Early the next morning, Xiang Qilin struggled to get out of Wei Huanping’s bed with great difficulty, his lower back sore and his lower half nearly numb. Glancing at Wei Huanping, who was clinging to him like a human-shaped pillow, Xiang Qilin’s mind was in utter chaos.
In the end… unsure how to face Wei Huanping, Xiang Qilin cowardly slipped back to his own home to quietly reflect on life—how on earth did something like a drunken hookup happen to him? At the start, both of them had been perfectly fine!
Xiang Qilin held his forehead as he began piecing together the events of the previous night.
First, Wei Huanping had invited him for drinks, and he agreed, ending up at Wei Huanping’s place (why did it feel like a lamb delivering itself to a wolf’s den…? Hmm, must be an illusion). The two of them started drinking together. However, Wei Huanping’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t great, and he passed out within three minutes, leaving Xiang Qilin to drink alone.
Well, the wine had tasted pretty good. Maybe he’d ask Wei Huanping for a couple more bottles later.
Ahem, getting sidetracked. Back to last night.
Wei Huanping, drunk, had initially been well-behaved, but gradually started getting handsy, even confessing his feelings—confessing to him! What kind of “I thought we were bros, but you actually wanted to get with me” plot twist was this?!
Later… well, that wine really was something. Xiang Qilin, catching the scent of alcohol on Wei Huanping’s breath, slowly grew tipsy himself. Add Wei Huanping’s confession to the mix, and with his mind muddled, the two of them somehow ended up in bed together.
Yes! Exactly! It was all the alcohol’s fault!
Xiang Qilin slammed his head onto the table like a fish that had lost all hope, wishing he could just stay there forever. Fine, he admitted it—during those unspeakable moments last night, he had been sober. Painfully sober. In fact, he wished he had been drunk, but damn his high alcohol tolerance!
As for the rest… Xiang Qilin also wanted to deny the little unspeakable thoughts he harbored for Wei Huanping deep down. But if he truly had no interest in Wei Huanping, he would’ve punched him the moment he got handsy, instead of half-heartedly going along with it.
With a dark cloud over his head, Xiang Qilin dialed his younger brother, Xiang Qimiao. This wasn’t something he could discuss with his parents, so his brother was the next best option.
When Xiang Qilin finally stammered out what happened between him and Wei Huanping, Xiang Qimiao—who had been idly waiting for his idol, Tan Hao, to visit—let out an astonished sigh. “Brother Wei really is patient! He waited this long to make a move on you?”
Xiang Qilin: “……?” Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?
Xiang Qimiao looked at his clueless older brother with an almost maternal pity (Xiang Qilin: “……”). His brother was sharp and decisive in every other aspect of life, so why was he so dense when it came to this? Only someone like Wei Huanping would have the patience to slowly win over his oblivious brother over the years.
Xiang Qimiao sighed deeply. “Brother, Wei Huanping has liked you for years. Everyone in both families—hell, everyone around us—knows how he feels about you. Only you thought he liked me.”
Outside the hospital room door, Tan Hao—who had arrived with gifts for Xiang Qimiao—paused upon hearing the conversation inside. He silently listened, his expression darkening.
Tan Hao: …So, I just overheard something about a love rival? Hmm, a love rival. Definitely worth some… thorough “research.”
Heh. Since that adorable little kitten had already caught his eye, anyone who dared compete with him had better be prepared.
Tan Hao’s possessive instincts stirred, but he suppressed them. He didn’t want to scare Xiang Qimiao, especially when they were still one step away from being official.
Not yet. But once Xiang Qimiao was completely his… well. Heh.
Inside the room, unaware that Tan Hao was eavesdropping (ahem, “gathering intel”), Xiang Qimiao continued venting to his brother.
“Seriously, you and Wei Huanping have been mutually pining for ages, so why does it feel like some tragic love story? And why drag me into it? I have zero interest in Wei Huanping—my heart belongs to General Tan!”
Somehow, despite all three of them having their own love interests (two of whom were clearly into each other), the whole thing had devolved into a messy love triangle. Every time his brother tried to push him and Wei Huanping together, Xiang Qimiao wanted to scream.
Exhausting.
Did those two—who were happily in love with each other—ever consider how their public displays of affection affected him, a single man pining after his own crush?
After hearing his brother’s rant, Xiang Qilin finally understood how outsiders viewed his relationship with Wei Huanping. And now, he began seriously reflecting on his own feelings.
In the past, Xiang Qilin had always assumed Wei Huanping was just a close friend, a childhood companion—maybe even a potential match for his brother. But now, looking back, he realized his feelings had changed long ago. He just hadn’t acknowledged it.
Xiang Qilin had plenty of friends and brothers-in-arms. Despite his somewhat cold and rigid personality, his upbringing had instilled strong social skills. And in the military, leadership was judged differently than in politics.
Even with his flaws, Xiang Qilin had no shortage of loyal comrades—especially those who’d fought alongside him. But his feelings for them were different.
For example, if one of his comrades took a liking to Xiang Qimiao and seemed like a good match, Xiang Qilin would happily play matchmaker. If it worked out, great. If not, at least his brother would expand his network.
But Wei Huanping was different.
Xiang Qilin had once tried to set Wei Huanping up with his brother, but every time the two were about to spend time alone, he’d somehow insert himself into the situation. What was supposed to be a duo always turned into a trio.
And soon after, Xiang Qimiao would find an excuse to leave (Xiang Qimiao: “Yeah, because I didn’t want to be the third wheel!”). In the end, it was still a duo—just not the one originally intended.
Strangely, despite claiming to want Wei Huanping and his brother to get closer, Xiang Qilin always ended up having the most fun with Wei Huanping himself.
Lost in thought, Xiang Qilin fell silent.
Seeing his brother like this, Xiang Qimiao sighed. “Brother… what do you really feel about Wei Huanping?”
After replaying every memory of Wei Huanping in his mind, Xiang Qilin’s once-confused heart settled into certainty. Smiling, he said, “Qimiao, get ready to welcome your future sister-in-law!”
Xiang Qimiao thought to himself: *I really hope it’s a sister-in-law and not a brother-in-law…*
But as a good younger brother, he kept that to himself and instead cheerfully congratulated Xiang Qilin. “That’s great! I’ll be waiting for the good news!”
Having another person in the family would liven things up. And with a partner, his brother wouldn’t be alone anymore.
“Mm.” Xiang Qilin hung up, ready to go find Wei Huanping—only to immediately sit back down with a wince.
Xiang Qilin: *Damn it, my back!*
After some deliberation, he blushed and tried calling Wei Huanping, but chickened out before the call connected. Instead, he sent a message telling Wei Huanping to come see him ASAP, vaguely hinting that he might accept his confession.
Ahem. Xiang Qilin wasn’t one to hesitate. If he liked someone, and that someone liked him back, why not go for a happy ending?
Smiling brightly at some unknown thought, Xiang Qilin finally let himself relax.
Meanwhile, Xu Yi’an—who had just returned home from Chu Yan’s place—excitedly announced to his family: “I’ve found the person I like!!!”
Completely unaware of the shockwave his declaration sent through his household.
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