E-Scum Gong Chapter 17
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 17
The company's upcoming boy group had encountered a setback when one of its members was severely injured while filming a music video. The injury was serious enough that he could no longer continue and had to withdraw from the group.
Moreover, with one of the company's popular stars releasing a new album, more resources and manpower were allocated to that project. As a result, the debut of Yan Yang's group was postponed.
Their project was not considered high priority in the first place, and now all the members were left idle, without any work.
The company brought in a new trainee to join the MA boy group, so it would take some time for the team to fully integrate and form a cohesive unit.
As the team leader, Yan Yang sat in the practice room, glancing briefly at the new member's profile before busying himself with replying to messages.
"Haven't you had some free time lately? Why don't you go home?"
"Baby, we have a new member joining, so we’re busy with choreography," Yan Yang replied, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. He disliked men who held him back.
"Oh, okay. I noticed over ten thousand yuan missing from the account. Did you buy something expensive?"
Yan Yang couldn't understand why such a small amount was worth mentioning. Once he debuted and started making money, such a sum would be insignificant.
"No, I sent it back home," he said, concealing the fact that he had used the money to treat his teammates to a night out.
"Alright, if your parents need more money, you can send them some more. I still have some savings, so don't worry about being too frugal."
Yan Yang felt a pang of guilt but decided not to dwell on it. He knew he needed to focus on the group's future and his own success.
"Mm, enough about that. Time to practice."
Previously, Yu Song's presence had greatly improved Yan Yang's life, but now he was no longer satisfied with such an ordinary existence. While people in the industry casually drove cars worth millions, he still had to take a taxi.
As the conversation ended, the new trainee arrived — a young boy.
"Are you the group leader, Yan-ge?" the newcomer asked respectfully.
Yan Yang picked up the trainee’s profile, scanning it while he spoke, "Oh, you must be Xu..." He hesitated, struggling with the name.
"Xu Yi, Yi as in shining radiantly," the new trainee explained, knowing his name was not very common.
Yan Yang, who had dropped out of high school and had never been good at academics, felt a pang of embarrassment and irritation. His expression darkened.
"Alright, go settle into the dormitory," he said tersely, dismissing the new arrival without using his name.
Xu Yi hurriedly left, still maintaining his respectful demeanor. The other trainees were engaged in their own tasks, and those from well-off families had already taken leave to rest at home.
The uncertainty of their debut and when they would make a name for themselves loomed large. Yan Yang lit a cigarette, his mind crowded with thoughts.
As he looked out the window, he saw their general manager, wearing sunglasses, speeding away in a luxury sports car. The image of that flamboyant face and the slender, long legs flashed through his mind. Yan Yang flicked the ash off his cigarette.
Startled by Zhizhi's sudden inspection, Lin Xu realized he needed to prioritize working on his abs as soon as possible.
After all, words must be backed by action.
Previously, he had only done push-ups in his room after waking up each day, but due to the limited space and the concern of disturbing his grandparents, the intensity was far from sufficient.
That morning, he closed the bathroom door, carefully lifted his shirt in front of the mirror, and scrutinized his abdomen.
There were some contours visible, and drawing in his stomach made them more pronounced. However, Lin Xu suspected these might be due to his slender frame. Because he was tall and didn't eat much, his body was on the lean side.
These forced abs didn't really count, how could he show them to Zhizhi?
As for his next steps, he hadn’t fully decided.
As usual, he set out with his backpack and earphones. When he passed through the community’s fitness square and saw the variety of equipment, Lin Xu hesitated.
His thoughts shifted. Since he'd gotten up extra early today, the area was pretty deserted. Lin Xu eagerly walked to the waist-twisting machine, put down his backpack, explored the method, and gave it a try.
In his previous life, he had been so focused on his research that he seldom exercised. As a result, he wasn't very familiar with using gym equipment.
But as he twisted and turned, Lin Xu began to feel something wasn’t quite right.
He shook his head, then walked over to the nearby space walker and swayed a couple of circles. It was quite simple, but could this really build abs? Lin Xu’s mind was filled with question marks.
Just then, a group of elderly people arrived, pairing off and taking over the nearby equipment. They began exercising leisurely while chatting about daily life, making Lin Xu feel somewhat out of place in his school uniform.
He started to feel embarrassed, thinking he must have looked foolish. Quietly, he grabbed his backpack and decided to slip away.
"Why is that kid leaving?" one of the elderly women asked.
"Not many young people come to the community to exercise these days," another replied.
"That's true, back in the day..."
Once the voices faded, Lin Xu sighed with relief and gave himself a mental reprimand.
He should have realized earlier that this approach wouldn’t work.
Going to a gym was definitely out of the question. He was down to his last two hundred yuan and was barely surviving on his plain noodles. There was no way he could afford a gym membership.
However, he remembered that the school likely had a free gym. With some time still available, Lin Xu made his way to the school gym. As he pushed open the door, he briefly locked eyes with a few students on the stationary bikes.
Most of the other equipment was already occupied, showing how popular the gym was.
As he slowly entered and put down his bag, many people turned their attention toward him, making the situation feel like a cruel test.
Sighing, Lin Xu realized he had nowhere else to go. Considering that Zhizhi would likely ask him about his progress again, he had no excuse to dodge it. Gritting his teeth, he decided to try the treadmill.
A friendly guy, removing his earphones, struck up a conversation. "You're here to work out this early?"
Lin Xu glanced at him and nodded. Noticing the man’s well-defined muscles, he could tell that the guy must have a solid workout routine. Lin Xu felt envious.
"You don’t look like an athlete," the guy said.
Lin Xu explained, "I want to build my abs."
The man showed interest. "Why? Just play basketball and you'll get abs."
"I need to get them faster," Lin Xu replied, shaking his head.
"Oh, I get it. Is it to impress the girls?"
"No, it's for my... partner," Lin Xu said, feeling a bit embarrassed every time he used the term. It seemed a bit presumptuous to call them a couple.
The boy chuckled. "I thought with your looks, you wouldn’t have trouble attracting someone. Turns out you’re already taken. Anyway, I'll be here working out every day. If you have any questions, just ask me. What class are you in?"
"I'm in Class 9 of the senior year, Lin Xu," Lin Xu said. Moved by the stranger’s willingness to help, he responded with more warmth.
"I'm Wu Zijun, an athlete. Aren’t you worried about your grades in your senior year?" Wu Zijun asked, surprised that this guy would go to such lengths just to impress someone.
"It's fine. I know my limits," Lin Xu said, shaking his head.
Wu Zijun thought that Lin Xu might be struggling academically, and had probably given up on improving his grades.
"Let’s add each other on WeChat and keep in touch."
"Sure."
"If you need it, I can help you with your academic subjects too," Lin Xu offered sincerely in return.
Wu Zijun smiled. "My grades aren’t that great, but if I need help, I’ll definitely reach out." He didn’t believe that someone who was working out for abs at this stage would have outstanding grades.
"You know, your type is quite popular among the girls who study physical education at our school," Wu Zijun commented.
Now it made sense why pretty boys were so popular. Seeing Lin Xu’s face, he couldn’t help but agree, especially since Lin Xu was so driven.
Lin Xu smiled faintly, unsure how to respond.
Soon enough, Wu Zijun started teaching Lin Xu the proper warm-up exercises and how to train his abs. Lin Xu paid close attention and was very earnest about learning.
By the time it was necessary to shower and leave, Lin Xu was too tired to talk. After a thorough workout that left him drenched in sweat, his face looked even paler, and the veins on his long neck were more pronounced.
"Feeling exhausted? When I first started, I was too tired to move after a workout. I was so sweaty and stinky." Wu Zijun chuckled as he watched Lin Xu quickly shower and emerge refreshed. He wondered if Lin Xu would soon give up.
"Hm, I’ll need to bring an extra set of workout clothes next time," Lin Xu said, frowning at his sweat-soaked school uniform with some distaste.
"Next time, just bring a pair of workout shorts. You can take off your shirt while exercising. No need to make it so complicated," Wu Zijun suggested casually.
Lin Xu waved his hand awkwardly. With both men and women using the public gym, it felt impolite and inappropriate to be shirtless in front of others.
"Well, I’ll head to class now. See you later," Lin Xu said, leaving the gym with slightly wobbly steps. He only steadied once he returned to the classroom and quickly got back into study mode.
The other students had no idea that Lin Xu had gone to the gym early. They were still absorbed in the fact that the so-called slacker was actually a top student. Now, they felt that he was already a little distant from them.
How could someone be both good-looking and smart?
After school, Lin Xu wasn’t in a hurry to go home and decided to head to the gym again. The morning workout had been relatively brief and gradual, so he wasn’t experiencing severe muscle soreness yet.
After another hour of intense exercise, Lin Xu was drenched in sweat. He ignored the curious glances from others and focused on his workout with a stoic expression.
Meanwhile, Gu Jinzhi had sent him a message, as this was supposed to be his off-duty time.
Lin Xu was already exhausted, panting heavily, and his normally clear face was flushed red from the effort. It was evident he wasn’t used to this level of exercise, but his resolve and goals were unwavering.
He really couldn't spare a hand to reply to the message, so after finishing, he hurriedly left the school gates without taking a break. As he walked, he thought about how to respond. “Our company’s off-duty time has been delayed by an hour and a half. Sorry for not replying promptly.”
“?”
“In the future, I might not be able to reply promptly either…”
“??”
“Please don’t be upset…”
“????”
Lin Xu knew that lying was wrong, but he had no other option. If he didn't lie, he might never get those abs...
