E-Scum Gong Chapter 72 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 72 (2/2)
Their destination was a mountain quite far from the city center. The peak wasn’t very high, but it was wide and covered in towering trees that nearly blocked out the sun. At the foot of the mountain was a large lake, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The bus came to a stop on the mountain trail, where the road ended. From there, they had to walk the rest of the way, but it was not too far.
There were also a few houses in this place, but not many. As for supermarkets and the like, there were none. At least they had to go to the foot of the mountain before they could find a small shop. It would take an hour, which felt like a waste of time. Therefore, everyone had to bring their supplies in advance. The seniors would stay for two weeks and could come down to buy more if needed, but for the weekend trip, transportation would return to pick them up after it ended.
The supervising teacher took attendance and led everyone away. They had already selected a suitable site for their activities.
Northern regions typically had few snakes, insects, or rodents, but now they were heading up the mountain. Gu Jinzhi, walking beside Lin Xu, was jumpy and cautious, though he felt secure with Lin Xu’s arm around his waist.
They consciously fell to the back to avoid drawing attention.
The recent rain had left the mountain path a bit muddy, quickly soiling Gu Jinzhi’s white sneakers. He frowned in frustration.
“All that effort gone to waste,” he muttered, feeling quite disheveled.
Lin Xu couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll clean them up for you once we get there.”
As they climbed higher, Gu Jinzhi couldn't help but feel creeped out under the overcast sky.
“Don't worry, it won't rain for the next few days. Besides, there's a building at the top of the mountain. We’ll set up camp nearby.”
However, there might be some mosquitoes. Lin Xu pulled out a bottle of mosquito repellent from his backpack and sprayed it around Gu Jinzhi, ensuring he wouldn’t have to worry about them.
Gu Jinzhi had arrived empty-handed, but unexpectedly, Ah Xu had brought everything they might need. Now it seemed like he'd sprayed his perfume for nothing...
The peak of the mountain was indeed not very high, so they reached it quickly. From the top, they had a breathtaking view of the expansive lake below — a truly beautiful sight.
Everyone set up their tents on a flat area. Lin Xu, accustomed to this kind of task, handled it with ease. Gu Jinzhi had initially been eager to help but soon found himself making things more chaotic. The progress was faster when Lin Xu took over.
Gu Jinzhi squatted nearby, admiring his boyfriend’s efficient and skilled hands.
“Zhizhi, when we gather for the experiment later, you can just play in the tent,” Lin Xu suggested. It would otherwise be quite dull and boring.
Lin Xu had brought a large travel bag, packed with nearly everything they might need.
“Okay!” Gu Jinzhi found his boyfriend's intense focus on his task utterly charming, even with his mud-stained clothes and rolled-up sleeves, looking far from his usual refined self.
“We’ll be back after you take a nap,” Lin Xu reassured Gu Jinzhi as he heard the call for assembly, trying to make the camping experience seem normal.
“I’ll wait for you,” Gu Jinzhi replied, not feeling disappointed. He was looking forward to lying in the tent with Lin Xu and watching the stars, even though there might not be any visible stars.
Gu Jinzhi slept soundly in the tent and woke up in the late afternoon, awakened by the aroma of rice. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ah Xu had already washed up and changed his clothes and was sitting beside him. There was a clean water source nearby, which had been prepared by the teachers in advance.
Though the conditions were a bit rough, the basic necessities were well taken care of.
“Zhizhi, we only have self-heating rice to eat,” Lin Xu said guiltily as he handed it to him. He wondered if Zhizhi had ever experienced this kind of life and if he could handle it.
However, Gu Jinzhi found it quite novel. Especially when he woke up to see his boyfriend, the happiness was overwhelming.
“It’s delicious,” Gu Jinzhi approvingly.
Of course, it wasn’t the food itself that was particularly tasty. Gu Jinzhi simply loved the atmosphere.
Lin Xu sat beside him. The camp was actually quite lively with the sound of people talking in other tents.
Seeing his boyfriend’s glowing profile, Gu Jinzhi couldn’t help but plant a greasy kiss on his cheek before bursting into laughter.
Lin Xu was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether to clean up or not, and simply felt resigned.
After tidying up the trash and putting it in a garbage bag, the two zipped up the tent and settled in for the night.
In these circumstances, they couldn't do anything, but Gu Jinzhi still wrapped his arms and legs around Lin Xu. “It’s a bit cold, so we need to cuddle for warmth.”
Lin Xu, hearing this, took out a pair of fleece-lined socks from his backpack. He had brought them anticipating that it might get chilly.
Lifting Gu Jinzhi’s legs, he carefully put the socks on, then looked up and said, “Once your feet are warm, your whole body will be warm too.”
Gu Jinzhi gazed at him, feeling a warm, tingling sensation that spread from his feet to his heart.
“Ah Xu, I really want to marry you,” he murmured, burying his head in Lin Xu’s chest. He couldn’t quite describe it, but being with Lin Xu often made him forget that he was the older one, who should be taking on more responsibility.
Lin Xu’s eyelids fluttered at the straightforward confession.
“We’ll need to wait a few more years,” Lin Xu said, patting his back, feeling a bit helpless about his age.
“We’ll get our marriage certificate after your 22nd birthday,” Gu Jinzhi had already planned it out.
“Okay,” Lin Xu agreed.
“Are you bored during the day? Want to play some games?” Lin Xu asked. Although he wasn’t much of a gamer, he was willing to play with Gu Jinzhi.
Gu Jinzhi actually wanted to say he wasn’t bored. He loved sleeping, and just being able to cuddle with Ah Xu was enough of a reward. Still, who would refuse such an offer?
“Sure, let ge carry you!” Gu Jinzhi eagerly grabbed his phone, only to be bombarded with numerous work-related messages.
“Do you need to take care of those?” Lin Xu asked, puzzled.
“No, no need,” Gu Jinzhi dismissed it, as he didn’t see the point in working on the weekend.
But he felt a bit embarrassed for a moment, thinking about how diligently Lin Xu studied, while he, the older one, was less serious about his work.
Of course, that didn't interfere with his gaming time. Lin Xu was indeed a bit of a noob, but Gu Jinzhi was an expert at carrying players, earning him the nickname "Wild King of the Capital."
In the game, Gu Jinzhi had a very impressive persona, with friend requests pouring in. Many wealthy gamers who had played with him were willing to pay a high price just for the chance to have him as their companion.
Since Lin Xu had never played before, he followed Gu Jinzhi’s instructions and found the game surprisingly simple.
“Do I just hang onto you like this?” Lin Xu asked. He actually didn't like playing a female hero, as it felt a bit strange to him.
“That's right!” Gu Jinzhi said with satisfaction, and then showed Lin Xu the game stats.
“20-1-1, that’s how amazing I am,” Gu Jinzhi said with a smirk.
Soon, the opponents seemed to send some rather nasty messages, but Lin Xu, following Gu Jinzhi’s lead, had no idea they were insulting him.
Before he could react, Gu Jinzhi was already firing back with a flurry of insults, never repeating himself. Then, he angrily took out the opponents several times. The other side couldn't beat him and couldn't find a way to target Lin Xu because they were like conjoined twins.
In the end, they could only insult Gu Jinzhi and Lin Xu, calling them elementary school kids, saying they probably didn't even weigh as much as his shoe.
Lin Xu was startled. He had not seen Gu Jinzhi so fiery for a long time. It reminded him of the early days of their online relationship when Zhizhi had a sharp tongue and was often called a keyboard warrior in their chat group.
“Ah Xu, it’s because they were rude first that I reacted this way. Besides, this isn’t a ranked game, so their behavior is out of line,” Gu Jinzhi said, trying to salvage his image after cooling down.
“It’s fine, I know it’s not Zhizhi's fault,” Lin Xu said, patting his head. He was just a bit of competitive — nothing serious.
Even though both sides were evened out, it seemed the opponents were in worse shape.
“I was really scared by them,” Gu Jinzhi added, fishing for sympathy.
“Oh? Really…” Lin Xu awkwardly kissed Gu Jinzhi’s forehead.
“Mm!” Gu Jinzhi, pleased with himself, smiled happily. Ah Xu was really easy to trick.
