Chapter 3: Grabbing Gu Jingxiu’s Hand
What should you do if you are overheard speaking ill of the host while staying at someone else’s house?
Lin Zhile stood in front of the sofa, looking utterly lost and shocked. The flush on his cheeks spread all the way down to his neck; he had clearly been terribly frightened.
Caroline had explicitly said this person wouldn’t be home for the next few days!
Yet the person standing by the bar counter was the genuine article. In the whole world, only Gu Jingxiu could possess a face like that.
And this person was currently staring at him with an entirely expressionless face.
Right now, Lin Zhile only wished he had a magic wand that could shrink him down infinitely so he could find a hole to crawl into.
But being fixed under Gu Jingxiu’s unwavering gaze, even magic would probably malfunction.
With nowhere to retreat, Lin Zhile took a deep breath and offered a very quiet, flimsy excuse to the homeowner: “I was talking about myself. My temper is very bad.”
He didn’t dare make eye contact with Gu Jingxiu, so he completely missed the teasing amusement already brimming in the other man’s eyes.
Several seconds passed. Lin Zhile had no idea if the man believed him or not, but in his mind, he was already calculating how much a night at a nearby hotel would cost.
Of course, Gu Jingxiu didn’t believe it.
But this guest, forcibly shoved over by Ms. Lin Xiaofang, was far too timid. If he said he didn’t believe it, Lin Zhile might really just bolt like a frightened rabbit.
Gu Jingxiu suppressed the malicious amusement rising in his heart.
For their first meeting, he would act like a decent human being for now.
Holding back a smile, he spoke with brazen falsehood, making sure his voice sounded very cold: “Is that so…”
“But it’s fine. My temper is very good. You will definitely have a very pleasant stay here, Little Cousin Lin,” he said.
A tingling sensation crawled up Lin Zhile’s back.
Why did it seem like the other party had believed him, yet hearing those words inexplicably made his instincts scream: Danger, run!
Then Lin Zhile thought, maybe the man didn’t mean it that way, and it was just his own preconceived notions.
And the scenario he had imagined of being kicked out didn’t happen. On the surface, Gu Jingxiu didn’t seem to plan on pursuing the matter any further.
Lin Zhile stood frozen in place for a moment. Gu Jingxiu was no longer looking at him; instead, he grabbed a water cup from the bar counter and poured himself a drink.
He finally confirmed that the Best Actor himself would no longer pay him any mind. Just as the heat in his face began to recede, he heard the man say: “You should go rest.”
The heat that had just subsided surged right back up.
Lin Zhile couldn’t care less. He let out an “Oh,” feeling like he had received a massive pardon, and fled the living room at top speed.
Behind him, holding the water glass, the corners of Gu Jingxiu’s lips curled up slightly.
Returning to the guest room, Lin Zhile checked his phone and found that Lin Xing had sent him numerous messages.
Because he had hung up the phone so abruptly just now, Lin Xing thought something bad had happened to him.
Lin Zhile told him he was fine, just that Gu Jingxiu had suddenly come home and happened to overhear him speaking ill of him.
Fortunately, after some negotiation, the man was magnanimous and let Lin Zhile off the hook.
Lin Xing had truly witnessed Lin Zhile’s “good” luck. Ah, he was so worried. He had just moved in, and this happened the very first time they met. What if Gu Jingxiu remembered it later and decided to settle the score?
Lin Xing: [I remember you brought a gift for him when you left. You can say a few nice words when you give him the gift. Maybe he’ll forgive you.]
Lin Zhile pulled out his pajamas, thinking his friend had a point.
Lin Zhile: [I’ve decided to take a shower first. Gu Jingxiu looked very tired. If he hasn’t gone to sleep by the time I’m done showering, I’ll go give it to him then.]
Lin Xing: [Mm-hmm, waiting for your news.]
Lin Zhile had indeed brought a gift when he came: an oil painting.
Father Lin had previously taught a student who was now a very famous painter, and this student had gifted Father Lin several of his works.
The clock’s hands moved past 1:00 AM. Dressed in his pajamas, Lin Zhile poked his head out of the guest room, clutching the newspaper-wrapped painting in his arms.
His hair was still slightly damp—mostly because he had been too anxious to properly blow-dry it. He looked to the right; the lights in the living room were still on, but no one was there.
He looked to the left—
“Looking for me?”
Gu Jingxiu, wearing a black silk robe, had just walked out of the master bedroom and was currently standing at the end of the hallway looking at him.
Lin Zhile: …
Mustering his courage, Lin Zhile walked over toward him: “Yes, Mr. Gu. I’ll be imposing on you for quite a long time moving forward, so I brought you a gift.”
Gu Jingxiu was truly very tall. The internet said 188 cm. It was only as he drew closer that Lin Zhile realized he could only look the man straight in the chin.
He himself was also 1.8 meters tall (though he needed to stand slightly on his tiptoes to achieve this height). Was a difference of just a few centimeters really this vast?
Moreover, Lin Zhile’s gaze lightly swept across the man’s chest. It was obvious the other party maintained his physique extremely well; his muscle mass and definition struck a perfect balance between power and aesthetics.
Lin Zhile looked down at his own body.
…
Forget it, just being alive was good enough.
Lin Zhile called him “Mr. Gu” and “You” with every breath. It sounded distant, formal, and very polite.
Gu Jingxiu looked down at him. Just a moment ago, he was claiming he had a bad temper, and now he was here delivering a gift.
Looking at the shape, it wasn’t hard to guess it was a picture frame. It wasn’t something bought on a whim; the kid had probably brought it all the way from home.
Gu Jingxiu knew what it was, but that didn’t stop him from asking the obvious: “What’s inside?”
Lin Zhile foolishly fell for it and explained earnestly: “It’s an oil painting.”
The hallway lighting was very soft. Lin Zhile looked up at him, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, his dark eyes seeming to hide speckles of starlight.
Gu Jingxiu’s gaze darkened slightly, and the malicious amusement he had suppressed earlier reared its head once more.
He always possessed a destructive desire toward people or things that carried traits of pure innocence and cuteness. Without a doubt, from the very first time he saw Lin Zhile, he knew the boy possessed them.
Gu Jingxiu said faintly: “Open it and let me see. If it doesn’t look good…”
Lin Zhile’s breath hitched, and the hands gripping the newspaper instantly tightened.
If it didn’t look good, would he refuse the gift?
“Then I’ll just put it in the collection room,” Gu Jingxiu finished.
Lin Zhile: …
“Oh, then I’ll open it now.”
The newspaper was peeled away layer by layer, revealing the true face of the painting.
It was a horizontal oil painting, two square chi in size. It appeared to be in an Impressionist style, depicting a picturesque and romantic scene of flowers falling like rain in the wind.
Gu Jingxiu recognized the signature initials. He had seen them at auctions before; a single square chi was worth tens of thousands of yuan.
Lin Zhile held the frame in front of his chest and said, “I think it looks very beautiful.”
He looked up at Gu Jingxiu, his eyes filled with hope.
Even though he felt that putting it in the collection room was fine too, he couldn’t bear the thought of Gu Jingxiu saying the painting wasn’t good.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t even want to give it away.
Gu Jingxiu examined it carefully, his brows furrowing slightly, delaying his response.
Lin Zhile grew increasingly nervous. The frequency of his heartbeat felt entirely commanded by the man before him, shifting with every change in his expression.
The hallway was incredibly quiet.
Lin Zhile could smell the scent of turpentine emitting from the oil painting, intertwined with a faint, almost imperceptible hint of arborvitae wood.
A cold and unique fragrance. He didn’t like using scented bath products himself, so this smell likely came from Gu Jingxiu.
Having kept his nerves taut for too long, Lin Zhile slightly bounced on his right tiptoe, attempting to relax his body.
There was a limit to teasing someone.
Gu Jingxiu finally lifted his eyes lazily and smiled.
“Thank you for the gift you brought. I like it very much.”
Happiness came too suddenly. Lin Zhile froze for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and handing the painting over.
Gu Jingxiu took the painting and added, “If we hang it on the wall in the dining room, it should look quite nice.”
It took about two seconds for Lin Zhile to respond: “It will definitely look nice. Your taste is so good. This house is beautiful; it’ll look good no matter where you hang it.”
Lin Zhile mentally cringed as he finished speaking, unsure if his bootlicking was up to standard.
Gu Jingxiu had heard many types of flattery, some genuine, some fake, and everything in between. He quickly deduced that Lin Zhile was not skilled in this art.
The little guest looked calm, but the pink hue steadily spreading up his neck clearly betrayed him.
Gu Jingxiu retracted his gaze: “What a delightful compliment.”
Lin Zhile pressed his lips together.
Gu Jingxiu continued: “I’ll find a time to hang this painting up. Get to sleep early.”
As the saying goes, if you take something from someone, you owe them. Now that the other party had accepted the oil painting, as long as Lin Zhile didn’t do anything that violated the agreement, he shouldn’t be kicked out.
Lin Zhile was inwardly delighted, but he was very restrained, only his eyes curving slightly in a smile.
Only then did Gu Jingxiu notice he had aegyo sal (undereye bags); his smile was incredibly memorable.
“Goodnight, Mr. Gu.” Lin Zhile retreated first, stepping backward into his room under Gu Jingxiu’s watchful gaze.
As soon as he closed the door, he shared the good news with Lin Xing.
[You even managed to win over Gu Jingxiu. Babe, you’re amazing.]
Lin Zhile sat on the bed holding his phone: [Actually, thinking about it now, Mr. Gu isn’t like the rumors at all. He’s actually quite nice.]
He cradled his phone, his thoughts drifting slightly.
Lin Xing replied: [Patting your head. Looks like things between these celebrities are very complicated. Anyway, we won’t look for trouble, we’ll get along well, and leave in three months.]
Lin Zhile: [Mm-hmm, I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep first. We’ll chat tomorrow.]
[Okay, goodnight.]
Lin Zhile put down his phone and snuggled into the quilt.
In a strange environment, he was afraid of the dark, so he left the bedside nightlight on.
His body was exhausted, but his brain refused to sleep. Lin Zhile could only stare at the wall with open eyes.
The scenes from the day flashed through his mind: the agreement, Caroline, Gu Jingxiu.
And the unknown competition ahead. His thoughts were a tangled mess, and the shadows on the wall seemed to flicker and morph alongside them.
…Wait, shadows!
Lin Zhile lay perfectly still on the bed as a massive dark shadow slowly erected itself on the wall—a cylindrical torso, a triangular head.
A crisp hiss came from the bedside table. The black shadow on the wall immediately flicked its tongue, the distinct forked tip clearly visible, before swiftly retracting it.
Lin Zhile’s mind went completely blank. In the next second, wrapped in his quilt, he tumbled onto the floor.
Looking up, a slender snake tail flashed rapidly across the lampshade, diving into the gap between the cabinet and the wall, completely disappearing from sight.
Lin Zhile dashed out of the room without even putting on his shoes.
The hallway was pitch black. Afraid the snake would slither out, he rushed back with trembling hands and slammed the door shut.
Why was there a snake here?
Some unpleasant memories surged in Lin Zhile’s mind.
When he was a child, his cousin had played a prank on him, locking him in a woodshed with a snake. No matter how hard he pounded on the door, there was no response from the outside.
Although he wasn’t bitten, just thinking about it still made his scalp go numb.
When he finally got out and told his aunt what happened, he was scolded for trying to get out of doing chores and accused of lying.
Lin Zhile’s thin silhouette stood in the middle of the hallway. The room was un-sleepable. He wondered if he should just curl up on the living room sofa for the night.
Suddenly, the hallway lights blazed on.
“What are you doing?” Gu Jingxiu stood outside his own bedroom door, holding a book, his ink-black eyes staring at him.
He must have been too loud just now and disturbed Mr. Gu.
Lin Zhile looked at the man, his hands curled at his sides.
If he told Mr. Gu there was a snake in his room, would the man believe him? Would he think he was just spouting nonsense?
Before he could answer, Gu Jingxiu’s brows furrowed slightly. His gaze moved down, taking in Lin Zhile’s deathly pale face and his bare feet standing on the carpet. He took a step-by-step approach toward him.
Lin Zhile instinctively took two steps back. Gu Jingxiu walked to the door of the guest room, shot him a backward glance, and reached straight for the handle—
“There’s a snake inside!” Lin Zhile hadn’t expected him to just open the door directly. By the time he reacted, both of his hands were already clamped onto Gu Jingxiu’s arm.
The silk material of the robe was soft and form-fitting, the warmth of the skin beneath transferring directly to his palms.
Gu Jingxiu looked down at Lin Zhile’s hands, his eyebrow ticking upward.
“I heard Best Actor Gu is a germaphobe, a very severe one!”
Recalling the sentence he had heard during the day, Lin Zhile was horrified and snatched his hands back with lightning speed.
Translator’s Note:
A “square chi” (平尺) is a traditional Chinese unit of measurement commonly used for artwork and calligraphy. So “two square chi” is a moderately sized painting, but since it’s by a famous artist, it’s quite valuable! Also, Lin Zhile holding Gu Jingxiu’s arm despite the Best Actor’s notorious germaphobia? The poor guy really can’t catch a break! (Also, who wants a snake in their bedroom on the first night?! Big nope!)
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