I mentioned briefly at the end of yesterday's chapter that I'd be releasing a little extra scene—but I still wanted to say it properly today.
Thank you all for accompanying [The CelestialMasterAdoredbyAllAfterTransmigration. ] as it reached 20 collections and over 8.5K views!
This special side story is dedicated to every one of you who's been silently reading, bookmarking, liking, or just enjoying the journey. ♡
It's an "what-if" scenario where the two haven't gotten together yet, but… let's just say the sugar level might be higher than the main story (´∀｀)♡
So come take a peek into a sweet parallel moment between Han Ling and Leander~
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The afternoon sunlight was warm and bright. The curtains weren't drawn, and the floor-to-ceiling windows let the light flood into the room.
Han Ling was about to get up and shut the smart blinds, but just as he rose, a hand gently tugged at him from behind.
The pull wasn't forceful, but it was enough to make him pause, freezing mid-motion.
"…Why are you pulling me?"
He didn't look back, only turned his head slightly. His voice was husky from just waking, yet still carried his usual calm tone. His expression remained the same, but the tips of his ears quietly turned red.
Leander was sitting on the sofa. He didn't get up, nor did he let go of Han Ling's wrist.
"You've been avoiding me all day," he said, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. "Are you dodging me again?"
Han Ling pressed his lips together and said nothing. He should've known—once Leander wanted to ask something, not even ten spirit beasts could stop him.
"Last week, I said I wanted to kiss you. Did you pretend not to hear me?"
"You were clearly talking about the construction project, and then suddenly threw that in..." Han Ling turned his head, eyes avoiding Leander's. "Don't you think you're really good at ruining the mood?"
"You're the one who ruined it," Leander said lazily, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "I was just being honest."
"…"
Han Ling didn't reply and tried to tug his wrist away. Leander didn't make it difficult for him and released it easily. Han Ling stood up and walked over, keeping the same near-but-not-too-close distance they usually had as partners.
"You really never thought about it?"
Leander's voice dropped a bit. It was no longer teasing or provocative—just rare seriousness.
"…It's not like I haven't thought about it."
Han Ling finally spoke, as if conceding—or resigning himself.
"Then why are you avoiding it?"
"Because when you say those things, it sounds too natural. Like you'll forget about it the moment after… But I don't forget," Han Ling said softly—so softly it was nearly inaudible. "I take it to heart."
Leander was momentarily stunned. It was the first time Han Ling had said something so direct. He didn't reply right away, just looked at him quietly.
Han Ling continued, "I don't really know how to deal with… that kind of bluntness. It's not that I dislike it, it's just…"
"You're afraid once you respond, you won't be able to pull back."
Leander finished the sentence for him. There wasn't a trace of blame in his tone—only a quiet understanding.
Han Ling didn't deny it.
After a while, Leander pulled a projection chip out of his pocket. With a tap, a dialogue window floated in midair.
Han Ling glanced over—it was a message thread from the day before.
Leander Ashcroft: Just got out of a meeting. Ughhh, can these people talk faster? These are all cases they can totally handle on their own...
Leander Ashcroft: Babe, you haven't given me a kiss today～
Lonely Ling: … (Read, no reply)
Leander looked at him. "Since you didn't block me, I'll take it as you didn't reject me."
"…Your logic is really something else." Han Ling sighed.
"When I say I want to kiss you, I mean it—every time. A hundred times if I have to," Leander said matter-of-factly.
"Why not a thousand, then?"
"If you want, I can record it into an audio file you can play every day," he even gave it serious thought.
"…Just go record an alarm tone instead. Every time I hear you say 'give me a kiss,' I'll wake right up."
Leander laughed. He didn't laugh often, but this time it was lazy and mischievous, enough to make Han Ling want to step back a little.
But in the next moment, Leander simply reached out and brushed the messy hair from Han Ling's forehead. His fingers stopped at a point between his brows and went no further.
"Your face is really red," he said calmly. "Is it because of me, or is the sun too bright?"
"…Stop flattering yourself," Han Ling swatted his hand away and turned his head.
"Oh, I flatter myself all the time," Leander said with a grin. Then he turned and walked toward the kitchen, casually tossing out, "But my bets are usually right… aren't they?"
Han Ling watched his back in silence.
A few minutes later, Leander returned with two glasses of water and handed him one.
"Drink something to cool down. Otherwise, I'll start thinking you're hot because you miss me too much."
"…Shut up."
"I can. But only if you promise—no more leaving me on read tonight."
Han Ling wanted to say you're so controlling, but the words caught in his throat. In the end, all he managed was: "…Depends."
"Alright," Leander replied cheerfully. "I'll take that as a yes."
Han Ling had no words.
He sipped his water, but halfway through, he caught Leander opening a comms panel and pulling up a chat window.
Then, in his earpiece, a voice message played:
Leander Ashcroft (voice message): "Baaabe, you haven't kissed me today～"
"You actually recorded that?"
"Didn't I say I'd make it your alarm? I can even do a bedtime version if you want."
"Do you want me to block you?"
"At least kiss me before you do."
"You…" Han Ling raised the glass like he was going to throw water at him, then put it down.
He took a deep breath and walked over to the window, finally drawing the curtain that had been left open the whole time. When he turned back, Leander was still standing there, watching him—like he'd grown used to every one of his reactions.
Han Ling was annoyed, but not truly angry. He knew how good this guy was at pushing boundaries—always just close enough to cross the line, but never quite doing it, making it impossible to really reject him.
"I thought you wouldn't come over," Leander said suddenly.
Han Ling replied, "Then why say all that stuff?"
"Because I didn't know if you would. So I said it anyway."
His tone was soft, but carried a kind of sincerity that was hard to ignore.
Han Ling looked at him for a few seconds, then finally let out a sigh—like he'd just lost a battle with himself.
"…You've said enough today. No more bonus rounds."
"Then how about tomorrow morning—you say good morning to me first?"
"…"
Han Ling didn't answer. He just let out a low hum and turned to head back to his room.
But that night, Leander's voice message wasn't ignored.
And after he sent "Good night, babe," Han Ling stared at the message for a long time—then finally replied with a simple emoji:
Lonely Ling: (¯▿¯)
That was probably the best he could do.
When Leander saw it, he laughed out loud in his room—and saved a screenshot of the chat, renaming the file:
"He finally stopped playing dead."
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Thank you so much for reading!
This little bonus scene was written to celebrate 20 collections and over 8.5K views—and it's all thanks to you ♡
The contract is currently under review, so if all goes smoothly, this series will soon be available as a Premium Chapter on Webnovel!
I'll share more once it's official~
Thank you again for being here, whether you're silently reading or actively supporting. Your presence means the world.
See you in the next chapter 💫