E-Scum Gong Chapter 59
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 59
At the entrance, guests moved in and out. To avoid drawing attention — especially since Gu Jinzhi was a well-known figure in the circle — Lin Xu and Gu Jinzhi discreetly left the banquet through a side door.
Meanwhile, a low-key Santana pulled up at the entrance. It was the Lin family.
If it weren’t for Lin Shen’s prominence, the sight of such an unremarkable car would have led people to assume that he was some impoverished relative trying to mooch a free meal. However, when one’s fame was substantial enough, even the most mundane details only served to enhance their reputation.
Years ago, when Lin Shen first entered the public eye, he had attracted little notice.
He was merely a kid from Jiang City, just a nouveau riche's child fresh out of his hometown. It wasn’t until later, when he helped the Lin family rise to become the top real estate mogul, that no one dared to underestimate him.
Unaware that he was missing a significant moment due to a brief delay from a meeting, Lin Shen had his assistant check in the gifts before entering the banquet. Once inside, he mingled effortlessly among the guests.
It was only when he spotted Gu Jinzhi that he excused himself, saying to those around him, “Excuse me for a moment.”
Though there had traditionally been little business interaction between the Gu and Lin families, the rise of the internet and industry collaborations had led to several joint ventures. For example, Gu's entertainment industry helped sell several high-end real estate developments through advertising.
“Mr. Gu, it’s been a while,” Lin Shen greeted with a smile.
This person was quite different from his younger brother. Gu Qi, shedding his usual cold demeanor, offered a polite, commercial smile. “It's been a while.”
He hadn’t expected Lin Shen to attend. The Lin and Xu families didn’t have a close relationship. Of course, the Xu family would send an invitation, but it didn't matter whether the Lin family came or not.
“Why isn’t Second Young Master Gu here today?” Lin Shen asked with curiosity.
Everyone knew that Gu Qi’s younger brother and Xu Zhou from the Xu family were peas in a pod, both idle and wastrel. By rights, Gu Jinzhi should have been present.
Lin Shen’s question was more for the sake of making conversation, a bit of gossip to add some spice to his day.
Whenever his younger brother was mentioned, Gu Qi usually had an amused expression. There was nothing particularly scandalous about Gu Jinzhi being gay, so it was hardly a secret.
“He’s out on a date with his boyfriend,” Gu Qi replied, seemingly unfazed. Since he had already accepted their relationship, he saw no reason to keep it under wraps.
After all, his younger brother's boyfriend was a top student at Q University. If Gu Jinzhi were involved with some obscure influencer, Gu Qi would be too embarrassed to mention it.
“Oh… still the same person from last time?” Lin Shen couldn’t help but show a hint of interest.
All the juicy gossip about the Gu family revolved around Gu Jinzhi. It was actually pretty entertaining.
Gu Qi was taken aback. How did everyone else know this, while he was the last to find out?
“The same person from last time?” Gu Qi raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Lin Shen understood immediately. It was typical for someone like Gu Jinzhi to change partners frequently. It was only natural that his older brother couldn’t keep up with the pace.
“Wasn’t the one Second Young Master Gu posted on his Moments the same person?” Lin Shen asked.
Gu Qi recalled his younger brother’s Moments, which was blank in his view. He clenched his teeth in frustration. It was one thing to keep it from him, but why didn't he block everyone else as well? Now he, as the older brother, had to come out and face this embarrassment...
Seeing Gu Qi's eager expression, Lin Shen kindly scrolled through his Moments, which hadn't been deleted yet, and handed it to Gu Qi to see.
The unsightly scene appeared before Gu Qi’s eyes.
No wonder he had been blocked. Gu Qi began to regret letting the two of them go out. They could have done it in just a few hours.
But he took a closer look. Although the face of the boy in the pictures was obscured and only an intimate neck was visible, Gu Qi recognized his younger brother’s boyfriend. It matched up with the description, confirming it was indeed the same person.
His anger subsided a bit.
While his younger brother might be lacking in skills, he certainly wasn’t promiscuous. It was fine to fleece one person.
“Yes, that’s him,” Gu Qi said politely, returning the phone with a nod.
It turned out that it was indeed the same person, and that Gu Qi knew him. Lin Shen looked at him sideways. After all, someone who was acknowledged by Gu Qi was likely not an insignificant person, even though Lin Shen thought Gu Qi seemed quite casual.
“He’s a student at Q University. The two of them have known each other for quite a while.” To protect his younger brother’s reputation, Gu Qi implied that his younger brother wasn’t messing around.
“I see.” Lin Shen nodded, his perspective shifting now that the boyfriend was his younger brother's schoolmate. His judgment softened.
It could only be that this student's eyesight wasn't very good, not realizing that his partner was known for being quite the playboy.
Speaking of younger brothers, Lin Shen suddenly mentioned his own. He hadn't brought it up before, but since he wanted to pave the way for his younger brother's return, he didn't shy away from it.
“My younger brother is also studying at Q University. He’s a freshman this year.”
“Really?” Gu Qi had never heard of Lin Shen having a younger brother, or rather, the Lin family was quite mysterious. They weren't an established local family, and they didn't have the concept of a clan, so people only knew about the family members who were openly known.
“He was raised in our hometown until recently.” Lin Shen’s expression softened slightly.
Hearing that, Gu Qi could understand. After all, Lin Shen had a similar experience. But being able to get into Q University from his hometown, he must have some real skills.
“Mr. Lin, you're from Jiang City, aren't you?” Gu Jinzhi recalled.
Lin Shen’s accent carried a hint of the Jiang City tone, which was gentle and reserved — though it was just his accent, not his personality.
Gu Jinzhi remembered that his younger brother's boyfriend, also from Jiang City, had a slightly noticeable accent. It all began to make sense when put together.
“Indeed,” Lin Shen nodded.
Gu Jinzhi marveled at the serendipity of the situation. “It turns out that Jinzhi’s boyfriend is also from Jiang City. They might even know each other. It would be great if they could spend more time together in the future.” This was, of course, a bit of business courtesy, but making connections was always beneficial.
Lin Shen offered a polite smile but didn’t respond.
His younger brother definitely wasn't on the same path as Gu Jinzhi, and there was even less chance of him having anything to do with the gay couple. While Lin Shen had no prejudice against gays and believed in freedom of sexual orientation among young people, he subconsciously felt that his innocent younger brother, who was heterosexual, didn’t need to be led astray.
Gu Qi, understanding that his own younger brother was somewhat unpopular, chose not to pursue the topic further. As long as his younger brother was happy, that was what mattered. In hindsight, it was better that the student had no background. In this way, they could simply date, and if anything went wrong, he, as the older brother, could help to resolve it. He couldn't let his younger brother suffer a loss.
As soon as Lin Xu left the banquet, he removed his jacket and draped it over his arm, leaving only his white shirt. After all, wearing a suit for no reason was quite eye-catching.
Remembering his promise to return home early, the two simply enjoyed the evening breeze as they strolled through the park.
After finishing the two small cakes, Gu Jinzhi let out a satisfied burp. He was becoming increasingly less image-conscious in front of Ah Xu.
“My big brother agreed, and your military training is over. Everything is falling into place,” Gu Jinzhi said happily.
He had been scratching his head every day, preparing for a big battle for love. Who knew everything would be resolved so easily, without any need for him to worry. He had been racking his brain for nothing.
Lin Xu couldn’t help but smile as he watched Gu Jinzhi, whose emotions were clearly displayed on his face. The sheltered Zhizhi was still like a child at twenty-four, unable to keep up the act of being a domineering CEO for too long.
But this was perfectly fine. It was best to never have any worries.
What Lin Xu didn’t know was that every time Gu Jinzhi glanced at him, he was not as worry-free as he appeared. The more Lin Xu grew, the more anxious Gu Jinzhi became.
Gu Jinzhi actually had a pretty good understanding of himself. His looks and family background were his only two advantages. Besides those, he considered himself single-minded, which he wasn’t sure if it was a strength or a flaw.
So he often feared that one day Lin Xu would discover his shallow pleasures and his soulless spirit. Just like how many people had mocked him for being sharp-tongued and simple in the past, he suddenly felt like they hadn't been wrong.
His daily hobbies revolved around thinking about Ah Xu, longing for his kisses and hugs, sharing silly but amusing stories, and basking in gentle affection.
But Lin Xu’s ambitions were grand, and he read books Gu Jinzhi couldn’t understand. Despite being only eighteen, Lin Xu possessed such profound thoughts.
In front of Lin Xu, Gu Jinzhi had to admit that he was just an ordinary person with no great ideals. He just wanted to be surrounded by love and be happy about little things every day.
Once again, he gazed at Lin Xu and, upon being noticed, felt his hand gently grasped.
Gu Jinzhi was happy again, just like that.
Suddenly, a few young girls, around seven or eight years old, anxiously used their badminton rackets to try and dislodge a shuttlecock stuck in a tall, leafy tree. The tree’s dense branches held the shuttlecock tightly, and its height made it difficult to climb.
Gu Jinzhi’s eyes brightened as he looked at Lin Xu. “Let’s go help them.”
Lin Xu assessed the height of the tree and shook his head. “I’ll go buy a new shuttlecock.”
Gu Jinzhi grabbed his hand, his desire to show off subconsciously surfacing once again. “Ah Xu, watch closely!”
He walked over to the little girls, very coolly took off his jacket and handed it to Lin Xu, and said to them, "Gege will get it down for you."
With that, he placed his hands on the tree trunk and began to climb with a confident, smooth technique.
His strong arms and evident climbing skills made the ascent look effortless and graceful.
Lin Xu, feeling anxious, followed closely, standing beneath the tree, ready to catch Gu Jinzhi if necessary.
Soon, Gu Jinzhi had reached several meters up the tree, knocked the shuttlecock down, and carefully made his way back down.
“Be careful, Zhizhi,” Lin Xu said, his heart racing and his brow furrowed in concern.
Gu Jinzhi glanced at him and, with only a few steps left to descend, suddenly spun around and jumped into Lin Xu’s arms.
Fortunately, Lin Xu had prepared himself and caught Gu Jinzhi without falling over. Otherwise, it would have been rather embarrassing.
He held Gu Jinzhi tightly in his arms. Thinking that Gu Jinzhi had slipped, he said sternly, “I should have stopped you earlier. This is dangerous.”
Gu Jinzhi nestled against Lin Xu’s neck, smiling as he reassured him, “I’m fine. I did it on purpose.” He then gently touched down on the ground.
The little girls, oblivious to the undercurrents of their interaction, were simply amazed by Gu Jinzhi’s ability to climb the tree so effortlessly.
“Thank you, gege!” they said.
“Little friends, be careful next time,” Gu Jinzhi advised, patting one of the girls on the shoulder before he and Lin Xu moved on.
“Don’t worry about me, Ah Xu. I’m actually quite good at rock climbing. I even won a city championship once,” Gu Jinzhi boasted.
Lin Xu hadn’t heard this before and looked at him with curiosity.
“When I was a kid, I had a bit of ADHD. I didn't like studying, but I liked everything else. I remember when I was in elementary school, during every PE class, I would stay by the badminton court, just waiting for someone to hit the shuttlecock into the tree so I could show off by retrieving it. I even used to steal bird eggs from around my neighborhood...” Gu Jinzhi recalled with a touch of nostalgia, realizing he had been quite a mischievous child who never focused on proper matters.
Hearing this, Lin Xu couldn’t help but affectionately ruffle Zhizhi's hair, his eyes filled with amusement.
It was a world Lin Xu had never encountered before. And it was obvious that Zhizhi was still very good at this kind of thing.
Gu Jinzhi felt that these qualities of his were quite funny. When he was young, this would make him admired by his classmates, but now it would only make people think he was out of place.
Before he fell for Lin Xu, Gu Jinzhi hadn’t really done many mature things. He still laughed out loud at those corny short videos and would curse out his opponents while playing games.
He never thought there was anything wrong with it before, but now, with his focus entirely on impressing Lin Xu, he realized he didn’t have many respectable qualities.
Loving Lin Xu seemed to be the first step toward maturity for Gu Jinzhi, especially since he was older than Lin Xu.
“Do you also think I’m just a funny guy?” Gu Jinzhi asked, wondering if Lin Xu saw him the same way his older brother and everyone else did.
Lin Xu certainly agreed with that assessment. He had never met anyone funnier than Zhizhi.
Gu Jinzhi wasn’t too pleased with the answer. “Then isn't that very unattractive?” He sighed, worried that Lin Xu might be with him just to hear jokes. But even if that were true, he couldn’t bring himself to break up.
His boyfriend was too charming, and he wanted to hold on tightly.
“There’s nothing unattractive about it. In fact… it’s very endearing,” Lin Xu said, his last words carefully restrained.
Gu Jinzhi looked up, puzzled, only to see the turbulent emotions in Lin Xu’s eyes, as if he were… truly fascinated.
Smug as ever, Gu Jinzhi couldn’t help but break into a grin. He glanced around, then subtly pulled Lin Xu’s hand to rest on his waist, guiding him toward the shade of the tree.
This time, he wasn’t as assertive. He simply leaned in a little, locking eyes with Lin Xu, drawing him closer.
When their chests pressed together, Gu Jinzhi felt as though his heart might leap out of his chest. The warmth and pressure made his body go soft and his breathing deepen.
The mole at the corner of Gu Jinzhi’s eye, framed by his misty gaze, seemed even more vivid.
One thing he still didn’t quite grasp was how powerful his own face could be. At that moment, Lin Xu was so captivated by Zhizhi that he momentarily forgot that this was the same person who could uproot willow trees. His emotions were stirred.
Noticing Gu Jinzhi’s chin tilting slightly, as if in invitation, Lin Xu lowered his gaze and, after a moment, pressed his lips to Zhizhi’s, his fingers firmly gripping Zhizhi’s slender waist. His usually calm heart now rippled with emotion.
Gu Jinzhi was startlingly candid, and rather than feeling shy about the intimate contact, he felt pleasure. Lin Xu’s eagerness only heightened his joy.
So, he kept his eyes open throughout, moving his tongue while watching his boyfriend’s tightly closed eyes.
Every flutter of Lin Xu’s long lashes thrilled Gu Jinzhi. He almost wished he could suck his tongue away. The fresh scent filled his entire brain cavity, causing his head to feel dizzy.
Gu Jinzhi realized he was a shallow person. Kissing was far more enjoyable than playing games or collecting bird eggs. His greatest aspiration in life was to continue kissing Ah Xu, to the point where he would be left breathless and overwhelmed. That was a joy that made his soul tremble.