Online Dating Fiasco with the Campus Heartthrob (DATING)
The rustling sound of rain outside the window isolated all the noise from the outside world.
Ji Su gazed into those deep, pitch-black eyes, which seemed to hide turbulent waves, powerful enough to drown him.
"Buzz buzz," the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
Ji Su snapped back to reality and tried to take the opportunity to withdraw his hand: "I... I need to take this call."
Gu Zhao gave his fingers a light but firm squeeze before releasing his grip.
"Thank you..." Ji Su was already unsure of what he was saying as he attempted to pull the phone from his pocket, but his hand refused to obey.
Gu Zhao lowered his gaze and extended a hand.
His large hand slipped into the pocket of his casual pants.
The thin layer of fabric was almost negligible, and the warmth of his palm pressed against Ji Su's thigh that made him tremble again.
"Tsk…" Gu Zhao let out an ambiguous sound as his long, strong fingers retrieved the phone from his pocket. He pressed the answer button and placed it in Ji Su's hand.
Ji Su raised the phone to his ear: "Hello?"
"Su Su, it's me!" Qiao Jin's voice came through the other end. "Are you done with the music club stuff?"
Ji Su replied, "Yes, it's finished."
"Then why aren't you back yet?" Qiao Jin paused, then suddenly raised his voice. "You didn't go to Gu Zhao's place again, did you?"
Ji Su: "..."
The distance between him and Gu Zhao was close, and the loud voice from the phone's speaker would clearly reach the other's ears.
Ji Su moved the phone a bit further away: "No, Xiao Qiao, I'm about to head back to the dorm."
"That's good." Qiao Jin's voice relaxed, but he couldn't help but ramble on. "Anyway, Senior Gu definitely has ulterior motives toward you. You better remember—"
Ji Su's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly interrupted, "Xiao Qiao, I'll hang up now. We'll talk when I get back to the dorm."
With that, he decisively ended the call while ignoring Qiao Jin's protests on the other end.
The music room fell silent again, and Ji Su's heart began to race.
"Ulterior motives?" Gu Zhao placed his hands on either side of Ji Su's body. "Tell me, what ulterior motives do I have?"
Ji Su turned his face away and muttered a defense, "No… you misheard."
"But he's right. I do have ulterior motives toward you." Gu Zhao chuckled. "Even outsiders can see it. Why can't you understand?"
"I…" Ji Su didn't know how to respond and awkwardly changed the subject. "I'm hungry."
Gu Zhao stared at him for a few more seconds before straightening up and letting him off the hook. "Let's go get dinner."
Ji Su hopped off the piano and turned back to check if it was safe.
"Don't worry, your weight alone won't break the piano," Gu Zhao said calmly. "If it does break, I'll pay for it."
Ji Su glared at him. "Why would you want to break a perfectly good piano?"
Gu Zhao laughed again. "You never know."
Seeing that the piano was unharmed, Ji Su didn't dwell on the matter and walked toward the door.
After turning off the lights and locking the music room, the two left the club building.
Ji Su stood in the corridor before reaching out to catch the rain under the eaves.
Gu Zhao stood beside him and opened a black umbrella. "Let's go."
The two stepped into the rain to head toward the cafeteria.
The rain grew heavier and patterned loudly against the umbrella, but the large hand holding the black umbrella kept Ji Su firmly sheltered beneath it.
After walking for a while, Ji Su noticed that the umbrella was tilted toward him, leaving half of Gu Zhao's shoulder soaked by the rain.
He quietly reached up and pushed the umbrella toward the other side.
Gu Zhao glanced at him. "What's wrong?"
Ji Su replied softly, "You're getting wet."
"It's fine," Gu Zhao said indifferently. "I'll take a shower when I get back anyway."
Ji Su kindly reminded him, "You might catch a cold."
Gu Zhao paused. "Are you worried about me?"
"Yes," Ji Su blurted out but then he met the other's gaze, so he added, "As friends, it's only natural to care about each other."
"Oh," Gu Zhao averted his eyes, "Then keep caring."
Ji Su: "..."
Why is he like this?
After dinner at the cafeteria, Gu Zhao, as usual, walked Ji Su back to the dormitory.
"I'm heading back." Ji Su stopped in his tracks, "When you get back to your dorm, remember to take a shower quickly."
Gu Zhao nodded, "Alright."
Ji Su looked at that handsome, profound face and wanted to say something but unsure where to start. In the end, he just waved at him, "Be careful on your way back."
Gu Zhao stood under the streetlamp and watched the slim and upright figure disappear around the corner, then lowered his umbrella then folded it up.
…….
When Ji Su returned to the dorm, his roommates were all playing games.
After finishing a round, Qiao Jin leaned over and asked, "What happened earlier? I hadn't even finished speaking, and you hurriedly hung up the phone?"
Ji Su sighed helplessly, "Because the person you said was up to no good was right beside me."
"Holy crap!" Qiao Jin exclaimed, then lowered his voice to grumble, "Why is Senior Gu everywhere?"
Ji Su: "I want to know too..."
Qiao Jin pressed on, "What did he go to the music club for?"
Ji Su answered truthfully, "To bring me an umbrella."
"An umbrella?" Qiao Jin was astonished, "Is Gu Zhao that considerate?"
Ji Su didn't want to elaborate and quickly changed the subject, "Today, Senior asked me to represent the music club by playing the piano at the Culture Festival."
"Really?" Qiao Jin was immediately excited, "The Culture Festival! Su Su, you're amazing!"
Li You took off his headphones, "What Culture Festival?"
"Su Su is going to perform a piano piece at the Culture Festival!" Qiao Jin puffed out his chest and sounded as proud as if he weighed two hundred pounds.
Although not particularly interested in the Culture Festival, Zhao Ziyun still clapped, "Wow! That sounds so impressive!"
"Congratulations!" Li You chimed in, "Ji Su, we'll definitely be there to cheer you on!"
"Thank you." Ji Su expressed his gratitude, then picked up his phone from the table to message Gu Zhao.
Ji Su: [Back at the dorm?]
Gu Zhao: [Just got back.]
Ji Su: [Good.]
Ji Su: [Then go take a shower quickly and don't really catch a cold.]
Gu Zhao: [If I catch a cold, will you take care of me?]
Ji Su: [Of course.]
Ji Su: [But having a cold is really uncomfortable, so don't catch one.]
Gu Zhao: [Hmm.]
Ji Su: [Go take a shower.]
Just after sending this message, he received a WeChat friend request.
Ji Su looked carefully and clicked to accept.
July: [Hello senior, I'm a member of the dance club introduced by Senior Lin Yan, my name is Han Meng~]
July: [You can call me Meng Meng~]
Ji Su: "?"
Looking at the text in the chat box, he felt for the first time that the world was really too small.
So there really is a girl named Meng Meng at their school...
Ji Su: [Hello, I'm Ji Su.]
July: [Yes, I know!]
July: [I had the pleasure of hearing you play that piano piece before, and I fell in love with it instantly!]
Ji Su: [Thank you.]
July: [I've already choreographed the dance, can we rehearse together tomorrow?]
Ji Su: [Sure, I’m free after tomorrow afternoon.]
July: [Is 2 PM tomorrow afternoon okay?]
Ji Su: [Yes.]
July: [Great, then it’s a date with you, senior!]
After ending the chat, Ji Su hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t change the WeChat nickname to the person’s real name.
…….
The next day was Saturday.
After waking up in the morning, Ji Su spent some time drawing and then headed to the music club after lunch.
No one was in the music club.
He lifted the piano lid, and scenes from last night involuntarily resurfaced in his mind.
This music classroom and this piano, carried too many things they shouldn’t have…
“Senior!” A crisp female voice suddenly called out from behind while he was lost in thought.
Ji Su turned around: “Hello.”
A girl with a ponytail smiled brightly: “You’re so early, senior. Am I late?”
“No,” Ji Su replied with a slight smile. “I just got here not long ago.”
Han Meng put down her bag: “Then let’s get started, senior.”
Ji Su sat down at the piano: “Should I start playing directly?”
Han Meng did a few warm-up moves: “Senior, why don’t you watch the dance I’ve choreographed first?”
Ji Su asked: “Don’t you need me to accompany you?”
Han Meng looked surprised: “Senior, can you multitask?”
“I can do this piece,” Ji Su explained. “I’ve practiced it too many times, so I’m very familiar with it.”
Han Meng smiled sweetly: “That’s great.”
As the piano notes flowed, Han Meng began dancing to the rhythm.
The piano piece, Look Forward, was titled “Expectation” but it didn’t actually convey a strong sense of anticipation. The entire piece was calm and warm, like the gentle sunshine of spring that offered a sense of hope.
However, the person playing the piano infused it with a faint sense of loneliness.
And Han Meng’s choreography precisely captured that subtle emotion.
As the piece ended, the dance concluded smoothly as well.
Ji Su sincerely praised: “You danced very well.”
“Thank you, senior.” Han Meng wiped the sweat from her forehead. “But your piano playing was the source of my inspiration.”
Ji Su took a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her: “Here, wipe your sweat.”
Han Meng accepted the tissue: “Thank you, senior. You’re so thoughtful.”
Ji Su: “You’re welcome.”
“I just thought of some new moves, so I need to adjust the choreography a bit,” Han Meng looked at him. “Can you accompany me one more time, senior?”
Ji Su nodded: “No problem.”
By the time they finished rehearsing, it was already evening.
Han Meng invited: “Senior, do you want to go to the cafeteria for dinner together?”
Ji Su politely declined: “Sorry, I have something else to do later.”
“Alright,” Han Meng smiled at him. “Then let’s do it another time!”
On his way back to the dorm, Ji Su vaguely felt like something was missing today.
His phone vibrated in his hand, and he glanced at the screen before opening WeChat.
Gu Zhao: [Have you had dinner yet?]
Ji Su: [Not yet, I just finished practicing.]
Gu Zhao: [No matter how busy you are, remember to eat dinner.]
Ji Su furrowed his brows slightly and finally realized what was missing.
Gu Zhao hadn’t appeared in front of him all day.
Ji Su: [You too.]
Gu Zhao: [I can’t eat.]
Ji Su: [What’s wrong?]
Gu Zhao: [I think I have a fever.]
Ji Su’s heart tightened, and his fingers quickly typed.
Ji Su: [Have you gone to the hospital?]
Ji Su: [Did you catch a cold from getting caught in the rain last night?]
Gu Zhao: [Didn’t go to the hospital.]
Gu Zhao: [I’m fine.]
Ji Su: [Did you take any medicine then?]
Gu Zhao: [Don’t have any.]
Ji Su: [You can order medicine through a delivery service.]
Gu Zhao: [Too lazy to order.]
Ji Su was almost defeated by this person and he was so anxious that he nearly stomped his foot.
Ji Su: [Are you in the dorm?]
Gu Zhao: [No, I went home.]
Ji Su: [Alright, rest first.]
Ji Su turned around and headed straight for the school clinic.
After buying a large bag of medicine, he took a taxi to Gu Zhao’s house before stopping by the neighborhood to buy some hot porridge to bring along.
Familiar with the door code, Ji Su entered the house.
A light was on in the living room, and Gu Zhao was lying on the sofa.
His tall frame meant one of his long legs was still propped on the floor.
“Gu Zhao,” Ji Su called softly, “Are you okay?”
Gu Zhao removed the hand covering his face and looked at him: “Why are you here?”
His voice was hoarse as soon as he spoke.
“I bought you some medicine. You need to take it first.” Ji Su walked over and placed the medicine and porridge on the coffee table. “If the fever doesn’t break by tomorrow morning, you’ll have to go to the hospital.”
Gu Zhao’s eyes followed him but remained silent.
Ji Su stopped in front of the sofa and crouched down: “Did you not listen to me last night? Did you not take a shower right after getting back?”
Gu Zhao replied: “I did.”
“Then how did you get a fever?” Ji Su furrowed his brows and reached out to touch his forehead but his fingertips recoiled from the heat.
The next second, a scorching hand gripped his fingers.
“You’re worried about me?” Gu Zhao stared at him intently with his dark eyes brighter than usual, perhaps because of the fever, as if washed by water.
Ji Su’s heart began to race again, but he forced himself to stay calm: “You got sick because of me, of course I’m worried.”
If it weren’t for Gu Zhao bringing him an umbrella and tilting it toward him, he wouldn’t have gotten sick.
Gu Zhao continued to stare at him: “Is that all?”
“And…” Ji Su lowered his lashes, “You’re my friend. I’d naturally worry about you.”
“Do you do this for all your friends?” Gu Zhao rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb, “Buying medicine, delivering it personally, and taking care of them?”
“Yes…” Ji Su felt the skin on the back of his hand burning and tried to pull his hand back.
Gu Zhao let go and covered his face again: “It’s not the answer I wanted, but I’m glad you came.”
Ji Su pursed his lips: “I’ll get you a glass of water.”
He returned to the sofa with a glass of warm water and handed over a fever-reducing pill: “Take this first.”
Gu Zhao sat up halfway and took the pill from his hand.
His burning lips brushed against the soft palm, and his even hotter tongue licked wetly across it.
Ji Su jerked his hand back as if electrocuted and his ears turned red.
Gu Zhao took a sip of water and swallowed the pill.
“Have some porridge too.” Ji Su opened the insulated bag, “It’s still warm.”
“You haven’t eaten either, right?” Gu Zhao took the spoon, “Let’s eat together.”
The two shared the hot porridge, and after Ji Su tidied up the coffee table, he urged, “Go sleep in bed. Sleeping on the sofa will make you even colder.”
Gu Zhao stood up but his tall frame swayed slightly.
Ji Su instinctively reached out to steady him before slinging his arm over his shoulder: “I’ll help you in.”
From an angle he couldn't see, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Gu Zhao's lips.
Ji Su struggled to support the man as they entered the bedroom, then he laid him down on the bed and pulled up the thin blanket. "You should rest well. I'll head back to school now."
Gu Zhao reached out a hand to grasp Ji Su's wrist. "Can you stay tonight?"
Ji Su bit his lower lip. "I'll come see you again tomorrow."
"Alright." The strength in Gu Zhao's hand loosened before slowly sliding down. "Don't worry about me. You can go back."
Ji Su remained silent for a few seconds but ultimately unable to set his mind at ease. "You should sleep first. I'll take the couch tonight."
If he were to run a high fever in the middle of the night, it would be too dangerous without someone to look after him.
Ji Su walked into the bathroom to prepare to take a shower.
Holding the white shirt in his hand, his mind uncontrollably recalled the words Gu Zhao had said earlier, causing his ears to burn once more.
He wanted to throw the shirt away, but he didn't want to walk out naked either, so he could only console himself by thinking it was clean now.
After finishing his shower, Ji Su stepped out of the bathroom and headed straight for the couch.
"Come up and sleep here." Gu Zhao said as he turned onto his side. "The couch isn't comfortable."
"No need." Ji Su refused. "I find your couch quite comfortable."
"What?" Gu Zhao's voice was hoarse and carried a hint of self-mockery. "I'm already this sick. Are you still afraid I'll do something to you?"
Ji Su replied, "That's not what I meant..."
"Got it." Gu Zhao turned back over. "I won't force you."
It was still early, and Ji Su wasn't sleepy.
He sat on the couch and played with his phone for a while.
Around eleven o'clock, he got up from the couch and walked over to the bed before reaching out to touch Gu Zhao's forehead. It felt like his temperature had dropped a bit.
Gu Zhao's eyes were closed and perhaps because he was seeking some coolness, he unconsciously nuzzled his forehead against Ji Su's palm.
Ji Su's heart softened, and so did his gaze.
Someone who usually seemed indestructible as if they could always keep everything firmly under control, could also become so vulnerable when they fell ill.
"Cold..." Gu Zhao murmured softly.
"Are you cold?" Ji Su snapped out of his thoughts and pulled the blanket up, only to be suddenly embraced by him.
Even through the blanket, the warmth of the boy's body was clearly transmitted.
Ji Su could only carefully lie down on one side and let the other hold him.
But soon, he felt that Gu Zhao's body temperature seemed to be rising higher and higher, and becoming alarmingly hot.
"Gu Zhao..." Ji Su called out softly. "I think you should go to the hospital."
In the next moment, Gu Zhao opened his eyes as two flames burned in their depths.
Ji Su was startled and instinctively struggled.
"Don't move," Gu Zhao spoke in a low voice with his tone even hoarser than before.
Ji Su's body stiffened, and his face instantly turned crimson.
Wasn't he sick? How could someone who was sick still be so...
Full of energy?
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