E-Scum Gong Chapter 61 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 61 (1/2)
“Ge,” Lin Xu called out as he stood beside Lin Shen.
Though they were brothers, their temperaments were strikingly different.
Since he was the main character today, Lin Xu couldn’t just leave. Fortunately, Lin Shen, adept at navigating social situations, made it easy for him to stay by his side without worrying too much.
“I wanted to introduce you to Mr. Gu, but unfortunately, he had to leave early,” Lin Shen said. As a businessman, he knew exactly which people at the banquet were worth mingling with.
Their parents, Daddy Lin and Mommy Lin, were engaged in conversation with others nearby, but they periodically glanced over at the brothers, clearly keeping an eye on them.
In the presence of guests, Daddy Lin and Mommy Lin were more conscious of their image compared to when they were alone with their family. They were definitely different from the parents in Lin Xu's memory.
Lin Shen saw his younger brother’s expression gradually relaxed, but he still felt a pang of unease.
The family had kept the truth from Lin Xu for so long, and they didn't know how to tell him. They were never good with words, so they felt stuck. Their parents, filled with guilt and nervousness, were at a loss for how to handle the situation. Coupled with his younger brother's introversion, there was a momentary awkward silence.
Had Lin Xu shown anger or other strong emotions, they would have been eager to explain everything immediately. But with his unexpected calmness, there was no need to bring up the unpleasant past that they wanted to forget. They didn't want to scare Lin Xu.
When Lin Shen mentioned Mr. Gu, Lin Xu thought of Zhizhi’s older brother, since they both had the surname Gu. In truth, he had never fully understood Zhizhi’s family situation. He only knew that his family was likely well-off.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?” Lin Shen asked, patting his younger brother’s shoulder.
Lin Xu was indeed a bit uneasy, but he never liked to complain. “I'm fine,” he replied. After tonight, things would settle. At times like this, he couldn’t help but think of Gu Jinzhi, and he didn't feel so uncomfortable anymore.
People kept approaching to strike up conversations. The venue was packed with guests both inside and out, and as far as the eye could see.
Suddenly, another person emerged from the crowd, holding a glass of wine. As he lifted his head and saw Lin Xu, his expression froze in horror. He wanted to leave, but his body turned stiff.
Lin Shen didn’t recognize the man, which was to be expected. He didn’t have the time to remember everyone. It was likely someone who had managed to get an invitation and was now trying to socialize.
Lin Xu, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing the man. It was rare for him to show any emotion. After all, that was the first time he had encountered something so absurd.
“Hello,” Lin Shen greeted the man indifferently.
The man’s face turned pale. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. Feeling the pressure from Lin Shen and seeing Lin Xu nearby, he felt even more apprehensive. “Mr. Lin... hello,” he stammered, raising his glass and taking a sip before hastily retreating into the crowd, clearly eager to leave.
Lin Shen watched his younger brother’s reaction to the man with interest. It seemed as if there was some prior acquaintance. He asked attentively, “What’s the matter, Ah Xu? Do you know him?”
Lin Xu stated flatly, “He has poor character.” He didn't say anything more, as he didn't want to bring up such a disgusting matter again.
“I see.” Since Lin Shen intended to make it up to his younger brother, he would certainly keep this in mind and plan to investigate the matter later.
Meanwhile, Gu Qi was following the direction his younger brother had given but couldn’t find him after searching for a while. He started to get anxious.
Could this kid not tell directions well?
However, Gu Jinzhi, who had originally agreed to stay put, forgot everything his older brother had said when he saw a shady figure slipping through the crowd and trying to sneak away.
That bastard!
Anger surged from his chest to his head. The sight of this sleazy guy brought back memories of Ah Xu being harassed, making Gu Jinzhi feel nearly faint with rage.
He slammed down his drink and followed the man.
The man, clearly afraid of being spotted or pursued, made his way to a secluded area, but this actually made it easier for Gu Jinzhi.
The man reached a hillside, leaving the banquet behind. He finally relaxed his pace, relieved to be away from the crowd, and planned to quickly drive back.
In the next moment, the man found himself lifted by the collar, nearly hoisted off the ground with his feet dangling.
“Who the hell are you? What do you want?” He struggled in panic, fearing it was someone from the Lin family.
Gu Jinzhi, standing tall and unafraid, wasn’t concerned about any potential consequences. After all, he had dealt with situations like this before. He turned the man around to get a good look at his face.
It took the man a moment to recognize the second young master of the Gu family.
“You, what do you want?” He swallowed nervously, wondering if he had offended this young master in some way. He had already been miserable enough for accidentally provoking Lin Xu, who had just been introduced by the Lin family. What was going on now? Were they going to gang up on him...
“F*cking pervert!” Gu Jinzhi shouted as he threw a punch, his eyes blazing with fury.
Ten minutes later, the man, bruised and battered, lay next to his car, having vomited all over it from drinking too much. Despite his attempts to fight back, he was no match for Gu Jinzhi’s strength.
“Don't do anything sleazy again, or I'll strip you naked and throw you on the side of the road,” Gu Jinzhi warned, disgusted by the sight of the man’s vomit. He wiped his hands and turned to leave.
A weight lifted from the man's heart. Finally, it was over. He was almost passed out from the pain. With great effort, he managed to get into his car. His hazy mind was replaying the events, and he had a feeling there was some connection between the two incidents.
But one thing was clear — he would never dare to behave so recklessly again. Who could have predicted such a surreal encounter?
Back at the banquet, Gu Jinzhi hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should cover his face a little. He knew his older brother wouldn't harm him, but he also felt it was too embarrassing. In the end, he straightened up and returned with a swagger.
Fortunately, Gu Jinzhi hadn’t made it to the center yet. Halfway through, his older brother caught up with him and dragged him away forcefully.
“What are you doing, ge?” Gu Jinzhi scratched his head in confusion.
“Where did you just go? Why are you running off like that?” Gu Qi was visibly worried.
“I went to get revenge for Ah Xu,” Gu Jinzhi said with righteous indignation.
“...Forget about those trivial matters for now. I need to talk to you about something,” Gu Qi said, taking a deep breath.
Honestly, even now, he could barely believe that this was reality. His mind had been preoccupied with the thought of preventing his younger brother from experiencing a heartbreak. Now that he had finally managed to stop Gu Jinzhi, he had a moment to process what had happened.
He never expected the world to be so bizarre.
It turned out that not only was his younger brother's boyfriend an eighteen-year-old student who had successfully enrolled in Q University, but most importantly, he was also from the Lin family?
He wasn’t directly involved and couldn’t know Lin Xu’s role in the relationship, but seeing how happy his younger brother seemed, it must have been a fulfilling experience. Objectively speaking, Lin Xu appeared to be an excellent match for Gu Jinzhi.
He had originally thought that his younger brother’s happiness was the most important thing, so he was prepared to put in effort to support this youthful romance.
Now that he no longer had to worry about his younger brother being deceived, Gu Qi didn't know how to describe Gu Jinzhi's luck.
His younger brother had a notorious reputation among his peers and was well-acquainted with the police. Every time he got into trouble, he would talk about justice, but no one could see through his true nature. Everyone just knew Gu Jinzhi was a troublemaker.
If he lived his life in such a carefree manner, it wouldn’t affect anyone. The Gu family could certainly ensure that Gu Jinzhi was well taken care of. However, his preference for men made him vulnerable to many unsavory characters. Moreover, his younger brother's personality was definitely unpopular in relationships and could easily hurt people's self-esteem.
Now, it was astonishing that he had actually met someone he was willing to accommodate, and the other person was also willing to put up with Gu Jinzhi. The other person would certainly not turn away due to superficial reasons.
“What’s going on? Why are you being so mysterious?” Gu Jinzhi asked, curious about the connection with Lin Xu.
“You know that today is the coming-of-age ceremony for the Lin family’s young master, right? Do you know who he is?” Gu Qi asked, genuinely curious about his younger brother’s reaction. Had this fool been dating someone for months and still didn’t know?
“I don’t care who he is,” Gu Jinzhi said dismissively.
“Are you saying you don’t care about him anymore?” Gu Qi asked deliberately.
“Ge, are you talking nonsense? Are we so spineless now that we need to rely on him?” Gu Jinzhi retorted. Besides, since Lin Shen wasn’t fond of him, Gu Jinzhi wasn’t about to chase after him. If his older brother wanted to make connections, that was up to him. Gu Jinzhi would stay out of it.
“Lin Xu,” Gu Qi said, casually dropping a name.
“What about my boyfriend?” Gu Jinzhi was momentarily confused.
After a moment of silence, Gu Jinzhi’s expression shifted as he seemed to make the connection. They both shared the same surname Lin!
“No way! Ge, you’re joking, right? You mean Ah Xu is Lin Shen’s younger brother?” Gu Jinzhi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“If you don’t care, then let’s go home. Break up, so your big brother won’t have to take any responsibility,” Gu Qi joked deliberately.
“Cut it out...” Gu Jinzhi’s legs went weak, and he plopped down into a nearby chair, looking dazed.
“This can’t be true… I’ve been to Ah Xu’s house.” Lin Xu’s home had seemed very modest. How could he possibly be connected to the Lin family?
Then again, the Lin family members were all quite down-to-earth...
Gu Jinzhi recalled how he had disparaged this family before coming here, and now he was completely speechless. He would never say that about Ah Xu.
Gu Qi watched his younger brother, who seemed to be lost in thought. Suddenly, Gu Jinzhi looked up at him with a serious expression.
“So what do we do now, ge? His big brother will definitely disapprove,” Gu Jinzhi said, his mind shifting to more pressing concerns.
“I can't do anything about it. Didn’t you say we're not spineless? You two probably aren't a good match. The Lin family might not understand your virtues, but many people would surely appreciate Lin Xu’s qualities,” Gu Qi said seriously.
“No way, no way! Ah Xu is mine!” Gu Jinzhi shook his head vehemently, convinced his older brother was just talking nonsense. What Lin family, what Gu family, it was all bullsh*t. He and Ah Xu were a perfect match.
“You have to help me. Are you really my big brother?” Gu Jinzhi shot his older brother an exasperated look.
He no longer cared about Ah Xu’s older brother. If Lin Shen wanted to make a move, that was fine by him.
“What’s most important now is that we can’t let Lin Shen find out about you two. He still doesn’t know his younger brother is gay, let alone accept you as his sister-in-law.”
