Bo Jin’s hand was warm and dry, not sweaty like some other guys’ hands. There was a slight callous on his palm, and the grip felt steady and reliable. With Bo Jin holding his hand, Xie Ruan’s fear faded significantly.
The bridge didn’t feel so daunting anymore. Taking a deep breath, Xie Ruan finally overcame his fear and took a step forward.
He walked slowly, keeping his gaze low and trying not to look down. Bo Jin matched his pace, walking in sync with him, leading him gently across the bridge.
“Oh, Brother Bo, what are you two doing?” Sun Haoxiang and the others had walked ahead and, noticing that the two hadn’t caught up, turned back to find them, only to witness this scene.
He whistled, his face full of mischief.
The others shared the same amused expressions, especially Song Xinghe, who looked like he wanted to grab a magnifying glass to examine the scene.
Bo Jin glanced sideways at Xie Ruan.
Although Xie Ruan’s fear of heights had eased slightly, he was still a bit dazed, likely not catching Sun Haoxiang’s meaning.
Bo Jin knew Xie Ruan was thin-skinned and didn’t like to be teased. If he understood what Sun Haoxiang was implying, he’d probably let go out of embarrassment and try to manage on his own.
To prevent this, Bo Jin tightened his grip on Xie Ruan’s hand slightly. He raised his eyes and gave Sun Haoxiang a casual look. “Can’t you see with those eyes?”
Sun Haoxiang had expected this response and rolled his eyes, but his curiosity was far from satisfied. Smiling slyly, he continued, “Come on, it’s broad daylight; you two might want to be mindful of appearances.”
“What appearances?” Bo Jin sneered, “We’re just holding hands with clear health codes—why, are you from the States?”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
The others: “…”
“You coming?” Bo Jin walked a few steps and, seeing they were still standing there dumbfounded, turned back with a smile, “Don’t want to eat? Fine, we’ll just eat ourselves…”
“We’re coming!” He Mingjie had been looking forward to this meal all morning. Hearing this, he immediately let go of any curiosity about hand-holding and gossip, afraid Bo Jin might actually send them away. He grabbed Song Xinghe and Sun Haoxiang and sped forward.
Pan Yu followed leisurely, and as he passed Bo Jin and Xie Ruan, he glanced back, eyes lingering on Xie Ruan’s slightly pale face.
Bo Jin raised an eyebrow.
Pan Yu pushed his glasses up and gave Bo Jin a knowing smile before turning back to continue walking.
The restaurant Bo Jin mentioned truly had an air of indifference—it didn’t even have a sign. If it weren’t for the many patrons inside, you’d never guess it was a restaurant.
The owner, a serious-looking old man, was carrying a plate of braised pig’s feet towards them. Upon spotting Bo Jin and the others, his face lit up. “Ah, Little Bo’s here!”
A stark contrast from his earlier severe expression.
“Yep, brought a friend for lunch,” Bo Jin took the plate from him and asked, “Which table?”
“Just two guests, and you think you need to help?” the owner said with a smile he couldn’t hide, pointing under the fan, “Over there.”
Bo Jin nodded and delivered the plate of pig’s feet to the table.
Once off the bridge, Xie Ruan felt much better. Watching this interaction, he asked Sun Haoxiang in surprise, “Bo Jin knows the owner?”
“Yeah,” Sun Haoxiang replied, though he didn’t know many details, “It seems like they’ve known each other for a long time. They get along well.”
Xie Ruan mulled this over, realizing how little he actually knew about Bo Jin.
Aside from what he saw at school, he knew practically nothing else.
That wasn’t going to work. To understand why Bo Jin might consider ending his life, he first needed to understand him fully.
But how?
Ask Sun Haoxiang and the others?
No, holding hands on the bridge had already raised questions. Asking about Bo Jin now would only increase suspicions.
So, what could he do?
As Xie Ruan pondered, the owner had already led them into a small, private dining room.
From outside, neighbors could be heard teasing, “Hey, Old Wang, I thought you never opened private rooms! But as soon as Little Bo came, you made an exception?”
“Just eat your meal, will you? I can do what I want!” The owner joked, placing a pot of barley tea on the round table. “Sit tight; the food’s coming.”
With that, he bustled off.
The barley tea in the shop had such a fragrant aroma that you could smell it even with the lid on. Bo Jin poured a cup for Xie Ruan and pushed it over, asking quietly, “Feeling better?”
A bit embarrassed, Xie Ruan murmured, “Yes,” and took a sip of tea. After a moment, he turned to Bo Jin, slightly awkward. “How did you know?”
Bo Jin smiled, “I noticed on the rooftop that day.”
Xie Ruan suddenly understood. That made sense. He had only developed his fear of heights recently, something even Song Xinghe didn’t know about. Now he understood how Bo Jin knew.
While they were talking, He Mingjie and the others weren’t idle either. As soon as they sat down, He Mingjie pulled out his phone and opened his chat app, saying to Song Xinghe, “Come on, scan my QR code. I’ll add you to our group.”
Group?
A light bulb went off in Xie Ruan’s head. He remembered seeing something on the forum before about Bo Jin having a fan group.
Since they were all fans, they would probably know a lot about him.
Maybe he could join the group and find some helpful information.
The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he became. Glancing at Bo Jin to make sure he wasn’t paying attention, Xie Ruan slightly turned away and started searching for the group number on the forum.
He was lucky—the first post he found had the group number.
Like a thief, he hid his phone under the table and switched to his alternate account to search.
But when he saw the search result, he almost dropped his phone. “God Bo’s Harem Group”? Couldn’t they come up with a more normal name?
But he didn’t have a choice.
Trying to reassure himself that it was just an alternate account and no one would know it was him, Xie Ruan applied to join.
“What are you up to?” Suddenly, there was a knock on the table in front of him, and Xie Ruan jumped. He quickly turned off his screen and looked up to find Bo Jin watching him with a composed smile. “Time to eat.”
Only then did Xie Ruan realize that the food had been served.
There was a plate of soy sauce chicken and barbecue pork combo, roasted goose, grilled ribs, a platter of braised dishes, plus a large plate of soup-cooked greens and hand-ground tofu. The owner clearly knew how much growing teenagers could eat; every dish was generous.
Xie Ruan swallowed, put down his phone, and said, “Nothing.”
Not sure when his group application would get approved, he decided to eat first.
Bo Jin didn’t miss the slight look of guilt on Xie Ruan’s face. He squinted at him for a moment, making Xie Ruan’s heart race, before finally handing him a pair of chopsticks.
The food at this place was as good as promised. With one bite of soy-sauce chicken, Xie Ruan forgot everything else. It was absolutely delicious—the skin wasn’t greasy, the meat wasn’t tough, and the soy sauce was just right, flavorful but not overpowering.
Satisfied, Xie Ruan even poured the leftover soy sauce into his bowl to mix with his rice.
The others were equally enthusiastic, and they cleared every dish on the table. Finishing up, they had only one thought: they’d definitely be back!
With little time left for lunch, Bo Jin paid and prepared to leave with Xie Ruan and the others. The owner, Old Wang, wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted on giving them a box of durian pastries as they left.
They laughed and joked all the way back to school. As they passed the fifth-floor teachers’ restroom, Bo Jin suddenly tossed the box of pastries to Sun Haoxiang, saying, “Take it back and share it around. I’m going to the restroom.”
Sun Haoxiang happily agreed and ran toward the classroom.
Xie Ruan started to follow, but Bo Jin pulled him back.
“What?”
Bo Jin smiled, “Come to the restroom with me.”
Xie Ruan rolled his eyes. “What are you, a kid?”
“No,” Bo Jin chuckled shamelessly, “I didn’t even graduate kindergarten, so you should respect the Chinese tradition of honoring the young and old.”
Xie Ruan was speechless.
How did this guy keep setting the bar lower?
Grumbling inwardly, Xie Ruan went with him. After all, they’d just eaten, so washing his hands wasn’t a bad idea.
“Mind?” Bo Jin closed the door, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and showing it to Xie Ruan.
Xie Ruan didn’t mind the smell of smoke, so he shook his head. “Go ahead.”
Bo Jin nodded, lighting a cigarette.
He looked particularly cool when he smoked.
One hand in his pocket, the other holding the cigarette. With each exhale, his relaxed attitude was effortlessly attractive; he was the best-looking smoker Xie Ruan had ever seen.
Feeling a sudden impulse, Xie Ruan shook the water off his hands and looked at Bo Jin. “Let me try one.”
Teenage boys, always wanting to test things out, thought smoking looked cool and wanted to try.
Bo Jin raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know how to smoke?”
Xie Ruan lifted his chin. “How would I know without trying?”
“Nope,” Bo Jin flicked the ash into a trash can, not letting him go through with it. “It’s nothing good.”
“I just want one puff,” Xie Ruan said, the more Bo Jin refused, the more he wanted to try. Patiently, he bargained, “I’ll stop after tasting it. I promise I won’t get addicted.”
Bo Jin asked, “Just one puff?”
Xie Ruan nodded eagerly, “Yes, just one.”
Bo Jin looked into his eager eyes and, with a mischievous glint, took the cigarette from his own mouth and offered it to him.
Xie Ruan: “…”
Who wanted one you’d already smoked?!
Bo Jin grinned teasingly, “Didn’t you say just one puff? Why aren’t you taking it?”
Realizing Bo Jin was messing with him again, Xie Ruan glared at him. “Give me a fresh one.” After a pause, he added, “Don’t tell me the great Bo Jin is so stingy he won’t spare a cigarette?”
Oh, trying to use reverse psychology now.
Bo Jin laughed and nodded toward his pocket. “Help yourself.”
Xie Ruan’s eyes lit up, and without thinking, he bent over to reach in.
Just as his fingers touched the cigarette pack, Bo Jin’s voice sounded low above him, “Careful, desk mate. Where are you reaching?”
Xie Ruan froze.
Bo Jin leaned against the doorframe, exhaling a lazy puff of smoke. He smirked, “Come on, admit it. You’ve been eyeing me for a while, haven’t you?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Annoyed, Xie Ruan snapped, “Would it kill you to stop being so full of yourself?”
Bo Jin grinned, “One must first love oneself, then others can love him.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Fed up with talking, Xie Ruan opened the door to leave, only to be stopped by Bo Jin’s quick reflexes. “Just kidding.”
He chuckled, “Forget the smoking; don’t pick up bad habits.”
Xie Ruan paused, his grip on the doorknob loosening.
After a moment, he muttered, “Got it. Hurry up, or we’ll be late for class.”
Bo Jin nodded, lowering his head to take another drag.
Through the swirling smoke, his features looked sharp, his face expressionless with a slightly cold vibe.
For some reason, even though Bo Jin was acting as casually as ever, with his usual flippant attitude, Xie Ruan felt like he wasn’t in a good mood.
Hesitating, Xie Ruan finally asked, “Are you feeling down?”
Bo Jin paused. Over the years, he’d become skilled at hiding his real emotions. Even the friends who grew up with him in the orphanage hardly ever noticed anything was off. But somehow, Xie Ruan had picked up on it.
Bo Jin almost brushed it off with a joke, but looking into Xie Ruan’s concerned gaze, he found himself admitting, “Yeah, a bit.”
Xie Ruan’s brow furrowed immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Did someone mess with you? Or is it school stuff?”
“Don’t stress. Talk to me; maybe I can help.”
“Or I can go out with you for a walk? It might make you feel better.”
Bo Jin stayed silent, just watching him. Watching his worry, his anxiousness, seeing his emotions shift all because of him, he wanted to commit this moment to memory forever.
After a long silence, Xie Ruan started to get nervous, worried Bo Jin was stuck in a bad mood. He tugged on Bo Jin’s arm and urged, “Say something.”
Bo Jin looked down at Xie Ruan’s hand on his arm and suddenly smiled.
Bo Jin reached out and gently patted Xie Ruan on the head.
It was affectionate but not invasive.
“It’s nothing,” he said, his voice softer than ever. “Just seeing my deskmate is enough.”
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