The sound of water echoed from the bathroom throughout the night, occasionally mixed with breathless cries and quiet curses. By the time calm finally settled, dawn was already breaking.
Xie Ruan lay sprawled on the bed, half-buried in the soft comforter, with only one flushed cheek peeking out. His eyes were red-rimmed with traces of tears, and he slept deeply, clearly exhausted.
Bo Jin, on the other hand, was in stark contrast, looking rejuvenated as though he’d had a boost of energy, practically radiating with hormones.
Despite their late return and a sleepless night, he seemed full of life.
“I’m heading down to grab you something to eat. Don’t worry if I’m gone,” he said, slipping on his jacket and pressing a kiss to Xie Ruan’s cheek. “Just keep sleeping.”
The person under the covers stirred, then threw a pillow in his direction. “Get lost!”
Hearing his hoarse voice, Bo Jin felt a rare pang of guilt, realizing he might have overdone it just a tiny bit. But… recalling last night’s events, he swallowed hard. Yeah, he’d definitely go for it again next time.
Once you’ve crossed that line, there’s no turning back—you might as well get your fill. Going halfway wasn’t his style!
Besides, he knew his limits and wouldn’t actually hurt anyone.
With a satisfied smile, Bo Jin kissed the back of that hand, tucked it warmly under the covers, and quietly left the room.
The sun was already high, casting a soft, gentle light.
Cars moved steadily along the bustling street, and people hurrying to work clutched their bags in one hand and breakfast in the other, rushing forward.
Everything felt full of life and energy.
In an instant, the memories of his unpleasant thoughts from before were swept away.
Bo Jin shook his head, deciding to leave those unimportant worries behind, and strode off toward a breakfast shop.
The past was behind him. He wouldn’t forget it, but he could choose to let it go.
Nearby, breakfast options were plentiful, with both Western and Chinese choices, all looking clean and inviting. Bo Jin avoided the flashy stuff, knowing that Xie Ruan had a traditional Chinese palate and wouldn’t go for burgers and milk.
He picked a popular place, ordered two beef rice rolls, and added two cups of soy milk, asking the vendor to pack them up to take back to the hotel. His face was lit with a satisfied, almost smug look.
He drew more than a few glances as he walked back.
Bo Jin didn’t notice he’d become a sight for others to admire, and even if he had, he wouldn’t care. No matter what, nothing was going to stop him from getting back to the room and feeding his lover.
And if he could sneak in a little extra affection along the way, even better.
He took out his room card to swipe on the elevator, just about to press the floor button when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Usually, he kept the ringer on in case of urgent matters from the company, but he’d switched it to silent earlier, worried he’d disturb Xie Ruan’s sleep.
Who could it be so early? He wondered if the police station had an update already.
He shifted the breakfast to his other hand and pulled out his phone, seeing “Old Sun” displayed brightly on the screen.
Bo Jin: “?”
What was Old Sun calling about this early?
Perplexed, he answered the call. Before he could say anything, Sun Fuan’s anxious voice came through.
“Bo Jin, is Xie Ruan with you?”
Only then did Bo Jin recall that Xie Ruan had snuck out last night, probably without telling anyone. The dorm supervisor must have found out his identity and reported it, leading Old Sun to call him in a panic.
Bo Jin smirked. The school must be in chaos right now. He quickly reassured Sun Fuan, “He’s here.”
Just as he was thinking of an excuse to cover for him, he heard Sun Fuan sigh in relief, “That’s good, that’s good. This kid—running off in the middle of the night without a word… Is he doing alright?”
Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, feeling Sun Fuan’s reaction was a bit unusual. Since when was he so lenient with students sneaking out? Shouldn’t he be yelling, calling parents, and throwing a fit?
But Bo Jin wisely chose not to question it. He replied calmly, “He’s fine, no issues.”
“That’s a relief,” Sun Fuan said, finally relaxing after getting confirmation. He even held off contacting Xie Ruan’s parents. Leaning back in his chair with a sip of chrysanthemum tea, he continued, “It’s my oversight. I hadn’t realized the pressure of his studies had been weighing on him so heavily lately.”
The dorm supervisor had just informed him that a student from their class had run out last night, which had initially left Sun Fuan fuming. He’d been ready to track down whichever rebellious troublemaker it was and give them a piece of his mind, thinking maybe they’d snuck out for gaming or a secret rendezvous.
To his surprise, it turned out to be Xie Ruan.
Oh, if it’s Xie Ruan, then never mind.
For the past two years, Xie Ruan’s dedication was evident to all. His studiousness wasn’t something Sun Fuan exaggerated about; there were few students across the school who could rival his diligence. A hardworking kid like that wouldn’t be sneaking out for nonsense; it had to be the stress from upcoming exams that got to him.
“How’s he doing now? Is he calm? Has he eaten?” Sun Fuan asked, showing a level of care more like a parent than a teacher.
Bo Jin chuckled, knowing that while Xie Ruan wasn’t exactly a “model student,” he’d somehow found a place in Sun Fuan’s heart.
And that worked in his favor, sparing him from a lot of explanations.
Standing in the hallway, Bo Jin replied, “He hasn’t eaten yet; I just got breakfast to bring back.”
“Good, you two enjoy your meal then.”
Sun Fuan was about to add something, but class two’s homeroom teacher had come to get him for a routine check, so he quickly instructed, “I’m not fully aware of his situation, but you’re close with him, so try to reassure him. With his grades, he has nothing to worry about; as long as he stays steady, he’s set for one of those top universities.”
What a beautiful misunderstanding.
Bo Jin knew the real reason why Xie Ruan had left school, but he played along, replying smoothly, “Sure, leave it to me.”
Confident in his top student’s well-being, Sun Fuan gave a few more quick instructions and reminded them to return to school soon before hanging up.
Ignoring the various new messages on WeChat, Bo Jin pocketed his phone and entered the room.
Xie Ruan was still asleep, likely exhausted, his brows faintly furrowed, and a few light red marks were visible on his exposed back. Against his pale skin, they looked strikingly vivid.
A young man of seventeen or eighteen could get restless just listening to a boring math lecture, let alone with the love of his life lying in front of him, the two of them having just shared the closest of moments.
Bo Jin’s footsteps paused, resisting the urge to look toward the bed. He stood there a while, replaying the balcony scene from last night in his mind over and over, barely managing to calm down. Then he gently pulled back the covers over Xie Ruan.
“Little Ruan, time to wake up.”
Xie Ruan didn’t respond, pulling the blanket up over his head and continuing to sleep.
Bo Jin reached out and pulled the oversized “caterpillar” into his arms, coaxing softly, “Get up and eat something before going back to sleep, or your stomach won’t handle it.”
Xie Ruan stirred a little, too sleepy to open his eyes. He mumbled, “I don’t want to eat,” and tried to drift back off.
“Be good,” Bo Jin mischievously brushed his fingers over Xie Ruan’s eyelashes and teased, “Or are you planning to eat something else?”
This “something else” was suggestive enough that, even in his half-awake state, Xie Ruan immediately caught on to his meaning. Memories of the night before flooded back, making his spine tingle with the remnants of an overwhelming sensation. Xie Ruan snapped awake in an instant.
“Tsk,” Bo Jin lightly pinched his earlobe, teasing him leisurely, “So you do want it. You should’ve just said. I….”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xie Ruan jumped up and clamped a hand over his mouth.
No way. He definitely didn’t want to end up bedridden.
Xie Ruan couldn’t understand—how could someone who always seemed so lazy suddenly turn so intense in bed…
He pried Bo Jin’s hand off him, stretching his sore back, and rubbed his eyes as he asked, “Where’s my shirt?”
“Here,” Bo Jin tossed a white T-shirt from the closet. “I washed it; you got it dirty last night.”
“It was clearly you…” Xie Ruan started to retort but then realized something and immediately shut his mouth.
What was he supposed to say? That Bo Jin had him biting down on his shirt hem last night, punishing him every time he let go until he was utterly defeated? Forget it—he wasn’t going to dig his own grave.
“Go on, what about me?” Bo Jin tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Xie Ruan, clearly enjoying himself. “Why’d you stop talking?”
This shameless man! Just loves to put on an act!
Xie Ruan ignored him, struggling stiffly as he pulled on his shirt and darted into the bathroom.
“Ran off quite fast…” Bo Jin reluctantly withdrew his hand, watching Xie Ruan’s retreating figure with a distracted look.
He was hoping to hear Xie Ruan continue his complaints, but no luck.
Xie Ruan, still young, seemed fine even after bouncing between two cities and a long night. But he was clearly uncomfortable sitting down, constantly shifting positions.
Bo Jin grabbed a small blanket to cushion his seat, frowning as he asked, “Does it hurt?”
It shouldn’t be, he’d checked that morning.
Xie Ruan hadn’t expected such a blunt question and nearly choked on his breakfast, coughing and blushing as he managed to stammer, “No, it’s just…”
He paused and murmured, “It just feels… a bit weird.”
Almost like something was still pressing against him.
Bo Jin, noticing the redness in Xie Ruan’s ears, felt a little thrill of satisfaction. Unfortunately, Xie Ruan couldn’t handle much physically, so he settled for teasing him verbally: “My bad.”
“It’s not that,” Xie Ruan replied, surprised at Bo Jin’s apology. It was a mutual thing; there was nothing to feel guilty about. Besides, Bo Jin had tried to be considerate last night. He only felt a momentary ache—most of it was quite pleasant.
To ease Bo Jin’s conscience, Xie Ruan was just about to say something reassuring when Bo Jin commented, “Guess we haven’t done it enough yet. Get used to it with more practice.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
He was a fool for worrying. The word “remorse” didn’t even exist in this scoundrel’s vocabulary!
Since Xie Ruan was still feeling the effects, they decided not to head back immediately and spent another day at the hotel. The next day, they finally bought train tickets home.
After only two days away from school, walking back into it felt surreal for Xie Ruan.
Looking up at the balcony on top of the teaching building, then at Bo Jin beside him, he felt the weight he’d been carrying for two years finally lift. The crisis was over, and he no longer had to live on edge.
With the college entrance exams approaching, the classroom was quiet. They walked in without drawing much attention. That was until Xie Ruan pulled out his chair and found himself face-to-face with He Mingjie, who was hiding under the desk sneaking a snack—
“Holy…!” He Mingjie’s eyes went wide, his mouth falling open as he yanked on Sun Haoxiang’s arm. “Old Sun, stop eating. The runaway has returned!”
Xie Ruan: “???”
Runaway? Who ran away?!
Explain yourself!!
