The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 81

At first, no one took the post seriously.

Recently, the competition coach Zhao Caiming arranged for Bo Jin had arrived, and people frequently saw the two walking through the corridors, discussing topics most couldn’t understand. 

Gradually, word got out that Bo Jin was participating in the math Olympiad again.

A year had passed, and Bo Jin’s interview after winning his gold medal was making the rounds once more. People were either admiring or borderline worshiping him in the comments; anyone who didn’t know better might think they’d stumbled upon some kind of fanatical shrine.

So, when someone mentioned that Bo Jin had hyperthymesia (a condition where one can remember everything), no one believed it.

[“Hahaha, has God Bo leveled up to the point where he’s being compared to someone with hyperthymesia?!”]

[“Yeah right, hyperthymesia! Seeing everything, getting every question right!”]

[“Not to brag, but I’ve never dropped out of the top three in the grade. Is it possible that I have hyperthymesia too…?”]

[“?? Drop the act, this rumor’s going too far. The guy’s just good at studying, that’s all.”]

[“Just looked up hyperthymesia, it’s pretty amazing.”]

[“It’s just made-up talk; people are just having fun with it. Don’t take it seriously.”]

But as more people chimed in, different opinions started to emerge, especially after one particular reply:

[“Going anonymous here, but I know someone who works in an orphanage. Many years ago, they mentioned a kid with hyperthymesia. He could remember everything from days ago, like events, what everyone wore, and even if someone’s hair was a little messy. She talked about it as if it was a rare phenomenon, and a lot of us in the area heard about it… Uh, not going into specifics, but if you know, you know.”]

[“??? Know what? I hate it when people don’t finish what they’re saying. And what does the orphanage have to do with Bo Jin?”]

[“You’re probably not a junior. Most of us know that Bo Jin grew up in an orphanage. And there’s only one orphanage in this city…”]

[“Wait, what?? Bo Jin grew up in an orphanage??? I’m shook!”]

[“Whoa!!! This is my first time hearing that. Unbelievable! How did he do so well in school?”]

[“?? Can’t an orphan be a top student?”]

[“Not to argue, just genuinely shocked…”]

[“So… does Bo Jin really have hyperthymesia?”]

[“No smoke without fire. It might actually be true. Plus, don’t you think his academic performance is a little too perfect? Anyone who’s been in his class knows he barely pays attention in lessons.”]

[“Ugh, here come the envious tears. I want hyperthymesia too! Imagine learning effortlessly, getting gold medals in Olympiads, and breezing into top schools!”]

[“Who wouldn’t want that? Please, universe, bless me with hyperthymesia.”]

Bo Jin never went on the forums.

It’s often said that like attracts like, and Xie Ruan was the same. So, neither of them knew about the post when it first appeared, giving it plenty of time to spread.

Only when people around them started giving them strange looks did Xie Ruan finally notice something was off.

Passing by a classmate who’d been watching them since they walked in, Xie Ruan nudged Bo Jin with his elbow, frowning and whispering, “Have you noticed people are looking at us strangely?”

“Hm?” Bo Jin hung his backpack on the back of his chair and thought for a moment. “Not really. I haven’t noticed.”

In truth, he had picked up on it a bit but assumed it was because of how close he and Xie Ruan had been acting.

Since they started dating, they hadn’t hidden much; aside from overtly intimate gestures, they had done things like holding hands and putting an arm around each other’s shoulders. It wasn’t impossible that some people had noticed.

“Doesn’t matter.” Bo Jin pulled out the new cookbook he had bought, casually ruffling Xie Ruan’s hair. “Let them look if they want.”

So what if things came out? The school was relying on his performance anyway, and they wouldn’t expel him over this. At most, they’d give him a lecture. As for Xie Ruan, there was no need to worry.

At the pace he was progressing, Sun Fuan would protect him as tightly as possible.

“Oh.” Xie Ruan didn’t think too much of it. He wasn’t one to overanalyze things. He’d grown used to people staring, first with Shen Xingyun, now with Bo Jin. He dismissed the uneasy feeling and started reading.

After the morning self-study period, Xie Ruan went to the restroom, and Sun Haoxiang, clutching his phone, turned to Bo Jin with an air of secrecy. “Hey, Brother Bo, I gotta ask you something!”

Bo Jin opened a bottle of mineral water, took a sip, and gestured for him to go ahead.

Sun Haoxiang leaned over, his eyes practically glowing. “The forum says you have hyperthymesia. Is it true?”

Bo Jin’s mind went blank, as though someone had struck him over the head with a club. His face changed immediately.

Sun Haoxiang was too caught up in his excitement to notice. He kept rambling on, “You’re like a chosen one, man! Hey, isn’t hyperthymesia that condition where you have total recall? You remember everything you see?”

He beat his chest in frustration. “Why can’t I have hyperthymesia too? If I did, would Tsinghua or Peking University be a challenge? I could go to any school I wanted!”

He Mingjie joined in on the excitement. “No wonder Old Bo here is always goofing around but still gets amazing grades.” He tugged on Bo Jin’s sleeve, intending to say more, but when he caught Bo Jin’s expression, he fell silent.

Bo Jin’s face was tense, his jawline looking even sharper. He stared at He Mingjie, all his usual relaxed manner gone, leaving only a cold, angry intensity, like a beast whose territory had been invaded, ready to tear apart any enemy in sight.

“Which post said that?”

“Bo… Brother Bo,” He Mingjie instinctively leaned back, feeling rattled. “What’s wrong?”

He thought he hadn’t said anything that would make Brother Bo so upset.

Sun Haoxiang was also startled.

Bo Jin could be prickly, but it was rare for him to get truly angry, especially toward friends. They had never seen him look this way before.

Swallowing hard, Sun Haoxiang lowered his voice, trying to make himself small, not wanting to be noticed.

But what you fear often finds you. A second later, Bo Jin’s gaze fell on him.

His dark eyes held an oppressive intensity, and for a brief moment, it felt like they were under a freezing spotlight. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Sun Haoxiang was breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Bo… Brother Bo?”

“Give me your phone.” Bo Jin took a deep breath, working to suppress the surge of agitation and fear roiling inside him, and extended his hand to Sun Haoxiang.

“Huh?” Sun Haoxiang was stunned for a moment before hastily handing his phone over. “Here.”

Bo Jin looked down, but his emotions were in such turmoil that he couldn’t focus on the screen. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to regain control before looking again.

After a few days of discussion, the post had moved beyond initial doubts and was heading in another direction.

“You all wish for hyperthymesia, but am I the only one who finds it terrifying? Think about it: no matter what you see, you never forget. What about the embarrassing things or mistakes people make in front of him? Is all that, like a video, permanently saved in his brain? Every time he sees you, he’d replay it in his mind. That’s… unsettling, to say the least.”

“Oh wow, interesting perspective! Now that you mention it, I feel a bit… uneasy too.”

“Oh god, once I walked straight into a tree right in front of God Bo! I comforted myself, thinking he’d forget in a few days. Now, thinking back… does he still remember?”

“Of course he does. Do you think hyperthymesia is a joke?”

“Ugh… I know God Bo is still super cool, but now I’m kind of afraid to stand in front of him.”

“Scared +1. Imagine leaving a bad impression—it’s there for life.”

…..

Bo Jin stopped reading the comments; they were just like many people he’d encountered before — they understood but couldn’t accept it.

But what about Xie Ruan?

Bo Jin gripped the table edge tightly, his knuckles almost turning white with the force.

Memories of past unpleasant experiences flooded back, his pupils dilating slightly as he struggled to differentiate the past from the present.

“Brother Bo, Brother Bo?”

Pan Yu’s voice brought him back to reality.

After a few seconds, Bo Jin’s gaze swept over Sun Haoxiang and He Mingjie, his tone serious: “From now on, don’t bring this up again,” he paused, enunciating, “and don’t mention it in front of Xie Ruan. Understood?”

At this moment, Bo Jin was deeply thankful that Xie Ruan wasn’t interested in gossip and hardly ever checked forums.

But —

A bitter smile tugged at his lips, a sense of dread clogging his chest. Even if he did his best to keep this hidden, how much longer could he keep it a secret?

He could deny it, claim everything on the forum was mere rumor, nothing but fabrications.

But the Sunshine Orphanage was still there, with dozens of staff who knew everything about him, and even Wen Yong, lurking in the shadows… Bo Jin had never been so aware that he couldn’t hide this.

It was only a matter of time before Xie Ruan found out, just a question of when that blade would fall.

“Why can’t we mention it in front of Little Xie?” He Mingjie, still confused, muttered, “Having hyperthymesia is amazing. Wouldn’t it make Little Xie admire…”

Before he could finish, Pan Yu silenced him with a cold glare.

“Are you an idiot?” Pan Yu, normally polite and composed, snapped, his tone harsh. He pulled He Mingjie aside, his expression one of pure exasperation.

“You—”

He wanted to say more, but with Bo Jin behind them, he swallowed his words, instead opening a post in their group chat about the science behind hyperthymesia.

Sun Haoxiang and He Mingjie, still confused, clicked on the link.

Gradually, their expressions changed.

Seeing their reaction, Pan Yu began typing in the group.

[Vice Monitor – Pan Yu]: Finished reading? After this, don’t talk about how amazing hyperthymesia is in front of him. I swear… if I’d known you wanted to bring this up, I would’ve shut you up sooner.

[Vice Monitor – Pan Yu]: Honestly… you two… I don’t even know what to say. Thankfully, Xie Ruan wasn’t here, or we’d really be in trouble.

[Vice Monitor – Pan Yu]: “Check the back of the post—so many people care about this. Just in case…whatever you do, don’t accidentally mention this in front of Xie Ruan.”

Sun Haoxiang and He Mingjie took a moment to process what they’d just read before replying.

[After repeatedly turning down the school beauty, Sun Haoxiang]: “I swear it wasn’t on purpose! I thought hyperthymesia was just like having a photographic memory. D*mn it, I want to go back in time and slap myself.”

[He Mingjie]: “Same here… d*mn, this whole thing is a mess. But I don’t really get what people are so worried about in that post. So he remembers their embarrassing moments—why’s that such a big deal?”

[He Mingjie]: “We’ve done tons of embarrassing stuff around him, and it’s never really bothered me.”

[Vice Monitor – Pan Yu]: “Let me put it another way—imagine having a camera following you every second, recording everything you say and do. Wouldn’t that feel unsettling?”

Of course, it would!

Halfway through typing his reply, He Mingjie froze as he suddenly realized the point.

[Vice Monitor – Pan Yu]: “Got it now? And it’s different for a friend versus a partner. Let’s stop talking about this, and make sure everyone around us knows to keep quiet too.”

[After repeatedly turning down the school beauty, Sun Haoxiang]: “1”

[He Mingjie]: “1”

Bo Jin had no idea what his friends were doing behind the scenes, nor did he have time to think about it. That morning, he skipped a class, deleted every forum post about him having hyperthymesia, and set up keyword filters to prevent any new posts on the topic.

At first, people were confused, wondering if the network had gone down. But after several tries, they began to suspect that the school might be filtering posts to prevent any distractions from Bo Jin’s competition preparation.

Soon enough, other topics emerged, and fewer people paid attention.

One day, two days, two weeks passed, and the rumor seemed to have completely faded away. Pan Yu and the others thought it was over—until just before the next monthly exams.

It was late, after evening study, and Xie Ruan and Bo Jin waited for the crowd to thin out before turning off the lights and leaving the classroom.

The most chaotic part of the night was already over, and only a few people remained on the track outside.

With a slight, damp spring breeze clinging to them, they walked under the faint light of the streetlamps on the dim path ahead.

Bo Jin took Xie Ruan’s hand openly as they walked back to the dorms.

“Let go,” Xie Ruan tried to shake his hand free but failed, so he gave Bo Jin’s hand a playful squeeze. “What if Director Zhao sees us?”

Bo Jin didn’t reply.

What, did he get scared? Xie Ruan smirked, about to tease him for being afraid, when Bo Jin’s soft, teasing voice suddenly sounded in his ear. “Then what? Of course, we’d come out to him on the spot, and maybe even get his blessing.”

As if he’d bless that.

Xie Ruan couldn’t help but laugh. “Bo Jin, why are you so shameless?”

“And isn’t it because you’re too shy?” Bo Jin responded with a grin. “In a couple, someone has to be the bold one to take the lead, so for you, I’ll sacrifice a little.”

“Just shut up!” Xie Ruan gave him a little kick from behind, though he couldn’t help the smile creeping onto his face.

He glanced around, saw only a few people in front of them, and let Bo Jin be. Just as he was about to ask Bo Jin about plans for Sunday, a groan came from up ahead.

“D*mn, another exam! It’s never-ending! I haven’t even caught up on the classes I missed.”

“Well, that’s what you get for taking days off. Seriously, how did you even manage to break your joints playing basketball?”

“I don’t know either! I just fell, and suddenly I couldn’t stand!”

“Idiot!”

“What am I gonna do? I haven’t even memorized half my material.”

“You could’ve done it in the hospital!”

“Oh, easy for you to say. The hospital environment… try memorizing something there, see if you can do it. Ugh—”

The guy sighed. “If I had hyperthymesia like God Bo, that’d solve everything.”

Their voices weren’t far, and their words reached Xie Ruan’s ears loud and clear.

He raised his head sharply, looking at Bo Jin in disbelief.

The voices continued up ahead.

“Who wouldn’t want hyperthymesia? It’s easier to keep dreaming, though.”

“Ughhhh.”

The night was deep, and the moon shone cold.

Bo Jin knew then that the sword had finally fallen.

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