Online Dating Fiasco with the Campus Heartthrob (DATING)
Despite his reluctance, Ji Su didn't back out.
A silver six-seater SUV was parked at the school gate. Zhou Yang opened the door: "Get in, everyone."
Gu Zhao was the first to step in and take a seat in the third row.
He Yiming followed closely and happily sit in the inner seat of the second row.
Ji Su stood by the car with his eyes darting to the passenger seat, but the next second, Wang Mingzhe hobbled into the front passenger seat.
"Susu, where do you want to sit?" Qiao Jin whispered in his ear. "Honestly, I'm not too keen on sitting next to the campus heartthrob either."
Ji Su: "..."
If given the choice, he'd rather sit in the trunk.
Zhou Yang leaned against the door and called out: "Qiao Jin, Ji Su, get in."
Just as Ji Su was about to brace himself and get in, Qiao Jin suddenly spoke up: "He Yiming, I want to sit with Susu. Can you move to the back?"
He Yiming was taken aback: "Huh?"
Qiao Jin made up an excuse on the spot: "Susu and I have something to discuss. It's easier if we sit together."
"Sure, no problem." He Yiming agreed and moved from the second row to the third row.
Ji Su secretly gave a thumbs up behind his back and quickly got into the car without further delay.
They were heading to a neighboring city for the trip and it was about a three to four-hour drive. They would arrive just in time for lunch.
During the journey, Ji Su couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at the back of his head, which made him extremely uncomfortable.
The trip felt longer than ever.
Fortunately, Wang Mingzhe in the front passenger seat kept talking non-stop to keep the atmosphere from getting too dull.
Halfway through, Ji Su simply leaned against the window and pretended to sleep.
They arrived at their destination just before noon.
The SUV drove straight into the resort and continued for a while before stopping in front of a cluster of villas.
The two-story villas were built against the mountains and by the water, offering stunning views with large terraces and private swimming pools.
"Everyone, go to the second floor to pick your rooms and drop off your stuff." Zhou Yang introduced as he walked up the spiral staircase. "There are three bedrooms upstairs and were perfect for two people each."
Qiao Jin immediately chimed in: "I'll share a room with Ji Su!"
"Alright, I'll room with Qiao Jin." Ji Su responded while giving him a grateful look.
"Okay, then I'll room with Brother Gu." Zhou Yang continued arranging. "He Yiming, you take care of Old Wang."
He Yiming patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Old Wang next door!"
Wang Mingzhe retorted: "Screw you, you're the one next door!"
After choosing their rooms, everyone went in to unpack.
Ji Su closed the door and finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, Susu." Qiao Jin looked at him apologetically. "I really thought Gu Zhao wasn't coming today. Who knew Zhou Yang would do something so unreliable!"
Ji Su shook his head: "It's not Zhou Yang's fault. Gu Zhao decided to come at the last minute."
"True." Qiao Jin muttered. "Then let's blame the campus heartthrob."
Ji Su walked into the bedroom: "No one's to blame. I'm the one who should be blamed."
If he hadn't caused this big mess, he wouldn't be so afraid to face Gu Zhao now.
"Come on, Susu, don't say that." Qiao Jin couldn't help but sigh. "What's wrong with wanting to help someone? Blame it on fate playing tricks."
Ji Su didn't respond as he placed his backpack on the table and took out his laptop.
"Wow, Susu, you really brought your laptop?" Qiao Jin leaned in. "We're here to have fun, you know. You're not planning to stay in the room and draw all day, are you?"
"A senior introduced me to a project. I need to prepare for it." Ji Su smiled. "Don't worry, I'll work on it at night."
"Alright then." Qiao Jin paused, then asked, "What did the senior say about you adding the wrong person?"
Ji Su's tone was downcast: "I wanted to help her get back at a scumbag, but it was all for nothing. I didn't help at all, and she told me to drop it."
"How can you say you didn't help at all?" Qiao Jin disagreed. "If the senior hadn't given you the wrong WeChat ID, the plan would have succeeded."
Ji Su leaned back against the table: "I suggested she take the transaction records to the police. I don't know if she can recover her losses."
Qiao Jin put an arm around his shoulder and shook him gently: "Come on and don't think about it too much. Since we're here, let's relax and have fun!"
Ji Su was a bit helpless: "With Gu Zhao around, I can't relax..."
"Actually, I think it's just your guilt talking." Qiao Jin analyzed. "Think about it, Meng Meng always appeared as a girl to Gu Zhao, and you never gave anything away. No matter how smart he is, he wouldn't just randomly connect it to you!"
Ji Su: "That's true..."
Qiao Jin: "So, relax!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door: "Ji Su, Qiao Jin, are you done unpacking?"
"Coming!" Qiao Jin responded and opened the door.
He Yiming stood at the door: "Let's go, we're having lunch together."
Lunch was at a private restaurant in the resort.
Zhou Yang had reserved a private room with a view of the lake on three sides that offered beautiful scenery.
"Let me take a look at the menu." He Yiming opened the menu and first turned to ask, "Ji Su, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
"I can't eat seafood, but other than that, no restrictions." Ji Su replied casually, then added, "But don't worry about me. I'll just eat the other dishes."
He didn't notice that when he mentioned seafood, Gu Zhao, who had been playing with his phone, suddenly looked up at him.
But the glance was so quick that no one noticed.
"How about we take turns ordering? Everyone can order what they want." Zhou Yang suggested.
Wang Mingzhe tapped his bowl with chopsticks: "Don't be shy, everyone. Brother Gu is treating us today!"
"Really?" Qiao Jin exaggerated his tone. "Brother Gu is so generous?"
Zhou Yang: "Qiao Jin, why are you calling him Brother Gu too?"
"Why, can't I?" Qiao Jin grinned. "I'm just following your lead."
"Hahaha!" Zhou Yang laughed heartily. "You'll have to ask Brother Gu himself if it's okay."
Qiao Jin tested the waters: "Brother Gu, can I call you that?"
Gu Zhao just looked at him and said nothing.
Qiao Jin couldn't help but shrink back and closed his mouth before ordering.
........
After lunch, Wang Mingzhe, who had trouble walking, asked He Yiming to accompany him to the lake to fish.
The others wandered around the resort and ended up at the equestrian center to try horseback riding.
Ji Su changed into riding gear in the locker room and ran into Gu Zhao as he stepped out.
Gu Zhao paused with his gaze dropping to Ji Su's legs.
The black shirt was tucked into the belt and cinching a narrow waist.
The white riding pants clung tightly to his long, straight legs and the lines was extremely smooth.
His calves were proportionally longer than average, and the knee-high black boots made him look both elegant and sharp.
The riding pants fit him so perfectly without a single flaw, making it easy to imagine how perfect the legs beneath the fabric must be.
Ji Su felt the scrutinizing gaze and took an uncomfortable step back.
"What's wrong, Susu?" Qiao Jin came out from inside. "Why are you standing here?"
Then he saw Gu Zhao across from them and instinctively stepped forward to shield Ji Su with his body: "Brother Gu, why aren't you riding?"
Gu Zhao looked away and walked out without a word.
"Qiao Jin, I think something's off." Ji Su looked down at his legs. "He was staring at my legs just now."
"What's so strange about that? Your legs are just nice to look at," Qiao Jin replied. "You sent him photos of your legs in skirts. Besides, he doesn't have X-ray vision, so how could he see through your riding pants to your legs?"
Ji Su frowned slightly, "But..."
"Relax, Campus Heartthrob Gu doesn't have that vivid imagination," Qiao Jin said dismissively. "Besides, you don't wear shorts, and he wouldn't dare to strip your pants off in broad daylight to look at your legs. What are you afraid of?"
Ji Su: "..."
Qiao Jin pulled his arm, "Come on, let's go horseback riding!"
The horse ranch was vast with endless green grasslands already dotted with people riding horses.
Neither Ji Su nor Qiao Jin had ridden before, so each chose a gentle white horse.
Qiao Jin skipped the professional instructor and directly treated Zhou Yang as his personal coach and used the lesson to interact with him.
Zhou Yang was very patient while teaching him over and over without getting bored, and eventually even got on the horse himself to let Qiao Jin experience the joy of galloping across the grassland.
Under the guidance of the equestrian coach, Ji Su grabbed the reins with his left hand and successfully mounted the horse.
"Don't grip the saddle tightly with your knees, just relax and lean against the sides of the horse," the coach led the white horse and gently instructed. "Yes, relax your body then find the rhythm of balance and rising... Yes, very good, you're learning quickly..."
After more than half an hour, Ji Su had basically mastered the essentials of horseback riding and could ride slowly on the grassland without the coach.
Ji Su leaned down to pat the white horse's neck and whisper, "Little White Dragon, I'll come back to you when I improve my equestrian skills."
Just then, a panicked scream erupted ahead, accompanied by the thunderous sound of hooves.
Ji Su straightened up to see a runaway horse charging towards him.
He immediately tightened the reins, "Little White Dragon, move aside!"
But the white horse was startled!
It reared up, and then bolted.
"Susu!" Qiao Jin, not far away, saw this and screamed in fright, "Zhou Yang! Something's wrong with Suu!"
Zhou Yang turned his head as his face changed, and was about to ride over to rescue when he saw another tall black horse galloping like lightning.
"It's okay, Brother Gu is on it," he quickly reassured Qiao Jin. "Brother Gu is much better at riding than I am; Ji Su will be fine!"
Meanwhile, Ji Su could only cling desperately to the white horse's neck to keep from falling off.
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded in his ear, "Ji Su."
Ji Su didn't dare to open his eyes, but then heard the other say, "Let go."
In such a critical moment, his mind actually wandered.
So G's voice sounds deeper and more magnetic in real life than in voice messages; he should have noticed that at the birthday party...
Gu Zhao controlled the two horses to get closer and repeated in a deep voice, "Let go."
Ji Su bit his lip and decisively let go of the horse's neck.
The next moment, a warm, large hand gripped his waist and pulled him from the galloping white horse onto another.
Ji Su slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze reflected a handsome and stern face.
His heartbeat was deafening and felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
Gu Zhao met his gaze, and for a moment, neither spoke
"Susu!" Qiao Jin and the others arrived, "Are you okay?"
Ji Su came back to his senses, "No... I'm fine."
Gu Zhao silently let go before dismounting, and then extended a hand towards him.
Ji Su took the large hand and stepped down from the horse.
But because he was still shaken from the scare, he felt weak and his legs gave way as soon as his feet touched the ground that he even nearly fell.
Fortunately, Gu Zhao quickly caught his waist and steadied him.
"Sorry..." Ji Su turned red with embarrassment and was too embarrassed to look up at the handsome man. "Thank you for saving me," he said.
"It's nothing," Gu Zhao said tersely then turned to lead the horse away.
After a few steps, he looked down at the hand that had just held Ji Su's waist.
How could a boy's waist be so thin and soft?
For some reason, the image of that white, slender waist from the photo appeared in his mind.
Gu Zhao frowned and tightened the reins in his hand.
.......
After such an incident, Ji Su didn't dare to get back on a horse for a while.
He wanted to go back and rest alone and just let the others continue, but as the sky darkened, Zhou Yang suggested they all return to the villa to prepare for the evening barbecue party.
Back at the villa, Wang Mingzhe and He Yiming had just returned with two big fish they had caught.
The group busied themselves setting up the barbecue grill on the large terrace.
He Yiming, while working, struck up a conversation, "Ji Su, was horseback riding fun?"
"Don't mention it," Qiao Jin took over, "There was an accident at the ranch; Ji Su almost fell off the horse. It was terrifying."
"What?" He Yiming was shocked and anxiously asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No injuries," Ji Su replied softly, "Thanks to Gu Zhao, he saved me."
"Wow, sounds thrilling!" Wang Mingzhe said excitedly, "What exactly happened? Can someone describe it vividly?"
Gu Zhao coldly said, "You want to try it too?"
"No, no..." Wang Mingzhe quickly waved his hands, "My foot isn't healed yet; I don't want to try!"
As they joked around, the night fell and the lights on the terrace lit up.
Sparkling crystal light strings hung overhead and twinkled with the stars in the sky that created a very atmospheric scene.
They brought the grilled food to the table, opened canned beer, and the six of them sat in two rows to start to eat.
Ji Su wasn't much of a talker and was mostly listening to the others.
When the grilled food on the table was almost gone, he quietly got up and went to the grill to cook some more.
Gu Zhao held a can of beer in one hand as his gaze inadvertently fell on the beautiful face.
"Brother Gu, don't just hold the beer without drinking!" Wang Mingzhe started banging the table, "Not talking and not drinking, what are you doing?"
Gu Zhao subtly withdrew his gaze before lifting his chin to take a sip of beer.
"No, no! That's too perfunctory!" Wang Mingzhe boldly demanded, "Be a man and chug it!"
Gu Zhao looked over, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing," Wang Mingzhe instantly backed down then turned to encourage He Yiming, "Old He, you chug one!"
He Yiming didn't refuse and drank the remaining beer in the can in one gulp then stood up, "I'll go help Ji Su with the grilling."
He walked over to Ji Su, "I'll grill and you go eat something."
"It's okay," Ji Su turned his face while smiling slightly, "I've eaten enough."
He Yiming was dazzled by his smile, "You eat so little, no wonder you look so thin."
Ji Su paused and inexplicably remembered that G had said he was too thin and should eat more.
Thinking this, he unconsciously lifted his eyelashes and just met a pair of deep, dark eyes.
Gu Zhao was sitting there, but he didn't know whether he was observing him or just coincidentally looking in his direction.
Ji Su was slightly startled and quickly lowered his eyelashes to avoid the other's gaze.
After the barbecue, everyone sat on the terrace to enjoy the scenery and chat.
Gu Zhao seemed to find them noisy as he went back to the living room alone and sat on the sofa playing with his phone.
Wang Mingzhe accidentally noticed he was missing and loudly asked, "Hey? Where's Brother Gu?"
Ji Su replied, "He went into the living room."
"Ah..." Zhou Yang, thinking of something, frowned, "I thought coming out to play would make Brother Gu happier."
"What's wrong?" He Yiming, the only one not in the know, asked, "Gu Zhao isn't happy? Isn't he always like this?"
"It's because of his—" Wang Mingzhe just started but was elbowed by Zhou Yang and quickly changed his words, "Nothing, nothing, Brother Gu is always like this, haha..."
Ji Su and Qiao Jin exchanged glances, both knowing what was going on.
Qiao Jin tried to change the subject, "Hey, I just remembered something..."
The group chatted animatedly again.
Ji Su sat quietly for a while then secretly made up his mind and got up to go inside.
Gu Zhao was sitting on the sofa while looking down at his phone screen but his fingers weren't moving, clearly not actually playing with his phone.
Ji Su walked over then stood a few steps away, and called out, "Gu Zhao."
Hearing his voice, Gu Zhao lifted his eyelids.
"Thank you so much today. If it weren't for you, I would have definitely fallen off the horse," Ji Su said in one breath, "If you ever need my help in the future, I'll do my best to help you."
Meng Meng owed Gu Zhao once, and now he owed him again, he really didn't know how to truly make it up to him.
Gu Zhao's thin lips parted as the words turned on his tongue, and finally became one word, "Okay."
Ji Su finished what he wanted to say and was prepared to leave, "Then I'll go upstairs first."
He turned around and not noticing the gaze behind him falling on his legs again.
"Ji Su," Gu Zhao suddenly asked, "Do you have any siblings?"
"Huh?" Ji Su turned back while puzzled, "I have a younger brother, why?"
Gu Zhao stared into his eyes, "No sister?"
"There's a younger sister, but..." Ji Su hesitated with his voice lowered, "My sister and mom are settled abroad, I haven't seen them in a long time."
To be precise, the last time he saw his mom and sister was six years ago, since then, they've only occasionally seen each other in video calls.
Gu Zhao leaned forward, pressing, "How old is your sister?"
Ji Su replied, "Eight."
Gu Zhao leaned back on the sofa with his thin lips tightly pressed and looking displeased.
Ji Su wasn't sure what he meant, so he softly asked, "Is there anything else?"
Gu Zhao crossed his long legs, "How did you know I got scammed online?"
Ji Su lowered his eyes to stare at the carpet pattern in front of him, "I just mentioned it casually. After all, there are a lot of online scams these days."
Gu Zhao's tone was inscrutable, "You've encountered them too?"
"No..." Ji Su paused and tried to persuade him to let it go, "There's too much fake stuff online. The person on the other end might not be what you imagine."
Meng Meng not only isn't what you imagined, but isn't even a girl.
Gu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly, "Are you lecturing me?"
"No, that's not what I meant," Ji Su shook his head and sincerely apologized, "Sorry, I overstepped."
In Gu Zhao's eyes, in reality, they hadn't even spoken much, and saying these things was indeed crossing the line.
Gu Zhao looked back at his phone, "You can go."
Ji Su pursed his lips and went upstairs.
He returned to his room then opened his computer and drew for a while but because he really wasn't in the mood, he turned it off and went back downstairs.
Gu Zhao was still in the same position, so Ji Su deliberately walked around the sofa and went to the terrace.
"Ji Su!" He Yiming was the first to notice him, stood up and asked, "Where did you go just now?"
Ji Su walked over, "I went back to my room."
Qiao Jin reached out and grabbed him, "Susu, you didn't really go back to draw, did you?"
"Just drew for a bit," Ji Su smiled slightly, "Didn't have much inspiration tonight."
"What are you drawing?" Zhou Yang asked with interest, "Do you have homework over May Day?"
Ji Su briefly explained, "It's not homework, it's a commission."
Wang Mingzhe was very impressed, "Wow, that's amazing!"
He Yiming was also surprised, "Ji Su, you're only a sophomore and you're already taking commissions independently?"
"This is nothing, Susu is amazing in many ways," Qiao Jin said proudly and was even happier than as if he was praising himself, "Our Susu is a top student and getting the highest scholarship every year."
Ji Su nudged him, "Qiao Jin, don't overpraise me."
Qiao Jin disagreed, "How is this overpraising? It's just stating the facts."
Zhou Yang chimed in, "Exactly, Ji Su, don't be modest."
"Speaking of majors," He Yiming changed the topic, curious, "Why did you choose architecture?"
Qiao Jin replied without thinking, "I thought being an architect sounded cool, so I impulsively chose architecture when picking my major, now I think my brain must have been waterlogged."
Zhou Yang laughed, "Haha! Sounds like something you'd do."
He Yiming looked at Ji Su, "Ji Su, what about you?"
"Me..." Ji Su's smile faded and after a few seconds of silence, he finally gave an irrelevant answer, "Because I'm good at drawing."
The real reason he chose architecture wasn't this, but he was afraid of being laughed at or pitied, so he kept it to himself.
The early May night was slightly chilly in the mountains, so after chatting for a while, they decided to go back to their rooms.
Zhou Yang walked into the living room then looked around and suddenly pointed to the floor-to-ceiling window, "Hey? I just noticed there's a piano here."
Everyone's gaze followed his direction.
The floor-to-ceiling window was half open while the white curtains were fluttering on the black and white piano, the scene was quiet and beautiful.
"This villa is really well-equipped that it even has a piano," He Yiming walked over to touch the piano, "Too bad none of us can play."
Qiao Jin blurted out, "Who says no one can play the piano, Susu can!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Zhao, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly raised his eyes.
Ji Su's heart skipped a beat and immediately distanced himself, "No, I haven't learned the piano, I can only play a little by ear."
"What do you mean by ear?" Qiao Jin thought he was being modest again, "Didn't you also play at the music—ow!"
Ji Su, in a hurry, stepped on his foot to stop him from finishing.
Gu Zhao put down his long legs with his deep eyes showing a bit more curiosity.
"It's okay, playing by ear is still better than us who can't play at all," He Yiming, completely unaware of the undercurrents, enthusiastically invited, "Ji Su, just play something."
Ji Su: "..."
What is this? Forced talent show?
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