Chapter 60

Rather than the agonizing dread she had expected, Qin Huansi actually felt relieved upon hearing her son say it so directly. It was far better than being kept in suspense, like awaiting a slow execution.

What she hadn’t anticipated, however, was that Xie Yaoting’s reaction would be even more dramatic than hers.

He froze for a moment, as if he hadn’t heard correctly, and hesitated before asking, “Qi Xu… isn’t he a boy?”

Xie Huai nodded, utterly composed. “Yes, he is. What about it?”

Xie Yaoting suddenly shot up from his chair and stared at his son for a long moment without speaking. After a while, he shut his eyes and slowly sank back into his seat.

“Collapsed” wouldn’t have been an exaggeration.

He was fully aware that his last attempt to negotiate with his son had been over college majors—and even that was more out of selfishness than authority, because deep down he knew that Xie Huai didn’t want to inherit the Xie family business.

Back in senior year of high school, he had accidentally learned that Xie Huai had been investing on his own—particularly in artificial intelligence, a field the Xie Corporation had never touched.

Xie Huai held shares in Xie Corp and had claims to the Qin family’s assets as well. His liquid funds alone were approaching eight figures—not even counting real estate and financial investments.

Since Xie Huai turned fifteen, neither parent had interfered with his finances. Everything was under his own management, though with the implicit oversight of trusted aides from Grandfather Xie.

They never had to worry.

Until one day, a misfiled report landed in Xie Yaoting’s hands. Curious, he flipped it open—only to discover that a tech startup in which Xie Huai had invested was about to go public in Hong Kong.

He felt a mix of pride and regret. His son clearly had an eye for investment, razor-sharp like his own. But… why artificial intelligence?

Eventually, it was Xie Huai himself who came forward and laid everything out. He expressed his intention to major in computer science.

Looking at the maturing young man before him, Xie Yaoting felt a surge of emotion. Somewhere along the way, his son had already grown up.

When Xie Huai was young, both he and Qin Huansi had been busy with their own careers. Their son had been raised mostly by Grandfather Xie and the elder Qin couple.

Growing up in the care of powerful elders, Xie Huai had always seemed more mature than his age. He wielded real authority in both families and was loved deeply, even receiving direct guidance from them. The Qin family hoped he would one day enter politics, while Grandfather Xie dreamed of him taking over the family legacy—his own son had failed to meet expectations, but surely his grandson could fulfill that dream.

Two entire families had piled their hopes onto the shoulders of a boy.

And yet, that boy never buckled under the weight. Instead, he grew stronger within it, absorbing everything those “mountains” gave him.

The pity was that Xie Huai didn’t grow up to be the heir those two families envisioned. Instead, he grew up capable enough to lift those mountains off his shoulders—and walk away, to search for a hill of his own. Smaller, with fewer resources, but it was his. He could plant whatever he liked there, with his own hands.

Of course, Xie Yaoting had initially rejected his son’s plan to major in computer science. The two of them had a private negotiation in the study—a battle only they knew the full details of.

Xie Yaoting suggested sending him abroad after graduation, making up for the study-abroad plan that hadn’t worked out in high school.

Xie Huai knew full well that if he went abroad, he would have to take on Xie Corp’s international business responsibilities, and he wouldn’t have the bandwidth to run his tech company in Hong Kong. Faced with a choice, he would have to choose Xie Corp.

As a compromise, Xie Huai agreed to stay in the country for college, and chose to major in finance and management.

That way, domestic affairs could remain under Xie Yaoting’s control, while Xie Huai retained the time and freedom to develop his AI company. Four years—enough time for his company to gain a firm foothold in the industry.

That had been their first—and last—real negotiation as adults. After that, Xie Yaoting realized he had no more leverage with his son. His cards were all on the table.

The study was silent for a few minutes.

Xie Huai, looking completely at ease, poured two cups of warm water for his parents. Since his father smelled of alcohol, he even made a glass of honey water for him.

Before this, Qin Huansi had given most of the household staff the day off. Even the auntie who usually served at her side had been told to go home.

Xie Yaoting stared at the honey water in his hands, lost in thought. It was the first time his son had ever prepared it for him—the first time he’d felt this kind of love from him.

Then he heard his son say:

“Honey water works for sobering up. He made me a cup once when I was drunk.”

Just once—on the night of his confession, Qi Xu had brewed him a cup of honey water, hoping it would help him sober up.

Xie Yaoting: “…”

He quietly took a sip and thought, No wonder his son had become more affectionate—turns out someone had taught him how to love.

Qin Huansi recalled all the recent changes in her son: he started making candied fruits just because Qi Xu liked them, adjusted his own tastes for Qi Xu’s preferences, even went as far as having her confront his older brother—all because it involved Qi Xu.

And those were just the things she knew about.

She asked softly, “You’re pursuing him—does he know that? Or are you just chasing him on your own, while he has no idea you even like him?”

Truthfully, Qin Huansi was more afraid that with her son’s obsessive tendencies, he might do something extreme to Qi Xu.

As the saying goes, no one knows a child better than their mother. Her concerns weren’t unfounded. When Qi Xu was being harassed by Gao Wenjun, he had genuinely considered hiding Qi Xu away in his villa.

If Qi Xu threw a fit? That was fine—he could just buy a case of Chardonnay and let him cuddle it to sleep.

Why should filthy people be allowed to fantasize about someone who belonged to him? He wouldn’t allow anyone else to covet Qi Xu.

But he was afraid of scaring him, so he gave up on that idea—and instead shamelessly moved in with him into a high-rise apartment. Luckily, Qi Xu’s tolerance for him seemed to have no limits.

Confessing had given all those dark thoughts in his heart a legitimate excuse. Qi Xu would indulge him—biting his neck had just been a test. Now that the waters had been tested, he knew he could go even further.

“I confessed,” Xie Huai said. That was all he was willing to tell them—for what would come next, only he needed to know.

Confessing to someone you like should be a perfectly natural thing. But when Qin Huansi heard it, she couldn’t help sensing a bit of… conspiracy in his tone, like he was plotting something.

She asked again, “Are you sure it was a confession and not a threat?”

If biting someone counted as a threat… No, at most it was a warning. A warning that Qi Xu shouldn’t forget what happened. A warning that if he disobeyed, it wouldn’t just stop at biting his neck.

Xie Huai lowered his leg and smiled slightly. “It was a confession.”

Qin Huansi no longer cared why her son liked men. What worried her more was what her son might do if Qi Xu didn’t accept him.

And clearly—Qi Xu hadn’t accepted him yet. Whether he ever would… remained to be seen.

Qin Huansi didn’t believe a single rumor about Qi Xu. For someone to win her son’s affection, there must be something truly compelling about them.

She had once, after noticing her son’s change, looked into Qi Xu out of curiosity—even though she hadn’t known why she felt compelled to at the time. Looking back now, it must’ve been maternal instinct.

That boy had grown up in a borderline neglectful environment—an adoptive father who couldn’t care less, working to support himself from a young age. Coming out of that and still standing upright spoke to a deep-rooted pride. And on top of that, he’d suffered a life-altering revelation about his background. Even adults would struggle to cope, let alone an eighteen-year-old.

It was hard not to feel some pity. Yet she had never once heard of Qi Xu using his tragic past to manipulate others. She believed Old Master Xie when he said the boy had clarity—transparency, even.

Later, she learned that Xie Huai had gone so far as to involve her eldest brother in covering up media reports about Qi Xu. She had only one thought at the time: So he liked him that early on?

This was the first person her son had liked besides that old obsession with robots.

“Does Qi Xu even like men?” she asked.

The truth was, Qi Xu probably still had some internal conflict about his orientation. Right now, the only thing he clearly liked was money. At the moment, even Xie Huai didn’t rank higher than cash in Qi Xu’s heart.

But Xie Huai answered with certainty: “He will like me.”

Xie Yaoting finally realized why his wife had started this conversation—belatedly understanding that their son was not someone to be taken lightly.

In the end, all he said was, “Don’t let your grandfather find out about this—for now.”

Old Master Xie didn’t have the same iron will as the two of them. After Xie Huai left, Xie Yaoting quietly took a fast-acting heart pill. He wasn’t sure he could manage without it.

Qin Huansi and Xie Yaoting exchanged a long, silent glance before she asked heavily, “What exactly did you and our son talk about in the study before the college entrance exam?”

She had noticed something strange in her husband’s behavior tonight. Usually, when they said a few words in front of Xie Huai, he’d barely listen. But tonight, her husband had spoken less than ever—and their son had actually listened.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Xie Yaoting confessed the full story.

A pillow hit him square in the face.

He quickly dropped the cushion and rushed to soothe his wife. “Don’t be mad, don’t be mad, I was wrong, I was wrong…”

Qin Huansi’s eyes turned red as she stared at him. “You knew he loved AI. He’s been immersed in it for years. How could you be so heartless?”

Xie Yaoting knew he was in the wrong. He gently patted her back and muttered, “That’s why I didn’t say anything this time. If that’s what he loves, then let him love it.”

The two cups of warm water in the study had long since gone cold—just like their uneasy, uncertain hearts.

Xie Huai didn’t stay the night at the family home. He returned to the high-rise apartment he shared with Qi Xu.

He curled up in the corner of the couch—Qi Xu’s favorite spot—and mimicked his posture.

Qi Xu was slim, and could sprawl comfortably. But Xie Huai had a broader build, and curling up like that felt cramped.

He gave up on the pose and lay flat on the sofa instead.

Qi Xu loved him. Xie Huai knew that.

This wasn’t some one-sided infatuation. Qi Xu allowed him to fall—allowed him to sink deeper. When they held each other, he could hear the beat of Qi Xu’s heart matching his own.

Xie Huai also knew he held a special place in Qi Xu’s heart. At first, what Qi Xu felt was pure—when he looked at him, his eyes were like a clear lake untouched by silt.

And so Xie Huai put away his darker thoughts, and let himself become just as pure.

As for when he had fallen for Qi Xu—he couldn’t say.

At his core, Xie Huai was a cold person. That night he called Qin Jing for help, you could hear it in Qin Jing’s voice: What family ties? What brotherhood? None of it mattered if Xie Huai wasn’t willing. He was a man ruled by logic, not emotion.

But after meeting Qi Xu… somehow, all of that began to change.

He couldn’t help but be curious about Qi Xu’s past—drawn to him without realizing it.

When Qi Xu got hurt, his heart would clench. When Qi Xu retaliated against Song Ruoming, he helped behind the scenes.
At the banquet, when he saw the four characters Qi Xu had written—“steal the beams and replace the pillars”—his chest inexplicably ached.

There were so many moments like that. Possessiveness and a heart that stirred for someone were playing tricks on him, pulling him into this emotional mess.
Qi Xu was the exception for Xie Huai—his one and only.

And in the end, there was only one conclusion to draw:
Qi Xu, this person, was irresistibly attractive to him.

Xie Huai lay on the couch with the little blanket Qi Xu always used, faint traces of Qi Xu’s scent still lingering on it.
But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to hold the person himself.

As he was drowning in longing, his phone on the table lit up and buzzed—Qi Xu.

It was as if the universe was telling him something:
This isn’t a one-sided thing. While you’re thinking of him… he’s thinking of you too.

Qi Xu hadn’t drunk much at the dinner. Most of the alcohol had ended up in Li Kaixing’s stomach—especially that bottle of Yamazaki 55 he’d just wanted to try.
But Li Kaixing had downed it all in one go.

One gulp of whiskey shouldn’t be enough to kill someone, but it was enough to turn the dinner into a full-blown babysitting shift.

By the time the meal was over, Qi Xu had acquired a fully drunk human mess.

Since Li Kaixing’s assistant was a woman, Qi Xu didn’t feel right making her help. He had to drag the guy back to his hotel room himself.
By the time he left the room, he was drenched in sweat.

Stripping off his clothes while walking back to his own room, he called Xie Huai—the true culprit behind this whole situation.

He’d heard from Li Kaixing’s mouth that Xie Huai had forbidden him to drink, which explained why Li Kaixing had insisted on shielding him all night.
But honestly, Li Kaixing’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t even as good as his. What was he doing playing hero?

When the call connected, the first thing out of Qi Xu’s mouth… wasn’t a complaint. He changed the subject instead:
“Huai-ge, are you home?”

There was a long silence on Xie Huai’s end—so long that Qi Xu pulled the phone away to check if the call had dropped.

Then came the soft rustling from the other end, followed by Xie Huai’s voice:
“When are you coming home?”

Just that one line, and Qi Xu could tell his mood was off. He thought back to everything that had happened at the banquet, wondering what had triggered this.

“Flight’s at noon tomorrow… wait, no, 12 PM. What, you miss me already?”

His tone slipped back into their old teasing dynamic, no longer shaken by Xie Huai’s affections.
He realized that being away from Xie Huai made it easier to drop his guard. That guy’s voice really was dangerous.

All of Xie Huai’s gloom vanished the second he heard Qi Xu’s voice. He chuckled softly.
“Yeah, I miss you. A lot. I feel like… we might not survive a long-distance relationship.”

“……”

Qi Xu pressed his lips together.
“You’re seriously this clingy? It’s only been a day.”

“Mhm. I’m love-brained,” Xie Huai said, quoting Qi Xu’s own past words back at him.

So annoying, Qi Xu thought.
Now even he was starting to miss him a little.

“Didn’t Xu Yichen try to keep you there? Why are you back so early—well, I guess it’s not early, it’s almost midnight. Shouldn’t you go to bed? If you’re asleep, you won’t miss me.”
He tried changing the subject again, offering a harmless little solution.

But Xie Huai shot it down.
“Who says I wouldn’t dream of you?”

Qi Xu muttered,
“What would I even be doing in your dreams?”

Xie Huai said calmly, “F**k you.”

Qi Xu was stunned.

Then Xie Huai added, “You didn’t really think when I said I liked you, it was only emotional, did you? Of course, not all affection stems from sexual desire… but I only feel that kind of desire for you.”

Qi Xu loosened his tie, suddenly feeling a bit warm.
“…Don’t you think this topic is a little inappropriate right now?”

Xie Huai didn’t even hesitate. “What’s inappropriate about it? I just want you to know—I have every kind of thought about you.”

He wanted to hold him.
He wanted to date him.
He wanted to kiss him.
He wanted to sleep with him.
He wanted to do everything to Qi Xu, to leave his scent, his marks, his presence on him—so that only he could ever see and touch.

The love of a young man was wild and unrestrained—fiery, reckless, and overwhelming. It caught Qi Xu off guard.

Qi Xu began unbuttoning his shirt with one hand.
“So… you want to sleep with me?”

Xie Huai replied like it was a casual discussion.
“You can be on top, if you want.”

Qi Xu had been single for 28 years. He’d never done anything, sure, but he wasn’t completely clueless.
He knew what positions meant between two men, and that the one on top typically had control over the other.

But his knowledge was superficial—he didn’t realize that the dynamic could shift depending on the moment or preference.

When Xie Huai said he was willing to be on the bottom… considering his personality, that kind of submission said a lot.

Qi Xu had to admit—this guy really did like him.

Still, he couldn’t let himself be swayed so easily. He put on his cold, guarded front:
“You sound pretty experienced. Been watching a lot of… stuff lately?”

Xie Huai suddenly stood up from the couch and headed to his bedroom.
“Self-taught,” he said without shame.

Qi Xu knew he had to stop this train of thought before it got out of hand. If they kept talking like this, something was definitely going to happen before they got any sleep.

After all, he may have a 28-year-old heart, but his body was still 18. And an 18-year-old body… didn’t need much to get riled up.

“I’m going to shower. You should sleep early too,” he said, trying to exit the conversation.

Just as Qi Xu was about to say goodnight, he heard Xie Huai hiss softly on the other end.

Qi Xu asked, “What happened?”

Xie Huai was holding a cup and pouring water onto his bed, face blank.
“Accidentally spilled water on the mattress.”

“…Weren’t you in the living room?” Qi Xu asked suspiciously.

Xie Huai lied without blinking. “I’ve been in the bedroom this whole time. Just grabbed the glass on the nightstand and knocked it over.”

Qi Xu wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t push. “Just change the sheets.”

Xie Huai said flatly, “It soaked the whole mattress.”

Qi Xu was speechless.
“How big is your glass? Did you flood the house?”

Xie Huai finally dropped the act:
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?”

Qi Xu grabbed a bathrobe and headed to the bathroom.
“Can you not be so obvious about your intentions?”

“I can’t help it,” Xie Huai answered honestly.

Qi Xu was certain something had shifted in Xie Huai tonight.
If he had to guess, it probably had something to do with him.

As for what exactly… Qi Xu couldn’t figure it out.
Too many things had happened lately—between the Shen family and his own life.

He did know one thing for sure:
The only thing that could shake Xie Huai’s composure…
Was when someone insulted or disrespected him.

And now, with him not physically beside Xie Huai, he couldn’t see the look on his face.

Xie Huai was also an exception to Qi Xu.

He’d never liked being touched by others—but somehow, he didn’t reject Xie Huai’s nearness. He even allowed it.
He let Xie Huai move into his apartment, let him step into his private life.

But Qi Xu had never realized what these small concessions really meant.

Once again, he compromised. “Fine, go sleep.”

Xie Huai grinned and casually dropped the cup in his hand, watching it roll lazily across the mattress with quiet satisfaction.

Finally, he could answer Qin Huansi’s question with clarity:
“Does Qi Xu even like men?”

No. He just likes me.

Qi Xu had never put up defenses around Xie Huai.
He always acted relaxed, easy, a little lazy—because the person in front of him was Xie Huai.

Xie Huai had realized this far earlier than Qi Xu himself.
And so, he took advantage of it. Slipped right through the cracks in Qi Xu’s guard.

Honestly, they wouldn’t have come this far without Qi Xu’s own cluelessness.

Xie Huai walked out of his room, hand resting lightly on the doorknob to Qi Xu’s room. His heart trembled, just barely.

That bedroom was Qi Xu’s most private space, filled to the brim with his scent and his presence.

Qi Xu heard the faint movement. He knew Xie Huai had gone into his room—and his feelings were… complicated.

Why had he agreed so easily?

That wasn’t like him at all.

“You gonna be able to sleep now?” Qi Xu asked.

Xie Huai had just reached for Qi Xu’s pillow when the doorbell rang. His expression darkened.
“I was going to sleep. Someone clearly doesn’t want me to.”

Qi Xu blinked. “Huh?”

At midnight sharp, Xu Yichen showed up with a bottle of liquor in hand—no Fang Qian, no Jiang Zimu.

Fresh from the shower, Qi Xu came out just in time to hear Xu Yichen wailing:
“Fang Qian’s chatting with that Guan family brat and ignoring me! Aaaaah, why’s she being like this?!”

He was crying for real—tears, snot, the whole package. Xie Huai leaned away from him in disgust.

Qi Xu yawned and didn’t chime in.
Xie Huai didn’t even glance at Xu Yichen, just said into the phone, “If you’re tired, hang up.”

Xu Yichen suddenly snatched the phone from him and yelled, “Don’t sleep! Qi Xu, let’s drink till dawn!”

Qi Xu finally spoke up: “What did you do this time to piss Fang Qian off?”

“I…” Xu Yichen, drunk and dazed, had to think for a long while before muttering, “My uncle told me to entertain one of his friend’s daughters… so I did. Just made some small talk.”

Qi Xu knew Fang Qian liked Xu Yichen.
Seeing someone you like chatting and laughing with another girl—it’s natural to feel jealous.

Xu Yichen added pitifully, “When she left, I was just being polite! Said something like ‘let’s meet again,’ exchanged numbers… I didn’t do anything! My heart’s always been hers!”

And then he started crying again.

Qi Xu had no words.
At least Xie Huai had never added other people right in front of him.

Xie Huai, already annoyed at being kept up, let out a cold laugh. “So why not just confess to her? What the hell are you doing here trying to be seen?”

That hit a nerve. Xu Yichen snapped:
“Confessing isn’t that easy, okay? You cold-blooded bastard—you’ve never even liked someone! Liking someone is chaotic and terrifying. What if they reject you? What if things never go back to how they were?”

Xie Huai calmly took his phone back from him.
“Oh, I’m cold-blooded? But I’ve confessed.”

Xu Yichen froze for two full seconds before his eyes flew open. “To who?!”

Xie Huai replied without hesitation:
“Qi Xu.”

Qi Xu himself: “…”

Both men and the phone were dead silent.

Xu Yichen let out a loud drunk burp: “Urgh—”

Then raised his head and howled at the ceiling, as if in tribute to something sacred.