E-Scum Gong Chapter 71
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 71
The lecture hall was packed with students attending the general education course.
Lin Xu had always arrived early, previously taking the role of reserving seats for his roommates. He often felt embarrassed about this habit of saving seats.
He preferred sitting in the front row because the lecture hall had a bit of an echo, making it hard to hear clearly from the back. However, his roommates didn't like this general education course very much, or perhaps most students didn't take certain general education courses seriously, so they always asked him to save seats in the back.
The seats in the back were highly sought after and could only be secured by arriving early.
Thus, each week he would face the routine of leaving three books at the back row like a whirlwind, his ears burning as he hurried back to his own seat, feeling somewhat unscrupulous.
This week, however, luck was on his side. For the first time, Lin Xu managed to sit with his roommates in the coveted front row.
His friends, Lu Zhe and the others, had no choice but to put away their phones and pay attention. Lin Xu was quite pleased with this rare moment of order.
Suddenly, Lin Xu’s phone screen lit up on his desk. Usually, he wouldn’t have paid much attention, but today, he glanced at it and saw a message from Zhizhi.
He pursed his lips, subtly lowered his gaze, and opened the message. It was a short video with Zhizhi’s face on the cover.
Well, he might as well watch it…
Facing the condemning gazes from the three people by the window on his left, Lin Xu watched the video carefully and then replied with a brief message.
The video featured Gu Jinzhi giving a presentation at the headquarters. Dressed in a tailored suit that accentuated his slender waist and long legs, he looked quite different from his usual carefree self. He would occasionally glance at the camera, his eyes filled with confidence, as if he knew who was watching.
Lin Xu pursed his lips, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, before scolding himself for the random thoughts that had just popped into his head.
Although Zhizhi looked very much like a professional businessman, Lin Xu’s attention was momentarily drawn elsewhere, even finding himself subconsciously imagining what was underneath that suit.
He expressed his thoughts honestly, complimenting everything from Zhizhi's appearance to his inner qualities in a straightforward manner. After all, since they had been intimate, there was no need to be shy about praising Zhizhi’s beauty.
He praised Zhizhi for his strong presentation skills and elite aura, calling him outstanding and impressive. Likewise, he noted that Zhizhi was very attractive, with a beautiful face and a great figure.
If Lu Zhe and the others knew Lin Xu privately spoke so openly about his boyfriend, they would be utterly astonished. After all, they perceived Lin Xu as a very restrained person, someone who would be reserved and awkward in a relationship, not direct and straightforward.
After sending the message, Lin Xu looked up at the ppt slides again and felt the teacher’s gaze fixed on him. His back stiffened slightly.
The teacher, perceptive as ever, noticed Lin Xu’s distraction. Locking eyes with him, he slowly said, “Lin Xu, can you answer a question for me?”
There hadn’t been any indication that a question was coming, but the fact that the teacher could precisely call out a student’s name with such precision meant they were paying very close attention. This was the downside of being a top student caught zoning out.
Lu Zhe, sitting beside him, instinctively lowered his head and shuffled his seat a little to the left.
In situations like this, failing to answer could often result in a significant penalty, so Lin Xu's roommates and nearby classmates were all on edge, their heads bowed like quails.
However, since it was Lin Xu who was called on, there was little to worry about. Despite his brief lapse in attention, he answered the question perfectly.
"You answered thoroughly, Lin Xu. You may sit down now," the lecturer said with a wry smile, then resumed the lesson.
“You’re slacking off! How the mighty have fallen!” Lin Xu's roommate quietly slipped him a note, scolding him, but without a hint of reprimand.
After all, Lin Xu had a solid reputation when it came to academics.
Lin Xu glanced at the note but didn’t reply, his expression one of nonchalance.
Although he felt embarrassed at the moment he stood up, it wasn’t the first time he had been caught off guard. He could only admit to being a bit careless and resolved to do better next time.
After the meeting, Gu Qi personally poured a glass of warm water for his younger brother, his gaze full of praise.
“I thought you only cared about dating, but it turns out you’re quite serious about your work too. Your skills have really improved.” After all, his performance review as the general manager of the branch company had just received unanimous approval from the board of directors.
In the future, he couldn't be too prejudiced against his younger brother. Look, there was more in his mind than just eating, drinking, having fun, and dating!
“Mm-hmm.” Gu Jinzhi leaned back lazily in his older brother’s domain, typing a message with a grin that he couldn’t hide, his toes curling in contentment.
He loved receiving praise from Ah Xu the most.
To showcase his charm at work to his boyfriend, Gu Jinzhi had spent several days preparing for today’s presentation and even had his assistant film it.
After all, in his own turf, he couldn't really put on that professional act. He was too relaxed.
Reading through his boyfriend’s praise word by word made Gu Jinzhi’s heart swell. The effect was indeed remarkable! He glanced at his reflection on the phone screen and felt a surge of confidence.
“Ge is really touched,” Gu Qi said, feeling that his reaction was too indifferent, so he added sincerely.
“Ge, don't be touched. I mainly recorded the video to show Ah Xu, so he can see that I'm also very capable,” Gu Jinzhi said, looking at his older brother with mild confusion. Why was he talking too much?
“?” Gu Qi loosened his tie, snatched the glass of water away with a huff.
“But the board is indeed very satisfied. I’d like to take you to meet some important business partners this weekend.” Well, he only had this one brother. What else could Gu Qi do but endure?
Oh well, even if it was all for his boyfriend, at least he was willing to be serious now.
“Huh? I can’t, I don’t have the time.” Gu Jinzhi frowned and shook his head.
He knew his older brother hoped he would be more dedicated to his career and eventually took over more of the Gu family’s businesses. But Gu Jinzhi really didn't have that ambition or drive. Work didn't make him happy. Besides, his family and lover loved him very much. Gu Jinzhi felt that his life was already perfect.
“What's up with you?” Gu Qi asked, puzzled.
It wasn’t necessary to spend every weekend with his boyfriend. Gu Qi felt a bit exasperated.
“Xu Zhou originally invited me to hang out.”
Gu Qi raised an eyebrow, wondering if Gu Jinzhi was starting to get bored. He knew Gu Jinzhi enjoyed excitement and fun, so he thought the two of them weren’t quite compatible. Perhaps the novelty was still there, but over time, Gu Jinzhi might not be able to handle it.
“But Ah Xu is going on a field experiment this weekend.”
“So, you plan to go play with Xu Zhou instead? You might as well come with me to meet some people,” Gu Qi immediately suggested.
“What are you talking about, ge? Since I won’t see Ah Xu for two or three days, of course, I have to go with him.” Gu Jinzhi looked at Gu Qi as if he were an idiot.
“...Why are you getting involved in his field experiment?” Gu Qi was exasperated. He thought it was fine for his younger brother to cling to Lin Xu when he had free time, but now that Lin Xu was busy with his studies, Gu Jinzhi still wanted to tag along.
“I can help him set up tents~” Gu Jinzhi grinned.
Are you crazy? Gu Qi was tempted to yell. But then he realized just how invested his younger brother was into this relationship. After all, it sounded like a very boring and tedious thing to do, and Gu Jinzhi was really scared of small creatures.
“If that’s the case, I won’t keep you. Just go,” Gu Qi said dismissively, tired of wasting time on Gu Jinzhi.
“By the way, ge, I’m going to get engaged to Ah Xu,” Gu Jinzhi informed him.
Although it was a decision for just the two of them to make, given their family background, certain formalities couldn’t be skipped. He needed to notify his family and plan the engagement ceremony.
“Gu Jinzhi, what are you talking about?” Gu Qi squinted at him, finding it increasingly absurd that he was making such a significant decision on his own.
“Do you understand how serious engagement and marriage are? It’s not just about being in love. How long have you even been together? There are so many considerations and analyses involved,” Gu Qi said, feeling this was a bit of a fantasy.
Setting aside the unknowns about the Lin family’s stance, the merger of families would involve careful discussion about interests and the prevention of future conflicts and divorce.
“But I love him, and he loves me. Of course, we can get married,” Gu Jinzhi said matter-of-factly. To him, marriage was about being with the person you loved.
“Jinzhi, look around. Where do you see hasty marriages like this? Many marriages don’t even start with love but are based on mutual interests. True stability comes from that. You should wait another couple of years before making any decisions,” Gu Qi advised, suggesting they see if they were still together then.
“That’s why I don’t understand why they get married. I only want to marry Ah Xu, the person I love, and spend my life with him. That’s what eternity means to me! If we’re going to marry eventually, why not do it sooner?” Gu Jinzhi was getting frustrated. He felt his older brother was using irrelevant arguments to dodge his request, as if other people’s experiences had any bearing on his own life.
“What if one of you changes your mind later?”
“Ge, if you think that way, then you’re a scumbag! Ah Xu and I are serious people who will never change,” Gu Jinzhi said dismissively, fed up with the conversation. He thought his older brother’s arguments were irrelevant and outdated. Was he actually hoping his younger brother wouldn’t get married before him? That was so old-fashioned!
Gu Qi sighed as he listened to his younger brother’s naive remarks. Gu Jinzhi had been overly protected, leading him to believe that momentary love equated to forever, without considering the consequences. Feelings could change at any moment.
It was one thing for Gu Jinzhi to vouch for himself, but he was also confidently vouching for a young adult.
Gu Qi didn’t want his younger brother to do something he would regret. After all, in a family like theirs, once an engagement was made, it wouldn't be easy to break it off. Did Jinzhi truly understand what he was getting into?
“Has Lin Xu agreed to this?” Gu Qi asked.
“It’s Ah Xu who wants to marry me,” Gu Jinzhi replied proudly, his heart warming at the thought of Ah Xu.
Gu Qi was at a loss for words. He had thought that Lin Xu, being so young, wouldn’t want to rush into marriage. After all, Gu Qi had never seen anyone who wanted to get married right after starting college. Were both of them just immature, or were they simply stubbornly single-minded?
To prepare for the weekend's field experiment, Lin Xu and his friends went to the supermarket to buy some essentials. Although it wasn’t their usual year, Q University had a strong sense of community, with many students volunteering to sacrifice their weekends for their fieldwork.
Lin Xu held a pair of identical water bottles in different colors, carefully selecting one and then placing it into the shopping cart.
For some reason, his mood lightened.
He Tian looked at him in confusion. “Xu-ge, why are you grabbing two of everything?”
Lin Xu replied, “Zhizhi wants to come along too.” Although Lin Xu thought it wasn’t necessary and wasn’t particularly exciting, he couldn’t refuse Gu Jinzhi. Anyway, it wouldn’t affect anyone else. Zhizhi could just treat it as a day out. In short, Lin Xu simply didn’t have the ability to say no.
His roommates had long since gotten used to Lin Xu using such a soft and cutesy nickname for his bold and stylish boyfriend. After all, when they met him, they could only respectfully call him "Brother."
“Oh, you look so happy, haha.” Who would daydream in a supermarket and smile to themselves like that?
Lin Xu added some wet wipes to the cart without responding, but there was indeed a certain kind of joy in his heart that he couldn’t quite explain.
Looking at the double sets of everyday items in the cart, Lin Xu couldn’t help but imagine their future life together.
Once they got married, the house slippers, toothbrushes... everything would come in pairs. Their home would bear the marks of both their lives. The first thing he'd hear upon waking up would be Zhizhi’s soft snores. On quiet weekend afternoons, maybe there would be the sounds of video games and excited cheers. In short, every corner of the house would echo with Zhizhi’s presence.
In his previous life, when he calmly focused on his research, he never imagined he would one day yearn for marriage.
