At that moment, Bo Jin’s feelings… were beyond words—a whirlwind of complicated emotions.
He just didn’t get it. Why did Xie Ruan think he needed kidney supplements?
Just because he sat on his lap once? Did he really have to, you know, “show some strength” to prove his kidneys were fine?
Bo Jin closed his eyes and pushed the frustrating wolfberry water aside, out of sight.
This was ridiculous. He cursed silently and pulled out his favorite full-color book from his desk cubby, hoping to take his mind off it.
However, his usual method didn’t work this time.
With a loud snap, Bo Jin closed the book, lightly gritting his teeth.
Xie Ruan thought he needed kidney supplements… kidney supplements… kidneys…
When Xie Ruan returned from his cleaning duty, he immediately noticed the half-finished wolfberry water on Bo Jin’s desk and said in surprise, “You haven’t finished it yet?”
Bo Jin didn’t answer his question; he just smiled at him and asked, “Why don’t you drink it?”
Xie Ruan thought to himself, Are you kidding? I don’t have insomnia or depression.
“I don’t need it.”
Bo Jin took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and smiled again, “So I need it?”
Without hesitation, Xie Ruan nodded, “Yes.”
Yes!
He actually said yes! Bo Jin looked at Xie Ruan in disbelief, trying to figure out what he was thinking when he said that.
The natural look on Xie Ruan’s face stung Bo Jin.
How could anyone tolerate this? For someone experiencing such a unique humiliation for the first time, Bo Jin definitely couldn’t!
“Hurry up and drink it,” Xie Ruan, noticing his hesitation, handed the cup directly to Bo Jin’s mouth. “It won’t taste good if it steeps too long.”
Under Xie Ruan’s expectant gaze, Bo Jin took a deep breath, took the cup, and drained the wolfberry water in one go. Soft wolfberries rolled into his mouth, and he slowly chewed them one by one, staring at Xie Ruan.
Fine, this wasn’t his fault. Xie Ruan had pushed him to this…
That evening, Xie Ruan was horrified to see Bo Jin heading toward the rooftop again.
“What’s going on? Wasn’t he fine just a moment ago?” He Mingjie whispered in confusion to Pan Yu. “He even ate an extra bowl of rice. I thought something good had happened.”
He nudged Sun Haoxiang with his elbow and signaled him to join the conversation. “Did you do something to tick him off?”
They all knew Bo Jin only skipped class for the rooftop when he was in a terrible mood.
Sun Haoxiang rolled his eyes, “Do you think I’d dare?”
Talking about it made him vent, “It’s freaky! He remembers every dumb thing I’ve ever done—where, when, what I said, what I wore, who was around—there’s no escape. I’d be crazy to mess with him.”
“True,” He Mingjie rubbed the back of his head, recalling the years he’d lived in fear of Bo Jin. A chill ran down his spine. “Then what’s wrong with him?”
Sun Haoxiang shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Why don’t we just ask?” He Mingjie, ever straightforward, believed in asking when in doubt. Why waste time guessing?
What are friends for, if not to be there when he’s down?
He was about to prod Bo Jin when Pan Yu quickly pulled him back.
“What?” He Mingjie asked.
“Don’t get involved,” Pan Yu replied, with a knowing look, almost mystical. “Brother Bo’s not actually in a bad mood.”
He Mingjie was skeptical. “Are you kidding, four eyes? When did you start lying through your teeth?” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “If he’s in a good mood, why the long face and rooftop urge?”
Pan Yu looked at him with pity, as if staring at a dense block of wood. “Wanna bet? Dare you?”
He was absolutely sure of his judgment.
“Why wouldn’t I dare? Bet!” He Mingjie thumped his chest with confidence. “If I lose, I’ll call every single classmate in this room ‘Dad’!”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
Sun Haoxiang looked at Pan Yu’s harmless smile, recalling his usual personality, and had a feeling this wasn’t so simple. He tried to warn him, “Hey, Old He, maybe think twice?”
“No need!” With a winning bet in his sights, He Mingjie waved off the caution, already envisioning his victory. “I, He Mingjie, heir to the He family! Today, I’m all in on this bet!”
Sun Haoxiang’s mouth twitched. “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
While they were busy making bets in the back, Xie Ruan, up front, was growing anxious.
He carefully thought back on the day’s events; everything seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Bo Jin hadn’t shown any obvious signs of being upset, so why did he suddenly want to go up to the rooftop?
Nighttime tends to bring out negative emotions, and the rooftop is a dangerous place; combining the two could lead to serious trouble.
Watching as Bo Jin took out a cigarette and lighter, ready to head out, Xie Ruan called out impulsively, “You come back!”
Bo Jin turned, smiling. “What’s up?”
“You…” Xie Ruan glanced at the workbook next to him and quickly came up with an excuse. “Wait a sec; there’s a question I don’t understand.”
“Oh.” Bo Jin paused, neither stepping out nor coming back. “What question?”
Seeing a chance, Xie Ruan immediately thought of a few difficult problems to hold his attention, hoping he’d forget about going to the rooftop. But in the next moment, Bo Jin said, “Pan Yu, help him out.”
Then, after a deliberate pause, he added, “I’m going to the rooftop, no time.”
Pan Yu, suddenly called out: “…”
What did this have to do with him? He was just trying to spectate from a distance—how did he get roped in?
Caught between loyalty to his bro and the future sister-in-law, he couldn’t choose sides or offend anyone. He adjusted his glasses, smiled politely, and kept silent.
“No way!” Just hearing “rooftop” was giving Xie Ruan a headache, and he responded without thinking, “I want you.”
Bo Jin paused, his expression thoughtful. “And how do you want me?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Even now, he couldn’t resist the urge to flirt. This was shameless to the max!
Xie Ruan decided to ignore his teasing and added, “I’m used to your way of explaining things. Changing tutors would throw me off.”
“No problem.” Bo Jin, still holding a grudge over the “weak kidneys” comment, flashed a smile that wasn’t really a smile. He knew exactly what Xie Ruan wanted but refused to give in so easily. “A little practice switching will help you adjust.”
Was he truly set on going to the rooftop? Seeing that gentler tactics weren’t working, Xie Ruan grabbed Bo Jin’s arm and pulled him back.
Caught up in worry, Xie Ruan didn’t consider that if Bo Jin truly wanted to go, he wouldn’t be able to stop him, and Bo Jin would’ve left already.
“Are you feeling down?” Xie Ruan asked tentatively, putting down his pen.
Bo Jin hummed, as if he was a diligent class leader. “So, which question? I’ll help you first.”
If he was willing to tutor, things couldn’t be that bad. Xie Ruan felt relieved, flipping open the workbook and pointing out random questions.
The idea was that, with enough questions, he’d keep him occupied until dismissal.
But just as he had that thought, Bo Jin remarked, “I can still go after school.”
Xie Ruan: “!!”
Every evening, Seijia High School has two sessions of evening study, even for day students. It’s almost 10 p.m. by the time they’re done, dark as can be, and he’s going to the rooftop then?
No way. Somehow, he had to keep an eye on him.
With no other option, he leaned close to Bo Jin’s ear and said, “I have a lot of questions; one study period might not be enough…”
Bo Jin stayed silent, an unreadable smile on his face. “Oh?”
“So,” Xie Ruan braced himself and asked straightforwardly, “Can I sleep in your dorm tonight?”
Bo Jin’s mood had been off tonight, and Xie Ruan felt it was necessary to stay close, just in case he acted impulsively.
“My dorm?” Bo Jin asked in mock surprise.
“Mm,” having already asked, Xie Ruan didn’t hesitate and pressed on, trying to justify it. “As a responsible class leader, shouldn’t you help a classmate in need?”
“Well it’s not like it’s impossible…” Bo Jin, suppressing his amusement, replied with feigned seriousness, “I’m the only one in my dorm.”
Xie Ruan had already heard this from Sun Haoxiang before; the school left Bo Jin’s dorm empty as a sign of respect, which was why he thought nothing of suggesting it.
After all, sometimes sneaking into someone else’s bed might affect others.
That actually made things better, didn’t it? Xie Ruan looked at Bo Jin, puzzled.
“The dorm monitor will definitely come to check if someone suddenly shows up in my room, unless…”
“Unless what?” Xie Ruan responded automatically.
Bo Jin smiled. “Unless you share my bed.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
They hadn’t even known each other that long; wasn’t sharing a bed way too awkward?
Xie Ruan considered it for a moment and suggested, “What if I go back after lights-out?”
Bo Jin would probably stay in the dorm then, right?
“Fine,” Bo Jin nodded, making no attempt to stop him. “Then I can go to the rooftop afterward.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
He’s still not letting it go?!
Left with no choice, Xie Ruan clenched his teeth and agreed, “Fine!”
One bed is just one bed; they’re both guys—no big deal.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!”
Finally satisfied, Bo Jin agreed with an air of satisfaction. “Alright then.”
Weak kidneys, huh? Bo Jin chuckled to himself.
If Xie Ruan only knew what he was getting himself into. Satisfied with his answer, Xie Ruan immediately texted Song Xinghe.
Bo Jin watched him bustling around because of himself, and the corners of his lips curled up higher and higher; there was no trace of the bad mood he had when he wanted to go to the rooftop.
Behind him, He Mingjie was left dumbfounded as he watched Bo Jin lure Xie Ruan all the way to his dorm.
He turned blankly to Sun Haoxiang. “How many people are in our class again?”
“Forty-seven, including you,” Sun Haoxiang replied.
“Forty-six classmates, forty-six ‘dads’,” Sun Haoxiang patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Congrats, Old He, you’re officially part of a big family now.”
He Mingjie: “…”
D*mn it!
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
