Bo Xinghang got into the car and, for once, sat obediently the entire way. He only glanced at Doctor Ji while he concentrated on driving, never daring to look directly. Instead, he stole occasional glances from the corner of his eye.
It was pathetically cowardly.
When they arrived and parked, Doctor Ji walked ahead in silence, and Bo Xinghang hurriedly followed, not daring to breathe.
Such treatment was reserved solely for Doctor Ji. With anyone else, no matter how dire the situation, he would have disdainfully snorted and walked away, never showing this kind of attitude.
“Doctor Ji…”
Bo Xinghang bent down to change his shoes at the entrance. With his injured arm, managing the laces with one hand proved particularly challenging. Despite the difficulty, he struggled to untie them, feeling guilty as he called out to Doctor Ji.
Doctor Ji had never shown anger towards him before, but today his demeanor clearly indicated displeasure.
Bo Xinghang felt quite wronged. It was he who had been injured and caught in the crossfire, yet Doctor Ji was still upset with him.
It was fucking unfair, but he needed to make amends.
“Please don’t be angry.” The laces were proving stubborn, and Bo Xinghang frowned in frustration. Losing patience, he yanked them off.
Doctor Ji, standing nearby with his arms crossed, observed the boy’s struggle. Unable to bear seeing him in such difficulty, he crouched down, untied the laces, and helped Bo Xinghang into his slippers.
Bo Xinghang looked down, his eyes curving as he asked, “Doctor Ji, are you still angry?”
Doctor Ji stood up and adjusted the wrinkles in his coat with elegant, refined movements, though his voice remained cold. “What do you think?”
“…”
Bo Xinghang guiltily hid his arm behind his back.
“Don’t move.”
Doctor Ji took a step forward, frowning as he reached for the arm Bo Xinghang was hiding. His hand paused mid-air for a moment before carefully taking hold of it.
Bo Xinghang heard Doctor Ji sigh. Looking up, he saw worry in Doctor Ji’s black eyes, which were intently fixed on his arm.
The wound was covered with medical gauze, obscuring the actual injury, but the shape of it was long and narrow. Bai Muyang had wrapped almost the entire arm, making it look quite alarming.
No wonder Doctor Ji was angry after just one glance. If the roles were reversed and Bo Xinghang saw Doctor Ji’s arm wrapped in gauze, even slightly, he would be extremely distressed.
“How did this happen?”
Bo Xinghang blinked his long eyelashes. “Our sports rep was being harassed by some idiots from the neighboring class. I tried to help, but when they shoved the sports rep, I got hurt in the process.”
“Oh.” Doctor Ji lowered his eyes, making it hard to gauge his expression. He asked casually, “Playing the hero?”
Seeing that Doctor Ji’s anger had subsided, Bo Xinghang quickly pulled him onto the sofa, habitually straddling his lap and giving him a kiss. “I tried to be a hero, but it didn’t go so well.”
Doctor Ji remained calm despite the kiss, not responding to Bo Xinghang’s affection. Instead, he took Bo Xinghang’s other hand and idly played with it. “So, you wanted to be a hero saving the damsel in distress?”
As if that wasn’t enough, he added in a low voice, “A hero…saving the sports rep.”
Doctor Ji had an excellent memory, and he recalled the sports representative, particularly the way she had looked at Bo Xinghang at the hot pot restaurant that day. Her expression had been unmistakable, clear to anyone who saw it.
Doctor Ji had taken the day off to pick up the young man from school. Although usually composed, this was his first time doing this, and he found himself checking the time constantly, arriving two hours early.
Sitting in the car, he kept glancing at the school gate until he finally saw Bo Xinghang come out. But then he noticed the gauze on Bo Xinghang’s left arm.
His heart skipped a beat, followed by a rapid thudding in his chest.
His Xiao Xing had been hurt.
“Doctor Ji… why do I smell something sour1sour can mean jealous?” Bo Xinghang, still clinging to his neck, leaned in closer to peer into his black eyes.
“Sour?” Doctor Ji glanced toward the kitchen, hesitated, then said, “Maybe something in the fridge went bad. I’ll check.” He patted the young man’s buttocks, signaling him to get up.
Bo Xinghang clicked his tongue, tightening his grip around Doctor Ji and biting his shoulder with feigned fierceness. “Think about it carefully!”
Although the bite was forceful in appearance, he didn’t use much strength. To Doctor Ji, it felt like a swipe from a kitten’s paw—soft and slightly ticklish.
The whole act was reminiscent of a spoiled kitten seeking attention from its owner, wanting to be noticed but not daring to be too rough.
Doctor Ji couldn’t help but chuckle at the boy’s reminder. “Oh, you mean me?”
“Who else could I mean? The sports rep?”
The mere mention of “sports rep” had become taboo for Ji Wenzhen. He placed his slender fingers on Bo Xinghang’s neck, lifted his gaze, and bit his lip as if in punishment.
After a moment, he pulled back, his lips still close to Bo Xinghang’s. His monolid eyes lifted slightly. His mouth moved as he spoke, his tone carrying an inexplicable hint of grievance. “Don’t bring her up.”
Bo Xinghang gasped heavily, mentally shouting five hundred times: Fuckfuckfuck.
Fuckfuckfuck.
He had thought Doctor Ji was always so dapper, but ever since they started dating, Doctor Ji had been like a large Samoyed dog. He looked gentlemanly and elegant, but only his owner knew how incredibly clingy he was.
His clinginess made Bo Xinghang’s heart race and his face flush. He tried to play it cool as he asked, “Oh? And why can’t I mention the sports rep?”
Doctor Ji tightened his grip on the boy’s neck, pulling him into a kiss. The kiss was intense and forceful, as if he was responding to the boy’s words. At first, Bo Xinghang enjoyed it, but soon he found it hard to breathe and started pushing him away, making muffled “mm-mm” sounds.
But Doctor Ji was determined to teach Bo Xinghang a lesson, ignoring his protests and kissing him until his body went limp.
Finally, Doctor Ji released him and spoke with an air of righteous authority, “Because you just can’t.”
Bo Xinghang: “…”
Fine. If you say so, I won’t mention her.
“By the way,” Bo Xinghang said, waving his arm in front of Doctor Ji. “There’s someone named Bai Muyang, who says he’s your junior. He works in the infirmary and was the one who wrapped this.”
“Mm, we studied under the same teacher.” Doctor Ji wasn’t surprised by their encounter. He glanced at the bandaged arm and commented, “His work is mediocre. Are you tight?”
Bo Xinghang was confused. “…Huh?”
“Do you think it’s wrapped too tightly? When changing the dressing, I’ll redo it for you.”
Doctor Ji wasn’t sure how serious the wound was, so he instinctively thought it might need rebandaging. However, the wound was only long, not deep, and wasn’t very severe.
Bo Xinghang realized he was overthinking it. He awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly shook his head. “No, no, it’s not tight at all.”
Despite his assurance, Doctor Ji still looked worried. He stared at the gauze on Bo Xinghang’s arm for a few seconds before reluctantly nodding. “Mm, just remember not to get it wet.”
Being cared for by Doctor Ji made Bo Xinghang smile, his eyes curving softly.
“Okay.”
In the evening, it was time for Doctor Ji to tutor him.
Bo Xinghang placed his left hand on a thick stack of books and used his right hand to write intermittently with a pen.
Though his basics were weak, he was smart. Doctor Ji pinpointed his weaknesses and targeted them with precision. After several focused study sessions, Bo Xinghang had caught up on most of the material.
Since he was studying science, which required strong logical thinking, his head ached after a whole evening of studying. He glanced up at the clock, only to realize it was already past midnight.
Doctor Ji had a regular biological clock, but when tutoring the boy, he stayed up late. On one hand, it allowed him to help with grading papers; on the other hand, he wanted to spend time with him.
Tonight, Bo Xinghang put down his pen, stretching his neck until it cracked. He felt a bit more comfortable, though his shoulders remained stiff. He didn’t dare move too much, worried about waking Doctor Ji.
He moved his right hand and slowly slid his phone across the desk. The screen lit up. It was 1 AM.
Doctor Ji had told him not to stay up too late, limiting his study time to midnight to ensure he was effective at school the next day. Bo Xinghang hadn’t noticed the time and had gone an hour over.
“Shit…” he whispered, quickly turning to check on Doctor Ji, who was dozing with his chin resting on his hand. Relieved, Bo Xinghang exhaled slowly.
With less than sixty days until the college entrance exam, Bo Xinghang didn’t want to disappoint Doctor Ji or waste his efforts.
Bo Xinghang stared at Doctor Ji in a daze. The night was quiet, and the room was so still that the ticking of the clock was clearly audible. Tick, tock, tick, tock.
The faint light of the night illuminated Doctor Ji, whose long lashes cast shadows beneath his eyes.
Bo Xinghang studied him for a while longer, noticing the faint dark circles under Doctor Ji’s eyes. Usually, he was too distracted by other features of Doctor Ji’s face to notice, but now, up close, he saw the tired marks he had overlooked before.
Feeling a pang of heartache, Bo Xinghang reached out with his right hand, gently touching the area under Doctor Ji’s eye. Doctor Ji was sleeping lightly, and the soft touch was enough to wake him.
Doctor Ji’s lashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes, finding himself face-to-face with Bo Xinghang. He straightened up, flexing his wrist, and asked in a raspy voice, “Finished studying?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then go to bed.” Doctor Ji’s voice was low and husky in the quiet night, sending a shiver through Bo Xinghang.
Bo Xinghang kept gazing at Doctor Ji. After a few breaths, he leaned in and brushed his lips against Doctor Ji’s, earning a soft chuckle from him.
Bo Xinghang pulled away reluctantly, smiling as he said, “Okay, I’m going to bed now. You should go to your room and sleep too.”
Doctor Ji gently tapped the star on Bo Xinghang’s earlobe, stood up, and said, “Goodnight, my Xiao Xing.”
“…Goodnight.”
Watching Doctor Ji leave, Bo Xinghang leaned back in his chair, listening to the sounds of Doctor Ji washing up in the next room. After a while, he heard the click of the lights being turned off.
Bo Xinghang tilted his head, peering through the door crack to see that the other room was completely dark. Only then did he feel reassured enough to close his door and return to the desk.
Just as he was about to pick up his pen, something occurred to him. He reached out, turned on the desk lamp, and switched off the main lights in the room.
The gentle night breeze of early May rustled the branches full of fresh leaves, like a glowing boy waving at the man in the night wind.
The evening wind brushed past softly, causing the tender leaves to sway gently.