E-Scum Gong Chapter 33
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 33
Gu Jinzhi had been in Jiang City for over a week now, but he hadn’t made any progress at all. He was still completely in the dark about his boyfriend, which had started to wear on his confidence.
He couldn’t come up with many excuses to probe for information either. On weekdays, his boyfriend would obviously be at work most of the time.
So, in a moment of desperation, Gu Jinzhi decided to aggressively recommend various coffee shop drinks during their nightly chats, hoping to subtly change Lin Xu’s preferences.
He raved about coconut lattes and cappuccinos, and soon enough, the conversation went off tangent as he began randomly critiquing the flavors from different coffee shops he had tried. This was something he could talk about for hours.
Only when it was time to say goodnight did he suddenly remember the main point of the conversation.
“Gege, you should try it after work sometime~ It’s really delicious!” Gu Jinzhi cooed sweetly, having long since gotten used to playing coy without feeling disgusted.
If Lin Xu went to the coffee shop, Gu Jinzhi could stake it out. Suddenly, he felt rather clever for coming up with this plan.
However, Lin Xu, who had long since cultivated counter-surveillance skills when it came to Gu Jinzhi’s subtle probing, wasn’t fooled. He knew exactly what Gu Jinzhi was up to.
Refusing outright would have been the simplest solution, but Lin Xu imagined how the other might scratch his head in frustration as he tried to come up with new ideas. He didn’t want to push Zhizhi into that.
With a helpless smile, Lin Xu finally agreed, “Okay, I’ll give it a try when I have time.”
When chatting online, Lin Xu had grown much more at ease, especially when dealing with Gu Jinzhi. Gone were the days of fumbling for words. Initially, the groupchat members only noticed that Lin Xu had suddenly become much colder, unaware that he was was actually a social phobic. After he was exposed as a fraud, few people in the group even thought about Lin Xu anymore.
Given Zhizhi's not-so-subtle hints, Lin Xu didn’t need to think twice — he knew that he would be sitting in the coffee shop during his off-work hours.
When Lin Xu agreed, he didn’t do so just to be polite. He had no intention of standing Gu Jinzhi up.
Every afternoon after school, Lin Xu did indeed walk into the coffee shop, which was always bustling with customers, mostly students.
Lin Xu knew Zhizhi wouldn’t recognize him.
Gu Jinzhi had already mentally separated Lin Xu’s real-life identity from Amour, making it nearly impossible to connect the two.
As expected, Zhizhi tried all the drinks he had talked about in their chats. His expressions vividly changed each day, making it obvious whether he liked the taste or not.
Lin Xu, not a fan of these drinks, would order a cup of coffee and sit there for two hours. Most of the time he would take out his review materials and study, occasionally glancing at Gu Jinzhi. He would only pack up and go home after Gu Jinzhi couldn't sit still anymore.
When Gu Jinzhi later questioned him about it, Lin Xu would sometimes say he went, and other times say he didn’t, always giving answers that were faultless.
Gu Jinzhi assumed he had simply overlooked Lin Xu. After all, his boyfriend’s appearance was so average that it was hard to pick him out in a crowd.
He hadn’t seen anyone who looked exactly like the photos he had of Amour, so he could only chalk it up to too much photo editing, making him unrecognizable in person.
What Gu Jinzhi didn’t realize was that, without him knowing, they had already crossed paths and exchanged glances hundreds of times.
While Gu Jinzhi still had no impression of Amour, Lin Xu had become increasingly familiar with him.
Because Lin Xu had been helping Mao Jun and his friend stay in touch, he had gone to their school more often than usual. But after the last incident, he now waited for them in quieter alleys with fewer people around.
On this particular day, Lin Xu, as usual, leaned against the wall of an old alley, quietly reciting the classical poems he needed to memorize — something that couldn’t be grasped through logic alone.
But instead of Mao Jun, an unexpected visitor appeared first, someone with a familiar face.
It was his old gang from the internet café when he first transmigrated in this world, a dozen or so of them.
At the forefront was naturally He Xin, their ringleader, slightly older than the others, just over twenty, with a more mature appearance.
“Tsk, it's rare to see such a noble person,” He Xin sneered as he approached Lin Xu, his gaze challenging.
There was no doubt He Xin harbored a grudge against Lin Xu. The video of Lin Xu’s speech had gone semi-viral, earning him a number of female fans at their school, which bruised He Xin’s ego, given that he used to be Lin Xu’s boss.
To make matters worse, He Xin had heard that even his own girlfriend approached Lin Xu the last time he had been to their school, which only fueled He Xin’s simmering anger.
And then there was the fact that this guy was playing the good Samaritan, tutoring Mao Jun and the others, which had sparked a wave of students in their class wanting to print notes and study for university. Some of He Xin’s underlings even started talking about quitting, whining about not wanting to disappoint their families.
Lin Xu's influence undoubtedly challenged He Xin's authority. He was determined to teach him a lesson and make him understand who was the real boss.
After lying in wait for a long time, He Xin’s group finally spotted Lin Xu today.
This thugs, accustomed to fights and having been in trouble with the law before, wasn’t afraid of confrontation, even in broad daylight.
As long as they kept it in check and didn't kill or maim anyone, it would just be considered a fight between juvenile delinquents.
Against them, Lin Xu was at a disadvantage, his fists powerless against their numbers. He had never been one to solve problems with violence.
He gripped the strap of his bag with one hand and felt for his phone in his pocket with the other, maintaining a calm expression. He planned to call the police at the first opportunity, even if he got punched a few times.
Just as He Xin was about to put his hand on Lin Xu's shoulder and press his head to say something, a hand suddenly grabbed He Xin's arm.
He Xin frowned and tried to move, but found he couldn't. As a veteran of fights, he naturally had some strength and skill, otherwise he wouldn't have qualified to be the leader. This was the first time he had encountered such resistance.
“What kind of skill is it to bully a kid?” Gu Jinzhi scoffed. He had been aimlessly wandering nearby, got lost, and stumbled upon this scene. Recognizing the victim as someone he knew, he reacted before his brain could catch up.
By nature, he always liked to join in such commotions, especially when it involved a fight. He was even a little excited.
Wearing casual attire that made him look fresh and youthful, Gu Jinzhi appeared much younger compared to He Xin and his gang, who looked rough around the edges. To anyone watching, Gu Jinzhi seemed like the epitome of refinement and propriety.
However, He Xin had no idea how colorful Gu Jinzhi's past was. Ever since elementary school, neighbors would often come to their door with their troublemaking kids to complain. Yet, in the end, Gu Jinzhi was always in the right — other kids would start fights, and Gu Jinzhi would end up giving them a thorough beating. He would rarely get hurt himself, and the troublemakers would ultimately have to make amends.
In short, anyone who tried to bully him or mocked him for looking like a girl was so scared afterwards that they dared not even walk the same path as him.
“Who are you, and what’s your relationship with him?” He Xin asked, using considerable force to free his arm.
He couldn’t recall Lin Xu having any friends like this.
“Your uncle's name is Gu Jinzhi, a name I'll stand by and never change!” Gu Jinzhi declared, his chuunibyou syndrome flaring up again, as if he were back in his glory days ruling the city. “This student here is my friend. You’ve picked the wrong person to mess with.”
His youthful appearance made him seem less out of place. At most, he looked like a slightly silly older brother.
Lin Xu’s eyebrows twitched as he stole another glance at Gu Jinzhi.
Naturally, He Xin, who disliked anyone close to Lin Xu, was even more annoyed. He signaled his gang to step in, thinking that with their numbers, they could easily handle Gu Jinzhi.
Lin Xu’s heart raced, his calm composure evaporating. He worried about Gu Jinzhi getting hurt. Forgetting his usual principles and habits, he threw aside his bag and jumped in to shield Gu Jinzhi from the incoming punches. With his height advantage and decent strength, his moves were simply more refined.
However, it soon became clear that Lin Xu’s intervention was unnecessary.
In a group fight among students, nobody was aiming to seriously hurt anyone. After Gu Jinzhi had knocked several of them down, the others got cold feet and scattered. It was pretty much over before it started.
Gu Jinzhi clapped his hands together, clearly satisfied, and picked up Lin Xu’s bag.
“Why is the security in this area so terrible? How can they have the nerve to bully students?”
After witnessing Gu Jinzhi’s skill, Lin Xu instinctively took a half-step back when the bag was handed to him.
He awkwardly explained, “They’re students too, but thank you... Mr. Gu.” After learning Gu Jinzhi’s name, Lin Xu repeated it silently a couple of times, easily guessing its characters.
The name seemed to fit perfectly.
“Huh?” Gu Jinzhi was momentarily taken aback and a bit embarrassed. He hadn’t realized they were all students, assuming instead that a group of thugs was picking on high school kids.
But it was good that the troublemakers had left.
“No problem. Just consider it a thank you for your recommendation last time.” Gu Jinzhi waved it off casually, feeling a sense of serendipity. Although he hadn’t met his boyfriend, he found himself seeing this guy almost every day.
Thinking about his boyfriend, Gu Jinzhi was growing increasingly impatient after so many days.
“Well, I’ll be going now,” Lin Xu said, adjusting his backpack. He didn’t dare linger too long, his nerves on edge as he felt a pang of concern.
If they did meet face-to-face, Gu Jinzhi... might end up hitting him. Lin Xu’s hesitation grew stronger.
Gu Jinzhi watched Lin Xu’s departing figure before lowering his head. His frustration had been mounting over the past few days.
He had almost scoured the entire area but hadn’t found any suitable companies. At this rate, he might never find what he was looking for.
Gu Jinzhi wasn’t exactly a patient guy.
He casually clenched his fist, only to see that the ulna of his fist was red. It must have been from the earlier fight.
Subconsciously frowning, Gu Jinzhi took a photo of his hand and sent it to his boyfriend, and while walking, coquettishly said, “Gege~ Look, I accidentally bumped into someone while walking today, and now my hand is all red and a bit sore~” He looked quite pitiful.
Lin Xu, who had walked far enough away, finally dared to check and respond to the message.
When he saw the photo, his jaw almost dropped.
From what he had seen earlier, it was clear that Gu Jinzhi’s fist had “accidentally” hit someone’s face. Lin Xu wasn’t sure how much it hurt Gu Jinzhi, but the student seemed to have a bruise.
Lin Xu was at a loss for words, unsure how to reply.
Overcoming his anxiety and embarrassment, he texted back, “Be careful next time... Rubbing it should help with the pain.”
Gu Jinzhi smiled. It was them who should be more cautious next time.
Comforted by his boyfriend’s words, Gu Jinzhi was ready to take on the world again. He thought about how his frantic efforts had been for nothing.
Taking the chance, he straightforwardly asked Lin Xu, “Gege, my family knows about us and wants to see a photo of you.”
Lin Xu nearly stumble. His expression turned serious as he replied, “Zhizhi, don’t you already have my photo?”
Gu Jinzhi pouted. “The last photo was too distant to see clearly. They want to see… an unfiltered photo. No more edits, I don’t mind.”
Lin Xu understood Gu Jinzhi’s impatient nature but didn’t expect him to be so direct. However, he couldn’t provide the photo.
Embarrassed, Lin Xu responded, “Zhizhi, I have an ordinary appearance and don’t like taking photos. Can you understand that?”
Gu Jinzhi found this hard to accept. They had been together for so long, what was there to be embarrassed about? They would meet eventually anyway!
Deciding to take a more direct approach, Gu Jinzhi called Lin Xu, but his call went unanswered.
Gu Jinzhi felt something was off. They hadn’t had a voice chat in a while — could it be that his boyfriend’s cold still hadn’t improved?
“Gege, why aren’t you answering the phone?! (foot stomping).” Gu Jinzhi was a bit angry.
To Lin Xu, this cute sticker now seemed to bring to mind the image of a giant stomping the ground. Before today, he hadn’t realized just how formidable Zhizhi was.
“Zhizhi, could you wait another month? Let’s develop our feelings a bit more, and then we can be honest with each other, okay?” Lin Xu tried to soothe him, but he was also very nervous and his body was stiff. This was his sincere request.
Lin Xu was still in high school and felt that meeting in person was not appropriate at the moment. Early dating was inappropriate. He also didn't want his grandparents to find out. As a high school student, he wasn’t yet in a position to openly introduce Zhizhi to his family.
Sitting on a bus full of students, Lin Xu’s expression was somber, and he seemed deeply troubled. Others assumed he was worried about college entrance exams.
Gu Jinzhi, however, felt something was fishy. He found it odd that Lin Xu, who had answered calls before, was now ignoring them. It had been a long time since they had spoken on the phone, and Lin Xu seemed determined not to reveal anything about his real life.
Lin Xu seemed unwilling to deepen their online relationship. Perhaps he had someone he liked in real life, or maybe he felt their feelings weren't strong enough yet, and he just saw him as a more mature online friend. After all, Lin Xu’s initial message had been about cultivating their feelings seriously, and not much time had passed.
But Gu Jinzhi was simply an impatient person. He was angry about their mismatched progress.
If the latter was the case, Gu Jinzhi could understand, but he was determined to meet in person during his time working here! Otherwise, it would feel like a wasted effort, and he’d be teased by his older brother and Xu Zhou when he returned.
“Fine… but next time, you can’t refuse me,” Gu Jinzhi said, counting the days on his fingers, planning to ask again in a few days.
He hoped he wouldn’t find out that Lin Xu had a real-life partner. Otherwise, he would make sure to give him a hard time.
Lin Xu sighed in relief, feeling a bit touched. He thought Zhizhi was very understanding. He promised himself that once the exams were over, he would overcome his embarrassment and work on their relationship. His resolve hardened.
He also didn't regret returning to high school and having an "early romance" that was out of the ordinary for him.
