Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy-Chapter 599: The picture spoke a thousand words

Qie Xieling vigorously rinsed his mouth the bitter taste lingering on his tongue. He regretted it so much. He would never be that brave ever again.

After wiping his hands he stepped out of the bathroom and decided to wash it down with his nana’s sweet rosé.

He peeked into the kitchen and found that she was distracted. With hurried footsteps, he rushed to get the bottle that was already half drunk. He picked up a wine glass and poured out some. His phone which was on top of the wine fridge suddenly buzzed.

Qie Xieling’s brow arched as he picked it up. He thought it was Bo Ailun but to his surprise, it was Bi Yu. He scoffed with slight annoyance on his face. For a moment he couldn’t differentiate between the things that happened in the game and the real world.

Sure she was innocent in all of this and he felt guilt for bringing her into this when he had been the actual target. His parents had even gone to see the Bi family and apologised as well as compensate them for what happened so Qie Xieling didn’t see the need to get involved thus he never tried to contact her.

He didn’t mind being cordial with her but the fact that she was interested in his man made it impossible. He was a reasonable person but when it came to Luo Muchen he was irrational.

He swiped down the notification panel and read her messages. The first two were a perfunctory greeting and asking if he was okay. It was the last one that had him letting out a cynical chuckle.

YuYu: I have been trying to get hold of Chen-ge. Do you have his new contact number?

Qie Xieling locked his cell phone without even bothering to reply. He grabbed his wine glass and took a sip his eyes flashing with a glint of mischief. He pursed his lips before turning to go to the kitchen.

Luo Muchen had already returned and he had his back towards him seriously folding dumplings with a blue apron on.

Qie Xieling opened the camera on his phone and took a couple of pictures of him. "Lin Lin, what are you doing standing over there?" asked Grandma Wen and Qie Xieling quickly turned and ran out. Luo Muchen turned to look in that direction but the person was already gone. Nana Qie chuckled softly before saying, "He must have missed you and wanted to take a look."

Luo Muchen felt his cheeks heat up as a blush spread all over his face. He couldn’t help but feel bashful being teased like this.

Qie Xieling passed by the wine fridge and grabbed his glass and the bottle. Like a little princess who wouldn’t lift a finger, he nestled into the cocoon-like embrace of the outdoor hanging basket chair, its woven fibres cradling him like a protective nest. He bent his legs at the knees as he lay down the screen of his phone illuminating his face.

His fingers danced across the touchscreen, swiping and tapping. He swiped through the images and finally picked one. It was a candid shot of Luo Muchen, his strong back framed by the blue apron he was wearing. He edited the picture choosing a mystical filter and uploaded it with the caption ’he will make a good in law #husbandmaterial’. He bit his thumb for a moment a mischievous smile creeping up his face.

Qie Ranzhe’s hands deftly turned the skewers the sizzle and aroma filling the air as he glanced at Qie Xieling, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He caught a glimpse of Qie Xieling’s expression and he instantly knew he was up to no good.

Qie Ranzhe tapped Wen Qinxi’s arm and when his husband looked at him he gestured for him to look at their son. Even Wen Qinxi recognised that look. That kid was definitely up to something.

As soon as Qie Xieling shared the image it didn’t take long for his cell phone to be flooded with notifications.

He smiled evilly as he took a sip of the chilled Rosé, its delicate flavour mingling with the smoky scent of grilled food all around him. The chair swayed gently, and Qie Xieling closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. The chatter of birds, the distant sound of a rotor from a helicopter flying by, and the soft crackle of the grill formed a symphony around him. He didn’t need to reply to her message because the picture spoke a thousand words.

Wen Qinxi’s gaze lingered on Qie Xieling not sure if he should ask. While still pondering Wen Danzhe turned on his portable speaker and started playing music. Calling his uncle the life of the party was an understatement. He was the entire party. Qie Xieling chuckled watching him dance. It was easy to tell where he inherited his dancing skills.

"Oh my gosh. What do you think this is? A nightclub?" said Wen Qinxi and Wen Danzhe wiggled his finger while saying,

"You won’t dampen my mood today. Close your eyes if you don’t like it."

Qie Xieling couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His eyes fixed on the rhythmic sway of his uncle like he was trying to memorise the steps.

Qie Ranzhe shook his head while taking a sip of his beer sizzling sound of sausages on the grill intermingling with the beat of the music playing in the background.

If there was anything Wen Danzhe was great at it was this. His feet moved effortlessly, gliding across the deck as if they were weightless. His arms swirled, drawing invisible patterns in the air.

"Come on," he called out, extending his hand toward Qie Xieling. "I know you want to."

Qie Xieling chuckled, shaking his head. "I don’t wanna."

But who was he kidding? The music tugged at him, and the rhythm echoed in his veins like a tribal call. He couldn’t resist. With a sheepish grin, he took his uncle’s hand, and they twirled together.

He copied Wen Danzhe’s moves, feeling the wood on the deck beneath his slippers, the beat of the drums syncing with his heartbeat.

His dads exchanged amused glances. "He spent too much time with him," Wen Qinxi whispered to Qie Ranzhe.

"We shouldn’t have let him pick him up from school so many times," replied Qie Ranzhe. He lost count of how many times Qie Xieling didn’t do his homework because he was hanging out with Wen Danzhe the entire afternoon.