The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 69

Once the New Year passed, time flew by. While countless students stayed up late to cram homework before the end of winter break, the new term quietly approached.

During this time, Shen Xingyun had once tried to add Bo Jin on social media, even making sure to leave a clear name tag as if Bo Jin wouldn’t know it was him.

Bo Jin ignored it completely.

Whatever Shen Xingyun wanted, that family had nothing to do with him anymore.

For some reason, Shen Xingyun didn’t try to add him again, showing an unusual level of patience.

Bo Jin couldn’t be bothered to think about it.

Why waste time when he could be flirting with his boyfriend?

Just thinking about last night’s video call, where Xie Ruan had been blushing furiously, ears and face bright red yet still trying to hold his ground, made Bo Jin’s heart race.

If he’s like that now, how will he look in bed later on? Wouldn’t he be flushed all over…

Bo Jin coughed, struggling to push away the chaotic images in his mind. After drinking half a bottle of ice water, he grabbed the sandwich on the dining table and headed to school.

Almost everyone at Shijia High School knew Bo Jin’s face, and on his way, many people greeted him.

“Happy New Year, Brother Bo.”

“Happy New Year, Brother Bo!”

“Only one vacation, and Brother Bo got even more handsome, tsk tsk.”

……

Bo Jin responded with a polite smile, refined and proper, showing none of the roguish side he displayed around Xie Ruan.

As he entered the school building and was about to turn a corner to head to his class, Zhao Caiming pulled him into the dean’s office.

“Sit.” Zhao Caiming gestured to a chair while picking up a damp cloth to wipe the table.

“Who are you kidding?” Bo Jin grabbed the cloth from him, unimpressed by his pretense. If he needed help, he could just ask directly; why bother with all this roundabout nonsense at his age?

Zhao Caiming wasn’t embarrassed at being called out. Watching his prized student help with the cleaning, he looked quite pleased.

“Do you need something?” Seeing him just beaming without saying anything, Bo Jin had to start the conversation.

Any more delay and the sandwich would freeze; he still wanted Xie Ruan to have a fresh meal.

“There is something,” Zhao Caiming said, pouring himself a cup of hot tea and choosing his words carefully. “Last semester, I asked if you’d still consider joining the math competition, and you said you’d think about it… Have you decided now?”

Zhao Caiming honestly couldn’t understand the thinking of young people these days. If he had Bo Jin’s brain, he’d compete in everything from math to physics and chemistry… Even if he didn’t win, there’d be no loss, but if he did win, it would be a great bragging point.

How impressive would it be in front of friends and girls! But this kid Bo Jin was as steady as an old dog, with none of the exuberance of youth, leaving him, an old-timer, frustrated.

“I’ll join.”

“Hey, if you don’t participate now and regret it later…” Zhao Caiming was midway through his sentence before realizing something was off. He jumped up in excitement, nearly spilling his tea, “What did you say? You’ll join?”

Bo Jin, exasperated, took the tea cup and set it down steadily on the table, nodding. “Mm.”

He’d turned it down before, thinking it wasn’t worth it. But winning some glory for the school seemed a fair trade for the scholarship. Now, though, things were different. 

A smile crept across Bo Jin’s face. Xie Ruan had been working hard lately, even studying late into the night over the holidays. He couldn’t afford to slack off.

Just as Xie Ruan wanted to go to the same school as him, Bo Jin also wanted to be a boyfriend Xie Ruan could be proud to show off.

“Alright, alright!” Zhao Caiming was overjoyed, rubbing his hands. “What did you think of last year’s coach? Should we invite him again this time?”

Since competitive achievements no longer affected college entrance scores, and Shijia’s competition performance had been poor, they hadn’t hired a dedicated coach. Last year, before Bo Jin’s competition, Zhao Caiming had called in a favor to bring in a top coach.

“That’ll work.”

Bo Jin nodded indifferently. 

He didn’t think a coach was necessary since he already knew the material well. But he knew Zhao Caiming’s enthusiasm wouldn’t allow otherwise, so he didn’t bother arguing.

Getting confirmation, Zhao Caiming finally let him go, happily running off to call his old friend.

Bo Jin, at last, brought the sandwich to the classroom.

Xie Ruan had been waiting for a while. After a few days apart, both of them felt the longing. Although they had video chats, it just wasn’t the same as meeting in person.

“I got stopped halfway by Zhao Caiming.” Bo Jin handed the sandwich to Xie Ruan. “Did I keep you waiting?”

Xie Ruan shook his head, lying, “No, I just got here too.”

He took a bite of the sandwich and saw Bo Jin searching for a cloth, trying to act casual. “Just sit. I already wiped it for you.”

Bo Jin was taken aback, then playfully poked Xie Ruan’s chubby cheek. “Look at you, Xie Little Ruan. Quite the homemaker.”

Xie Ruan pulled away in disgust and held up his sandwich in retort. “And aren’t you even more of one?”

When it came to being thick-skinned, Xie Ruan was no match for Bo Jin.

Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Since I’m so good at it, when are you marrying in?”

“Cough, cough, cough.” Xie Ruan choked on his sandwich, coughing up a storm.

Bo Jin handed him a box of milk. “How do you still choke while eating?”

This guy had no self-awareness, and Xie Ruan rolled his eyes.

If he hadn’t said something so shocking, there wouldn’t have been an issue.

“We’ve been dating long enough. Why not propose?” Bo Jin leaned back lazily in his chair, unfazed.

Xie Ruan: “???”

Xie Ruan thought he was hallucinating: “We’ve been dating long enough?”

They’d only been together since before the New Year, less than a month. How was that “long enough”? Was his memory off, or was Bo Jin’s?

Bo Jin raised his eyelids, totally assured. “From last year to this year—already a whole year.”

Xie Ruan: “…”

What kind of twisted math was this?

Before Bo Jin could say anything else, He Mingjie walked over, shuddering. “Starting the morning off with this lovey-dovey talk, aren’t you two sick of it?”

Xie Ruan, embarrassed, lowered his head to sip his milk, saying nothing.

Their voices were very quiet, and Bo Jin didn’t expect He Mingjie to have such sharp hearing. He glanced at him and said, “Are you jealous?”

“Jealous my *ss, d*mn it!” He Mingjie threw his bag onto the desk, not bothering with him, and turned to Xie Ruan. “Little Xie, help me out here and lend me your homework.”

Compared to Bo Jin, Xie Ruan was much easier to deal with. “Which subject do you need?”

He Mingjie replied, “Give me the math one first.”

“Sure.” Xie Ruan pulled out his neatly organized math homework from his bookshelf and was about to hand it over, but Bo Jin got to it first.

He Mingjie grew anxious, standing up and reaching for it. “Brother Bo, what are you doing? Hand it over before Old Sun arrives.”

Bo Jin dodged him, giving a mocking snort without saying a word.

Being friends for years, He Mingjie instantly understood where he went wrong. He surrendered, raising his hands. “Fine, fine, you two aren’t mushy. Happy now?”

Bo Jin smiled.

He Mingjie cursed himself for his big mouth, realizing he’d poked the bear, and quickly admitted defeat. “Brother Bo, I was wrong.”

“Alright,” Bo Jin slowly twirled his pen, with a tone so brotherly it was almost moving. “We’re all brothers, so I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

He nodded toward the podium. “Go on, say, ‘Bo Jin and Xie Ruan are a match made in heaven, destined to be together.’ Let’s hear it.”

Xie Ruan: “…”

Xie Ruan gritted his teeth, gave Bo Jin a hard kick under the table, snatched the math homework, and threw it to He Mingjie. “Just copy it and ignore him.”

Bo Jin clicked his tongue. Tsk.

Xie Ruan, exasperated, replied, “What’s with the ‘tsk’?”

This guy really would say anything! Luckily, it was still early, and the classroom wasn’t full yet.

“Oh.”

Xie Ruan was surprised at how he actually quieted down, but then he heard Bo Jin’s soft voice, “Attempted murder of a husband, huh?”

Xie Ruan: “…”

“Shut up!”

While He Mingjie frantically copied his homework, other classmates gradually filled the room. Despite being top students, few dove straight into studying; after a holiday, they were all busy reconnecting.

Unlike He Mingjie, who was hustling with homework, Sun Haoxiang had already given up on trying and didn’t care at all. He turned to Bo Jin and said, “Brother Bo, how about grabbing a meal together this Sunday?”

“Sure,” Bo Jin agreed without a second thought.

With his relationship with Xie Ruan now public, it felt appropriate to treat everyone to a meal. 

Turning to Xie Ruan, he added, “Check with Song Xinghe about his availability and see if he can join us.”

Why invite Song Xinghe?

At first, Xie Ruan didn’t understand, but then he saw Sun Haoxiang and Pan Yu’s teasing looks and immediately got Bo Jin’s hint. He coughed and nodded, “Alright.”

The first day back went by in a breeze as no one was really focused. Teachers didn’t start new content; they only collected holiday homework and went over some general plans for the term.

“You go ahead; I need to go home tonight,” Xie Ruan said, packing his bag after evening self-study, addressing Bo Jin, who was waiting nearby.

Bo Jin frowned. “What are you going back for?”

What’s worth going back to that place?

Xie Ruan didn’t want to go back either, but he had no choice. 

“To get books,” he sighed, zipping up his bag. “I bought a lot over the break, didn’t bring them all today, so I need to make another trip.”

In the past, he might have asked Chen Wei for help, but after being let down too many times, he didn’t even want to ask.

Bo Jin knew this was something necessary and couldn’t argue. After a moment’s thought, he took Xie Ruan’s wrist. “I’ll take you.”

“No need,” Xie Ruan said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking out with Bo Jin. He appreciated the offer, adding, “The subway is fast.”

Bo Jin chuckled, squeezing Xie Ruan’s hand in the dark. “It’s just as quick if I take you.”

What kind of nonsense logic was that? Xie Ruan wanted to argue but found himself smiling. “Alright then.”

Walking this route alone always felt long and crowded to Xie Ruan, filled with haste and dullness. But with Bo Jin by his side, they barely exchanged a few words before reaching the destination.

The night was calm, the moon hanging high, casting a gentle, thin veil over the ground.

In the quiet hallway, Xie Ruan took his bag from Bo Jin. “Well, I’m heading up.”

Bo Jin raised an eyebrow and tugged on the bag strap, not letting go. “Just like that?”

Xie Ruan was confused. “What else?”

Bo Jin, one hand in his pocket and looking effortlessly cool, shamelessly replied, “Your boyfriend brought you all this way, and you’re not going to show a little gratitude?”

When did this become a “long journey”?

Xie Ruan gave him an exasperated look. “What exactly do you want as thanks?”

Bo Jin leaned against the wall lazily and pointed at his lips, making his intentions obvious.

A faint heat crept up Xie Ruan’s cheeks.

Couldn’t this b*stard give him some time to adjust? Each time, he got bolder!

But—

Looking at Bo Jin’s amused eyes under the hallway light, Xie Ruan couldn’t bring himself to say no.

A kiss is a kiss; it’s not like they hadn’t done it before. This time he’d just be the one initiating, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he steeled himself, grabbed Bo Jin by the collar, pulled him down, and kissed him.

Bo Jin cooperated by bending down slightly, watching indulgently as Xie Ruan clumsily kissed and nibbled at him. Just as he was about to part his lips, a familiar voice suddenly broke the silence. “Ah!”

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