Although calling someone “dad” as a forfeit was embarrassing, He Mingjie prided himself on being a man of his word. He’d made the bet, and he would honor it.
If he didn’t, how would he keep his reputation?
Clearing his throat, He Mingjie took a deep breath, fighting off his embarrassment, and shouted to Pan Yu, “Dad!”
He’d been holding back for so long that when he finally yelled, his voice was thunderously loud. Aside from Pan Yu and Sun Haoxiang, everyone else was startled before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha, He Mingjie, are you crazy?”
“Old He, since when did you develop a hobby of calling everyone ‘dad’?”
“He Mingjie, you’re in a classroom full of people. Which one are you calling out to?”
Since he’d already done it, there was no point holding back.
That one “dad” seemed to flip a switch in He Mingjie, freeing him completely. Standing with both hands on his desk in a proud stance, he declared loudly, “Everyone here is my dad!”
He didn’t want to call out individually—it’d be exhausting and awkward, especially with the girls present. So, after clearing his throat, he shouted again, “Dad!”
For a moment, the class fell silent, then burst into hysterics, cheers, and whistles nearly shaking the ceiling.
He Mingjie was quite pleased with the uproar he’d caused. But just as he was about to say something else, he felt his ear being tugged.
Sun Fuan entered with a stern look. “I could hear you from down the hall. Have I not told you that loud noises aren’t allowed in the classroom, even during breaks?”
Today’s stock market had taken a hit, leaving Sun Fuan genuinely feeling the sting of loss. After taking the whole afternoon to collect himself, he came to check on the class, only to hear He Mingjie’s shout as he approached.
Barely restraining his irritation, Sun Fuan tugged He Mingjie’s ear even harder. “Ignoring my rules, are you?”
Still wincing, He Mingjie whimpered, “Teacher, that hurts! Physical punishment is against the rules!”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
Sun Haoxiang couldn’t help but sigh. Why not just apologize quietly instead of provoking him? This was self-sabotage.
Sure enough, hearing that, Sun Fuan sneered, “Isn’t everyone here your ‘dad’? How is disciplining my son a violation?”
With that, he released He Mingjie but added a hefty pat on his back. “Seems like you need something to keep you busy. Grab the math test from this morning and come to my office. You can go back when it’s done.”
He Mingjie, usually a bit of a troublemaker, knew his limits. The math test Sun Fuan had given them earlier was full of advanced problems, and he knew he wouldn’t finish it without help in one study period.
Realizing he was in too deep, He Mingjie pleaded, but it was too late. Sun Fuan wasn’t going to let him off so easily.
Resigned, He Mingjie trailed after Sun Fuan, muttering complaints under his breath.
Bo Jin, who was half-reclining in his chair, watched He Mingjie’s dejected figure and mused, “Why does he always find the fastest route to trouble?”
Xie Ruan had been watching the drama unfold, and his cheeks ached from laughing.
Before transferring to this class, he’d thought straight-A students were quiet and indifferent. But after spending time with them, he found them surprisingly interesting.
Well, all of them except the guy sitting next to him.
“So you should be asking yourself,” Xie Ruan glanced meaningfully at Bo Jin.
Bo Jin, puzzled, replied, “What’s this got to do with me?”
“Birds of a feather flock together, right? He Mingjie is your brother, isn’t he?”
Seeing that Bo Jin was at a loss for words, Xie Ruan smirked in satisfaction. He grabbed an English workbook from the shelf, thinking he might as well tackle some homework while he was in a good mood.
He barely opened the workbook when Bo Jin asked, “You know the essay ‘On Loving the Lotus,’ right?”
Xie Ruan: “?”
What about it?”
Bo Jin lazily replied, “I’m the lotus—untainted in the muddy waters.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Right, he’d forgotten that shamelessness knows no bounds.
After studying with Bo Jin for a while, Xie Ruan had come to understand his strengths and weaknesses in different subjects. He found most subjects manageable and even enjoyed math and chemistry. English, however, was another story—no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get the hang of it.
As a result, after a full evening of study, he’d only managed to complete half of the English exercises he’d planned.
Thinking ahead, he slipped the workbook into his bag, deciding he’d bring it along to Bo Jin’s dorm tonight—just in case things got too awkward, he’d have an excuse to focus on his homework.
Confident in his foresight, Xie Ruan didn’t yet realize he’d underestimated Bo Jin entirely.
Embarrassment? That word doesn’t even exist in God Bo’s dictionary.
“You shower first or should I?” In dorm room 405, Bo Jin asked Xie Ruan as he closed the door.
This was Xie Ruan’s second time at Bo Jin’s dorm. The first time, he only came to drop something off and didn’t even step inside. Now, seeing the place for real, he noticed how clean it was—it could easily be held up as a model dorm, completely unlike the stereotypical guys’ dorm room.
Just as he was looking around, Bo Jin’s question hit him out of the blue. Xie Ruan looked at him with an unspeakable expression. “Can you not phrase it like that?”
It almost sounded as if they were… planning a hookup.
“What’s wrong with the way I asked?” Bo Jin, already halfway through hanging his uniform on the bed railing, said, sounding genuinely surprised. “I’m just asking if you want to shower or not. What were you thinking?”
He clicked his tongue. “Only the dirty-minded see dirt. Wow, I didn’t expect you to be looking forward to tonight so much. Had I known…”
Xie Ruan shot back with a straight face, swinging his backpack at him. “What the h*ll would I be looking forward to?”
Bo Jin raised a hand, casually blocking the bag headed for his face. “Not that I’d mind,” he added, his voice holding a faintly suggestive tone.
Stunned for a moment, Xie Ruan finally caught on, his ears instantly going red.
He was so wrong! He should’ve just stayed quiet and let Bo Jin’s words slide by without giving him any openings!
“I’ll shower.” Grabbing the change of clothes he’d brought, Xie Ruan turned away, not looking back as he headed out.
Watching him flee, Bo Jin let out a chuckle, then pulled over a chair and began reviewing Xie Ruan’s practice exercises from that night.
He quickly noticed that Xie Ruan really didn’t have much of a knack for English—slightly rephrased questions of the same type would throw him off. But it was obvious he’d been working hard; there were plenty of corrections and marks on the paper.
Smiling, Bo Jin took a pencil and wrote notes on the grammar involved. Solving problems had never required this much detail for him, so he often caught himself skipping irrelevant points and had to go back and erase, rewriting things more thoroughly.
By the time Xie Ruan emerged from the bathroom, Bo Jin had just set down his pen.
Hearing him, Bo Jin looked up. “I’ve corrected the exercises. Go through them on your own first, see if you can…figure them out…”
Bo Jin’s voice trailed off, his gaze locked on Xie Ruan.
Xie Ruan stepped out of the bathroom, his skin still warm and slightly flushed from the shower, a hint of pink dusting his fair complexion.
He wore an oversized black T-shirt that hung loosely, the neckline slipping to one side to reveal a striking collarbone. A droplet from his damp hair trickled down, following the curve of his collarbone before vanishing under the fabric—enticingly mysterious.
As he moved, the T-shirt occasionally clung to his frame, outlining his lean, defined shape.
“You marked everything?” Xie Ruan approached casually, unaware of the scene he presented, towel in hand, leaning down to see the corrections. His damp hair, hanging low, brushed against Bo Jin’s cheek, leaving a trail of tickling sensations.
“Thanks, go shower. I’ll take a look.” Xie Ruan spread out his towel on the bed, gesturing for Bo Jin to give him some space.
But Bo Jin didn’t move.
“Bo Jin?” Xie Ruan called him again.
With a start, Bo Jin snapped out of it.
D*mn, he thought to himself, clenching his teeth. He was losing his mind.
“Okay.” Bo Jin’s voice sounded slightly strained as he got up, turning his back to Xie Ruan and heading straight to the bathroom.
“What’s up with him?” Xie Ruan mumbled, puzzled, but shrugged it off, and began focusing on his exercises.
He was naturally bright, and Bo Jin’s help only made things smoother. Even with his least favorite subject, English, he seemed to be getting the hang of it. By the time he worked through all the tricky parts, the lights-out bell rang.
Smiling to himself, Xie Ruan closed his book, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment.
“What’s got you all secretly happy?” Bo Jin teased, flipping open his blanket. He turned and caught Xie Ruan’s expression, chuckling. “Pleased to be sharing a bed with the class leader?”
“Stop flattering yourself,” Xie Ruan retorted, not holding back as he settled comfortably into the blanket Bo Jin had arranged. “You sleeping or not?”
“Oh, I’m sleeping.” Bo Jin grinned, lifting the blanket and lying down next to him.
The dorm bed was narrow, so with two tall guys lying there, their limbs inevitably touched. The end of October was still warm, and for two teenage guys radiating heat, every touch felt like fire, practically burning.
Xie Ruan felt awkward, wanting to shift a bit, but seeing how Bo Jin wasn’t moving either, he felt too self-conscious. After a while, though, he began to feel sleepy.
Just as his eyes were about to close, he remembered something and, half-asleep, called out, “Bo Jin…”
A voice replied immediately beside him, “Yeah?”
“You better not sneak up to the rooftop while I’m asleep, got it? If you do…” His voice trailed off, becoming softer and softer until it faded away.
He must really be worried I’ll go up there, still thinking about it at this time.
Bo Jin stifled a laugh, waiting for him to finish. After a moment, realizing he’d gone quiet, Bo Jin turned to check and saw that he’d already fallen asleep.
The dorm curtains hadn’t been fully drawn, so the clear moonlight slipped through the gap, softly illuminating Xie Ruan’s face.
The male had striking features, with a high, defined nose and finely sculpted angles. Curled up peacefully by his side, he looked completely different from his usual brash self.
Bo Jin felt a gentle nudge of warmth deep down. In all these years, through countless sleepless nights, no one had ever cared about him like this.
Even though Xie Ruan was sleeping soundly, like a little pig, just his presence alone felt like a comfort.
Bo Jin smiled, adjusting the air conditioner up by two degrees, then closed his own eyes.
The next morning, when Xie Ruan woke up, he felt oddly stiff, like something was holding him in place.
Frowning, he opened his eyes, only to see not the dorm ceiling, but…a wall.
As his memory slowly returned, he remembered that he’d shared a bed with Bo Jin the night before. And at the moment, Bo Jin was holding him from behind, his arms wrapped tightly around him, keeping him locked firmly in place.
Xie Ruan tried to move, testing his ability to get up first. But the next second, he froze.
Like its owner, the common morning reaction for boys was bold and insistent, making its presence known.
Xie Ruan was stunned for a full half-minute, then his face gradually turned red.
Above him, Bo Jin’s low chuckle sounded, clearly aware of the current situation.
Xie Ruan’s mind went blank, and he tried to roll over, only to be quickly pinned back down by Bo Jin’s quick hands.
He gritted his teeth, “What the h*ll are you laughing at? Let go of me!”
Instead of doing as asked, Bo Jin only tightened his hold a bit more.
This made Xie Ruan even more aware of the situation.
Steam practically erupted from Xie Ruan’s head, though it was unclear if it was from anger or embarrassment. He struggled to keep himself from lashing out, grumbling furiously, “Bo Jin, are you out of your mind?”
Bo Jin chuckled, his tone meaningful, “Didn’t you already feel that for yourself?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Xie Ruan wanted to knock him out, “What exactly do you want?”
“Nothing much,” Bo Jin said calmly, looking at Xie Ruan’s flushed earlobes, “Just wanted to make sure you knew my kidney is definitely not ‘weak.’”
Xie Ruan couldn’t understand his reasoning. Could this be that invisible barrier between the top student and the average student?
“How is it any of my business whether you’re weak or not?”
“Oh, it’s not?” Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, “Then why were you making me wolfberry water?”
Xie Ruan was momentarily stunned, realizing why Bo Jin had pulled this stunt. He instantly became furious, “Who told you wolfberry water was for kidney weakness? It was to help you sleep!”
Bo Jin was momentarily taken aback before burying his face into Xie Ruan’s neck, laughing heartily.
What a massive misunderstanding.
Why on earth would Xie Ruan be worried about me needing a tonic?
Bo Jin’s warm breath on his neck sent shivers down Xie Ruan’s spine, making him recoil instinctively. Raising his elbow, he jabbed it backward, grumbling, “Let go! Aren’t you embarrassed at all?”
“Me? Not at all,” Bo Jin replied, completely unabashed, “Only people who can’t get up should be embarrassed.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
D*mn it, he made a valid point, and Xie Ruan had no way to argue.
“Are you going to let me go or not?” Xie Ruan was at his limit and threatened, “If you don’t, I’ll… I’ll break that thing off.”
Bo Jin had initially intended to let him go, but hearing that threat, he just chuckled. He couldn’t be blamed—Xie Ruan was the one challenging him first.
He whistled and said with a smile, “Oh, then you do it. Not doing it means you’re not a true Chinese!”
