Bitter inside—what a dramatic line. Xie Ruan was at a loss for words.
One night without seeing him, and suddenly, Bo Jin was acting completely out of character.
His face showed reluctance, but his hands moved swiftly, swapping their trays so Bo Jin wouldn’t have to eat any more of those candies or the sweet dishes. “If there’s something bothering you, just say it. No need to act strange.”
If he didn’t care about him, fine, but he just had to remember even those little personal quirks he never told anyone else.
Bo Jin was caught in Xie Ruan’s teasing, feeling a restless itch in his heart. He thought, swapping trays is pointless—if he has the guts to say he likes me and give me a kiss, I’d be recharged in an instant.
Bo Jin was a rogue at heart. The better Xie Ruan treated him, the more he couldn’t help but push his limits. He leaned in close and said, “What, worried about me?”
The distance between them narrowed to nothing, and Xie Ruan could even smell the light but overpowering scent of Bo Jin’s laundry soap. It was like a wild animal marking its territory, pulling him in and imprinting him.
Feeling awkward, Xie Ruan shifted away slightly, looking down as he scooped up a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth. “Get lost. Who’s worried about you?”
Bo Jin didn’t reply, just watched him with a knowing smile.
Xie Ruan’s ears went red under his gaze, and he instinctively reached out to push Bo Jin’s face away. “What are you staring at? Are you going to eat or not?”
The gesture was natural and affectionate, entirely instinctive.
Feeling a bit more at ease, Bo Jin took Xie Ruan’s hand and held it in his palm, observing Xie Ruan’s face to see if he looked uncomfortable. Noticing nothing but calmness, Bo Jin smiled and said, “No appetite. Don’t feel like eating.”
“Well, it’s your own fault for taking so many dishes you don’t like.” Xie Ruan glanced at the tray. Though he also had a dish of sweet and sour pork, the other two dishes were savory, which might not be enough for Bo Jin…
After some thought, Xie Ruan offered, “How about I go get two more dishes for you? How about chestnut chicken and fried mushrooms?”
These were the most popular dishes in the cafeteria. Xie Ruan muttered to himself, a bit anxious, “Not sure if there’ll still be some by the time I get there, but the other dishes…”
Looking up, he was met with Bo Jin’s teasing expression, and his words trailed off, unable to continue.
Bo Jin’s lips curled, moving a little closer with each sentence. “Get lost?”
“Who’s worried about you?”
“Shut up!” Xie Ruan’s ears were now genuinely red. Thinking one thing and being called out on it were entirely different matters. He didn’t even know why he felt embarrassed but felt inexplicably irritated seeing Bo Jin’s smug expression.
He stubbornly defended himself, “We’re just classmates; it’s normal to look out for each other, isn’t it?”
“Of course,” Bo Jin laughed softly. His earlier desire to tease Xie Ruan disappeared. There was no need; knowing Xie Ruan cared about him was enough. “I’m just glad.”
Xie Ruan blinked, then turned his face away. This jerk—what’s with the sudden seriousness?
He bit into a piece of candy, hoping it would help distract from his suddenly racing heart. But perhaps he was too tense, and accidentally bit his tongue.
“D*mn!” Xie Ruan flinched, his eyes tearing up from the pain.
“What’s wrong?” Bo Jin chuckled as he looked at Xie Ruan’s watery eyes. “Bit your tongue?”
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and Xie Ruan frowned uncomfortably, giving a small nod. What rotten luck, biting his tongue in front of Bo Jin, no less…
“Open up,” Bo Jin tilted his chin up slightly to examine the injury. “Let me see.”
“No need,” Xie Ruan mumbled, trying to pull away.
Bo Jin didn’t let go, though; he simply moved closer, holding the back of Xie Ruan’s head in place. “Be good; open your mouth,” he said coolly. “Or are you daring me to pry it open myself?”
He deliberately emphasized the words “pry it open,” and before Xie Ruan could react, his mouth automatically followed Bo Jin’s command.
Xie Ruan had bitten down rather hard; a tiny bead of blood was seeping from the tip of his tongue.
Bo Jin’s gaze lowered, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Xie Ruan’s lips were beautifully shaped—neither too full nor too thin, naturally rosy and very kissable.
He wanted to pull him close, bite his lips, kiss him breathless. Would he cry? Would he look up at him with those same tearful eyes…
Bo Jin’s mind filled with wild thoughts, though he maintained his friendly demeanor. He slowly took out a tissue and murmured in a slightly hoarse voice, “You’re bleeding. Hold still… I’ll wipe it off.”
Unaware of Bo Jin’s thoughts, Xie Ruan nodded, signaling him to hurry up.
The tissue quickly absorbed the blood, leaving no trace. Bo Jin put down his hand, suppressing a grin as he teased, “How’d you end up biting your tongue? Craving meat?”
Xie Ruan didn’t catch the underlying meaning and denied, “No, I just…” Halfway through, he caught the knowing look in Bo Jin’s eyes and understood.
“You’re the one craving meat!” Xie Ruan kicked him lightly, annoyed. “I’m just trying to stay focused!”
Bo Jin chuckled, reaching into his pocket and resting Xie Ruan’s head on his shoulder, saying, “Alright, it’s me who’s craving.” His right hand slid down, his fingertips brushing the back of Xie Ruan’s neck.
A brief touch, but it felt electric, sparking a line of heat down his spine. Xie Ruan shivered and instinctively pushed him away. Opening his mouth to speak, he realized there was a small charm on a red string around his neck.
“What’s this?” Xie Ruan asked, surprised.
“A talisman blessed by the academic god,” Bo Jin said, tucking the small charm back under his shirt and adjusting his collar. “Keep it on; I guarantee you’ll pass English.”
No one could receive a gift and not be happy. Though Xie Ruan tried to contain it, a smile crept into his eyes and corners of his mouth. He touched the charm near his collarbone. “Did you buy this?”
Since they were just classmates, Bo Jin didn’t want Xie Ruan to feel any pressure. So, he simply said, “Yeah, I picked it up on a trip once. It seemed to suit you, so I brought it along.”
Xie Ruan wanted to take a closer look, but with his clothes in the way, he couldn’t see much. Not wanting to pull it out again, he restrained his curiosity and lowered his head to eat, though he ate noticeably faster than usual.
Seeing Xie Ruan eat so heartily, Bo Jin’s appetite returned. He took a sip of water to wash down the sweetness in his mouth and began to eat.
The two days of exams passed quickly.
Effort paid off, and Xie Ruan performed well. Apart from the more advanced questions at the end, he encountered few difficulties. When the final exam bell rang, he put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.
The teacher hadn’t collected the papers yet, but the students were already buzzing. Tomorrow the teachers would be grading and wrapping up for the term, so they’d have time off.
The students, impatient to leave, could hardly sit still despite the invigilator’s repeated attempts to calm them down.
If he had a choice, Xie Ruan would rather stay in the dorm than go home. But the one rule at Shijia High School is that during breaks, the dorms are closed, and students are not allowed to stay on campus.
He reached for the small Baize tucked in his chest pocket and began to pack his things half-heartedly.
The moment the proctor announced, “You may leave,” the students rushed out with their bags. Xie Ruan didn’t join them, choosing instead to wait until the crowd had thinned. Just as he was about to take out his phone to check for anything interesting, he heard someone in the hallway teasing, “Hey, Brother Bo, who are you waiting for?”
The surname Bo was rare, and among the people Xie Ruan knew, the only one who could be called Brother Bo was Bo Jin. Abandoning his initial plan, he stood up and walked outside.
Bo Jin had arrived a while ago; the last biology exam was hardly a challenge for him. He had been waiting outside Xie Ruan’s exam room for half an hour, passing countless levels on his game in the meantime, only to find his first encounter wasn’t with Xie Ruan but with a former classmate from freshman year.
Without a trace of embarrassment, Bo Jin put away his phone and straightforwardly replied, “I’m waiting for Xie Ruan.”
The guy had seen the rumors about Bo Jin and Xie Ruan on the school forum and thought they were exaggerated. But seeing this, he was almost convinced. Coming to pick him up after an exam—what else could that be but dating?
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he turned back and shouted toward the classroom, “Xie Ruan, your God Bo’s here to pick you up!”
Saying this, he quickly fled, chuckling as he went, lest Bo Jin decided to teach him a lesson.
Just as Xie Ruan reached the door, he heard the shout. He noticed the suggestive glances from all around, clenched his teeth, and mentally noted the culprit’s voice. Clearing his throat to mask his discomfort, he asked Bo Jin, “What’s up?”
“I told you, I will come to pick you up.” Bo Jin slung an arm around Xie Ruan’s shoulder and steered him toward the stairs. “Let’s go—come home with me.”
There was nothing impure in Bo Jin’s thoughts; he simply didn’t want Xie Ruan going back to that stifling environment. He recalled how Xie Ruan had been over the last break and wished he could turn back time, so he could have taken him home sooner.
Bo Jin couldn’t interfere in the problems stemming from Xie Ruan’s family, nor did he yet have the standing to. But at the very least, he could offer him a safe space to escape whenever he wanted.
“No, I need to go home,” Xie Ruan shrugged off his hand and shook his head.
He had never spent the night at someone else’s house before, and just thinking about it made him uncomfortable. Even if Bo Jin was alone at home, it felt odd.
Go home? And deal with that mess? Only to be reclusive for days afterward? Bo Jin sneered inwardly, double-checking with Xie Ruan, “You’re sure you don’t want to go?”
Xie Ruan stood firm. “I’m sure.”
Fine. Bo Jin smiled—it was time to play his trump card.
Taking a cigarette out of his pocket, he put it between his lips and tilted his head, gazing up toward the rooftop with a sigh. “I’m not in a great mood today.”
Xie Ruan’s heart skipped a beat, sensing that whatever came next wouldn’t be good. And indeed—
Bo Jin bit down on the cigarette, casting a sidelong glance at him. “Maybe later tonight, or sometime soon, I’ll head up to the rooftop. Just for some fresh air.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Bo Jin patted his shoulder, cool as a cucumber, like some zen sage. “Don’t worry. Go home. I’ll manage somehow. Who knows, maybe I’ll feel better.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
With that kind of talk, who would still dare to go home?!
Xie Ruan was frustrated; even if he sensed there was a bit of bluffing in Bo Jin’s words, he couldn’t relax. Staying at Bo Jin’s house didn’t sound so bad, after all. And it would be more of a benefit for him anyway!
Taking a deep breath, Xie Ruan finally agreed, “I’ll go.”
“Forget it,” Bo Jin teased, hiding a smirk. “If you don’t really want to, don’t force yourself. I’m not the kind to force anyone.”
Xie Ruan couldn’t be bothered to argue, grabbing Bo Jin and heading for the school gate, clearly signaling his decision through his actions.
“Wait,” Bo Jin pulled him back. “We have to stop by the dorm first.”
“Why the dorm?” Xie Ruan asked, puzzled. “Do you need to grab something?”
“Not me—you do.” Bo Jin looked him up and down, then said with a smirk, “Aren’t you going to bring any clothes to change into? Pajamas you can borrow from me, but underwear? Are you planning on wearing mine?”
He raised an eyebrow and leaned in, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Wow, Xie Ruan, didn’t think you were hiding that little thought. Should’ve said so sooner…”
“Who wants to wear yours?” Xie Ruan flushed, covering Bo Jin’s mouth with his hand. “I just forgot! Completely forgot!!”
Seeing Xie Ruan like a cat with its tail stepped on, Bo Jin finally broke and let out a muffled laugh.
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! :)
