The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 46

In the private room, the lighting was dim and entrancing, while scenes on the high-definition screen changed with the rhythm of the music.

The lyrics scrolled forward slowly, perfectly timed with the line, “I hope to see you every day; even on rainy days, the sun shines bright. In this colorful world, I only like you.”

Xie Ruan felt his cheeks burning intensely, something he was fully aware of without Bo Jin needing to say a word.

He looked up at Bo Jin.

The guy had his hands on either side of him, trapping him within this small, private space. With a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, he looked at him, relaxed and self-assured, as if everything was under control.

They were both in the same situation, so why was he the only one feeling nervous?

A strong sense of unwillingness rose up within him. In that moment, a fierce competitiveness overtook every other emotion. Not knowing where the courage came from, Xie Ruan suddenly acted on impulse, grabbing Bo Jin’s collar and yanking him down hard—

The distance between them closed instantly.

“Is that so?” Xie Ruan met Bo Jin’s eyes, and after a moment, a mischievous smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I suddenly realize you’re actually kind of handsome.”

With that, his gaze fell straight to Bo Jin’s lips.

Bo Jin’s pupils constricted.

He’d expected Xie Ruan to be shy, maybe even angry, but this? He hadn’t seen this coming at all.

Bo Jin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze darkened. What exactly did Xie Ruan… intend to do?

Seeing Bo Jin’s somewhat shocked expression, a sense of achievement bloomed within Xie Ruan. A little teasing—what’s the big deal? Did Bo Jin think he couldn’t handle him just because he hadn’t retaliated before?

This b*stard, let’s see if he’s scared today!

The desire not to lose easily took hold, and Xie Ruan steeled himself, raising his head slightly and pretending he was about to go in for a kiss.

Bo Jin’s breath instantly became erratic.

No one can resist when the person they like takes the initiative.

In that moment, he forgot the time, the place, and the classmates watching—he just wanted to pull this long-cherished person into his arms and kiss him without restraint.

Bo Jin lowered his head, unable to wait for Xie Ruan to come closer, moving in himself. But then, suddenly, he felt a pair of hands pushing against his chest.

Imitating Bo Jin’s earlier tone, Xie Ruan met his eyes and mischievously said, “Your heart is beating so fast.”

In the next second, before he had time to react, Xie Ruan pushed him aside forcefully.

Bo Jin was dumbstruck.

Xie Ruan sat up and, with a triumphant tilt of his chin, gave him a sidelong glance.

Under the dim lighting, his skin looked pale, his lips rosy. As he laid under the overhead lights, his eyes gleamed slightly. That glance wasn’t just defiant—it was seductive.

D*mn! Bo Jin licked his molars, uncharacteristically letting slip a curse in his mind. For once, the usually shameless old rascal felt his ears redden slightly.

He sat up with one knee raised and covered his lap with his jacket. After a while, he lowered his head and laughed quietly to himself.

Xie Ruan got up from the floor, avoiding looking at the other students, and headed straight for the door.

The server at the door saw him and quickly approached. “Hello, sir.”

Xie Ruan asked, “Where’s the restroom?”

The server smiled and replied, “Turn left and go straight down the hall. It’s at the end.”

Xie Ruan nodded and began to walk away.

“Hey, sir,” the server called out quickly, “it’s left, not right. You’re going the wrong way.”

“…” Embarrassed, Xie Ruan muttered, “Thanks.”

The server looked at his back with pity. Confusing left with right and even cross-stepping—this kid must’ve had a rough time during military training.

In the restroom, Xie Ruan splashed his face with cold water, finally starting to calm down. Thinking about what he’d just done, a belated sense of embarrassment surfaced.

What the hell was that?! If your deskmate doesn’t listen, just smack him; why use that method? They really almost kissed.

And speaking of, Bo Jin’s lips actually looked pretty nice. Thin and… like they’d be nice to kiss…

Realizing where his thoughts were heading, Xie Ruan’s face flushed, and he felt thoroughly mortified.

He turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold water again.

No big deal, he reassured himself. Men are visual creatures, so being attracted to something good-looking and losing track of direction is normal.

Xie Ruan let out a deep breath, dried his face with a tissue, and pulled out his phone to scroll through Weibo as he waited for his emotions to settle.

Back in the private room.

Although everyone sensed a weird vibe between Bo Jin and Xie Ruan, they were still engrossed in the game and didn’t think much of it, urging Bo Jin on. “Brother Bo, come on, let’s keep playing.”

Bo Jin tied his jacket around his waist to cover the front, stood up, and said, “You guys play. I’ll be right back—I need to use the restroom.”

“Oh, okay, sure.”

Not knowing the full story, they took him at his word, though Sun Haoxiang wasn’t so easily fooled.

He scanned Bo Jin with a sharp gaze, then laughed. “What’s up, Brother Bo? Why are you wearing your jacket like that?”

Bo Jin froze briefly, then snickered. “Wanna wear it yourself after it’s been on the floor?”

Sun Haoxiang had always wanted to see Bo Jin embarrassed, but he’d never managed it. Now, with the chance finally in front of him, there was no way he’d let it go, pressing on, “Why not? Just dust it off, and it’s fine.”

“Just dust it off, huh?” Bo Jin smiled. “So, if a toilet’s scrubbed clean, would you eat from it?”

Sun Haoxiang: “…”

He was at a loss for words, and could only stare after Bo Jin as he left. After a moment, he muttered, “B*stard.”

Xie Ruan felt calmer after reading the news. Putting away his phone, he turned to go back, only to find himself face-to-face with Bo Jin as he entered.

Their eyes met, and neither spoke.

Finally, Bo Jin broke the silence.

He asked Xie Ruan, “Mind if I smoke?”

Xie Ruan had originally planned to respond with “Smoke if you want, why ask me?” but instead, he said, “I don’t want to breathe in secondhand smoke.”

“Alright.” Bo Jin nodded and actually didn’t smoke. Instead, he walked over to the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed his hands.

This KTV room was nicely decorated—modern and elegant, with a faint lemon-scented fragrance. The ventilation fan buzzed above, adding to the ambient noise.

Feeling a bit awkward, Xie Ruan didn’t want to just leave and decided to make small talk. “Do you guys usually play games like this?”

“No,” Bo Jin replied, drying his hands and standing beside Xie Ruan. “They like to mess around. This was my first time joining in.”

“Oh.”

“Just now…” Bo Jin lowered his voice, pausing before asking, “Was the floor cold?”

Without looking up, Xie Ruan simply said, “No.”

Bo Jin asked again, “Do you need to go back to the dorm to change clothes?”

Xie Ruan gave a brief “Mm” and said, “I need to take a shower too.”

“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

The short holiday quickly passed as He Mingjie and the others sang for over another hour before reluctantly leaving the microphone, prodded by Pan Yu.

At this hour, students from all three grades were heading back, crowding the school gate like a popular tourist spot during the holidays.

Bo Jin and Xie Ruan were pushed along with the crowd, too focused on moving forward to notice Shen Xingyun’s group trailing behind them.

“Oh wow,” Zhao Hongfu, who often browsed the school forum for gossip, was stunned to see Bo Jin and Xie Ruan together. “They’re even glued together on break? Could they really be a thing?”

Shen Xingyun’s fingers clenched involuntarily, and he muttered in denial, “Impossible.”

After breaking up, Shen Xingyun had looked for Xie Ruan a few times but had never hinted to his friends that he wanted to get back together. He valued his pride and preferred to keep such things hidden.

Zhao Hongfu, who remembered Shen Xingyun’s attitude toward Xie Ruan, didn’t see anything wrong with openly discussing it.

“Well, you never know,” Zhao Hongfu turned to Wang Zhao beside him. “Didn’t Xie Ruan fall for Brother Yun at first sight?”

Among Shen Xingyun’s admirers, Xie Ruan stood out for his looks and the way he put aside his pride, so Wang Zhao remembered clearly and nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

“See?” Zhao Hongfu shrugged. “With someone like God Bo, it’s no surprise if Xie Ruan falls head over heels again.”

Shen Xingyun’s face darkened instantly.

Wang Zhao was about to agree, but catching Shen Xingyun’s expression, he quickly changed his tone, “God Bo? What God Bo? It’s not like he’s a legend or anything. Just because he’s good at studying doesn’t mean he won’t be working for someone else after graduation.”

Zhao Hongfu, who wasn’t great at studying, respected top students. When Bo Jin made the news, he’d even bragged about their school to others, so he didn’t agree with Wang Zhao. “Not necessarily. I bet God Bo’s family is pretty well-off.”

Wang Zhao: “…”

Wang Zhao frantically gave Zhao Hongfu warning looks, signaling him to stop talking, but Zhao Hongfu didn’t notice and continued praising Bo Jin. “Think about it—he’s amazing at math, winning international gold medals. He must’ve been training from a young age. A regular family wouldn’t have the awareness for that; he’s probably from a scholarly family.”

Silence fell, and Wang Zhao no longer dared to look at Shen Xingyun.

Zhao Hongfu, realizing the silence, looked up, only to see Shen Xingyun’s scowling face. He quickly shut his mouth, too scared to say another word.

A scholarly family?

Not long ago, Shen Xingyun had been stung by Bo Jin’s “he likes cuddling me to sleep” comment. Now, Zhao Hongfu’s remark had struck a nerve, breaking his calm demeanor. He turned to Wang Zhao and said coldly, “Find out more about Bo Jin.”

Shen Xingyun smirked, wondering how Bo Jin’s parents would react if they knew their son was getting involved with a boy—and one who wasn’t even a good student.

Didn’t Xie Ruan think Bo Jin was better than him? Shen Xingyun couldn’t wait to see who Bo Jin would choose when faced with a choice between his family and Xie Ruan.

Both men, Wang Zhao understood Shen Xingyun’s current mindset and nodded. “Alright.”

Unaware of Shen Xingyun’s scheming, Xie Ruan returned to the dorm, showered, and changed. He had intended to head back to class immediately, but Bo Jin insisted he dry his hair before leaving.

Unable to argue, Xie Ruan complied.

With their time already limited and this extra delay, they arrived at class just before it started.

The English teacher was handing out test sheets for a last-minute quiz before finals. When he saw Bo Jin and Xie Ruan walk in together, he laughed, “Ah, you two finally made it back.”

The English teacher, a recent master’s graduate, was still young and had a brotherly relationship with the male students in the class.

He handed Bo Jin two test sheets and joked, “God Bo, you’re not doing so well. Other people spend their breaks with someone they like, but you only get to go out with your desk mate.”

It was rare to see Bo Jin teased like this, so the classmates all stopped writing to watch.

Under the gaze of so many eyes, Bo Jin’s expression didn’t change. He glanced sideways at Xie Ruan and smiled slowly, “Yep, that’s why I asked him out.”

The English teacher was taken aback, as were the students watching.

After a moment of stunned silence, the room erupted in screams and cheers, the noise practically lifting the ceiling.

The English teacher pointed at Bo Jin from afar, shaking his head with a playful disapproval.

Bo Jin ignored him, only smiling as he looked at Xie Ruan.

Xie Ruan…with a stoic expression, he picked up his notebook and swung it at him with a “cool guy” demeanor, though his ears were bright red.