E-Scum Gong Chapter 40
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 40
“Alright, alright, you bunch of little SOBs, get out of the way... Stop crowding around.” Wu Zijun quickly intervened as the group of boys continued to hover around Gu Jinzhi, eager to discuss about the fight, asking if he could teach them a few moves.
Even though Wu Zijun now knew this big brother was actually Lin Xu's boyfriend, he didn’t dare get too familiar just yet, especially since the atmosphere between the two felt a bit off. Lin Xu, in particular, looked like a mouse facing a cat. It seemed like they might have a disagreement.
On top of that, considering his own recent blunder, Wu Zijun was keen not to offend Gu Jinzhi further. He figured it was best to let Lin Xu handle things himself.
With a subtle nudge, Wu Zijun pushed Lin Xu towards Gu Jinzhi, then moved a few steps back to join the other boys. Lin Xu and Gu Jinzhi stood side by side, their heartbeats momentarily skipping a beat as their arms brushed awkwardly.
Together, they looked surprisingly very compatible.
The boy, with a tall and slender figure, was dressed casually. His clear and handsome face was tense, with a bruise on his left cheek. He looked like a silent and quiet big dog. In contrast, the other young man was elegant and relaxed, his appearance exquisite. Only his fingers were slightly reddened. He was glancing sideways and pouting, like a haughty, pedigreed cat.
The Mindless and the Grumpy.
They were standing right next to each other, but neither of them was brave enough to make eye contact.
“We should go find the girls,” Wu Zijun suggested casually, rubbing his knee. He wanted Xu-ge to explain what had happened. After all, he and Xu-ge... It just felt too strange.
“Do you want to go to the hospital first?” Lin Xu asked, noting the force of the blow Wu Zijun had received. His brow furrowed with concern.
What if there were aftereffects if his injuries weren't treated immediately?
Seeing the man next to Lin Xu raise an eyebrow at his comment, Wu Zijun shivered in fear.
“I'm fine, I'm fine! I know my own body best. I'm almost healed now. If there's a problem, we have a family doctor at home, so don't worry, Xu-ge,” Wu Zijun hurriedly reassured, kicking his foot.
Lin Xu merely nodded before falling back into silence.
Seeing them go off to find the others, Lin Xu followed. Gu Jinzhi shot him a sidelong glance and followed begrudgingly.
Arriving in the busy market area, Lin Xu felt relieved to see everyone safe and sound. The situation was less dire than he’d feared.
“Xu-ge, we’re heading to KTV next. I know you don’t like noise, so you should head back and rest.” Seeing that this guy had followed him again, Wu Zijun felt that his boyfriend was radiating displeasure. How could Lin Xu be so silly! He quickly tried to shoo him away.
Normally, Lin Xu would have complied immediately, but now he faced an even more uncomfortable situation. He still felt a bit awkward facing Gu Jinzhi and was incredibly embarrassed.
However, since Wu Zijun had put it that way, Lin Xu had no choice but to deal with it.
“Alright, have fun,” Lin Xu said, waving them off.
Wu Zijun only dared to speak after they were a safe distance away.
“You guys don’t know how scared I was just now. That guy is Xu-ge’s boyfriend! You all had no sense and crowded around!”
“What? Lin Xu is really gay?”
“No kidding! And you b*stards were cheering for us at the bar, so loud that everyone heard you... Xu-ge’s probably in for a rough night.”
“Lin Xu must have hit the jackpot. His boyfriend looks like a rich second-generation, and that outfit alone must cost in the low six figures. He also seems very refined.”
“What do you know? Xu-ge has excellent grades and a promising future. Don’t judge people with such a narrow view.”
Everyone thought to themselves that they would never underestimate him again. If he stayed with this person, his future indeed seemed limitless.
Regardless, Wu Zijun felt it made perfect sense for Lin Xu to stay faithful for someone like this. After all, high school boys and girls lacked the charm of a mature man.
Meanwhile, the "mature man" stood beside the high school student on the noisy street, unsure of how to bridge the gap in conversation.
At this moment, they shared a rare glance, and it was a completely different feeling from when they met before.
They both deliberately avoided mentioning the past. After all, revisiting old grievances would make tonight’s situation even more uncomfortable.
Both were online scammers.
The so-called mature working adult had just taken the college entrance exams a few days ago, while the supposed innocent and delicate male college student not only had a successful career but had also just displayed his combat skills impressively.
Lin Xu was even less inclined to bring up his decision to end things himself, knowing full well that this added yet another stain to his record.
Faced with the cool and tight-lipped young man, it was Gu Jinzhi’s impatient nature that led him to speak first.
Gu Jinzhi adopted a formal tone, saying, “I came over on a whim and don’t know what to do tonight.” He cast occasional glances at Lin Xu.
Compared to the sweet voice he had online, Gu Jinzhi sounded much more normal now. His naturally sweet tone was tinged with a bit of huskiness, which seemed to suit his current attitude better.
However, he wasn’t as cold as he was during work, although that coldness was also an act.
The implications of his words were significant. Did his sudden appearance have something to do with Lin Xu? Was he here to seek answers or for another reason?
Lin Xu’s mind involuntarily processed this information without asking. Addressing their past deceit would only stiffen the atmosphere.
He could roughly understand Gu Jinzhi’s intention. He had come for him, so it was pointless to suggest booking a hotel. Gu Jinzhi wasn’t short of money and surely knew to book one if needed.
Lin Xu felt a mix of awkwardness and a vague, indescribable hope. If Gu Jinzhi had come to find him, it might mean he didn’t mind their age and status differences, despite their objective reality.
If Gu Jinzhi didn’t mind, Lin Xu felt some of the pressure lift. After all, unlike the novel’s scumbag gong, he never intended to exploit Gu Jinzhi. They lived their own lives separately, so the only issue was whether they could be comfortable together.
However, this seemed to be the biggest challenge now.
Their first formal meeting was exceedingly awkward, yet both were unwittingly enduring the discomfort together.
“How about you stay in my room for the night?” Lin Xu’s suggestion was like a bolt from the blue.
With his usual personality, he would never have extended such an invitation. But if the person was Gu Jinzhi, it seemed quite reasonable. He was simply transitioning his closeness to Gu Jinzhi from the online world to the real world.
Of course, it should be noted that his room had twin beds, so sharing for one night shouldn’t be too out of line. Especially under these circumstances, Lin Xu felt compelled to take a step forward. He didn’t want to be the one to ruin the atmosphere, especially since he had already done so before.
If it had been a king-sized bed, Lin Xu would definitely have slept on the floor. Otherwise, he really couldn't accept himself doing that.
When Wu Zijun’s mother had booked the room, she considered that having two boys share a bed might not be too boring. Later, she realized Lin Xu valued his personal space, so she arranged for him to have a room by himself.
Now, it served its original purpose. Tonight was bound to be anything but boring.
Gu Jinzhi pretended to ponder for a moment before making a decision.
“Sure,” he said, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, his heart filled with excitement and joy.
He knew it! His boyfriend clearly had feelings for him. This was a huge slap in the face for Xu Zhou, that crow's beak.
If he could live-stream this to his friend, Gu Jinzhi's tail would have been up through the ceiling. Looking at Lin Xu made his mind go blank. If it had been someone else, they would have thought Lin Xu’s suggestion of sharing a room was an indication of ulterior motives, especially when they hadn’t even officially started dating.
Likewise, Lin Xu’s thoughts were straightforward. He felt that since Gu Jinzhi had come to find him, he couldn’t refuse. Breaking up online was one thing, but drawing a clear line in real life was an entirely different challenge. Lin Xu never intended to make breaking up his goal.
His previous, unexpected act of deleting Gu Jinzhi's contact was a mistake. His emotions had clouded his judgment at the time, making him question his actions and approach.
Was it necessary to take an online relationship so seriously? It was clearly a dead end from the start. At first, he didn't expect it to work out, but later, when he really wanted it to work, he realized it would be out of control if it didn't, so he decided to just step out of this emotional realm he couldn't understand.
As they walked down the street and along the seaside boardwalk, Lin Xu felt too embarrassed to say much, and his face still hurt. Gu Jinzhi, who seemed so clever, even forgot to suggest they take a taxi.
They didn’t feel any discomfort in their feet.
The silence made their sense of touch more acute. When their hands occasionally brushed against each other, Lin Xu’s ears flushed red, and he quickly pulled away, while Gu Jinzhi’s hand felt warm.
Gu Jinzhi glanced at his hand, which was flushed red from the earlier altercation.
Lin Xu was overly sensitive to his movements, having never strolled with someone he had feelings for. He immediately turned to look at him.
Their accidental eye contact reminded them of the past, which now seemed highly embarrassing.
Lin Xu’s mind raced, but he couldn’t think of a way to ease the situation. He blurted out, “Does it hurt? You bumped into quite a few people today…” After saying it, he realized it wasn't appropriate, feeling like it came off as a jab at Gu Jinzhi. But in that moment, he was too tongue-tied and brought up the past again.
Hearing Lin Xu’s cool voice, Gu Jinzhi felt a soothing relief in his eardrums and simultaneously thought of himself as an idiot.
The voice was so pure, how had he ever assumed it belonged to an older man?
Admitting it now, Gu Jinzhi felt that a younger man was far more endearing than an older one. When Amour revealed his true self, all the flaws Gu Jinzhi had initially thought vanished. What once seemed like a minor flaw now appeared as a complete absence of imperfections.
Certain words sounded outdated coming from an older man but were irresistibly innocent coming from a younger one.
Apart from making him feel more guilty and embarrassed now, Gu Jinzhi saw no other flaws.
But he was willing to make this mistake. After all, one must make some errors in life!
Gu Jinzhi hummed and extended his hand. “It hurts, it’s all red.” He then stared intently at Lin Xu’s left cheek, finding it even more amusing. His eyes turned into crescent moons as he laughed, as if mocking Lin Xu’s lack of skill.
Oh, want to play this game? He wasn’t shy about joining in the awkwardness.
Lin Xu’s face was red, and he felt awkward but was adept at hiding it. He maintained a calm expression, trying to act as if nothing was wrong. Feeling embarrassed was nothing new for him. As someone with social phobia, he had faced far more embarrassing situations in his two lifetimes. Right now, he and Gu Jinzhi were just two peas in a pod.
