In the north, the weather began to warm up after March, but the wind remained bitterly cold.
The cold wind rustled the exam papers, and foggy clouds blocked the light. Students in their final year at the Provincial Experimental High School scrambled to hold down their papers, struggling against the relentless passage of time.
The supervisor, wearing high heels, made two laps around the room, glanced out the window, and then turned on the lights.
The room was instantly illuminated.
“…Damn.”
Blinded by the harsh light, Bo Xinghang muttered a curse under his breath and slowly stood up, wincing as a throbbing pain pulsed in his temples. He had drunk too much the previous night while working at the bar, and his head was buzzing incessantly as if it might explode.
He pressed his tongue against his cheek, frowning with irritation. Even his drooping eyes seemed to convey his impatience.
“Student Bo.”
Not far away, the English teacher stood with an unfriendly expression, arms crossed, glaring at him sternly.
“…”
Bo Xinghang lifted his eyelids to meet her gaze but remained silent. After a moment, he still couldn’t recall what subject she taught.
The English teacher tapped her high heels lightly on the floor. “Student Bo, can you wear your clothes properly?”
Clothes?
Bo Xinghang glanced down at himself. He disliked wearing jackets, and his school uniform hung loosely, revealing a plain black shirt underneath. A silver chain, partially visible at his collarbone, reflected the light from the lamp.
Like him, it was shining brightly.
To him, the look seemed cool, but to the teacher, it was against the rules.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he responded, “Improper? I think it’s just fine.”
“Pfft.”
Xu Yi, seated in front of him, had been discreetly observing their exchange and couldn’t help but laugh at Bo Xinghang’s response. He turned his head apologetically. “Damn, I couldn’t hold it in, sorry, ge1ge = big brother, can be used to refer to male peers.”
It was the first time the English teacher had seen such blatant disregard in front of her. She raised her voice in anger and said sharply, “Bo Xinghang! What do you mean by that?!”
Taking a deep breath, she continued, “…And you, sitting in front! Are you two not interested in your grades?!”
Bo Xinghang shrugged nonchalantly. “Suit yourself.”
His emphasis on the word “yourself”2he used formal “you” only made the English teacher’s expression darken further.
She was thoroughly provoked by Bo Xinghang’s arrogance. Breathing heavily, she pointed to the door. “Fine, I’ll suit myself. Now, both of you, get out!”
Bo Xinghang glanced at the door with little expression, finding the surrounding noise particularly irritating.
While the two of them hadn’t reacted yet, the other students shrank back, burying their heads even lower, fearful of being the next to be expelled.
This was the first mock exam of the final year! If it didn’t count, wasn’t the exam pointless?
Despite the tension, the two who had been kicked out seemed surprisingly relaxed. They immediately began packing their bags. Bo Xinghang was even more carefree; since the pen on his desk was borrowed, he capped it and tossed it to the person in front of him before standing up to leave.
There was no hesitation.
Xu Yi was a step slower, hurriedly stuffing his pencil case into his bag and running after him. “Hey—Hang-ge, wait for me!”
Bo Xinghang leaned on the stair railing, arms crossed, and urged, “Move it.”
Xu Yi quickened his pace to catch up. With no one around, he spread his arms wide and sighed in relief. “Ah—how refreshing the air is when you hand in your paper early! Feels great!”
Bo Xinghang sneered. “Aren’t you afraid your mom will find out about your zero score?”
“Let her find out! I was never cut out for studying anyway.” Xu Yi shrugged it off, slinging an arm around Bo Xinghang’s shoulder as they descended the stairs. “We can hit the bar early today! Make some big money!”
Bo Xinghang glanced at him but chose not to mock Xu Yi’s get-rich-quick dream. He brushed off Xu Yi’s arm and followed him downstairs.
By the time they reached the June Bar, the sun had already set.
Bo Xinghang opened the door, letting the dazzling lights fall on him. He skillfully ducked his head, took a moment to adjust, and then headed for the bar.
He sat on a stool next to Xu Yi, one long leg wrapped in black jogger pants crossed over the other. Resting his chin on his hand, he pulled out his phone.
Bo Xinghang tapped away on his phone.
—Meng-jie3jie = big sister, can be used for unrelated women, how’s grandma’s health lately?
—I’ll visit her after work tonight.
Xu Yi was also on his phone. Known as the “know-it-all,” he had joined dozens of WeChat groups just to catch the latest gossip. Though he hadn’t been working here long, he had already made plenty of connections.
Having just received some inside scoop, he couldn’t resist sharing it with Bo Xinghang.
“Hang-ge, guess what happened today!”
Bo Xinghang kept his eyes on his screen, not looking up, and responded casually, “What happened?”
Xu Yi chuckled, waving his phone in front of Bo Xinghang’s face. “A badass group has booked out the entire bar starting at seven tonight!”
“Booked out the bar?”
Bo Xinghang raised his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “If they’re that rich, they should book a five-star hotel. Who’s farting around to rent out an entire bar?”
Xu Yi pondered this for a moment, then replied earnestly, “…Who knows, maybe they really are just farting around.”
Bo Xinghang: “…”
As night fell completely, Bo Xinghang took advantage of the lack of customers to grab a pack of cigarettes from the table and head to his usual smoking spot at the designated time.
Though many people smoked in the bar, Bo Xinghang preferred not to smoke in front of others, so he always retreated to the garbage area behind the storage room.
It was shabby, but he appreciated the quiet.
No one knew that behind his seemingly careless exterior, he valued solitude.
Bo Xinghang crouched by the storage room door, leaning back against it, feeling a slight chill through his back. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and bent his head to hold it between his lips.
Click—his long fingers flicked the lighter, the flame flaring up and igniting the cigarette.
White smoke slowly wafted in front of him, obscuring his expression.
In reality, Bo Xinghang’s features were quite youthful. If he smiled in his school uniform, anyone would think he was a model student. Yet he carried a lazy, apathetic demeanor as he squatted in the corner smoking, exuding a sense of decadence.
He embodied a mix of youthful charm and rebellious attitude, a contrast that should have clashed but somehow fit perfectly.
Bad boys like him were always popular in school. If it weren’t for his habit of glaring at everyone, he would surely receive even more love letters stuffed into his desk.
Snow in the north hadn’t completely melted by March. When the wind blew, the snow-covered branches shook, and large chunks fell off.
Bo Xinghang habitually zoned out, staring into the distance.
After an indeterminate amount of time, a rustling sound came from across the way, and someone stepped out of the darkness.
Bo Xinghang squinted his eyes.
At first, he saw shoes, then the pants of a suit, and finally the whole person.
The man was about twenty-five or twenty-six, tall and slender, wearing a well-tailored suit that looked quite good on him. From Bo Xinghang’s angle, he appeared imposing.
Bo Xinghang took another puff of his cigarette, saying nothing.
The man stepped into the line between shadows and the dim light in front of the storage room, which illuminated his features with a striking clarity.
He held a phone in one hand, seemingly talking to someone. As he approached, Bo Xinghang could hear his voice.
In a low, indifferent tone, the man said, “Mm, I’m here… June Bar.”
The man paused, then continued, “….I don’t see anyone here to pick me up.”
He looked up, frowning slightly, “Hmm, it’s quite dark here… There’s a really shabby door.”
The man’s gaze fell on Bo Xinghang. He took a half step back, scrutinizing the boy calmly, and added, “… and there’s an underage kid here.”
More precisely, an underage handsome kid.
It was too dark to notice him earlier, but now, in the moonlight, the boy was partially visible. He was half-squatting against the wall, blending into the dilapidated surroundings, with the cigarette’s glow flickering in his eyes.
The man unconsciously ignored the voice on the phone, his attention focused on Bo Xinghang.
Bo Xinghang, cigarette between his lips, met the man’s gaze without flinching. Instead, he squinted and openly examined the man from head to toe.
Neither of them spoke.
The voice on the phone continued, but Bo Xinghang couldn’t make out the words from his distance. The man, casting a brief indifferent glance at the phone, said, “Mm, I got it,” and ended the call unhurriedly.
Got it, my ass.
Bo Xinghang slowly exhaled smoke.
This storage area was extremely hidden; even regular bar employees wouldn’t know of its existence. Bo Xinghang had discovered this back door by accident while organizing the clutter.
Judging by his demeanor, it was probably the man’s first time here. He wasn’t a regular, much less someone who’d know this spot.
But Bo Xinghang had no intention of speaking, curious about what the man would do next.
After the call ended, the man’s gaze returned to Bo Xinghang, pausing for a couple of seconds before asking, “Kid, is this June Bar?”
It is.
But I don’t plan on telling you that.
Bo Xinghang put on a puzzled expression, gazing innocently at the man. “Huh? This isn’t the place. You might have the wrong location.”
His performance was convincing, and he was impressed with his own acting skills.
“Mm, thanks.” The man nodded, checked his watch, and turned to leave.
After taking a few steps, the man turned back, his eyes scanning Bo Xinghang’s face before settling on the cigarette in his hand.
After staring for a moment, he uncharacteristically decided to meddle. “…Smoking is bad for your health.”
“…”
Like I give a damn about health.
Once the man had completely left, Bo Xinghang stood up, patting his numb legs and stretching his arms to relax.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Bo Xinghang laughed. Aside from the unsolicited lecture, he was pretty satisfied with how things turned out.
Stubbing out the cigarette with his foot, he checked the time—it was 6:50.
Those guys who are farting around all day should be arriving soon.
When Bo Xinghang returned, it wasn’t yet seven, but most people had already arrived. Looking around, nearly every table was full.
As he settled by the bar, Xu Yi sidled over and whispered, “I know why they booked the whole bar!”
“Why?” Bo Xinghang lowered his head and glanced at the reply from Meng-jie on his phone.
Xu Yi said mysteriously, “Because even if they didn’t book the bar, it would be filled with their people! …No, actually, they might even need extra tables.”
“Oh, I see.”
Bo Xinghang responded absentmindedly, his eyes still on the phone where he saw Meng-jie’s reply.
To be precise, he received good news.
—Mm-hmm, you can come by before 9 PM. Grandma will go to sleep after 9, so you won’t be able to see her then.
—Grandma’s health is improving well. At this rate, she should be able to leave the hospital in a few days.
Reading the message, his mood, which had been somewhat low, lifted a little. Bo Xinghang relaxed his shoulders, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.
—OK, thanks, Meng-jie.
—No problem. Anytime.
By the time the chat ended, most people had arrived.
Bo Xinghang stood up, picked up a drink glass with his long fingers, and began his work of… persuading people to drink.
At a glance, except for an empty seat in the farthest corner, every other place was occupied. Compared to usual, Bo Xinghang’s workload had increased significantly.
The chance to earn more money was something he naturally wouldn’t refuse.
These were successful business people. After being charmed by a bad kid, they readily bought into his persuasion. Perhaps because today was a special day, they were eager to drink.
With a smile, Bo Xinghang casually inquired and learned it was the director’s daughter’s coming-of-age celebration, and everyone with a break from the hospital came.
No wonder there were so many people.
Bo Xinghang glanced at the girl at the first table, the guest of honor. This family was certainly unique, celebrating a coming-of-age ceremony in a bar—a big mystery he found hard to understand.
As he turned back, he suddenly noticed that the entire bar had fallen silent.
Today, the bar was filled with respectable professionals, so it was already quieter than usual. But the current silence was abnormal, almost eerie.
Bo Xinghang curiously looked in the direction everyone was staring. He saw the tall man from earlier push open the door and enter, casually glancing around.
When his eyes met Bo Xinghang’s, he subtly averted his gaze, and then addressed the crowd calmly:
“Sorry for being late.”
Author’s Note:
Reading should be fun, so let’s not argue or take things too seriously. If you really can’t stand it, I’ll see you in the next one! I hope everyone enjoys reading this~
Translator’s Note:
Just a heads up before you start reading:
- Age Gap: There is an 8-year age difference between MC and ML. The MC is a month away from turning 18 when they meet.
- The story includes mentions of sensitive subjects such as suicide, self-harm, and mental illness (in the side characters’ plotlines), and there’s some homophobia.
