In the first exam, Chinese, Xie Ruan didn’t feel anything special after seeing the questions. Language subjects weren’t his strength; his grades in Chinese and English were decent but not exceptional. However, his teachers liked him for being a well-rounded student.
When it came to math and science, though, his strengths started to shine.
Especially since the questions this year were much harder than usual, giving Xie Ruan the perfect chance to show what he could do.
He tackled both exams with enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling as he left the exam room. Even when he faced his most dreaded subject, English, he felt relaxed and breezed through it for once.
It was obvious, just from the look on his face, that Bo Jin could tell he had done well.
As he should.
Bo Jin smiled and extended his hand as Xie Ruan jogged over to him.
Bo Jin had seen how hard Xie Ruan had worked over the past two years. All those efforts were now paying off.
“Bo Jin!”
Xie Ruan didn’t hide his joy in the slightest. Who needed to be subtle? He’d done well, and he was going to be happy about it!
“It’s over! I finally finished my exams!”
He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Bo Jin’s waist, rocketing into his arms like a little cannonball. “We’re having a feast tonight!”
The test center was crowded with parents and students, some crying in relief, others beaming with joy. In the midst of all this, Xie Ruan and Bo Jin blended right in, drawing little attention.
And even if anyone did notice, they only smiled kindly, thinking nothing of it.
Bo Jin took two steps back and caught him easily. He hugged his treasure tightly, his eyes filled with a tenderness he wasn’t even aware of. “Sure, we’ll go out for a feast. What do you feel like eating?”
“Beef hot pot!” Xie Ruan answered without hesitation.
That hardly qualified as a feast. Bo Jin pressed Xie Ruan’s head against his shoulder and, with a meaningful smile, teased, “Easy to please… Well, tonight, let’s make sure you eat plenty.”
After all, he needed his strength so he could give Bo Jin something good in return.
The person he loved had been in his arms every night, but in order to save his energy for the exams, all he could do was look and not touch. He’d suffered through it all with such restraint, even the famously virtuous Liu Xia Hui would’ve had to call him “master.”
The restaurant they chose was a popular one, buzzing with activity, voices calling out and laughter filling the air.
Normally, Xie Ruan would’ve gotten impatient with the noise, but maybe because the exams were over, he felt relaxed, and today, the lively atmosphere didn’t bother him.
They had a lively, satisfying dinner, and afterward, Xie Ruan planned to pull an all-nighter gaming with Song Xinghe. He’d been texting Song Xinghe during dinner and learned that he’d done well on his exams too.
If they weren’t going to celebrate now, then when?
But with Bo Jin around, there was no way he’d let Xie Ruan get whisked away by some other “wild flower.”
Fresh out of the shower, his hair still damp, Xie Ruan was scooped up and pulled into bed.
This time, Bo Jin didn’t hold back at all, giving it his all. Poor Xie Ruan was soon overwhelmed, losing any sense of pride as Bo Jin coaxed out words from him he’d never say otherwise.
He didn’t even remember when he fell asleep, only waking up the next afternoon.
The bedroom curtains were tightly drawn, not a single ray of light seeping through. Xie Ruan opened his eyes, disoriented, unsure of what day it was.
“Awake?” Bo Jin put down his phone, came over, and gave him a satisfied kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Hungry? I made some congee. Want to get up and have a little?”
Just seeing Bo Jin’s face made Xie Ruan annoyed. He clenched his teeth, lifting a hand to give this beast a hit. But something pulled, and he gasped in pain.
“Is your waist sore?” Bo Jin tsked, pulling the blanket back to massage him gently. “Sweetheart, your stamina’s not so great, huh?”
No man could stand hearing those words.
Xie Ruan shot back, “You’re the one with no stamina!”
“Me?” Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, his hand on Xie Ruan’s waist creeping downward. “You sure about that?”
Xie Ruan’s expression shifted, and he shrank back, keeping quiet.
He swore he saw anticipation in Bo Jin’s eyes! Who knew what this old rascal would do if he kept pushing?
Smart little thing.
Reluctantly, Bo Jin retracted his hand, missing an easy opportunity to take advantage of him. He poured a cup of warm water for Xie Ruan, watching as he drank. “Get up, it’s already past one. Let’s get you something to eat.”
“Mm,” Xie Ruan responded, turning to look for clothes.
Watching him, Bo Jin couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
There were no clothes to be found; Xie Ruan’s were left in the living room last night.
He foolishly searched for a bit before remembering, his face flushing red. He was itching to kick that shameless guy by the bed, who was acting as if he’d done something to be proud of.
“Here,” Bo Jin handed him some clean clothes before he could lose his temper, and gave him a steadying hand. “Starting tomorrow, you’re training with me.”
One time and he was laid up half a day—no way that would do.
“Training where?” Xie Ruan asked him with a deadpan look.
Did Bo Jin think he didn’t know his tricks? “Exercise in bed” was still exercise, wasn’t it?
But this time, Xie Ruan was mistaken; Bo Jin actually hadn’t thought that far, his goal simply to improve Xie Ruan’s stamina for his own benefit. Little did he know, Xie Ruan had just dug a hole for himself.
“Right, why didn’t I think of that?” Bo Jin rubbed his chin, grinning mischievously. “Good thinking, Xie Little Ruan, you’ve surpassed your teacher.”
Xie Ruan: “…”
No thanks; he really didn’t need this kind of praise.
Realizing the conversation was headed in a dangerous direction, Xie Ruan got up quickly and dashed into the bathroom. After washing up, he had a satisfying lunch and finally booted up his computer to start gaming.
At first, it was just him and Song Xinghe, but later Sun Haoxiang and He Mingjie joined, and even Pan Yu—who normally wasn’t interested in games—got in on the fun.
Their gameplay wasn’t great, but who cared? It was all about enjoying themselves after exams.
Bo Jin didn’t join in; he was on the phone with Zhao Qin, working to sort out the handover of company matters. Not only was it time to clear out all traces of Wen Yong, but come September, they’d be moving to the capital. The company in Shuicheng would have to be managed without them.
Time flew by, and between gaming, eating, and relaxing, soon it was time to check their scores.
The college entrance exams were a huge milestone, nerve-wracking for every student and parent.
Xie Ruan thought he’d be calm. The exams were done, and there was no point in being nervous now; the scores were already set. But when it came down to it, he realized his previous calmness had only been because the time hadn’t come yet. All the mental preparation crumbled as he logged onto the score-checking site.
He wasn’t the only one; even the usually carefree He Mingjie was losing his cool. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and opened a group chat, choosing not to video-call so his friends wouldn’t see him sweating.
“Did you guys get in yet?” His leg shook uncontrollably under the table.
“Nope,” Sun Haoxiang said nonchalantly, clicking his mouse with a crisp “click.” “It’s too slow; I can’t load it. Might have to wait a bit. If you’re too nervous, I can check for you—I’m not worried, it’ll just be a few points either way.”
Sun Haoxiang’s family had it all planned; if he didn’t get into college, he’d study abroad and eventually take over the family business, so the exams didn’t affect him much.
“No need.” Pan Yu’s tone was calm. Maybe he was genuinely at ease, or maybe he was just holding it together. “I’m in the system; it should load in a bit. Xie Ruan, are you in yet?”
“No,” Xie Ruan was so nervous that he’d handed over the job of checking to Bo Jin, sneaking glances now and then, too afraid to look directly. “My page isn’t loading at all.”
To make matters worse, there’d been a cable outage in the area for repairs, and the neighborhood’s signal was poor.
“Ah?” Sun Haoxiang clicked his tongue in sympathy. “Want to send me your admission number, and I’ll…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Song Xinghe’s loud yell, “AAAAHHH!”
Sun Haoxiang jumped, startled. “What’s wrong? Did you get your score?”
But was he shouting out of joy or despair?
“I got it!” On his end, Song Xinghe sat up straight. “I got 504, hahaha!”
The science pass line this year was 500 points, so Song Xinghe had exceeded expectations and would be able to attend a decent university.
“Congratulations, congrats!”
Everyone congratulated Song Xinghe, even though they hadn’t seen their own scores yet. Seeing a friend succeed was enough to lift their spirits.
Song Xinghe chuckled, “Thanks, thanks! Xie Ruan, send me your admission number—I’m on a roll, I’ll check it for you.”
“Alright.” Xie Ruan was torn between wanting to know and dreading it, his emotions in a complete mess. After hesitating, he finally made up his mind. “Bo Jin, can you…”
He stopped mid-sentence, noticing something on the computer screen.
Though he couldn’t make out the details from a distance, he was sure it was the score display page.
Was his score out?
He knew he’d done well, but what if…?
Sweat broke out on Xie Ruan’s palms.
He licked his lips, trying to summon the courage to take another look.
Unaware of what was happening on his end, Song Xinghe urged him, “Xie Ruan? What’s your admission number?”
Xie Ruan could no longer hear anything. He held back as long as he could, but finally, he couldn’t resist asking, “What did I score?”
Bo Jin rarely saw him like this. Amused and a little sympathetic, he pretended not to notice and moved aside, his expression calm as he waved Xie Ruan over. “Come and see for yourself.”
After all, surprises are best experienced firsthand.
Bo Jin’s reaction only made Xie Ruan’s heart race.
Why wasn’t he just telling him outright? Did that mean he hadn’t done well? Maybe he’d marked his answers wrong?
Xie Ruan’s heart pounded, and he was so nervous that he could barely walk straight. He finally made it to the desk, ready to take the plunge, when his phone rang.
In his tense state, he reflexively answered.
“Xie Ruan, hahaha! Did you see your score yet?” came the booming voice of Sun Fuan, brimming with joy.
Xie Ruan swallowed, his throat dry. “Not yet.”
“Well, let your teacher tell you—you did amazingly! You got the top score in your grade and ranked fifth in the entire city!”
“Top of the grade, fifth in the city!”
Xie Ruan’s eyes widened as he turned in disbelief toward Bo Jin, as if he were dreaming.
He ranked fifth in the entire city? Really?
“Yes.” Bo Jin nodded, confirming it, then pulled the excited, frozen little fool into his arms, murmuring, “Congratulations. Total score of 711. Your first choice is secure.”