who had collapsed into his arms still clamoring for more drinks. He smiled at the rest of the table. “He’s drunk. I’m taking him back. You all keep having fun.”
“Take care, Qin God!!”
“May you and Ling Bro burn with passion till dawn!”
“Holy shit, that’s hot! I want a boyfriend too, boo hoo hoo!”
Xie Ling’s mind was a total fog by now. He vaguely heard someone mention “boyfriend” and immediately hooked his arms around Qin Han’s neck, pressing himself close.
It was a thoroughly possessive move.
He buried his face in the crook of Qin Han’s neck, nuzzling against it like a little kitten before mumbling, “Boyfriend. Mine.”
Qin Han: “…” This little tease.
~~~
Xie Ling was roused by a sliver of sunlight sneaking through the gap in the curtains. He slowly opened his eyes, his mind a bit foggy and his body still feeling weak.
The moment he realized he was only wearing a tank top up top and a pair of boxer shorts down below, he bolted upright.
Judging by the layout, this had to be a hotel room.
As he sat there in puzzled shock, the bathroom door beside him swung open.
Qin Han stepped out, his lower half wrapped in a towel while the rest of him was bare, a sheen of steam still clinging to his skin.
Xie Ling: “……???”
Seeing the dazed look on his face, Qin Han chuckled. “Awake?”
Xie Ling blinked. “How did I end up here?”
Qin Han explained as he toweled off his hair. “You got drunk last night.”
Xie Ling let out an “oh,” then felt something was off. “No way. I remember I can hold my liquor better than you. You downed so much red and white last night…”
Seeing the deepening smile on Qin Han’s face, Xie Ling suddenly realized. “You tricked me last time?!”
Worried that Xie Ling might get mad at him for the deception, Qin Han sidled up slowly, putting on a pitiful expression. “Sorry. I liked you so much back then, I didn’t dare kiss you when I was sober. Had to fake being drunk.”
Xie Ling didn’t respond, just stared at Qin Han’s body with wide eyes.
Qin Han smirked inwardly and leaned in closer, like a seductive fox spirit tempting an emperor. He breathed softly into Xie Ling’s ear. “Your Majesty, does it look good?”
Xie Ling’s ears instantly flushed red. Qin Han’s physique was flawless—eight-pack abs firm and powerful, a graceful V-line trailing from his abdomen down to the secrets hidden beneath the towel.
Xie Ling suddenly found his throat dry. Without thinking, he said, “Looks good.”
Then, as if remembering something, he met Qin Han’s enticing gaze, reached out, and ran his hand over those abs. With a teasing grin, he added, “Feels nice too.”
…
Qin God never imagined Xie Ling would actually touch him.
First there were the no-touching lines and boundaries, and now that they’d made it official, this little guy was…
Qin Han’s eyes darkened. He pushed Xie Ling’s shoulders, pinning him to the bed for a deep kiss.
This time, Xie Ling had learned a few things. Not only did he remember to breathe, but he even took the initiative to tangle his tongue with Qin Han’s. Still, Qin Han’s assault was too fierce. When they finally parted, Xie Ling was a complete mess.
His face flushed, he sank into the bedding, lips parted, his tank top a tangled wreck from the tussle.
Qin Han’s breathing was ragged, his pheromones starting to fluctuate unstably. He stared at the disheveled Xie Ling for a moment before tearing his gaze away and heading back to the bathroom.
But Xie Ling grabbed his arm. Even after barely handling that kiss, he grinned recklessly now. “Don’t you want my help?”
…
Qin Han decided this little guy was out to torment him to death.
He leaned down and planted a restrained kiss on Xie Ling’s forehead. “Little one, are you even an adult yet?”
Xie Ling blinked. “Next month.”
“So you’re trying to make me commit a crime like this?”
Xie Ling seemed to catch on. “But last night, we…”
Seeing the confusion on his face, Qin Han knew he’d misunderstood and let out a low chuckle. “Underestimating me?”
As he spoke, his fingers toyed with strands of Xie Ling’s hair, his tone laced with danger and aggression. “If anything had really happened last night, do you think you’d have the strength to talk right now?”
Xie Ling’s face burned even redder, but he refused to back down. He even boldly pinched Qin Han’s cheek. “So confident, huh? We’ll see how you perform from now on.”
~~~
This hotel was right across from the school. Even though it was Saturday, plenty of senior-year students and teachers were still on campus. To avoid any messy rumors, the two holed up in the room through lunch and ordered takeout.
When the food arrived, Qin Han emerged from the bathroom. Xie Ling had already pulled on his school T-shirt and was about to shrug into his jacket when something tumbled from the pocket.
A pack of cigarettes.
Qin Han froze for a second, snatching it up before Xie Ling could. “When did you start smoking?”
Xie Ling laughed casually. “When you were ignoring me.”
He’d meant it as a joke, but then he saw Qin Han bow his head. A glance showed the pack was already crushed in his fist.
“Sorry.” Qin Han’s hand trembled slightly.
Back then, Lin Mo had him by the throat, and he’d missed so much about Xie Ling. He never imagined the little guy had picked up smoking behind his back…
Seeing him like this, Xie Ling panicked. “Hey, no, I was just kidding. I bought them out of curiosity and tried a few.”
But Qin Han wasn’t comforted. His mind raced with how he’d hurt Xie Ling, even leading him to pick up this nasty habit. His heart ached as he repeatedly vowed in remorse, “It won’t happen again.”
He hadn’t been idle during that blackmail period. He’d secretly tasked Qin Huai with digging up dirt on Lin Mo. Not only did he no longer have any weaknesses for the guy to exploit, but even if he did, Qin Han was confident he could make Lin Mo panic and scram.
Xie Ling’s heart both hurt and warmed at the sight of Qin Han shaking. He stepped forward and hugged him tight. “Really, it’s fine. It’s not like I’m doing drugs. And honestly, I’ve been enjoying the taste lately.”
“No smoking from now on.”
It was the firmest tone Qin Han had used with him since transferring schools. Xie Ling paused, then smiled. “So bossy. You smoke too, don’t you?”
“…No smoking anyway. It’s bad for your health.” As he spoke, Qin Han pinched a sensitive spot on Xie Ling’s waist and murmured, “Got it?”
Caught by his weak spot, Xie Ling nearly said yes on reflex, but he caught himself. Pausing, he chuckled lightly. “Want me to agree? You’re taking away my new hobby. Shouldn’t you make it up to me?”
Qin Han could tell from his voice that the little guy was getting feisty again. A doting light filled his eyes as he smiled softly. “What kind of compensation do you want?”
His gaze swept over the takeout boxes on the table. Xie Ling suggested, “You have to feed me.”
Qin Han paused, then laughed. “Alright.”
He picked a small red bean bun from one of the boxes. Xie Ling opened his mouth expectantly, but Qin Han pulled his hand back at the last second.
Little Xie Ling complained, “No fair, teasing like that.”
Qin Han smiled. “Not teasing. Just want to borrow a bit of the bun’s charm.”
He took a small bite, then slowly leaned in, brushing the other side against Xie Ling’s lips in a muffled tease. “Open up, baby.”
…
Damn.
How was this guy so good at this??
~~~
With the Art Festival over, the school had no major events left. If they wanted fun, they’d have to make their own.
The midterms were a joint exam, and after three straight days of intense review, Zhang Chengrui cracked first.
Before self-study class, he rallied a few bros and nudged Xie Ling from behind. “Ling Bro, Ling Bro, net cafe next period? I already roped in Xiao Yanfei—he’s coming too.”
Xie Ling had been feeling worn out these past couple days too. He was about to say yes when something occurred to him. He smiled. “Nah, you guys go ahead. Have fun.”
Xia Yu blinked in surprise. “Huh, Little Lingling, you’re skipping? Why?”
Xie Ling glanced at Qin Han beside him.
Lately, Qin Han had been buried in the business management books his grandmother had shoved at him. Besides the midterms, he had family exams to deal with too, stretched taut like a strung bow.
Luckily, Lin Mo had transferred out the week after the Art Festival ended. No one knew why, but it had spared Qin Han a ton of effort dealing with him.
“To stay and keep your Qin God company.”
He grinned mischievously, prompting a chorus of ghostly howls from the group. “Dog food alert! Run for your lives, bros!”
Xia Yu tsked in admiration. “Love’s power is truly magical. Qin God’s got skills—turning a wild one like our Little Lingling straight.”
Xie Ling laughed. “Jealous? You could ask Xiao Bro to straighten you out too, haha!”
The barrage of gossip instantly zeroed in on Xia Yu. Blushing furiously, he turned to Qin Han. “Qin God, aren’t you going to rein in Little Lingling?!”
Qin Han glanced at Xie Ling with a warm smile playing on his lips. “I can’t control him. I listen to what he says.”
The crowd let out a chorus of whoops and cheers.
Zhang Chengrui exclaimed, “Oh my god! Has Qin God tumbled off his pedestal? I’ve just witnessed the fall of a deity!”
It wasn’t until everyone had finally filed out amid the commotion that Qin Han noticed the ears of a certain someone—who’d been bouncing around full of energy just moments ago—were now flushed bright red.
An itch stirred in his heart. Qin Han reached out and gently pinched Xie Ling’s ear. “You really don’t want to go have some fun?”
Xie Ling smiled. “Nah. I just want to stay here with you. What, you unhappy about that?”
“Happy.” Happy didn’t even begin to cover it. With Xie Ling so eagerly choosing to stick by his side, Qin Han felt like he might burst with joy. He smiled back. “But I want you to be happy even more.”
“Being right here with you is what makes me happiest right now… What’s up?”
Seeing Qin Han suddenly lean in close, Xie Ling felt a flush of heat creep across his forehead.
Feigning a playful flirtation, he grinned. “Why’re you getting so close? You want me to kiss you or something?”
The moment he spoke in that sweet, teasing tone, Qin Han’s soul seemed to drift straight to the clouds. “And what if I do?”
Xie Ling had only said it offhand, especially since there were still people in the classroom. But thinking of how exhausted Qin Han had been lately, he leaned in anyway and planted a quick peck on his lips. As he pulled back, he even gave them a light lick.
Qin Han’s gaze darkened in an instant. He held himself back—once, twice—but couldn’t anymore. With a swift turn, he pinned Xie Ling back into the chair, trapping him between the curve of his arms and the chair’s backrest.
Xie Ling faintly heard the hoots and hollers from the few remaining classmates in the room.
He paid them no mind, though. Instead, his ears reddening further, he laughed. “What’s wrong? Not satisfied?”
Qin Han gazed at him intently for a long moment. Then he crooked a finger and lightly scraped Xie Ling’s cheek, releasing a restrained sigh. “Do you have any idea how much you’re spoiling me like this?”
Seeing how thoroughly he’d unraveled Qin Han, Xie Ling’s heart swelled with satisfaction. “So what? I like spoiling you.”
Qin Han squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. His fingers trailed downward to Xie Ling’s brazen mouth, his thumb rubbing back and forth over those lips.
The once-pale color slowly deepened to red. Qin Han leaned in and nipped at them gently, his voice coming out husky. “Keep spoiling me like this, and I won’t be able to hold back from playing with you until you break.”
