Teasing

And just like that, Qin Lin enjoyed a lively lunch at the Xu Family residence.

At the dining table, Qin Lin and the elder of the Xu Family chatted about a few matters.

By the afternoon, it was time for Qin Lin to leave, and naturally, Xu Qing had to go with her.

"Sister Xin, I'm leaving," Xu Qing said as he got into the car, waving at Xu Xin who stood by the doorway.

Xu Xin waved back, "Listen to Teacher Qin, and don't forget to come home and visit often."

"Don't worry, I will. I'll come see you at the Alliance Mall frequently," Xu Qing nodded.

"That's more like it. Teacher Qin, I'll leave little Qing in your care," Xu Xin said.

"Rest assured, I will take good care of him," Qin Lin replied with a bright smile.

Watching the SUV drive away, Xu Xin felt a sense of loss, as if the cabbage she had painstakingly grown had been dug up by someone else.

"Silly little brother, he's finally grown up," Xu Xin chuckled. Perhaps this was just the mindset of a parent.

Xu Gang walked out and looked at his sister, "Are you feeling a bit reluctant to let him go?"

"A little, I suppose. I've had him by my side since he was small; it's going to be strange not having him around. Brother, little Qing has a girlfriend now, what about you?" Xu Xin looked at her older brother and teased.

"Cough, cough. Why has the topic suddenly shifted to me? I'm not in a rush; it'll happen sooner or later," Xu Gang coughed lightly.

He paused, then asked, "Sister, what about you? That young master from the Wang Family keeps a close eye on you, and there's also Guo Hai from the Thunder Martial Arts Hall who likes you. Besides them, there's your old classmate Luo Feng. Which one do you have your eye on?"

Xu Xin shot him a sidelong glance, "If you aren't in a rush, why should I be?"

With that, she turned and walked into the house.

"Er... I think whoever it is will have to pass little Qing's test first," Xu Gang mused to himself.

Xu Xin and Xu Qing were so close that he was certain she would consult him about any boyfriend.

"With Xu Qing around, my sister will have no shortage of suitors," Xu Gang smiled.

Back at their residence, Qin Lin went to remove her makeup and change her clothes.

She rarely dressed so vibrantly, but she had done so to make a good impression on Xu Qing's elders.

Having cleared that most important hurdle, everything else would be much easier to handle.

"Linlin, look, did I take a good photo?" Xu Qing used his phone to snap a picture of Qin Lin in the long dress she wore today; she looked cold, elegant, and charming.

Qin Lin took a glance, "It's alright."

"Then I'm going to set it as my phone wallpaper," Xu Qing smiled and set the image as his screen.

"I want a photo of you too, just a headshot will do," Qin Lin pointed her phone at Xu Qing and clicked, capturing his entire face.

Looking at the photo, Qin Lin laughed. Whenever Xu Qing's face appeared in a frame, it always gave off a dazed, adorable vibe.

Unless he was smiling, he looked exactly like that in every photo.

"Little Qing, give me a smile," Qin Lin called out.

Xu Qing smiled at her, and after she snapped the photo, the result was clearly different—it was overflowing with cuteness, practically bursting off the screen.

Qin Lin took a dozen more, saving them all to rotate as her wallpaper every day.

Late at night, Xu Qing got up to use the bathroom, still half-asleep. Coincidentally, Qin Lin also woke up to get a drink of water.

As a result, Qin Lin watched as Xu Qing, having finished in the bathroom, saw her bedroom door open and walked right in, completely unaware that he had entered the wrong room.

Qin Lin froze for a few seconds before walking into her own room, where Xu Qing was already lying in her spot.

"Little Qing..." Qin Lin was caught between laughter and tears. Had he not realized he was sleeping in the wrong bed?

He must have been too groggy to notice anything.

Qin Lin stood by the bed, debating whether to wake him up or go sleep in his room instead.

"Wait, isn't this an opportunity he practically gave me himself? Why should I be so rigid?" Qin Lin suddenly realized.

Xu Qing was an adult, and they were boyfriend and girlfriend; what was the problem with sleeping together? There was no problem at all.

Having figured this out, Qin Lin climbed into bed. Although she felt a bit nervous, she was also quite excited; this would take their relationship a step further.

By the time Xu Qing realized it the next day, he would have nothing to say—it was his own doing.

"Yes, that's exactly it," Qin Lin had already prepared her excuse.

Morning.

Xu Qing opened his eyes, feeling dazed. He felt that his body pillow seemed a bit different; it had become much larger and heavier, preventing him from turning over.

After a long while, he finally saw clearly.

"A body pillow? How did it turn into Linlin?!" Xu Qing finally realized that what he was hugging wasn't a pillow at all, but Qin Lin.

His entire body was pressed against her, and he had essentially become the body pillow himself.

"I must be dreaming. No, that's not right," Xu Qing was bewildered. Could someone tell him what on earth had happened and why he was sleeping with Qin Lin?

Did they drink yesterday? That couldn't be right; Xu Qing didn't drink.

Furthermore, he had absolutely no memory of it.

"Oh no, could it be that I really turned into a ravenous wolf!" Xu Qing's eyes widened; he had only been saying that before as a joke, never expecting it to actually come true.

"It's over, it's over, I've done something terrible. Will Qin Lin be angry? I'm not that kind of person," Xu Qing panicked.

How was he supposed to explain this kind of thing to Qin Lin?

What if, after Qin Lin woke up and realized what had happened, she decided to break up with him?

Xu Qing's mind raced as he scrambled for a strategy. After a few seconds of deliberation, he hit upon a solution: play dumb.

Since he had no idea why things had turned out this way, any explanation would be feeble anyway. It was better to just not explain at all and play the fool to the end; perhaps that would leave some room for maneuver.

"I'll pretend to be asleep first. When Linlin wakes up, I'll act like I was just stirred from my slumber. That way, I'll hold the initiative. Yes, that's it. It's the only way I can save myself," Xu Qing muttered to himself.

Little did he know, Qin Lin had been awake for a long time.

Hearing Xu Qing's self-talk, Qin Lin nearly burst out laughing, but she managed to hold it in.

This little blockhead, what is going through his mind? He's too funny, Qin Lin chuckled inwardly.

With that, Xu Qing immediately began his performance, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.

To have some fun at his expense, Qin Lin deliberately rolled over and pinned him down.

"Mmph..."

Xu Qing was suddenly plunged into darkness, his face completely covered, yet he dared not move a muscle.

One minute... two minutes... five minutes...

Finally, Xu Qing couldn't hold his breath any longer. Abandoning all pretense of sleep, he immediately reached out to push Qin Lin aside.

"Hahaha..."

Seeing Xu Qing's face flushed bright red, Qin Lin could no longer contain herself and burst into laughter, her body shaking with mirth.

At this, Xu Qing realized he had been played.

"Ah, I'm going to get you for this!" Xu Qing's face turned beet red with embarrassment and annoyance. He flipped over, sat on top of her, and began tickling her relentlessly.