Doctor Ji finished his work for the day and clocked out precisely at 8 PM.
He parked his car in the basement, stepped out with his long legs, and entered the elevator. He lightly pressed the floor button, and the elevator began its slow ascent.
He had taken a few days off recently, allowing him to go home and rest. In theory, he should have returned to his usual residence, but once he got in the car, he found himself driving here instead.
It was quiet and tidy.
Doctor Ji’s face remained indifferent as he came up with an excuse for himself.
Ding.
The elevator arrived, and the doors slowly opened.
The house was quite far from the hospital, in a rather remote location. Perhaps due to the good greenery and effective promotion, the property prices were quite high.
Even though the location wasn’t ideal and the housing prices were steep, this area was indeed much quieter than other places.
At around 8 PM, although many lights illuminated the dark night, most families were busy catching up with their loved ones. Yet, not many lights were on in this entire building.
When Ji Wenzhen bought this apartment, he specifically chose it because neither of the adjacent units was occupied.
The few times he had visited, it had been deserted, which he found quite satisfying.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Ji Wenzhen furrowed his brow and looked uncertainly toward the doorway.
He smelled cigarette smoke. The entire corridor was filled with it, making it hard to resist coughing.
Ji Wenzhen looked towards the entrance and saw Bo Xinghang.
“…”
Bo Xinghang didn’t particularly like early spring. Besides the Qingming Festival, he also disliked the changing weather. The temperature difference between day and night was significant. It was only cold in the morning and evening, and not that warm either, making it difficult to dress appropriately.
Today’s weather was decent overall. He only wore a long-sleeved shirt, the kind distributed by the school. The material was thin and had a cool texture that allowed a bone-chilling breeze to pass through.
Bo Xinghang felt cold. His hand instinctively pulled back into his sleeve, leaving only a sliver of pale fingers exposed, holding a cigarette that he smoked one drag at a time. The overhead light cast a glow on the boy’s handsome face, shrouded in smoke, giving off an air of desolation.
He looked like an abandoned puppy.
Hiding alone in the corner, both desolate and pitiful.
When he heard footsteps, he looked up and met Doctor Ji’s serious gaze. Instinctively, he tried to hide the cigarette, but the smoke filling the hallway was impossible to conceal. He let out a self-deprecating smile, bit the filter, and took another drag.
“…Doctor Ji.”
Ji Wenzhen frowned and quickly walked over to the boy, not asking for any reason or explanation. He crouched down and snatched the cigarette away.
He lowered his gaze, thinking for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he extended his arms and gave the boy a solid hug.
The hug was awkward, but given the situation, neither of them said anything to break the mood.
Ji Wenzhen let go after a brief moment. It was just a simple comforting hug, as pure as could be.
Bo Xinghang was taken aback and asked dumbly, “Why are you here?”
Even after putting out the cigarette, the smoke still lingered heavily in the air. Ji Wenzhen adjusted to it for a few seconds before hearing the kid’s question and couldn’t help but laugh.
“This is my home. Isn’t it normal for me to be here?” Ji Wenzhen extended his hand to him. “Get up. Have you eaten?”
Bo Xinghang didn’t expect Doctor Ji to say that. He blinked, “…No.”
“Oh.” Ji Wenzhen nodded as if he had anticipated this, then pulled the boy up with a firm grip.
Bo Xinghang had been crouching for too long, and when he stood up, his legs felt numb. He wobbled and nearly lost his balance, but Doctor Ji quickly supported him. With a hint of helplessness, he said, “Kid, was that intentional?”
–
Bo Xinghang stared at Doctor Ji’s face, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He couldn’t help but think: This early spring night… doesn’t seem that cold anymore.
Bo Xinghang held a bowl of ginger soup in his hands, made by Doctor Ji himself.
After taking a shower, he found that Doctor Ji had not only prepared pajamas for him but also a steaming bowl of ginger soup.
Fresh out of the bathroom, his fair skin had turned a rosy pink from the steam, looking so tender it seemed like you could pinch water out of it. He appeared soft and innocent.
He grinned, revealing two sharp little canine teeth, and sincerely thanked Doctor Ji, “Thank you, Doctor Ji.”
The desolate expression he had while squatting at the door was completely gone.
Ji Wenzhen nodded without changing his expression and said, “Mm,” but he was thinking.
…How could someone be this cute?
Concerned that Bo Xinghang might catch a cold, Ji Wenzhen watched him drink the ginger soup despite the boy’s evident struggle, then collected the empty bowl and went to the kitchen to wash it.
Bo Xinghang curled up on the sofa, his legs drawn up and resting gently on the couch, wrapping himself into a ball. His gaze was fixed on the television, though his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
He was regretting it, regretting why he had run here in a moment of heat.
It was just seeing his long-lost mother. What was the big deal? Couldn’t he muster the energy to say, “I hope you’ve been well”?
Tsk.
Bo Xinghang ruffled his hair in frustration.
He hadn’t been this melodramatic in the past.
Doctor Ji didn’t ask him anything, which was due to his upbringing, but Bo Xinghang knew how curious he must have been inside.
Even so, Doctor Ji didn’t say a word. Instead, he kindly gave him a hug, prepared ginger soup, and handed it to him.
It was because of this that Bo Xinghang couldn’t help but feel sentimental and wanted to show all his helplessness in front of this person.
Bo Xinghang closed his eyes and thought aimlessly for a while, eventually resigning himself to his fate and lamenting internally.
He couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Whoever holds it in is a grandson.
This was not the style of Hang-ge at all.
Damn it.
Say it, you fool.
When Ji Wenzhen finished washing the dishes and returned, he saw Bo Xinghang curled up in the corner of the sofa. It made him want to laugh. “What are you thinking about?”
“Uh…” The boy’s expression was serious, and his tone was earnest. “I want to tell you something.”
Ji Wenzhen was taken aback by his demeanor, and his expression became more solemn. He sat down next to the boy and asked seriously, “What is it?”
“I…” Faced with Doctor Ji’s intense gaze, his mind suddenly went blank. He had rehearsed what to say but became a mess when he opened his mouth.
“…I don’t have a dad anymore, and I don’t have a home.”
Ji Wenzhen: “…”
Bo Xinghang: “…”
As soon as he said that, they exchanged a glance but said nothing. The atmosphere became awkward.
Bo Xinghang tried to explain, “No, actually, it’s…”
“It’s okay.”
Ji Wenzhen reached out and gently stroked the boy’s head. Repeating himself, his eyes sparkling like stars, he fixed his gaze on the boy and said in a clear voice carrying a warmth like the sunshine, “It’s okay. Everything will pass.”
Yes.
Everything will pass.
Spring has arrived, so how far could good fortune be?
Bo Xinghang’s nose suddenly tingled. He rubbed his sore eyes and said nothing.
In fact, his good fortune… seemed to have already arrived.
The next day was the parent-teacher meeting.
With only over sixty days left, all the parents took the meeting seriously. Before the teacher even arrived, the parents sitting close to each other were already chatting enthusiastically.
“My kid doesn’t take studying seriously at all… It’s driving me crazy as a parent. Once he comes home from evening study, he just stops studying! It’s driving me nuts.”
“Exactly,” another parent agreed, “It’s like the studying is for us instead of them…”
“Ugh, it’s so worrisome. The test scores came back, and my child didn’t even mention it. I had to ask the teacher! Kids these days…”
“My child did tell me his scores, and I almost exploded with anger. It would have been better if he hadn’t told me!”
“Sigh, it’s really frustrating…”
Bo Xinghang stood outside the classroom door, surrounded by nervous classmates peeking inside.
Xu Yi was talking to Bo Xinghang, but as soon as he saw the parents following the homeroom teacher inside, he abruptly stopped the conversation and looked inside with tension written all over his face.
The fuck was there to see?
Didn’t he know his own grades?
With grades like that, could a couple of glances really solve anything?
Bo Xinghang also glanced inside. His seat was still empty, giving off a forlorn vibe. He felt it was pointless, so he withdrew his gaze and took out his earphones to listen to music.
He deliberately chose the coolest, most upbeat songs.
The drumbeats and rhythm from the earphones drowned out the voices of the homeroom teacher and parents. He relaxed, and his mood improved considerably.
As soon as the parent-teacher meeting started, the homeroom teacher, worried that the students would be too noisy, closed the door. The soundproofing wasn’t great, so the students lined up to listen through the wall.
They looked like a bunch of peepers sneaking glances at the village beauty taking a bath.
Crazy.
Leading the group was Xu Yi. He was listening intently when someone tapped his shoulder. He shrugged and elbowed the person, still glued to the wall. “Hey, wait a sec… I just got a good spot. There’s got to be a first-come, first-served policy.”
“Student.”
A voice came from behind, indifferent yet polite.
Xu Yi froze. The voice sounded familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t place it.
How should he put it? It was an oddly pleasant voice.
He turned around and saw Doctor Ji’s face and the other students who had already taken a step back.
Xu Yi: “?”
Ji Wenzhen’s upbringing was admirable. Even when he was delayed, he didn’t get angry and calmly explained. He pointed at Bo Xinghang in the distance, who was lost in his music, and said in a calm voice, “I’m here for Bo Xinghang’s parent-teacher meeting.”
“…Huh?”
Xu Yi wasn’t like those idiots in the back. He knew Doctor Ji wasn’t Bo Xinghang’s real brother, but it was the first time he’d seen a stranger attending a parent-teacher meeting for a good friend, and he stood there in shock.
Ji Wenzhen glanced at the time. He was already ten minutes late and couldn’t delay any longer.
He said, “Student, could you please give way?”
It was only then that Xu Yi realized what was happening. He immediately stepped aside and watched Ji Wenzhen knock on the door, finally understanding how foolish he had been. He was a little embarrassed. “Whoops! Sorry about that.”
Ji Wenzhen heard the response from inside the room, opened the door, and replied quietly without turning his head, “It’s okay.”
Quite the gentleman.
Xu Yi decided to inform Bo Xinghang. Just as he turned around, he saw several girls excitedly running over to Bo Xinghang, getting to him before he could deliver the news.
Their voices were low, but the barely contained excitement made Xu Yi’s eyebrows twitch.
Oh no.
Xu Yi looked at Bo Xinghang, who had just taken off his headphones, and then at the surrounding girls, unable to stop himself from thinking.
They’re screwed.
Those innocent girls.
Good luck out there.
