Serenade

Chapter 44

Jin Xi supported Bo Yan back to the dormitory.

The dorm auntie saw that Bo Yan was injured and hurried out from the duty room, asking with concern, "What's going on here? How did you get hurt so badly?"

Bo Yan smiled and answered, "I wasn't careful during training, it's nothing, just superficial wounds."

"You have to be more careful! Don't go out for drills these next few days. Aiya, really...how could you be so careless, you little rascal?"

"Auntie, I've hardly even started here. You haven't seen a real bear yet. We have one in our dorm who did pull-ups yesterday and straight up tore down the door frame."

"Humph, you little bastards, you're all grown up but still act like kids. Go back and rest, stop making trouble."

"We're going, bye Auntie."

Jin Xi felt that Bo Yan was quite impressive, being able to win over not just little animals but even the infamously hot-tempered dorm auntie.

Whenever she walked by the duty room, if the dorm auntie had any nice fruit, pastries, or anything tasty, she would send some with Bo Yan.

Just what kind of reincarnated fox spirit was this guy?

Back at the dorm, Jin Xi laid Bo Yan down on the bed and carefully instructed him, "The doctor said you shouldn't move around much. I'll leave our dorm room door open so you can call out if you need anything and I'll come right over."

"Okay."

As Jin Xi turned to leave, Bo Yan grabbed her hand. "Stay with me for a bit."

His palm was broad and powerful, warm against her soft little paw. He firmly pulled her back and she naturally fell sitting by his side, like an eagle clutching a little rabbit with nowhere to run.

Jin Xi's heart thumped wildly. She didn't dare meet his scorching gaze directly. She felt the air around them instantly boiling.

She had never dated before and had zero experience. Being with this vigorous young man, everything felt unknown.

Seeing her turn deathly pale, Bo Yan eased up a bit. This girl was clearly scared of him, scared out of her wits.

He asked in confusion, "Why are you so afraid of me?"

"I'm not."

Jin Xi refused to admit it.

Bo Yan feigned a move to startle her. Jin Xi immediately nimbly shifted to the corner of the bed, clutching a pillow to shield herself.

"Don't!"

"Don't?"

Bo Yan slowly rolled the word around his tongue, implying deeper meaning. "What did you think I was going to do?"

Seeing his teasing smile, Jin Xi knew she'd been toyed with. She threw the pillow at him, a hint of anger appearing in her clear eyes.

Bo Yan raised an eyebrow, smiling. "I've discovered that this young lady's mind is full of unhealthy ideas."

"It is not!" Jin Xi's cheeks were flushed, unsure if from embarrassment or anger. She stomped her feet and turned to leave the dorm, muttering "Big pig head" under her breath.

Bo Yan smiled and took out his phone to update his roommates on the situation—

"Everything's going smoothly."

Jing Chi: "You definitely owe us a meal."

Xu Chaoyang: "Roar roar roar, I want seafood hotpot! Gonna bleed Bo dry!"

Bo Yan: "Anything you want is fine, but one thing. She can't know I'm actually injured or she'll definitely get mad at me."

Jing Chi: "Of course."

Xu Chaoyang: "You have my word!"

Shen Pingchuan: "I want Doulao from Macau. Oh right, who's going to get mad at you?"

"..."

"..."

Bo Yan: "Which dumbass added him to the chat?!"

Jing Chi: "Uh, I think you did."

Bo Yan: "Oh, then he's kicked."

Without hesitation, he immediately removed Shen Pingchuan from the 409 dorm chat.

A few minutes later, as if recalling something, Jin Xi went to room 409 and said to Bo Yan, "Take your clothes off."

Bo Yan put down his phone and reacted for a moment before laughing and saying, "That's...moving a little fast, isn't it?"

"Stop wasting time."

"Then turn around."

Jin Xi turned to face the white wall. Behind her came the sounds of the man undressing, rustling noises. When she looked back, this clumsy bear had already slipped under the covers.

"Xi Xi, I'm ready."

His fair and smooth left arm pulled the blanket up to his chest, concealing his body. His clothes and pants were already neatly folded and put to the side.

He shyly asked, "Does big sister want to take advantage of an injured senior?"

Jin Xi grinned. As if!

She picked up his bloodstained clothes and said, "Shameless senior, I'm taking these to wash for you."

She turned and heavily closed the door behind her.

Bo Yan lay comfortably in bed, looking up at the rough wooden planks of the top bunk, unable to stop the grin spreading across his face.

Being doted on felt really nice.

**

In early June, the National Defense Academy gave the new recruits over ten days off to focus on preparing for the CET 4-6 exams.

Although they spent a relatively large amount of time on physical training everyday, the academy had even stricter requirements for their cultural curriculum studies.

Their direct teaching commander had issued a final ultimatum—

First years must pass the CET 4, second years must pass the CET 4 and test for the CET 6, third years must pass the CET 6.

Everyone had issued their own military order. There were rewards for passing and serious punishments for failing.

Xu Chaoyang had asked upperclassmen about it. If second year students still couldn't pass the CET 4 by June of this year, the physical punishment they faced could possibly take half their life.

In early June, the academy recruits were like crazed beasts, swarming the self-study rooms in the library.

And that wasn't all. As Jin Xi walked along the training ground, she could also see upperclassmen doing pull-ups on the parallel bars, holding New Oriental vocabulary books and furiously cramming.

Fear not the recruited soldiers, fear their diligence and desire to learn.

This made Jin Xi feel even more useless.

When her older brother Shen Pingchuan was a first year, he'd passed the CET 4 in the first semester and the CET 6 in the second, scoring over 570 both times. He was now working on preparing for the English exam for post-graduate studies...while she was still struggling along the road of attempting the CET 4.

Jin Xi hugged her thick books of vocabulary, listening, and reading comprehension and headed to the library. Following the coordinates Bo Yan had sent in a text message, she found a self-study room on the 5th floor of the library.

Peering in through the crack in the door, the entire self-study room was filled with boys from the military academy. Some were concentrated on studying, some were collapsed face down on the tables fast asleep, and some were even doing one-handed pushups in the aisle while holding vocabulary books in the other hand.

Jin Xi felt like she had entered some strange new world. She hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone to send Bo Yan a text—

"Senior, I'm here."

Two minutes later, Bo Yan emerged from the self-study room and brought her inside.

Seeing a girl come in, the boys unanimously put down their books and looked over at Jin Xi.

Jin Xi was a little embarrassed and politely nodded to them, face flushed.

Seeing Bo Yan bring the girl over to his seat, the quiet atmosphere lasted only a few seconds before the boys exploded, flocking over—

"Whoa!"

"Bo's got a girlfriend?"

"This girl's so petite, can you handle her?"

"Don't be too much of a beast, alright?"

"Is she legal? How old, what major? When did you and Bo get together?"

......

"I'm 18, first year, liberal arts..."

Jin Xi patiently answered their questions, appearing extremely well-behaved.

The group of boys roared, wondering where Bo had snatched such a cute little sister to be his girlfriend.

Bo Yan sat down beside her and glared at everyone, impatiently saying, "What is this, checking our papers? Mind your own business."

After all, they were disciplined soldiers. After a bout of joking, they voluntarily turned back around to their own tasks, leaving space for the "newlyweds" in the back row.

Bo Yan's camo jacket hung over the chair back. Jin Xi sat in his spot, feeling protected and secure, as well as a comforting sense of belonging.

Bo Yan took out warm milk and a pack of bread rolls from his black backpack and placed them next to her.

Jin Xi looked at him in surprise. "How did you know I didn't eat breakfast?"

"You slept in late and came over this late, the cafeteria doesn't serve breakfast anymore."

"Oh, right." She stuck her tongue out, embarrassed.

Bo Yan inserted the straw into the milk box for her and handed it over, reminding her, "Don't eat too much, lunch is coming up soon."

The milk still held some warmth, very comforting.

When Bo Yan saw her sipping through a straw, taking small sips, he felt a sense of accomplishment like raising a little pet. If he could take care of her like this for a lifetime, protecting and cherishing her... That would be happiness.

There were seven or eight packaged bread rolls. Jin Xi opened up the bread package and brought the first piece to Bo Yan's mouth, "Senior, eat first."

"Senior has already eaten breakfast, they're all yours."

"Then senior should still eat first."

Jin Xi insisted on feeding him the first bite. In her eyes, the first was always the best. In the past, at home and at the dinner table with Shen Ping Chuan, they would fight over the first chicken leg, no matter how many more the chef made, it could never compare to the first serving.

Now that she had a boyfriend, with an intimacy exceeding anyone else including Shen Ping Chuan, he was the person she loved most dearly. So Jin Xi was willing to give him all the things she felt were the best.

Bo Yan didn't know Jin Xi had this in mind. He took the small bread roll from her hand.

The bread roll, which should have taken three or four bites to swallow, was bitten into his mouth in one go. As he chewed, the rich starch and wheat aroma always filled one with energy and lifted the spirits.

After eating breakfast, the two of them started to review English.

The self-study room was very quiet. One could hear the rustling of writing, and everyone walked and spoke softly, taking care not to disturb others.

Compared to other colleges, the boys of the National Defense College were the most rambunctious in private, but they absolutely distinguished situations. Their organizational discipline was stronger than others, and they knew self-restraint very well.

Jin Xi turned her head and saw Bo Yan's slender fingertips holding a jumbled six-level vocabulary book, flipping through it page by page.

Sunlight slanted into the window frame, illuminating his exquisite features brightly and translucently. His pale hazel eyes and crimson lips formed a stark contrast.

When reading, he was extremely focused, his gaze following the pages’ content, turning page after page. Jin Xi noticed that in just a few minutes, he had already flipped through quite a few pages.

What kind of vocabulary learning machine was this, as if he could remember everything? Jin Xi had heard Xu Chaoyang say that Bo Yan's memory was inhumanly good. He could get the best grades in the class for all the public courses. It seemed a bit unbelievable that someone of this calibre had not passed the six-level exam yet.

Jin Xi asked in a low voice, "Are you taking the six-level exam too?"

"Mm."

"I thought senior would have passed the six-level in freshman year since you're so smart."

Bo Yan looked up at her with a dazzling smile. "Second try. I got 599 last time. I'm aiming for 600 this time. Does my junior have any ideas?"

Jin Xi: ......

I don't feel like being friends with you.

After about forty minutes, Bo Yan had looked through half of the vocabulary book. He then stretched out with a long, lazy yawn, his joints cracking.

A boy's body was always exceptionally supple.

Jin Xi lay slumped over the table, carefully and painstakingly working on English reading exercises, utterly focused yet extremely struggling.

She wore a soft white t-shirt with a split collar, the material very smooth yet also very thin, faintly revealing the color of her skin underneath. Because the color was translucent, she wore a white tank top inside for protection.

Bo Yan's gaze moved to the cuffs of her sleeves.

From his angle, through the short sleeves, he could see the scenery inside.

Her breasts were like slightly protruding hillocks, wrapped in the tank top, outlined in a rounded curve.

Bo Yan's Adam's apple moved as he swallowed dryly, terribly itchy and impatient.

He was no innocent teenager. In high school he had watched adult videos with his buddies, yet even busty, seductive women in them elicited little reaction from him.

But the girl before him now, docilely hunched over the table like a budding peach blossom in spring, even just a fleeting glimpse made him feel like his body would explode.

Bo Yan immediately looked away, not daring to ogle further, otherwise it would lead to trouble.

"Senior, please help me look at this long sentence."

Jin Xi passed the reading book over, also scooting herself closer. She was completely oblivious to his licentious thoughts.

Bo Yan looked at the sentence, underlined components with his pen, and analyzed and explained in more detail than the sample answer.

Jin Xi nodded thoughtfully, "I understand now."

Bo Yan shifted closer to her side, sitting much nearer to her.

Jin Xi was unaware anything was amiss with such intimacy. She turned back and smiled at him, then shamelessly leaned against his arm, holding her draft paper as she continued looking at long sentences.

Unconsciously, she suddenly realized Bo Yan's hand was on her waist at some point, lightly gripping her.

His palm was scorching hot. Through her thin clothes, it conveyed to her sensitive skin.

The stuffy feeling of early summer accompanied Bo Yan's touch, gradually rising in her heart.

Jin Xi's heartbeat quickened unknowingly, and a flush suffused her ears.

This was normal, Jin Xi told herself. She was dating now. She allowed the touches of men around her.

She pretended not to notice and kept looking at the exercises.

A few minutes later, a certain someone's roaming hand actually crept into her clothes through the seams, the rough texture of his palm rubbing her delicate skin.

A shiver ran down Jin Xi's spine. She was afraid yet thrilled.

This was a classroom!

Jin Xi grasped Bo Yan's hand and pulled it out. "Don't...do that."

Her voice was soft and feeble.

Bo Yan didn't persist. He tugged her shirt hem back down and neatly smoothed it.

Jin Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

After some time, he moved near her ear and said, "Xi Xi, I'm dying."

Jin Xi looked back at him. His eyes contained a kind of deep, rippling flavor. "Girl, you're killing me."

She was perplexed and innocent.

Clearly the one doing bad things was him, yet he blamed her instead.

Bo Yan lazily nudged her aside, sprawling over the table and listlessly saying, "Forget it, stay away from me. Don't touch me anymore."

Jin Xi: ......

What the f*ck did I touch?!

**

In mid June, the four and six level exams arrived as scheduled.

CET-4 in the morning, CET-6 in the afternoon. Everyone's time of death was arranged clearly.

In the morning, Bo Yan sent Jin Xi to the exam room. Jin Xi clutched Bo Yan's hand tightly, reluctant to let go.

He wore a white shirt, the collar casually unbuttoned, revealing the fair skin of his neck. Perched on his tall nose was a pretentious pair of flat-top glasses, preparing to disguise himself as a bespectacled nerd for the afternoon six-level exam.

Without his uniform, Senior Bo Yan had an air of sly, roguish scumbag.

Jin Xi anxiously said, "If I can't pass the four-level again this semester, Uncle Shen will definitely think I'm a pig, unworthy of being his Shen family's daughter. If he kicks me out, Bo Yan, what will I do?"

Bo Yan adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, pondered for a moment, then said, "The doors of the Bo family will always be..."

Jin Xi looked at him full of anticipation, but he made a turn and sneered coldly, "The doors of my family will never open for those who can't pass the four-level exam. Crying and wheedling won't get you anywhere with me. It's better to screw up your courage and get in there. Bo Yan's woman never admits defeat."

Jin Xi lifted her foot to kick him. Bo Yan nimbly dodged, laughing as he shouldered her orange bookbag and handed her the transparent pen case, comforting her, "Don't be nervous. For listening, pay attention to key words. If you really can't understand, just randomly guess. Senior believes in you. Scoring 426 points should be no problem."

"......"

426, am I even your girlfriend?

"Alright, hurry up, don't feel too much pressure."

Clutching the transparent pen case, Jin Xi went to the classroom and found her seat. Her phone was in her bag, held by Bo Yan for safekeeping until he came to pick her up after the exam.

That morning, Bo Yan practiced shooting for over two hours at the shooting range, arriving at the Second Teaching Building just as the exam was about to end.

In the hallway by Jin Xi's exam room, Bo Yan had just rounded the corner when he saw Shen Ping Chuan.

Shen Ping Chuan was also here to pick up his sister. He stood rubbing his hands anxiously outside the classroom, awaiting her exit.

Bo Yan immediately turned to leave, but Shen Ping Chuan had already noticed him. "Hey, Bo Yan!"

Bo Yan turned back with an insincere smile. "Brother Shen, what a coincidence."

Shen Ping Chuan asked in puzzlement, "What are you doing here?"

Bo Yan sauntered over and puffed out his chest. "Taking a stroll."

"Weird, you're strolling the teaching building?"

"Weird, it's any of your business where I stroll?"

Shen Ping Chuan clearly did not believe him. With one glance, he saw the familiar MCM backpack on Bo Yan's shoulders.

"Strange, why are you carrying my little sister's bag?"

Bo Yan's expression did not change as he continued acting: "Strange, why am I carrying Xiaopi Xi's bag?"

Shen Ping Chuan's eyebrows furrowed: "Bo Yan, could it be...you came here to wait for my sister to take the CET-4 exam?"

The master actor Bo Yan laughed heartily: "The wise and witty, romantic and dashing Master Shen's sister hasn't passed the CET-4 yet? How strange."

Shen Ping Chuan felt better hearing his flattery despite the single eyelid.

"She's not as smart as you think, just a muddled little fool. If she fails again this time, I'll string her up and give her a beating."

Bo Yan blurted out: "You dare..."

A sharp, cold light flashed in Shen Ping Chuan's eyes.

Bo Yan immediately changed his tune: "You're capable of big things. Not even passing the CET-4, she definitely deserves a beating."

Shen Ping Chuan snorted lightly.

Just then, the announcement rang out over the school's broadcast system: "The CET-4 exam has ended. Students must stop writing immediately and orderly leave the exam room."

Soon, the classroom door opened and Jin Xi shuffled out dejectedly, sniffling with a crying face. She opened her arms wanting a hug: "Brother Bo Yan, I think I messed up the exam again."

Shen Ping Chuan was dumbfounded as he made eye contact with her.

Jin Xi's arms froze in midair.

Author's Note: Shen Ping Chuan: Keep sucking it up, what do you want to do!

Jin Xi: I...I'm hugging myself