E-Scum Gong Chapter 37
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 37
With only the English exam left for the college entrance examination, the students were about to usher in a carefree summer vacation.
Gu Jinzhi sat at the desk, staring blankly at a perfectly composed photo of an 18-year-old male high school student on his computer screen. The boy’s face was full of collagen, his expression indifferent. He looked quite aloof and elegant.
He couldn't help but bite his arm again, which already bore numerous bite marks from similar moments of frustration.
Ever since receiving the investigation report, Gu Jinzhi had begun exhibiting signs of madness.
“You’re a f*cking idiot, Gu Jinzhi!” he cursed himself, his expression filled with distress.
His mind unhelpfully flashed back to that ridiculous conversation with his older brother's hacker, 001. The memory was so cringe-inducing that he wished he could die of embarrassment all over again.
001: Second Young Master Gu, what kind of special person are you asking me to investigate? Are they an enemy or a friend?
Gu Jinzhi: Nothing special. It’s different from the usual work my big brother gives you. I just want to check on a normal adult man from Jiang City, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. One of our own people.
Then, he had handed over the few remaining traces the man had left behind.
001: Got it. What’s the deadline?
Gu Jinzhi: The sooner, the better. I want the results by tomorrow.
The next day, Gu Jinzhi received an email. His eyes had just stopped swelling, and he was feeling quite happy, thinking how reliable his older brother was, especially with such talented people around him. He eagerly opened the attachment.
001: I've found information about the... high school student you asked me to look into. The data has been sent to your email.
Gu Jinzhi: ......
The moment he saw Lin Xu's photo, the mouse slipped from his hand. He could swear that if 001 knew he had been asked to investigate his online boyfriend, he'd go emo for a whole month. So embarrassing, so embarrassing. What kind of person was he!
001: Second Young Master Gu, there's one more thing. This person wasn't in Jiang City before the age of six. His earlier history can't be traced easily. It’s a bit difficult. Should I continue investigating?
So dedicated to his work.
Unfortunately, Gu Jinzhi was already terrified. He quickly shut off his computer screen, unable to bear looking at Lin Xu's photo any longer. He pressed his hands against the desk, breathing heavily, his mind reeling in disbelief.
In a moment of despair, Gu Jinzhi replied, "No, no, it’s not important! Get your payment from my big brother, and don’t bother me again."
The most pressing issue now was that his online boyfriend... was a male high school student, six years his junior, who was still taking his college entrance exams...
Gu Jinzhi needed a moment to process this.
The ordinary office worker with average looks he had imagined was suddenly revealed to be a handsome, ethereal academic star. And so young. The revelation left Gu Jinzhi completely dazed.
He still couldn’t believe it. His online boyfriend, Lin Xu, was the same high school boy he had met so many times — the one who had left the deepest impression on him since coming to Jiang City.
Gu Jinzhi bit his lip and instinctively went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his reflection, noting how much more mature he appeared compared to Lin Xu.
It was surreal!
Gu Jinzhi hurriedly scrambled to find more information about Lin Xu. He hadn’t even looked through the documents that 001 had sent. Instead, he remembered the countless discussions and posts about Lin Xu in their group chat, so he began reviewing them one by one like treasured memories.
He was familiar with the online persona of Amour and had met Lin Xu in real life many times. He had even heard bits and pieces about him from others.
But he had never once connected the two.
The group chat was full of die-hard fans of his boyfriend. When he saw the latest post, he vaguely recalled that someone mentioned yesterday that a few months ago, Lin Xu had been a poor student in the international class. This morning, a group member had dug up an interview video of Lin Xu.
According to that group member, it took a lot of effort to find it, but thankfully he did.
At that moment, Gu Jinzhi decided to temporarily forgive the person for being so obsessed with his boyfriend. He clicked on the video and watched intently.
The setting was an empty classroom. When the reporter entered, the boy was in the middle of packing his things.
The video then cut to the reporter asking Lin Xu some questions, hoping he would respond in English.
The boy on the screen, labeled by his classmates as a slacker, answered the reporter’s questions in flawless, elegant British English without batting an eye. His expression remained cool and indifferent.
For others, this video was a satisfying rebuttal, proving that their beloved Lin Xu was not the failure the rumors had painted him to be.
But for Gu Jinzhi, the moment he heard Lin Xu speak English, radiating that unmistakable brilliance, he fully accepted 001's findings. This boy was indeed his boyfriend, Amour.
He had once thought their voices sounded similar, but he never considered the possibility. Yet now, he clearly remembered the day when Lin Xu had corrected Nuo Xi’s foreign language homework on his behalf. He had spoken with a gentle, melodious tone that had left a deep impression on him. It was a moment that had made him fall for the academic prowess Lin Xu embodied.
So, his boyfriend really was a top student in his senior year of high school, adored by many.
Gu Jinzhi’s mind was in turmoil. Initially, he had felt deeply hurt and angry over Amour’s sudden disappearance. But now, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
Thinking back, that day had been right before the college entrance exams. He must have put a lot of pressure on his boyfriend!
Moreover, their relationship wasn’t exactly a real one. It wasn’t as if he could decide they’d be together just because he wanted it. After discovering the truth about him, Lin Xu would naturally feel betrayed and choose to distance himself.
After all, Lin Xu’s most beautiful moment in life was just beginning, and his best years were yet to come.
These complicated emotions was almost too much to bear. Yet, he didn’t dare share them with his older brother. If his older brother found out that he had pressured a boy into a relationship, he would definitely scold him. And Gu Jinzhi still had his pride.
Feeling anxious, Gu Jinzhi decided to call his bad friend, Xu Zhou. When in need of someone to vent to, Xu Zhou was the best option. He was practically a human trash can for complaints.
"What? You’re saying your online boyfriend is taking his college entrance exams right now?" Xu Zhou’s voice shot up in disbelief.
Gu Jinzhi hesitated, meekly responding, "Yeah... but stop freaking out, you f*cking idiot..." Yet, his usual bravado was nowhere to be found.
"Second Gu, oh Second Gu! Look at what you've done! I told you to investigate properly from the start. Now look at you, wasting so much of his study time. Do you even have a conscience?" Xu Zhou couldn’t help but think his friend was a total scumbag.
Gu Jinzhi hadn’t called to be scolded, but he still got a mouthful.
"I even pressured him to meet me in person before his exams... Do you think that might’ve affected him?" Gu Jinzhi was genuinely worried. Despite his family’s wealth, he had still worked hard for his own college entrance exams.
For someone as exemplary as Lin Xu, the exams were undoubtedly crucial.
"What do you think?" Xu Zhou snorted.
Gu Jinzhi chose to ignore his friend’s tone. In a moment of panic, he said, "If he really didn’t do well, I’ll take full responsibility for his retake. I’ll hire tutors for him and cover all the costs." It was the least he could do to make amends, though he fervently hoped Lin Xu hadn’t been affected by him.
"At least you have some conscience left. So, what are you planning to do now? Are you coming back? He’s already deleted you, so maybe it’s best to leave it at that. You can secretly help him through his family." Xu Zhou had completely forgotten his initial malicious assumptions about Gu Jinzhi’s online boyfriend. After finding out the guy was just a high school student, Xu Zhou couldn’t help but think his childhood friend was in the wrong.
Gu Jinzhi nervously picked at his fingers, unable to immediately answer his friend’s question.
"No way? Are you really going to be an old cow eating tender grass?" Seriously? Even as a bystander, Xu Zhou hadn't even recovered from the shock...
Gu Jinzhi frowned. "Don’t make it sound so awful. We’re a couple, okay? And he’s an adult now, isn’t he?"
Although he had been shocked at first, now that he knew the truth, he could connect Amour with Lin Xu.
This was the person who had kept him company day and night, someone so clever that he had recognized Gu Jinzhi early on. Every time they met, Lin Xu knew that he was Zhizhi.
Gu Jinzhi wasn’t willing to let him go, and he wasn’t afraid of losing face either.
"Let me get this straight. Haven't you met Lin Xu many times? Did you fall for him in real life?" Xu Zhou thought Gu Jinzhi didn't understand love at all and was just messing around.
Gu Jinzhi rolled his eyes and snapped back, "I know he's a high school student in real life. How could I allow myself to have feelings for him? Are you stupid? And you know me — I’m not someone who falls for looks. I wouldn’t just fall in love at first sight because someone’s attractive. That’s ridiculous. I like the way I feel when I’m with him... I like his soul. If we keep seeing each other, I’m sure I’d still be attracted to him in real life."
Gu Jinzhi stumbled over his words, struggling to explain feelings he couldn’t fully understand himself. He just wanted to prove he wasn’t joking around.
If he had to give up, he'd be really miserable.
In short, after learning that Amour was Lin Xu, knowing that everything Amour had done was something Lin Xu had done, and when he understood the purpose behind some of Lin Xu's actions during their encounters, Gu Jinzhi had already started to develop feelings for him. He didn’t care about the age difference. It was something that couldn’t be easily explained.
But Lin Xu had never given him the chance to get to know him up close.
“You’re really out of your mind.” Xu Zhou finally sighed in defeat.
“Forget it. I’m done talking to you. My boyfriend is about to finish his exams, and I need to figure out how to talk to him.”
With that, he abruptly hung up the phone.
Thinking about the promise he had made to his older brother, Gu Jinzhi felt a bit embarrassed. But it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d felt this way. What could his older brother do, disown him?
Looking back, every time he had met his young boyfriend, it had been mortifying, which made Gu Jinzhi’s cheeks flush with embarrassment.
He then remembered that the board of directors back in the capital was urging him to return. Pouting, Gu Jinzhi hastily contacted his assistant, instructing her to hold down the fort for a while. Her boss needed to deal with a major life issue and would return later.
The thought of meeting Lin Xu soon, under completely different circumstances, made Gu Jinzhi feel both anxious and out of his depth. He didn’t even know how he should talk to him. There was no way he could keep calling him “gege”… Ugh, Lin Xu would definitely find that disgusting.
Shivering slightly at the thought, Gu Jinzhi found it a little funny.
But when he remembered the college entrance exams, his smile slowly faded. He had read from the group chat that Lin Xu hadn’t done well. At the time, Gu Jinzhi had been wrapped up in his own world. Now that he knew, he felt terrible and super guilty. He shouldn’t have pressured Lin Xu so much. His boyfriend had been stressed enough as it was.
With a sigh, Gu Jinzhi decided that the best thing to do was to let his boyfriend finish the exams and get some rest. He’d wait a couple of days before approaching him. They could figure things out together then.
After all, he was a dominnering CEO. What couldn’t he solve? He could support Lin Xu through a year of retaking his exams, and then they could focus on their relationship. During that year, he promised himself he wouldn’t interfere or bother his boyfriend.
Nineteen and twenty-five… that was not so bad, right? Gu Jinzhi reassured himself that if he truly felt the same way about Lin Xu in reality, he was willing to wait.