Online Dating Fiasco with the Campus Heartthrob (DATING)
Ji Su's entire body was rigid and motionless as he allowed the scorching figure to hold him.
Although Gu Zhao was sick, judging from his earlier actions, he could still easily overpower him.
Gu Zhao buried his face in the fragrant softness of Ji Su's shoulder and neck, with his tall nose bridge pressing against the snow-white neck and his hot breath brushing against the delicate skin, his breathing deep and heavy.
After a while, Ji Su couldn't help but turn his face away. "Let me get you a glass of water, okay?"
Gu Zhao's nose bridge rubbed against the side of his neck as he replied in a hoarse voice, "Water won't solve my problem."
"What... what should we do..." Ji Su's cheeks were burning as if they were on fire, and he hastily suggested, "Why don't you go take another shower?"
"Hehe..." Gu Zhao chuckled deeply in his ear, "Do you want to make me burn even more?"
Ji Su denied it, "No, that's not what I meant..."
Gu Zhao stopped laughing and loosened his grip slightly.
Ji Su immediately broke free from his embrace with his movements so frantic that he nearly fell off the bed.
"Be careful," Gu Zhao stretched out his arm and tried to pull Ji Su back.
Ji Su steadied himself as his gaze inadvertently drifted downward.
A thin blanket was draped over Gu Zhao's waist. Whether it was the thinness of the blanket or the exceptional "hardware" it accentuated a rather exaggerated curve...
Ji Su snapped out of his daze and bolted for the door: "I'll get you some water."
Gu Zhao lay on the bed while watching him flee. He takes a deep breath and inhales the lingering scent in the air.
Ji Su ran all the way to the living room before stopping at the dining table to calm his racing heart.
After a while, he composed himself and poured a glass of warm water.
When he returned to the bedroom, Ji Su instinctively softened his footsteps.
He gently pushed the door open and approached the bed, finding the man with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Ji Su didn’t wake him and just carefully placed the water glass on the bedside table before his gaze lingering on that handsome, chiseled face.
With his dark eyes closed, the usual intensity and aggression in his features were greatly diminished that revealed a rare, harmless side.
Why would someone like Gu Zhao, a man of such extraordinary talent, fall for him?
What about him could possibly be worthy of Gu Zhao's affection?
Ji Su sighed silently, turned, and left the bedroom before quietly closing the door behind him.
He lay down on the living room sofa while hugging a pillow and tried to fall asleep.
……..
The next morning, when Ji Su woke up, he found himself back in the bedroom's large bed.
He sat up and only then did he realize that it wasn’t him sleepwalking into the bed in the middle of the night—it was Gu Zhao who had carried him there.
Ji Su got up, washed up in the bathroom, and stepped out of the bedroom.
Gu Zhao was pouring milk and looked up at the sound of footsteps: "You're awake?"
Ji Su asked with concern, "Has your fever gone down?"
Gu Zhao replied, "Come feel it."
Ji Su instinctively reached out but paused mid-air, and then lowered his hand: "Do you have a thermometer at home? That would be more accurate."
Gu Zhao didn’t respond, instead, he grabbed his wrist to press it against his own forehead.
Ji Su’s fingers twitched, but he didn’t manage to pull away.
"How is it?" Gu Zhao asked. "Still feverish?"
Ji Su focused for a moment: "It seems like it’s gone."
Gu Zhao released his hand: "Thanks to your excellent care."
"I didn’t do much." Ji Su felt a bit embarrassed at the praise. "I just bought you some fever medicine."
"It’s more than just the medicine," Gu Zhao stared at him and his tone calm yet earnest. "Having you here is more effective than any medicine for me."
Ji Su’s ears turned red and his eyes kept darting around awkwardly as he changed the subject: "You’re the one who’s sick. Why are you up early making breakfast?"
Gu Zhao replied, "I wanted to let you sleep a bit longer."
Ji Su’s brow furrowed slightly but unsure on how to respond.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t moved.
Because since he could remember, no one had ever considered his needs so thoroughly.
But was this kindness truly meant for him?
After breakfast, Ji Su insisted on cleaning up by placing the dishes in the dishwasher and washing them.
Gu Zhao leaned against the table and watched him work: "Do you have other plans today?"
"Yes," Ji Su dried his hands. "I’ll be heading back to school soon. Will you be okay resting at home by yourself?"
Gu Zhao smiled faintly and said, "What if I say no?"
Ji Su: "..."
He tried to negotiate with Gu Zhao, "You should rest first. If you get a fever again, call me, and I'll take you to the hospital, okay?"
Gu Zhao didn't press him further, "Let's go. I'll head back to school too."
The two took a taxi back to campus.
Ji Su spoke up first, "Let me walk you back to your dorm."
Gu Zhao asked, "What are you going to be busy with?"
"The campus Culture Festival is coming up. I’m representing the Music Club and Dance Club in a joint performance." Ji Su explained succinctly. "So I’ll be practicing a piano piece these next few days."
"Dance Club?" Gu Zhao immediately caught the key point. "Is your partner male or female?"
Ji Su answered honestly, "It’s a girl."
Gu Zhao frowned, "I’ll come with you."
"No need." Ji Su refused. "You’re sick. So, you should rest more."
Gu Zhao’s expression darkened, but he didn’t say much. "Let’s go."
In the afternoon, Ji Su arrived at the Music Club at the agreed time.
This time, Han Meng was there earlier. As soon as he entered, she greeted him with a smile, "Senior, I’m a bit earlier than you today!"
Ji Su glanced at the time on his phone, "I’m not late, am I?"
"Not at all!" Han Meng shook her head with her ponytail swaying along. "I just got here a bit early because I didn’t want to keep you waiting."
Ji Su: "That’s good."
"Senior, I tweaked two moves last night." Han Meng began warming up. "Can you take a look and see if I did it right?"
"Sure." Ji Su replied before sitting down at the piano.
After practicing a few times, Ji Su stopped to let the girl take a break.
Sitting on the chair and playing the piano didn’t take much effort, but dancing was physically draining.
Han Meng sat cross-legged in front of him while sipping water and chatting casually, "Senior, how long have you been playing the piano?"
"For many years." Ji Su’s fingers lightly brushed the black and white keys. "I’ve been playing this piece since I was a child."
Han Meng asked curiously, "Then why didn’t you study art? Instead, you chose architecture?"
Ji Su lowered his eyelashes as he half-jokingly said, "Probably because I realized I don’t have much talent for art."
"How could that be?" Han Meng stood up and walked over to him. "Your piano playing moved me instantly. How could you not have artistic talent?"
Ji Su lifted his eyelashes and smiled, "Thank you."
One sitting and one standing—from certain angles, it almost looked like they were gazing at each other deeply.
Gu Zhao stood at the door with his eyes cold and gloomy before knocking heavily on the door with his knuckles.
"Knock, knock."
Ji Su turned around, "Gu Zhao? Why are you here?"
"What?" Gu Zhao’s tone was icy, as if laced with frost. "Am I interrupting something?"
Before Ji Su could respond, Han Meng spoke up first, "Are you Senior Gu Zhao?"
Gu Zhao didn’t even glance at her as his gaze fixed on Ji Su’s face, "Are you done practicing?"
"Almost." Ji Su stood up while feeling inexplicably guilty. "Why aren’t you resting in your dorm?"
Gu Zhao didn’t answer and just stood there with one hand in his pocket, clearly waiting for him to finish.
Han Meng thought that Ji Su had other matters to attend to, so she offered, "Senior, maybe we can call it a day here."
"Alright." Ji Su nodded as his gaze landed on her face, then suddenly paused.
A beautiful girl with fair skin, the ideal body proportions of a dance student, a lovely personality, and a sweet smile.
Standing before him was Han Meng, who seemed to be...
Gu Zhao's ideal type, wasn't she?
Han Meng said considerately, "Senior, if you have something to do, you can leave first."
"Wait..." Ji Su pursed his lips and made a bold decision, "Are you going to the cafeteria for dinner?"
Han Meng replied, "Yes, I was planning to."
Ji Su invited, "Then let's go together."
As soon as he finished speaking, he instantly felt the gaze on the back of his head grow even colder by eight degrees.
Ji Su turned his face back and bravely asked, "Gu Zhao, are you coming too?"
Gu Zhao looked at him for a few seconds, then laughed, "Yes, of course."
Ji Su felt even more uneasy at his laughter but couldn't go back on his word, "Then let's go."
On the way to the cafeteria, the low pressure emanating from Gu Zhao could be felt by passersby even three meters away.
Finally arriving at the cafeteria, Ji Su quickened his pace, "You guys sit down first, I'll go see what's good to eat."
Gu Zhao took a seat with his long legs awkwardly stretched out into the aisle.
Han Meng sat across from him while still wearing a sweet smile, "Senior Gu Zhao, why do you seem so hostile towards me?"
Gu Zhao finally looked directly at her with his icy gaze as if he were looking at something lifeless.
Han Meng asked softly, "You like Senior Ji Su, don't you?"
Gu Zhao slightly narrowed his dark eyes, "What are you trying to say?"
"From what I know, Senior Ji Su is straight, and all the guys who pursued him were rejected." Han Meng glanced at the figure standing in front of the window, "So, my chances should be a bit better than yours, right?"
Gu Zhao said coldly, "Is that so?"
Han Meng blinked her big eyes, "Anyway, after these two days of interaction, I feel that Senior Ji Su has quite a good impression of me."
Gu Zhao pressed one hand on the table, like a wolf king whose territory had been invaded, and with his eyes suppressing rage, "Then give it a try."
At that moment, Ji Su returned, "Have you decided what to eat?"
"No need, Senior." Han Meng stood up, "Senior Gu Zhao seems unwell, you should take him back to rest early."
Ji Su's heart tightened, and he reached out to touch Gu Zhao's forehead, "Are you running a fever again?"
Gu Zhao raised his hand to take Ji Su's fingers down, "Let's go."
Before Ji Su could feel the temperature on the forehead, he was pulled away from the cafeteria in confusion.
The wind outside blew over, and Ji Su's mind cleared a bit before he tried to pull his hand back, "Um..."
Gu Zhao suddenly tightened his grip, then quickly loosened it.
Ji Su, still worried about his illness, said, "We should still go to the hospital, a cold won't get better that quickly."
Gu Zhao remained silent but walked straight to the school gate. He then stuffed Ji Su into a taxi before getting in himself.
Ji Su thought he had agreed to go to the hospital, "Driver, please take us to the nearest hospital."
"Not the hospital," Gu Zhao said, "Jade Water Bay."
The driver was confused, "Where to?"
Gu Zhao looked into the rearview mirror, "Jade Water Bay."
The driver shivered, "Alright, we're off!"
……..
Gu Zhao didn't say a word until they entered the neighborhood.
Ji Su went from worried to anxious while secretly wondering if he was angry.
With a soft "beep," Gu Zhao pushed open the door to his home and said, "Go in."
Ji Su stepped inside and was about to bend down to change his shoes when, in the next second, a large hand gripped his waist and lifted him onto the cabinet in the entryway.
He couldn't help but let out a low gasp. "Gu Zhao, what are you—"
His words were abruptly cut off.
Gu Zhao parted his legs to position himself between them, and asked coldly, "Ji Su, what are you doing?"
Ji Su grew flustered and his gaze kept darting away. "I... I wasn't doing anything."
Gu Zhao freed one hand to grip Ji Su's chin and forced it upward. "Look at me."
Ji Su had no choice but to meet those deep, unfathomable eyes. Instinctively, he apologized, "I'm sorry, I—"
Gu Zhao interrupted him. "I told you, don't apologize."
Ji Su bit his lower lip. "I thought... I thought you'd like someone like Han Meng."
Gu Zhao let out a bitter laugh. "Ji Su, have you been treating everything I've said as empty words?"
Ji Su denied it. "I haven't."
"I said I like you. I like you, Ji Su." Gu Zhao said with his gaze locked on Ji Su's eyes, and with each word deliberate and clear, he said, "Not Han Meng, not Zhang Meng, not Wang Meng, and not even Meng Meng."
Ji Su shook his head. "This isn't right..."
Gu Zhao clearly liked Meng Meng.
Everything started when Meng Meng added the wrong WeChat account. How could it suddenly be overturned?
"You thought you were pretending to be Meng Meng well, didn't you?" Gu Zhao's eyes darkened. "Sending the wrong photo—such a clumsy excuse. Did you really think I'd believe it?"
Ji Su's eyes widened slightly. "Huh?"
"Did you see through me from that moment on?"
Gu Zhao spoke unhurriedly, "I knew from the start that you came with some purpose, but you were the most persistent among all the people I've added."
Even when he received no response, the other person had persistently sent him messages for two whole days.
The reason he didn't delete them was rather mundane—he simply wanted to see how long the other person would keep sending messages on their own.
"I admit, when I saw that photo of your legs, I was a bit swayed by your looks," Gu Zhao lowered his gaze. "You have a pair of legs that perfectly match my aesthetic, including that red mole on the side."
Ji Su's cheeks flushed, and he unconsciously moved his legs that it brushed against Gu Zhao's lean and muscular waist, then quickly pulled back as if shocked.
"I wanted to know what you were really up to, so I kept talking to you until—" Gu Zhao raised his eyes, "until that night when you played that piano piece for me."
Ji Su was slightly taken aback, "That day..."
"You didn't know what that day meant, nor did you know what that piano piece signified to me," Gu Zhao smiled slowly, "but you played it for me anyway."
This was the first time Ji Su had seen him smile like this—not a cold smile, nor a mocking one, but a smile tinged with an indescribable sadness.
Ji Su's fingers twitched, and he struggled to suppress the urge to smooth out the furrow between Gu Zhao's brows.
"At the resort, I knew you were Meng Meng." Gu Zhao continued after a moment. "You share similarities with the Meng Meng online, but also many differences. Yet, standing before me in the flesh, you were even more endearing than I imagined."
Ji Su suddenly felt wronged, "Then why did you treat me like that later, even forcing me so harshly to wear a skirt?"
"What angered me wasn't that you pretended to be a girl to deceive me into an online romance," Gu Zhao tightened his grip. "What angered me was that you blocked me and ran away, not even giving me a chance to find you. Do you understand?"
Ji Su's eyelashes fluttered, "I didn't mean to..."
"Ji Su, I can tell who I truly like," Gu Zhao's throat moved. "When will you face your own heart?"
Ji Su's mind was in turmoil as he instinctively avoided his gaze, "Let me go first."
"I said you could reject me, but you can't push me toward someone else." Gu Zhao didn't let go, but his voice became very low, "I'm human too, and I can get hurt."
Ji Su's heart suddenly ached, and he bit his lower lip hard, feeling as if he couldn't breathe.
Had his actions really hurt Gu Zhao?
Gu Zhao's eyes darkened, and he used his thumb to gently rub Ji Su's lower lip, "Don't bite."
Ji Su obediently released his teeth, leaving a faint tooth mark on his moist, red lips, which only made one want to ravage them even more.
Gu Zhao stared at his lips, "Did you do something wrong tonight?"
Ji Su nodded in admission, "Yes, I did something wrong."
Gu Zhao smiled again, "Since you did something wrong, you need to accept punishment."
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