A handsome face always trumps punishment especially if that gorgeous face is a novice. In this case, it was Qie Ranzhe's face that got the two Lin boys out of trouble. Master Lin had itchy fingers and wanted to severely punish his eldest son for lying but faced with such an esteemed guest, he couldn't bring himself to do so. Even if he could, his wife would have scolded him as she took a liking to Qie Ranzhe which was inching closer to an obsession.
When she laid eyes on him, Madam Lin was mesmerised pinching his cheeks like an old aunty. "If only I had a little girl, aiyo....l would gladly betrothal her to you. Oh, what the heck, Jin-er kind of looks like a girl if we dress him up, wil-," she yammered on when Master Lin suddenly interrupted her with a loud fake cough while blood drained from Wen Qinxi face thinking, 'What the fuck does she think this is, a danmei?'
Qie Ranzhe didn't say anything responding with a smile while Lin Mingxu glared at him as though he was the one who had made such a ridiculous suggestion. "Ahem.....let's head over for dinner, I bet our guest is hungry," said Master Lin with his hands behind his back leading the way. This line of conversing was heading in a pretty weird direction and if he hadn't stopped it, who knows what his wife might pressure his son to do.
Dinner was pretty interesting that night with Qie Ranzhe being spoilt so much by Madam Lin, she even went as far as neglecting her husband adding food only in Qie Ranzhe's bowl. Wen Qinxi was so envious of Qie Ranzhe's protagonist halo that shone so bright when the need arose. He was pretty sure if Master Lin wasn't committed to building that shelter, they would have moved Qie Ranzhe in and even gave him a room better than his own.
Show and tell finally ended, that is only when Madam Lin was forcibly dragged away by her husband. If it was up to her they would have pulled an all-nighter hanging out with Qie Ranzhe. Nothing short of that shelter was going to make Qie Ranzhe vacate his bed. After dinner, the boys took turns to bath with Wen Qinxi being the last one. When he was done, he found Qie Ranzhe sitting on the edge of the bed as though waiting for him. Wen Qinxi walked over to the cupboard to take out some fresh pairs of undergarments to sleep in when Qie Ranzhe finally spoke his mind.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked with his hands tightly clenching the side of the canopy bed. He hadn't had the chance to ask this question ever since he found out that Lin Jingxie was performing just to get a roof over his head. He tried to track back in his memory, trying to figure out what he could have done to deserve such treatment from Lin Jingxie and couldn't find anything worth mentioning. They had been rivals ever since they met so why the sudden change? Was it all because of the near-death experience?
Wen Qinxi looked at him through his peripheral view completely aware of what he was talking about but chose to play the fool. "What are you talking about? Stop babbling and wear this," he replied trying to divert Qie Ranzhe's attention. What was he supposed to say anyway? 'Hey, you are my boss stuck in a game and I am looking for ways to make you win the game so I can get paid.' If he said anything close to that it would sound so insincere and selfish. If he told him he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, that would be a lie too so he chose to run the other way but he didn't account for Qie Ranzhe's stubborn nature.
"It's been a long day, change and get some rest," said Wen Qinxi who was behind the folding screen and was about to put on his top when something unexpected happened. Like a silent wind, Qie Ranzhe suddenly appeared behind the folding screen grasping a shirtless Lin Jingxie at either side of his shoulders and pressed him against the wall. The sudden intrusion had Wen Qinxi's heart pounding against his chest unable to decern whether it was fear or excitement which made him frown gazing at Qie Ranzhe with a deadly stare.
"I don't have anything of importance and nothing in this world is for free so why are you doing this?" asked Qie Ranzhe with a slight tremble at his fingertips. It wasn't out of anger but anxiety, anxious to know the answer. "Speak!" he said now growing impatient as he wanted to get as far away from Lin Jingxie as possible. In their closeness, he caught a whiff of fresh lavender scent on Lin Jingxie's body which had him dangerously craving for more, rousing his curiosity. His line of sight fell upon Lin Jingxie's pearl jade sturdy chest with a few water droplets streaming down to his abdomen which suddenly had him parched rousing a docile hormonal beast.
'Fuck!' thought Qie Ranzhe trying to pull himself back to reality. The longer he hung out with Lin Jingxie the more apparent it became that he didn't want to be Lin Jingxie's friend or sworn brother. He wanted something entirely different and didn't have the confidence to expose himself otherwise he might lose Lin Jingxie forever.
Wen Qinxi freed himself from Qie Ranzhe's grasp and walked away putting on his top, all nonchalant as though nothing had happened. "Well since you insist then l will tell you what I want from you," he said settling down as he poured out some tea, "I want you to be powerful, so powerful that no one would ever look down on you." He placed the cup with steaming tea at the opposite end of the table and gestured with his hand for Qie Ranzhe to sit. 'Hopefully, you can fall for my bullshit because l don't,' he thought scorning himself for coming up with a weak excuse.
Qie Ranzhe sat opposite him and asked, "What do you get out it?" gracefully swirling the cup in his hands.
"Protection, of course, though I kind of assumed that you and I had graduated from a utility to mutual friendship," replied Wen Qinxi crossing his fingers under the table hoping the boy would buy his nonsense. Qie Ranzhe didn't understand it completely but as long as Lin Jingxie was by his side, he didn't care. 'If friendship is all you can offer then l accept, for now,' thought Qie Ranzhe sipping his tea with a slight nod indicating acceptance.
Only then did Wen Qinxi noticed the self-harm wound on Qie Ranzhe's palm, he must have been clenching his fist so tight to leave such damage. He stood up and grabbed the medical kit he kept in his room for emergency especially after that beating he got from Qie Ranzhe's boys when they first met in the game. He sat close to him sanitising the wound before asking, "How did this happen?" Their heads were in such proximity that Qie Ranzhe could literary count the lashes on Lin Jingxie's dreamy eyes.
He gulped before asking a sensitive question that had Lin Jingxie choking on his own saliva. "Do you feel disdain over boys crushing on you like Sun Huxian today? Forgive me for asking but you even threatened him with a sword which you don't even know how to use. Was it too appalling?" asked Qie Ranzhe recalling how terrifying Lin Jingxie looked in that tent.
Wen Qinxi coughed a few times while wrapping his palm in a bandage before responding. "No, that was just Sun Huxian, normally I wouldn't reject that harshly a guy expressing his feelings but that guy is such a fuckin bully. He's not allowed to like me. Why would I mind if a guy finds me enchanting? I am fuckin handsome so I get it though generally speaking, I would most definitely reject them. I have a specific type,"
"And what type is that?" asked a curious Qie Ranzhe fighting the urge to reach out and touch his face.
"The type with boobs, that's my type," replied the pervy Wen Qinxi envisioning the type of girl that would be the future mother of his children.
Qie Ranzhe glanced at the daydreaming Lin Jingxie thinking, 'You just haven't met one who can move you enough to bend you to their own will. I have all the time in the world to make you dependant on me and by the time you realise it, it would be too late.'