Unbeknownst to Xie Ruan, his intentions had been exposed to Bo Jin entirely and wildly misinterpreted, with no hope of reeling it back in.
At the moment, he was at an internet café researching Sunshine Orphanage.
There was only one orphanage in the city, so it was easy to find information.
Boss Wang was right—the orphanage didn’t allow casual visits, but he could get in through a social service organization to volunteer.
Without hesitating, Xie Ruan looked up the city’s volunteer service group, filled in his personal information, and registered as a volunteer.
With the winter break approaching, he’d have plenty of free time. Not wanting to stay home, he could keep busy with volunteer work.
He figured he could gather some information about Bo Jin there.
After all, with his intelligence and striking appearance, the orphanage staff must remember him.
Now, he only needed to keep an eye on the volunteer group’s updates and sign up for an event at the orphanage.
Just as he wrapped up, he noticed his hour was nearly up.
He was debating whether to hang around or head back to the dorm for a nap when Bo Jin’s call came in.
Even though he knew Bo Jin couldn’t possibly know what he’d been up to, Xie Ruan felt a sudden twinge of guilt, like he’d been caught gossiping behind his back. He hesitated a moment before answering. “What’s up?”
Noting the odd tone in his voice, Bo Jin raised an eyebrow. “What’re you up to? I feel like you sound suspicious… Been up to no good?”
“No, you’re the one up to no good,” Xie Ruan shot back, bluffing as he logged off his account and made his way outside. “Why’d you call?”
Bo Jin didn’t press him, chuckling. “Sun Haoxiang and a few of the guys are at KTV. Wanna come?”
Originally, Sun Haoxiang and his friends had planned to head downtown, but it was too crowded this time of day. After waiting forever for a ride, they gave up and threw together a smaller gathering instead—calling it a pre-finals stress relief session.
“Sure.” Xie Ruan took his ID from the receptionist and stepped outside, happy to have something to do. “Which KTV?”
“KG,” Bo Jin replied.
“Alright, KG…” Xie Ruan began, before realizing something strange. Bo Jin’s voice sounded way too close—almost like he was right next to him.
Wait, right next to him?
Xie Ruan’s eyes widened.
Something cool pressed lightly against his cheek.
He turned and saw Bo Jin beside him, smiling down with his phone in hand.
Startled, Xie Ruan hung up. “How’d you know I was here?”
Bo Jin handed him a hawthorn juice, clearly amused by his surprise, and teased, “Of course I followed you here.”
When Xie Ruan looked at him with wide, wary eyes like a startled animal, Bo Jin laughed. “Kidding. I know you come here often, saw your account was logged in from a computer, and figured it out.”
So that’s what it was. Xie Ruan breathed a sigh of relief, not expecting Bo Jin to be that perceptive.
He waved it off casually. “I know where KG is—you didn’t need to come all the way over.”
It was an unseasonably warm day, the afternoon sun pleasantly chasing away the chill that had lingered from the recent rain. Squinting in the sunlight, Bo Jin nudged him over to a sunny spot, looking relaxed. “Why no need?”
He glanced sideways and laughed softly, “Isn’t this a rare opportunity for me to show you a little devotion?”
Show devotion? Is that even how the term is used? How did he even score over 140 in Chinese?!
Facing Bo Jin’s gaze, which carried a deeper meaning, Xie Ruan’s heart started pounding.
D*mn, what was going on? It felt like Bo Jin was flirting with him!
In the past, Bo Jin would joke around flirtatiously, but never so blatantly. This time… it almost sounded like he was pursuing him.
Xie Ruan felt his ears grow inexplicably warm. Avoiding Bo Jin’s gaze, he redirected the conversation, “W-what did you give me? Watermelon juice?”
Bo Jin raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance.
Alright, he wanted to see how long he could keep this act up.
“No, it’s not watermelon juice at this time of year,” Bo Jin said, still looking at him steadily. Then, playing along, he added, “It’s hawthorn juice.”
Hawthorn juice!
Just thinking about it made Xie Ruan feel a sour taste creeping up.
He frowned and shoved the hawthorn juice back into Bo Jin’s hands. “I don’t drink that.”
So focused was Xie Ruan on complaining that he hadn’t realized he was becoming more familiar and relaxed around Bo Jin.
Had it been someone else offering it, he would’ve sipped it even if it tasted bitter, all while thanking them with a smile.
Bo Jin chuckled, finding Xie Ruan’s distaste for sour things quite endearing. He unwrapped the straw, stuck it into the cup, and held it out to him again. “It’s not sour. You’ll see. I had the staff add honey.”
“Really?” Xie Ruan accepted it with a hint of doubt.
“Really,” Bo Jin said with a sigh. When he noticed Xie Ruan still hesitating, he raised an eyebrow. “Or should I try it first for you?”
If he tried it first, then Xie Ruan would have to drink it after him, wouldn’t that be…
“No need.” Xie Ruan immediately refused, ducking his head as if to hide something, and took a big sip.
Although Bo Jin could be a tease, he hadn’t lied this time. The hawthorn juice wasn’t sour at all and even tasted a little sweet.
Still, Xie Ruan didn’t love the flavor and had a hard time drinking it.
Noticing his reluctance, Bo Jin lifted the cup from the bottom, nudging it up. “Drink a bit more. Hawthorn juice is good for the stomach; it helps with digestion.”
He didn’t know exactly how much Xie Ruan had eaten at Old Wang’s place, but since he’d had lunch and then another meal less than two hours later, he must be feeling uncomfortably full by now.
Xie Ruan froze, his brain kicking into high gear. What did Bo Jin mean by that? Did he know he’d eaten too much?
Impossible!
It had to be a coincidence. An afternoon digestion drink was perfectly normal. Xie Ruan kept telling himself this, forcing his mind not to wander. Sipping the hawthorn juice every now and then, he followed Bo Jin to the KTV.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively.
Sun Haoxiang was about to take a sip of water during a break in the chorus when a classmate snatched the microphone right out of his hand.
“You’ve been howling for ten minutes already. Had enough?” Sun Haoxiang kicked him in mock anger.
“Not yet, bro,” the guy said with a grin, holding the microphone tight even as he got kicked, clearly intent on being the king of the mic.
Just then, a server entered with a platter of snacks. Sun Haoxiang’s favorite was the duck tongues at this place. Seeing them, he gave up on the microphone and grabbed a fork to start eating.
He glanced over to see Pan Yu still engrossed in his vocabulary flashcards, shook his head, and gave him a push. “Stop it already; with this lighting, you’re going to go blind. Come eat something.”
Pan Yu set down his phone, coolly asking, “Or do what? Sing so you can listen?”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
Alright then, maybe just stick to studying.
Pan Yu was notoriously tone-deaf—so bad, in fact, that during the class choir, even Sun Fuan had granted him a pass to sit it out.
After a while, though, Pan Yu’s eyes were getting strained. He took off his glasses and leaned back against the couch with his eyes closed, resting.
Suddenly, He Mingjie leaned over. “Did you guys see the group chat? Brother Bo’s coming.”
“Huh?” Sun Haoxiang wiped his hands with a napkin, reaching for his phone as he spoke. “Didn’t he say it’s too noisy and he wasn’t coming?”
“Maybe he’s coming with Xie Ruan,” Pan Yu speculated, sounding fairly confident.
“No way,” Sun Haoxiang adjusted the room’s lights to make them less glaring before sitting back down. “Little Xie’s not on campus.”
He’d originally invited Xie Ruan, but after searching for him, he assumed he must’ve gone out for the day.
Pan Yu smiled knowingly but stayed quiet.
Sun Haoxiang was getting curious about what he was hiding, but when he looked down and saw Bo Jin’s message in the chat, he froze.
[Bo]: And Xie Ruan’s coming too.
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
Sighing deeply, he patted Pan Yu’s shoulder, thoroughly impressed. “You’re good.”
When Xie Ruan and Bo Jin finally arrived, Sun Haoxiang had nearly finished the snack platter.
Everyone was still fighting for the microphone, with him being the only one treating the KTV like a restaurant.
“If you two didn’t get here soon, we’d have wrapped things up already.” He scooted over to make room and asked Xie Ruan, “Wanna sing? I’ll queue up a song for you.”
“Sure,” Xie Ruan placed the half-finished hawthorn juice on the table, smiling as he told him a song title.
He was a good singer and had no qualms about performing in such a setting.
He Mingjie, who was closest to the karaoke machine, entered the song and leaned over with a whisper. “There’s a long queue ahead. Want me to move yours up?”
“No, leave it,” Xie Ruan was tempted but decided for the sake of class harmony. “I’ll rest a bit before singing.”
“Alright.”
Sun Haoxiang was well-liked, and although this gathering was impromptu, over ten people had shown up. Feeling stifled at school all week, everyone was eager to let loose, singing whether they hit the notes or not, simply for the joy of it.
There were only two microphones, so those who got a turn were thrilled, while those who didn’t could only wait eagerly.
Sun Haoxiang finished his snack, feeling a bit bored, and was about to start a game on his phone when Bo Jin suddenly spoke.
“Sitting around like this is boring; let’s play a game.”
Bo Jin usually didn’t like joining in, so Sun Haoxiang was a bit surprised but immediately intrigued. “What game? Truth or Dare?”
That was almost a party essential.
Bo Jin glanced nonchalantly at Xie Ruan, sitting to his right, and said, “Too cliché. Let’s play ‘I Love You, Shameless.’”
Isn’t that cliché, too?
Sun Haoxiang felt it was a bit cheesy, but he didn’t mind as long as there was something to play. He looked around and saw everyone seemed interested, so he put down his phone and said, “Alright, ‘I Love You, Shameless.’ You all know how to play?”
A girl raised her hand, “Me, me! I don’t know!”
If it had been a guy, Sun Haoxiang wouldn’t have bothered, but the girl had round eyes and a round face, looking particularly cute. He was happy to explain and quickly said, “It’s really simple. We sit in a line and say ‘I love you’ to the person on our left and ‘shameless’ to the person on our right. It goes around like a relay, and each pair can only exchange words up to three times; if someone goes over or messes up, they get punished.”
The girl quickly understood. The game required a quick response, and she smiled at Sun Haoxiang, saying, “Thanks, sports rep.”
Sun Haoxiang felt a flutter in his heart and replied, “You’re welcome, no problem.”
Everyone shuffled around a bit until they settled into position.
Pan Yu adjusted his glasses and held back He Mingjie, who was eager to use the game to insult Sun Haoxiang. Then he glanced meaningfully at Bo Jin. “Alright, I’ll start.”
Without waiting for objections, he immediately turned to the person on his left and said, “I love you.”
The person on his left replied just as quickly, also turning left with, “I love you,” afraid to delay even a second and get punished.
This was the first round, and everyone was still getting used to it, so they all just went left, repeating “I love you” obediently. Soon it was Xie Ruan’s turn.
He turned, about to speak, only to meet Bo Jin’s playful gaze.
Bo Jin had high cheekbones, a strong brow, and a sharp jawline. His face, though typically cold and hard to approach, softened with a slight smile under the warm lighting, giving off an oddly affectionate vibe.
The words “I love you” reached Xie Ruan’s lips, but suddenly, he couldn’t say them.
Everyone else had been smooth, so his pause was all the more noticeable.
“Ohhh, Little Xie can’t do it!” He Mingjie, who wasn’t too bright, noticed nothing odd and clapped his hands, shouting, “How come he’s stuck already? Punishment!”
Xie Ruan was competitive, and his shout snapped him back to his senses. Annoyed, he silently berated himself for hesitating.
What’s the big deal about saying it? It’s just a game, right?
Feigning indifference, he lifted his chin slightly. “Alright, I’ll let you guys have one round.”
He Mingjie loved this kind of thing and rubbed his hands excitedly. “What’s the punishment, then?” He looked at Sun Haoxiang and then at Pan Yu, but since neither said anything, he turned to Bo Jin. “Brother Bo, you decide the punishment?”
Bo Jin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking at Xie Ruan, and said in a low voice, “A kiss? That might be over the top.”
“Or maybe sitting on someone’s lap would work, but you’re too shy for that.”
With a playful smile, he continued, “I won’t make it hard for you. Just say the words you didn’t manage to say just now.”
Xie Ruan froze. The words he hadn’t said… weren’t they…
His ears started heating up.
“So, that’s why he wanted to play ‘I Love You, Shameless,’” Sun Haoxiang whispered to Pan Yu, “Just for this. Sneaky! Poor Little Xie, dealing with this guy.”
Pan Yu pushed up his glasses, nodding in agreement.
Xie Ruan was regretting everything. Saying it together with everyone was fine, but now, with everyone watching, having to say “I love you” to Bo Jin alone—wasn’t this like public humiliation?
With everyone watching, he couldn’t break the rules.
“I…” Xie Ruan gritted his teeth, starting to say it.
Bo Jin watched with an amused expression, while the others looked on eagerly.
Xie Ruan clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and went for it. “I love you.”
The room erupted in cheers.
“Whoa, Xie Ruan did it!”
“Hahahhahah, way to go, Little Xie!”
“Awesome Awesome!”
As his classmates cheered, Xie Ruan felt a little proud. It wasn’t that big of a deal to say it, was it?
He looked up at Bo Jin, noticing a sly smile on his lips, as though he found the whole thing hilarious.
The pride he felt was quickly replaced by embarrassment.
He shot Bo Jin a fierce glare. What’s with the smirk, you jerk!
The game continued, and the excitement grew. No one knew if the next person would turn left or right, and everyone was on edge.
This tension made mistakes inevitable, and soon, more people had to face punishments.
The punishments got more and more inventive, with He Mingjie even singing half a song while sitting on Sun Haoxiang’s lap.
Then, it was Xie Ruan’s turn to say “I love you” to Bo Jin again. Whether it was the room’s energy or the fact he’d said it once before, this time he didn’t hesitate at all. He said smoothly, “I love you.”
Clear and confident.
But unexpectedly, Bo Jin didn’t respond with “shameless” or turn to someone else with “I love you.” Instead, he smiled slowly and replied, “Mm, I love you too.”
The room fell silent for a moment, and then erupted in deafening cheers and teasing.
Some people whistled, some cheered loudly, and others banged on the table, almost making the two singing at the front drop their microphones.
“Brother Bo, what’s up with you? Hahaha!”
“Classic Brother Bo, shameless as ever!”
“Did you hear that, Little Xie? Brother Bo said he loves you too, hahaha!”
Xie Ruan felt thoroughly embarrassed by everyone’s laughter and, in his mind, had already beaten Bo Jin up a thousand times.
This jerk did it on purpose! He must’ve done it on purpose!
Except for Pan Yu and two others, no one took Bo Jin’s words seriously; they all assumed he was just caught up in the game.
One of them said, “Alright, Brother Bo, we know you love Little Xie, but you still have to face the penalty.”
The guy’s eyes gleamed as he glanced between the two, then said, “Here’s an idea: Little Xie, lie down, and Brother Bo will do five push-ups over you.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Seriously? Just because he’s in the advanced class doesn’t mean he won’t fight!
Sun Haoxiang almost dropped his lemonade, his hand shaking as he turned blankly to Pan Yu. “Honestly, could he be a spy sent by Bo the Dog?”
Pan Yu adjusted his glasses and replied, “I don’t know if he’s a spy, but Brother Bo’s definitely thrilled.”
Bo Jin was indeed delighted. He wouldn’t mind more of these unexpected bonuses, but…
He turned to look at Xie Ruan, who didn’t seem nearly as pleased.
The guys were all excited, the girls just as enthusiastic, with some even pulling out their phones to record, urging Xie Ruan—
“Hurry up, Little Xie!”
“What’s the holdup, Little Xie? Are you chickening out?”
Are these people shameless?!
Xie Ruan’s cheeks felt hot, and he finally understood what it meant for karma to come full circle. He’d been so entertained by others getting penalties, and now it was his turn.
He looked over at Bo Jin, hoping he’d put a stop to this joke, but Bo Jin was watching him with a playful smile, joining in on the teasing, “Are you chickening out?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Compared to Bo Jin’s relaxed attitude, he actually did look like he couldn’t handle it.
Why should he? He was the one being punished!
In a surge of bravado, he didn’t even think before he stood up, his body moving before his mind. “Fine, bring it on. Who’s afraid?”
“Yes! I knew Little Xie wouldn’t back down. Brother Bo, it’s on you!”
“Brother Bo, show us what you got!”
The crowd was buzzing with excitement as Bo Jin got up slowly and took off his jacket.
Holy…!
Everyone was stunned.
Was Brother Bo going all out? Was he actually going to take his shirt off?
He Mingjie shouted even louder, “Take it off, Brother Bo!”
“What are you thinking?” Bo Jin shot him a look of disdain, then laid his jacket down on the floor. “You all stomped around here; it’s filthy. Xie Ruan likes things clean—how’s he supposed to lie down?”
He Mingjie: “…”
Everyone else: “…”
Bo Jin ignored their shocked expressions and said gently to Xie Ruan, “Lie down on my jacket; don’t get your hair dirty. If it bothers you too much, I’ll go back to the dorm with you later so you can change.”
Xie Ruan was still feeling awkward, but with Bo Jin’s surprisingly considerate tone, he felt a bit better.
Steadying himself, he closed his eyes and laid down.
It’s no big deal. Why feel embarrassed? He didn’t care!
Or at least that’s what he told himself, but his trembling lashes betrayed his real feelings.
Bo Jin smirked, rolled up his sleeves, and positioned himself above him.
For some reason, Xie Ruan suddenly couldn’t meet Bo Jin’s gaze. He swallowed and glanced to the side, where he caught sight of Bo Jin’s forearms braced on either side of him.
The muscles were lean, toned, and tensed slightly, strong and beautiful.
“Xie Ruan,” Bo Jin suddenly said his name.
Xie Ruan instinctively looked up.
Bo Jin said, “I’m starting.”
Just start, why tell him?! Xie Ruan’s initial courage faded as he laid there, praying Bo Jin would finish quickly. He swallowed hard and barely managed to nod.
Bo Jin chuckled softly and leaned in closer.
He moved slowly, his face inches from Xie Ruan’s, his breath warm against Xie Ruan’s lips and chin, mingling intimately.
Xie Ruan’s heart raced like a rabbit, thudding so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
For a second, he almost thought Bo Jin was going to kiss him.
Just as he was about to push him away, Bo Jin shifted back, giving him space. Xie Ruan exhaled in relief, looking away to avoid his gaze, but it was as if Bo Jin could read his mind.
Whenever Xie Ruan tried to look away, Bo Jin would call his name, forcing him to meet his eyes.
Making him watch each movement.
Although there was no physical contact, Xie Ruan felt the warmth radiating from Bo Jin’s body, surrounding him through the fabric.
Time seemed to stretch, and it felt like it was just the two of them in the room.
Finally, the last push-up.
He was almost through it.
Xie Ruan held his breath, controlling his breathing as he waited for Bo Jin to finish and get up. But instead, Bo Jin didn’t move away; instead, he called his name again.
The sound was low and warm, carrying a hint of something suggestive.
“Xie Ruan.”
Was this jerk messing with him on purpose?!
Xie Ruan furrowed his brows, trying to sound fierce, though his voice came out soft and barely intimidating. “What?”
Bo Jin chuckled and, leaning close to his ear, said, “Your face is red.”
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