With the recent midterm results out, Xie Ruan and Bo Jin had been getting a lot of attention at school.
Wen Yong had always kept an eye on Bo Jin.
He wasn’t obsessed enough to hire a private investigator to follow Bo Jin everywhere, but he did keep a close watch on the school forum.
Bo Jin, good-looking, high-achieving, and a national honor recipient, had always been a popular figure on campus. Xie Ruan wasn’t far behind, known for confronting cheaters and carrying a bit of a “underdog-turned-hero” vibe. The two of them together were bound to draw attention.
As a result, posts about them popped up on the forum one after another, catching Wen Yong’s eye.
Wen Yong was smart, and having known Bo Jin since they were kids, he understood him well.
From his long-term observations and bits of information he’d picked up, he was nearly certain that Bo Jin’s romantic interest was this boy named Xie Ruan.
As for whether he could be wrong…
Wen Yong smirked.
Yeah, right.
Bo Jin might look laid-back and friendly with everyone, but he was actually as cold as ice.
If he didn’t care for someone, he wouldn’t lift a finger to help, let alone bother to tutor them. He remembered a girl who had chased after Bo Jin like crazy, standing by the first-floor window and threatening to jump if he didn’t accept her.
What did Bo Jin say to her?
Back then, at only fifteen, his expression hadn’t changed at all. He just said, “Jumping from the first floor won’t kill you,” and walked away.
Seeing the forum photos of Xie Ruan entering Bo Jin’s dorm, going places with him, even receiving a tea with the straw prepared by Bo Jin himself… and he’s supposed to believe this isn’t affection?
What a joke.
Wen Yong set down his usual phone, pulled out a backup phone from his drawer, and opened a new text message draft.
With someone like Bo Jin, using the fact that he’s into guys as an attack wouldn’t do much. He might even spin it to his advantage, using it to tie that boy firmly to his side.
That wouldn’t do at all.
He wanted to make things hard for Bo Jin, not help him along with his romance.
A smile tugged at Wen Yong’s lips as he typed and sent the message without hesitation.
As for how to make things hard for him…
The best way was, of course, to hit him where it hurt.
To outsiders, Bo Jin’s hyperthymesia might sound like a powerful ability, even something to envy. But as someone who’d lived alongside Bo Jin for years, Wen Yong knew all too well the pain it brought.
If he hadn’t seen it himself, he’d never believe that someone as exceptional as Bo Jin, admired by everyone, would spend sleepless nights struggling to distinguish between reality and memory, even hurt by a subtle, dismissive glance from those close to him.
What’s the most satisfying thing in this world?
It’s not academic success or a wedding night.
It’s dragging an untouchable genius down from his pedestal, then watching him struggle in the mud, never able to break free.
That’s why, whenever Bo Jin won an award or had a moment of glory, Wen Yong would casually bring up something memory-related, just to watch him retreat into a corner, heartbroken by the cold indifference of the orphanage staff he’d cared about. Wen Yong’s own jealous heart would feel a bit more at ease.
It had worked, time and time again, all these years.
And this time would be no different.
If that guy Xie Ruan learned that Bo Jin had hyperthymesia, knowing that every little embarrassing moment, every mistake, was stored in Bo Jin’s mind like snapshots, would he still feel the same about him?
Even if he still cared, would he be able to relax around Bo Jin like he used to, without constantly worrying about appearances and overthinking every action?
Wen Yong smiled. How long could that kind of love last? Like a string stretched tighter and tighter, bound to snap sooner or later.
He didn’t need to do anything but wait, watching Bo Jin be abandoned by someone important yet again.
After the monthly exams, the class felt much more relaxed; at least during PE, students weren’t off studying and doing problems on their own anymore.
He Mingjie rushed out of the equipment room, clutching a basketball and dragging Sun Haoxiang along toward the court, shouting back to Bo Jin and Xie Ruan, “Brother Bo, Little Xie, hurry up, let’s grab a spot!”
There were several classes taking PE together, and with limited courts, they had to be quick to get a chance to play.
He Mingjie’s strategy was spot-on: “Old Pan, you don’t play anyway. Go grab a few more people for us.”
Pan Yu quickly ran through the vocabulary he’d just memorized, set his notebook aside, and nodded, “Got it.”
With that, he shifted his direction.
Xie Ruan had been itching to move. After studying for so long, he felt his bones were rusting over. Eagerly stretching his arms, he took off his school jacket before even reaching the court.
“You’re really in a rush,” Bo Jin chuckled, clearly amused. “Looks like the holiday really got to you.”
Bo Jin took his jacket, knowing how particular Xie Ruan was about cleanliness. Unlike the other guys, he didn’t just toss it on the ground but looked around for somewhere to hang it.
“You don’t get it,” Xie Ruan said, warming up. “I haven’t really…” He tilted his head, calculating, and came up with a shocking number. “I haven’t really exercised for about three months.”
Honestly, he hadn’t realized it until he counted, and it startled him.
Back in the day, when he used to skip classes and get into fights, he couldn’t have imagined letting himself get this inactive.
Bo Jin glanced back and saw Pan Yu and some others heading their way, still a short distance off. He raised an eyebrow. “Exercise is exercise, no matter the kind. Who was it just the other night who said they were too tired and couldn’t…”
Before he could finish, Xie Ruan threw his jacket over Bo Jin’s head and kicked him.
Xie Ruan growled, “Do you ever stop?”
Bo Jin, as calm as ever, replied, “If you never try, how will you know how fun it is?”
He paused, voice dropping, “Why don’t you try and show me?”
Amusement laced his tone, and Xie Ruan didn’t even need to look to know he was grinning mischievously. Grinding his teeth, Xie Ruan was about to kick him again, but suddenly his vision went dark. In a flash, Bo Jin had pulled him under the jacket.
“You—”
Bo Jin quickly leaned down and stole a kiss.
Xie Ruan’s eyes went wide, stunned.
“Let’s go,” Bo Jin smirked, tugging off the jacket and gently tapping Xie Ruan’s forehead.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” A few classmates happened to walk by and chimed in casually.
Xie Ruan stayed put.
One of the guys, noticing something, paused and came back with a curious look. “Hey, Little Xie, why are your ears so red?”
The rest of the boys, catching wind of this, swarmed over like fish fed a tasty treat.
“Oh wow, they really are red.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Pushing their faces away, he stiffly walked forward, trying to keep his cool. “It’s just hot.”
Huh?
The boys looked up at the cloudy sky, rubbing their goosebumps from the chilly breeze, skeptical. “Hot?”
“Yeah.” Xie Ruan’s training with Bo Jin had left him quite resilient; he kept a straight face and kept walking. “Didn’t you see me take off my jacket?”
The boys looked at him with newfound respect. “Nothing stops Brother Xie! Hard work in school and intense energy too.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Xie Ruan: “…Let’s just play ball.”
The basketball court was crowded, and they only managed to grab half of it. There were no teams or set rules — whoever got the ball, kept it. The teenage boys were full of energy, running back and forth without seeming to tire, reveling in the sweat and action.
The basketball dribbled across the court, punctuated by cheers and laughter, creating a lively, energetic atmosphere.
With about five minutes left in class, the PE teacher whistled for everyone to return the equipment to the storage room. With Sun Haoxiang, the sports rep, around, they didn’t have to worry about it.
Xie Ruan and Bo Jin went to wash up and, with bottles of ice water they bought from the nearby store, sat on a bench.
Xie Ruan was still catching his breath, wiping the water droplets from his face and taking a few refreshing gulps. He let out a contented sigh.
Bo Jin put on his wireless earbuds, leaning back lazily, his eyes lingering on Xie Ruan with a smile.
That gaze was unrelenting; even if Xie Ruan wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t.
Finally, having no other choice, Xie Ruan turned and glared at him. “What are you staring at!”
He still hadn’t settled the score with him.
Kissing him in front of so many people on the field — what if someone saw? He didn’t want to get busted for dating Bo Jin.
He could almost imagine being dragged to the flagpole by Zhao Caiming, scolded in front of the entire school.
This guy! Making the academic god start dating early! Distracting him from his studies! A menace to the school!
The thought gave Xie Ruan a chill.
Bo Jin just kept smiling.
“Stop that…be serious, I mean it. You can’t do that again, got it?” Xie Ruan, with a serious face, lectured him. “No! Absolutely not!”
Bo Jin had never seen this side of him before; he was putting on a stern face like some old-school teacher.
His eyes glowed with even more amusement.
“You’re still laughing!” Xie Ruan fumed, giving him a kick. “What’s so funny?”
Bo Jin found him irresistibly adorable. He couldn’t help it — finally, he reached out and pulled him into a hug.
His body was lean and flexible, warm from the recent exercise. Being so close, Bo Jin could even hear his heartbeat. It was the pulse of youth and the center of all his emotions.
“Hey, you—”
“Shh.” Bo Jin gently stilled his struggles, taking out one earbud and placing it in Xie Ruan’s ear.
The music paused for a moment, then flowed softly around them.
“Like a silent typewriter,
Full of intense emotions,
Unable to write about parting,
Too in love with you.”
A gentle spring breeze brushed their cheeks, their hair mingling together, and even the cloudy sky seemed brighter.
Bo Jin leaned back on the bench, a soft smile unconsciously curving his lips.
There was beautiful music in his ears, and closing his eyes, he could envision a bright future. Looking down, he saw the top of Xie Ruan’s fluffy head.
Someone he loved.
The pain was behind him; from now on, life would probably be like this — warm and wonderful.
But life doesn’t always go as planned.
Just when you’re most relaxed, most content, fate often has a way of striking.
The next day, news rocked the entire Shijia High School forum.
Why was Bo Jin’s academic performance so outstanding, and why did he win so many awards? It wasn’t because of hard work or genius, but because he had hyperthymesia.
