A warm breath brushed against Xie Ling’s ear, hot and ticklish. He instinctively wanted to dodge but held himself still. Instead, the corner of his eye flicked upward in a provocative glance at Qin Han. “Who are you trying to scare?”
Qin Han’s lips curved into a smirk. One hand rested on the back of Xie Ling’s chair while the other lifted from the desk, inching toward him.
With a sharp scrape, Xie Ling yanked his chair back and stared at Qin Han in disbelief.
Damn, this guy actually meant to touch him??
“I’m not scaring you,” Qin Han said with a low chuckle. “I’m dead serious.”
Fuck. Xie Ling scooted his chair forward a bit. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy wasn’t just talking like a clingy dog—his actions were straight out of the same playbook.
It was class time, and with Zheng Qianqian and the entire class watching them, Xie Ling couldn’t think of a better comeback. So he held off on escalating things.
Qin Han went to the back of the room and hauled over the desk and chair Xie Ling had shoved aside.
The impending war fizzled out before it could start, and the classmates breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Zheng Qianqian watched the whole exchange with a grin from start to finish, her face lit up like this was exactly the kind of youthful energy she loved to see. She had zero intention of stepping in to mediate.
Qin Han slid his desk forward to line up with Zhang Chengrui’s and sat down. Before settling in, he even flashed him a polite smile.
It was a perfectly friendly gesture on paper, but somehow it made the usually outgoing Zhang Chengrui tense up.
“Y-you… hello.”
This big shot had an intense aura that kept people at arm’s length. And Zhang Chengrui, who’d been running with Xie Ling’s crew for ages, had never seen anyone who could make their Ling Bro come out on the losing end.
Zhang Chengrui scribbled a note and tossed it to Xia Yu: Sitting next to Qin God is way too much pressure QAQ.
Xia Yu lobbed it right back: How can you be so blind to good fortune?! (biting handkerchief in jealousy.jpg)
Zhang Chengrui: …
~~~
The day flew by. When school let out, Xie Ling didn’t join Zhang Chengrui and the others for basketball. Instead, he lounged lazily at his desk, working through math problems.
Jiangning No.1 High School was the top school in S City. Beyond regular homework, every subject came with a supplementary problem booklet—one per semester, handed out at the start of term. Students were expected to chip away at them in their spare time, with collections midway and at the end.
The problems were brutally tough. Even the high-achievers at First High could usually only grind through two or three pages after finishing daily assignments.
Xie Ling hadn’t paid much attention in class all day, but by dismissal, he’d already blazed through nearly half the booklet.
Xia Yu, who’d been in the same class as Xie Ling since freshman year, still couldn’t help muttering holy shit to himself at the sight. Was this guy even human?
He was like an emotionless problem-solving machine.
“Little Lingling, are you waiting for Brother Gu Ran to head home together?”
Xie Ling hummed in response. “I’m not comfortable leaving him alone.”
Gu Ran had originally been a Beta, but just a couple days ago, he’d undergone secondary differentiation into an Omega. On the day Xie Ling returned to school, Gu Ran had promised to go home with him, but the sudden differentiation had thrown his pheromones into chaos. He’d collapsed, weak all over, until a teacher spotted him and rushed him to the hospital.
If that had happened off-campus and some unscrupulous Alphas had come across him… Xie Ling didn’t even want to imagine the fallout.
Xia Yu nodded in full agreement. “Senior’s always been good-looking, but now as an Omega? He’s even more of a magnet. I heard three Alphas confessed to him just today.”
Xie Ling smiled faintly. “Brother Gu Ran won’t say yes anyway.”
Xia Yu blinked curiously. “How do you know?”
“He’s got nothing but studying on his mind right now. He hasn’t even said yes to someone as awesome as me, a top-tier Strong Alpha…”
Snap—
A crisp crack sounded from behind.
Qin Han’s mechanical pencil lead had snapped while he was drawing an auxiliary line.
Xie Ling didn’t turn around.
Xia Yu saw Qin Han click it a couple times with no luck. “I’ve got some spares here if you need one?”
“Thanks, but no need.” Qin Han gave a light smile. “I have replacements.”
Aaaahhhhh!!
What a great voice!
What a gorgeous smile!
A thousand prairie dogs screamed in unison inside Xia Yu’s head.
Until Xie Ling shot him a half-amused, half-mocking look.
The prairie dogs shut up.
Xia Yu chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I’m heading out then, Little Lingling. See you tomorrow!”
The classroom emptied out fast, until only Xie Ling and Qin Han remained.
Xie Ling picked up his pen and kept grinding problems. From behind came the occasional scratch of pen on paper—Qin Han was working too.
Other than that morning’s class meeting, they hadn’t exchanged a single word. Xie Ling wasn’t easily rattled; he could finish a full math paper in half the allotted time even in the middle of a noisy wet market. But right now, for some reason, he just couldn’t focus.
It hadn’t bothered him with the class full of people around. But now, alone with Qin Han, Xie Ling felt inexplicably restless, though he couldn’t pin down why.
Why hasn’t this guy left yet? Is his driver late? Back in middle school, the Qin Family driver was always waiting right on time at the gate.
Another twenty minutes dragged by, and the restlessness hadn’t faded. Xie Ling finally packed his bag and stood.
“High school seniors don’t get out for another hour,” Qin Han said, glancing at his watch. It was a casual question—”You going to find him now?”—but it inexplicably reminded Xie Ling of the old Qin Han who’d always check his watch and tell him what he could and couldn’t do.
“Occupational hazard?” Xie Ling scoffed. “Chairman Qin, you don’t actually think you’re still the chairman, do you? What business is it of yours if I go?”
Qin Han fell silent. He could sense the sharp edge of irritation radiating from Xie Ling.
Xie Ling slung his bag over one shoulder. His gaze lingered on Qin Han’s face for a second before he turned and walked out without a backward glance.
In the end, all Qin Han saw was the flutter of Xie Ling’s clothes as he passed through the back door.
He’d pissed him off again. Qin Han thought. Why couldn’t he hold back?
This couldn’t go on. He absolutely couldn’t repeat past mistakes.
~~~
Once home, Xie Ling dropped his bag in his room first. He was usually thrilled to head back with Gu Ran, and today was no different—he was still pretty happy. But something weighed on his mind.
He kept replaying that final exchange with Qin Han in the classroom, which dragged up memories from middle school.
Truth be told, even now, Xie Ling had no clue what had caused Qin Han’s sudden freakout back then—like a middle-aged auntie hitting menopause out of nowhere. Whatever it was, it had conditioned Xie Ling to react explosively to anything similar.
It was seriously annoying.
Xie Ling pulled out his phone, intending to call Zheng Qianqian and ask her to swap his seat with Qin Han’s to put some distance between them. That way, they wouldn’t end up throwing down over nothing.
He wasn’t afraid of a fight with Qin Han, but first off, his body wasn’t in great shape right now—not ideal for prolonged intense activity. And second, with his freakish martial arts skills, any brawl would turn into a bloodbath, leaving the whole class in ruins.
He was a good kid who cared about his classmates’ safety.
Xie Ling was about to dial when Xie Cheng’s call came in first.
“Little Ling. Dad found an Alpha with a compatibility match for you.”
Xie Ling’s heart skipped. “Really? How many?”
“…Just one. Top-tier Alphas are rare to begin with, and one with over 98% compatibility with you? One in a million.”
“I see. What’s his name? Where’s he living now?” Xie Ling caught the heaviness in Xie Cheng’s tone and felt a twinge of unease. “Is he… married already, or on his last legs?”
If he was married, forcing him to lend pheromones would make Xie Ling the ultimate homewrecker.
If he was dying, Xie Ling pictured some terminally ill old geezer or granny providing the pheromones and felt a wave of despair.
But if it wasn’t either of those, he couldn’t imagine what else would have the current head of the Xie Family so troubled.
“He’s in perfect health, and single. About your age.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He’s been in the States until recently—came back a couple days ago. He’s at your school now.” Xie Cheng paused before adding, “His name’s Qin Han.”
Xie Ling: “…”
Fuck.
Freshly back from the States, named Qin Han—who else at school but his new back-desk neighbor?
“You know something about the Qin Family situation, I assume.” Xie Cheng sounded hesitant. “What’s your relationship with Qin Han like? The records say you were middle school classmates.”
When Xie Ling was in middle school, Xie Cheng had already moved out from living with him and his mom. And Xie Ling never aired school drama to his parents, so Xie Cheng was clueless about the bad blood between his son and Qin Han.
If it were anyone else, even if they refused to help, Xie Cheng could leverage the Xie Family’s power to persuade them. But Qin Han was a different story.
Qin Han was the third young master of the Qin Family. Like the Xie Family, the Qins were one of the nation’s top clans—in heritage and influence, they might even have a slight edge. If Qin Han said no, there was nothing Xie Cheng could do.
Even negotiating as the Xie Family head wouldn’t fly. The Qins were notorious for their strict house rules, and Old Madam Qin would never let her grandson casually mark some random Omega—especially since Xie Ling’s status as one wasn’t public knowledge yet.
In this scenario, Xie Cheng could only pin his hopes on some classmate camaraderie between his son and Qin Han.
But honestly, Xie Cheng had met Qin Han once at a gathering. The kid didn’t strike him as the type to spark that kind of bond with a peer.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re not close.” Xie Cheng lacked confidence deep down, but he offered reassurance anyway. “In a couple of days, Dad’s heading over to discuss some business with the Qin Family. At that point…”
“Super close.” Xie Ling cut Xie Cheng off, bullshitting shamelessly. “Back in junior high, we were tightest bros. We’ve climbed mountains together, crossed oceans, sworn blood brotherhood, and even vowed to roam the world side by side after graduation.”
“…Really?” Xie Cheng couldn’t picture Qin Han and his son pulling off feats like mountain-climbing expeditions, seafaring adventures, or dramatic oath-swearing ceremonies.
“Totally real.” Xie Ling flashed a smile. “Don’t you know how charismatic your son is?”
That much was true.
His boy had been a charmer since he was little. No matter the school, teachers and classmates always sang his praises. Qin Han had probably fallen under the same spell.
Xie Cheng let out a relieved breath. “Then tomorrow at school, track him down quick and get his help. The sooner we sort out your issue, the better… Oh, right—Qin Han’s got a solid character, yeah?”
The kid was from the Qin Family and buddies with his son, so his morals had to be sound. Still, Xie Cheng had to ask. He had no leverage over Qin Han, after all. If the guy turned out to be a jerk and pressured Xie Ling with pheromones, things could get ugly fast.
“Character… top-notch.” Xie Ling grinned, his teeth practically grinding. “A perfect gentleman.”
“Excellent. Call Dad once it’s handled so I can thank him properly in person.”
Xie Ling agreed with a smile. But the moment he hung up, his upturned lips drooped visibly.
Fucking blood brotherhood. Fucking perfect gentleman.
Xie Ling inwardly cringed at his own lies.
He felt like the heavens were out to get him.
Back when things were good between him and Qin Han, he would’ve been thrilled it was Qin Han helping—way better than some shady stranger.
But now? He’d take the stranger any day.
Xie Ling lay awake most of the night stewing over it. The next morning, he dragged himself out of bed at the crack of dawn.
His mom was still out cold. Xie Ling headed to the kitchen and steamed a batch of buns on his own. He bagged two meat-filled ones to go and stashed the rest in an insulated box. Before heading out, he left a note: Loving breakfast from your most outstanding son.
~~~
Jiangning No.1 High School unlocked its gates as early as 6:15, but aside from the graduating classes, almost no one showed up that soon.
Of course, there were always the bored types with nothing better to do. Xie Ling reached the back door of the classroom and spotted Qin Han right where he expected—already seated inside, scribbling away at a practice test.
The guy had been the first one there every day in junior high, come rain or shine. Three years in America hadn’t changed a thing.
Xie Ling slipped in through the back door, his steps faltering for half a second as he passed Qin Han.
“Morning.” Qin Han glanced up from his paper with a smile.
Xie Ling said nothing. He made his way to his own seat, his mind replaying the previous night’s chat with Xie Cheng.
Behind him, Qin Han’s pen had shifted from steady writing to idle doodling on the test sheet.
Yesterday’s after-school awkwardness lingered; he needed to smooth things over.
Roughly half a minute ticked by. Qin Han lifted his head, ready to break the ice, when Xie Ling whipped around without warning.
Qin Han’s eyes locked onto Xie Ling’s strikingly handsome face. “Let me smell your pheromones,” Xie Ling said.
