E-Scum Gong Chapter 81
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 81
Time flew by like an arrow, and the days passed as swiftly as a shuttle.
University was essentially the final bastion of innocence for most people. Once they graduated, they had to leave behind their sheltered lives and confront the realities of adulthood.
Moreover, many students were still unprepared for this transition. Apart from holding a diploma, they often struggled to grasp what they had truly accomplished.
Yet, some individuals managed to navigate their college years smoothly, achieving milestones like starting a family or establishing a career, thus becoming the envy of others as true winners of life.
For Lin Xu, graduation held little emotional significance. As he would continue his studies at Q University for both his master's and doctoral degrees, he didn't have to move or change his social circle.
In fact, his advisor had suggested he pursue further studies abroad. Certain prestigious foreign institutions excelled in specific fields, and while it was difficult to part with a promising student, it was important for their growth.
However, the reality was that many of these talented individuals who went abroad for further education often chose to stay there, which was a disappointment for their professors.
When he heard the name of a familiar school, Lin Xu was momentarily taken aback, as he had studied there in his previous life.
There were still these fleeting moments in his otherwise tranquil and happy life that would remind him that he had once existed in another world.
However, Lin Xu had already studied deeply enough in his previous life, and given that the research progress in this world was far behind that of the real world, Lin Xu saw no need to repeat the same path.
Of course, there was another — perhaps decisive — reason. He now had a family.
Zhizhi was thriving as the general manager at his company. Of course, there was no need for him to alter his life's trajectory for his academic pursuits. Lin Xu knew that if he mentioned it, Zhizhi would certainly follow him. However, his English was not very proficient... which would make their life abroad less enjoyable.
Dining was another issue. Zhizhi had a distinctly Chinese palate.
Given these seemingly minor reasons, Lin Xu resolutely abandoned the idea of studying abroad.
His decision to stay was met with great satisfaction by the professors at the university. After all, who wouldn’t want a genius?
Even though Lin Xu was only about to graduate from his undergraduate studies, he had already made a name for himself in the academic world. As an undergraduate, he had published several SCI papers, all as the second author.
It should be noted that many students pursuing academic careers started their rigorous research as early as their first year, seeking out mentors and opportunities for experimentation. Although they might only achieve third or fourth authorship, this was already quite an accomplishment for undergraduates. After all, true research was demanding at this stage, so simply being listed as an author was already very impressive.
Specifically, one of the biggest hurdles in publishing an SCI paper is perfecting academic English writing, which can filter out a large number of candidates.
Thus, Lin Xu’s name was not only well-known within his own year but also throughout the entire university, a true testament to his extraordinary talent.
Rightfully so, Lin Xu was honored as an outstanding student and was chosen to carry the torch at the graduation ceremony.
Naturally, his remarkable abilities were matched by his appearance. As some alumni put it, he was so stunning that merely listening to him speak could give one an eargasm.
Those as capable as him weren't as young, and those younger weren't as handsome. As for those more handsome than him... well, they had yet to meet such a person.
Unfortunately, he had married young... very young and very early. His marriage certificate photo was still circulating on the school forums.
To put it simply, he had gotten the certificate the day he turned legal age. It was an unprecedented rush. Was he that in love? Didn’t he want to wait a bit longer?
The identity of his spouse remained a mystery. Lin Xu rarely posted on his Moments and disliked having his private life exposed.
Nonetheless, this mystery frequently sparked heated discussions on forums, with all sorts of speculations.
Could it be that campus beauty from his department? She quickly denied it. Then maybe it was that senior from his lab? The senior soon denied it too.
Essentially, every female in his social circle had been speculated upon, but no one had the correct answer. Was it a male, or someone from outside the school? The range of possibilities was too broad.
In recent years, however, Gu Jinzhi had become quite active on social media. He was now known for showing off his husband.
After all, eight out of ten posts in his feed were about his fiance, who had become his husband after their wedding. They had been engaged for years before finally tying the knot. The wedding was rather low-key, mainly because they had already had an engagement party, and both parties preferred to avoid the hassle and exhaustion of a grand ceremony.
Thus, they opted for a simple ceremony, inviting only close friends and family.
It had been two months since their marriage, and Lin Xu was about to graduate. This was a monumental event for their small family.
Over the past few years, a lot had happened, but the couple had been so absorbed in their own lives that they barely noticed.
In the business world, the most significant event was the imprisonment of the founder of Pang Real Estate for economic crimes.
The company’s name hadn’t been heard by the general public for a long time. Over a decade ago, it had been a leader in the real estate industry.
Gradually weakened, it had eventually reached the point of being acquired.
That day, the two older brothers had gone out for drinks and got quite drunk. After waiting and planning for so long, they had finally reached this day.
While their younger siblings had been happily dating, getting engaged, and marrying... the older brothers had been worried about this ticking time bomb.
Fortunately, with Gu Qi’s help, things had gone much more smoothly. Coupled with the fact that the other side had committed many underhanded acts, this outcome was the most fitting.
From now on, their two silly younger brothers could live their lives without any worries.
Lin Xu’s graduation ceremony was a major event for both the Lin and Gu families. Although Gu Jinzhi didn't pay much attention to his own graduation, his husband's graduation was on a completely different level!
Gu Jinzhi had taken time off work and even dragged Xu Zhou along to witness the event, bringing all their friends and family together.
Xu Zhou was still unmarried, despite his mother’s persistent urging for years. He'd thought of just finding a suitable partner to marry. That had always been his thinking, and it was the same for most people his age. A business marriage was far more stable than true love.
But whenever he brought it up to Gu Jinzhi, that brat would mock his views, saying that if they hadn’t known each other since childhood, he wouldn’t want to be friends with a scumbag.
One person’s obsession with romance could indeed spoil the entire circle of friends...
Over time, Xu Zhou had stopped criticizing his childhood friend’s naivety because he had become influenced himself... Even if he didn’t marry, he thought it was better than marrying someone he didn’t like. Otherwise, it would be unfair to both parties.
As usual, Lin Xu was assigned a speech task. His speeches were essentially reusable, but Lin Xu wasn’t lazy. Each time, he wrote a new one, always clear and well-organized.
Gu Jinzhi sat eagerly in the audience, propping his chin up as he watched his husband. Lin Xu was dressed casually today, looking youthful and unchanged from a few years ago.
“The first time I heard Ah Xu’s speech was at his high school graduation ceremony,” Gu Jinzhi reminisced happily. Now that he had graduated from university, it felt like he'd experienced all of Ah Xu's prime years.
Xu Zhou listened in silence to their love story, his ears becoming almost calloused. Sometimes, he yearned to find his own true love, wishing he could experience the same pure affection they had.
Moreover, his previous concerns seemed unfounded. Lin Xu hadn’t been swayed by the youthful temptations at school. In fact, his daily routine was even more health-conscious and old-fashioned than his own. He spent his time between academics and staying at home with Gu Jinzhi, as if he would never tire of it.
Even more astonishing was his childhood friend, who had once loved excitement and novelty. What was particularly amusing was how his eyes lit up with increasing affection for his partner, defying all known rules of attraction.
The graduates and non-graduates nearby were also talking about Lin Xu.
“This senior is amazing, and he’s so handsome! Falling in love with him would be incredible! I’d love to have a scholarly boyfriend like that!”
“Wake up, he’s already married... just got married at 22.”
“What! So soon? I’m heartbroken...”
“Why do all the outstanding people like to marry young? His wife must be incredibly beautiful.”
“Not necessarily. I’ve seen many outstanding men who married young and their wives were pretty average. But they’re still excellent in terms of education and personality.”
“I heard the senior’s family is quite wealthy, but I don’t know if it’s true. Regardless, I can’t imagine anyone who could match him. Who could make him this devoted? It must be someone who saved his life!”
Xu Zhou raised an eyebrow at the naive comments from these little girls. He thought they were right on the mark. Seeing Gu Jinzhi frantically taking photos, he rolled his eyes in exasperation, wondering if people would think he was some kind of pervert.
“If it weren’t so noisy, I’d want to record the whole thing,” Gu Jinzhi said, a bit disappointed.
“Why record it? Can’t you just have your husband read it to you at home?” Xu Zhou retorted.
Gu Jinzhi thought about it and agreed, but as he looked at Lin Xu preparing to leave, he sighed with regret. He patted his stomach, which had just finished two large bowls of rice. “If only I could be pregnant, I wouldn't have to worry about my baby's early education.” Such a waste!
It was a shame to have such a brilliant scholar in the family who was completely underutilized. It felt like a waste to keep all this knowledge to himself.
Xu Zhou, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked and had to fight back the urge to spit it out.
F*ck, did he always speak so bluntly? Were they always this wild with their jokes?
Lin Xu, for his part, had grown accustomed to it and sometimes even played along.
After the dean had conferred the tassels on each graduate, Lin Xu passed the torch, signaling that the ceremony was coming to a close.
As Lin Xu came down from the stage, he saw Zhizhi rushing over, a smile spreading across his face.
“Is it a bit hot?” It was quite sunny today, so Lin Xu took out a moist towel to wipe the sweat from Zhizhi’s forehead.
“Ah Xu, you need to read today’s speech to our baby when we get home,” Gu Jinzhi said, looking at him with wide, earnest eyes.
Lin Xu’s heart skipped a beat. He gently rubbed Gu Jinzhi’s stomach and calmly asked, “Did the baby eat a lot today?”
Gu Jinzhi was momentarily confused by Lin Xu’s tender tone, unsure if he was referring to their imaginary baby or to him.
“Two large bowls,” Gu Jinzhi said, holding up two fingers.
“That’s a bit much. Let’s give the baby a break and not put him to sleep with the speech,” Lin Xu said with a polite smile.
“You little rascal, are you making fun of me for falling asleep while you were reading?” Gu Jinzhi finally caught on and playfully punched Lin Xu in the chest.
Gu Jinzhi then composed himself, tilting his head slightly, his eyes sparkling like stars. “Ah Xu, happy graduation~”
Lin Xu gently pinched his face, nodding. “Thank you.”
“Oh, great! We can go on our honeymoon during the break!” Gu Jinzhi whistled with excitement.
This trip had been planned long ago. He'd been counting down the days and had already booked his annual leave for it.
Before meeting Lin Xu, Gu Jinzhi’s summer hobby had been to find a tropical island and get a tan. But after his life took a different turn and he got engaged, he hadn’t been able to go for several years.
He also thought that perhaps Ah Xu might not like darker skin tones.
Until the last time, when he had found an old photo of himself with a tan in an album and tentatively showed it to Lin Xu. He noticed Lin Xu’s gaze seemed to linger a bit longer, as if an optical sensor would have locked onto certain areas with a lingering intensity.
Seeing Lin Xu’s restrained yet deep gaze, Gu Jinzhi felt a tingling sensation, as if he had already been touched. His legs even went weak.
“It’s... smooth, sexy, incredibly sexy,” Lin Xu said, feeling his face flush but giving his most honest assessment.
It seemed smoother than chocolate, like it would be wonderfully pleasant to touch.
In his heart, Gu Jinzhi was always quite sexy when he wasn’t speaking. When he talked, he became the adorable big sweetheart.
Lin Xu felt a bit ashamed. His mind now held not only academic ambitions but also some risque thoughts, even though his face still appeared innocent.
So, although it was a mutual issue, Gu Jinzhi often felt like he was the only one being overly lustful.
“Yes, the tickets and hotel are already booked,” Lin Xu said, looking forward to their honeymoon, especially imagining the sensation of Gu Jinzhi’s tanned skin.
He might not be able to resist holding and kissing Gu Jinzhi while he slept.
It was his favorite graduation gift.
This year, Lin Xu was twenty-two and Gu Jinzhi twenty-eight, but they both remained youthful and childish, their minds filled with less refined thoughts.
In this regard, Lin Xu couldn’t help Gu Jinzhi mature any further, as he himself had fallen into the same indulgence.