The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 71

A knock on the door from the waiter broke the frozen, awkward atmosphere in the room.

It was like oil had been applied to an old, rusty machine, and it finally began to clunk back into motion.

Sun Haoxiang clutched his clueless little brother in fear, afraid Bo Jin would assassinate him any second. Meanwhile, Song Xinghe and He Mingjie were struggling not to laugh, their hands itching to grab their phones and secretly chat about the incident.

Xie Ruan kept a straight face, showing no emotion, though he was inwardly so embarrassed he could’ve buried his head in the ground. He wished he could turn back time to a few days ago; if he could, he would never have agreed to bring He Chen along.

Bo Jin, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was completely unaffected by the little incident just now, leaning back lazily in his chair, looking at He Chen with an extra touch of warmth.

It’s rare these days to have a little brother-in-law so eager to help solidify things.

A real brother-in-law indeed.

The “real” little brother-in-law, He Chen, looked at his brother, then at Bo Jin. His strong survival instinct told him he’d better keep a low profile and not say anything, or he’d be in for it.

But…

He Chen looked confused. His brother seemed upset, yet Brother Bo looked happy, so did he say something wrong or not?

The adult world is so complicated!

The only one completely oblivious was the waiter who had just come in, flashing a bright smile with eight pearly white teeth, his attitude as pleasant as could be. Along with the dishes, he enthusiastically provided an introduction. “Our Valentine’s Day special includes a complimentary ‘Sweet and Spicy’ dish in the private dining room.”

Here, the waiter paused on purpose, hoping to see that pleasantly surprised expression from the guests, which would let him continue his pitch.

But one second… two seconds… ten seconds…

No reaction at all.

Waiter: “???”

He looked at their stiff faces and thought, *Are they… so happy they’re speechless?*

Who doesn’t love freebies, after all?

Enlightened, he continued, “This dish is crafted with carefully selected chicken thigh meat and peppers, stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns flown in from Sichuan. It’s slightly numbing and spicy, meant to evoke the feeling of a lover’s passionate kiss—hence, ‘Sweet Honey Spicy.’”

As he finished speaking, the private room suddenly filled with a chorus of coughs.

The waiter could’ve sworn he even heard one or two barely suppressed chuckles.

Waiter: “???”

What’s so funny?

Why is everyone in this room acting so strangely?

Barely able to keep his professional smile, the waiter excused himself: “Enjoy your meal,” he said, leaving the room with lingering confusion.

With a click, the door closed, leaving the group in isolation.

No one spoke.

Amid the dead silence, He Mingjie could hold back no longer and burst out laughing, struggling to keep it under control. “Sorry—ha! Just—ha! Don’t mind me, really!”

Who sent this waiter? He hit the nail on the head with that one!

Xie Ruan, already on the verge of losing it, shot him a chilling look. “Leaking air, are we?”

“N-no!”

Sweating under both Xie Ruan and Bo Jin’s stares, He Mingjie quickly added, “I was just laughing at the restaurant—naming chili chicken ‘Sweet Honey Spicy’? Talk about chasing trends…ha…ha…”

Xie Ruan: “Ha-ha.”

Bo Jin, knowing Xie Ruan well, understood he was close to exploding, so he grabbed a bun and pushed it into He Mingjie’s mouth. “Eat and keep quiet.”

“Oh.”

The meal ended in a tense silence, and except for the two children, no one seemed aware of what they’d eaten.

“You all head back; I’ll take him home.” Once outside the restaurant, Xie Ruan took He Chen’s hand, preparing to leave.

If he didn’t get out of there now, he’d lose his mind.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Wait for me; I’ll come too,” chimed Song Xinghe.

Xie Ruan gave him a look, “Something up?”

Given what he knew about Song Xinghe, if nothing was up, he definitely wouldn’t have popped up at this time. Finishing his meal and heading straight back to the classroom to curl up and read gossip was much more his style.

“There is something.”

Xie Ruan nodded, “Alright, you—”

“No, no, no!” Song Xinghe interrupted quickly; he didn’t want to be a third wheel. “It’s not urgent. Go with Brother Bo. I’ll head back first, and we’ll talk on the phone.”

Xie Ruan figured they could just as easily text, so he nodded and went with Bo Jin, bringing He Chen along.

The subway was relatively empty, so the three found seats together.

The cold air on the way had cooled him down, and he noticed Bo Jin was holding a bag.

“What’s in there?”

“Lego,” Bo Jin handed it to He Chen, his tone gentle. “A gift for meeting ChenChen.”

“Really?” He Chen held onto the bag, his cheeks flushed with excitement, and glanced at his brother. “Can I keep it?”

Xie Ruan nodded nonchalantly. He shouldn’t random stranger’s gifts, but there was nothing wrong with taking Bo Jin’s gift.

He Chen’s eyes sparkled with joy, and he grinned like a little mouse who’d gotten away with some cheese. “Thanks, Brother Bo!”

Then he turned to Xie Ruan, “When are we going out again?”

The idea of spending time with his brother and receiving gifts was like heaven.

Xie Ruan: “?”

When did he agree to another outing? This kid had quite the nerve!

“No next time.” Xie Ruan coldly crushed his hope, playfully squeezing his chubby cheeks. “And from now on, you’ll forget about that whole thing and keep it to yourself. Got it?”

He Chen was still recovering from the sting of his brother’s rejection when he was sternly warned, and his head drooped. “Got it.”

“Go play on your own.”

Xie Ruan relaxed into his seat, rubbing his temples as he thought back to the scene in the private room and muttered under his breath, “What the heck was that.”

The embarrassment had mostly faded, leaving only a mix of frustration and amusement.

“It wasn’t so bad,” Bo Jin took his hand, absentmindedly playing with Xie Ruan’s long fingers. “Saved us a lot of effort.” He chuckled, “Now He Chen can be our official spokesperson. One sentence, and all questions are answered.”

Xie Ruan: “…”

He shot Bo Jin a look, puzzled. “Bo Jin, how can you be so shameless?”

Letting a kid take on that role? How could he even think of that?

“Because I got you.”

Xie Ruan: “???”

What did that have to do with anything? That was just his nature!

Bo Jin calmly explained, “Have you ever seen anyone who’s not shameless manage to lose their single status?”

Xie Ruan: “…”

Xie Ruan glared at him, but Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, unbothered. “What?”

Xie Ruan wanted to retort, but for some reason, he ended up laughing. “D*mn it, who else would even dare to call you brother.”

The subway lights were bright, casting a glow into Xie Ruan’s laughing eyes, making them look like a sparkling galaxy—radiant and full of life.

Bo Jin could hardly resist the urge to kiss him right there, though the circumstances weren’t exactly ideal. Instead, he subtly pulled him close, ruffling his hair as he held him tight.

They walked He Chen to his door and only left once he was safely inside.

The winter sky darkened early; by six o’clock, only a faint glow remained.

It was still before rush hour, and as Xie Ruan and Bo Jin walked down the stairs, they didn’t encounter a soul.

When they reached a certain spot, Bo Jin suddenly stopped. Xie Ruan was glancing at a message from Song Xinghe, but in the blink of an eye, Bo Jin was gone.

He put down his phone and looked back, puzzled. “Come on.”

Bo Jin stood a bit ahead, smiling with a knowing look. “Back at the scene—don’t you have something to say?”

What scene?

Just as Xie Ruan was about to ask, he recalled that this was where he had kissed Bo Jin that day. He coughed awkwardly, “Nothing to say. Let’s go; I still have evening classes to—”

Before he could finish, Bo Jin grabbed his wrist, pulling him back and pressing him against the wall.

Bo Jin’s voice was husky. “No words, then let’s do something.”

With that, he threaded his fingers through Xie Ruan’s hair, holding his head firmly as he tilted it back, leaning down to kiss him.

“But what if someone…” Xie Ruan stammered in panic, struggling to break free.

Bo Jin braced himself against him with his knee, easily restraining him, and lightly ran his tongue over Xie Ruan’s teeth. “Thrilling, isn’t it?”

“You’re crazy!” Xie Ruan gasped, irritated. “Total maniac!”

Bo Jin chuckled softly, “You like it.” And before Xie Ruan could respond, he took full control, leaving him breathless.

They arrived at the classroom just a few minutes before evening study. Xie Ruan’s lips were noticeably red, making his fair skin look even more attractive.

His classmates could only watch in envy. Why did he come back from break looking even more handsome, while they just gained weight?

Bo Jin got pulled aside by Pan Yu for help with a math question, while Xie Ruan pulled out his phone to check on Song Xinghe’s earlier message.

As he unlocked the screen, a new text popped up.

I’m Shen Xingyun.

Xie Ruan never expected that Shen Xingyun, whose contacts he’d deleted everywhere, would still text him. If he’d known, he would’ve blocked the number too, saving himself from these random intrusions.

Just as he was about to delete and block the number, another message arrived.

Don’t you want to know why Bo Jin got close to you?

Xie Ruan thought, Why else? Because he likes me, obviously. What’s Shen Xingyun getting at?

Almost as if he’d read Xie Ruan’s thoughts, a third message quickly followed.

He’s doing it to get back at me. Meet me on the rooftop, and I’ll tell you the truth.

Xie Ruan frowned. As far as he knew, Bo Jin and Shen Xingyun had barely interacted, let alone had any kind of grudge.

So why was Shen Xingyun saying this?

Xie Ruan kept close tabs on everything in Bo Jin’s life, knowing how it could relate to what the book suggested about him in later chapters.

He glanced over to where Bo Jin was explaining a problem to Pan Yu and, seeing Bo Jin’s attention was elsewhere, quietly slipped out to the rooftop.

He was curious to see what nonsense Shen Xingyun would come up with.

Sure enough, as if expecting his arrival, Shen Xingyun was already waiting.

When he saw Xie Ruan, he smiled. “Long time no see.”

Xie Ruan wasn’t there for pleasantries, so he put one hand in his pocket and asked impatiently, “What did those texts mean?”

“What they said,” Shen Xingyun grinned, clearly savoring this moment he’d waited the entire break for. “You thought he got close to you because he likes you? Stop dreaming, Xie Ruan. He’s using you as a tool to get back at me.”

Xie Ruan scoffed, “Get back at you? Who are you even to him? Does he know you?”

He might not be much, but he sure had an imagination.

“Doesn’t know me?” Shen Xingyun’s expression grew peculiar, looking at Xie Ruan like he was clueless. “He’s known me since he was two, far earlier than you ever did.”

Xie Ruan’s breathing quickened. Age two was a particularly sensitive time for Bo Jin.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Xingyun assumed his words were hitting home. Smiling smugly, he went on, “Did you know my family took Bo Jin in for a while? But he caused such a fuss that my parents had to send him back. Funny, someone from an orphanage being so high-maintenance.”

Shen Xingyun spread his hands, “Think about it—our family’s resources versus an orphanage’s. Of course, he’s resentful. With no other way to retaliate, he chose the simplest method: targeting you to get back at me.”

Xie Ruan suddenly stepped forward.

Shen Xingyun froze. “What’s wrong?”

Could he be so furious he’s about to jump?

Xie Ruan looked at him expressionlessly. “My hand slipped.”

The sudden shift in topic caught Shen Xingyun off guard.

“Uh?”

With a cold sneer, Xie Ruan threw a punch right at his face.