The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Quits Chapter 87

It was just after school hours, with students heading out in groups for lunch, turning the school gate into a bustling scene like a large event.

Mother Shen’s loud cry immediately drew a lot of attention.

The Shen family was well-known in the city. Father Shen and Mother Shen often appeared on TV, and they’d come to the school more than once to see Shen Xingyun. People quickly recognized them.

“Am I seeing things? Isn’t that Shen Xingyun’s mom?”

“Yeah, what’s she doing looking for God Bo? Are the families connected?”

“No way, I’ve never seen Shen Xingyun and God Bo together.”

“Besides, don’t you think… Shen Xingyun’s mom seems a bit off?”

“Yeah, it does look that way…”

It’s human nature to enjoy drama, especially one involving a prominent family and the city’s top student. Soon, many students slowed down to watch the scene unfold.

Bo Jin never thought he’d see the day Mother Shen would come looking for him. When he was first sent back to the orphanage, he was too young to understand and simply wanted his parents.

But no matter how much he cried, even until his voice was hoarse and his body weakened, Mother Shen never softened. Aside from a few visits at the beginning to keep up appearances, no one from the Shen family had returned to the orphanage for nearly two decades.

He was like a toy meant to amuse them; once the novelty wore off, he was discarded without a second thought.

Bo Jin sneered and sidestepped Mother Shen’s perfectly manicured hand. It seemed the bidding results were out; otherwise, Mother Shen wouldn’t lower herself to find him.

The Shen family had always wanted to keep him as far from their fortune as possible, afraid he’d take a piece from Shen Xingyun.

Mother Shen hadn’t expected Bo Jin to react so quickly, leaving her hand hanging awkwardly in mid-air. Frustration twisted her face for a brief moment.

But Father Shen was a wise man and had prepared her for this. Years of training allowed Mother Shen to quickly adjust her expression, masking her true feelings behind a gentle facade. “It’s been so many years,” she said, looking at Bo Jin as though they were close relatives reuniting. “You’ve grown so much. I heard from Xingyun that you’re excelling in school. With your achievements, you’ll definitely get into a good university, which will put mom’s mind at ease.”

Upon hearing this, Bo Jin showed no reaction, but the surrounding students were stunned.

“What? Mom?!”

“Did I hear wrong? Isn’t that Shen Xingyun’s mom? Why is she calling herself Bo Jin’s mom?”

“You’re not mistaken. That’s definitely Shen Xingyun’s mom.”

“So… is she remarried, and Shen Xingyun is from her second marriage?”

“No way! Even if it were a second marriage, it doesn’t make sense to send a kid to an orphanage.”

“What orphanage?”

“Looks like you’re out of the loop! Here, let me fill you in: Bo Jin was raised in an orphanage…”

“Wow!”

“…”

When Bo Jin neither spoke nor moved, Mother Shen assumed he’d been moved. After all, a child who’d never felt a mother’s love would be eager to latch on to the slightest bit of kindness, like a dog drawn to a bone.

Mother Shen masked the scorn in her eyes as she brushed her hair behind her ear and looked around uncomfortably. “This isn’t the place to talk, Little Bo. Get in the car, and we’ll go somewhere private to chat. Is that all right?”

It was the perfect act of a well-practiced manipulator.

However, she misjudged her target. Most people would have followed, unwilling to be the center of attention at their age. But Bo Jin? Reputation? God Bo would say that’s never been his concern.

Mother Shen’s entire performance had zero impact on him—if anything, it amused him. Under everyone’s watchful gaze, he paused, turned to Xie Ruan, and said, “Will pumpkin porridge be filling enough for lunch, or should we grab something extra?”

Mother Shen: “???”

The crowd of students: “???”

Sun Haoxiang, He Mingjie, and Pan Yu: “???”

Someone had come all the way to claim him as her son, and he wasn’t even going to respond?!

Oh, yeah, just worried Xie Ruan won’t be full from porridge, so he’ll get him something else.

The surrounding crowd instantly looked at Bo Jin with admiration.

Is this the composure of someone destined for greatness? Unfazed even in the face of a mountain collapsing.

Amazing, truly amazing!

But Mother Shen saw Bo Jin’s words as an intentional slight and was so angry she wanted to hurl her purse at him. Having spent decades as a wealthy lady, she was unaccustomed to being contradicted, especially in public.

She snapped, forgetting Father Shen’s reminders, and blurted out her rehearsed lines, “I know you blame me for sending you back to the orphanage, but your father and I had no choice. We couldn’t just watch you die.”

She cast a cold gaze at Bo Jin, certain that he wouldn’t dare deny her story in front of so many people.

No matter how he felt about them, it was true that they had raised him for a while, and he owed them for that.

“After we brought you home from the orphanage, you refused to eat or drink. I thought it was just an adjustment issue, that you’d get used to it. But you only got worse…”

Mother Shen dabbed at her eyes. “During that time, your father and I put our business aside to take care of you. But nothing helped, and in the end, we had no choice but to send you back.”

“It was strange, really. Once you returned, you started eating and drinking just fine, and you stopped crying. After that, we didn’t dare take any more risks and finalized the paperwork to give you up.”

Mother Shen, despite her temper and dislike of Bo Jin, had no trouble putting on a show for a group of naive high school students. Her voice wavered, and her eyes reddened, giving her a pitiful look that would soften anyone’s heart.

“I don’t know what you may have heard that made you misunderstand us this deeply.” She gazed at Bo Jin, her eyes seemingly filled with unspoken words. “But I can say without hesitation that your father and I have a clear conscience about everything we did for you!”

A clear conscience.

Bo Jin almost laughed.

He’d thought he had a thick skin, but seeing the Shen couple today, he realized he’d never known true shamelessness. After treating him so badly for half a year, how could she even say those words to his face?

Bo Jin shook his head, amused, realizing he was still too naive.

If he had even half of Mother Shen’s skill, Xie Ruan would have been swept off his feet and taken home long ago.

Noticing his strange expression, as if he were looking right through her, Mother Shen suddenly felt exposed and humiliated. Just as she was about to snap back, Father Shen got out of the car and interrupted.

“The past is behind us. Why bring it up in front of the child?” He gave Mother Shen a disapproving glance before turning to Bo Jin with a warm smile. “We didn’t come here for anything in particular, just heard from Xingyun and wanted to check on you.”

Father Shen, refined in appearance and careful about his health, looked younger than his age. He had no beer belly, and his gentle smile was naturally likable.

He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost noon, and I don’t want to keep you from your afternoon classes. Let’s go, let dad….” He paused, trying not to push Bo Jin, and softened, “Your uncle will treat you to lunch.”

He even opened the car door for Bo Jin with an air of gentlemanly courtesy, leaving Bo Jin with little choice but to get in.

Bo Jin raised an eyebrow in amusement, thinking Father Shen could’ve made a career in acting.

“No, thanks.” Bo Jin stayed put, holding Xie Ruan, who was on the verge of losing it. No need to get his hands dirty dealing with people like them. “You two don’t seem senile yet, so why are you randomly claiming people as family?”

He clicked his tongue. “Lucky for you I’m kind-hearted; otherwise, I’d have knocked out a couple of shameless elders by now.”

Bo Jin’s sharp tongue left Mother Shen shaking in fury.

Kind-hearted? Was he misunderstanding the meaning of that?

And what did he mean by calling her an ‘elderly lady’? She had facials twice a week, and her face was wrinkle-free—where did he get off calling her that?

Even Father Shen, with his years of composure, struggled to hold back. In business, one usually kept things subtle, even when furious. Bo Jin, on the other hand, was practically slapping them in the face with his disdain.

He had a whole plan in place: his wife would lure Bo Jin into the car with the crowd watching, and then he’d come in with a sentimental pitch. He figured a seventeen or eighteen-year-old with some grievances could be swayed with a bit of flattery.

But Mother Shen had nearly blown her cover under a bit of provocation, tearing up the whole script. Fine, he’d handle it himself.

Who could’ve guessed this kid would be so hard to crack?

Feeling his temple throbbing, Father Shen regretted choosing such a busy time to approach Bo Jin. He’d hoped it would put pressure on him, but the one feeling pressured was himself.

The thought of humbling himself before Bo Jin in front of so many people was unthinkable.

But he needed the project Bo Jin held to fill some gaps, and there was no other way. Taking a deep breath, he managed a calm tone. “Little Bo, things weren’t as simple as you think back then. You’re smart; you know stories get distorted over time. If you have any doubts, ask me, and I’ll give you the whole truth.”

“No need.” Bo Jin had no interest in wasting more time on them; he’d much rather spend it with Xie Ruan. He dropped the Shen couple’s pretense without mercy, “I know why you’re here.”

Father Shen and Mother Shen both turned pale.

“Let me be clear—no way.” His smile vanished. “I’d rather toss the project aside than let you two have it.”

“You…!” Father Shen’s face flushed with anger, wishing he could tear Bo Jin apart. “Back then we…”

“I know,” Bo Jin interrupted, “you raised me.”

He sneered. “Then, after you had Shen Xingyun, you didn’t want me anymore. You feared damaging your reputation, so you secretly mistreated me, claimed I couldn’t adjust, and sent me back.”

“It wasn’t like that!” Father Shen’s face burned as he tried to defend himself. Doing something was one thing; being exposed was another. “I…”

Bo Jin held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t bother saying I misunderstood. Since you came this far, you should know my academic record.”

He paused, giving Father Shen a mocking look. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Father Shen’s face turned pale.

Of course, someone capable of excelling in both academics and career wasn’t a fool. How could he be naive enough to be easily won over like a typical teenager?

Father Shen staggered back, his mind buzzing.

What now? This was his last hope. His company, the wealth he’d saved for his son…

Bo Jin lost interest in looking at him. He turned to Xie Ruan, holding his wrist. “Hungry? Let’s go eat.”

Seeing him leave, Father Shen reflexively called out.

Bo Jin stopped and turned around.

Father Shen’s eyes glimmered with a last hope. “Bo…”

“Oh,” Bo Jin met his gaze and took two steps back. “I forgot to tell you something.”

Amid Father Shen’s anticipation, Bo Jin smiled and pointed to his head. “I have hyperthymesia. I remember everything since I was one year old, including everything that happened in your family.”

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