Not sure if it’s just Xie Ruan’s imagination, but he felt that Bo Jin seemed to be treating him even better than before.
Previously, although Bo Jin would explain problems to him and was polite, it was only when Xie Ruan asked for help. Bo Jin never took the initiative to check on his study progress.
But now, things have changed.
During lunch break, Bo Jin placed a notebook on Xie Ruan’s desk: “I organized the key points from the first semester of freshman year for each subject. You can use it for review.”
Xie Ruan opened it, and inside, the key points of each chapter were clearly outlined with mind maps, expanding from these main points. Formulas to memorize, classic examples, common pitfalls—everything was meticulously noted, showing how much effort went into it.
Xie Ruan had never been treated so thoughtfully by anyone before. He felt touched but could only manage a dry response: “Th…thanks.”
“No need to be polite.” Bo Jin tossed his pen aside, leaning back in his chair, returning to his usual lazy posture. He stretched out his right hand and flexed his fingers, looking at Xie Ruan with a smile. “What to do, my hand hurts from all that writing.”
Xie Ruan, still a bit naive, missed the underlying implication and believed him. “Should we go to the school clinic?” he asked earnestly. This kind of pain could be tendonitis.
“No need for the clinic; there’s an easier solution,” Bo Jin replied smoothly, extending his hand to Xie Ruan. “Just give it a rub for me.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Even as slow as he was, Xie Ruan realized Bo Jin was doing this on purpose. His earlier gratitude vanished in an instant, and he stared coldly at the well-defined hand in front of him. “Would you like a full massage too?”
Bo Jin didn’t flinch, answering smoothly, “If you really want to, I wouldn’t mind.”
Xie Ruan grabbed a book and smacked him. “Daydreaming in broad daylight, are you?”
Bo Jin raised his hand, easily catching the thin workbook. He clicked his tongue. “Impatient, aren’t we, classmate? The river hasn’t even been crossed, and here you are, burning the bridge.”
“Let me think—there are still a few subjects I haven’t taken notes for.” He casually began listing, “Math Compulsory 2, Physics Compulsory 2, Chemistry Compulsory 2… There’s quite a bit left, isn’t there?”
The implied threat was clear.
Xie Ruan ground his teeth slightly.
He had met shameless people before, but none quite like this! And he couldn’t even refuse.
Over the past few days, Xie Ruan had experienced just how good Bo Jin was at academics. A single session with him was equivalent to Xie Ruan struggling with books all day by himself—not only was it more efficient, but he remembered more too.
With only two years until the college entrance exam, he had to make up for lost ground in first-year classes while learning new material from teachers. Having good notes could save him a lot of time.
Anyone with big ambitions must be willing to bend a little. It’s just a hand massage, right? This guy was so good-looking that maybe he was the one at an advantage here.
With that thought, Xie Ruan closed his eyes. “Give me your hand!”
“So unwilling?” Bo Jin, never one to know when to stop, kept poking at him with amusement. “Never mind then. It’ll just hurt, and I’ll take it slow. I should be done by the end of the semester and get it to you then.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
By the end of the semester, his notes would be practically useless!
He gritted his teeth, grabbed Bo Jin’s hand, and aggressively started massaging it.
Bo Jin watched as his hand was twisted and kneaded, then looked at Xie Ruan’s indignant yet helpless expression. Finally, he couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Behind them, Sun Haoxiang, always up for a good tease, chimed in with a high-pitched voice, “Brother Bo, I want notes too!”
He’d known Bo Jin for years and had never seen him write notes, let alone for someone else. If there was nothing going on between these two, he’d take off his head and use it as a soccer ball!
Xie Ruan, embarrassed, immediately turned red at his teasing. But Bo Jin didn’t care, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Sun Haoxiang. “Since when did you care about studying?”
“Starting today, okay?” Sun Haoxiang said with conviction. “It’s like they say, after three days, you should view someone with fresh eyes! Don’t judge me with your old perspective.”
“True,” Bo Jin nodded with mock seriousness. “You weren’t this chubby last month.”
“You!” Sun Haoxiang slammed the desk, furious. “Bo Jin, you son of a—”
He hadn’t even finished when something smacked him hard on the back of his head. Sun Haoxiang turned around, face dark with rage. “Who dares to hit—”
He froze. “Te, Teacher Sun…”
“Go on,” Sun Fuan sneered, “and see what happens.”
“N-no, I was just joking, sir!” Sun Haoxiang immediately cowered, rubbing the teacher’s back to placate him. “My meat is thick, so feel free to hit.”
“Save it!” Sun Fuan wasn’t buying it, grabbing a book from the desk and hitting him again on the head. “I told you, keep quiet in class, and if I catch you yelling in here again, you’ll be doing self-study in my office from now on!”
Sun Haoxiang was born without much of a knack for studying, and he could barely sit still during regular study sessions, let alone in the office. He broke into a cold sweat and nodded vigorously. “Got it, sir. Got it.”
Sun Fuan had an announcement and didn’t want to waste time scolding him further. Seeing that Sun Haoxiang agreed, he stepped onto the podium, tapping the blackboard with a triangular ruler. “Quiet down, everyone. I have something to announce.”
Clearing his throat, he said, “The PE teacher has some matters to attend to, so the first PE period this afternoon is canceled and will be replaced by a math class. I’ll be going over the recent exam papers.”
Groans filled the room. Everyone knew it was just the homeroom teacher commandeering their class!
“What’s all the whining for?” Sun Fuan glared. “We’re close to midterms! You all think it’s playtime? If any of you can score as high as Bo Jin, I’ll let you take PE every day!”
He scanned the room, voice stern. “Anyone here confident enough to guarantee that?”
The class shrank back, diverting their gazes, not daring to say a word.
Scoring higher than Bo Jin? They wouldn’t even dare dream of that with a new brain!
Satisfied that they’d quieted down, Sun Fuan set down the ruler, muttering, “Get some sleep now, so you don’t doze off in class later.” Then he strolled out with his hands behind his back.
Leaving the room in utter despair.
In the silent aftermath, Bo Jin glanced at Sun Haoxiang and suddenly said, “Congratulations.”
Sun Haoxiang: “???”
Sun Haoxiang was still in despair over the canceled PE class. Hearing this, he mumbled in a daze, “….Congratulations on what?”
“Didn’t you say you love studying?” Bo Jin stretched his long legs casually. “Now you have another study period. Aren’t you thrilled?”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
He wanted to cry but held it in, silently retreating into his shell to recover.
Xie Ruan, entertained by the exchange, turned back to his work. Though his understanding had improved, he knew he had a long way to go before catching up with top students Shen Xingyun and Ye Haiqiong.
Sun Fuan had been serious about canceling PE. After reviewing the last test, he handed out a new set he’d created, urging the students to complete it on their own before the next review.
Only then did Xie Ruan truly understand how intense the experimental class’s workload was.
After the first evening study session, Xie Ruan put down his pen, rubbed his aching temples, and went to the corridor to get some fresh air.
Class One was at the end of the corridor, next to the fire exit, a quiet area where no one usually came. Xie Ruan opened the window, leaned against the wall, and was about to check his phone when he saw Sun Haoxiang and a few others sneak over.
“What are you guys up to?” he asked.
“Shh!” He Mingjie opened the door to the fire exit, signaling for silence.
Xie Ruan was puzzled by their secrecy.
Sun Haoxiang looked around and whispered, “You probably don’t know, but the building’s breaker is here.” He pointed to a metal door on the wall, rubbing his hands with a look of mischief. “We’re going to cut the power!”
Xie Ruan raised an eyebrow, amused by their boldness, but he reminded them, “There’s probably a camera here.”
“Don’t worry,” Sun Haoxiang smirked, clearly well-prepared. “Old Pan overheard the teachers saying the camera is down, and Director Zhao is calling someone to fix it.”
He grumbled, “No break, no PE, who can handle that?”
Unlike public schools, Shijia High had few breaks. Weekends were non-existent; students only got a half-day on Sunday afternoons and still had to return for evening study.
Xie Ruan watched them carry on with their plan before heading back to the classroom.
“That was quick,” Bo Jin shifted to make room for him.
“I didn’t go far, just hung out in the corridor,” Xie Ruan explained as he walked back to his seat. But as he moved forward, the classroom lights suddenly went out.
For a moment, there was silence. Then cheers erupted from all corners of the room.
“Way to go, Ah Xun! You actually pulled it off!”
“Yes! Finally, we can head back to the dorm early tonight!”
“Screw math, physics, and chemistry! I’m done with my homework, haha!”
“Come on, come on, let’s bet on when Director Zhao will figure out the cause of the power outage.”
“Shut it! Say one more jinxed word, and I’ll toss you out!”
“Seize the moment, everyone—let’s make the most of it!”
Is there anything better than a legit reason to skip class? Nope!
The dark classroom was buzzing with excitement, as lively as the last period before winter break.
Xie Ruan was caught up in the atmosphere, his mood lifting. He quickened his pace, eager to get back to his seat. But in the darkness, he accidentally kicked the leg of a desk with a thud. He stumbled forward, losing his balance.
Since his seat was next to the wall, if he actually fell, even if he didn’t split his head open, he’d definitely end up with a bump.
In that split-second, sensing something wrong, Bo Jin reacted quickly, reaching out to the side—
Xie Ruan, who was already standing in front of Bo Jin’s legs and hadn’t yet returned to his seat, was suddenly yanked. In the rush and confusion, he somehow ended up sitting right on Bo Jin’s lap.
The suddenness of it left them both momentarily stunned.
Just then, Sun Haoxiang and He Mingjie entered the room, phone flashlights lighting their way.
“Haha, I just pulled the lever, and the whole building lost power!” Sun Haoxiang announced proudly. “Teacher Sun should be here soon to dismiss us. Wanna head to my dorm for a game session?”
“Sounds good,” He Mingjie agreed, “I dropped in ranking this week anyway.”
“Hey,” He Mingjie suddenly paused, “Did you remember to close the breaker door? Otherwise, Director Zhao might notice and figure it out right away.”
Sun Haoxiang waved his hand. “Trust me, I handled it!”
“Perfect!”
“Oh, by the way,” Sun Haoxiang whispered mischievously, “I heard online that whenever there’s a blackout at school, couples sneak kisses in the dark!”
“No way, that’s just online nonsense,” He Mingjie dismissed him. “Even in the dark, you can still hear everything. Imagine getting caught!”
Sun Haoxiang slapped his thigh. “Nah, that’s what makes it exciting!”
He Mingjie: “…”
He Mingjie shook his head, giving him a look. “What’s going on in that head of yours every day? With all these desks, even the smallest noise would give it away.”
He trailed off, staring blankly at the front row.
In the first row, to the south, Xie Ruan was sitting on Bo Jin’s lap, nestled in his arms. And Bo Jin, who was usually indifferent to his admirers, held him in a rather possessive embrace.
He Mingjie swallowed, his mouth dry, and could only repeat, “No way… no way…”
“What ‘what’?” Sun Haoxiang, growing impatient, raised his phone to get a better look at He Mingjie’s face. “What’s with you? What are you looking at?” Following He Mingjie’s line of sight, he joked, “Don’t tell me you actually saw a couple kissing in here, haha… ha…”
His voice trailed off, and his expression froze.
With a clatter, Sun Haoxiang’s phone fell to the floor—along with his own sense of composure.
