Online Dating Fiasco with the Campus Heartthrob (DATING)
Ji Su returned to his room.
He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, only then did he realize how fast his heart was beating.
Qiao Jin came out of the bathroom and, seeing this, asked with concern: "What’s wrong, Susu? Did you drink too much?"
"No," Ji Su shook his head. "I’m not drunk."
His alcohol tolerance wasn’t great, but it wasn’t so bad that two beers would knock him out.
"But your face looks really red," Qiao Jin pointed at his own face. "Are you sure you’re okay?"
Ji Su raised a hand to touch his slightly warm cheek: "It’s from being scared by Gu Zhao earlier."
"Huh?" Qiao Jin’s eyes widened. "I was only gone for a little while. What did the great Gu Zhao do to you this time?"
Ji Su straightened up: "He added me on WeChat."
Qiao Jin: "Which account?"
"Obviously my main one," Ji Su pulled out his phone. "I haven’t logged into the Meng Meng account in a long time."
"Thank goodness, you scared me!" Qiao Jin patted his chest. "Just to be safe, you should deactivate the Meng Meng account."
Ji Su looked down at his phone screen with a hint of hesitation in his heart, and replied softly: "We’ll see. It might still come in handy."
"You’re not reluctant to let it go, are you?" Qiao Jin jokes. "Is there some scumbag out there still waiting for the righteous Meng Meng to bring him to justice?"
Ji Su: "..."
"But seriously, I’ve always heard that Gu Zhao’s WeChat is notoriously hard to get. It’s practically like scaling the heavens," Qiao Jin said seriously. "Now that he’s actively adding you, what does that mean?"
Ji Su thought for a moment: "Maybe it’s because he wants me to repay him for saving me earlier?"
Qiao Jin was puzzled: "How would you repay him?"
Ji Su sighed lightly: "Honestly, I’m not sure either."
"Sounds like Gu Zhao really is that kind of person," Qiao Jin stroked his chin. "Not only does he hold grudges, but he also expects repayment for favors."
"That’s not necessarily a bad thing," Ji Su smiled slightly. "Sometimes, I actually envy his personality."
Not having to cater to anyone’s whims, not having to deliberately please anyone and clear-cut in his dealings. It was free and unrestrained.
Though, people like that must also feel lonely deep down. Otherwise, why would he resonate with the same piece of music as me…
"Don’t, don’t, absolutely don’t!" Qiao Jin vigorously rubbed his arms. "Just the thought of you turning into a deadpan face like Gu Zhao gives me goosebumps!"
Ji Su laughed: "I was just saying."
Qiao Jin put his hands down and said seriously: "Suau, I have to remind you—Gu Zhao’s grudge is against 'you'!"
Ji Su’s smile faded: "I know…"
Then Qiao Jin switched back to his playful tone: "So, you’d better keep yourself well-hidden!"
Ji Su walked over to the table to sit down, and opened his WeChat.
Looking at the familiar avatar and nickname on the WeChat interface, his emotions were indescribably complex.
Meng Meng had blocked G, but Gu Zhao had added back his main account. Perhaps this was some kind of sign from the universe, giving him a chance to make amends.
With this in mind, Ji Su took the initiative to send a greeting sticker as an icebreaker.
Gu Zhao: [?]
Ji Su: "..."
Well, that question mark was very Gu Zhao.
Ji Su: [Are you getting ready to sleep?]
Gu Zhao: [Yeah.]
Ji Su stared at the cold, detached words in the chat box and felt that this conversation was going nowhere.
Thinking back now, he had to admire his own persistence when he was pretending to be Meng Meng by sending messages for so long despite Gu Zhao's initial lack of response.
Though, in the end, it was a photo of his legs that finally caught the other's attention.
Ji Su: [Alright, rest early~]
After sending the message, Ji Su realized he had unconsciously adopted Meng Meng's typing habit of adding a tilde at the end of sentences.
He immediately recalled the message and retyped it.
Ji Su: [Alright, good night.]
Gu Zhao: [What did you recall?]
Ji Su: [Nothing, just a typo...]
This time, the other side fell silent.
Ji Su waited for a few minutes, but when no reply came, he put down his phone and went to take a shower.
After all, he wasn’t the pretty, skirt-wearing Meng Meng, so it was normal for Gu Zhao not to respond enthusiastically.
..........
On the third day of the holiday, it unfortunately started to rain.
However, the resort had plenty of indoor activities, and the group still had a great time.
In the evening, after dinner at the hotel, they stumbled upon a billiards room.
"Let’s go and play pool!" He Yiming, eager to show off his skills in a sport he was good at, couldn’t wait to get started.
Wang Mingzhe raised an eyebrow: "What, want to have a match?"
He Yiming scoffed: "You?"
"What, looking down on a cripple?" Wang Mingzhe retorted, "Want to bet I can KO you with just one leg?"
Qiao Jin expertly added fuel to the fire: "Sorry to break it to you, but pool is played with hands, not feet."
"Fine, just wait and see!" Wang Mingzhe declared boldly, "He Yiming, if I don’t make you cry today, I’ll change my surname!"
The group bantered as they entered the billiards room, with Ji Su following behind.
Perhaps because of the rain, the billiards room was quite crowded.
He Yiming picked an empty table and started setting up the balls.
Ji Su leaned against the empty table and quietly observed the match.
He Yiming’s pool skills were indeed decent—he pocketed two solid balls right off the break. But Wang Mingzhe wasn’t bluffing either; the two were evenly matched.
In the end, He Yiming narrowly won by sinking the black eight-ball.
Wang Mingzhe clung to a pillar while wailing: "I’m not convinced! I didn’t play my best just now. Let’s go again!"
"Even if we play again, you’ll still lose," He Yiming said as he walked over to Ji Su with a smile, "So, how was my pool game?"
"Your skills are great, and Wang Mingzhe isn’t bad either," Ji Su diplomatically praised and add, "That match was really intense."
"I’m glad to have your approval," He Yiming said then handed him a cue, "Want to give it a try?"
Ji Su was slightly taken aback but politely declined: "I’m not very good at pool."
"That’s okay, I can teach you," He Yiming offered enthusiastically, "It’s pretty simple."
"Wait, did I hear that right?" Qiao Jin, at another table, looked up, "He Yiming, did you just say you’re going to teach Ji Su how to play pool?"
He Yiming was confused: "Yeah, what’s the problem?"
"Hahaha!" Qiao Jin laughed exaggeratedly, "You’re going to teach Ji Su pool? Don’t get yourself humiliated!"
He Yiming finally caught on and asked awkwardly, "Ji Su, are you really good at pool?"
"Just okay," Ji Su smiled, "Don’t listen to Qiao Jin; he tends to exaggerate."
Qiao Jin, enjoying the drama, chimed in: "Whether I’m exaggerating or not, you’ll find out if you try."
"Alright, Ji Su," He Yiming’s competitive spirit was ignited, "Let’s have a friendly match."
At this point, Ji Su couldn’t refuse and took the cue before standing at the pool table.
Gu Zhao, who had been looking down at his phone, finally lifted his gaze then his eyes landed precisely on Ji Su.
He Yiming set up the balls again and said politely, "Ji Su, you break."
Ji Su applied chalk to the cue tip and replied, "You go first."
"Alright," He Yiming didn’t hesitate and made a clean break.
Wang Mingzhe, now fully revived, shouted, "Ji Su, can you avenge me this round?"
Ji Su lifted his eyelids with a faint smile on his face: "I’ll do my best."
As if to echo his words, He Yiming missed his next shot: "Ji Su, your turn."
"Okay," Ji Su responded before setting up his cue and leaning down.
His pool stance was textbook-perfect: chest close to the cue, forearm vertical, left leg slightly bent and right leg straight that made his legs appear long and well-proportioned. His body’s angles were as precise as a ruler.
The leaning posture tightened his black suit pants, and from Gu Zhao’s angle, his waist and hip curves were strikingly perfect, as if he had stepped out of a manga.
Someone nearby exclaimed, "That stance—is he a pro?"
With a crisp "crack," the cue struck, and the white ball hit the edge of the table.
"Ah…" The onlookers couldn’t help but express disappointment, thinking they had misjudged.
But in the next moment, after a few rebounds, the white ball cleanly pocketed a solid ball.
"Holy crap! Nice shot!" Wang Mingzhe clapped loudly, "Ji Su, I knew I could count on you! Keep it up!"
Ji Su smiled slightly and leaned down again.
For the rest of the game, He Yiming could only stand by while being dumbfounded as Ji Su methodically cleared the table.
When Ji Su straightened up, he realized a crowd had gathered around and erupting into enthusiastic applause and whistles that lasted for a while.
Qiao Jin while watching from a distance, gloated: "He Yiming, now you know I wasn’t exaggerating, right?"
"Wow! Amazing!" Wang Mingzhe, because of being excited, threw away his crutch and tried to hug Ji Su but a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of his collar to stop him.
Gu Zhao said coldly, "Do you not want your leg anymore?"
"Bro, I was just too excited!" Wang Mingzhe gave up on the hug and shouted instead, "Ji Su! From today on, you’re my one and only idol!"
Ji Su smiled faintly: "Thank you."
But he didn’t forget He Yiming, walking over and saying softly, "Good game."
He had considered intentionally making a mistake, but the thought of Gu Zhao watching him from behind made him abandon the idea and focus on playing his best.
Showing his true skill was a form of respect for his opponent.
He Yiming was genuinely embarrassed and flustered: "I’m sorry… I was overestimating myself earlier and thought that I could teach you how to play pool."
"No, you meant well," Ji Su said gently, "Actually, it was just a small mistake on your part. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the chance to clear the table."
He Yiming felt a mix of emotions—disappointment but mostly gratitude: "I know you’re just trying to comfort me, Ji Su. You’re really kind."
Before Ji Su could respond, a cold voice came from behind: "I’m heading back."
"What? Already?" Wang Mingzhe, clearly not done playing, protested, "Bro, you haven’t even played a round yet!"
Gu Zhao looked at him: "You want to play against me?"
"No, no…" Wang Mingzhe quickly waved his hands in refusal, "Zhou Yang, let’s head back!"
Zhou Yang, on the other side, had to put down his cue and pull Qiao Jin along: "Let’s go. Let’s head back to the villa and keep playing!"
.........
Back at the villa, He Yiming couldn’t stop talking about Ji Su’s stunning performance at the pool table and then asked, "When did you start playing pool?"
"I learned in middle school," Ji Su recalled, "There was a neighbor who was a professional snooker player, and I got the chance to learn from him."
He only answered half the truth.
His real introduction to snooker came from his mother, an internationally renowned snooker player. He probably inherited some of her talent.
"I see," He Yiming rubbed his nose then self-deprecatingly saying, "No wonder I lost so badly. But losing to you isn’t a shame, haha!"
"He Yiming! Ji Su!" Wang Mingzhe called out loudly, "Come play cards!"
Ji Su walked over: "I really don’t know how to play cards."
"I can vouch for that," Qiao Jin backed him up, "In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him play cards."
"Alright, then Ji Su can just watch," Zhou Yang said as he shuffled the cards skillfully, "Anyone else not playing?"
Gu Zhao spoke up: "I’m not playing either."
"What?" Zhou Yang sounded surprised, "Bro, you’re so good at cards. Why not?"
Gu Zhao sat down on the sofa: "I can’t be bothered watching you amateurs bicker."
Ji Su: "..."
Was it okay to say that out loud?
"Ah, whatever," Wang Mingzhe quickly signaled Zhou Yang, "It’s fine if Bro doesn’t play. Saves you from losing your pants."
Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow: "Are you betting clothes?"
"Huh?" Qiao Jin looked puzzled, "You’re not planning to play that game where you lose a piece of clothing for every hand, are you?"
He Yiming protested: "No way! It’s summer—we don’t have many clothes to take off!"
"Relax, I was just joking," Wang Mingzhe grinned mischievously, "Otherwise, if the cops show up and think we’re having some wild party, we’d have a hard time explaining!"
Qiao Jin: "Ugh, you’re so gross!"
The four of them started playing "炸金花" (a poker game), while Ji Su and Gu Zhao sat at opposite ends of the sofa while each are engrossed in their phones.
Ji Su actually wanted to go upstairs, but after thinking it over last night, he realized there was no reason for Gu Zhao to connect him with Meng Meng. So, acting unnatural would only raise suspicions.
So he had to stay calm, at least until he got used to being in the same space as Gu Zhao.
After a while, Qiao Jin threw down his cards: "What a lousy hand! I’m done!"
"Don’t give up, Qiao Jin," Zhou Yang comforted him, "It’s all about luck. Your luck will come."
Qiao Jin, cheered up by this, stood up and asked, "What do you guys want to drink? I’ll grab something from the fridge."
Wang Mingzhe: "Coke."
He Yiming: "Coke kills sperm."
Wang Mingzhe: "Water, then. So annoying!"
Zhou Yang chimed in: "I’ll have water too, thanks."
"Got it," Qiao Jin made an OK gesture and headed to the fridge.
He came back with three bottles of water in one hand and a Coke in the other before boasting, "I’m drinking Coke—I’m not afraid of killing sperm!"
Ji Su glanced up at him and shook his head with a smile.
Qiao Jin, while sipping his Coke, walked back toward the card table and passed in front of Gu Zhao.
Gu Zhao, still looking down at his phone, suddenly stuck out a foot.
"Pfft—" Qiao Jin spat out his Coke and his body lurching forward uncontrollably due to the momentum.
Ji Su, who was sitting on the sofa, was startled and instinctively stood up to catch him.
As expected, a large bottle of cola spilled all over himself.
"Damn it!" Qiao Jin steadied himself and quickly apologized, "Sorry, Suau, I didn't mean to!"
Ji Su looked down at his cola-soaked clothes: "It's okay, I'll just wipe it off."
"Just now—" Qiao Jin turned back in confusion to glance at the floor several times, "Is the floor in this villa uneven? How did I just trip for no reason?"
Gu Zhao had already retracted his foot while playing with his phone with an expressionless face, as if nothing had happened, and he didn't care about what had occurred.
"I'm really fine." Ji Su bent down to pull a few tissues from the coffee table to absorb the cola from his clothes, "Go play."
"Alright, I'm off then." Qiao Jin took the remaining water and returned to the card table.
Ji Su wiped with the napkins for a while, only to find that the cola had already seeped into the fabric of his clothes.
"Um... I'll go upstairs to deal with this." He explained to Gu Zhao, "The cola won't come off, so I need to take it off and wash it."
Gu Zhao didn't even look up: "Hmm."
Ji Su walked around the sofa and quickly went upstairs.
Back in his room, he unbuttoned his shirt and took off his equally soaked pants before stuffing them both into the washing machine.
Because he was wearing thin clothes in summer, his skin was inevitably stained with cola. It was sticky and uncomfortable, so he simply went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Halfway through, he remembered that it had rained all day today and only stopping in the evening, so the clothes he had hung on the balcony last night were definitely still wet.
Ji Su began to regret not listening to Qiao Jin's advice to bring more changes of clothes before leaving.
But since it had come to this, he could only pull out a bathrobe from the bathroom cabinet and put it on.
Ji Su secretly decided that he would not step out of his room again tonight.
Just as he thought this, he heard a knock at the door as he stepped out of the bathroom.
Ji Su walked towards the door: "Who is it?"
"It's me." Gu Zhao's deep voice came from outside the door.
Ji Su paused before tightening the belt of his bathrobe, and asked cautiously, "What's the matter?"
Gu Zhao: "Open the door first."
Ji Su looked down at the bathrobe he was wearing and decisively refused, "Sorry, I'm not really in a position to do that right now."
Gu Zhao stood outside the door and was just a door away from him, Ji Su held his breath and was afraid that the other wouldn't leave.
Fortunately, Gu Zhao wasn't the type to be persistent, and after standing there for a few seconds, he left without a word.
Ji Su breathed a sigh of relief then turned back to the bathroom to took out the washed clothes from the washing machine, and prepared to hang them on the balcony.
He opened the balcony door then turned on the light, took down the hangers, and hung up the shirt and trousers.
After hanging them, he turned around and unexpectedly met a pair of pitch-black eyes.
Ji Su's heart skipped a beat, and his body froze in place.
Gu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly with his gaze falling on his face.
Because he was just out of the shower, Ji Su's hair was still wet with water droplets dripping from the ends and soaking his picturesque eyebrows that made his lips red and his teeth white even more pronounced.
He was wearing a loose white bathrobe with the collar loosely revealing a large area of snow-white skin and the straight, sunken collarbone while the belt was tied tightly, cinching a waist that seemed too slender to hold.
Gu Zhao's gaze fell downward and stopped.
The bathrobe wasn't long enough, so it revealed a section of beautiful calf, slender and straight, as white as jade, connected to a pale, thin ankle, as if it could be easily held and played with in one hand.
Ji Su came back to his senses and realized that the other was looking at his legs and instinctively wrapped the bathrobe tighter before he took a step back.
Gu Zhao took a long stride with his deep eyes moving towards him.
Ji Su's scalp tingled and his voice slightly altered: "Gu Zhao, what....what do you want?"
Gu Zhao didn't say a word while step by step approaching him.
Ji Su's heart was about to jump out of his throat, and he could only continue to step back.
In his high tension, he accidentally stepped on something that caused his body to instantly lose balance and fall backward.
In a flash, a hot, large hand firmly grasped his waist to pull him back steadily.
"What are you hiding from?" The low, cold voice drilled into his ears, and Ji Su's ears softened as a tingling electric current quickly running down his spine.
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