E-Scum Gong Chapter 4
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 4
At six in the morning, Lin Xu opened his eyes right on time.
The original Lin Xu's room was tidy and clean, just like any normal high school student's room. Clearly, he didn't want his grandparents to find out about his extracurricular activities.
The tuition for the international class at the affiliated high school was not cheap, costing over ten thousand yuan per year. With its focus on foreign universities, it was evident that the Lin family had plans for the original Lin Xu to study abroad.
For a middle-class family, this investment was substantial. One had to wonder how many properties the original Lin Xu's father and older brother had to sell to earn it back.
Although Lin Xu had never mingled in society, he understood his family's struggles. He silently vowed to himself that since he was here now, he would do his best to fulfill the original Lin Xu's role.
Without waking his grandparents, he shouldered his heavy schoolbag, took out his breakfast money from the drawer, and quietly went to school.
But glancing at the phone lying on the table, Lin Xu hesitated for a moment. The corners of his school uniform were already wrinkled from being twisted in his hands, revealing his internal conflict.
He felt it unnecessary to bring the phone to school, yet he was terrified of Zhizhi Mangmang bombarding him with calls like he did yesterday. Thinking back, the excuse he gave yesterday about turning off his phone during work was too ridiculous — who goes to work like a caveman these days?
After some thought, Lin Xu sighed and decided to take it with him, but he switched it to silent mode.
After all, they were now nominally a couple, and his partner was an energetic college student, full of vigor and quite clingy. He had much more leisure time and less pressure than Lin Xu. He couldn't always impose his own principles on Zhizhi Mangmang. He should be understanding.
Although in his memory, the academic workload in university was also quite heavy.
Lin Xu bought a steamed veggie bun and a cup of soy milk downstairs, then leisurely headed to catch the bus. As he passed by, a cool breeze brushed past him.
An MP3 player, a staple since his student days, was plugged in his ears. It was loaded with English listening exercises.
Lin Xu was never arrogant and didn't think passing the college entrance exam a few years ago meant he would still be able to perform as well.
After finishing breakfast, the bus arrived just in time. He found a single seat, closed his eyes, and focused on his listening exercises.
Just then, a bunch of noisy and chaotic sounds distracted him. When he opened his eyes, he saw those delinquent boys, who used to hang out with the original Lin Xu, pushing and shoving each other in the back row. One of the boys behind him sneered, "Tsk, the top student is pretending not to know us now, huh."
Lin Xu only now clearly heard what he said, but he somewhat agreed with this sentiment. Since the other party had said so, he didn't need to force himself to socialize, especially since socializing made him uncomfortable.
He simply pretended not to hear with his earphones on, his expression indifferent.
When Mao Jun and Yang Zixuan got on the bus, Lin Xu nodded slightly. Mao Jun greeted Lin Xu in a simple manner, while Yang Zixuan raised an eyebrow and gave a cheerful smile.
They were actually quite happy for Lin Xu to return to his normal life. After all, Lin Xu didn't owe them anything. He had even treated them generously.
When Lin Xu got off at the next stop, Mao Jun spoke up and invited him for a meal, "Lin-ge, see you later."
Lin Xu nodded with a faint smile, then turned and got off the bus. His figure was tall and straight like a pine tree, a far cry from the old Lin Xu who was always slouching and cursing. The standard scent around him was no longer tobacco but the clean fragrance of laundry detergent.
The learning mode in the international class was different from regular classes. Their small class had only about twenty students. When Lin Xu arrived, there were hardly anyone.
He knew that the original Lin Xu hadn't participated in any club activities, and his grades in the first and second year of high school were not good. The possibility of applying abroad was slim, so he made the decisive choice to take the college entrance exam.
He just needed to inform the homeroom teacher.
When he arrived, there was a female classmate cleaning the blackboard. The other student on duty had gone to participate in a competition, so she was responsible for cleaning all day today.
Since Lin Xu had arrived early anyway, he rolled up his sleeves and quietly began mopping the floor.
This wasn't an activity that required socializing, so there was nothing uncomfortable about it.
The girl looked surprised. After all, Lin Xu used to never even do his own cleaning duty. Her family was also of average means, so she didn't have much presence in the class either.
After thinking for a moment, she walked up to Lin Xu and said, "Thank you, Lin Xu."
Lin Xu just lifted his head slightly, then nodded. He seemed somewhat aloof, but his actions remained attentive, and his expression serious.
Perhaps because of the beautiful morning sun, the girl initiated a conversation, "What school are you planning to apply to?"
At this time, everyone was busy with their applications.
Lin Xu replied truthfully, "My grades aren't good enough, so I'm planning to take the college entrance exam." After saying this, he fell silent, not feeling embarrassed at all.
The girl regretted her impulsive question, but she hadn't expected Lin Xu to respond so nicely. He had really changed a lot. It was also the first time she noticed how good-looking he actually was. Especially when he looked up at her, the expression in his eyes was calm and serious.
"Good luck. I believe you'll do great in the college entrance exam," she said encouragingly. With an attitude like that, he could surely achieve something.
With Lin Xu's help, the cleaning duty was quickly completed. Now, the few remaining students in the class felt somewhat embarrassed. They had never thought these tasks were related to them, so they had watched the girl clean the windows and sweep the floor without intervening.
But what did it matter if Lin Xu tried to please the girl? Wasn't he still a loser who couldn't get into any school?
Ignoring the other students in the class, Lin Xu returned to his seat and packed his things. The homeroom teacher would only return to the school after lunch break today. After visiting the homeroom teacher's office, he would probably have to change classes then.
Despite deciding to take the college entrance exam, Lin Xu attentively listened to foreign teacher's lessons all morning. Communicating in English was second nature to him, so he felt no pressure at all. Anyway, these lessons covered very basic content.
During the break, most of the students in the class had dispersed and gone out to play, but Lin Xu, not feeling like moving around, stayed at his seat.
Thinking of Gu Jinzhi, he pursed his lips and somewhat shyly turned on his phone to take a look. There were no personal messages, just a bunch of messages in the group chat.
Lin Xu couldn't be bothered to read them, so he closed his phone again. Therefore, he didn't know that the group members were complaining, saying that Amour was probably drowning in a sea of love and wouldn't come out to chat with them. Their envy was palpable.
They also started talking about Zhizhi Mangmang, that rude little firecracker. He was certainly not a gentle person. What good was being young anyway?
Well… being young did have its advantages. Otherwise, why would Amour be so smitten with him?
Due to the high entry barrier, most members in the group chat were between 22 and 30 years old, with some even older. A young guy could easily find a partner and didn't need to waste time in the group chat.
The reason why the group could keep talking about them was because Gu Jinzhi had also been assigned a new job and had no time to chat.
After all, Gu Jinzhi was 24 years old and had already graduated two years ago. It was about time he stopped resting. It wouldn't look good if he just ate, drank, and partied all day.
Thus, Gu Jinzhi was parachuted into one of his family's branch companies, and of course, he didn't start as an intern. He had majored in business administration in college, and although his grades were average, he was still well-groomed in the Gu family. He could easily handle being a general manager, but Gu Jinzhi just found it boring.
He was forced to adopt a neat and tidy hairstyle, donned a well-fitting suit, and took up his new position.
"Ge, you said if I agreed to go to the company, you'd let me drive your new sports car," he said, referring to a flashy yellow Lamborghini, which was exactly to Gu Jinzhi's taste.
Seeing his younger brother's eager expression, Gu Qi felt very helpless. Nonetheless, he tossed the keys to him. If there ever came a day when Gu Jinzhi actually focused on serious matters, it would be a miracle.
"First, take off those rings on your fingers. You look like a mess," Gu Qi admonished, frowning at how unserious his younger brother looked.
Gu Jinzhi was very reluctant because he genuinely thought they were stylish and trendy! However, under his older brother's pressure, he took them off.
"By the way, Xu Zhou mentioned youve been up to something lately?" Gu Qi asked, prying further.
Gu Jinzhi's heart skipped a beat, but thinking Xu Zhou probably hadn't told his older brother everything, he shook his head while continuing to eat.
If his older brother found out that he was in an online relationship, it would be disastrous — he'd surely break them up.
Gu Jinzhi wasn't ready to break up yet. He found that older man quite interesting.
"By the way, you know the company doesn't allow office romances, right? Don't let anyone take advantage of you," Gu Qi warned, even though he knew his younger brother wasn't very interested in men.
The branch company Gu Jinzhi was assigned to was an entertainment company. Their family had some ventures in this industry, which was full of attractive men and women, many of whom were very skilled in social climbing.
Moreover, it was almost common knowledge that the second young master of the Gu family was gay.
"Got it, stop nagging," Gu Jinzhi replied. Afraid of slipping up, he quickly stuffed some food into his mouth and said he was off to work.
He wasn't that unscrupulous. He wouldn't engage in two-timing, especially since he had a partner now.
Compared to the ambiguous and passionate relationships in the social circle, Gu Jinzhi still felt that online dating suited him better. At least for now, he found it enjoyable and pure.
After picking up the car from the garage, Gu Jinzhi, in a great mood, put on sunglasses and headed straight to the company. On the way, he called Xu Zhou, "You'd better watch what you say to my big brother, or I'll knock your teeth out."
Gu Jinzhi was fully capable of carrying out this threat.
Xu Zhou wiped away cold sweat. This weirdo was really straightforward and hot-tempered.
"Got it, got it. What's up? Off to work? I'm so jealous, unlike me, still jobless," Xu Zhou replied, clicking his tongue.
Gu Jinzhi spat, "F*ck off. By the way, didn't your girlfriend want an internship? She can come to my company." This way, she could also give him some tutoring, otherwise he would be exposed sooner or later.
Gu Jinzhi feared that his maturity might give him away someday.
"Sure, I'll contact her."
Gu Jinzhi sped to the company, arriving at the entrance in no time.
As he got out of the car and walked into the company, the employees had lined up in two rows specifically to welcome him.
Gu Jinzhi impatiently took off his sunglasses and glanced around casually.
True to its reputation as an entertainment company, there wasn't an ugly face in sight, but Gu Jinzhi felt uninterested. He could see the longing in their eyes.
It wasn't directed at him, but likely at the Lamborghini behind him, or the Gu family.
"Disperse. Someone take me to my office," Gu Jinzhi said blandly.
For the whole morning, he sluggishly looked through documents in his office, still thinking that working was incredibly dull.
Propping one leg over his other thigh, Gu Jinzhi considered chatting with his cheap boyfriend but couldn't think of any topics. He had no idea what college students talked about these days. After all, when he was in college, he was quite the party-goer, far from anything innocent.
What was an innocent, naive rich young master supposed to be like? Gu Jinzhi scratched his head, unable to come up with an idea.
So he urged Xu Zhou again, "Get your girlfriend over here fast. I urgently need a strategist!"
Then he boredly started studying how to make coffee.
The current office assistant was a young man, and it was said that he was also a college student here for an internship. An idea suddenly struck Gu Jinzhi. He glanced at him a bit more while passing by.
The young assistant had been eyeing the new general manager for a long time and had already figured him out pretty well.
Second Young Master Gu liked men and reportedly had a bad temper. But he was very handsome, and his waist and legs were undeniably sexy. His aura in a suit was quite impressive.
After being glanced at a few extra times by Gu Jinzhi, the young assistant had some thoughts. So, when he saw Gu Jinzhi actually making coffee himself, he quickly jogged over and leaned in close, whispering, "General Manager, this is my job." His exposed arms were smooth and strong, and his voice was quite magnetic.
Gu Jinzhi thought that this assistant was quite perceptive, so he shrugged and let him take over.
Great, he had lost another task and was now even more bored he could fart.
Gu Jinzhi leaned on his desk, spinning his chair out of boredom, and patted his stomach. He hadn't exercised much lately, but it still felt in good shape. He was very pleased with himself.
Soon, the assistant brought the coffee into his office.
The assistant was quite tall but looked very honest while bending over.
Gu Jinzhi beckoned him over with a finger, "Bring it here."
The assistant approached him with a sly smile.
"With your looks, it's a shame you're not a trainee," Gu Jinzhi said, clicking his tongue as he scrutinized the assistant's face.
The assistant looked at him with slight surprise but quickly suppressed it. "General Manager, don't joke. My family's financial situation isn't good, and being a trainee is quite expensive."
"How much is your internship salary as an assistant?" Gu Jinzhi asked him.
The assistant shook his head. "Not much, but I'm very lucky to have a boss like you."
He thought that since Gu Jinzhi asked him this question with an intimate expression, it meant he was interested in him.
So, while placing the coffee, he intentionally spilled some on himself. "Ah, sorry, General Manager, I didn't hold it steady," he said, lifting his shirt to wipe it off.
Some muscle lines were exposed, and his waist looked quite good.
Gu Jinzhi sneered. He'd seen plenty of this kind of sleazy men before. Did they all think he was inexperienced and would jump at the sight of any handsome guy?
"Keep practicing. I didn't know showing off abs was part of an assistant's duties," Gu Jinzhi said with a half-smile, then knocked on the desk with a cold expression, his expression shifting.
"Go get your paycheck, and be smarter in the future. The waters in the capital are deep. Others would have already played you to death." Nobody liked a smartass. He was even being kind.
The assistant's face changed drastically, and he retreated somewhat defeated. He had thought Gu Jinzhi seemed quite flirtatious, which gave him the idea.
After the assistant left, Gu Jinzhi went back to making coffee, thinking to himself, "Why are male college students so greasy these days? It seems age really doesn't determine much."
That cheap older boyfriend of his never felt the need to show off his abs or say anything inappropriate.
Gu Jinzhi was really enjoying playing the clever little boy, especially when the older man couldn't see through it. It gave him a great sense of accomplishment.
