Chapter 76

Qin Han’s pupils suddenly contracted. His reason utterly crumbled under that sticky, ambiguous cry from Xie Ling.

He shoved Xie Ling forcefully against the chain-link fence beside the court and leaned in to kiss him.

Right at that moment, a short, sharp scream rang out from nearby.

The two of them looked over to see Xie Cheng and Madam Fu standing there. Xie Cheng looked relatively composed, his expression merely a little stiff. Madam Fu, on the other hand, was a different story. She had one hand over her mouth, her face alight with excitement as she watched them.

Before Xie Ling could even react, Qin Han had already released him. He turned around and said politely, “Hello, Uncle, Auntie.”

“Hello, hello.”

Madam Fu’s expression was completely different from when she’d arrived. Her face was wreathed in delighted smiles as she shoved a box into Xie Ling’s hands. “This is the cake your mom and dad made together for you. Share it later with Little Han and your classmates.”

Xie Ling instinctively reached for it, then remembered his persona in front of Madam Fu as someone who didn’t like sweets. He quickly said, “Mom, I…”

“You love sweets.” Madam Fu smiled, her gaze on Xie Ling unusually earnest. “Mom knows. We all know.”

She not only knew that Xie Ling still loved sweets just like when he was little, but also that he’d been pretending to be an Alpha for a long time. All these years, she’d been playing dumb knowingly, respecting Xie Ling and Xie Cheng’s wish not to worry her.

In that instant when their eyes met, mother and son understood each other perfectly. Xie Ling’s nose suddenly tingled. “Thanks, Mom.”

Xie Cheng stepped forward and patted Xie Ling’s shoulder, a touch of emotion in his voice. “Don’t worry, it’s all over now. Qin Han’s grandmother and your grandmother have talked it out. She won’t come bothering you anymore.”

He’d originally prepared a whole arsenal of bargaining chips to negotiate with Liu Yu that night, and he hadn’t been entirely confident of success. Ye Shuanghua’s appearance had been a timely relief.

Xie Cheng said sincerely to Qin Han, “Thank you, Qin Han.”

Qin Han responded with utmost courtesy and respect, flashing a wholesome, dependable smile. “It’s nothing, Uncle. You can just call me by my nickname. This is all what I should do.”

Xie Cheng chuckled. “Little Ling takes after his mom in personality. He can be pretty rowdy sometimes. I hope you’ll bear with him in the future.”

Meanwhile, Madam Fu and Xie Ling were whispering quietly—

“Honey!”

“Dad!”

Qin Han held back a laugh and assured him, “Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll definitely take good care of him.”

Once Xie Cheng and Madam Fu had left, Xie Ling saw that Qin Han was still smiling. Unable to resist, he looped his arms around Qin Han’s neck and ran a hand along his jaw. “Tell me, now that we’re together, who’s bearing with whom more?”

Qin Han said softly, “You. You’re the one bearing with me.”

He wasn’t just saying that to placate him. Xie Ling could be a handful at times, but he was easygoing. Even when he got chatty, a couple of kisses would usually shut him up.

Unlike himself—for instance, suddenly kissing Xie Ling in front of all those people earlier. If Xie Ling had a worse temper, it might have been impossible to coax him back.

Seeing that Qin Han had some self-awareness, Xie Ling was a bit pleased. He stroked him again. “So, what did you say in front of my dad earlier?”

Qin Han smiled and took hold of his fingers, rubbing them section by section. His tone turned a little aggrieved. “It’s because I’m an Alpha, right? Of course I have to act super reliable in front of Uncle.”

Xie Ling knew Qin Han was putting on an act, but he still melted at that almost coquettish tone. Just as he was about to respond, Qin Han suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. His voice shifted to playful teasing. “Otherwise, what if my husband can’t marry you later?”

With that, he lightly licked Xie Ling’s earlobe.

The little guy who’d been chattering nonstop and trying to tease and intimidate him moments ago instantly turned into a boiled shrimp, flushed from his ears all the way to his face and neck.

This… He hadn’t thought much of it when he’d called out like that earlier, but this term of endearment was so…

Embarrassing.

~~~

After leaving the Xie Family home, the two of them rejoined Xia Yu and the others at the restaurant Xie Ling had booked earlier.

After more than two hours of chaos, they could finally start celebrating the birthday properly.

For some reason, Xie Ling—who had been so eager to drink during the banquet earlier—only took a token sip or two today.

When they left the restaurant, Qin Han suggested taking Xie Ling somewhere and invited Zhang Chengrui and the rest to come along.

Zhang Chengrui let out a satisfied burp and widened his eyes. “This… I feel stuffed already. You two still want to treat us to more dog food?”

Xie Ling had no idea what Qin Han had planned, but since his boyfriend had spoken, he naturally sided with him. “You coming or not, kid? This premium dog food won’t be available after we pass this village.”

Xia Yu jumped in. “I’m in! I’m in!”

And so, the group piled into taxis and headed en masse to the place Qin Han mentioned—the S City International Exhibition Center.

The center usually hosted major city events like book fairs, art exhibitions, and the like. A celebrity couple had even held their wedding there once.

It was nearly ten at night by now, so the exhibition center should have been closed. But when they arrived, they could see from outside that the lights were blazing inside.

“What’s going on? Is there still an exhibition at this hour?” Xie Ling wondered aloud when Qin Han suddenly pushed open the main doors.

Romantic, stirring BGM echoed through the entire building. The interior was decked out to perfectly recreate scenes from Xie Ling’s favorite manga. Merchandise was neatly arranged on pre-built stalls, and countless cosplayers that Qin Han had hired were there too. They reenacted scenes from the anime one after another, wishing Xie Ling a happy birthday in perfectly imitated character voices.

Zhang Chengrui was floored. “Holy crap, Qin God set up a private comic con just for Ling Bro? This is too…”

Xie Ling stared in stunned silence.

It wasn’t until Qin Han tugged his hand and asked with a smile, “Do you like it?” that he came back to himself.

Xie Ling’s lips parted. He’d always thought Qin Han just knew he liked comics, but he’d never imagined he’d know them this well—or that he’d book the city’s largest exhibition center for a personal comic con.

Every setup and scene here hit him right in the heart.

A thousand words welled up in his chest, but none made it past his lips. Xie Ling stepped forward, hooked his arms around Qin Han’s neck, and kissed him squarely.

His move looked aggressive and dominant, but only Qin Han, on the receiving end, knew the little guy’s skills hadn’t improved much. Once their lips met, Xie Ling just rubbed against them uncertainly.

Even so, it was enough to ignite all the desire in Qin Han’s heart.

Qin Han encircled Xie Ling’s waist and swiftly took control.

Cheers and whoops erupted around them.

Xiao Yanfei watched enviously. He sneaked a glance at Xia Yu, who was furiously typing on his phone, and couldn’t resist ruffling his hair. “Spreading the feed? Not gonna eat some?”

Xia Yu looked up, let out a couple of “Wuwu”s, and kept typing. “Wuwuwu, so sweet, fairy-tale love! I have to share this with the girls, wuwuwuwu!!!”

Once they finished kissing, the group finally got to tour the exhibits thanks to Xie Ling. Up on the second floor, the setups grew even more varied.

This floor recreated scenes from Xie Ling’s favorite hot-blooded manga and games. Not only were they visually stunning, but Qin Han had also prepared props and costumes for real-life game simulations.

In the end, Xie Ling chose Live-Action PUBG combined with Escape Room Battle Royale.

The rules were simple: Split into two teams. In the first round, each team solved puzzles in their chosen escape room scenario. Success upgraded their replica guns. In the second round, the rooms connected, turning it into a shootout free-for-all. Everyone became an individual— even first-round teammates turned into enemies. The last one standing got the chicken dinner.

While changing into gear, Xie Ling grinned. “This game’s so fun, but you need a big group to really play it.”

Qin Han smiled. “I had the cosplayers gear up too. They’ll join us. Don’t worry, it’ll be a blast.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yanfei teased from the side, “No kidding, Qin God dragged us here as tools just to make sure you have fun. Hey, don’t force it—let me help…”

Xia Yu was struggling with his gun and sensors, so Xiao Yanfei stepped up.

Zhang Chengrui caught on late and whined, “So we’re just tools, huh!”

Xie Ling found his reaction hilarious and said mercilessly, “Yep, now you know the truth. Still willing to be Ling Bro’s tool?”

Zhang Chengrui straightened up at once. “Of course! Forget games—if you two need it, I could lie right here as a mattress. Go ahead and have your way with each other on me. I’d play dead without a peep!”

The air went silent for two seconds.

Xia Yu gaped in shock. “Little Ruirui, when did you learn such wolfish words?!”

Xie Ling’s ears turned red as he fussed at Qin Han a couple times. “Confess! How did my pure little bro turn out like this? Did you corrupt him while sitting next to him as desk mates?!”

Zhang Chengrui had been caught up in the heat of the moment earlier, but now he flushed with embarrassment, terrified of sparking a fight between Ling Bro and Qin God. “Ling Bro, don’t misunderstand…”

“You couldn’t handle being our mattress,” Qin Han interrupted Zhang Chengrui, an elegant smile spreading across his face—the one everyone knew so well. “If we were really getting busy, with my moves and strength, you’d shatter into a thousand pieces if you were the bed beneath us.”

Xie Ling: “…………”

The other three immediately zoned out.

What did Qin God just say?? Was this really the lofty flower of a man they all knew?!!

Xie Ling was already used to this kind of thing, but Qin Han had only ever said stuff like that in private before. Now he was doing it right in front of everyone…

Should he be glad that Qin Han was finally coming down to earth?!

Qin Han noticed Xie Ling’s ears turning bright red, his mock gun nearly slipping from his grip. He quickly steadied it for him, then leaned in close to whisper with a chuckle, “See? It’s not me rubbing off on him. Otherwise, his dirty talk game wouldn’t be stuck at that amateur level.”

~~~

Because of that little interlude, Xie Ling decided to give his overly cocky boyfriend a proper schooling with gunfire once the game started.

The rest of the teams were decided by drawing lots. Zhang Chengrui ended up with Qin Han, while Xie Ling teamed up with Xiao Yanfei and Xia Yu. The other squads each had nearly ten burly guys that Qin Han had dragged along to keep Xie Ling company.

Escape room puzzles were right up Xie Ling’s alley. He carried the whole team single-handedly, and by the end of the first round, his gun had reached max level.

The second round was a full-on free-for-all, but Xiao Yanfei and Xia Yu knew better than to pick a fight with him. Xie Ling was friendly about it too, so they kept pushing forward as a unit. He picked off cosplayers one by one—whether they charged in aggressively or tried to snipe from the shadows.

After clearing the area, Xie Ling grinned. “Looks like the only ones who haven’t shown their faces yet are my boyfriend and Little Ruirui.”

Xia Yu let out a surprised noise. “How’s Little Ruirui holding out so patiently this time? Lurking like a pro.”

“No kidding,” Xiao Yanfei said. He nailed a cosplayer who was trying to flank Xia Yu, laughing as he did. “Qin God’s gotta be carrying him, right?”

By the time they reached another section, their earlier teammates were frantically mashing the respawn buttons to heal up. Xie Ling smirked smugly. “My boyfriend’s pretty damn good, huh.”

“No doubt about it. Good thing you two aren’t on the same team, or the rest of us might as well pack it in.” Right then, another player burst out from cover. Xia Yu was about to fire back when Xiao Yanfei beat him to it with a quick, precise shot.

Xia Yu pouted, tugging at his sleeve. “Hey, no stealing my kills!”

Xiao Yanfei took the chance to brush his hand. “That angle was no good for you. I was just protecting you.”

“I don’t need your prot—”

Before he could finish, both their chest sensors blared.

Zhang Chengrui had sniped them both while they were bickering. He popped out, bouncing with excitement. “How’s that? Pretty badass, right…?”

Ding-dong, ding-dong—

His own sensor chimed twice. Zhang Chengrui froze and whipped around to see Xie Ling shouldering his gun with a grin. “Ever heard the one about the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it?”

Zhang Chengrui was about to let out a pitiful whine when his eyes lit up. He pointed behind Xie Ling. “Qin God! Get revenge for me!”

Xie Ling whipped around, gun raised. Qin Han had his weapon trained right on him… but he hadn’t pulled the trigger.

Zhang Chengrui: “…Qin God?”

Xiao Yanfei burst out laughing. “Revenge? You even see who you’re up against? No way our Qin God pulls that trigger.”

Scattered chuckles and teasing hoots echoed from the surrounding players.

A flicker of fond warmth passed through Qin Han’s eyes. He held Xie Ling’s gaze for a few seconds before turning and dashing off to take on someone else.

Xie Ling shook off the crowd’s ribbing and gave chase without a word.

Qin Han was fast, but Xie Ling kept pace. The two of them were perfectly matched.

They ended up in an auditorium set. Xie Ling waited for the perfect moment—right as Qin Han dropped another player—and lunged.

The world spun in a blur. When Qin Han came back to his senses, he was flat on his back with Xie Ling straddling him. The barrel of Xie Ling’s gun pressed right against his chest sensor. Xie Ling’s smile was lazy, but there was a dangerous edge to it. “Why didn’t you shoot back there? Going easy on me on purpose?”

Qin Han knew Xie Ling’s temperament all too well. He just smiled. “You’re too good for me to need to go easy. Truth is, the second I saw you, I just… couldn’t pull the trigger.”

Xie Ling arched a brow. “Sounds like going easy to me.”

“Nah. It’s more like… the thought of shooting you made my hand go limp.” Qin Han stared up at him intently. “Maybe these hands of mine were made for holding you, not hurting you.”

It sounded over-the-top, especially since it was just a game. But that moment when he’d lined up the shot on Xie Ling? That helpless feeling had been all too real.

Qin Han let out a resigned chuckle. He was starting to think he liked Xie Ling even more than he’d realized.

“You gonna shoot me?” he asked softly.

Heat flooded Xie Ling’s face. His thoughts had been a jumble ever since Qin Han’s little speech. His mouth moved faster than his brain. “Yeah. Boyfriend or not, a game’s a game. I’m a serious player.”

“Good.” Qin Han’s smile softened as he gently took hold of Xie Ling’s gun hand and pressed the barrel firmer against his sensor. “This body, this life—they’re all yours. Take ’em if you want.”