The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 86 - Real Brother

Qi Youhuai lifted his amber eyes and asked Qing Lin seriously, “Whose place?”

Qing Lin paused before repeating, “Shen Laoshi’s house.”

Qi Youhuai: “Shen Xuzhi’s house?”

Qing Lin: “Yes.”

Qi Youhuai: “You’re living together?”

Qing Lin: “…I guess so.”

Qi Youhuai: “You’re together?”

Qing Lin: “We…”

Before Qing Lin could finish, Qi Youhuai set down his knife and fork, frowning as he interrupted him. “Qing Lin, you know it’s improper to live with someone without a confirmed relationship, right?”

“Even if it’s someone you’re familiar with, he’s still pursuing you. How could you just move in together so casually?”

“I’m not saying you can’t date, but when you’re out and about, you should still be careful.”

“You’re barely in your twenties and still in college. Your studies should be your priority.”

Qing Lin: “…”

Qing Lin was stunned into silence.

Wait, aren’t Mr. Qi and Mr. Shen friends?

And that tone—why does it sound so much like a parent’s?

Qing Lin tried to explain: “It’s not like that, Mr. Qi. My dorm lease expired, and I couldn’t stay in the rental place. Shen Laoshi saw I had nowhere to go and offered me a place to stay.”

Even without the subject, Qi Youhuai found the implication sinister—let alone when it came to Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin.

All these years, Shen Xuzhi had never hidden his secret crushes or pursuits from him and Jiang Liao. They’d even secretly helped the kid along.

But who knew he’d be crushing on Qing Lin?

Qi felt a fresh wave of headache coming on.

Hadn’t Shen Xuzhi played his tricks deeply enough? Hadn’t his circle been set wide enough? Hadn’t he been twisted enough yet?

It felt like his own cabbage had been snatched by a pig before he’d even started tending it.

Qi Youhuai pressed his fingers to his temples, the sharp pain matching his mounting exasperation. “So… where exactly are you two now?”

Qing Lin froze at the question, flustered beyond words. He lowered his head, his ears flushing crimson and his eyes darting away, betraying his embarrassment.

Qi Youhuai: “…………”

……That bastard Shen Xuzhi!

Qi Youhuai massaged the bridge of his nose.

Then, he took a deep breath, composing himself and sorting through his emotions.

After all, upon reflection, Shen Xuzhi truly loved Qing Lin deeply—to the point of sacrificing his life for him. Qi Youhuai knew this well from all these years.

Without Shen Xuzhi all these years, he might never have found him at all.

Qi Youhuai softened slightly and spoke quietly, “I’ve known Shen Xuzhi for many years. I know exactly what kind of person he is. If you like him too, it’s something you can consider. As long as you find happiness.”

Qing Lin couldn’t understand why CEO Qi had suddenly felt the need to tell him that.

Yet as he listened to each earnest word, Qing Lin felt no resentment whatsoever—only a deep sense of reassurance.

The violin’s melody drifted softly around them, warm lighting casting a gentle glow on his profile. He offered Qi Youhuai a bright smile: “Thank you.”

Qi Youhuai glanced at Qing Lin’s untouched plate and asked, “Not to your taste?”

Qing Lin dared not say a word—this meal was so expensive.

“If you don’t like it, don’t eat it,” Qi Youhuai said, rising to his feet. “Let’s go eat what you want.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Qing Lin led Qi Youhuai to a barbecue restaurant.

This place was worlds apart from the high-end restaurant they’d just left. It wasn’t even a proper storefront—just a sign-posted stall set up outdoors.

Wooden tables and chairs were set up outdoors. The smoky aroma of grilled food wafted from behind the treetops. A perfectly sized, dazzling LED sign hung outside, boldly proclaiming “The Best BBQ Restaurant.”

Qi Youhuai looked around. “Is this what you wanted to eat?”

Qing Lin glanced at Qi Youhuai’s impeccably tailored suit and instantly regretted bringing him here.

Damn it. The CEO’s suit probably cost more than this entire barbecue stall, and yet here he was.

“Mr. Qi, maybe we should—”

Before Qing Lin could finish, Qi Youhuai had already sat down at the stall’s wooden table.

The man took of his suit jacket—worth who knows how many meals here—and casually tossed it onto the bench across the square table. He undid his cufflinks, rolled up his sleeves, and beckoned to Qing Lin. “Come sit.”

Qing Lin hurried over, still feeling apologetic. “Sorry, Mr. Qi. I didn’t think this through. Maybe we should find somewhere else?”

“This is just fine,” Qi Youhuai replied leisurely. “Do you come here often?”

“Yeah,” Qing Lin said. “I’ve been here a few times with college friends. The portions are generous, the prices are cheap, and the food tastes good.”

They ordered skewers and drinks. The owner was very hospitable and even treated them to a plate of grilled eggplant.

“But are you sure it’s okay? Mr. Qi, haven’t you tried these before?” Qing Lin still felt a bit concerned.

Qi Youhuai answered. “It’s fine. We’re just having a meal together. As long as you enjoy it.”

The barbecue stall was bustling with people. The air thick with smoky flavors, tables of all sizes—arranged haphazardly—were occupied by a diverse crowd.

The wind rustled through the camphor trees nearby, carrying the scent of cumin as leaves swayed in the breeze. Life’s simple pleasures were captured in this moment.

Qi Youhuai nibbled on skewers while chatting casually with Qing Lin—sharing everyday stories, academic and work updates, and random musings. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

The skewers were too spicy for Qing Lin, who needed a sip of drink after every bite.

Qi Youhuai watched Qing Lin, who was still eating despite the spiciness, and suddenly smiled. “I’ve imagined a scene like this a long time ago,” he said.

Qing Lin, who hadn’t heard him, was wiping his mouth with a napkin. “What did you say, sir?”

Qi Youhuai shook his head, refilling Qing Lin’s drink. “Do you know why you ended up at the orphanage?”

Qing Lin replied, “I don’t remember clearly. By the time I had memories, I was already at the orphanage.”

Qi Youhuai asked, “Have you never thought of looking for your family from before?”

Qing Lin fell silent for a moment before answering, “No. An orphanage is for children no one wants.”

Amidst the sizzling oil of the barbecue and the laughter of others eating behind them, Qi Youhuai remained quiet, turning a vegetable skewer that was close to burning.

“What would you do if your former family suddenly showed up one day?” Qi Youhuai stopped his movement, his voice low and clear. He looked at Qing Lin as he spoke.

His light-colored eyes, usually edged with coolness, now held a slight hint of worry and dejection—an expression that should not appear on the face of a man who normally revealed no flaws.

Seeing that Qing Lin didn’t respond, Qi Youhuai’s voice softened considerably. “Would you hate them?”

Qing Lin was actually harboring a preposterous idea.

Yet, because it seemed so unrealistic, he dared not think it; or perhaps, it was simply too incredible, and he lacked any concrete assurance.

The choking water filling his throat had squeezed his heart, his hands immobilized and bound behind his back. After being pulled from the water, he had vaguely heard the rough voices of the men who had kidnapped him.

“Only one? Where’s his brother?”

He had originally thought it was a dream.

Now, though, it was a reality too unbelievable to accept.

Qing Lin froze completely, his surroundings dissolving into a blank space.

He watched Qi Youhuai lower his head and say softly, “Your brother has finally found you.”

“Bro…”

Qing Lin couldn’t believe it—what kind of dramatic scenario was this?

Was he about to be told that Qi Youhuai was his long-lost older brother, and he was actually the younger brother a wealthy CEO had been searching for all these years?

What in the world?

Who would you dare believe it?

Reason slightly pulled him back to the present. Qing Lin tried to compose himself, saying half-jokingly, “Mr. Qi, what exactly are you talking about?”

Qi Youhuai sorted out his emotions and raised his head.

They truly were family; both were meticulously thorough in preparing evidence and regaining composure.

Without a trace of delay, Qi Youhuai directly presented a DNA test result.

Qing Lin took it and was utterly stunned.

Holy crap.

The report indicated that he and Qi Youhuai were one hundred percent full blood relatives.

“The report was issued today. The hospital is legitimate, the testing doctor is the best, the equipment is globally cutting-edge, and the probability of error is less than 0.0001%. It is absolutely not a forgery,” Qi Youhuai stated. “Here are the hospital address and the report’s serial number. If you don’t believe it, you can check anytime.”

Qing Lin stared at the signatures, the seals, and the 100%, his mind reeling.

Yet, the first question he asked was: “Where did you get my DNA?”

Qi Youhuai stalled.

“…”

“…”

The two men exchanged a long, silent stare.

After quite some time, Qi Youhuai finally spoke: “…Argentina.”

“I had someone collect samples from the cake, drinks, and utensils in Argentina. They happened to contain epithelial cells shed from your mouth.”

Qing Lin: “…”

How long has it been since then?

He recalled that was their very first meeting.

Another weirdo.

People whose thoughts run too deep can sometimes be truly terrifying.

Qi Youhuai paused before saying honestly, “I only found out today that you’re my biological brother. But from the very first time I saw you, there was this strong sense of familiarity. Being around you just felt natural—that’s why I took that step.”

“The DNA was collected a long time ago, but I never dared to test it. I’d looked for you for too long and been through too many disappointments. When you mentioned having a younger brother, I thought you had your own family, until I saw the news.”

Qing Lin took a deep breath.

Noticing Qing Lin was still wary, Qi Youhuai added, “I was also afraid of a false positive, so to ensure the reliability of the result, I expanded the sample size.”

With that, he handed over a stack of reports.

“These are the test reports from major hospitals across various regions, all rated at or above the provincial level. The final one is the result from an international top-tier DNA testing center.”

Qing Lin held more than ten reports, looking through them one by one. All the identification results confirmed they were true biological brothers.

“There is no doubt you are my brother.”

Qing Lin felt a headache coming on.

“Excuse me, I need a moment to process this,” Qing Lin said, taking a breath. He found it a little overwhelming.

Qi Youhuai said, “It’s alright. I know this is hard to take in—take some time to process it first.”

Then, Qi Youhuai pulled a black card from his pocket and offered it. “This is a card I prepared for you. Just use it whenever you need money in the future.”

“Our family’s headquarters are in Shanghai, and I don’t come to Hangzhou often. But since you still have school, here is the address of my house in Hangzhou. I’ll transfer the deed to your name later, or I can just buy you another place near your school.”

…It was indeed a bit hard to accept.

He had just managed to break free from his debt-ridden adoptive father and no longer had to worry about money, only for a wealthy older brother to suddenly appear, offering him a black card and a house.

He truly wouldn’t have to worry about money for the rest of his life.

Qing Lin gathered himself, completely hesitant to take it. “Um, Mr. Qi, I…”

Qi Youhuai didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. “Take it.”

Qing Lin quickly accepted the card.

Qi Youhuai asked, “Where shall we go next?”

Qing Lin replied, “…I’d like to go to a convenience store.”

While Qing Lin was still dazed, Qi Youhuai settled the bill and took his dear brother to a nearby convenience store.

Since Qi Youhuai had a short business meeting, Qing Lin didn’t want to delay him. They arrived at the convenience store below Chengqi Group’s building, where Qing Lin went inside alone to buy water.

To be honest, Qing Lin was still completely bewildered.

No way.

This was far too dramatic.

Could Shen Laoshi’s good friend actually be his biological older brother?

What in the world?

This was bad news for Shen Laoshi.

Qing Lin suddenly remembered and quickly pulled out his phone. As soon as the screen unlocked, messages from Shen Xuzhi on WeChat began to pop up with a flurry of notifications.

He had enabled Do Not Disturb for work while at school and had forgotten to turn it off. Before going out to eat, he had informed Shen Xuzhi, but he hadn’t looked at his phone since.

Messages had been coming in nonstop for the past three hours.

[Shen Xuzhi: Qi Youhuai?]

[Shen Xuzhi: Why is he asking you out to eat?]

[Shen Xuzhi: Is Jiang Liao going? Just the two of you? Alone?]

[Shen Xuzhi: Where are you eating?]

[Shen Xuzhi: Qing Lin]

[Shen Xuzhi: When are you going?]

[Shen Xuzhi: [Poor Big Dog Feels Betrayed.jpg]]

[Shen Xuzhi: Honey, why aren’t you replying?]

[Shen Xuzhi: [Missed Call]]

[Shen Xuzhi: [Missed Call]]

…

…

The messages had stopped for an hour and a half, but ten minutes ago, Shen Xuzhi sent another one.

[Shen Xuzhi: Where are you?]

Qing Lin quickly messaged Shen Xuzhi, explaining that his phone was on Do Not Disturb mode, then told him his current location and assured him not to worry.

Qing Lin was still typing when he heard a male voice. “Qing Lin?”

Qing Lin briefly glanced up, continued typing on his phone, and politely replied without raising his head, “Ah, hello.”

“Well, it really is you.” The young man’s voice sounded sarcastic. “I really didn’t expect us to have this kind of fate.”

Qing Lin finally looked up and stared at the cap-wearing young man before him. After a long moment of confusion, he opened his mouth uncertainly. “Um… who are you?”

The young man: “…”

The man angrily snatched off his cap, showing his full face to Qing Lin. “It’s me!”

Qing Lin looked at the face, even more puzzled. “I’m sorry, do you know me?”

The young man: “…………”

“I’m Zhou Xinglan,” the young man said through gritted teeth. “The one who was officially confirmed to play Xu Bai in Chai Lian.”

He deliberately emphasized the word “officially,” afraid Qing Lin wouldn’t hear him.

The name Zhou Xinglan sounded vaguely familiar, but Qing Lin didn’t have time for him now, so he simply asked, “Okay. May I ask what you need?”

“…” Zhou Xinglan was absolutely seething.

Zhou Xinglan was a minor celebrity supported by a sugar-daddy, who had spent a hefty sum to get him into the Chai Lian film crew. He was just waiting for the film to launch him to stardom.

But no one expected Qing Lin to completely steal Xu Bai’s spotlight. The investor’s money ended up wasted, Zhou Xinglan’s flow of resources was cut off, and now he’s looking for a new backer. Word has it that Qi Youhuai recently arrived in Hangzhou, so Zhou decided to take his chances.

But after staking out the building for quite some time, he still hadn’t caught a glimpse of Qi Youhuai and kept getting turned away by the secretary. He’d only come down to the convenience store below the company to grab something to eat.

He never expected to encounter Qing Lin.

Zhou Xinglan looked Qing Lin up and down. “Why are you here?”

Qing Lin finally focused and got a good look at Zhou Xinglan. He was a man with heavy makeup that reeked of powder, and there was a clear look of disdain on his face.

Qing Lin looked at the water bottle in his hand and said, “I came here to buy water.”

“Buying water, and you came here?” Zhou Xinglan raised an eyebrow. There were plenty of convenience stores in Hangzhou—so why choose the one right under this company’s building?

There had to be something going on.

And this person was truly strange. How could such an unremarkable content creator have made it this far? It had to be through some kind of shady deal behind the scenes.

Zhou Xinglan suddenly realized something. “Hey, you aren’t here looking for President Qi, are you?”

Without waiting for Qing Lin to reply, he continued to speak on his own. “You don’t think that just because Qi Youhuai said one good word for you, he’s interested, do you? You’re ridiculous. Isn’t the big star Shen Xuzhi pursuing you? And yet you come here to throw yourself into someone else’s arms. Could it be you prefer the Qi Youhuai type? Seriously, not just anyone can walk into President Qi’s building, okay?”

Qing Lin was a little annoyed by the comment. He glanced sideways with his cool, light eyes and retorted, “Can you get in?”

Zhou Xinglan was immediately speechless.

…He had been locked out here for most of the day.

“It’s none of your business whether I can get in or not. Once I start working with Chengqi, I’ll naturally have access!” Zhou Xinglan exclaimed.

Qing Lin wasn’t sure what this guy was arguing with him about, but since the tone was grating, he naturally shot back, “So, you can’t get in, then.”

Zhou Xinglan: “…”

Zhou Xinglan said, “I—I’m an old acquaintance of President Qi’s, you know. Let me tell you, he’s not into your type at all. Just setting foot in his company would dirty the place.”

Qing Lin had seen his share of people suddenly going crazy and simply ignored him, turning a deaf ear. Zhou Xinglan was practically hopping mad.

Qing Lin walked out of the convenience store, and Zhou Xinglan followed, just about to say something more when he saw a man in a sharp suit walk up ahead and take the bag from Qing Lin’s hand.

Qi Youhuai said, “Why didn’t you wait for me inside the company? The weather’s so hot.”

Qing Lin: “I stayed a little longer in the convenience store. They have air conditioning.”

Qi Youhuai noticed Qing Lin wasn’t sweating. His eyes shifted back, seeing a stunned Zhou Xinglan standing behind them, and his brow furrowed. “Who is that?”

Qing Lin looked back and said casually, “He said he’s an old acquaintance of yours.”

Zhou Xinglan: “…………”

What the heck.

Why were Qi Youhuai and Qing Lin so familiar with each other?

What was going on???

Zhou Xinglan’s face turned green then white, feeling incredibly embarrassed, wishing he could just sink into the ground.

Qi Youhuai was chillingly aloof, completely ignoring Zhou Xinglan and not even sparing him a glance.

As luck would have it, a live-streaming blogger was working nearby. As he walked past, he caught the entire scene on camera.

[Hey, that’s Qing Lin! Who’s that man next to him?]

[It’s not Ah Zhi! It’s not Ah Zhi! Wait a second! That’s Qi Youhuai! The CEO of Chengqi Group, who is also Ah Zhi’s friend! Why is he hugging Linlin?!]

[What the heck is going on?!]

Qi Youhuai himself didn’t care about being on camera, but the fewer news stories about Qing Lin, the better.

He reached out and partially shielded Qing Lin’s face, saying in a low voice, “Let’s go.”

Just at that moment, a sudden force violently grabbed Qing Lin’s arm, yanking him away from Qi Youhuai’s side.

Qing Lin was pulled into an embrace; the scent of citrus was intensely familiar, washing over his nerve endings.

The man’s hand was broad and firm, circling Qing Lin’s narrow waist, while the other hand ran into his hair, the long, lean fingers slightly curled, the knuckles resting against the back of his head.

The warmth was so familiar that Qing Lin didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.

Shen Xuzhi had actually flown back.

He held Qing Lin tightly, refusing to let go, then pulled off his mask and glared fiercely at Qi Youhuai.

Shen Xuzhi was utterly cold now; his eyes filled with displeasure. “Qi Youhuai, what is the meaning of this?”

Qi Youhuai glanced at the furious Shen Xuzhi, then at the hand that was kneading his precious little brother and suddenly recalled Qing Lin’s shy expression—displeasure instantly surged up in him, too.

He said with a cold stare, “You ask me? I want to ask you what the meaning of this is.”

The damned punk who ran off with my brother.

Shen Xuzhi didn’t know where Qi Youhuai’s audacity came from, but he held Qing Lin even tighter. “You know how important Qing Lin is to me. What are you trying to do now?”

Qi Youhuai stated calmly, “He is very important to me, too.”

[??? What plot twist is this? What’s up with CEO Qi? Two guys fighting over one guy?]

[Isn’t Shen Laoshi good friends with CEO Qi? No way, no way, what the hell is happening!]

Zhou Xinglan glanced around, sensing the perfect chance to stir up trouble. Trying hard to save face, he snapped, “See that? Qing Lin’s been flirting with Shen Laoshi on one side while trying to seduce CEO Qi on the other. He’s nothing but trouble. I’ve heard he used to work in bars back in high school—no wonder he’s picked up all sorts of tricks to reel men in!”

The surrounding instantly went silent.

Shen Xuzhi and Qi Youhuai both stopped, turning their heads to stare at Zhou Xinglan.

Zhou Xinglan felt the temperature drop by eight hundred degrees in an instant, freezing him to the spot, unable to move.

The looks from both men seemed intent on cutting him, butchering him, and devouring him whole.

Shen Xuzhi turned his head back, his face thunderous, and snarled, “Is his business for you to comment on?”

Zhou Xinglan froze.

“Oh, so it’s you. I do have a slight impression,” Qi Youhuai stared at Zhou Xinglan for a moment, raising an eyebrow. His tone was dismissive and casual. “Isn’t this Mr. Qin’s bed warmer?”

Zhou Xinglan’s heart stopped beating.

Shen Xuzhi looked down at him, scoffing. His voice was utterly contemptuous, without a ripple of emotion. “Do you want me to tear your mouth off, little toy?”

The live-stream chat exploded.

An endless stream of viewers poured into the broadcast.

[I TOLD YOU! ZXL IS A TOY BOY!!]

[HOLY CRAP! What explosive revelation! Is his career over?!]

[Damn, both of them are smoking hot! Ahhh, give me one of them, give me one!]

Zhou Xinglan’s reputation suffered a colossal blow. He was stammering, utterly unable to retort, not a single word could come out.

What the hell!

It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this!

The cannon fodder really lived up to his title—utterly torn apart the moment he showed up.

Shen Xuzhi turned his attention back to Qi Youhuai, completely ignoring the group of onlookers nearby.

The two men stood in confrontation, the atmosphere heavily tense.

Shen Xuzhi shot him a sharp look. “CEO Qi, surely you’ve heard the saying—‘A friend’s partner is off-limits.’”

Qi Youhuai met his glare without flinching. “Big Star Shen, didn’t anyone ever teach you there should be a limit to your scheming? If you haven’t even confirmed your relationship, what gives you the right to take him home and get all handsy?”

“We—” Shen Xuzhi couldn’t get the words out. Qing Lin, still in his arms, lightly tapped him and said softly, “Shen Laoshi, it’s not what you think…”

Qi Youhuai watched his dearest brother being cornered, grinding his teeth. “Let go of him first.”

Shen Xuzhi’s gaze grew even sharper. He was utterly exasperated. “Why should I?”

Qi Youhuai: “Because I am his brother.”

“You are his brother and—”

Silence returned for a long while.

Shen Xuzhi wondered if he had misheard or if his ears had stopped working.

Shen Xuzhi: “Who did you say you are?”

Qi Youhuai let out a long breath: “I’m his brother. His biological one.”

…

Shen Xuzhi: “??”

At this moment, the live-stream chat needed a reminder: the connection isn’t stuck, nor is it a picture, everything has just simply frozen.

Everyone present fell silent.

In just one night, his lover turned out to be his biological brother, his longtime friend became his brother-in-law, and that same friend even ran off with his little brother before the kid could make it home.

…

What kind of absurd world was this?