The consequence of getting a bit too bold was that Bo Jin, along with Xie Ruan, got themselves temporarily exiled from their friend group.
Poor Xie Ruan was left bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened. He watched He Mingjie’s back, just about to catch up to him, when Bo Jin pulled him back.
“Forget them, just stay with me a bit. Studying has been exhausting lately; I need a break.”
Xie Ruan: “???”
What nonsense was he spouting? For someone who spends class time either browsing recipes or napping, how could he possibly be complaining about being tired? Who was he kidding?
“What’s wrong?” Bo Jin rested his chin on Xie Ruan’s shoulder, his breath tickling Xie Ruan’s ear as he watched it turn pink. His voice was low and teasing. “Are you dissatisfied?”
“What do you think?” Xie Ruan shoved Bo Jin’s head away with a look of exasperation, fixing his rumpled collar and adding with mock seriousness, “If this little bit of studying has you worn out…”
He clicked his tongue, raised an eyebrow, imitating Bo Jin’s usual expression. “Your stamina’s not so great, huh.”
Bo Jin’s eyebrow twitched as he locked eyes with him, gaze intense. “My stamina’s not great?”
Xie Ruan gave him a challenging look. “You said it yourself.”
“Unbelievable.” Bo Jin ground his teeth, pulling Xie Ruan close and tousling his hair roughly. “You’re just taking advantage because you know I won’t do anything to you, huh?”
No one knew how much Bo Jin had been holding back lately—if he didn’t have at least a shred of self-restraint, he’d have long since thrown Xie Ruan into bed. And now this clueless guy dared to provoke him…
Bo Jin chuckled, tossing his jacket over Xie Ruan’s head, thoroughly amused.
“What are you doing?” Blinded by sudden darkness, Xie Ruan froze, then immediately tried to remove the jacket. “Get this off, it’s stifling—are you trying to smother me…”
Before he could finish, his lips were suddenly claimed, his words swallowed up by Bo Jin.
Bo Jin pressed him firmly against the back of the bench, one hand on the armrest, kissing him deeply. The heat inside the jacket grew, and their breaths became heavier until finally, Bo Jin pulled away, his lips lingering as he whispered, “Not great, am I?”
Bo Jin’s pride in all matters was untouchable—even if he hadn’t “gotten anywhere” yet!
Xie Ruan, always one to resist pressure, felt his heart racing wildly from the unexpected kiss. Not wanting to back down, he muttered, “You are…”
But he was cut off by another kiss.
Bo Jin was a fast learner; he knew just the right rhythm, the perfect depth. Xie Ruan leaned back against the bench, head tilted as he was forced to accept the kiss, his body melting.
“Am I ‘not good’?”
With the jacket blocking others’ view, Bo Jin took the liberty of nipping at Xie Ruan’s lower lip, his intent clear. “Hm?”
The tactic may have been old, but it worked.
Just a second ago, Xie Ruan had been ready to resist, but now he gave in, lightly bumping his forehead against Bo Jin’s. “Was that necessary?”
It was just a playful remark—why did Bo Jin have to take it so seriously?
“It was necessary.” Bo Jin didn’t back down an inch.
Nineteen years old and already being told he was “not good”? By the time he hit twenty, would rumors have him losing his edge altogether?
Even a stone Buddha wouldn’t take that lying down!
Flushed red, Xie Ruan felt Bo Jin’s presence alone was enough to contaminate the pure campus atmosphere.
How could he say things like that out loud?
Before he could figure out how to brush it off, Bo Jin bit his lower lip again, as if reading his mind. “Behave.”
“Stop it.” Xie Ruan tried to push Bo Jin away. Even though only two classes were having PE at that moment, there was still a chance someone might pass by, and the last thing he wanted was to end up on the school forum for this.
Xie Ruan’s fingers accidentally touched something sensitive, and his movement halted. The next second, he jerked his hand back as if he’d been pricked by a needle.
His elbow banged against the bench, sending a numbing pain up his arm, but he couldn’t care less. Staring at Bo Jin with wide eyes, he stammered, “You… you…”
“D*mn,” Bo Jin let out a low, frustrated breath, wishing they were at home right now.
Even the dorm room would’ve been better—if he couldn’t have the full experience, he could at least get something.
He calmed himself down, then said frankly, “This is totally normal, right?”
At nineteen, his body was as heated as a summer in July. If he didn’t react to having his boyfriend in his arms, he’d either be impotent or totally unresponsive.
The edge of the shirt was lifted slightly, allowing the light to pour in. Bo Jin’s gaze fixed on Xie Ruan, raising an eyebrow. “Calling me out?”
Following his gaze, Xie Ruan looked down, then quickly yanked his shirt down to cover it.
Well, neither one could laugh at the other now—they were both in the same boat.
They leaned back on the bench in silence.
After a moment, Bo Jin cursed under his breath, “Can we just hurry up and graduate?”
Xie Ruan sat quietly beside him, secretly giving him a mental thumbs-up.
Usually, time wasn’t something he noticed, just moving along with the school’s rhythm. But now, realizing how close they were to the end, he was surprised at how quickly it had gone by.
In the past six months, Xie Ruan’s grades had consistently improved, and he was now solidly in the top fifty of the entire school. A true underdog story, he was often held up by teachers as a model for other students.
Though their school wasn’t as prestigious as the neighboring city’s top high school, being in the top fifty here was equivalent to having a foot in the door at a top university.
With a bit more effort, his chances of going to the same university as Bo Jin looked promising.
Yes, Bo Jin’s university plans were already set.
In this year’s International Mathematics Competition, he once again achieved a perfect score, earning both individual and team gold medals and securing his direct admission. Unlike last year, this time he chose to accept the offer.
No need to compete in the cutthroat college entrance exams; he could directly start university next year, leaving countless students struggling in exam prep envious.
Now, his only goal was to help Xie Ruan improve his grades as much as possible during their final days of high school.
Xie Ruan knew that whether he and Bo Jin would be separated or could stay together in college all depended on his own efforts. As a result, he worked harder than he ever had, putting even Pan Yu, the perpetual study fanatic, to shame.
So in that regard, Bo Jin didn’t worry about him.
However, as the countdown to the college entrance exam on the blackboard ticked down, he noticed something unusual about Xie Ruan.
“What were you doing last night?” Bo Jin lifted Xie Ruan’s face, noticing the red veins in his eyes, and flicked his forehead. “Your eyes are all red… what, are you trying to start a New Year’s trend?”
“What trend?” Xie Ruan asked, confused. He turned to look in the mirror, realizing Bo Jin wasn’t exaggerating—the redness in his eyes was quite obvious.
He picked up the eyedrops from the desk, about to open them, when Bo Jin snatched them from his hand.
“It’s almost the Year of the Rabbit. Trying to cosplay as the new year’s mascot?” Bo Jin tilted his head, adjusting the angle as he applied a couple of drops for Xie Ruan. Observing his obedient appearance, Bo Jin couldn’t resist teasing, “A little white rabbit, all clean and ready in bed, waiting for his big brother to visit?”
Xie Ruan stumbled, nearly knocking over the lamp beside him. He gave Bo Jin a look, exasperated. “Do you have any shame?”
How was he supposed to look at that nursery rhyme the same way again?
“What’s shame?” Bo Jin scoffed, pulling Xie Ruan close. “So, what’s going on? Stressed from studying?”
Xie Ruan paused, giving a vague reply. “Yeah.”
Not wanting Bo Jin to probe further, he pretended to scratch his head and broke free of Bo Jin’s grasp, masking the guilt in his eyes. “Come on, we’re going to be late for school.”
Thankfully, he had the excuse of studying; otherwise, he really wouldn’t know how to explain it to Bo Jin. How could he tell him that he was terrified his life was in danger because the events in the original story were coming up?
Bo Jin would either think he was insane or that he’d lost his mind from studying too hard.
Bo Jin didn’t move, squinting slightly as he looked at him.
“Let’s go,” Xie Ruan urged again, tugging Bo Jin’s sleeve, unsure if he’d figured something out.
Bo Jin remained motionless, and the room fell into silence.
In that quiet, even breathing felt intrusive.
Xie Ruan swallowed nervously. Just as he was racking his brain to think of something to break the awkwardness, Bo Jin suddenly smirked. “Not satisfied with being in the school’s top fifty? Babe, your standards are way too high.”
“Uh-huh,” Xie Ruan let out a relieved breath, eager to move on from the topic. He tried a clumsy compliment, “Otherwise…how would I have fallen for you?”
Bo Jin didn’t say anything, but Xie Ruan’s face reddened as he immediately regretted his words, looking like he wanted to swallow them back.
Seeing his expression, Bo Jin almost melted from how adorable he was. He leaned down, gently kissed him, and graciously let him off the hook.
Forget it; everyone has their little secrets. Since they were practically together all day, he’d eventually figure it out.
As it turned out, after that day, Bo Jin noticed that Xie Ruan was even clingier, almost watching him without blinking as if afraid he might disappear.
Soon, not only Bo Jin but also Sun Haoxiang and the others noticed something was off.
“All right, spill it. Did you do something to betray him?” Sun Haoxiang grabbed a pen from He Mingjie and held it like a knife to Bo Jin’s throat. “Confess and we’ll be lenient.”
“Get lost.” Bo Jin snatched the pen, scoffing, “I haven’t even been near a female mosquito.”
At first, Bo Jin quite enjoyed being the center of Xie Ruan’s attention. But after a few days, he noticed that Xie Ruan seemed increasingly anxious, and even his insomnia was worsening.
He Mingjie, ever the instigator, egged them on, “What about a male mosquito, then?”
Bo Jin shot him a look.
He Mingjie, undeterred, met his gaze head-on. “What, something to hide?”
He’s standing up for his friend’s feelings no matter what—he’s not afraid to go all out!
Bo Jin kicked He Mingjie’s chair.
He Mingjie, who hadn’t been sitting properly, almost toppled over along with the chair. He scrambled up, cursing, about to demand an explanation, but Bo Jin just raised his chin at him.
“What’s up?” He Mingjie asked, confused.
“Male mosquito.” Bo Jin tossed a pen at him, smirking with a hint of amusement. “Is it you, little man?”
He Mingjie froze for a moment, then realized Bo Jin was mocking him and spat out, “Get lost, don’t touch me!”
“Same goes for me, thanks.”
Sun Haoxiang, watching the exchange between the two, almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing and quickly nudged Bo Jin. “Seriously, you two okay?”
It wasn’t that he was prying, but Xie Ruan’s intense stare was way out of the ordinary.
“We’re fine.” Bo Jin shook his head at Sun Haoxiang, pulling himself back to the present.
He planned to talk things over with Xie Ruan after school. They’d work through any issues together.
As for Xie Ruan’s unwillingness to talk… Bo Jin leaned against the wall, rubbing his wrist with a smile. There were ways to get him to open up, weren’t there?
After all, there were so many methods. Surely one would work on him.
But things moved faster than expected. During lunch break, Bo Jin suddenly got a call from Wen Yong.
It was the first call from Wen Yong since the math competition.
“Brother Yong, what’s up?”
On the other end, Wen Yong’s voice was hoarse and sounded utterly exhausted. “Little Bo, do you have some time these days? There’s a problem with the project, and I need you to come over.”
