As the college entrance exams drew nearer, the atmosphere at school grew intense, with senior students sporting dark circles under their eyes. They were either staying up late to study or struggling with insomnia due to the pressure.
Xie Ruan hadn’t felt particularly affected, but the pressure was contagious, and he began to feel restless. Fortunately, Bo Jin noticed right away and helped ease his anxiety, allowing him to spend the remaining high school days comfortably.
With an organized review schedule, a relaxed mindset, and Bo Jin’s companionship, Xie Ruan’s mock exam scores improved each time, and he even ranked among the top three in the school in the final mock exam.
Good results brought positive feedback, and Xie Ruan now seemed like a young eagle fully prepared to spread his wings and soar high when the time came.
During this period, something else happened: Chen Wei came to see him.
She snuck out while He Jinqing was out with friends and He Chen was at school.
Since returning the house key, Xie Ruan hadn’t been back home. But He Chen often called, so he had some idea of how things were going at the He household.
Without the large sum of money Chen Wei had brought, their lifestyle had plummeted. Although they were still well-off, they couldn’t buy things as freely as before.
He Jinqing’s attitude toward Chen Wei had also changed dramatically. Not only was he cold and dismissive, but he often went out with questionable friends and stayed out all night.
He Chen was too young to understand the complexities of adult relationships, but Xie Ruan understood. He Jinqing probably had someone else on the side.
He had picked up the phone countless times, only to put it down again.
Knowing Chen Wei’s personality, he knew that if he advised her to divorce, she wouldn’t listen and might even blame him for interfering in her marriage. So why bother being the bad guy?
A close mother-son bond wasn’t essential; the distant, unintrusive relationship they now had suited him just fine.
What surprised him was that after their inheritance was split, and with no messages or even a hint of contact from Chen Wei, as if she had forgotten him, she actually came looking for him.
After just a year, she seemed visibly older. Despite her makeup, wrinkles showed around her eyes, making her look completely different from the fragile, naive woman she once was.
“What is it?” Xie Ruan’s face showed no emotion as he looked down.
Chen Wei’s lips trembled, and before she could say a word, tears began to fall.
In contrast to her weary state, Xie Ruan clearly seemed to be doing well. He was tall and slender, standing straight as if he were a newly-grown bamboo shoot, with a bright and confident look that made it hard to look away.
Chen Wei knew she should be happy—he was, after all, her son with Xie Wangnian. She had eagerly awaited his birth, pouring all her motherly love into him. She had worried over every little thing, every sneeze, and every frown.
Now, seeing him so well-taken care of, she should feel relieved.
But, inexplicably, a surge of resentment rose in her chest as she looked at the spirited young man before her.
The resentment was so intense it even startled her.
“Can’t I visit you for no reason?” Despite her efforts to remain calm, a trace of bitterness seeped into her voice.
“I didn’t think you’d have the time,” Xie Ruan replied sarcastically.
After spending so much time with Bo Jin, he had picked up a hint of his sarcasm.
After saying it, he was a little taken aback himself.
He hadn’t noticed just how much of Bo Jin’s influence had permeated his life. From his demeanor to his mannerisms, it felt as if Bo Jin had gradually woven himself into every part of his life, as if he were the proverbial frog slowly warming in the pot of water.
Their lives had intertwined so deeply that they were inseparable.
The weather in May was perfectly pleasant—not too cold and not too hot. A gentle breeze stirred the large banyan tree leaves by the roadside, creating a soft, rustling sound.
Xie Ruan tilted his head slightly, watching as a ray of sunlight finally broke through the layers of obstacles and shone through the branches. He smiled gently.
How wonderful. He was no longer alone, and he didn’t have to lower his head and beg for that meager bit of motherly love.
Chen Wei, not being particularly clever and emotionally overwhelmed, didn’t even catch Xie Ruan’s sarcasm. She actually went along with his words.
“It’s good you understand your mother,” she said, wiping her tears and sighing. “You wouldn’t know since you haven’t been home, but your Uncle He has changed. He’s out all the time, and I have to take care of Chen Chen and the shop all by myself—my back is killing me.”
After leaving the North, Chen Wei lost all her old connections. And ever since marrying He Jinqing, she had been a full-time housewife with no real friends.
Now that she’d caught Xie Ruan, she vented all her complaints.
“He just eats and doesn’t even talk to me when he’s home. If I say anything, he snaps at me.” Chen Wei’s voice grew angrier. “It’s definitely those people who led him astray.”
Xie Ruan had no interest in hearing any of this. He glanced at his phone—lunch break was almost over. “There’s no point in telling me all this; instead, you might as well—”
Before he could finish, Chen Wei interrupted, “How can it be useless?”
She grabbed his hand, pleadingly. “You—you know people, don’t you? Get someone to scare them off, so they’ll stop coming around your Uncle He.”
“What?” Xie Ruan found her request absurd.
What kind of mother would ask her son to do something like that? Wasn’t she afraid he’d pick up bad habits by associating with those kinds of people?
Maybe aware of her outrageous request, Chen Wei pushed aside any sense of guilt and begged, “Xingxing, please help your mother. You’re the only one I can rely on.”
“I can’t help you.” Xie Ruan firmly pulled his hand away, his tone cold. “If you can make it work, fine. If not, get a divorce.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“How can you be so heartless!” Chen Wei followed him in a fluster, blurting out, “If it weren’t for you, would things at home have turned out like this? Now I’m asking you for one little favor, and you refuse!”
Xie Ruan stopped and turned back, staring at her expressionlessly.
Under his gaze, Chen Wei slowly calmed down, clutching her bag awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Xingxing… I didn’t mean it. I’m just… just desperate.”
Was that really the case?
Xie Ruan closed his eyes, no longer looking at the woman in front of him.
In over a year, she had never asked him about his life or his grades. Instead, she came right before his college entrance exams, asking him to track down some thugs to scare her husband’s friends…
Every excuse was just a cover-up. She simply didn’t care.
“Leave.” Xie Ruan took two steps back, putting some distance between them. “The exams are coming up. I need to focus on studying. I don’t have time for this.”
“Studying?” Chen Wei blurted out, “With grades like yours, why even bother?”
Realizing what she had said, she immediately closed her mouth awkwardly.
“Right, that’s why I need to try harder.” Xie Ruan replied dismissively, unwilling to waste time arguing with her.
Not to mention, he had explained his grades to her countless times before. It was like talking to a wall; to her, he was still the same troublemaker, only interested in fights.
“Xingxing…” Chen Wei, realizing he was about to leave, tried to call him back, but the bell rang.
Students began streaming into the building, and in an instant, Xie Ruan’s figure disappeared into the crowd. Chen Wei waited anxiously for a while, but he didn’t return, and she could only leave unwillingly.
Xie Ruan hurried to the hallway, and only after entering his classroom did he finally let out a breath.
Facing Chen Wei always left him feeling stifled.
“What happened?” Bo Jin rubbed his sulking kitten-like face, frowning. “Did she upset you?”
He had left in a good mood, and now he was back like this. It was obvious who was responsible.
Xie Ruan hadn’t planned to tell him about all this mess, but he couldn’t hold back in front of Bo Jin. He hesitated before finally telling him why Chen Wei had come.
“What?” Bo Jin was speechless. “She wants you to find people to teach He Jinqing’s friends a lesson?”
Bo Jin had always considered himself well-acquainted with all kinds of people, but this was a new level. Chen Wei had truly broadened his horizons.
“Yeah.” Xie Ruan replied quietly, slumping on the desk.
“Don’t pay her any mind.” Bo Jin gently pinched his soft, round earlobe, smiling slyly. “It’s no big deal; focus on your studies, and I’ll handle it.”
Knowing Bo Jin’s personality, Xie Ruan was instantly on guard. “What are you planning?”
It wasn’t that he cared about He Jinqing and Chen Wei. He just worried that Bo Jin might go too far and cause trouble.
“What’s with that look?” Bo Jin playfully tugged at the soft flesh beneath his fingers and raised an eyebrow. “A law-abiding citizen like me would obviously go to the police, right?”
Xie Ruan: “???”
What did this have to do with the police? What was he plotting?
No matter how much he asked, Bo Jin refused to say anything.
However, the next day, Xie Ruan got his answer—
Thanks to an anonymous tip, He Jinqing was caught visiting prostitutes in a hotel. The incident was serious enough to result in a 500 yuan fine and fifteen days of detention.
“This is your solution?” Xie Ruan looked at Bo Jin, dazed, trying to make sense of it all.
How had he known about He Jinqing’s affairs? Had he been hiding under his bed?
“Just guessed.” Bo Jin stretched his long legs, lounging comfortably on the couch as he played his game. “He Chen calls you all the time, right? Just a few hints here and there. Then, it’s just a matter of finding a few people to track He Jinqing’s movements—caught him right on the mark.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
Was this what they called a difference in intelligence?
“Alright, stop worrying about all that nonsense,” Bo Jin said, tossing his phone aside and sitting down beside Xie Ruan. He playfully flicked Xie Ruan on the forehead. “Let them deal with their own mess—it has nothing to do with you.”
“Mm,” Xie Ruan nodded, feeling a mix of emotions.
He hadn’t been too concerned, just a little bothered. But now that Bo Jin had completely resolved the issue at its source, he no longer had to worry about Chen Wei coming back to bother him.
Sure enough, in the following days, Chen Wei was busy paying fines and trying to bail people out of the police station, and she didn’t show up again.
So, the rest of Xie Ruan’s high school days passed peacefully and smoothly.
On June 7, the weather finally cleared up.
The sun hung high in the sky, dispersing the gloom from the previous days of continuous rain.
Bo Jin dropped Xie Ruan off at the entrance to the test center, gave him a hug, and said, “Go on. I’ll be waiting for you outside.”
“I’m going in, then?” Xie Ruan’s hands and feet felt stiff with nerves.
He hadn’t felt much before, but now, standing in front of the grand entrance, with security lines everywhere, he couldn’t hold it together.
“What else would you do?” Bo Jin leaned close to his ear, smiling as he whispered, “Other people bring pens to exams; are you bringing your boyfriend?”
Xie Ruan: “…”
He shot Bo Jin a hard glare, and his nerves disappeared in an instant.
Gripping his pencil case, he turned and took a long look at Bo Jin before walking confidently into the test center, ready to face his final high school exams.
