Neither of them had much experience when it came to first dates. Doctor Ji said he’d follow whatever Bo Xinghang wanted, but deciding where to go became a challenge.
Before they left, Ji Wenzhen noticed the boy’s troubled expression and felt a pang of sympathy. After some thought, he suggested, “How about we go see a movie?”
He wasn’t very sure himself, but he couldn’t bear to see Xiao Xing looking so sad. He had heard that a recently released movie was getting good reviews and was popular among the girls in his department.
“Sure.” Bo Xinghang was happy to do anything with Doctor Ji, but after a pause, he couldn’t help but ask, “And then?”
When he went out with Xu Yi, it was usually just smoking and drinking—nothing worth referencing.
But the question of “And then?” lingered without an answer, and the two found themselves at a loss for what to do next.
In the end, Ji Wenzhen asked a girl from his department for advice. When she received his message, she was so startled that she thought his account had been hacked. It wasn’t until she confirmed it was really him that she dared to reply.
She asked cautiously on WeChat: Is this for your girlfriend?
Girlfriend?
Ji Wenzhen instinctively glanced over at the boy.
The midday sunlight was just right, wrapping him in a glow. He seemed to find the sunlight too bright, so he turned slightly, leaving half of his face bathed in warm light.
When their eyes met, Bo Xinghang would unconsciously smile, his pure, youthful charm almost overflowing. Beneath his long lashes, his bright eyes sparkled with affection, which he couldn’t hide no matter how hard he tried.
For a moment, Ji Wenzhen forgot to respond, his black eyes locked on Bo Xinghang, wanting to capture this image exactly as it was and store it in his mind.
He wanted to treasure this hazy, colorful painting forever.
When Ji Wenzhen took too long to reply, the girl realized she might have been rude and quickly explained: I didn’t mean anything by it!
She sent several more messages in quick succession, most of them short, likely out of habit.
—If it’s your girlfriend, you could have a meal together and watch a movie.
—Oh, you could also go shopping, visit an amusement park, or a park!
—If it’s not a girlfriend, then it depends on who it is.
—If it’s a friend, you could go to a karaoke bar, play games, or do whatever.
—It really depends on the person’s personality and what they like.
By this point, the girl didn’t know what else to say.
At the hospital, everyone knew Doctor Ji was the most aloof, with almost zero interest in entertainment—practically inhuman in that regard. After thinking about it, she concluded it must be for a girlfriend. Only a girlfriend could pull this iceberg into the world of the living.
After sending all her messages in one go, she realized Doctor Ji’s reply had been pushed to the top. Scrolling up, she expected a simple thank-you but instead found his answer to her question.
Reading the brief message in the chat, the girl, who had been single her whole life, suddenly felt her cheeks flush.
With “Ji Wenzhen” as the sender’s name, even his WeChat exuded a sense of seriousness.
She had asked, “Is it for your girlfriend?”
Doctor Ji had replied, “Mm, my baby.”
My Xiao Xing baby.
Blushing, the girl quietly mumbled to herself as she stared at the screen.
This is too much.
After some discussion, they decided to go to an amusement park first, followed by dinner and a movie.
Planning the day had taken up quite a bit of time, so they didn’t waste any more words. Doctor Ji drove them straight to the nearest amusement park.
It was a Sunday at noon, and the place was packed with kids and couples. However, there weren’t many pairs of two men like them, let alone ones with such good looks.
The moment they walked through the gate, they attracted everyone’s attention. Some girls were bold enough to stare at them, blushing and whispering among themselves.
The distance was too far, so neither of them noticed.
Near the entrance, there were many stalls selling random trinkets—things you wouldn’t usually need. Bo Xinghang wasn’t interested in any of it and thought these people must have money to burn.
With so many people coming and going, Bo Xinghang nearly bumped into others several times. Ji Wenzhen discreetly reached out, wrapping an arm around his waist to gently guide him, keeping the boy close to avoid him straying off course.
Noticing that Bo Xinghang’s gaze wasn’t focused on where he was walking, Ji Wenzhen tapped him on the forehead. “Wake up, Bo Xiao Xing. Watch where you’re going.”
Bo Xiao Xing lied, “I am watching.”
Ji Wenzhen chuckled and followed his gaze, pausing for a suspicious two seconds before asking, “…You like this?”
There was a small cart decorated with cartoon graffiti, loaded with various plush headbands. Nearby, a couple was enthusiastically trying them on, the girl frequently looking to the guy for approval.
“What?” Bo Xinghang turned to look at Doctor Ji, then followed his gaze back to where he had just been looking, his ears turning red.
“N-No.”
“I just…” This was too embarrassing. Bo Xinghang tried to explain, a little flustered, “I was just curious because I saw the girl wearing it.”
“You were staring at the girl?”
Is that the fucking point?
Bo Xinghang’s face burned, and in his frustration, he nearly cursed. But his voice was quiet, sounding more like he was defending himself, “I was checking out every stall. Who could’ve expected to find something like that?”
The earlier stalls had only displayed ordinary souvenirs, but when he saw the animal headbands, Bo Xinghang had to admit that for a moment, his thoughts wandered. He even found himself involuntarily imagining Doctor Ji wearing one.
The thought of that cold expression paired with animal ears… His mind drifted, undoubtedly.
Bo Xinghang averted his gaze, mumbling a quiet protest, “I was just looking around. Who the hell likes that stuff anyway?”
“Be good; don’t swear.” Doctor Ji gently smoothed Bo Xinghang’s unruly hair.
“Oh.” Bo Xinghang fell silent after that.
Being around Doctor Ji had curbed his swearing habit quite a bit. There weren’t many situations that warranted cursing, and most importantly, with Doctor Ji’s face in front of him, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Over time, his words became cleaner.
Bo Xinghang lowered his head, feeling a bit of regret.
“I didn’t mean to swear.”
“I wasn’t scolding you.”
Both of them spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping—one a young man’s, the other a man’s, both unmistakably distinct. They froze for a moment, surprised by the coincidence.
Bo Xinghang looked up, his expression unchanged—frowning slightly, looking a bit dazed and exceptionally cute. If it weren’t for the people around them, Ji Wenzhen would have pinched his cheeks to see if they were as soft as they looked.
Instead, he settled for pinching the back of Bo Xinghang’s neck, leaning in close as his voice turned hoarse. “Xiao Xing, I wasn’t scolding you.”
He intentionally lowered his voice, trying to make the boy blush. “Did you know? You actually sound sexy when you swear.” It was the kind of voice that made one’s heart race, making him imagine Bo Xinghang letting out an unintentional curse while gasping softly.
He’d thought about it countless times.
Doctor Ji wasn’t exactly a saint; he had desires and greed. But his Xiao Xing was still young, so his rationality often overruled his emotions. Those surges of desire were usually buried deep, showing no trace.
But this time, seeing the boy’s regretful and pitiful expression, that emotion seemed to find a way to the surface, releasing all at once.
It was just a simple phrase, but paired with Doctor Ji’s slightly suppressed deep voice, Bo Xinghang felt a jolt of electricity run through his ears and upper body, making him shudder.
He was on the verge of losing it. Who was the sexier one here?
A flurry of thoughts raced through Bo Xinghang’s mind, and after a moment, he noticed that the couple from earlier had left without him realizing it. He finally managed to say, “Doctor Ji, let’s buy it.”
“Hm? Didn’t you say you didn’t like it?”
“…”
He didn’t like it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t buy it for Ji Wenzhen to wear.
Bo Xinghang avoided eye contact, cleverly sidestepping the topic. “Which animal do you think we should get?”
Ji Wenzhen squinted at him, noticing the boy’s reddening ears but choosing not to call him out. His voice carried a hint of amusement. “Any of them would be fine.”
As he said this, he seriously considered how Bo Xinghang would look wearing them. Whether cat ears, bunny ears, or fox ears, they all seemed… adorable.
“Ahem.” Ji Wenzhen brought his hand to his lips, coughing lightly to cover up his thoughts. Noticing Bo Xinghang’s curious gaze, he added, “Let’s go take a look.”
“Okay.”
This stall seemed particularly popular with couples. The previous pair had barely left when another couple arrived. They seemed to be young, not much older than Bo Xinghang.
As they approached, the girl’s eyes instinctively landed on Bo Xinghang and remained fixed.
“Ge.” She nudged the boy beside her, whispering, “Look! I’ve just found my true love.”
Compared to the more mature Ji Wenzhen, the girl was clearly more attracted to Bo Xinghang’s type.
To outsiders, Ji Wenzhen seemed cold and unapproachable, while Bo Xinghang came across as a quiet, aloof guy—cool, handsome, and full of personality.
Realizing that the two weren’t a couple, Ji Wenzhen subtly shifted to block Bo Xinghang from view.
Bo Xinghang, a step behind, didn’t catch what the girl had said. Staring at the array of animal ears, he quietly asked, “Doctor Ji, you pick one.”
Ji Wenzhen patted his head affectionately. “You choose.”
Since it was for him, of course, he should be the one to pick.
Bo Xinghang, out of habit, leaned into Doctor Ji’s touch, moving closer. “Just pick one; I want to buy what you choose.”
Ji Wenzhen’s eyes darkened, and the corners of his lips curled up. “Are you acting cute?”
“Does this count?”
“Of course it does.”
“Alright.” For the sake of getting Doctor Ji to wear it, a little sacrifice was nothing. He took a deep breath and said, “Gege, please~”
“…”
“Come on, won’t you~?” Bo Xinghang blinked, his voice trembling as he listened to his own tone.
“Xiao Xing.”
Ji Wenzhen took a deep breath, no longer caring about the people around them. He reached out and brushed aside the strands of hair on Bo Xinghang’s forehead, letting the wind carry them back, revealing his smooth, pale skin and sparkling eyes.
He wanted to take a good look at the boy’s expression at that moment.
“Here.”
“Do you know what you look like right now…” Like a beautiful peacock displaying its feathers.
Recognizing the familiar line, Bo Xinghang couldn’t help but continue with the next part, a smile tugging at his lips. “Like I’m playing with fire.”
Ji Wenzhen paused, frowning slightly in confusion. “Playing with fire?”
Bo Xinghang didn’t notice the girl nearby who was starting to look at them differently. He earnestly lectured Doctor Ji, “Doctor Ji, you’re too out of touch with contemporary literature. Reading too many academic papers isn’t good. It can make a person dull.”
He then stopped looking at the animal ears, instead cupping Doctor Ji’s chin with one hand. He deliberately lowered his voice, striking a tone somewhere between a boy’s and a young man’s—clean and cool.
“Woman, you’re playing with fire.”
“…” Ji Wenzhen’s normally aloof face grew even colder.
Seeing that Doctor Ji wasn’t responding and still holding his chin, Bo Xinghang decided to take it a step further. “Woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention.”
“…”
Ji Wenzhen didn’t say anything, but he felt a strong reaction inside to those words.
He guessed these were some kind of internet buzzwords, maybe just a tease or a joke, but still, he found himself affected.
Bo Xinghang added, “Woman, I’ve taken a liking to you.”
Doctor Ji couldn’t hold back any longer.
After a few seconds, he turned away, grabbed a random headband from the stall, and took out his phone to ask about the price.
Perhaps the swiftness of his actions left the vendor momentarily stunned. Once he regained his composure, he hurriedly said, “Thirty for one, fifty for two.”
“One is enough.”
Ji Wenzhen paid quickly and grabbed Bo Xinghang’s mischievous hand, pulling him close. The movement was unusually forceful as he strode in the opposite direction.
For some reason, Bo Xinghang sensed an odd urgency in Doctor Ji and asked, “What’s going on? Where are we going?” He hadn’t even chosen the headband.
Ji Wenzhen’s pace was fast, but luckily Bo Xinghang’s long legs helped him keep up. They walked through the crowd, their hands tightly linked.
In just a few strides, they reached their destination. Ji Wenzhen still hadn’t answered, but when Bo Xinghang looked up at the giant Ferris wheel before them, his eyes widened in surprise. “Are you taking me on the Ferris wheel?”
“Mm.” Ji Wenzhen’s voice was slightly hoarse.
“Why?”
Bo Xinghang was still a bit dazed, but during the queue, Doctor Ji remained silent. If it weren’t for their still-joined hands, Bo Xinghang might have thought he’d gone too far with the teasing and offended Doctor Ji.
The line was long, but the Ferris wheel was large enough for them to catch the last car.
With a loud “bang,” the door was firmly shut by the staff. At that moment, Ji Wenzhen pressed his body against Bo Xinghang, answering his question with action.
Ji Wenzhen’s movements were both fierce and gentle, his kiss capturing Bo Xinghang’s lips as if claiming his very breath.
As the Ferris wheel slowly began to rise, Bo Xinghang closed his eyes, feeling a brief moment of detachment from the ground.
The darkness before him felt like an abyss.
In the confined space of the car, the breeze of the air conditioning, the rustle of fabric, and their entwined warmth all seemed to blend together with the two people embracing.
Engulfed in the approaching summer solstice, lost in the days to come, and completely absorbed in the boy before him.
Author’s note:
Girl: I’ve lost my true love.
