Chapter 40

That one sentence was like tossing dry tinder onto an already roaring fire.

A fierce wave of heat surged up from Qin Han’s throat and straight to the crown of his head. Words tumbled out before he could think: “You like it?”

Xie Ling froze for a second.

Qin Han realized how that had sounded and quickly laughed it off. “Just kidding.”

Xie Ling made a small noise of acknowledgment and pinched his burning-hot ear. To be honest, he thought his reaction was anything but manly. It was just an accidental brush against that thing—why was he freaking out like this?!

Xie Ling cleared his throat, trying his best to look like a man of the world. “Actually…”

“I think your size is pretty impressive too.”

!!!

Those words instantly silenced Xie Ling, who had been trying to change the subject.

“You…” Stay calm, Xie Ling told himself. He coughed lightly. “It’s true, but how would you know if you’ve never seen it?”

Qin Han’s gaze drifted downward to the hand Xie Ling had resting on the sofa.

“I’m guessing.” The corner of Qin Han’s mouth curved up. “I heard there’s a correlation between a guy’s size and the size of his hands.”

That hand had distinct knuckles and was pale and slender.

Qin Han stared at it without moving.

Xie Ling: !!!

What was going on here?

Why did the atmosphere suddenly feel… weird?

Xie Ling shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny and instinctively curled his fingers.

“Ling Bro! Ling Bro!” Zhang Chengrui and the others had figured that with these two gods duking it out, mere mortals like them should steer clear. But when the argument fizzled out, they couldn’t resist calling out.

Xie Ling heard their footsteps rushing over and inexplicably let out a breath of relief. Then another realization hit him.

Qin Han still had that cream smeared on him from where Xie Ling had wiped it!

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, Xie Ling shoved Qin Han with a quick slap of his palm, pushing him back fully onto the sofa. He leaned in close and whispered urgently, “Curl your legs up, curl your legs up.”

Qin Han caught on to what Xie Ling was doing and couldn’t resist teasing. “It was just an accident. You can explain it away—no need to be shy.”

“I’m not shy!” Xie Ling’s ears burned. “I’m just thinking about your image. You’re the school heartthrob; you can’t let a little cream ruin that… right?”

Qin Han chuckled. Truth be told, he didn’t care—in fact, he was a little curious what Zhang Chengrui and the others would think if they saw Xie Ling wiping cream on him down there.

But seeing Xie Ling in such a panic, he obediently followed instructions. He planted his feet on the sofa and drew up his knees. Once Qin Han was settled, Xie Ling scooted his butt back, blocking him from view.

An Omega’s frame was slimmer than an Alpha’s, so Xie Ling couldn’t hide him completely, but he managed to cover the crucial spot.

Zhang Chengrui and the others arrived just then. They paused, eyeing the odd posture.

Xia Yu tilted his head. “Little Lingling, what are you two up to?”

Xie Ling coolly quirked his lips. “Nothing. We just called a truce after the fight.”

“Ling Bro, this truce pose looks kinda weird. What’s Qin God doing back there?” Zhang Chengrui craned his neck, trying to peek at Qin Han.

Xie Ling instinctively straightened his back. “It’s a special recovery pose for experts. Helps you catch your breath, build up your energy, and advance your skills.”

Okay.

They had no idea what that meant.

But it sounded impressive.

Zhang Chengrui perked up. “Take me along then! I wanna advance my skills too!”

“No can do.” Xie Ling shook his head. “This technique is only for dual cultivation between two people—ow!”

Xiao Yanfei blinked. “What happened?”

Xie Ling: “…Nothing.”

Was it his imagination? He swore Qin Han had just tickled the small of his back!

Xiao Yanfei glanced at the unnatural expression on Xie Ling’s face, then at Qin Han peeking out from behind him. Suddenly, it clicked.

“Then later, Ling Bro, you can dual cultivate with me too—mmph!”

His mouth was abruptly covered. Zhang Chengrui tried to pry Xiao Yanfei’s hand off but couldn’t budge it.

Xiao Yanfei: “Shut it, birthday boy. Go take a shower—cream left on too long will rot your skin. Then your little girlfriend won’t want you anymore.”

“Ah!!!” Xia Yu yelped in alarm. “For real? I gotta go too. Hey, why didn’t you say so earlier? I would’ve gone with Mu Yin and them.”

The group scattered in a noisy rush. Xiao Yanfei dragged Zhang Chengrui upstairs like a corpse.

Once they were gone, Xie Ling slumped like a deflated balloon, his rigid spine finally relaxing. He turned to Qin Han, puzzled. “Bro, why’d you tickle me?”

A tickle was one thing—but the small of his back, his most ticklish spot!

Qin Han smiled. “I heard you mention dual cultivation and wanted to remind you.”

Xie Ling blinked. “Of what?”

Qin Han stared at his face for a moment before saying, “There’s a fanfiction about us on the campus forum. It’s a cultivation story…”

Xie Ling: “…” He had a bad feeling.

“It mentions dual cultivation too. I hear the term usually refers to… intimate activities between dao companions.”

“Wait, wait!” Xie Ling cut him off.

Qin Han gazed at him innocently.

Xie Ling coughed. “I think you really need to read some proper books. Obsessing over those novels is dangerous. Like this—Old Zhang gave everyone in Math Competition Class a copy of A History of Mathematics when I stopped by today. After my shower, I’ll lend you mine to cleanse your soul?”

“…Sure.” Qin Han held back a laugh. “I’ll come to your room after I clean up.”

Xie Ling nodded at first, then paused. Why did it always feel off when he went along with Qin Han?

~~~

Every bedroom in the villa had its own private bathroom. After Xia Yu finished showering, Xie Ling went in. As he was drying off and getting dressed, he heard Xia Yu outside say, “Little Lingling, they say we’re hitting the downstairs home theater for some karaoke later!”

“Sounds good. I’ve learned a couple new songs lately—I’ll show off for you guys.” Xie Ling spoke to his reflection in the mirror as he applied a barrier patch to the back of his neck.

“Awesome! Sing a bunch, and I’ll record them for the girls in our group chat to use as alarms. Hey, what do you want to drink? I’ll grab it from the fridge.”

Xie Ling: “Gamer soda, thanks.”

“You got it.” Xia Yu headed out, but as he opened the door, he erupted into a string of squawks. “Aaaah!”

Xie Ling jumped and yanked open the bathroom door. “What? What’s wrong…”

Then he saw Qin Han standing in the doorway.

Qin Han had already showered, his hair blow-dried but still slightly damp, sleek against his cheeks. He’d changed into a dark blue bathrobe with a slanted collar that hung open just enough to reveal his firm, muscled chest.

Even Xie Ling had to admit it was captivating.

With looks and aura like that, he was straight out of a 2D anime—a top-tier bishounen.

Qin Han glanced at Xie Ling, then smiled at Xia Yu. “I’m here to see Xie Ling about something.”

“Sure, sure! You guys chat. I’ll get your drinks. What do you want, Qin God?”

Qin Han thought for a second. “Mineral water’s fine. Thanks.”

Aaaah!

So handsome!! That smile was killing him!!

Awei was done for!!

Xia Yu bolted out, shrieking a few more times from the end of the hall.

Xie Ling couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “Damn, bro, what happened to you?”

He stepped closer to Qin Han and noticed the crisscrossing red marks on his pale chest, disappearing under the robe.

Qin Han glanced down. A while back, he’d lost it over the Zhou Haoxuan incident, which had triggered his susceptible period early—and made it last longer than usual. For the past couple nights, Qin Huai had chained him up at the research institute for treatment. These were the marks left behind.

“…I ditched the physics competition last time.” Qin Han lowered his eyelids, putting on a pitiful act. He hadn’t done anything dramatic, but his words carried an air of vulnerability. “Grandma punished me for it.”

Xie Ling: ???

Xie Ling looked shocked. “It’s 2022—you’re 18 years old—and she’s still punishing you?”

Then he thought of Ye Shuanghua’s face and the way she’d scolded Qin Han at school that day. Suddenly, it didn’t seem impossible.

And Qin Han had only skipped the competition to save him, after all.

With that in mind, Xie Ling’s heart softened instantly. He eyed the thick red welts and couldn’t help asking, “Does it hurt?”

“…Yeah.” Qin Han’s lips twitched upward in secret as he tugged the collar open a bit more. He chuckled softly. “Will you blow on it for me? That’ll make it better.”

The air went still for a beat.

Qin Han had expected Xie Ling to blush, but instead, he just blinked and grabbed Qin Han’s hand. “Come on, come on.”

Xie Ling pulled him inside.

Qin Han’s heart skipped as he spotted the double bed in the room.

Then Xie Ling rummaged in a drawer and pulled something out.

A small electric fan.

“Use this to blow on it. Strong breeze, huh? Good thing I checked out the room when I came in. Figured what was a fan doing out in November—but turns out it’s perfect.”

Qin Han: “…”

Xie Ling flicked the switch. “Eh? No power? Hold on, I’ll find some batteries…”

“No need.” Qin Han suppressed the tangled emotions in his heart. “I was just messing with you earlier. My grandma didn’t punish me, and the scratches don’t hurt.”

Xie Ling was a bit baffled. “Then what happened to…”

Qin Han thought for a moment. “I scratched myself while taking a shower earlier.”

Xie Ling: “…Do you have such a unique hobby?”

Qin Han was about to say he had even more unique hobbies when Xia Yu suddenly burst in, clutching two bottles of Happy Fat Otaku Water. “Little Lingling! Little Ling! You got your laptop?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Xie Ling was part of the school’s Math Competition Class, and they had an assignment today that required completing it on a computer during class, so he and his classmates from the Math Competition Class had special permission to bring their laptops to school.

“Hurry, hurry, pull it out! Zhang Chengrui says he’s got a super steamy video. Let’s all watch it together!”

“…A super steamy video?”

“Yeah!” Xia Yu glanced at Xie Ling, then at Qin Han, winking suggestively at both of them. “Classic Japanese action flick, complete with sex toys. Hey, that male lead is famous—Miyagi Seiya, you know him? I followed the gossip about him before. They say he’s packing 16 cm. No watch, no loss; watch it, no regrets.”

Xie Ling: “…”

Qin Han: “…”

Just as they were talking, Zhang Chengrui and Xiao Yanfei came in too.

Xie Ling was dumbfounded. “Didn’t you guys say you were going to karaoke?”

Xiao Yanfei: “Mu Yin and the girls wanted to go take some night shots outside first. We’re just killing time anyway, so why not watch?”

“Yeah, Ling Bro, it’s super steamy. Hey, Xia Yu, quick—give Ling Bro some barrier agent!”

Xia Yu grabbed his Fragrant Grandma Pheromone Blocker and sprayed it all over Xie Ling. “It’s so intense, it might trigger a reaction. Just to be safe, we’ve all dosed up already.”

Xie Ling: “Wait, that’s not…”

“Want some, Qin God?” Xia Yu turned to Qin Han.

Qin Han glanced sidelong at the somewhat awkward Xie Ling and could tell, even though he wasn’t saying anything, that his eyes were screaming for Qin Han to say he didn’t want to watch.

“No thanks.” Qin Han smiled. Seeing a spark light up in Xie Ling’s eyes, he added, “Even if I watch, I can control myself.”

Xie Ling: “…Shouldn’t you be saying you don’t want to watch?! Where’s your aloof ice prince persona?!”

Anyone else claiming they could control themselves might come off as bragging, but with Qin Han, no one doubted the conviction in his words.

Zhang Chengrui rubbed his hands eagerly. “Ling Bro, Ling Bro, come on—where’s the laptop?”

Xie Ling: “Well, I think…”

Xiao Yanfei chuckled. “What’s wrong? You too shy or something?”

Come to think of it, even though their group had been hanging out for over a year, they’d never watched something like this together.

Xie Ling shifted uncomfortably under that laugh but forced a casual smile. “Why would I be shy? When Dad started watching stuff like that, you guys were still suckling at Mom’s teat.”

With that, he strutted proudly over to grab the laptop from the side.

“Badass.”

“Strong!”

“Not worthy of Ling Bro!”

Xie Ling: “…”

Truth be told, at their age, everyone had seen that kind of video to some degree, Xie Ling included. But he had this one flaw: whenever he watched something like that, he blushed furiously, and sometimes weird thoughts popped into his head, leaving him all restless. Watching alone in his room was fine, but with a group? If he didn’t play it cool, he’d be the butt of every joke, and his tall, mighty image would come crashing down!

After the laptop booted up, Xie Ling fumbled the password three times before finally logging into his QQ. He shoved the mouse aside. “Gonna hit the bathroom. Send the video over.”

The three of them immediately crowded around.

Xie Ling pinched his ear, about to bolt for the bathroom, when Qin Han suddenly grabbed him.

“No need to be shy.” Qin Han whispered.

Xie Ling blurted out on reflex, “I’m really not shy…”

“That male lead’s just 16 cm.” Qin Han leaned close to Xie Ling’s ear and chuckled softly. “You’ve already felt my 18 cm. That’s nothing.”