Should have known it would come to this.
Xie Ruan pulled open the curtains and flatly refused, “Not going.”
He hadn’t even processed that confession completely yet. Going to Bo Jin’s house now, facing him in person… just imagining it was enough. He probably wouldn’t even be able to focus, let alone study.
The bright light flooded the room, dispelling the darkness. Squinting against the sudden brightness, Xie Ruan turned and shuffled towards the bathroom.
“I’m going to wash up. Hanging up now.”
“What’s the rush?” Bo Jin called out to him.
Xie Ruan set his phone on the sink, switched it to speaker, and squeezed out some toothpaste. “What?”
Bo Jin glanced at a small blue icon on his desktop and smirked. “You’re going to write it all by yourself?”
What else would he do? Xie Ruan thought, assuming Bo Jin hadn’t given up on him coming over. Just as he was about to respond, Bo Jin continued, “I went through all the practice exams the teachers sent. They’re tough. If you do them alone, what happens when you hit something you don’t know?”
Xie Ruan paused, toothbrush in hand, realizing he hadn’t considered that.
He could handle the basics, but once it got harder, he was lost.
“You’ll leave them blank, and copying the answer key would be pointless,” Bo Jin said, drumming his fingers lightly on the desk. “So…”
Xie Ruan spit out his mouthwash, expression blank as he cut him off, “I’ll manage it myself, not going, and I’ll work through it on my own.”
If Bo Jin thought he could get him to agree to come over like this, no way. Xie Ruan had his principles. He said he wouldn’t go, and he meant it!
Bo Jin imagined Xie Ruan’s current expression and couldn’t hold back a laugh. “What are you thinking? I’m not forcing you over. My point is, if you study alone, your efficiency will be too low.”
He tapped the table with his fingers, as if casually suggesting, “Why not set up a livestream? This way, you don’t have to leave home, and I can keep an eye on your study progress. Win-win.”
Xie Ruan froze. Livestream?
That would mean he’d be under Bo Jin’s watchful eyes the entire time. Writing assignments, eating, drinking—even bathroom breaks…
A thought suddenly crossed his mind, making his face heat up. He cleared his throat. “No way, I’m not used to that.”
“I thought you were serious about studying?” Bo Jin clicked his tongue. “If you can’t handle this small thing, how are you going to improve your grades and make it to the top?”
Xie Ruan’s hand shook, nearly poking his cheek with his toothbrush. “When did I say I was aiming for the top?”
Was he kidding? With his grades, he’d be lucky to get into an average university, let alone reach the top! If anyone heard that, he’d be a laughingstock online for a year.
“Oh.” Bo Jin’s voice was unreadable. “So, you don’t want to go to the same school as me?”
It wasn’t about want—it was about if he even could!
Xie Ruan sighed. Did Bo Jin think everyone had his kind of brain, able to ace exams while half-asleep? He brushed his teeth without answering, mumbling, “I’m not setting up a livestream.”
The line went silent.
As Xie Ruan began to worry, thinking Bo Jin might actually be upset, he heard him speak up. “What makes you uncomfortable? Are you shy?”
Bo Jin’s low tone slipped into his ear like a lover’s whisper. Xie Ruan’s face burned, and he couldn’t help but raise his voice. “Quit with the nonsense! Who’s shy? It just… doesn’t feel right, got it?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Bo Jin’s smile deepened as he massaged his ear from Xie Ruan’s sudden outburst. “Then start it up. You’ll get used to it after a few days.”
“Why are you so set on me doing a livestream?” Xie Ruan didn’t understand why Bo Jin was so persistent. Was he channeling a teacher or something, suddenly obsessed with tutoring?
Bo Jin replied, “Do you want the truth or a lie?”
This was the sort of choice that only kids bothered with. Adults took both.
“Both.”
“The lie is that it’s my duty as class president to make sure you don’t waste a single second of your break. The truth is…”
Bo Jin stopped abruptly.
Frustrated by the suspense, Xie Ruan prompted him, “What’s the truth?”
Bo Jin chuckled.
Winter’s chill slipped through his study’s window, sweeping his bangs aside, revealing a rare softness in his expression.
Bo Jin said, “The truth is, I missed you. I just want to see you.”
It wasn’t meant to be teasing; Bo Jin simply missed him.
It had only been a few days, but it felt like much longer. In school, he hadn’t noticed how precious those daily classes and breaks together were, but now, the distance made him painfully aware.
Bo Jin hadn’t realized just how much self-control he lacked.
Bo Jin’s words filtered through the speaker, each one landing heavily in Xie Ruan’s ear. His face flushed as he instinctively thought of a snarky reply, but when he caught sight of his own reflection, lips unconsciously curving, he fell silent.
Startled, he turned his head away like he’d been burned.
D*mn! The person in there laughing like an idiot is definitely not him! And even if it was, it’d be because he’s been gaming like crazy these past few days.
“Xie Ruan?” Bo Jin called out.
Xie Ruan was busy calming his pounding heart and didn’t respond.
Bo Jin called again, “Little Xie?”
Still no reply.
Bo Jin raised an eyebrow and went for the big one: “Xingxing?”
This was the nickname he’d heard Chen Wei use when she called Xie Ruan.
“What the h*ll!” Xie Ruan nearly jumped.
It didn’t matter if someone else called him that, but hearing Bo Jin say it was… embarrassing!
“Don’t call me that!”
Knowing his desk partner’s thin skin, Bo Jin didn’t push it further to avoid making Xie Ruan hang up on impulse, which would ruin his plan.
“Alright.”
After a pause, Bo Jin asked, “So, will you go live?”
Silence on the other end. Bo Jin didn’t rush him, just waited patiently for a response.
A moment later, he heard a barely audible “Mm” from Xie Ruan.
Xie Ruan wasn’t one to go back on his word. Even though it felt uncomfortable, he wouldn’t break his promise to Bo Jin.
During breakfast, he searched for a few study-streaming hosts online and watched a couple of their recorded videos to prepare himself. He went to the bathroom to fix his hair, made sure he looked presentable, took a deep breath, and started the livestream.
Xie Ruan thought that, knowing Bo Jin’s personality, he’d definitely make a few jokes or chat casually. But to his surprise, Bo Jin stayed silent the entire time, only chiming in to help when Xie Ruan encountered a difficult problem.
Feeling relieved, Xie Ruan eventually forgot about his appearance on camera as he got absorbed in studying.
Unexpectedly, he found himself working quite efficiently this way. Though Bo Jin was busy with his own work, he kept a close eye on Xie Ruan, helping him with any tricky problems.
With Bo Jin’s support, Xie Ruan got through all his assignments by the end of the term and even began previewing next semester’s material.
Gradually, Xie Ruan got used to streaming his study sessions. Each day, he’d sit at his desk and open his laptop to start the livestream.
Meanwhile, Bo Jin, like an obsessive fan, would log into his stream right on time, despite being called out multiple times by Sun Haoxiang, He Mingjie, and Pan Yu, who tried to get him to go out with them.
“Seriously, what is Brother Bo up to, ditching us every time we ask him out?” Sun Haoxiang mused, sipping his cola without taking his eyes off his phone. “I bet he’s up to something shady.”
Pan Yu adjusted his glasses and chuckled, as if he knew something.
He Mingjie, ever sharp-eyed, noticed this and asked, “What’s so funny, Old Pan? You know something?”
“Nothing,” Pan Yu replied, jotting an answer in parentheses without looking up. “But Xie Ruan would know.”
The realization hit Sun Haoxiang, and he chuckled, putting his game aside. “Hey, did they finally get together? I’m dying to know. I’ve never seen Brother Bo interested in anyone before—it’s intriguing.”
“No way it’s happened.”
Even He Mingjie, who was usually the least inclined to think things over, snorted. “If he actually managed to make it happen, you think he wouldn’t be showing it off? Just watch, the day Xie Ruan says yes, he’ll post eight times on his feed to let the whole school know. He might even call the dean himself to thank him for moving Xie Ruan to our class, fulfilling their fated destiny.”
Sun Haoxiang laughed so hard he nearly spit out his soda. “Honestly, that’s exactly the kind of thing he’d do.” He glanced at Pan Yu, who’d already stopped writing, then nudged He Mingjie. “Come on, think of a way to get him to come out. I want to see how he’s actually pulling this off.”
“No chance,” He Mingjie slumped back in his chair, stretching his legs out like a fish out of water. “You think he’s got time for us? He’s probably just figuring out how to get more alone time with Xie Ruan.”
Seeing no luck with him, Sun Haoxiang turned to Pan Yu. “Old Pan?”
Pan Yu took his time putting his stuff away, and after zipping his bag, finally said, “Don’t ask him. Ask Xie Ruan.”
Sun Haoxiang froze, then grinned as he got the idea, clapping Pan Yu on the shoulder. “You’re a genius.”
Later that evening, after dinner, Xie Ruan was about to head back to his room when he received a message from Sun Haoxiang.
[Sun Haoxiang]: What’re you up to, Little Xie? Come out and have some fun.
Xie Ruan didn’t reply right away. He habitually checked the volunteer WeChat account. With the New Year coming up, Sunshine Orphanage hadn’t posted any recruitment messages recently. Sighing, he returned to the chat window to reply.
[Your Bro Xie]: Where?
After all this studying, he deserved a break. Besides… he looked up and spotted Chen Wei fussing over He Jinqing, pouring tea and water for him—it was irritating.
This scene made him want to leave even more.
Sun Haoxiang responded quickly:
[Sun Haoxiang]: Wanna try Phoenix Mountain? Let’s do it. [Naughty Smile]
Phoenix Mountain was the tallest mountain in the area, and even with staircases, many people couldn’t complete the hike. It had become a local attraction for adventurous tourists.
Xie Ruan wasn’t daunted, being young and full of energy. He agreed without hesitation.
[Your Bro Xie]: Let’s do it. Where are we meeting?
[Sun Haoxiang]: You’re a legend, Bro Xie! Let’s meet at the KFC on Huaihai Road tomorrow afternoon. How’s that?
[Your Bro Xie]: Sounds good.
After setting plans with Sun Haoxiang, Xie Ruan thought for a moment and sent a message to Bo Jin.
[Your Bro Xie]: No stream tomorrow. Going out with Sun Haoxiang and the guys.
Bo Jin didn’t reply, so Xie Ruan figured he was probably eating and didn’t wait for him. He grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Sure enough, when he came back out, there were a few unread messages from Bo Jin on his phone. Bo Jin had even called him after not getting a reply.
As Xie Ruan dried his hair, he typed a reply.
[Your Bro Xie]: Just took a shower, heading to Phoenix Mountain.
After a brief hesitation, he finally asked what was on his mind.
[Your Bro Xie]: Are you coming?
Bo Jin responded quickly.
[Bo]: They didn’t invite me.
Xie Ruan paused. Normally, Sun Haoxiang and the others always included Bo Jin, so why not this time? Did they have a fight?
Unlikely. Knowing Bo Jin’s personality, he wasn’t the type to fall out with friends.
Xie Ruan hung up his towel and thought for a moment before typing again.
[Your Bro Xie]: Well, you know now. Are you coming or not?
The reply popped up instantly.
[Bo]: Do you want me to?
Xie Ruan’s face turned hot. Even though he’d been through this many times, he still couldn’t handle this kind of subtle teasing.
His lips pressed into a line as he typed with extra pressure.
[Your Bro Xie]: Come or don’t, your choice!
He sent the message and immediately put his phone aside.
Moments later, it vibrated. Xie Ruan buried his face in his blanket, vowing to ignore whatever Bo Jin sent this time.
He had to put a stop to this constant flirting! Otherwise, it’d only get worse.
Yet, five seconds, then thirty, then a full minute passed before his hand slowly crept toward the phone again.
Sneaking a peek, he saw Bo Jin’s message.
[Bo Jin]: [Kiss emoji]
Xie Ruan threw his phone down in exasperation.
D*mn it. He’d be crazy to expect a serious reply from him! Fine, let him stay out of it. After all, there were already three of them, and Bo Jin wasn’t really needed.
Blushing, Xie Ruan drifted off to sleep. The next morning, he quickly packed up and headed downstairs, planning to grab breakfast at KFC.
He liked their soy milk—sweet, not too pure, but delicious.
Leaving late enough to avoid the morning rush, he didn’t encounter many people in his neighborhood, only a few grandmas carrying bags of vegetables. As Xie Ruan put in his earbuds and looked for new songs, a hand suddenly landed on his head.
He frowned, looking up with irritation, only to freeze in surprise. “You…why are you here?”
In the soft morning light, Bo Jin’s handsome face appeared even gentler than usual.
He reached out, lightly flicked Xie Ruan’s forehead, and smiled. “I’m here to offer you a little attention.”
