E-Scum Gong Chapter 58 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 58 (2/2)
“Don’t eat so fast. You’ll get a stomachache,” Gu Qi said, frowning as he watched his younger brother scoop a second bowl of rice and continue to eat.
But Gu Jinzhi’s enthusiasm was evident, especially in his appetite.
“Ge, I'm going to the gym after work from now on. You can’t just watch me get fat, can you?” Gu Jinzhi requested.
Gu Qi was tired of keeping an eye on his younger brother these days. Though Gu Jinzhi hadn’t put up a fierce resistance, he didn't even try to hide the fact that he was chatting on his phone all day. After all, it wasn’t possible for Gu Qi to cut off his internet access.
In fact, he felt that after he caught him, Gu Jinzhi seemed more at ease.
As for why his younger brother was happy, Gu Qi could guess even with his toes — it was simply because the student’s reputation had been restored.
In fact, after giving it more thought, Gu Qi was less opposed than before. At least now, the student’s character was indeed commendable. If the question was whether he was suitable for Gu Jinzhi? He thought they were both just immature kids.
One was at an age when immaturity was expected, while the other had grown old in vain.
Though he still didn’t believe it was love, it didn’t seem to pose any real danger. At least Gu Jinzhi hadn’t rebelled or acted out in extreme ways.
He should be reassured, if anything.
Just as Gu Qi was considering whether to relax his scrutiny a bit more, he heard his irritating younger brother speaking.
“Ge? In a few days, it’s Xu Zhou’s grandfather’s birthday. We’re family friends, so we should go, right?” Gu Jinzhi blinked at his older brother.
The moment Gu Jinzhi opened his mouth, Gu Qi knew what was coming. He hadn’t seen Gu Jinzhi show such respect for elders before. In fact, he had always made excuses to avoid such gatherings.
“If you try to stop me from going, I'll have to tell Mom and Dad. A big brother can't be too controlling!” Gu Jinzhi declared seriously.
“Go if you want to,” Gu Qi said, pursing his lips.
“But with such a big event and so many people, it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring bodyguards. It would be rude,” Gu Jinzhi added gravely.
Seeing his younger brother’s pathetic attempt to manipulate him, Gu Qi lost his appetite, put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and went upstairs.
Even after going upstairs, he was still annoyed. Then he remembered that Gu Jinzhi had said they met online. Damn online dating! Out of habit, he asked 001 to check on this Lin Xu, to see when they met and how long it had been since his last online relationship ended...
001 was actually Gu Qi’s university classmate who had made a career as a hacker. They had a close relationship.
Upon hearing Gu Qi’s request, 001 immediately recalled Lin Xu. He completely disregarded the fact that Gu Jinzhi had paid him hush money. Anyway, Gu Jinzhi had to listen to his older brother — he was just putting up a pointless struggle.
“? You’re saying this student is Jinzhi’s previous partner?”
“Partner?”
Gu Qi fell silent. Family matters should not be aired publicly.
“It’s nothing. Never mind...”
For once, he was lost in thought. He had always believed that Gu Jinzhi was too immature to take relationships seriously. But he had never imagined that there was only one person who had ever made his younger brother cry his heart out, who had made him vow for revenge, and who he was now trying so hard to meet.
Just that one person.
Could he really judge that his younger brother wasn’t serious about this? After all, from childhood to now, Lin Xu was the only one Gu Jinzhi had ever been involved with. Even if both were immature, they had the right to care for each other.
So be it. No matter how it ended, Gu Qi was always capable of protecting his younger brother. As long as he kept a close eye on things and ensured Gu Jinzhi wasn’t mistreated, that would be enough. For now, why not let Jinzhi be happy?
Gu Jinzhi, realizing he had succeeded, immediately called his best friend, completely absorbed in the task.
“Xu Zhou, your chance to atone your sins has come... You just need to deliver the invitation to Ah Xu, and your part will be done. After that, it’s no longer your business.”
With everything arranged, Gu Jinzhi was almost moved to tears. After waiting so long, he had finally seized this opportunity!
So, in their chat, Gu Jinzhi specifically warned his boyfriend, “Ah Xu, on that day, make sure to avoid my big brother! For the sake of face, he won’t dare to be too extreme, but if you’re seen, he might insist on keeping you there. Remember, you need to stay hidden before I arrive!”
This was the most crucial point. Gu Jinzhi knew his older brother must understand his plan, but there was nothing he could do to stop him. So, as long as they coordinated well, they could sneak away unnoticed.
On the other hand, Lin Xu smiled wryly, though he didn't really agree. If he were to do something sneaky, he would be even less confident in proving he was a good person. Since he was going to meet Zhizhi’s family, he knew he had to make a good impression, regardless of the situation.
Xu Zhou’s grandfather’s birthday party arrived as scheduled.
According to Gu Jinzhi, this was the best thing his best friend's grandfather had done all his life. Neither he nor Xu Zhou liked this strict and rigid old geezer. There were many cousins in Xu Zhou's family, and he wasn't the most favored one.
Yet, Xu Zhou’s grandfather loved grand affairs and had invited many guests.
This, surprisingly, earned Gu Jinzhi’s approval. With such a large crowd, Ah Xu, who had no ties to the Xu family, would blend in unnoticed.
After getting out of the car with his older brother, Gu Jinzhi felt a sense of freedom, only to be restrained by Gu Qi, who subtly advised, “Come back early tonight.”
There was nothing Gu Qi could do about his younger brother’s impulsiveness. But at least they weren’t about to have a wild night together, otherwise Gu Qi wouldn’t be so lenient, especially since Gu Jinzhi was dressed flamboyantly and had always been carefree.
Gu Qi was genuinely concerned that Gu Jinzhi’s enthusiasm might lead him to drag Lin Xu into a hotel room and hastily get things done.
“It’s only a few hours...” Gu Jinzhi complained, frustrated that he could do nothing but chat. His older brother was such a pain!
“Otherwise, don’t think you can leave my side for a moment,” Gu Qi said coldly, giving him an ultimatum.
Gu Jinzhi scowled and huffed, “Got it.”
He smoothed his tousled hair, entered the venue, and quickly messaged his boyfriend, “Ah Xu, where are you? My big brother is currently at the southeast entrance, around the four o’clock direction. Avoid him at all costs and don’t let him give you a lecture.”
Pleased with his own meticulous planning, Gu Jinzhi felt quite brave.
Lin Xu replied with an acknowledgment, handed his invitation to the doorman, and took a deep breath. Dressed in the most appropriate suit, he felt uneasy about facing Gu Qi.
However, once Lin Xu was amidst the crowd, no one seemed to notice that he didn’t belong to this social circle but was merely an ordinary student. In fact, a few young people were discussing in hushed tones about who this well-dressed young man could be, noting his exceptional appearance and demeanor.
With Zhizhi’s directions, Lin Xu quickly spotted Gu Qi.
Being quite conspicuous himself, Lin Xu drew Gu Qi’s attention. However, Gu Qi merely glanced at him before turning his focus to chatting and laughing with other guests. He was well aware of the little games these two played.
To comfort himself, he thought that at least his younger brother had good taste. The student was indeed handsome and intelligent. Objectively speaking, if Lin Xu continued to develop as he was, it would be a waste for him to be with his younger brother.
Gu Jinzhi’s sharp eyes immediately zeroed in on his boyfriend. Watching Lin Xu head toward his older brother, he was so anxious that he felt like his head was about to explode. He waved frantically at Lin Xu, signaling that he was over there.
Scary things always happen unexpectedly. When his boyfriend and the older brother meet, Gu Jinzhi could only lie flat in defeat.
He felt overwhelmed and exhausted, and reluctantly followed along, fearing his older brother might be harsh with Lin Xu.
If his older brother wanted to avoid a scene where the Gu brothers ended up quarreling, he’d better keep his actions in check!
“Ah Xu, what are you doing here…” Gu Jinzhi quickly grabbed Lin Xu’s arm, gave him a fake smile, then immediately adopted a more serious expression.
“Zhizhi…” Lin Xu turned his head and gave him a reassuring look.
Seeing Lin Xu’s warm eyes, Gu Jinzhi’s anger subsided somewhat. After all, they were both here, and his older brother couldn’t break any laws.
“Hello, long time no see,” Lin Xu greeted Gu Qi politely.
Gu Qi, having just disentangled himself from other guests, looked at him with curiosity. As soon as Lin Xu approached, he realized that this student had deliberately walked towards him.
He had expected them to sneak off quietly, given Gu Jinzhi’s tendency for such things, but unexpectedly, Lin Xu was very methodical in his actions and didn't just act like a student.
“Hello.”
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll make sure Zhizhi gets home safely. Thank you for tonight,” Lin Xu added. He sensed that Gu Qi had deliberately arranged this meeting, otherwise Zhizhi wouldn’t have found this opportunity.
Gu Qi found the young man rather intriguing, especially considering how his usually boisterous younger brother was unusually quiet around him, aside from rolling his eyes at him.
Seeing Gu Jinzhi’s googly eyes, Gu Qi felt a twinge of embarrassment. He was also worried about the possibility of Lin Xu being deceived. Any clear-eyed observer would see it as if Lin Xu was being taken advantage of. The other person, who even had a curfew, knew to say he would send people home, but his younger brother, as if afraid of losing out, got angry at the mention of going home.
“Hmm,” Gu Qi nodded slightly.
With his approval, Lin Xu took Gu Jinzhi’s arm and they left, both relieved to escape the stifling atmosphere.
“I told you to avoid my big brother,” Gu Jinzhi sighed, but he was surprised that everything turned out fine.
“He already knows about us. Isn't this like plugging our ears while stealing the bell? It will only make things awkward. At least, there’s no need for us to sneak around anymore.”
“Oh.” Gu Jinzhi pouted, suddenly seeing the sense in Lin Xu’s words. He felt that, compared to his boyfriend, he himself wasn’t being honest enough.
However, just being able to meet up was enough, and Ah Xu looked sharp in his suit.
Suddenly, Gu Jinzhi received messages from two people.
After considering the urgency, he checked the message from his older brother first.
“There won’t be any more bodyguards blocking your way.” It was simple, but very weighty.
Gu Jinzhi's eyes widened like saucers. He hadn’t expected his older brother to stop obstructing them! Just a moment ago, his older brother had been so aloof. Tsk, but he was his real brother after all, so of course he would be on his side.
He then looked at Xu Zhou's message. Sure enough, it was just a bunch of nonsense. This old fool.
“I saw you three standing together earlier and was too scared to approach,” Xu Zhou’s message read. “But I didn’t expect your boyfriend to be so unafraid of your big brother. Your big brother even looked quite intimidated.”
Gu Jinzhi didn’t respond and shut off his phone.
So, this was what set Ah Xu apart from others.
He was puzzled himself. How could Ah Xu, who generally didn't like talking to others, let alone his older brother who didn't approve of them, be so open and honest just now?
“We should grab something to eat before we leave. It’s a waste not to,” Gu Jinzhi suggested, eyeing at the dazzling array of desserts with a bit of craving. When he was in a good mood, he preferred sweets.
Lin Xu shook his head. “It’s a bit noisy.”
After a moment of thought, he surreptitiously took two small cakes and handed them to Gu Jinzhi. After all, his boyfriend was a big eater.
“Are you not afraid of my big brother?” Gu Jinzhi asked. His older brother’s words carried more weight than anyone else’s.
“Because he’s your big brother.”
There was no way he could be with Gu Jinzhi if fear stood in the way.
