TSA Chapter 72

Chapter 72: I Like You

In the evening, as usual, everyone pooled their funds to exchange ingredients from the official game mall. Maybe because they were parting ways the next day, they strongly insisted that Ran Qi make extra delicious food for them to take back. Otherwise, they’d be miserable without good food after returning. Ran Qi had no way to deal with this group of foodies and had no choice but to agree.

While Ran Qi was busy in the kitchen, Han Xiao once again took the initiative to assist him. Han Xiao was highly capable, having helped before, and now he was slicing ingredients with precision—even managing to cut potato strips to an even thickness. With his help, Ran Qi’s workload was much lighter.

“Still planning on making hotpot today?” Han Xiao asked while washing and cutting the ingredients according to Ran Qi’s instructions.

“No, I’ll make something different today.” After eating hotpot for several consecutive days, they’d had enough. This time, Ran Qi planned to prepare a barbecue feast, letting the interstellar folks experience the joy of grilling skewers.

Everyone could grill and eat at the same time, and any leftover ingredients would be packed up with seasonings so they could barbecue anytime they wanted after returning.

The soul of barbecue lies in fresh ingredients and delicious seasonings. The food from the game mall was all incredibly fresh, thanks to futuristic technology that allowed long-term preservation. However, seasonings were somewhat lacking, so Ran Qi had to prepare them himself. Besides common spices like salt, black pepper, and honey, he also made chili powder, minced garlic, barbecue sauce, and peanut sauce from scratch.

Previously, he had been considerate of the interstellar people not being used to spicy food, so everything he made was mild. But today, he decided to introduce them to the thrill of chili powder.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with a spicy aroma, making Han Xiao sneeze several times.

Seeing this, Ran Qi couldn’t help but laugh.

His laughter was contagious—his eyes curved into crescents, and a mischievous light twinkled in them, making it impossible not to smile along.

“Oh? You dare laugh at me?” Amusement flashed in Han Xiao’s eyes as he reached out, hooked an arm around Ran Qi’s neck, and playfully ruffled his soft hair with the other hand.

“Hahaha, I was wrong, I was wrong! Let go…” Ran Qi laughed and begged for mercy.

As they were playfully wrestling, the commotion attracted the attention of the others, who eagerly ran over to join in. However, when they reached the kitchen, they were met with an unexpected scene— Han Xiao had his left arm wrapped around Ran Qi from behind, holding him close, while his right hand affectionately ruffled Ran Qi’s hair. Ran Qi tilted his head slightly to look at Han Xiao, his face glowing with laughter, cheeks flushed red, and his eyes shimmering with moisture. The two of them were incredibly close, looking as if they were about to kiss…

“You… you guys…” Gu Le’s eyes widened in shock. Behind him stood several others, all sporting the same dumbfounded expression.

“Continue! You guys continue! We saw nothing!” Liu Nian was the quickest to react. He swiftly pulled Gu Le behind him and, without hesitation, shut the kitchen door.

Ran Qi panicked instantly, reaching out toward the door with a desperate gesture. “It’s not what you think! Let me explain!”

However, his only response was the tightly shut door and the sound of hurried footsteps retreating into the distance.

Now, even if they jumped into the Yellow River, they wouldn’t be able to wash themselves clean!

“This is all your fault!” Ran Qi, face red, broke free from Han Xiao’s grasp. His once neat hair was now a complete mess, and his large eyes were filled with accusation. Unexpectedly, the disheveled look made him appear even more adorably fluffy, making Han Xiao’s fingers itch to ruffle his hair again.

“How is it my fault?” Han Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Weren’t you the one who laughed at me first?”

Ran Qi was momentarily speechless—he couldn’t refute that…

His cheeks puffed up in frustration, making him look even cuter in Han Xiao’s eyes.

Since everyone had already misunderstood, Han Xiao decided to take the plunge. “Ran Qi, what do you think of me?”

“Huh?” Ran Qi looked puzzled, not quite understanding what he meant.

“Let me put it another way—do you have someone you like?” Han Xiao asked bluntly.

That was just how he was—never indecisive or hesitant. He always knew what he wanted. Even in the game, he had already developed a strong fondness for Ran Qi. After meeting in person, that feeling deepened and gradually transformed into something more.

If he liked someone, why not go after them?

Ran Qi was completely caught off guard by the sudden question. His face turned bright red, and after stammering for a long time, he finally whispered, “No…”

“Now I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.” Han Xiao sighed.

Ran Qi’s heartbeat skipped. What did that mean?

“If you don’t have someone you like, why not try being with me?” Han Xiao continued, his gaze locked onto Ran Qi’s face. Though his expression was full of confidence, his fingers, pressing against the table, were tense to the point of turning white.

Clearly, he only appeared calm on the surface—deep down, he was nervous.

“Huh?” Ran Qi stared at his hands, finding himself unable to look away.

Was Han Xiao… confessing to him?

Ran Qi felt like his entire body temperature was soaring—not just his face and ears, but his whole body was burning.

“I like you. Do you want to be with me?” Han Xiao patiently repeated.

“…Okay.” Ran Qi lowered his head, his voice barely audible.

In his past life, Ran Qi was an orphan, so he had to figure out how to pay for his tuition and living expenses on his own. He was either working or on his way to work every day, leaving no time for romance. When he started university, his roommate pulled him into playing games to make money. To his surprise, he had a talent for gaming, and with a bit of luck, he quickly started earning. Being able to play games and make money at the same time was a dream come true. After repeatedly failing to find a job post-graduation, he decided to become a professional gamer, but that also turned him into a homebody.

Although he encountered many players in the game—some with whom he got along well—and received plenty of confessions, he never seemed to develop romantic feelings for anyone. He had assumed that he simply wasn’t wired for love. As a result, he had never been in a relationship in either of his two lifetimes.

Now he understood—it wasn’t that he didn’t want love, but that he hadn’t met the right person.

Back in the game, he had already felt a faint attraction toward Han Xiao. After meeting in person, that feeling only grew stronger. He realized that he genuinely liked Han Xiao—not out of admiration, not because of strength, and not merely as friendship. It was an undeniable, greedy longing to take things further, a yearning for the special kind of affection that only lovers shared.

His voice was so soft that even he could barely hear it. But no matter how quiet it was, Han Xiao still caught every word clearly.

Hearing the answer he had been waiting for, Han Xiao couldn’t help but smile. He rarely smiled like this, but when he did, it was dazzling—so much so that Ran Qi found himself momentarily stunned.

“Heh, you little fool.” Han Xiao’s mood lifted even further as he stepped forward, pulling Ran Qi into his arms and pressing a light kiss to his cheek without a hint of embarrassment. “Then, from now on, I’ll be in your care.”

“…Mm. Please take care of me, too.” Despite his overwhelming shyness, Ran Qi mustered the courage to return the gesture with a kiss on the cheek. After being single for two lifetimes, he finally had someone! Even though things progressed so quickly that he felt like he was floating on clouds, his heart, his mind, and even every cell in his body seemed to be bursting with fireworks.

Just then, the kitchen door suddenly creaked.

Han Xiao’s brows furrowed instantly. He strode over and yanked the door open.

A group of eavesdroppers outside tumbled straight to the floor, collapsing in a human pile like a game of stacked dominoes.

Han Xiao crossed his arms and looked down at them from above, his voice as cold as a blade. “What are you all doing?”

“Uh… nothing…” Several of them scrambled to get up, and the quicker-witted ones rubbed the back of their heads awkwardly. “We just came to check if the food was ready…”

“Yeah, yeah!” The others quickly nodded in agreement.

Han Xiao sneered. “Do you think I believe that?”

In unison, they immediately cried out, “Boss, we were wrong!”

Unmoved, Han Xiao said coolly, “The national tournament is coming up. You all should get yourselves in shape. Meet me in the battle room when we get back.”

“Nooo, Boss!” A chorus of wails filled the air.