The classroom fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into chaos.
“Holy crap! Did I hear that right?! Did they actually call Hang-ge’s name?”
“D-did I mishear it too?”
“Nope, you heard right!!”
“Ahhh! You didn’t hear wrong! The teacher really said Hang-ge’s name! It’s Bo Xinghang!”
“…”
After a brief pause, someone muttered, “…Fuck.”
“As expected of Hang-ge… he’s so damn badass.”
The last comment came from the person sitting next to Bo Xinghang. He turned halfway around, stared at him for a long moment, and finally managed to squeeze out those words.
The class had just finished celebrating “Provincial Experimental is badass,” and now the praise shifted to Hang-ge. Everyone was struggling to process this new reality.
Just like with the teacher’s earlier slip-up, all eyes were once again on Bo Xinghang. But this time, their gazes weren’t just curious—they were filled with shock.
As Doctor Ji had said before, this performance didn’t just awe everyone—it made them surrender. The score itself was nothing unusual at Provincial Experimental, but when paired with the name “Bo Xinghang,” it meant more than just the grades.
Before the results were announced, Hang-ge had been labeled a slacker in everyone’s minds.
Then, someone told them that the kid who used to hand in blank tests had jumped over a hundred places in the rankings.
The shock was comparable to the homeroom teacher showing up to class in women’s clothing.
It was the kind of excitement that left your brain frozen.
The homeroom teacher had expected this reaction and remained calm. “Bo Xinghang, come to my office after class. I’d like to have a chat with you.”
Bo Xinghang’s slender fingers tapped rapidly on his phone screen. When he heard the teacher’s request, he raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded calmly. “Oh, okay.”
He was once known as a “school bully,” so being called to the office was nothing new to him. But this time, it felt different. He continued tapping on the screen, feeling a bit strange inside.
Buzz—
Doctor Ji: 1
Bo Xinghang instinctively frowned.
“1” was a secret code between them. Whenever Doctor Ji was interrupted by an emergency, he would send a quick “1” before rushing to the operating room.
Bo Xinghang didn’t consider himself overly sensitive, but every “1” meant that a life was hanging on the operating table, relying on others to save it.
In these moments, whether it was family or friends, there was nothing anyone could do except feel helpless.
A heavy feeling settled in his heart.
“All right.”
A voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Bo Xinghang looked up.
The homeroom teacher shook the report card in his hand, his expression serious. “This proves it’s never too late to start learning. It only depends on whether you’re willing to put in the effort. Everyone should take Student Bo as a role model!”
Student Bo, now suddenly bestowed with the “role model” title: “…”
The rest of the students, who had been fed a dose of unexpected motivational pep talk by the homeroom teacher: “…”
“Ahem.” The homeroom teacher surveyed the room. “Why are you all staring? Did you hear what I said!”
The students, looking unimpressed, responded lazily, “We heard you—”
“What was that?”
The teacher knocked on the table. “You’re in your final year! Get yourselves together and stop slacking off!”
Here we go again.
The moral of the story: never reason with the homeroom teacher. No matter what you said, you would never win.
…Absolutely infuriating.
Everyone closed their eyes in despair, refusing to face reality.
“Teacher.”
The homeroom teacher was about to wave his arms in the air when he heard a voice from the back of the room. “…Yes, Student Bo, what is it?”
Bo Xinghang raised an eyebrow, ignoring the strange nickname. He tactfully reminded the teacher, “I think class is almost over?”
A kind soul had come to the rescue, and the students, moved to tears, turned away and exchanged secret winks where the teacher couldn’t see.
“…” The homeroom teacher’s expression darkened for a moment. He checked the time and saw that class was indeed almost over, so he quickly shifted the topic, “Alright, since we’re running short on time, let’s move on to the next student’s grades.”
He glanced down at the report card. “Li Yangyang, 495 points. You were just one multiple-choice question behind the last student, but you’ve made great progress. Keep it up. Next…”
–
“Hang-ge…” Xu Yi suddenly spoke, his tone resembling that of a scorned woman abandoned by a heartless man.
Bo Xinghang paused. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Yi sighed and said, “Hearing your name called before mine just feels so wrong.”
Bo Xinghang smiled. “Oh? And how do you feel now?”
Xu Yi stared at him silently for a moment, took a deep breath, and placed a hand on Bo Xinghang’s shoulder. “I feel like…”
Maybe it was Xu Yi’s serious expression, but Bo Xinghang dropped his usual casual attitude and looked back at him.
“…I feel like my grades aren’t worthy of you.”
After all that build-up, this was the line Xu Yi came up with. Bo Xinghang didn’t even bother to react. “Worthy of me?”
Xu Yi’s poor language skills had ruined his attempt at creating a heartfelt moment. His effort was wasted, and the mood completely shattered.
Xu Yi was frustrated. “Fuck! That’s not what I meant!!”
“Then what did you mean?” Bo Xinghang scanned him up and down before shaking his head. “Tsk tsk, you’re not even a fraction as handsome as me. Stop dreaming. You’ve got no chance.”
“…Damn it!” Xu Yi’s attempts to clarify only made things worse. “I’m innocent!”
His voice was loud enough to catch the attention of the homeroom teacher, who had been trying to ignore their conversation. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Can the students in the back please lower their voices? I know everyone’s excited today, but don’t disrupt the class.”
“…Okay,” Xu Yi replied weakly.
Looking so pitiful, Bo Xinghang decided to let him off the hook. He gently patted Xu Yi on the back and said in a more serious tone, “I get what you meant.”
“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant.” Xu Yi was almost in tears as he tried to explain, “Everyone knows you’re a family man. Who would dare joke about that? It’d be like asking for death!”
“…”
Bo Xinghang was at a loss for words.
Xu Yi, who often seemed like a sharp young man, was always the first to come up with wild ideas. When it came to gossip, he was definitely the one in the know.
But when it came to serious matters, his IQ seemed to vanish. Sometimes, Bo Xinghang wondered if he did it on purpose. How could someone be so dense yet think they were smart?
Bo Xinghang decided to press on. “The college entrance exams are coming up soon. You once asked me why I didn’t take my tests seriously even though I had a good foundation. I didn’t answer you then, but now I want to tell you.”
Xu Yi turned his head, his expression more serious. “…What do you want to say?”
He had a vague idea of what Hang-ge was about to reveal. They knew each other too well; while playful banter could be brushed aside, they always understood one another when it came to serious matters.
Bo Xinghang smiled. “With the exams around the corner, do you want to join me in… studying hard, and take this seriously?”
Study hard and make progress every day.
The words sounded like something an elementary school student would say, yet he delivered them so calmly.
Bo Xinghang admired himself for managing to keep a straight face while uttering such an idiotic statement.
The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. Xu Yi stared at him in silence until Bo Xinghang couldn’t hold back any longer and frowned. “Tsk, stop staring at me like that.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Xu Yi threw him a playful wink, flirting with danger as he quickly stepped back just before Hang-ge could make a move.
Bo Xinghang swung at him and missed. He glared and said, “Your mom…”
“My mom is doing great and healthier than ever!” Xu Yi ducked down, catching Bo Xinghang’s hand in mid-air. His voice was full of appeasement. “Hang-ge, I swear I’ll study hard… Please don’t hit me!”
His last words were filled with grievance. Bo Xinghang shook off his hand with a cold sneer, disbelief written all over his face. “…You can actually study hard?”
Xu Yi wasn’t made for studying. It wasn’t that he lacked intelligence, just that this kid had zero interest.
While others found studying easier than working, Xu Yi thought the opposite. He outright refused to engage in schoolwork, showing no interest at all. But when it came to working, he was full of enthusiasm. Even though he often complained about being tired, he always showed up eagerly for the next shift.
Now Xu Yi promised to study hard, but his promise had such little credibility, it might as well have been nonexistent.
Feeling deeply wronged, Xu Yi protested, “Hang-ge, at least give me some respect and get rid of that distrust on your face.”
“Nope. I can’t help it.”
Xu Yi: “…”
Fine. You’re the boss, so whatever you say goes.
