When Xie Ruan returned, he noticed something strange in the atmosphere. Both He Mingjie and Sun Haoxiang kept glancing at him from time to time. But as soon as he looked their way, they quickly looked away.
Anyone else might’ve felt uneasy or wondered why, but Xie Ruan had always been used to people staring, especially after everything with Shen Xingyun. He wasn’t bothered at all.
Without much expression, he gave them a glance and sat back down.
Sun Haoxiang felt a bit unsettled under his gaze. After a while, he nudged He Mingjie with his elbow and whispered, “Hey, don’t you think he’s pretty cool?”
He Mingjie nodded in agreement. “Doesn’t seem anything like they describe him on the forums.”
Though He Mingjie was straight and not interested in gossip between guys, he frequented the school forums, where the drama between Xie Ruan and Shen Xingyun had been quite the spectacle. He’d come across bits and pieces here and there.
The rumors mostly painted Xie Ruan as always trying to please Shen Xingyun. But from what he’d seen today, Xie Ruan seemed more likely to knock him down a peg if he tried anything.
“Who believes those rumors anyway,” Sun Haoxiang said, glancing at the class schedule on the bottom right corner of the blackboard while rummaging through his desk for his next textbook. “Isn’t Shen Xingyun pretty popular? Probably just some jealous people spreading lies after seeing their good relationship.”
“True,” He Mingjie nodded. “The forums even call Bo Jin a ‘cool and detached academic god.’”
“Pfft!” Sun Haoxiang laughed, shaking his head. “Cool and detached? Please, he’s anything but that!” Glancing at Bo Jin and Xie Ruan’s backs, he lowered his voice. “So, what’s really going on with those two?”
“No clue,” He Mingjie shrugged. “I wouldn’t dare guess, and I wouldn’t dare ask.”
Sun Haoxiang turned to ask, “Old Pan, do you know anything?”
Pan Yu paused his writing, shook his head, and behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed as if he’d found something interesting. “No idea. But I’ll observe for a few days.”
“Think that’ll work?” Sun Haoxiang asked, a bit doubtful, knowing Bo Jin would be hard to catch slipping.
“It’s fine,” Pan Yu pushed up his glasses, hiding his intentions with a calm expression. “I’ve got all the time in the world to figure it out.”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
With his passion for gossip, Pan Yu was missing his calling as a tabloid journalist.
Later in the morning, their homeroom teacher, Sun Fuan, had a math class.
Throughout the lesson, he kept an eye on Xie Ruan out of the corner of his eye. According to the homeroom teacher of Class 11, Xie Ruan was supposedly a troublemaker with a strong background and difficult to handle.
When Director Zhao had proposed placing him in the advanced class, none of the teachers wanted to take him on.
Though Sun Fuan came off as strict, he actually had a soft heart. He couldn’t stand the thought of Xie Ruan being passed around like a football between teachers. So when the other teachers kept pushing him off, he stepped up and brought Xie Ruan into his class.
He’d spent the previous night drafting a plan, hoping to have a heart-to-heart and guide this “lost lamb” in the right direction. But after seeing him today, Sun Fuan felt the Class 11 homeroom teacher had been too quick to judge.
Troublemaker? The kid was clearly well-behaved, attentive even. He didn’t seem distracted at all, focusing on the lecture earnestly. Whether or not he understood it, he at least had a positive attitude.
After explaining a new concept, Sun Fuan encouraged the students to discuss it among themselves, then walked over to Xie Ruan and asked, “Are you keeping up with the material?”
Xie Ruan answered honestly, “About halfway.”
With Sun Fuan’s extensive experience and expertise, his explanations made difficult points clearer and more accessible, something Xie Ruan’s self-study couldn’t compare to.
However, since he had missed much of the first-year material, his foundation was weak, making some topics challenging.
Seeing the first-year textbook on his desk, Sun Fuan understood. His gaze softened as he looked at Xie Ruan. Good kid.
As a teacher, low grades weren’t a worry; lack of motivation was. But with Xie Ruan’s drive, his grades would improve eventually.
“Keep this attitude and stay on track.” Recalling the sympathetic looks he’d received from the other teachers when he accepted Xie Ruan, Sun Fuan silently scoffed and added with a gentle tone, “Feel free to come to my office for questions during breaks or study periods. Use every bit of time you can.”
As long as he’s willing to study, he’ll definitely improve. Don’t those people think Xie Ruan is a lost cause? Once his grades come up, we’ll see what they have to say.
Sun Fuan thought about it, feeling that just relying on teachers wouldn’t be enough. Every teacher has their own workload and limited time, so it might be difficult for them to address Xie Ruan’s questions in a timely manner. Glancing at Bo Jin, who was dozing at his desk, an idea came to him.
He knocked on Bo Jin’s desk. “Stop sleeping. Get up.”
Bo Jin wasn’t actually asleep; he was just pretending, and he sat up immediately. “Need something?”
His bangs were a little tousled, and there was a faint crease on his cheek. Yet, instead of looking sloppy, he had a kind of laid-back charm.
But Sun Fuan, not being one of those teenage girls, didn’t appreciate it at all and just gave him a look of disdain. “Sleep, sleep, sleep! That’s all you ever do. I’ve never seen you awake for more than a moment!”
Bo Jin rubbed his face tiredly, stretching his long legs onto the beam under the desk, and replied, “I’m just recharging to approach the next round of studying with full energy.”
Sun Fuan: “…”
This was the first time he’d heard anyone defend sleeping in class so confidently.
He’d known Bo Jin was a handful, but not quite this bad. If not for his intimidatingly high test scores, Sun Fuan would’ve slammed his hand on the desk a long time ago.
Holding back, knowing that lecturing him was pointless, Sun Fuan gruffly said, “You seem bored, so I’ve got a task for you.”
He gestured toward Xie Ruan. “You have good grades, so help Xie Ruan out. Since you’re seatmates, it’s convenient to go over problems together, right?”
Bo Jin glanced at Xie Ruan, who looked especially obedient in front of the teacher, finding it a bit amusing, and nodded. “Sure.”
Sun Fuan was relieved by his quick agreement and felt his frustration dissipate. Finally, his class leader would be of some use. He sighed with satisfaction, “Then I’ll leave him in your hands.”
“Understood.”
After Sun Fuan left, Bo Jin didn’t go back to sleep. Instead, he folded up his worksheets and looked sideways at Xie Ruan with a slight smile. “Did you hear that? Old Sun handed you over to me, so from now on, I’m in charge.”
Xie Ruan stared at him speechlessly. This guy really had a way of making a mountain out of a molehill. The teacher only asked him to help explain some questions, but somehow, Bo Jin managed to make it sound completely different.
Xie Ruan wanted to snap back, but then he thought about his weak foundation. There’d likely be a lot he’d need help with, and Bo Jin was the only strong student he knew. He’d probably need to ask for his help.
Sometimes you have to bow your head under someone else’s roof. With that in mind, Xie Ruan reluctantly softened his tone. “Thanks in advance.”
Bo Jin raised his eyebrows, surprised. He’d expected Xie Ruan to argue with him at least a little. Too bad—Bo Jin sighed in regret—he’d lost his chance to mess with him.
“No need for thanks,” Bo Jin replied, putting his worksheets away with rare seriousness. “Ask me anytime if you don’t understand something.”
Noticing that Bo Jin wasn’t joking, Xie Ruan thought that despite his unserious demeanor, he could be dependable. Just as he was about to thank him again, Bo Jin added, “There’s one more thing you should remember.”
What is it? Xie Ruan was puzzled. Could it be an inspirational quote? It seemed like something that would fit a moment like this. If it was worthy of being Bo Jin’s motto, it might really be something motivating.
With this thought, he straightened up slightly, ready to listen attentively.
Bo Jin said, “Once I start teaching you, you’re officially my student. Remember to respect your teacher, as is tradition.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
He knew it! This jerk would never actually change his ways!
At noon, Xie Ruan and Song Xinghe went out for lunch.
Though Shijia High was strict in many areas, it allowed students to eat off campus.
“Let’s get Korean bibimbap,” Song Xinghe suggested eagerly when he saw Xie Ruan. “A new chain store just opened across the street. Some classmates tried it and said it’s really good.”
Xie Ruan liked Korean food, so he was about to agree when he remembered that they’d have to cross the pedestrian bridge to get there.
The bridge had been built a few years back when the area was redeveloped. It was tall and steep, with tempered glass on both sides to prevent accidents, giving a clear view of the bustling traffic below.
In the past, Xie Ruan had crossed it countless times without thinking twice. But ever since he learned about his future death, he’d developed a fear of heights. Just imagining the scene made his legs go weak.
“No bibimbap,” he frowned, deflecting, “Why are you so unpatriotic?”
Fearing heights wasn’t exactly macho, so he didn’t want anyone else to know.
Song Xinghe: “???”
What does eating Korean food have to do with patriotism? It’s not like they were flying to Korea—just eating Korean-style bibimbap. How is that unpatriotic?
He felt like Xie Ruan had been getting harder to understand since yesterday.
“You…”
“Let’s go for spicy stir-fry instead,” Xie Ruan interrupted him. “Didn’t you mention wanting it before?”
Song Xinghe thought about it and agreed, “Sure.” The weather has been hot lately, so something savory would be perfect. They could save the bibimbap for another meal.
Since it was lunch hour and there was another top provincial high school nearby, the spicy stir-fry place was packed. Xie Ruan and Song Xinghe waited for a while before managing to find a seat.
By the time they finished eating and returned, it was nearly break time.
Most of Class One’s students were already at their seats, either working on problems or reading, creating a strong atmosphere of focus. Even his typically unmotivated seatmate was holding a book.
Glancing over out of curiosity, Xie Ruan noticed it was a full-color page.
Are the textbooks this fancy these days? He was intrigued and was about to take a closer look when Bo Jin suddenly closed the book with a snap.
Xie Ruan was first stunned, then looked at Bo Jin with a gaze full of meaning. A study guide? Would a study guide be something to hide? It had to be some indecent book!
Who would’ve thought? Bo Jin looked all proper, yet here he was, doing this kind of thing openly in the classroom.
“Don’t bother hiding it,” Xie Ruan leaned in, feeling like he’d caught something big. “I saw it all.”
His eyes were mischievous, like a little fox that had just stolen a chicken—charming and oblivious to it. Bo Jin glanced at his face, smirking. “What did you see?”
Still trying to play dumb after getting caught? Fine, he’d bring out the evidence. Xie Ruan clicked his tongue and quickly reached into Bo Jin’s desk. “Come on, class leader. It’s just an indecent book. What’s there to hide? Own up.”
He moved fast, but Bo Jin was faster. Catching Xie Ruan’s hand in his own, he raised an eyebrow. “And how did you know it was an indecent book?” He looked leisurely at Xie Ruan. “Looks like you’ve got some experience yourself.”
Throwing it back at him! Xie Ruan had only said it offhand, but now he was determined to challenge him. “If it’s not, what are you afraid of? Have the guts to show me!”
Bo Jin still hadn’t let go of his hand and responded curtly, “It’s not appropriate for you.”
Xie Ruan narrowed his eyes. “What exactly isn’t appropriate?”
Bo Jin raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want me to say it out?”
They were both seventeen or eighteen, so why would it be appropriate for him but not for Xie Ruan? Unconvinced, Xie Ruan said, “Say it.”
Bo Jin glanced at him, then coolly replied, “Did you understand what the teacher covered this morning? How much homework have you finished? How far are you in preparing for tomorrow’s lessons?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
“All this left undone, and you’re thinking about extracurricular books. Irresponsible.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Fine, you win!
Dejected, Xie Ruan turned back to his desk and pulled out a textbook.
Behind him, Sun Haoxiang, who’d been secretly watching with amusement, poked Bo Jin’s back with a pen. “Brother Bo, be careful. Don’t make Little Xie angry.”
“Angry at what?” Bo Jin logged into the school’s website and pulled up the question bank confidently. “Our bond is strong.”
“…” Sun Haoxiang gave him a skeptical look. “You two… are close?” He glanced at Xie Ruan’s irritated expression. “How exactly?”
Bo Jin put his phone down, ready to explain. He pointed at Xie Ruan. “He asked to be my deskmate, and I’m going out of my way to help him study.”
Sun Haoxiang: “So?”
Bo Jin chuckled lightly, “The most beautiful kind of love is when both people run toward each other.”
Sun Haoxiang: “…”
With a crunch, Xie Ruan almost crushed the pen in his hand.
Running towards each other? Where’s his forty-meter broadsword?!
