E-Scum Gong Chapter 10
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 10
During school days, good-looking students always received special treatment, especially those... exceptionally good-looking ones.
Just a glimpse of his face made hearts race, their eyes quickly averting to conceal countless bashful thoughts.
Not long after Lin Xu transferred, the class had another seating rearrangement. To boost the college entrance exam pass rate, Mr. Wang encouraged the top students to help their struggling peers. As a result, the seating plan was designed to pair students with complementary academic strengths.
Of course, voluntary participation was respected. After all, most people didn't want to waste time helping others. The college entrance exam was a major life event for them, not a child's plaything.
Lin Xu, a former student of the international class, had not received the college entrance exam-oriented education, so naturally, he ranked last on the list.
He wasn't worried about himself. During breaks, he would review according to his own knowledge framework. Unlike many other students with average grades, he didn't start seeking out the top students like a beggar seeking alms.
But within a short morning, several students whom Lin Xu didn't recognize came to tap on his desk, expressing their willingness to become his deskmate.
This was the first time Lin Xu had interacted with them.
Since transferring to the new class, Lin Xu hadn't actively tried to build relationships with his classmates. He was that passive.
"Thank you, I'll go along with what the teacher arranged," Lin Xu replied with a faint smile after a moment of confusion. Then, he politely asked for their names but didn't have anything else to say.
He was certain he wouldn't disturb his future deskmate, so he paid little attention to the matter.
When the final seating arrangement was decided, Lin Xu found himself sitting next to a renowned female top student in the class, and their desks were positioned in the center. Students with good grades had the privilege to choose their seats.
Class 9 was an ordinary class with no outstanding overall performance. The female top student's name was Yue Shan, and she was considered a promising candidate by the teachers. She had consistently ranked first in the class, often scoring twenty to thirty points higher than the second-place student. In fact, she could have chosen to join the experimental class.
She had a delicate appearance, often tying her hair up high in a ponytail, and carried a reserved and an unapproachable aura.
Lin Xu found himself quite comfortable with such a classmate and assumed it was arranged by the teacher, possibly to take care of him. Little did he know, it was Yue Shan who had volunteered for the arrangement.
Attraction to similar kinds undeniably played a role. Besides, as teenagers, no one could stay unaffected by Lin Xu's face. In fact, students from other classes would even pretend to pass by just to catch a glimpse.
The international class and their class were in different buildings, so it was impossible for them to interact on a daily basis. Therefore, most of them were seeing Lin Xu for the first time.
However, Lin Xu turned out to be even more reserved. In the first couple of days as deskmates, they exchanged fewer words than could count on one hand.
Lin Xu was also a very disciplined boy. His belongings never extended beyond his desk, and he never accidentally brushed against Yue Shan. It was only Yue Shan who would occasionally steal glances at his profile.
His fair complexion and smooth facial features were perfectly balanced. His school uniform was always clean and smelled fresh from laundry detergent. His gaze was so focused, as if he was in his own world.
It was only when he occasionally picked up his phone and tapped away during breaks that she realized he was just an ordinary guy.
The ice was broken when Yue Shan voluntarily lent her notes to Lin Xu. Meticulously organized from freshman to senior year, her notes were a reflection of her diligent study habits.
This gesture saved Lin Xu a lot of trouble, so he graciously accepted and thanked her. As a repayment, he bought her an ice cream from the school store during break time. Because he was quick, it hadn't melted at all when he got back to the classroom.
"Thank you for your notes," Lin Xu said as he handed the ice cream to Yue Shan, his expression no different from before. Then, he sat back down to continue studying.
If only ice cream didn't melt, she probably wouldn't have been willing to eat it.
Perhaps it was this qualitative breakthrough that gave her the courage. After school, while Lin Xu was packing his bag, Yue Shan casually asked, "Deskmate, would you like to go see a movie together? There's a new sci-fi film out recently."
She guessed he might like it, so she suggested it to cater to his interests.
Lin Xu's principle was never to go out alone with girls, even if they were just classmates and hadn't done anything wrong. He felt it was not appropriate.
"Sorry, I have something else to do," he replied, shaking his head.
Seeing his clear and decisive gaze, Yue Shan understood that Lin Xu didn't have any feelings for her beyond being classmates, nor did he have any intention of developing any. Otherwise, rejecting her would have been somewhat awkward for both of them.
"Alright then, I'll go by myself." Yue Shan shrugged, regaining her aloof self. No one would have guessed that she had tried to test the waters.
Lin Xu nodded, finished packing his bag, and left the classroom as usual to head home.
His life was rather monotonous, or rather, in his mind, a high school student's life should be like this — simply going back and forth between school and home.
Except now he had a secret — a relationship that a high school student shouldn't have but he couldn't bear to cut off.
Passing by the basketball court, Lin Xu watched as the boys played basketball with fervor, faces flushed with excitement, their energetic jumps full of vitality.
His thoughts wandered. Based on his current understanding, Zhizhi's image likely resembled these boys to some extent — laughing openly, averse to studying, and full of energy. However, he was exceptionally clean, and his voice was also very sweet. He should have been a dazzling star on the basketball court, unlike these rowdy boys filling his ears with their cries and cheers like monkeys on the field.
He quickly noticed their colorful basketball shoes. He remembered that Zhizhi also had basketball classes and must love playing basketball as well.
On a whim, Lin Xu didn't take his usual route home after leaving the school gates. Instead, he navigated towards a nearby shopping mall.
In fact, Lin Xu disliked shopping malls. He was not picky about clothes, so he rarely felt the urge to buy anything. Most importantly, Lin Xu couldn't stand the overly enthusiastic salespeople who would incessantly follow him, asking a million questions. His mind would freeze along with his mouth.
Sir, how may I assist you?
He was just browsing around casually.
Will you come again next time? I dare not come again...
Lin Xu mentally prepared himself before reluctantly stepping into the mall, heading straight to the floor dedicated to shoe stores. As soon as he entered one, a salesperson promptly approached him. Lin Xu felt pressured but scanned the surroundings to see if there was anything suitable.
If he were buying for himself, he would have settled for shoes that fit his size. But since it was a gift for his boyfriend, Lin Xu didn't want to be perfunctory.
Finally, he put his limited aesthetic sense at work.
"What kind are you looking for? I can help you find it," the salesperson asked beside him.
Lin Xu pursed his lips and reluctantly answered, "Basketball shoes."
"This whole section here is basketball shoes. Take a look and see if you like a style..." Lin Xu was getting a headache from the noise and had to tune out the salesperson's chatter, envisioning how the shoes would look on his boyfriend's legs.
Pure white didn't seem quite right. It didn't match Zhizhi Mangmang's temperament and was too prone to dirt.
After looking at several styles, he felt none quite hit the mark. When the salesperson asked which pair he liked, Lin Xu felt his ears burn.
It was rare for him to enter a store without buying something, so he felt incredibly awkward.
"Sorry..." Lin Xu said hastily, then pulled his shoulder strap tightly and strode away.
This happened a few more times. When Lin Xu walked out of another store and was about to go to the next one, he bumped into Mao Jun and Yang Zixuan.
Their relationship seemed to have become much closer. They both greeted him when they saw him.
Mao Jun ran over and asked curiously, "Lin-ge, long time no see! We were just talking about you. Are you buying something?"
Yang Zixuan didn't join in the conversation but continued browsing in the boutique.
Lin Xu honestly answered, "Buying a gift."
"Who's it for?" Mao Jun scratched his head, wondering if he knew the person. Could it be a new friend? Buying a gift so soon might make him jealous!
"Uh, it's for... my boyfriend," Lin Xu admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had never openly referred someone as his boyfriend to outsiders. But since Mao Jun knew about it, there was no need to hide.
"Ohhh..." Mao Jun teased him with a playful look.
Then he asked, "What kind of gift are you buying?"
Lin Xu gestured casually, "I'm thinking of getting him a pair of basketball shoes. He really loves playing basketball."
Mao Jun truly hadn't expected Lin Xu to change like this after getting into a relationship. In his impression, Lin Xu was always pretty popular and didn't take relationships too seriously.
"A decent pair of basketball shoes isn't cheap. He's just an online boyfriend, and we're still students. Why not just buy a random pair online? Besides, how do you know if he's worth this?" Mao Jun was also confused. He didn't think this was a serious relationship. He hesitated even when buying shoes for himself.
The cheapest ones here must be several hundred yuan... Spending this much money on someone he just met online felt like a scam.
Lin Xu was a principled person who never let others sway his thoughts. If he bought a pair of uncomfortable shoes hastily, the gift would lose its meaning. It wouldn't be practical or thoughtful.
Moreover, Lin Xu knew that Gu Jinzhi was worth it. The other person wasn't playing with his emotions, and he couldn't play with the other person's emotions either.
Although the price didn't matter much to Gu Jinzhi, Lin Xu had promised that he would choose carefully, so he had to at least meet his own standards and not be perfunctory.
"No," he shook his head decisively.
"Then, I'll keep looking. See you later." Lin Xu waved to him.
In the end, his efforts weren't in vain. When he spotted the red and black basketball shoes in the display window, cleverly designed and stylish, Lin Xu knew it was the one.
After taking a deep breath, he asked the salesperson about the material and some details of the shoes. Lin Xu felt even more satisfied.
The only problem was the price.
This pair of shoes cost nearly three thousand yuan. For Lin Xu in his previous life, it was just a number, but Lin Xu now only had a thousand yuan as his living expenses this month.
Of course, given the Lin family's indulgence towards him, getting more allowance wouldn't be difficult. However, Lin Xu strongly disapproved of deceiving his family just for the sake of his romantic relationship.
As a gift for Gu Jinzhi, he didn't think the price was too high or unworthy. If he was still short of money, he would just figure out a way himself.
"Is there enough stock of this shoe? Can I come back to buy it in a few days?" Lin Xu asked the salesperson.
Seeing him still in school uniform and without his family around, the salesperson didn't expect Lin Xu to return.
Nevertheless, they maintained their professionalism and replied, "Yes, you can come anytime."
Satisfied with the answer, Lin Xu nodded and left.
Making money as a student was challenging. Lin Xu wasn't impulsive either. Ensuring it wouldn't affect his own progress, he found a tutoring group through a classmate's recommendation.
After-school tutoring was the most suitable option.
As a high school student, he wasn't immediately trusted by parents. But the reputation of the affiliated high school still carried some weight.
After contacting many people, Lin Xu took on a few tutoring jobs for middle school students at a relatively low price. The middle school curriculum was very straightforward and it was for individual subjects. It only required little effort from Lin Xu and he didn't have to worry about misguiding the students.
To save up two thousand yuan in a short time, Lin Xu immediately started tutoring after classes, going back and forth between several households, and finally returning home at ten o'clock at night.
He had to push his bedtime back by two hours.
Despite the intensity of his schedule, Lin Xu felt it was manageable for the short term, even though it was a bit tiring.
Grandpa and Grandma Lin noticed their grandson returning home close to ten o'clock again, thinking he might have started sneaking out to internet cafes to play games. But compared to his previous rebelliousness, they saw he had become much more obedient overall, so they didn't have the heart to scold him. After all, growing up wasn't an overnight process.
Still, they felt heartbroken at the sight of their grandson looking so mentally exhausted from playing games for so long.
Lin Xu was unaware of his grandparents' misunderstanding. He was solely focused on balancing and controlling his own schedule.
Every night at ten, his figure stretched long under the streetlights as he carried his backpack back to the almost deserted neighborhood. Yet, he didn't feel the hardship. He thought of how happy Gu Jinzhi might be when he received his gift, finding warmth from this online friend. Instead of being hurt and cheated like in the novel, this time, his sincerity would be rewarded.
The original Lin Xu was a low-level scammer, which only made Gu Jinzhi more cautious. This, in turn, made it easier for him to fall for a high-level phoenix man, making him think he had found true love by comparison.
He was the root cause.
Thoughts swirling, Lin Xu glanced up at the twinkling stars in the night sky that he rarely paid attention to.
With a sudden impulse, he took a picture and sent it to Gu Jinzhi. "Look, such beautiful stars."
