Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy-Chapter 562: Bullying my son in law

Luo Muchen hesitated. He wondered if Qie Ranzhe was going to call his mother, or worse, beat him up. Unwilling to appear weak in front of his future sweetheart’s father, he decided to follow him, hoping that he would be reasonable.

Qie Ranzhe didn’t dare take him into the main house. He led Luo Muchen to the cottage at the back of the garden. It was his man cave, where he kept his collection of books, movies, and memorabilia. He opened the door and gestured for Luo Muchen to enter.

Luo Muchen stepped inside and looked around. The cottage was cosy and neat, with trophies and medals on the walls. There was a sofa, a TV, a mini-fridge, a shelf filled with family pictures and a pool table. Luo Muchen felt a pang of curiosity. He wondered if all dads had a room like this because his grandfather didn’t.

Qie Ranzhe closed the door and locked it making Luo Muchen’s back stiffen. He had naively walked into this trap voluntarily and there was no way out. Qie Ranzhe walked to the mini-fridge and asked, "What are you drinking?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Luo Muchen knew he was not in the position to make demands so he said, "Anything is fine."

Qie Ranzhe’s brow took out one can of beer and some bottled water for Luo Muchen. He handed it to him and said, "Sit down."

Luo Muchen sat on the sofa, clutching the bottle of water. He didn’t dare to open it. He felt like he was in a trap and there was no way to get away.

Qie Ranzhe sat on the opposite end of the sofa, facing Luo Muchen. He opened his can and took a sip. He said, "We finally get to have a conversation. Unfortunately, it had to be under such circumstances."

Luo Muchen nodded, unable to speak. Qie Ranzhe continued, "I am sure that you are aware that I don’t like you much. He must have mentioned that before."

Luo Muchen felt a surge of anger and defiance. He wanted to tell Qie Ranzhe that he loved Qie Xieling and that he didn’t need his approval to pursue him.

But he didn’t say anything. He knew that if he wanted to be with Qie Xieling he had to get along with his parents.

Qie Ranzhe took another sip of his beer and said, "But I love my son and I want him to be happy. So for his sake, I will give you a chance. A chance to prove yourself. To show me that you’re worthy of my son. That you’re not just having a fling. That you will be good to him and go above and beyond for him. In my absence, I need to be able to know that you will take great care of him and keep him safe. That you respect him. That you can make him happy."

Luo Muchen felt a mix of emotions. He didn’t think that this conversation would head in this direction. He nodded his head and said,

"I understand."

Qie Ranzhe was very satisfied. He got up and picked up a cue. He threw one to Luo Muchen and Luo Muchen caught it.

"Can you play?" he asked. Luo Muchen nodded as he got up. "Do you know the rules?" Qie Ranzhe asked again and Luo Muchen nodded his head. He had played pool before, but not very well. He had a feeling that Qie Ranzhe was good at pool, and he wouldn’t go easy on him.

Qie Ranzhe racked the balls and broke. He pocketed a solid ball and continued his turn. He cleared the table with ease, leaving only the eight-ball and one striped ball.

Qie Ranzhe aimed for the eight-ball, but missed. "Your turn," he said.

Luo Muchen took the cue and approached the table. He looked at the striped ball, which was near the corner pocket. He thought it was an easy shot, but he didn’t want to be overconfident. He took a deep breath and hit the ball. It rolled into the pocket.

Luo Muchen’s tense nerves relaxed after making his first shot. He looked at the eight ball, which was in the middle of the table. He thought it was a difficult shot, but he decided to try it anyway. He aimed and hit the ball. It bounced off the rail but it missed.

Qie Ranzhe took his turn, and quickly cleared the table, sinking all his balls and the black one. Luo Muchen was disheartened. He didn’t think he would lose so miserably. Qie Ranzhe asked him if he wanted to play again.

Luo Muchen agreed, hoping to do better in the second game. But Qie Ranzhe was relentless and beat him again with ease. Luo Muchen felt his competitiveness rising like a tide. Seeing Qie Ranzhe’s smug expression he knew he was enjoying this. He was bullying him for his own amusement.

Luo Muchen decided to play one more game and put all his remaining dignity on the line. He broke again, and this time he managed to sink a ball. He felt a surge of confidence and tried to keep his momentum. He focused on each shot and ignored Qie Ranzhe’s taunts and comments. He was determined to win this game and show him that he was not a pushover.

The game was close, and both players had only one ball left. Luo Muchen had the advantage, as his ball was closer to the pocket. He aimed carefully and hit the cue ball. He watched as his ball rolled towards the hole, and felt a rush of relief. He had done it. He had finally won against him.

But then, he saw something that made his heart sink. The cue ball had bounced off the cushion and was heading towards the black ball. It hit it with a gentle tap and pushed it into the opposite pocket. Luo Muchen had scratched and lost the game.

Qie Ranzhe burst into laughter. He found that he was enjoying this a little too much. He walked over to Luo Muchen and patted him on the shoulder before saying, "Better luck next time. We should pick something you are actually good at."

Luo Muchen, "..."