Ji Wenzhen’s heart felt as if it were about to explode with pain.
He finished his work ahead of schedule and, keeping it a secret from the boy, took a long flight to prepare a surprise for him.
But when he opened the door, the young man he had been missing was curled up on the sofa. His hands and arms were smeared with blood, the coagulated wounds now dark red. His first reaction upon seeing him was to redden his eyes and, with a look of grievance, say, “It hurts.”
How much pain had it taken to bring his Xiao Xing to this state?
Ji Wenzhen had never regretted a decision more. He shouldn’t have gone on that business trip, shouldn’t have left his Xiao Xing alone for so long, shouldn’t have ignored the signs during their video calls, only telling him to go to bed early.
At that moment, it felt as if Ji Wenzhen’s emotions were completely connected to his. Even just walking over to stand in front of Bo Xinghang took all his strength.
Ji Wenzhen’s voice was hoarse, trembling with restraint as he spoke, “I’ll go get the first aid kit. You sit tight, okay?”
“…”
Bo Xinghang remained silent, staring at Doctor Ji, who was crouched in front of him, his expression a bit dazed.
He thought he might be so hurt that he was hallucinating. After all, Doctor Ji was supposed to be on a business trip and not due back for another two days.
But it seemed the heavens were finally being kind. Despite the chaotic events that had just unfolded, there was now a sense of comfort as if to make up for it.
Even if it was just an illusion.
Bo Xinghang’s eyes followed Doctor Ji’s every move, too afraid to say anything, worried that speaking would shatter the dream and make the person in it disappear.
Ji Wenzhen knelt beside him, opening the first aid kit and carefully wiping away the dried blood from his arm. After confirming that the wounds were mostly on his palm, he gently treated them.
Throughout the process, even while wiping away the blood, he held his breath, observing Bo Xinghang’s every move as if he were performing major surgery.
Bo Xinghang wanted to say, “I’m not that fragile; you don’t need to be so careful,” but he only dared to think it, not say it out loud.
He had to admit, Doctor Ji’s touch was gentle. Aside from the coolness of the alcohol on his skin, he hardly felt a thing.
The wound was treated, and he figured the dream was about to end.
Bo Xinghang closed his eyes and counted down from five.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
Two… Two.
…Two.
…
One.
“Does it still hurt?”
Bo Xinghang’s eyes flew open, his heart pounding like a drum.
He looked at the person still crouched in front of him, eyes fixed on his wound, and suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Should he ask, “Why are you back?” or simply say, “Welcome back”?
Neither seemed quite right.
So instead, he let his gaze linger on Doctor Ji’s face, studying his features. From his forehead to his eyes, then down to his nose, his lips, and the sharp line of his jaw.
Bo Xinghang had to admit, he was incredibly handsome.
The man before him had the most perfectly balanced, striking features he had ever seen. He also had the most captivating face he’d ever laid eyes on.
And now this man was right in front of him, brow furrowed, his usually calm expression tinged with worry and pain.
Bo Xinghang stared at him for a while, his nose stinging, and finally said, “Doctor Ji.”
“Hmm?” Ji Wenzhen looked up, his brows still furrowed. “Does it still hurt?”
Ji Wenzhen’s heart ached. “I’ve been away too long. I didn’t take good care of you. I rushed the treatment; let me take you to the hospital…”
“Doctor Ji,” Bo Xinghang interrupted.
He raised both arms toward Ji Wenzhen, startling him so much that he nearly stood up.
Bo Xinghang had never seen Doctor Ji look so panicked. He felt like laughing, but his heart was also swelling painfully.
“Doctor Ji.” Bo Xinghang pressed down on him to keep him from standing, smiling as he said, “Hug me.”
“Hug me, and I won’t hurt anymore.”
Ji Wenzhen felt like his emotions were on a roller coaster, shooting from the bottom to the top and then plummeting back down.
From the moment he walked through the door until just now, he had been tense, his mind whirling with a thousand emotions, all crashing together, almost overwhelming his ability to think rationally.
But at that second, with the boy’s simple request for a hug, accompanied by that smile as he called him “Doctor Ji,” the roller coaster came to a sudden stop.
Ji Wenzhen sat down on the sofa, carefully avoiding his wounds, and hugged him tightly.
Noticing how Bo Xinghang was nuzzling against him, Ji Wenzhen patted his back and sighed with a self-deprecating tone. “Baby… You’re going to be the death of me.”
Bo Xinghang paused, then after a long while, responded in a small voice, “Doctor Ji, can I stay here with you from now on?”
Ji Wenzhen didn’t ask why. He gently brushed the boy’s hair back and nodded. “Of course.”
“And no more sleeping in the guest room.”
“Okay.”
After saying that, Bo Xinghang fell silent for a long time. Ji Wenzhen didn’t say anything, gently stroking his head, one stroke at a time.
When Ji Wenzhen thought that Bo Xinghang had nothing more to say, the boy suddenly moved, got up, and straddled his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck.
His face, which had been pale from blood loss, was now flushed bright red. Ji Wenzhen assumed he was running a fever from losing so much blood, but then Bo Xinghang shyly whispered, “Ge, I’m already an adult.”
He didn’t dare meet Ji Wenzhen’s gaze as he continued, “I know you’re worried about my injury, but it’s not that serious. I’m healthy, and I recover quickly…”
Ji Wenzhen’s eyes darkened, but he still tapped Bo Xinghang’s head as a reprimand. “Don’t be reckless.”
“I’m not being reckless.” Bo Xinghang was displeased and looked at him with determination. “I’m serious.”
“…”
“I swear!”
“Swearing won’t help.” Ji Wenzhen pinched his earlobe.
Seeing Bo Xinghang sulking, Ji Wenzhen couldn’t help but laugh.
How could he not want it? He was just as human as anyone else, and hearing those words from the person he loved stirred his desires. But he couldn’t bring himself to give in—not while the boy was injured.
Ji Wenzhen leaned in and gently kissed Bo Xinghang’s lips, his voice hoarse. “No rush. Wait until you graduate.”
“For now, focus on healing and studying. Once you’ve graduated, it’ll be up to me.”
–
The days of recovery were quite blissful. With the added preparation for the college entrance exams, Doctor Ji went above and beyond in caring for him.
Bo Xinghang even suspected that if this level of care continued, he might become a useless person in no time.
Doctor Ji was still very busy, but with his regular holidays and breaks, he ended up having more free time than Bo Xinghang.
The days leading up to the exams passed quickly, filled with endless practice tests and reviewing key points. The classroom environment grew quieter, with everyone focused on the same goal. One afternoon, Bo Xinghang woke from a nap to find that nearly half the class was already studying.
Even Xu Yi, that little rascal, could sit quietly in his chair. The frequency of their post-class games decreased, while the number of questions Xu Yi asked increased.
It wasn’t until the homeroom teacher stood at the podium, passionately delivering a speech filled with tough-love motivation, that Bo Xinghang realized the exams were almost here when he noticed some classmates beginning to cry.
He had never been particularly attached to group environments and never felt a strong sense of belonging, so graduation didn’t fill him with either sadness or joy.
But at that moment, a strange melancholy washed over him, making him wonder if he would think back on these days and certain people he hadn’t yet realized were important. Would he, like some of them, end up crying over these memories?
These thoughts were hard to answer.
At eighteen, he was just a boy standing on the brink of graduation, facing an uncertain future.
Would the path ahead be bright, or would it be dark?
On the day of the exam, Bo Xinghang set his alarm for six in the morning, only to find that Doctor Ji had already prepared breakfast and was packing his pencil case.
Bo Xinghang found the scene so unusual that he wanted to laugh. “Doctor Ji, you’re like my Snail Maiden1a Chinese Folktale about a girl who comes out of a snail shell and becomes a housekeeper.”
Ji Wenzhen took Bo Xinghang’s hand, leaned down, and kissed it. “How did you sleep?”
Actually, Bo Xinghang had woken up when Doctor Ji got up, but he lied with a straight face, “Pretty well.”
Without waiting for Doctor Ji to respond, he picked up the pencil case Doctor Ji had packed and started to put it in his backpack.
Watching him, Ji Wenzhen reminded him, “Don’t forget to bring your exam admission ticket to the exam room.”
Bo Xinghang didn’t stop moving and nodded. “Mm, I won’t forget.”
Ji Wenzhen: “What about your ID card?”
Bo Xinghang: “It’s together with the ticket.”
He lifted the items from his backpack and waved them around, about to say something, when he saw Ji Wenzhen frown.
Ji Wenzhen’s usually calm voice had a rare hint of urgency as he grabbed Bo Xinghang’s hand. “Stop waving it around. What if it falls out?”
Bo Xinghang suppressed a laugh. “What are the chances of that?”
But Ji Wenzhen, with his strange insistence, carefully placed the admission ticket and ID back in the backpack. “What if it does?”
This time, Bo Xinghang couldn’t hold back his laughter and called out, “Doctor Ji.”
Ji Wenzhen, still frowning, asked, “What?”
“Don’t be so nervous.”
Ji Wenzhen paused in his organizing and looked up, meeting the boy’s eyes.
“Your Xiao Xing is pretty amazing.”
Bo Xinghang smiled, spreading his arms and slightly lifting his chin. His sharp jawline and the elegant curve of his neck elongated with the movement, creating a truly pleasing sight.
While Doctor Ji was still stunned, Bo Xinghang took the initiative and stepped forward, wrapping himself in Doctor Ji’s embrace.
With a smile in his voice, he whispered into Doctor Ji’s ear, “Let me soak up some of that top student’s aura.”
Ji Wenzhen chuckled. “I doubt soaking it up will do much good.”
“Oh, then what should I do?”
Ji Wenzhen wrapped his arm around Bo Xinghang’s slender, toned waist and gently cupped his chin with his other hand. Leaning in, he pressed their lips together and whispered, “I’ll give you everything I have.”
On the first day of the college entrance exams, Doctor Ji had a day off, but on the second day, he had to leave early for work. After preparing breakfast, he hurried out the door.
During the lunch break, Bo Xinghang deliberately chose a clean and hygienic restaurant, sitting there for nearly two hours.
The afternoon exam was in English. He was in unusually good form and finished early. However, instead of showing off by submitting his paper ahead of time, he carefully reviewed his answers until the last moment.
As he walked out of the exam hall, everyone’s faces were lit up with smiles. Although Bo Xinghang didn’t feel particularly sentimental about graduation, he understood that it was all coming to an end.
The summer breeze gently tousled the strands of hair on his forehead, and as the sky grew dim, he spotted the most striking figure among the parents waiting at the gate. He sped up and ran over to him.
Nestled in Ji’s embrace, Bo Xinghang felt so comfortable that he nearly decided he could live like this forever.
Ji Wenzhen brushed the sweat-soaked strands of hair away from his face and leaned close to his ear, laughing softly.
“Happy graduation,” he said.
Bo Xinghang smiled back. “Happy graduation.”
——END OF MAIN STORY——
Author’s note:
There are a few more extra chapters, covering parts I wanted to write but didn’t get to~
Thank you for accompanying me, I really appreciate it.
Translator’s note:
Just wanted to say a huge thank you for sticking with the story! I definitely recommend reading the extras. There’s that moment from the synopsis about one kiss for every cigarette (I feel like the author forgot to write that part🤣), plus their first time!
Thank you for reading~
