It Happened

By the flower beds, Xu Qing looked down at Qin Lin and pulled her into his arms.

"I know everything now. There's no point trying to hide it. Sister Xin must have told you I'm really slow on the uptake, but that's not true at all. I just don't go out of my way to think about these things."

"Teacher, you're really sly. You seemed to stumble into my world by chance, but you'd planned it all along," Xu Qing said. Their faces were pressed together, close enough to feel each other's warmth.

"No, Xiao Qing, I..." Qin Lin's thoughts were in a muddle. She wanted to explain.

"I know. You were afraid I'd mind that you're so much older than me, and that I'd reject you," Xu Qing interrupted. "But you've been so good to me. How could I not notice?"

Qin Lin opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she didn't know where to start.

"Now, sly Teacher Qin, congratulations. You've succeeded. You've made me fall into the web of love you carefully wove for me," Xu Qing said, gently pounding her back with his fist.

In his eyes, Qin Lin was much like Luo Feng.

Back in his first year of high school, Luo Feng had secretly watched Xu Xin for an entire year, leaving an indelible impression on her.

Later, whenever the two of them met, their feelings blossomed and grew quickly.

As for Qin Lin, she had deliberately kept crossing paths with Xu Qing, leaving her mark on his heart little by little. The methods were different, but the effect was the same.

It hadn't taken long for Xu Qing to realize what was happening, and for feelings to take root.

"Teacher Qin, I think... I've fallen for you."

Hearing Xu Qing's words, Qin Lin's eyes widened and her pupils contracted slightly. She felt as if warmth had wrapped around her entire body.

Her dark hair fluttered in the evening breeze. Though it was night, the scenery around her seemed as bright as day.

Although Qin Lin had been the first to fall in love, Xu Qing was the first to confess.

"All right, Teacher Qin. Let's go back." Xu Qing released her and jumped down from the edge of the flower bed.

He was completely at ease. Even after confessing, he wasn't blushing or acting shy. Then again, it was so dark that it might not have been noticeable.

Xu Qing walked away in small, unhurried steps. Once he'd gone some distance, he turned around and waved. "Hey, Teacher Qin, stop spacing out. I'm not waiting for you."

Qin Lin abruptly snapped out of it. The sudden rush of happiness had nearly made her faint.

She'd never imagined that Xu Qing would confess to her at a time like this. To her, this was the perfect development, something that could only happen in a dream.

And yet this perfect turn of events had really happened.

"I'm coming!" Qin Lin's heart leaped with joy. She was so excited that she ran to catch up.

When Xu Qing saw her coming, he continued walking.

"Xiao Qing, did you mean what you just said?" Qin Lin caught up to him and, struggling to contain her joy, asked him.

"What did I say?" Xu Qing blinked, pretending to play dumb.

Qin Lin wasn't about to let him off the hook. "You said you liked me."

"Did I? I don't remember saying that. Oh, I was only joking," Xu Qing teased.

"No way. You were serious. I heard you loud and clear," Qin Lin said anxiously.

Seeing her get worked up made Xu Qing grin. She'd kept it all from him, so he had to make her sweat a little. Otherwise, how could he make up for her keeping him in the dark?

"Haha, all right. I was serious. Teacher Qin, I like you. There, happy?" Xu Qing laughed and admitted it.

He said it openly and naturally, without the slightest embarrassment.

Xu Qing had never lied to himself. He'd always faced his feelings honestly: if he liked someone, he liked them; if he didn't, he didn't. There was no need to hide it.

It didn't matter how those feelings had come about. What mattered was not running away from them, but facing them honestly.

"Xiao Qing, be my boyfriend."

"Sure."

And just like that, Xu Qing and Qin Lin officially became a couple.

In class, Xu Qing was as usual: he paid attention for half the lesson and spent the other half fishing.

The one difference was that he hadn't been called to the teachers' office anymore.

"Xiao Qing, Teacher Qin hasn't been calling you to her office lately. Did something happen?" Xu Xin asked curiously.

Xu Qing stretched and glanced sideways at her. "Sister Xin, shouldn't you have something else to come clean about, instead?"

"Come clean? Me?" Xu Xin was taken aback, then suddenly caught on. "Xiao Qing, you... know everything?"

"Yeah, I know everything. You and Teacher Qin weren't very fair, keeping it from me like that. If I weren't smart, who knows how long it would've taken me to figure it out?" Xu Qing pouted.

"Ahem, well... You can't blame me, can you? No one can predict how things will go when it comes to love. All I could do was stay out of it and let things unfold naturally," Xu Xin said in her defense.

A few days ago, she'd still thought Teacher Qin was making too little progress. She hadn't expected things to happen only a few days later.

"So, Xiao Qing, you and Teacher Qin are...?" Xu Xin pressed.

"Just what you were hoping for, Sister Xin." Xu Qing didn't spell it out.

Xu Xin was a little surprised by his answer, but she was happy for him too.

Since Xu Qing had agreed to be with Qin Lin, that meant Xu Xin had made the right choice back then. She'd found him a suitable girlfriend.

"Xiao Qing, I found you such a wonderful girlfriend. Shouldn't you thank me?" Xu Xin said with a smile.

"Then I'll find you a boyfriend too. What do you think of that guy Luo Feng?" Xu Qing teased.

Xu Xin's pretty face flushed slightly. "You little rascal, Xiao Qing. You're making fun of me now?"

As she spoke, Xu Xin tickled him. It didn't take long for Xu Qing to surrender.

"Xiao Qing, now that you're a couple and living together, you need to be careful about certain things. After all, you're a direct member of the Xu Family now, and everything you do reflects on the family. You need to be mindful of that," Xu Xin reminded him.

"I know, Sister Xin," Xu Qing said with a nod.

"Once the time is right, we can tell Grandpa and the others. Given Teacher Qin's status, I don't think there'll be any problems," Xu Xin said after a moment's thought.

Qin Lin was a War General-level Warrior at the Limit Martial Arts Hall's headquarters. Her status in the Xu Family wouldn't be any lower than that of their hired high-ranking War Generals. The Xu Family wouldn't interfere with her relationship with Xu Qing.

"Oh, right, Sister Xin. That young master from the Wang Family sent his steward to see me. I sent him packing," Xu Qing told her.

"You did the right thing. Don't bother with them. They wouldn't dare do anything to you, either." Xu Xin frowned. She'd known that young master from the Wang Family would try to approach her through Xu Qing.

"You know, that young master from the Wang Family and all his men are brainless. Talking to them might actually make you stupid," Xu Qing grumbled.

"Haha, what did they say?" Xu Xin was amused.