Qi Jing found the question hard to answer. Before he could respond, Huang Ze cut in from beside him. “What kind of question is that?”
The young man seemed a little uncomfortable, but he still looked at Qi Jing. “Isn’t that just how truth or dare works? I’m only curious about Little Jing.”
The atmosphere grew quiet once more. Several pairs of eyes turned their way, and Qi Jing’s face took on a bewildered expression.
He was a goldfinch.
He liked his benefactor.
He liked Bo Chengyan.
Bo Chengyan was a man.
“I like boys,” Qi Jing concluded, his tone perfectly calm.
The young man’s eyes flickered slightly, as if he were excited or something. He murmured, “I knew it.”
Lin Yuze still thought this was crossing a line. He said to the young man, “Don’t ask any more questions like that. They’re too intrusive.”
“But it’s truth or dare,” the young man replied indifferently, even sounding a bit impatient. “You don’t have to tell the truth if you don’t want to.”
Huang Ze rolled his eyes. “You’re only asking because you know Qi Jing doesn’t lie.”
Overall, the mood felt strangely off-kilter.
It didn’t last long, though. The game wrapped up soon after.
The sun had set by then, and most of the parents from the class had already left. His friends said their goodbyes one by one. Qi Jing planned to stop by the classroom—Auntie had messaged him thirty minutes ago that she was waiting at the gate.
It was Friday, so he wanted to grab a few books to look over at home.
To his surprise, the classroom was bathed in sunset light. A few beams fell across the shoulders of the person inside, giving the scene an almost artistic feel.
It was like something out of an ancient Greek statue.
Bo Chengyan was gazing down at a sheet of paper, his expression rather sour. He looked up only when he noticed Qi Jing standing frozen in the doorway.
“Little Jing.”
Before he could say anything else, the boy came running over.
His waist was encircled once again.
[So happy.]
In this world, Qi Jing knew full well that everything he had came from the man before him. He paid him the utmost attention and care, as if Bo Chengyan were a bodhisattva enshrined in a temple.
Now that the bodhisattva had come for him, the boy was naturally thrilled.
As a goldfinch, this was his greatest joy.
[Mr. Bo still cares about me.]
Qi Jing started to tilt his head up, but Bo Chengyan pinched his neck and pulled him back gently. At the same time, he folded the paper in his hand unobtrusively and slipped it into his pocket.
“What’s that?”
Bo Chengyan replied flatly, “Your report card.”
Qi Jing perked up. “I got an 87 on geography.”
“Isn’t that great?”
The school was deserted by that point. The two of them walked side by side down the corridor, their shadows stretching long behind them.
Qi Jing happily tugged at the man’s clothes. He wasn’t allowed to hold hands in public, so this was the next best thing.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Mm.”
The boy had trouble grasping the true nature of things. Bo Chengyan needed to ensure his schooling remained safe, normal, and well-integrated with the lives of others.
It was better if he showed up as little as possible.
The children wouldn’t recognize him, but those business parents, big and small… they certainly would.
Bo Chengyan offered no explanation. He simply led the boy downstairs.
Just then, at the end of Class 9’s hallway, around the corner, someone stepped out.
It was the classmate who had asked Qi Jing the truth question.
The boy’s face was slick with sweat, his cheeks flushed hot.
Who was that?
Qi Jing’s brother?
Would a brother be so intimate—hugging him like that?
Around eight that evening—
Bo Chengyan sat in his study, staring at the love letter for the tenth time. Now he was on his eleventh read-through.
“I think you’re wonderful. Your eyes are like a crystal-clear lake, and I keep tossing stones into it—each one carrying my feelings. Ripples spread across the surface, and I thought that was your response to me.”
“But the ripples come from the stones. The lake stills again, reflecting only my panicked, helpless face.”
“I’m inferior, timid, full of fear. You’re so open and genuine, calm and tolerant. I’m like a dusty stone, sinking unbidden to the bottom of your lake.”
“I have feelings for you, Qi Jing.”
There was a name and contact info at the bottom.
Bo Chengyan frowned and tossed the paper into the trash. His brows stayed knit as he thought it over, until it started to strike him as ridiculous.
He bent down, fished the paper out, and glanced at the name.
Lin.
He made a call right away.
“Set up a meeting for me.”
“Tomorrow.”
The chief assistant’s voice sounded exhausted, brimming with the resentment of an overworked drone. “President Bo, you’ve got a direct flight to Europe tomorrow. There’s the Ireland branch meeting at two in the afternoon, and then at ten at night…”
“Can’t fit it in? Should I push something?”
In a daze, Bo Chengyan realized he’d lost his composure. “Sorry. It’s after hours—my apologies. No changes to tomorrow’s schedule.”
The chief assistant paused, then let out a relieved sigh of an overworked employee and cheerfully hung up.
The man in the study fell silent for a long moment.
In the end, he tore the love letter to shreds.
Heh. Kids’ playtime.
~~~
Qi Jing’s birthday came quickly, falling on a Saturday. The boy was uncharacteristically excited—he was going camping in the mountains with his classmates!
Bo Chengyan was on a business trip in Europe at the time. He picked up the phone while in the foulest of moods.
They usually celebrated Qi Jing’s birthday at home.
Even if he was away, the boy would video call to blow out the candles.
“I’m going with my friends. They’re all good people.”
Bo Chengyan had no interest in reviewing the contract in front of him. “Mm.”
“Then I’ll hang up.”
“Bye-bye.”
The call lasted five minutes.
Bo Chengyan knit his brows. He had a vague sense that things were slipping out of control, but he couldn’t interfere with the boy’s normal social life.
Eight o’clock that night.
His phone pinged with the usual health and activity report. Everything was steady—Qi Jing had gone to bed.
Right around then, news came from Macau.
The butler from the old estate called, which was rare for him. “Sir, there’s trouble brewing. Rumors are flying that you’re getting engaged. The old master’s been worked into a frenzy, practically out of his mind. The second house isn’t stepping in to stop it either. What should we do about Miss Chen?”
Bo Chengyan’s face cooled. He replied expressionlessly, “Engaged? They’re testing me?”
The man rubbed his fingertips, utterly indifferent. “It’s nothing. Ignore it.”
“If the Chen Family wants to use their own daughter’s future as bait, let them have their fun.”
“Ask my stepmother how she’s doing.”
His tone stayed even throughout.
Meanwhile.
The mountains offered stunning views. The group of boys trudged along slowly with their backpacks until they reached the campsite. A few astronomy enthusiasts were set up nearby, and there was even a signal tower close by.
City-bred boys weren’t great at hiking, but Qi Jing moved quickly and steadily, barely distracted the whole way.
Huang Ze kept gawking everywhere, letting out odd exclamations. “Ah, that tree is so cool!”
“Hey, hey, did you see? That bird has a yellow tail! It’s super long.”
“Not that I’m complaining, but the wilderness is really some—”
His praise cut off abruptly as he ate a faceful of mud. Fortunately, they’d arrived at the campsite—it was just damp soil.
The others pulled Huang Ze to his feet.
Qi Jing said earnestly, “You need to watch the path. There are loose rocks.”
Jiang Yao whipped out her little camping stool and collapsed onto it, utterly spent. She dropped her backpack and fanned herself against the heat, eyeing Qi Jing curiously. “Little Jing, how are you so chill? You barely even sweated.”
Qi Jing couldn’t very well say it was because he’d fled into these mountains several times before—feeding pigs and herding cattle along the way.
He just shook his head mildly. “I’ll set up the tent.”
He had no interest in the mountains themselves. He wanted to see the stars.
The city was beautiful, but sometimes Qi Jing missed nights full of stars—no light pollution, no endless traffic.
Just beautiful stars.
The boys didn’t take long to pitch the main tent. It was a big one, enough for all the guys to crash together, but they set aside a separate one for the girls.
They called it wilderness survival training, but everyone had a safety beacon. This was an official campsite anyway, with a supply stand not far off.
It was still a ways from dark. Younger girls like Jiang Yao preferred snapping photos, and Huang Ze was fascinated by the mountain birds, so those few went off together first.
Qi Jing volunteered to stay and guard the camp.
Lin Yuze crouched down and asked him, “Want me to keep you company?”
Qi Jing shook his head and glanced toward the astronomy camp nearby. He said to the others, “No need. There are people all around. Be careful when you’re taking photos.”
“I’ll wait here for you, okay?”
Lin Yuze had no choice but to go speak with the adults. After getting a thumbs-up OK, he came back. “All right, then. Little Jing, you stay here—it’s flat ground. I don’t know where Jiang Yao and the others are headed for pics. I’ll go watch over them.”
He checked his watch again. It was around four o’clock. “Thirty minutes—we’ll head back by four-thirty, four forty-five at the latest.”
Qi Jing nodded and mimicked the OK gesture.
Lin Yuze blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly. “Happy birthday, Little Jing.”
Before leaving, he ducked into the tent and grabbed the supply pack, handing it to Qi Jing. “Eat if you’re hungry—don’t wait for us. Oh, and this pack has bug spray… tissues too.”
From not far away, Huang Ze shouted, “Lin Yuze! There’s wild fruit in this tree—hurry up and come see!”
Seeing Qi Jing, Huang Ze shouted again, “Little Jing, I’ll go hunt something for you!”
Several girls’ voices rang out in clear disdain.
“You’re so noisy… Huang Ze!”
“What a lack of manners.”
It was a chaotic scene, but full of youthful energy.
Qi Jing waved to the group. He watched as his companions gradually headed down the small path, their excitement slowly fading away.
He had always celebrated his birthday at home in previous years, though there had only been two such occasions. During the first one, Qi Jing had felt a little out of place, his cheeks flushing red at the sight of such a massive cake.
He didn’t know his actual birthdate. 996 had simply set it to the day he arrived here—the day Bo Chengyan had found him in the mountains.
April 26th.
Back then, it seemed there had been a video call. Auntie had pushed his back gently and whispered, “Call Mr. Bo.”
Qi Jing had nervously done so, and a man’s steady voice came through the phone.
“Happy birthday.”
“Are you having a good time today?”
The memories after that felt dreamlike: lighting the candles, blowing them out, and making a wish.
The call hadn’t lasted long.
But now, sitting inside the tent, Qi Jing found himself wondering out of nowhere what Bo Chengyan was doing.
As if summoned by his thoughts, his phone suddenly began to ring. The boy glanced at it in a panic and hurriedly answered.
There was a time difference between countries. Europe was probably…
Qi Jing’s geography had improved a bit at least. He mumbled glumly, “Good morning, Mr. Bo.”
The person on the other end seemed to pause for a moment before replying, “Good afternoon, Little Jing.”
Qi Jing sat cross-legged in the tent, his chin resting in his hand as he quietly studied the ingredients list on a bag of chips.
“You’re in the tent?”
The boy blinked in surprise. “How did you know?”
It was probably just an illusion, but lately Qi Jing often felt as though Mr. Bo could see right through him. Of course, that didn’t make any scientific sense.
It left him utterly puzzled.
“I have your location.”
Bo Chengyan held the phone to his ear as he spoke, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his lips. With his free hand, he glanced over some documents written in a foreign language and waved off the person beside him.
It was a signal to wait ten minutes.
Qi Jing caught on immediately. He lifted his hand to look at his smart wristband, then said into the phone, “Oh, so that’s how it is.”
They chatted idly for a while until the man said warmly, “The driver from home is waiting at the foot of the mountain. If it gets too cold at night, go sleep in the car.”
“There are parts of Phoenix Branch Mountain with no signal—maybe a karst cave or something. Don’t go there.”
“I’ll head back tomorrow.”
Qi Jing nodded and earnestly explained, “I won’t wander off.”
His tone was perfectly obedient.
The call ended.
Someone nearby asked in teasing English, “Is that your sweetheart?”
Bo Chengyan paused for a beat. He knew exactly what that implied and replied casually, “He’s still just a child.”
“Baby?”
