The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 54

The parents’ meeting was in progress in the teaching building, so all the students were ushered outside. The playground was filled with noise and laughter, and every now and then, some students would run by, chasing and teasing each other.

From afar, people glanced curiously at Xie Ruan and Bo Jin, who were sitting by the flowerbed.

Xie Ruan, however, couldn’t care less about the inquisitive looks. His eyes were wide, and he almost thought he had heard wrong.

What had Bo Jin just said? That he liked him?

What kind of “like” did he mean? Friendship, or…?

Xie Ruan’s mind was in a daze, and his heart was racing out of control. He steadied himself, trying to say something, but only then did he realize just how intimate their posture was.

Forehead against forehead, noses brushing against each other — they were so close that a tiny movement could lead to a kiss.

Xie Ruan jerked back instantly, stumbling over his words, “Y-you’re joking.”

He silently scolded himself for being so spineless, not even clear about what was going on but already getting nervous. It might not mean what he thought it did; maybe Bo Jin just said it to comfort him.

Even so, Xie Ruan’s face grew warmer. His fair skin flushed noticeably, and he knew without a mirror that he looked incredibly flustered.

D*mn it, could he act a little cooler? He’d heard stuff like this before! Xie Ruan licked his sharp canine tooth, turning his head away to hide his expression, only to feel a hand firmly holding the back of his head.

“Joking?” Bo Jin turned his face to make him meet his gaze, not allowing him to look away or dismiss things. “Who’s joking with you?”

Bo Jin let out a snicker, took a deep breath, and pressed Xie Ruan’s hand against his chest so he could feel his pounding heartbeat. Slowly, he said, “I like you. I want to be your boyfriend, to kiss you openly, to hold you, to… sleep with you. Is that clear enough?”

Kiss, hold, and sleep with him?! Who says stuff like that when confessing?

Xie Ruan’s cheeks turned bright red, unclear whether from embarrassment or irritation. His brain went blank, and he instinctively retorted, “Why can’t I be the one to sleep with you?”

Realizing what he had just said, Xie Ruan wished he could find a hole to crawl into. Was he insane? Was that really the main issue right now?

Bo Jin paused, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“You’re catching on quickly,” he said, hooking Xie Ruan’s chin and breathing warmly near his ear. “How about a reward of one mandarin?”

“Get lost!” Xie Ruan slapped his hand away. Feeling so flustered, he didn’t know where to put his hands. He ended up grabbing a plump leaf and slowly rubbing it between his fingers.

The green juice seeped out, staining a small patch on his finger. Finally, Xie Ruan’s gaze found something to settle on.

In middle school, Xie Ruan was quite popular at school. He received love letters often and was frequently stopped and publicly confessed to on the playground, all of which was just routine.

No matter how the person looked or how many people were watching, he’d never once felt nervous. But this time, feeling his slightly rapid breathing, he half-expected his wildly beating heart to leap up into his throat any second.

“Xie Ruan,” Bo Jin took his hand, lowering his head to kiss the top of it. “You may think my personality is…” He paused and then chuckled, “not exactly serious.”

Xie Ruan looked up suddenly. So he actually had some self-awareness?

“But all those times I teased you, it wasn’t because I was bored or had nothing better to do,” Bo Jin looked at him, eyes smiling, with a focused expression, “I just couldn’t help it because I like you so much.”

Sunlight danced among the flowers, casting rippling shadows. The weather was lovely, and even the wind was gentle.

Bo Jin’s voice was soft, carrying his words into Xie Ruan’s ear: “I’ve never pursued anyone before, I don’t know the right way or have any experience, so I just followed my instincts.”

His hand slid from the back of Xie Ruan’s neck to his cheek, lifting his face so they were eye-to-eye. He asked quietly, “Nod if you’ll be with me?”

Only asking him to nod — no mention of shaking his head. Was this really how you confessed? Why didn’t he just go ahead and decide it himself?

And yet…

Xie Ruan awkwardly looked away, avoiding Bo Jin’s gaze. At the very least, give him some time to think about it.

He knew he liked Bo Jin, but he’d never considered dating him.

There wasn’t much time left in high school, and Xie Ruan had only two things on his mind: studying hard to get into a good college and preventing Bo Jin from harming himself.

As for anything else, he had neither the time nor the energy.

But Bo Jin said he liked him…

Caught completely off guard, Xie Ruan’s mind nearly shut down, unable to think. He was struggling to find a response when Bo Jin suddenly said, “Alright, I get it.”

Xie Ruan froze. Wait, he hadn’t even said a word. What did Bo Jin “get”?

“Silence means yes, right? Just too shy to say it out loud. Got it.” Bo Jin nodded, looking serious. “From now on, I’m your…”

“No,” all the blood in his body seemed to rush to his face. 

Xie Ruan felt like he had blushed more times today than in all the past years combined. He interrupted Bo Jin furiously, “That’s not what I meant. Stop making things up!”

“Then what do you mean?” Bo Jin knew the strategy: press once, then press again, and don’t let up. He advanced, giving Xie Ruan no chance to escape.

“I…” Meeting Bo Jin’s smiling gaze, Xie Ruan felt his flustered state was beyond embarrassing. He was the one being confessed to — why did it feel like he was the one panicking?

He took a breath and tried to speak calmly, “I’ll think about it.”

It wasn’t a “no” or an outright rejection, just “I’ll think about it.” That response said a lot. Bo Jin was thrilled, not needing an immediate answer. “Alright, there’s plenty of space at my place. You can think wherever you like: in the study or maybe on our bed.”

Wait, what study and bed? It took a moment for Xie Ruan to understand what he meant, and he quickly replied, “I have to go home for winter break. I can’t go to your place.”

Bo Jin had just confessed to him, and staying together in the same space felt too awkward. Plus, Xie Ruan wanted a few days to himself to sort out his thoughts.

At Xie Ruan’s response, Bo Jin raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure you’re not coming?”

Xie Ruan shook his head resolutely. “Not going.”

Bo Jin chuckled. “So, the stuff you left at my place… You didn’t mean to use it later? Just leaving it for me as a keepsake?” He playfully pinched Xie Ruan’s earlobe, watching with satisfaction as Xie Ruan flinched. Before Xie Ruan could get mad, Bo Jin continued, “Got it. I’ll keep it safe.”

“My stuff I left?” Xie Ruan’s attention shifted, puzzled. He didn’t understand what Bo Jin was referring to; he’d brought over all his clothes and books. He shouldn’t have left anything after all.

Bo Jin helpfully reminded him, “What did you hang up to dry on the balcony last night?”

Xie Ruan froze, instantly recalling the underwear he’d washed and forgotten to retrieve—it was still hanging on the drying rack at Bo Jin’s place.

Crap, crap, crap! Embarrassed to death, Xie Ruan wanted to hit his head against a wall. He’d taken even a few scrap papers with him; how could he forget that? He’d even repeated it to himself several times—he should have set an alarm!

Bo Jin watched Xie Ruan’s mortified expression, struggling to suppress his laughter until it finally burst out.

Xie Ruan glared at him. “If you remembered, why didn’t you remind me?”

“You give me too much credit,” Bo Jin replied shamelessly. Stretching out his legs in a relaxed pose, he said, “I was hoping you’d leave both yourself and your things at my place.”

Initially immersed in his embarrassment, Xie Ruan’s ears heated up at those words, quickly distracting him.

Bo Jin understood Xie Ruan’s reason for not coming over, and he wasn’t planning on pushing him. Xie Ruan needed time to digest things at his own pace. Besides, if they were going to stay together, he would need to go home and pack anyway.

Bo Jin gently poked Xie Ruan’s forehead. “I’m kidding. It’s not a big deal—nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll hold onto it; you can wear it next time you come over.”

He paused, chuckling softly. “After helping you out, don’t you think you owe me a favor?”

Even though Xie Ruan still felt awkward, he raised his head to ask, “What kind of favor?”

In all the time they’d known each other, Bo Jin had never asked him for anything—could it be something related to the rooftop? Lost in thought, Xie Ruan snapped back as Bo Jin spoke again: “Make up your mind a bit sooner, okay? Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

Xie Ruan didn’t answer.

Bo Jin didn’t press him, just quietly watching him.

After a long pause, Xie Ruan looked away, finally murmuring a soft “Mm.”

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! :)