Online Dating Fiasco with the Campus Heartthrob (DATING)
Gu Zhao felt the cheek pressed against his neck, warm, soft, and damp while gently nuzzling him like a kitten seeking affection.
Although there was no explicit answer of yes or no, he already knew the response.
With a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his lips, Gu Zhao continued walking forward.
There were still quite a few people on the beach.
Passersby, seeing a tall, drenched young man carrying another young man out of the sea, looked at them with curious eyes.
Ji Su, belatedly feeling embarrassed, whispered, "Put me down, I can walk on my own."
Gu Zhao confirmed, "Are you sure?"
Ji Su nodded, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, he realized his legs were a bit weak.
After the fright he had just experienced and the physical exertion in the sea, he hadn't fully recovered yet.
Gu Zhao picked him up again while saying softly, "If you're shy, just hide your face."
Ji Su's cheeks flushed but he obediently wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders before burying his face back into the crook of Gu Zhao's neck.
After all, they were surrounded by strangers here, and no one knew them.
Gu Zhao carried him all the way back to the hotel and straight into the bathroom: "Take a hot shower first and don't catch a cold."
After showering, Ji Su changed into clean clothes and walked out.
Gu Zhao had also taken a shower and was standing by the bar and warming some milk. Hearing the movement, he looked up: "Come here."
Ji Su walked over, took the milk, and drank it all in one go.
Gu Zhao asked, "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
"I'm fine with anything." Ji Su replied while putting down the milk glass. Then he thought of an important question, "By the way, when are we going back?"
Gu Zhao looked at him, "Tired of playing?"
"No." Ji Su shook his head, "I was just wondering if we could stay one more day tomorrow?"
"Of course." Gu Zhao reached out and pinched his cheek, "You can stay here as long as you want."
Ji Su laughed, "That won't do. We still have to go back to school."
Although he really liked everything here, people eventually have to return to real life.
"If you like it, we can buy a villa by the sea in the future." Gu Zhao said casually, as if discussing the weather, "We can come and stay here during our free time."
Ji Su: "..."
Buying a seaside villa, how does it sound like buying a toy model when it comes from this guy?
He didn't continue the topic and just said, "I'm hungry, let's go for dinner."
They had dinner at a nearby restaurant, and after eating, they took a walk along the beach.
The tide was rising, and Ji Su, still a bit traumatized from the afternoon incident, kept his distance from the water and didn't let Gu Zhao get too close either.
Halfway through the walk, Gu Zhao went aside to take a phone call.
Ji Su squatted down before digging in the sand, and unearthed a few colorful shells and small pearls. He washed them clean with water and carefully put them in his pocket.
After the walk, they returned to the hotel, and Ji Su turned on his phone.
The phone had been off since yesterday afternoon, and he only remembered to charge it this morning.
As soon as it turned on, messages flooded in.
Ji Su opened the chat with Qiao Jin and scrolled up to yesterday's date.
Qiao Jin: [Su Su, my darling! Happy birthday!]
Qiao Jin: [I've prepared your gift, when are you coming to get it?]
Since he hadn't replied, Qiao Jin had called him several times, but of course, none were answered.
Ji Su felt guilty and a bit nervous, so he walked to the balcony and called Qiao Jin.
As soon as the call connected, Qiao Jin's voice came through, "Su Su, why do you keep disappearing lately!"
"Sorry, Xiao Qiao, my phone died yesterday, and I forgot to turn it on." Ji Su apologized sincerely, "Thank you for the birthday wishes."
"Ah, it's okay, I just wanted to give you your birthday gift." Qiao Jin didn't blame him, "Where are you now?"
Ji Su replied honestly, "I'm at the seaside now."
"What? The seaside?" Qiao Jin was surprised, "You went to the seaside alone? Why didn't you ask me to come with you?"
"Xiao Qiao, I'm not alone," Ji Su's voice softened, "I came with Gu Zhao..."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then Qiao Jin exclaimed, "So the birthday surprise Gu Zhao planned for you was a seaside birthday!"
Ji Su was puzzled, "How did you know?"
"He asked me before how you usually celebrated your birthday," Qiao Jin explained briefly, "Well, he's thoughtful."
Ji Su glanced back at the person sitting on the sofa, and a sweet feeling bubbled up in his heart, as if he had eaten honey.
"It's not that I'm saying anything, Su Su, but you two even went on a trip together!" Qiao Jin posed a soul-searching question, "Isn't this state of yours really dating?"
Ji Su snapped back to reality and softly replied, "We haven't officially confirmed our relationship yet."
Qiao Jin keenly caught the key point: "Not yet?"
Ji Su pursed his lips: "I want to give him a formal confession ceremony."
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!" Qiao Jin instantly got excited on the other end of the phone, "Where are you? I'll fly over right now! I must witness this historic moment!"
Ji Su thought for a moment and tactfully declined, "Xiao Qiao, maybe it's better if I tell you after I get back."
Qiao Jin also realized: "I get it, you want to be alone with him, right?"
Ji Su softly hummed in agreement: "He prefers to be alone with me."
"Got it, got it, I was just saying it." Qiao Jin chattered on, "But I think you don't need to bother with any confession ceremony, as long as you nod, Senior Gu will pounce on you!"
Ji Su: "..."
After hanging up the phone, he returned to the bedroom and found Gu Zhao already lying in bed.
Ji Su silently walked to the sofa and sat down before he opened a search platform, and typed in a few words: "How to confess with a sense of ceremony?"
The search results were varied, including "candlelight dinner confession," "handwritten love letter confession," "gift confession," and "love song confession."
Ji Su's fingers paused, and suddenly he had an idea.
Although he couldn't sing love songs, but...
"Aren't you coming up to sleep?" Gu Zhao spoke up and interrupted his thoughts.
Ji Su leaned back on the sofa: "I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
Gu Zhao asked unhurriedly: "What, you don't dislike the sofa today?"
Ji Su's ears warmed, and he simply closed his eyes and lay back.
‘What's the big deal, it's just being on the sofa with Gu Zhao…’
The scenes from last night involuntarily surfaced in his mind again, so he turned to face the back of the sofa, but couldn't hide his reddened ears.
………
The next morning, Ji Su woke up in the big bed again.
Gu Zhao was not there, and he seized the opportunity to quickly run out of the hotel.
After arranging everything, Ji Su walked back towards the hotel, but just then he bumped into Gu Zhao.
Gu Zhao also saw him, walked over in a few strides, and asked with a frown: "Where did you go?"
Ji Su fudged: "Nowhere, just took a casual stroll."
Gu Zhao didn't look too pleased while holding up his phone: "You didn't even take your phone."
Ji Su took the phone and tentatively asked: "You didn't think... I sneaked away, did you?"
Gu Zhao stared at him, neither admitting nor denying.
Ji Su curved his lips and softly coaxed: "Don't worry, I won't run away."
Even if he were to run, at least he should take his phone with him.
A rare trace of discomfort appeared on Gu Zhao's face, and he turned to walk side by side with him: "No."
Ji Su held back a smile: "Alright then."
After breakfast, they went to check out a nearby famous attraction.
Ji Su brought his phone today and couldn't help but take pictures everywhere.
While taking pictures, he inadvertently pointed his phone camera at Gu Zhao standing not far away.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs, a comic book proportioned figure, a casual shot was like a poster.
Ji Su snapped a few consecutive shots, and Gu Zhao seemed to sense it as he turn his head to look at him.
That handsome face was as expressionless as ever, but his gaze softened the moment it met Ji Su's, and even his cold, sharp features seemed to come alive a little.
The phone camera captured this subtle change and faithfully recorded it.
Ji Su's heart softened, but there was also a hint of sourness.
Gu Zhao strode over with his long legs: "Taking sneaky photos of me?"
"How can you call this sneaky?" Ji Su put down his phone. "This is clearly taking photos of you openly."
Gu Zhao reached out and pinched his cheek: "What an open way of doing it."
Ji Su raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is that not allowed?"
"Of course, it is." Gu Zhao let go, took out his own phone, and opened the camera. "Come here, let's take a photo together."
Ji Su obediently moved closer: "How should we pose?"
Gu Zhao crouched down slightly to align his gaze with Ji Su's and their faces close together.
Ji Su hadn't expected to be this close and instinctively wanted to move aside a bit, but his shoulder was held firmly.
"Don't move." Gu Zhao said in a low voice while looking at the camera. "Smile."
Ji Su's eyes curved into a smile: "Is this okay?"
"Mm," Gu Zhao responded, but the moment he pressed the shutter, he turned and kissed Ji Su's cheek.
Ji Su was stunned for a moment, and when he came to his senses, the spot where he had been kissed burned with a fiery blush.
Gu Zhao put down his phone and checked the photo he had just taken.
Ji Su covered his face with his hand: "Why did you do that?"
Gu Zhao looked at the photo for a few seconds until he was satisfied, and put his phone away. "Now I won't hold it against you for taking sneaky photos of me."
Ji Su: "..."
The two of them played until it got dark and decided to find a restaurant for dinner.
As they passed by a music-themed restaurant, Ji Su stopped: "Gu Zhao, how about we eat here tonight?"
Gu Zhao didn't even glance at it: "Sure."
The restaurant had a serene atmosphere, with tastefully decorated pendant lights that added to the ambiance. The diners were all quiet and composed.
Halfway through the meal, Ji Su whispered, "I'm going to the restroom."
Gu Zhao acknowledged: "Mm."
Ji Su got up from his seat, but instead of heading to the restroom, he turned a corner and went to the piano performance area.
A moment later, Gu Zhao heard a male voice announce: "The next piano piece is dedicated to Mr. Gu Zhao."
He instantly looked up as his gaze drew to the source of the voice.
Ji Su sat at the piano with the overhead light softly enveloping him.
His slender, pale fingers rested on the black and white keys, and a melodious, beautiful tune began to flow.
Gu Zhao listened intently for a few seconds with his dark eyes growing even more profound.
This song was the theme from a lesser-known French film, La Boum, titled Reality and also known by its romantic name, Ready For Love.
The piano version was even more obscure, but during one of their conversations, they had discovered that both of them had heard this piano piece before.
The romantic and graceful melody conveyed a deep, tender love, and made one's heart flutter.
As the piano music played, Gu Zhao's heartbeat quickened, and his hand on the table clenched into a fist until his knuckles turned white from the force.
When the piece ended, Ji Su stood up and bowed. The diners, who had been immersed in the music, snapped back to reality and couldn't help but applaud.
Ji Su returned to the dining table with the tips of his ears red and not daring to meet the gaze of the person sitting across from him.
But Gu Zhao didn’t say anything.
As usual, he picked up some food and placed it in Ji Su’s bowl.
To bolster his courage, Ji Su poured himself another glass of red wine and downed it in one gulp.
Gu Zhao reminded him lightly, “Drink less.”
After the meal, the two left the restaurant and walked along the beach.
Ji Su chose a spot with fewer people and stopped. “Gu Zhao.”
“Hmm.” Gu Zhao also stopped and turned to face him.
The sea breeze was slightly cool, and Ji Su’s hair fluttered in the wind.
He somewhat awkwardly smoothed his bangs and pulled out a small bracelet made of shells and pearls from his pocket.
Gu Zhao looked down at the bracelet. “For me?”
“Yes, for you.” Ji Su replied with his face red. “It’s not worth much, but I picked each one myself and strung them together by hand.”
Gu Zhao extended a hand. “Help me put it on.”
Ji Su stretched the bracelet open with his fingers and slipped it onto Gu Zhao’s wrist, then looked up. “Did you recognize the piano piece I just played for you?”
Gu Zhao gazed into those eyes filled with starlight. “I did.”
“That piano piece was my confession to you.” Ji Su’s ears were burning red and his voice trembled slightly with shyness. “I like you, Gu Zhao.”
Not “I like you too,” but “I like you.”
Although he had already guessed the answer, Gu Zhao’s mind was still in turmoil and overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, leaving him momentarily speechless and expressionless.
Ji Su tried to overcome his shyness and nervousness as he spoke firmly. “I want to tell you that it’s not just because you like me and because you pursued me, that I agreed to be with you.”
Gu Zhao’s throat moved, but no sound came out.
“I like you. Maybe not as much as you like me right now, but…” Ji Su licked his dry lips. “But I’ll work hard, hard to be worthy of your affection, hard to give you a lot of—”
The last word was abruptly cut off as he suddenly found himself in a familiar embrace.
Gu Zhao had wrapped his arms around him. His long, strong arms holding him tightly, as if trying to embed him into his own body.
‘It would be best if they could turn to ashes together, never to be separated again.’
Ji Su closed his eyes and raised his arms to hug him back.
After a long while, a low, hoarse voice sounded in his ear. “Were you serious about what you just said?”
“Of course I was serious.” Ji Su replied with certainty. “I’ll take responsibility for every word I said.”
“Ji Su, you need to know that I’m a mad dog.” Gu Zhao’s hand cupped the back of Ji Su’s neck, his voice rough as if mixed with gravel. “Once you accept a mad dog’s love, there’s no turning back.”
“Gu Zhao, you also need to know one thing.” Ji Su stepped back slightly before speaking earnestly. “Once you’re with me, you can’t throw me away again.”
He had had enough of being abandoned, enough of being left alone.
“Ji Su, actually, we’re the same kind of people.” Gu Zhao smiled. “Only death do us part, no breakups.”
Ji Su’s heart skipped a beat, feeling both the embarrassment of being seen through and the joy of finding a kindred spirit. He responded softly, “Oh…”
Gu Zhao looked at him for a few seconds, then leaned down and fiercely captured the lips that had just spoken such sweet words.
At first, the kiss was fierce, as if trying to vent the overwhelming and indescribable love within.
It wasn't until Ji Su was almost out of breath that the intensity slightly eased before becoming prolonged and deep.
After a moment, Gu Zhao shifted to sit on the sand.
Ji Su lay softly in his arms while breathing heavily, his face flushed, eyes watery, and his dark lashes clumped together from moisture, looking both pitiful and beautiful.
But Gu Zhao still wasn't satisfied.
He sucked on the soft, hot earlobe repeatedly, then kissed along the ear down to the side of the neck and leaving a distinct, damp trail.
Ji Su shivered from the kisses, his voice soft as he protested, "No more..."
"No more?" Gu Zhao grasped the soft fingertips, his voice hoarse as he asked, "I'm your boyfriend. If I can't kiss you, who can?"
"You can kiss me," Ji Su lifted his lashes to look at him pitifully, "But when you kiss like this, I can't handle it..."
Gu Zhao felt a surge of heat rushing to a certain place. Gritting his teeth as he retorted, "You can't handle it already?"
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