E-Scum Gong Chapter 32
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 32
The first time was a chance encounter at a coffee shop near the school, the second at the library, and the third at the mall nearby.
Apart from the second encounter, which had a specific purpose, the other two were almost always in the vicinity of the school.
After saying goodnight to Zhizhi, Lin Xu found himself unusually restless, unable to sleep as he pondered various things.
If Zhizhi was intentionally seeking him out, Lin Xu thought that the only address he had ever revealed was the delivery address he had given when the original Lin Xu first asked for a gift, which was that coffee shop.
At that moment, Lin Xu felt a surge of relief. Thankfully, the original Lin Xu hadn't given out his home address. Otherwise, no matter how much he tried to hide now, it would have been futile.
Despite knowing Zhizhi's real identity, Lin Xu subconsciously hesitated to reveal himself. It wasn’t that he considered him a stranger. In fact, his feelings for the online persona, Zhizhi, had quickly transferred to the real person.
From the beginning, it was his sympathy that prevented him from seeing Gu Jinzhi as just another online friend. He was a real person in the book, with a pitiful fate.
Now that this real person had walked into his life, spending so many days and nights together, Lin Xu couldn’t deny his feelings. He had even impulsively done things he wouldn’t normally do.
It was simply part of his character.
Lin Xu felt a kind of homesickness-like trepidation towards Zhizhi, fearing to approach him as a boyfriend or touch him. He hesitated, unwilling to let the hazy veil between them be lifted.
More importantly, in Lin Xu's mind, he had already done many out-of-line things. Yet, he still understood that at this critical juncture before the college entrance exam, he needed to stay focused, be responsible for himself, and be responsible for his family.
He decided to wait until after the exams to try to deal with everything.
Even with this in mind, Lin Xu couldn’t help but wonder if Zhizhi was staying at a hotel near the coffee shop.
For the next two days, Lin Xu spent some time before and after classes riding his bicycle expressionlessly around the hotels in the area. Finally, one afternoon, he spotted Zhizhi leaving a hotel.
In hindsight, he realized how foolish he had been. It wasn’t likely that Zhizhi would be up early in the morning.
Zhizhi's appearance hadn't changed much from their previous encounters — he looked just as lazy and casual. Clearly, the image he presented during their first meeting must have been for some reason.
Knowing this, Lin Xu felt a sense of relief but made no further moves. He simply continued riding his bicycle as if he had just been passing by, heading to his original destination for the day.
Lin Xu had promised to help Mao Jun and his friends, and he took it to heart. Knowing they would be tested in Chinese, Math, and English, Lin Xu had spent some time organizing notes for them. Although their exams weren’t as challenging as the regular college entrance exams, they still placed great importance on the basics.
Today, he had arranged to deliver the notes, as Mao Jun’s school finished slightly later than his own.
Though the distance wasn’t far — the vocational school and the affiliated high school were only a few blocks apart — the difference in atmosphere was stark.
Lin Xu felt as though he had stepped into a bustling alleyway. In front of the school gates, many street vendors had set up their stalls, and numerous vocational school students loitered around, creating a lively, earthly atmosphere.
Most of the students weren’t wearing uniforms but rather their own stylish clothes. They had trendy hairstyles, bright hair colors, and boisterous laughter.
Compared to the neatly dressed high school students Lin Xu was used to seeing, they looked very different.
While others might quickly judge these students as poorly behaved based on their appearance, Lin Xu’s only feeling was discomfort. He couldn’t handle the lively environment, which was a nightmare for his social phobia, especially when he felt so out of place.
With a straight face, Lin Xu rode his bicycle through the alley, ignoring the occasional whistle and the curious looks from those around him. He didn’t dare glance at anyone.
Finally, he reached the school gates. There were no entry restrictions, allowing Lin Xu, an outsider, to come and go freely.
However, even as he entered the unfamiliar campus, the strings in his heart remained taut. He even regretted agreeing to meet Mao Jun in his classroom. He had thought he needed to explain the notes in detail and standing on the street wouldn’t be ideal, especially since his school had a gatekeeper.
So naturally, his social phobia flared up again.
However, this wasn't the first or second time. Lin Xu had a familiar way of coping, which was to ignore everything and pretend he saw nothing.
He stood outside the teaching building, unable to muster the courage to enter the classroom. Instead, he sent a message to Mao Jun.
“I’m here. Are you out of class yet?”
There was a delay before Mao Jun replied, leaving Lin Xu to endure another bout of discomfort, feeling like a gorilla on display at the zoo.
“Almost done, Lin-ge! Our teacher is dragging out the class.”
Lin Xu frowned and continued to wait. He put on an impatient expression to disguise his inner unease.
Finally, Mao Jun and Yang Zixuan came rushing down the stairs.
Lin Xu saw that Yang Zixuan had dyed her hair back to black, adopting a simpler look.
Noticing his gaze, Yang Zixuan clarified, “I haven’t had time to style it. Once I get into college, I won’t look this plain.”
Lin Xu smiled. He wasn’t old-fashioned and wouldn’t judge people based on appearances. He thought simplicity equated to goodness. In fact, he knew Zhizhi wasn’t exactly a well-behaved guy either.
“Alright, here are the notes. One copy for each of you,” Lin Xu said, pulling the materials and notebooks from his backpack and introducing them seriously.
A few heavily made-up girls passing by stopped for a moment, causing Yang Zixuan’s expression to change slightly. She didn’t seem to welcome their presence.
“Zixuan-jie, is this your friend?” The girls didn’t recognize Lin Xu but couldn’t resist asking.
“Yeah, why are you so curious? Be careful your boyfriend doesn’t find out,” Yang Zixuan replied coldly.
At her words, the leading girl’s face darkened, but she turned and led her group away.
Mao Jun explained, “That girl who just left is a year younger than us. She's He Xin’s new girlfriend. She’s always seen Zixuan as a rival.” He Xin was the guy Lin Xu used to hang out with.
He explained because he knew Lin Xu hadn’t been in touch with He Xin’s group for a long time and wouldn’t recognize them.
Hearing this, Yang Zixuan felt like vomiting. He Xin had shown interest in her before, but she didn’t like him. Later, she started dating Mao Jun, and that girl had been making her life miserable ever since.
“Forget about them,” Yang Zixuan said, shaking her head.
Lin Xu didn’t mind much. He nodded and continued explaining the notes to them before finally handing them over.
“Good luck,” he encouraged.
Mao Jun nodded vigorously. “Zixuan promised that if we both pass the exams, we’ll go to the beach together during the holidays,” he said, sweetly putting his arm around his girlfriend’s waist.
Seeing their affectionate gesture, Lin Xu was startled and involuntarily took a half step back. Their previous meetings had been sweet but still reserved, with little physical contact.
He asked in disbelief, “Just the two of you?” He didn’t oppose dating at their age — in fact, he himself...
But they were still young, and the idea of them going on a trip alone for several days seemed a bit too much. The fact that they wouldn't be able to come home by nightfall made it even harder for Lin Xu to consider.
Hearing Lin Xu's question, Mao Jun found it both puzzling and amusing. "What else, Lin-ge? Are we supposed to bring a third wheel to share the bed with us?" He thought Lin Xu was joking.
The impact of Mao Jun's words made Lin Xu’s heart skip a beat. The idea that they were already planning to sleep together seemed unbelievable.
Weren’t they too young for that? It all felt so impulsive. Lin Xu wanted to say something but hesitated, feeling that they wouldn’t understand his perspective, so he stayed silent.
In his view, at least waiting until they graduated from college would be more appropriate. It should be a gradual process.
“Are you jealous, Lin-ge?” Mao Jun asked, noticing Lin Xu’s expression.
He teased, “Once you’re done with the college entrance exam and if you're still together with your boyfriend, you can meet in person and be intimate too. No need to envy us hahahaha.”
He sighed, patting Lin Xu’s shoulder to comfort him. “It’s just a pity that you’re stuck in an online relationship for now, without the opportunity to see or touch each other. It must have been tormenting.”
Lin Xu pressed his lips together, unsure how he managed to nod and walk out of the school gates.
In reality, he could see and touch Zhizhi.
But just the other day, when he accidentally touched Zhizhi's waist, Lin Xu had felt so embarrassed he mentally apologized repeatedly, thinking he had crossed a line.
He had thought about meeting Zhizhi in person. He planned to be honest with him once he got into college. If Zhizhi could accept him, they could give it a try.
Lin Xu was willing to open his heart and give it a chance.
If things went well, they might gradually progress to holding hands, then hugging… and beyond that. They would support each other in life, and it would be wonderful.
But what if Zhizhi had an impatient personality and wanted to get intimate quickly? The thought made Lin Xu’s heart race, and his arm felt numb with a mix of resistance and shame.
His thoughts felt strange, and he was embarrassed for speculating about Zhizhi.
This made Lin Xu more determined not to reveal himself to Zhizhi too soon. He wasn’t comfortable with it. He would silently wait for the right time while preparing for his exams.
There was no need to rush. They could take it slow.
