BGPOTC CHAPTER 12

“…What’s going on? How did he suddenly become his brother?”

“Yeah, wasn’t it said that the school bully beat up a handsome guy outside the school? It seemed pretty serious.”

“Even if he is his brother, what they said on the forum wasn’t wrong! He’s definitely handsome, too handsome!”

“That voice, that build, that look—OMG, sisters, I’m going to drown here…”

“Me too…”

“Stop, stop, stop. You’re getting off-topic.”

A few girls standing in the front row glanced at the boys beside them, snorted in unison, turned their heads, and continued to discuss the handsome oppa.¹loanword from Korean “oppa” aka older brother

Bo Xinghang watched Doctor Ji’s tall and lean back. His cute expression suddenly turned a full 180 degrees, and he cursed softly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt the hard box and instinctively gripped it.

He wanted a cigarette.

After Ji Wenzhen finished explaining, he turned around and didn’t see the kid anywhere. He probably got furious and ran off to sulk.

However, a short middle-aged man was looking at him with grateful eyes. Out of politeness, Ji Wenzhen turned his head and greeted, “Hello?”

“Hello, hello.” The short and chubby homeroom teacher immediately extended his hand for a polite handshake. He looked at Ji Wenzhen like he was some kind of deity and spoke in a different tone, “I am Bo Xinghang’s homeroom teacher.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Wenzhen took it seriously. Sticking to the act, he calmly said, “I am Bo Xinghang’s brother.”

“I know. Shall we talk more?”

Ji Wenzhen glanced around, seemingly searching for the boy’s figure. Since he wasn’t a real brother and playing the role of a guardian ideally required the actual person’s consent.

At that moment, the boy was busy satisfying his nicotine craving. He had sneaked up to the rooftop alone, enjoying the breeze and smoking, looking quite relaxed.

Ji Wenzhen had no way to refuse, so he nodded coldly, “Alright.”

“Hang-ge, why did you sneak up to the rooftop to smoke again? It took me so long to find you!”

The ladder leading to the rooftop was in a corner on the sixth floor, very remote and high up. There wasn’t even a light bulb installed, making it pitch black, and no one ever came there. Ever since Bo Xinghang started attending the Provincial Experimental School, he had claimed the rooftop as his own private space.

The only one who would come was Xu Yi. Bo Xinghang didn’t move from his position, a cigarette in his mouth, and asked in a muffled voice, “Why are you here?”

“You still have the nerve to ask!” Xu Yi got angry just thinking about it. He rushed to his side, sat down, and handed over his phone. “What did you say on the podium? With your personality, do I not know whether you hit someone? Why don’t you admit it…”

“Enough.”

Bo Xinghang finished his cigarette, snapped the filter between his fingers, and deftly pressed the cigarette butt onto the ground.

Just as he did so, the end-of-ceremony bell for the flag-raising rang. The students lined up and slowly walked into the teaching building.

High school students didn’t have many skills, but playing on their phones under the teacher’s nose without getting caught was something they excelled at.

Each student was timid about their studies, but when it came to causing a stir, they were full of spirit.

Bo Xinghang sneered inwardly and opened the popular thread pinned to the top of the forum:

[818 Stories of the School Bully]

What a bullshit name.

“Stop sneering. You made this mess, now clean it up!”

“Yeah, yeah, I didn’t stop Doctor Ji from going on stage afterward, did I?” Bo Xinghang impatiently stared at the screen, clearly uninterested in the matter.

Xu Yi leaned over to look at the screen as well, mumbling, “Only Doctor Ji can control your temper. If it weren’t for me saying—”

“Ouch—!” Bo Xinghang twisted Xu Yi’s arm hard, causing him to grimace in pain. He immediately surrendered, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop talking. Hang-ge, you keep reading. This little one will wait by the side~!”

“Wait my ass.” Bo Xinghang tossed his phone aside, grabbed his own, and clicked on the post. As he scrolled down, he saw a blurry silhouette of Doctor Ji.

The brave girl who secretly took the photo had the audacity to lift her phone and zoom in on the picture. Though the photo was blurry, the build and aura clearly indicated that it was Doctor Ji.

The aloof Doctor Ji looked quite handsome in his trench coat, his hands in his pockets.

Tsk.

Bo Xinghang frowned. What’s a doctor doing trying to act all handsome?

So unrefined.

He glanced at Xu Yi, who was sitting far away, carefully wiping his beloved phone. Bo Xinghang took a slow, deep breath, pressing his thumb on the screen.

Secretly, he saved the picture.

“Um, Hang-ge…”

Bo Xinghang’s hand jerked, nearly causing him to drop his phone. He quickly turned off the screen and looked at Xu Yi with a cold expression. “Spit it out.”

“Don’t keep saying that… it’s so crude.”

Bo Xinghang’s expression grew even colder, his breath hissing with a chill. “I’ll give you one more chance. Spit it out.”

Xu Yi gave in with a sigh and put his phone back into his pocket. “Yes, your Majesty~ Once you’ve finished, hurry back to class. I’m still a good student, so I won’t wait here. I’m going back to class.”

“You, a good student? You’ve got so many faults I don’t even know where to start criticizing.” Bo Xinghang waved him off. “Goodbye, good student.”

“Alrighty~!” Xu Yi bowed and quickly left.

After Xu Yi left, Bo Xinghang turned his phone back on. He had just saved the picture and hadn’t had the chance to scroll down. When he reopened it, he was once again greeted by Doctor Ji’s broad, handsome figure.

Feeling guilty, he sped up his scrolling until he reached the post discussing him. Only then did he stop and read further.

His eyes darkened instantly.

—Exposing some dirt: I heard BXH’s dad is gay, fell in love with a disabled man, and still married BXH’s mom, resulting in such a wuss…

–

“Resulting in such a wuss…”

Passing by the restroom, a few boys inside were whispering. But they were all young and robust, not even trying to lower their voices, making their conversation clear through the walls and into the corridor.

It wasn’t until the boys finished their gossip that Ji Wenzhen moved his feet, his face expressionless. He looked at the homeroom teacher beside him and nodded politely. “Let’s go.”

“Huh?… Oh, oh, yes, yes.” The homeroom teacher responded in a fluster, feeling alarmed inside.

Bo Xinghang’s father had committed suicide, and his mother lived far away and never returned. These were things he knew before becoming the homeroom teacher, but… but…

The homeroom teacher led the way, and beads of sweat subtly appeared on his forehead as he dared not continue imagining scenarios in his mind.

Interrupted by the little incident along the way, it was clear that both of them were in a bad mood. One couldn’t help but wipe away sweat, while the other kept a cold face, saying nothing.

“Um… I apologize for calling you here so abruptly…”

After wiping off his sweat, the homeroom teacher stuck to his original plan of discussing Bo Xinghang’s academic issues. He poured two cups of warm water and pushed one toward Ji Wenzhen.

Ji Wenzhen nodded slightly in thanks but didn’t engage in conversation.

The homeroom teacher felt even more pressured, discarding his usual authoritative demeanor as a teacher. His tone unconsciously became flattering. “I’ve always been aware of his family situation, and I’ve never seen anyone manage him until now, with you.”

“It’s not as exaggerated as you think.”

Ji Wenzhen’s attention was drawn to the mention of “his family situation.” He replied perfunctorily but couldn’t help frowning.

After nearly two weeks of working late nights, even the strongest body couldn’t withstand the strain. He had purposely drunk coffee before coming to feel more alert, but it did little to hide the dark circles under his eyes.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, which prompted a concerned inquiry from the homeroom teacher.

“Bo Xinghang’s brother, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Ji Wenzhen shook his head, his voice slightly hoarse. “Please, go on.”

“Oh, alright.” Despite his appearance clearly suggesting otherwise, the homeroom teacher looked at him twice more before deciding to continue.

He picked up the topmost report card from beside him and handed it to Ji Wenzhen. “I don’t know if you’re aware of his academic status, but according to our teachers, he doesn’t show any respect for his studies.”

The more the homeroom teacher spoke, the more animated he became. He pointed to the last line on the report card and clanged his pen against the table. “Even at the worst, you should at least rely on your own abilities and write down the answers you know! Look at him—he writes nothing but his name! What kind of attitude is this? Does he look down on exams or the teachers?”

Bang—!

Someone outside forcefully pushed open the door and called out to the homeroom teacher with an anxious expression, “Teacher! Bo Xinghang is fighting with someone!”

Both men stood up immediately.

Ji Wenzhen, with his long legs, quickly reached the door in just a few steps and asked, “Where is he?”

“Huh?”

“Huh, what?” The homeroom teacher also rushed over and briefly explained, “He’s Bo Xinghang’s brother. Tell us quickly, before something happens, or it might be too late!”

“Oh, okay! Follow me.”

The three of them hurriedly made their way out.

The person fighting with Bo Xinghang turned out to be one of the guys who had been gossiping in the restroom. After talking trash with his friends, he ran into Bo Xinghang and decided to stir up trouble.

Despite being slim, Bo Xinghang fought with unusual ferocity.

The forum labeled him as the school bully, but the truth was that no one had seen him actually fight. Now, as he unleashed his aggression, even the corners of his eyes turned red, as if they were dripping blood.

He lifted his knee and thrust it hard into the other person’s abdomen. As the guy doubled over, Bo Xinghang swiftly grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

The guy hit the floor heavily, evidently still in shock. Bo Xinghang gave him no chance to recover. With his eyes now completely red, he approached and lifted his foot—

“Bo Xinghang!”

His movements froze. Before he could turn around, he was embraced by a familiar scent. Doctor Ji had rushed out from the hospital, still carrying a faint smell of disinfectant—undetectable from afar but noticeable up close.

In contrast, Bo Xinghang reeked of cigarette smoke.

Uncomfortable, he shifted slightly without looking up, feeling restless inside.

Yes.

He and Doctor Ji belonged to entirely different worlds. If it hadn’t been for that accidental meeting at the bar party, they wouldn’t have known each other at all.

But so what if they knew each other?

Seeing them together, no one would believe they were brothers; they’d assume they had just fought.

Bo Xinghang had always been like this, always on his own.

So whenever he felt irritable, he’d go to the rooftop alone, light a cigarette, and relax by himself.

Xu Yi had once asked him why he went to the rooftop to smoke alone.

He closed his eyes, sinking into Doctor Ji’s embrace.

Yes.

Why indeed?

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  loanword from Korean “oppa” aka older brother