78: Extra 3 - Date
Seeing there were so many people around, Shen Jin knew kids cared the most about saving face when they were out in public. He was shocked, but he didn’t expose his brother on the spot.
So Shen Jin didn’t say a single word. He turned around and left.
And it was exactly this “silence speaks louder than words” expression that scared Shen Xie’an the most. Back in elementary school, whenever he scored in the single digits, his brother would look just like that.
The underlings were still waiting for Shen Xie’an to lift an arm and lead them to slaughter, but their boss seemed to short-circuit. He stood there, completely frozen.
Shen Xie’an didn’t care about the shouting behind him. He sprinted after Shen Jin, barely slipping into the elevator with one second to spare.
Shen Jin raised his eyelids slightly. “Not continuing?”
Shen Xie’an shook his head so hard he looked like a rattling drum toy. “No, no, no. Let them handle it themselves.”
The two brothers stood in the elevator. The atmosphere was tense, or at least, that was Shen Xie’an’s personal experience.
Shen Jin glanced at his brother’s “sleeve.” Shen Xie’an immediately realized something was wrong and put his jacket back on at lightning speed. He said weakly, “It’s a sticker.”
“That big an area must’ve taken a lot of time.” Shen Jin asked calmly.
“I-It was… okay.” Shen Xie’an was cautious to the extreme.
A WeChat notification pinged. Shen Jin pulled it up, a voice message.
Cat: “What happened?”
Shen Jin forgot to switch to earpiece mode. Qian Kun’s voice flowed through the small space, low and pleasant.
Shen Jin didn’t hide anything. He replied with a voice message too: “I ran into Xiao An. I realized I’m a pretty incompetent older brother. I don’t even know what he likes or who he spends time with.”
Even though it was directed at Qian Kun, Shen Xie’an, standing right beside him, broke into a cold sweat.
Cat: “You can’t have gone far yet, right? I just got here. I’ll pick you both up.”
Shen Xie’an perked up his ears to eavesdrop. From the sound of it, Qian Kun had been planning to meet his brother.
Only then did he realize a terrifying problem. He might’ve asked the wrong person for help. This wasn’t going to escalate things, was it?
The moment the brothers walked out of the building, a pink off-road vehicle drove out of the underground parking lot beside them.
Qian Kun waved at them, and they got in one after the other.
Shen Jin shot Qian Kun an apologetic look. “We will have to do it next time.”
Qian Kun smiled reassuringly. “It’s fine.”
That tenderness made Shen Jin feel even guiltier.
Both of their gazes landed on Shen Xie’an.
Shen Xie’an sat up straight, rigid as a board. Why does this feel like a three-man interrogation?!
Shen Jin hadn’t been completely unaware. Back when he was living at the Shen house, he’d often wake up early wanting to make breakfast for his brother, only to find him missing. He’d leave a note on the table. That was probably when he’d been coming out for “team-building.”
Although Shen Xie’an was the one Shen Jin had raised with his own hands, once a kid grew up, they needed their own space. Shen Jin had never restricted his brother’s growth.
Maybe he’d been too open-minded, and in one careless moment, his brother had somehow become “the boss.”
Ever since they got in the car, Shen Xie’an had astutely noticed Qian Kun didn’t sit in the front passenger seat. Instead, he stayed in the back with Shen Jin the whole time. That seating choice made him pick up on something.
He shot Qian Kun several looks, begging him to help smooth things over. Whether it was too dark to see or the angle was bad, Qian Kun gave him absolutely no response.
Seeing that his “fire extinguisher” only had eyes for his brother and didn’t care whether he lived or died, Shen Xie’an could only save himself.
On the verge of tears, Shen Xie’an slumped his head. “Ge, you weren’t incompetent. I just… didn’t dare to let you know.”
Shen Jin remained unmoved. “When did it start?”
Shen Xie’an poured everything out in one breath. “When you beat my tutor, that bastard Xue Yi, until his face was black and blue. That was when I realized I was too weak. So I signed up for boxing classes, right?”
Shen Jin nodded. From that moment on, he felt his little brother’s personality had changed. He hadn’t expected it to be such a huge blow. It only made Shen Jin hate those freaks even more.
Seeing his brother didn’t look as angry, Shen Xie’an hurried on. “Later, when I went to play ball at the court near our place, I saw our school’s guys getting bullied…”
Shen Jin smoothly finished it for him. “So you went over to play the hero, then got addicted, and it spiraled out of control.”
Shen Xie’an nodded rapidly and immediately started flattering. “Exactly! Ge, you’re amazing. You guessed it right away! ‘Boss’ is what they call me, okay? I never admitted it. I wanted to leave after helping, but I couldn’t stand it, they were seriously too weak. A bunch of Alphas getting pressed by Third Middle like that, it’s humiliating for Nanhu.”
“You sound pretty proud.”
“No, no! How would I dare!” Shen Xie’an met his brother’s look and immediately turned timid. He pinched his fingers together as if measuring. “Just… a tiny bit.”
When I was still an Omega, I made them cry for their moms. It was insanely satisfying!
Shen Xie’an’s starting point was good. It was just that the follow-up got out of hand.
Shen Jin made him talk through what he’d been doing for the past few years. From the description alone, it wasn’t too outrageous. He hadn’t turned into a real street punk, he was just a bit too arrogant in daily life.
Shen Xie’an swore again and again. “Ge, I’m not hiding anything, seriously. I even do good deeds all the time. At most it’s stuff like today, a ‘final battle’ in an arcade. Usually I even make them study together with me!”
“Study?”
“Yeah, yeah! We even have a study group. A few of my childhood friends like to mooch off your video speeches, remember? Sometimes they’ll explain problems to my little brothers too!”
This is a positive cycle. With my own strength, I dragged this whole bunch of classmates out of the danger zone.
I’m a wholesome, positive-energy school tyrant!
Shen Jin didn’t comment. Qian Kun chose that moment to hand over the milkshake he’d already bought. He coaxed gently, “Don’t be mad. Kids don’t know better. Have a drink?”
Shen Jin saw the logo and remembered the shop was a bit far from here. He bought it on purpose?
His excitement lasted only a few seconds before Shen Jin noticed something. “It’s hot?”
Qian Kun replied, “Your stomach needs to be taken care of. I specifically asked them to make it hot.”
A hot milkshake has no soul!
Shen Jin took a few sips. It was orange flavored. Fine. Hot is hot, then.
Shen Xie’an didn’t drink anything. Just watching them was enough to make him full.
Am I… extra here?
Qian Kun ignored his little brother-in-law’s desperate signals the whole way. He even fanned the flames with perfect innocence. “Xiao An just wandered onto the wrong path. As long as he’s corrected in time, it’s not too late.”
His first date, which he’d looked forward to for ages, had been destroyed by this little brother-in-law who didn’t look that big but had terrifying destructive power. Who was Qian Kun supposed to complain to?
“Wait, no, that’s not it! What wrong path? I didn’t even step onto it! Ge, don’t listen to his nonsense!”
Qian Kun, what’s wrong with you?! How did you just label me like that?!
I called you to put out the fire, not to pour oil on it!
Hearing that, Shen Jin’s brows knit slightly.
Shen Xie’an: AHHHHHH, Qian Kun, you sinister bastard!
Shen Jin still knew his brother. This kid had a sense of boundaries. If he said he didn’t do it, then he definitely didn’t do it.
As for the “liking to beat up Alphas” thing, Shen Jin still intended to ask the middle school division about it.
Shen Jin understood the situation, but his brother was still way too flashy, so he needed to be taught a lesson. It was fine if he only ran into weaker people, but what if he ran into someone stronger?
So what awaited Shen Xie’an was a combined double “education” session from both his older brother and his brother-in-law, one singing harmony, the other providing the chorus, perfectly in sync.
Shen Xie’an got lectured for an entire evening. Tearfully, he remembered that ambiguous smile his brother-in-law had worn right before leaving.
He even remembered how, when Qian Kun first got into the car, he’d said “It’s fine.” Fine, my ass. This is “fine”?! This is clearly the situation exploding into a full-blown disaster!
Qian Kun, you’d better pray I don’t ever get an opening!
Wuwuwu, I swear I’ll get revenge. If I don’t, I’m not an Alpha!
The news that Qian Kun was an Alpha instantly swept across major school forums.
More Omegas than ever passed by the Class 9 doorway, but people gradually discovered that all gifts were being returned. Before, even when he rejected them, Qian Kun would still accept gifts out of courtesy. Now he refused everything completely.
Some Omegas guessed he might already have someone he liked.
But no Omega appeared beside him, so some people guessed, could it be Shen Jin?
The student who made that guess even presented their reasoning.
During the physical exam incident, Qian Kun had exploded with his pheromones and crushed every Alpha so hard they couldn’t even lift their heads. He’d taken Shen Jin straight out of the storm’s eye. If that had happened for anyone else, people would’ve been speculating like crazy already.
But when it came to Shen Jin, aside from envy, there wasn’t even a single wild post.
[They’re just pure and innocent desk-mate vibes. Who’s Ice God? The school’s anti-dating spokesperson.]
[Every time Jin Jin goes on stage, I feel like the school leadership is one step away from saying: you all should learn from Shen Jin, look how he’ll never date.]
[Yeah, honestly, that makes too much sense!]
[And besides, a big shot like Kun-ge, someone who’s used to getting confessed to, would never take the initiative. Are you kidding? Kun-ge probably doesn’t even know how to write the word “pursue,” hahaha! And Ice God, why’s he called that? Because he’s a gust of wind straight out of Siberia! Two people who never take the initiative, being able to melt the ice and stop being enemies like this is already a miracle, okay!]
[If you’re hoping they’ve got something going on, wash up and go to sleep.]
[Compared to the absurd fantasy of Ice God dating, I’m more curious what Kun-ge’s rank even is!]
So a post that had originally been discussing their ambiguity somehow veered into theorizing about Qian Kun’s pheromone rank.
Everyone had different opinions. The Alphas who’d been through the physical exam incident swore Qian Kun was definitely above S rank. The suffocating “mountain pressing down” feeling was still burned into their memories.
Compared to Qian Kun’s pheromone rank, Class 9 cared more about the fact that those two big shots in the back row really did have something going on, and it might not even be just ambiguity anymore.
Everyone started paying close attention to the details in their daily life. They thought it wasn’t obvious, but in reality, the people involved had noticed ages ago and still acted however they pleased.
As the weather turned colder, the PP plastic water cup on Shen Jin’s desk had been replaced with a thermos. Every break, Kun-ge would refill it to the brim. In truth, Qian Kun had always been doing this. Everyone just ignored it at first.
At lunchtime, Kun-ge often went to the cafeteria with everyone, and Shen Jin’s portion was usually prepared by Kun-ge. He knew best what Shen Jin couldn’t eat.
If you boarded at school, you could even see them running in the morning together, eating breakfast together. If you observed carefully, you’d realize they were almost always attached at the hip.
During noon nap, Shen Jin fell asleep, face down on his desk.
When Luo Ying returned to the classroom, she happened to see Qian Kun take off his own jacket and drape it over Shen Jin. She got so excited she kept yanking the sleeve of the person beside her.
Qian Kun’s movements were gentle, but there was also a hint of possessiveness. His gaze kept getting caught on Shen Jin without him even noticing.
“Oh my god, they’re real!”
“Kun-ge is so intense.”
“When he covered Jin-ge with his jacket, I got full-body goosebumps.”
From the start, Shen Jin and Qian Kun never planned to hide it. Now, they also wouldn’t deliberately broadcast it.
Shen Jin found a chance to go to the office and resign from the “give speeches on stage” duty.
The grade director refused at first, but then he figured out the reason on his own. “Is it because you’re heading into senior year and you’re worried you won’t be able to handle the workload?”
Shen Jin braced himself and admitted it.
The director remembered Shen Jin and Qian Kun seemed to be fighting over first place in the grade, trading spots back and forth like a fierce duel. He could only nod regretfully. Looks like he’d have to find a new candidate.
Not long after, Qian Kun brought good news.
He’d always had people watching Xue Yi’s whereabouts, but there’d been no movement for years.
After Shen Jin’s reminder, Qian Kun hired several high-level hackers. Through repeated IP tracking, they finally located Xue Yi’s real position: an internet café in Country R.
Because it was international, Qian Kun pulled connections through his grandfather’s network.
Finally, Xue Yi was caught. He was found at an unlicensed motel in Country R. Due to extradition procedures, it would take a month before he could be brought back.
Qian Kun handed the report to Shen Jin. Shen Jin sat there for a long time, unable to come back to himself, then forwarded it to his brother.
Shen Xie’an only sent back six exclamation marks. Just punctuation alone was enough to show how excited he was.
The shadow hanging over the brothers’ heads was finally starting to lift.
That afternoon, Shen Jin received a message from an unfamiliar number saying they wanted to talk.
Even though the contact had been deleted, after years of knowing them, Shen Jin recognized the number at a glance. It was from Ke Minghuai’s mother.
Shen Jin didn’t reply. What happened between him and Ke Minghuai was long over. There was nothing else to discuss.
After school, Jiang Yifan suggested they go to a newly opened pickled fish place nearby. As they were leaving the school gates, someone called Shen Jin from behind.
“Shen Jin. Long time no see.”
Shen Jin turned around. It was Ke Minghuai’s mother.
Qian Kun had already seen her in the files. In Shen Jin’s gray nine years, this woman had “contributed” plenty.
Since she’d come all the way to school, Shen Jin couldn’t pretend he didn’t see her. He said to Qian Kun, “Go order for me first. I’ll come over in a bit.”
Qian Kun swept his gaze over Ke Minghuai’s mother. When she met his indifferent look, her heart tightened slightly.
He looks so young. Why are his eyes so terrifying?
Before, she’d only seen this “little crown prince” of the Qian family from far away. Up close, she could finally feel the pressure of his presence.
Qian Kun walked off to the side, but he didn’t go far. He clearly didn’t trust this middle-aged noblewoman. Ke Minghuai’s mother felt the silent mockery, but she was here to mend things with Shen Jin today, so she couldn’t act as imperiously as she used to.
“Why are you looking for me?”
“I…” Ke Minghuai’s mother thought of how her son’s mental state had been terrible recently. Sometimes he’d space out without knowing what he was thinking, but whenever he had free time, he’d lock himself in his room, staring at the gifts Shen Jin had returned from those nine years. Gifts she’d thrown away, then he’d picked back up. Seeing her son grow more and more haggard, she felt regret. “These past years, Auntie did a lot of things wrong. Can you forgive Auntie?”
Shen Jin was a little surprised. Before, Shen Xie’an had said the Ke family would regret it someday, but Shen Jin never took it seriously. He understood the Ke family well. They put profits first. The engagement had happened because he was obedient and easy to control.
After canceling it, the Ke family should’ve only felt relieved.
He hadn’t expected there really would be a day like this.
Ke Minghuai’s mother had never lowered her head before. This apology was already the limit of what she could do.
She tried to look at Shen Jin sincerely. She was grateful Shen Jin had “healed” her son, but her son had also become resentful toward her because of Shen Jin.
In truth, Ke Minghuai didn’t resent his mother. His mother’s attitude depended on him.
The one he hated most was himself.
However, Ke Minghuai’s mother blamed herself. If she hadn’t hurriedly broken off the engagement, maybe there would’ve been a chance. She wouldn’t have let Qian Kun seize the opening, either.
Shen Jin could tell her thoughts toward him hadn’t changed. The only reason her attitude had changed so drastically was because she cared about her son too much.
“Auntie, let the past stay in the past.”
“Then can you go back to his side? Auntie promises I’ll treat you well from now on!”
Shen Jin glanced ahead. Qian Kun stood at the corner, watching this direction with a cold, flat gaze, not even a trace of warmth.
Shen Jin said a few more words, saw Ke Minghuai’s mother off, then returned to Qian Kun.
Qian Kun’s expression didn’t change. “What did she want with you?”
Shen Jin understood now. Whenever the young master looked like this, it meant he was jealous.
“She asked if I’d consider getting re-engaged.” Plus a pile of generous conditions.
“Tsk.” She really dared to ask!
Qian Kun’s face darkened.
Shen Jin lowered his lashes. “I told her I have a boyfriend.”
Qian Kun froze.
Every time Shen Jin spoke, he somehow managed to hit Qian Kun right in the heart.
Qian Kun grabbed Shen Jin by the wrist and pulled him into a corner to linger close.
He lowered his head and rubbed at Shen Jin’s hair. Ever since they came back from the confession night, he hadn’t found a proper chance to get intimate.
That feather-light touch at the birthday party was, as a first kiss, far too fast. Too fast to even properly feel the other person’s breath.
“When will you give me another chance to perform?”
Shen Jin hadn’t expected him to move that quickly. In the blink of an eye, they were tucked into a corner in an alley.
whole body heated up. Those words were their private signal.
On the day he gave his answer, he’d said: your performance was bad.
The Alpha’s fingers made trouble just above Shen Jin’s gland. As if that wasn’t stimulating enough, he murmured, “This time, I don’t want to stop at a taste.”
Before Shen Jin could respond, Zheng Zhipeng’s voice came from the corner. “Kun-ge, Ice God, why are you two so slow?”
Shen Jin shoved him away at once, nimble as a rabbit. “The chance… isn’t given by me.”
Shen Jin didn’t know that behind him, the Alpha watched his back, his eyes darkening.
He didn’t want to hold back anymore.
Qian Kun flipped through a Chinese almanac and chose a “suitable for travel” day for their second date.
This time, Shen Xie’an had gone out of town for sketching. Xie Ling was still overseas attending a summit. The other classmates were stuck with evening self-study. With a monthly exam coming up in a few days, everyone was cramming hard. It was, in theory, perfect timing.
If you had to list the essential date activities, dinner and a movie were always top-tier choices for building feelings.
When they arrived at the theater, they discovered a 3D feature film for Snowball and Beika was showing.
Before Qian Kun could say anything, Shen Jin beat him to it. “I don’t like cartoons. Can we pick something else?”
It sounded like he was asking, but in reality, it was like a spoonful of honey water poured straight into the Alpha’s heart.
“Mm. You decide.”
“Then you go buy popcorn.”
While choosing popcorn flavors, Qian Kun glanced at the poster for that big movie next door. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Ke Minghuai still had ulterior motives. Ads like this were everywhere, suffocatingly so. He didn’t believe Ke Minghuai hadn’t “helped” with any of it.
That Alpha was smart. It looked like he’d let go, but not completely. It was more like he wanted Shen Jin to relax his guard.
Trying to win through a detour?
Dream on.
Shen Jin picked a comedic mystery film. When he came back, he saw his desk-mate deep in thought.
Shen Jin sat down and ate a popcorn kernel. Chocolate flavor. Pretty good. He took a few more.
Shen Jin asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Qian Kun replied, “What movie did you pick?”
Qian Kun took the ticket and saw it was a reasoning-and-case-solving film. That fit Shen Jin’s preferences perfectly.
They sat on the couches in the waiting area. Qian Kun wanted to say something to erase the lingering impact of the bunny movie.
Then Qian Kun spotted something and abruptly crouched down.
When he saw Shen Jin hadn’t reacted, he tugged him down too, bending with him.
“?” Shen Jin looked confused.
“I saw Jiang Yifan and the others.”
He’d calculated everything except this. Their classmates had actually cut evening self-study.
In truth, this was partly influenced by them. The two big shots hadn’t attended evening self-study for days, and the classmates had started itching to follow. So they decided to skip the night session and come watch a movie together.
Shen Jin said, “Shouldn’t we go say hi? Even if we run into them, we don’t have to watch the same movie.”
Surely it can’t be that coincidental.
Qian Kun narrowed his eyes. “I only want to be with you.”
He’d even checked the almanac. How could he still run into a Cheng Yaojin?
Qian Kun said it plainly.
It was too plain. Shen Jin’s fair face warmed, a faint blush blooming.
Shen Jin stopped talking and searched for their classmates with his eyes. They were buying tickets and hadn’t noticed the two of them hiding.
Qian Kun, of course, didn’t want to be interrupted.
The first date had been snipped clean by Shen Xie’an with one decisive chop. Now they’d run into classmates again. Class 9’s bunch was enthusiastic and lively. They wouldn’t understand they were on a date. A perfectly good date could easily turn into a group outing again.
Qian Kun swept a glance at the slightly bashful Shen Jin.
Who wants a group outing?
Like they were running a spy operation, they ducked and hid the whole way, only entering when the movie was about to start and the lights went out.
But the second they sat down, Shen Jin discovered Jiang Yifan, Hou Ruixing, Luo Ying, and Zheng Zhipeng were seated directly in front of them as a four-person unit.
The classmates were discussing the trailers, chatting about the actors.
Jiang Yifan said, “Didn’t Maruko used to be a fan of this lead actor? Gu Xi, the youngest Best Actor.”
Luo Ying ate a popcorn kernel. “I already switched biases. At first I only meant to cheat a little for one day, just a quick fling, then I’d go back. But then I realized I can’t go back.”
“Your new bias is even more charming than a Best Actor? Who is it, who is it!”
“Can’t say, can’t say.”
Those two low-key big shots, obviously!
Reality is even tastier than fantasy. As president of the shipping club, it’s not that I want to force the leads together. It’s that the leads exchange one look and I feel like they’re handing out sugar. I can’t stop shipping!
The ads on the screen ended and the dragon logo appeared.
The movie began. Their conversation stopped.
Shen Jin wanted to laugh, but Qian Kun already had his face set, saying nothing, so Shen Jin didn’t dare let it out.
He hadn’t expected it to really be this coincidental, the same theater.
Qian Kun felt like even the heavens were against him.
Seeing him like that, Shen Jin’s eyes curved slightly, as if a trace of grievance had overflowed.
The first thirty minutes of their second date passed in silence.
The turning point came when Shen Jin reached for popcorn and his fingers brushed the person beside him. Before Shen Jin could even pull back, the popcorn bucket was taken to the side.
Only then did Shen Jin tear his attention away from the big screen. Qian Kun’s deep gaze had locked onto him, like an invisible net being cast.
At that moment, a funny scene played. The whole theater erupted in laughter. In the darkness, no one would notice them in the back row.
Shen Jin realized what was happening and remembered Qian Kun’s words: “This time, I don’t want to stop at a taste.”
Qian Kun had already lifted the armrest between them. One arm wrapped around Shen Jin’s slim waist, trapping him in the narrow space.
The Alpha had held back far too long. His eyes were even a little red. He whispered to Shen Jin, “This is an opportunity. I fought for it.”
Shen Jin tried to retreat, but the back of his head was held firmly in place, leaving him no way to escape.
“N-Not here…” Shen Jin’s voice was tiny, trying not to let the classmates notice.
“It’s fine,” Qian Kun murmured. “I’ve waited long enough…”
The Alpha leaned in and covered the lips he’d longed for.
Author’s Note:
Qian Qian, is it sweet?
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