E-Scum Gong Chapter 9
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 9
This night, Lin Xu unusually suffered from insomnia due to guilt. He had never hurt someone's feelings before, always objectively turning them down before a story could even develop. But this time, he was swept into the whirlwind from the very beginning.
With regards to Zhizhi Mangmang, he subtly felt a sense of responsibility, deeply acknowledging the importance of his "first love" as the other party put it. He wanted Gu Jinzhi to understand that love wasn't just about giving. No matter how charming or attractive the other person was, unreciprocated feelings were not worthwhile. If even he, as an online boyfriend, could do it clumsily, then real-world lovers should only do better.
He must not fall for the male lead's tricks again.
Lin Xu had always been a single dog, and had never expected this to change.
Despite spending most of the night mulling over the gift exchange, he still got up at exactly six o'clock.
What kind of gift would an overly boisterous and lively college student want? Lin Xu pondered this question as he listened to his MP3 player.
Rather than attempting to find a suitable match online, Lin Xu thought that Gu Jinzhi should study hard and become more rational and smart. However, Gu Jinzhi probably wouldn't be happy to receive books, even recreational ones.
With no ideas at all, Lin Xu, for the first time, sent a good morning message to Gu Jinzhi, even though the other party might not be awake at this hour. But for him, it was something that could be done with a lift of a finger, something he had never done for anyone other than his "first love".
Sure enough, Gu Jinzhi replied only during the break after Lin Xu finished his early morning self-study session.
Lin Xu had already gotten used to using his phone at school. As long as it didn't affect his classes, he deemed it fine.
"Awake now~ Good morning." Gu Jinzhi sent a sticker of a cute cat rolling around, as if the unpleasantness from last night had never happened. His anger seemed to fade quickly.
He must not be one to hold grudges. Otherwise, given how Gu Jinzhi was cheated on and dumped by the scumbag in the novel, making him the butt of jokes in the capital's social circle, there would have been rumors of him excessively pestering or taking revenge on the male lead. Instead, after the heartbreak, he severed all ties.
He only used swear words to scold the other party on his Moments, and at the same time, the Gu Corporation also terminated all contracts with the male lead. From then on, Gu Jinzhi became even more hardened and sharp-tongued, indicating that he had indeed been hurt.
Lin Xu couldn't help but purse his lips, a faint smile playing in his eyes.
"Are you still not in class yet?" he asked.
Gu Jinzhi suddenly snapped awake. Sh*t, he was going to be late for work. Last night, he'd been so pissed that he'd stayed up until dawn playing games to let off steam.
He quickly threw on a suit, then hurriedly drove to the office. If his older brother found out that he was outrageously late on his second day of work, he would be in big trouble.
Once settled at his desk, Gu Jinzhi came up with an excuse. "There's no class for the first period today." Why was this always the only reason he could think of? It was so annoying. He went to the restroom to tidy up his suit and hair. Hmm, he still looked pretty handsome, with no sign of puffiness from staying up late.
And all of this was because of Lin Xu! Thinking about it, despite the soft and cute messages Gu Jinzhi sent during their chat, he had been sulky all morning. He'd even kicked his desk from time to time.
He was just barely maintaining his image as a pure male college student.
After waking up, Gu Jinzhi began to feel that perhaps Lin Xu had just been humoring him when he said he would be serious, which made him feel even more annoyed.
About half of the couples formed in the cp event nearly two weeks ago had split up by now. However, Amour and Zhizhi Mangmang, who had aroused envy among the group members, remained unshaken. It wasn't something to be happy about.
Especially since Amour had been inactive lately, leaving Zhizhi Mangmang to be the sole active participant. Some people were also guessing if they had already broken up, but just hadn't told everyone yet.
"Maybe they broke up. I haven't seen Amour interact with Zhizhi Mangmang in the group."
"I've always felt they weren't a good match. Zhizhi is an immature college student. It must be tiring to be with him for long."
Sour comments spilled over the screen, starting to affect the atmosphere in the group, but since they were all anonymous, it was impossible to pinpoint who was stirring things up.
The group admin reluctantly stepped in, "Everyone, let's keep the chat light-hearted. Avoid discussing others' private affairs."
However, with hundreds of members in the group, it was difficult to manage, and not everyone knew each other well, so the group admin's suppression had little effect.
Gu Jinzhi saw the insinuations and snide guesses flying around, which he would normally have promptly countered. But this time, he stayed silent. It truly bothered him, though, because they weren't entirely wrong.
Amour did have those thoughts.
They felt that he was already admitting defeat by default. Anyway, if Amour truly wanted to break up, he couldn't stop him. In the end, he would just have to slink away, tail between his legs.
Gu Jinzhi felt powerless, but he didn't ask Amour privately for an explanation. He just let himself stare absentmindedly at the screen.
Then, as of by magic, Amour's avatar appeared before his eyes. Amour clarified with just one sentence, "We haven't broken up, so I don't see the need to continue socializing in the group."
After all, the group chat was created for people looking to find a partner. Since he already got one, what was the point of interacting in the group? That seemed to be his implication.
Gu Jinzhi felt he hadn't misunderstood.
After many days of absence, Amour's sudden reappearance with such heartless words had left the group members who still had hopes for him feeling as if they had been dumped. Amour used to be so friendly with everyone. Now, after just two weeks of online dating, he was so sure that they wouldn't break up and that he didn't have to continue looking for a partner in the group. How arrogant was that?
Feeling a bit indignant, some people mocked Amour a few times.
"He's forgotten about all of us now that he has a boyfriend. How heartless."
"We're all just tools to you, not even friends."
Lin Xu, however, didn't explain further. First, he couldn't clarify everything, and second, the group was a mix of all sorts of people, so those who didn't like him would never be satisfied no matter what. The reason he felt differently about Gu Jinzhi was because he knew in advance that he was the kind of fool who would be easily deceived.
Amour didn't even bother to reply to them! This infuriated the group members once again.
Gu Jinzhi, however, felt a secret thrill. This time, it wasn't him pushing things — it was Amour who voluntarily declared them as a couple again. He had won without having to frantically explain himself. It felt great!
So, Gu Jinzhi decided to completely forget what happened last night and started picking out a gift for his boyfriend.
Originally, choosing a gift was just a nicer way of poverty alleviation than giving cash, but now Gu Jinzhi planned to choose carefully, unlike last time when he simply picked a suitable-priced watch and sent it over.
He recalled how Amour looked last night in a white shirt. The other party usually wore suits, after all, he was an older man.
A tie would be a good choice then — very practical.
With his mind made up, Gu Jinzhi started browsing online for brands he usually bought. His older boyfriend wasn't as flashy as young people like him, but he seemed fresher than ordinary older men. It shouldn't be too old-fashioned or too trendy, preferably something steady.
During work hours, Gu Jinzhi sat in his office slacking off and taking care of personal matters, his expression shifting between disdain and satisfaction. Anything that pleased him was immediately added to his cart.
Amidst various expressions, the mole at the corner of his eye moved vividly.
However, as the general manager, he wasn't completely idle. For example, in the afternoon, when Gu Jinzhi started browsing shopping apps again, a department manager came over to suggest that he could go inspect the company's trainees today, since Gu Jinzhi hadn't seen them yet.
An entire floor was dedicated as a practice rooms for these trainees, who were all top-tier good-looking guys and girls.
After arriving at the floor where the practice room was located, Gu Jinzhi followed the leading manager and walked listlessly, occasionally glancing at the trainees sweating profusely through the transparent glass windows.
"These are the prime candidates for our next boy group. They're incredibly talented and good-looking," the manager introduced to Gu Jinzhi.
Of course, if Gu Jinzhi felt anyone wasn't up to par, just a word from him could crush their chances of debuting.
Gu Jinzhi casually scanned the room. There were only seven or eight trainees currently rehearsing dance routines, executing moves crisply and gracefully, displaying high levels of synchronization. Each one was a tall young man over six feet tall.
They might be considered exceptionally handsome in the outside world, objects of fierce competition in social circles, but now they were laid out in front of Gu Jinzhi like pieces of pork on a butcher's block.
Yet, he felt no ripples in his heart. Their goals, dreams, and ambitions were all as if molded from the same mold, without the slightest difference. They all showed their most charming side upon his arrival.
He could have a garden filled with the most vibrant flowers, each one stunningly beautiful, but utterly lacking in uniqueness.
"Hmm." Gu Jinzhi nodded disinterestedly, continuing to focus on the ties displayed.
"General Manager, aren't there any talents here that catch your eye?" the person beside him asked, even though they had all been handpicked.
"As long as they can attract fans, that's good enough. I... prefer someone a bit older," Gu Jinzhi responded after some thought.
He was childish and unreasonable enough on his own, so those of his kind couldn't possibly attract him. Right now, he found the maturity of an older man somewhat intriguing.
The department manager pointed to a guy in the corner. Sporting a buzz cut and exuding a wolfish aura, he stood out among the trainees with his cool and handsome demeanor.
"He's the oldest among them, around twenty-five or twenty-six, but his talent and potential are exceptional. He hasn't been practicing for long, but he's on the preliminary list," the manager explained to Gu Jinzhi.
Upon hearing this age, Gu Jinzhi glanced over. The guy was in a tank top, exposing well-built muscles that Gu Jinzhi could appreciate. He didn't say much and didn't even glance in his direction.
Appearance-wise, he passed Gu Jinzhi's standards, but he seemed standoffish, triggering Gu Jinzhi's competitive streak. Rather than sparking interest, Gu Jinzhi felt there was a higher likelihood of confrontation.
He reminded Gu Jinzhi of the school bullies he encountered in high school, and Gu Jinzhi enjoyed nothing more than a good fight with those types.
"What's his education like? Does he speak English?" Gu Jinzhi couldn't help but compare every man to Amour. He guessed Amour had a good education. After all, he sounded so cultured when he spoke English.
Gu Jinzhi thought about himself. Despite having the best family background and resources, he ended up like a rogue. The other party was a poor guy, but he seemed more like a noble young master than Gu Jinzhi himself, which amused him a little.
"Huh?" The department manager hadn't expected Gu Jinzhi to ask such an unimportant question.
"His family isn't wealthy, so he dropped out of high school." However, for a trainee, this wasn't necessarily a disadvantage. In the entertainment industry, few had high education backgrounds. Good looks and emotional intelligence were more important.
Gu Jinzhi suddenly lost interest. Even though he considered himself academically inept, he and his kind were mutually repulsive.
"Hmm, let's stop here for now." Gu Jinzhi waved his hand, ready to leave early and head back to his office to lie down.
Originally, Gu Jinzhi didn't have any impression of these trainees. It wasn't until he came out of the restroom, staring at his phone without paying attention to his surroundings, that he was suddenly bumped into by a strong arm.
In an instant, Gu Jinzhi flared up, wanting to roll up his sleeves and compare muscles with the person.
"Can't you watch where you're going?" he scolded angrily, reaching out to pick up his phone.
The person opposite him had already crouched down to pick up his phone for him.
"Sorry," a deep voice came from beside his ear.
When Gu Jinzhi took the phone, he found that the product details page had already jumped away, and he couldn't find the item he had been looking at.
Frowning, he lifted his eyes and saw a face that seemed somewhat familiar. The guy had high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, and thin lips — the type that looked like he could handle himself in a fight. A casual glance revealed a string of tattoos on his arm.
Quite the show-off, huh.
Unable to tolerate show-offs the most, Gu Jinzhi's gaze turned icy as he asked in a deep voice, "Which department are you from?"
Yan Yang replied, "Trainee."
Only then did Gu Jinzhi recall who he was. "You don't know who I am?"
Yan Yang shook his head, his eyes showing no sign of deceit.
Gu Jinzhi figured he must not have noticed him earlier, which seemed plausible. Feeling in a good mood, he didn't bother to speculate whether Yan Yang was telling the truth or not. Anyway, his initial impression of Yan Yang was less than favorable.
Ignoring Yan Yang, Gu Jinzhi walked away. Even from a distance, Yan Yang could hear him muttering, "Damn it, I can't find it now, this idiot."
Yan Yang looked back at him, hesitated for a moment, then continued on his way.
