Twenty-One

Seeing Ji Su stay silent, Qiao Jin finally caught on and hurried to salvage the situation: 'Right, right — actually Susu's Piano playing is terrible, let it ruin my ears alone, you all better not listen!'

'I don't believe it.' Wang Mingzhe, leaning on his crutch, squeezed in from behind. 'Ji Su is so good-looking — how could his Piano playing be bad?'

Ji Su: '……'

What kind of logic was that? What did being good-looking have to do with whether he could play Piano?

But the moment had come, and he had become that duck forcibly driven up onto the rack — if he insisted on not playing, it would only invite more suspicion.

Especially Gu Zhao, whose instincts were far too sharp.

Qiao Jin tried once more to find him an excuse: 'Actually, Ji Su he—'

'Fine.' Ji Su cut in, accepting. 'Then I'll show off my poor skills.'

He walked to the Piano, lifted the white dust cover draped over it.

The others gathered around expectantly; only Qiao Jin's face was written full of tension.

The Piano rang out in tinkling notes — pleasant, the rhythm light and cheerful.

Gu Zhao leaned forward, eyes fixed on the hands dancing across the black and white keys, his gaze narrowing almost imperceptibly.

When the piece ended, Ji Su lifted his hands from the keys, expression a touch embarrassed: 'It's been too long since I played — I've forgotten all the scores. I only remember Little Grove.'

He couldn't bring himself to just fiddle aimlessly at the Piano; moreover, with Gu Zhao's ear for music, he would absolutely be able to tell whether Ji Su was playing at random.

So he could only choose the simplest Little Grove — an entry-level piece for Piano beginners, one that made it hard to distinguish the player's actual skill.

'Oh! I said this melody sounded so familiar!' He Yi Ming, slow on the uptake, began to clap. 'Lovely, lovely — played so beautifully!'

The others joined in the applause. Wang Mingzhe played along: 'Ji Su, you're really talented — never be so modest again!'

Ji Su smiled, and as if by chance, glanced sideways toward the sofa.

Gu Zhao, who had been sitting on the sofa, happened to be rising to his feet just then — those pitch-black eyes as inscrutable as ever. Without a word, he turned and went upstairs.

Ji Su couldn't help but let out a quiet breath; the tension along his spine loosened.

Gu Zhao's reaction had been perfectly normal — he didn't seem to suspect anything.

Back in the room, Ji Su went to take a shower first.

When he emerged from the bathroom, Qiao Jin was already sprawled on the big bed playing with his phone. Seeing Ji Su's outfit, he laughed: 'Susu, why are you dressed so covered up after a shower?'

Ji Su hadn't worn the bathrobe provided by the Villa, but had changed into a shirt and long pants he'd brought himself.

He dried his hair with a towel and replied: 'Just in case.'

During his shower, he had carefully gone over everything from start to finish — the only evidence Mengmeng had left behind was the leg photo, and that red mole on his thigh really wasn't common.

So he decided that from now on, in front of Gu Zhao, he would weld long pants to his legs — absolutely no chance of the other man discovering it.

'Sigh, even coming out to play has me on edge.' Qiao Jin clicked his tongue. 'If it weren't for Gu Zhao being homophobic, I'd say you might as well just come clean with him.'

Ji Su hesitated: 'You also think... it would be better for me to come clean with him?'

'No, Susu — I said that with a premise, okay?' Qiao Jin scrambled up from the bed. 'The premise is that Gu Zhao isn't homophobic and doesn't have such a strong desire for revenge. Besides, you've already kept it from him this long — now I can only pray he doesn't find out.'

Ji Su: 'Got it...'

'Don't overthink it.' Qiao Jin patted his shoulder. 'I'm going to shower too.'

Ji Su stood in place for a while, then turned and walked toward the Balcony.

He opened the balcony door, and a cool breeze rushed to meet him.

Ji Su walked to the railing, lifted his face, and gazed at the bright moon hanging in the deep blue curtain of the sky.

The ancients said: may we live long, and though a thousand miles apart, share the same fair moon. Among those looking at this same bright moon with him — was there perhaps one person who thought of him, even just a little?

After a long moment, Ji Su turned and leaned against the railing; his gaze caught a figure and froze.

The two rooms' balconies in the Villa were connected. On the neighboring balcony sat a rattan recliner, and Gu Zhao was lying on it, eyes closed — whether asleep or simply resting, it was impossible to tell.

Ji Su's first instinct was to go back inside. He took two steps, then couldn't help glancing back.

He pressed his lips together, went back into the room, rummaged out a thin blanket, and returned to the balcony.

Ji Su walked on quiet feet to the rattan recliner, and carefully draped the thin blanket over Gu Zhao.

He thought his movements had been careful enough, but Gu Zhao still opened his eyes the instant Ji Su touched him — a large hand shooting out to grip Ji Su's wrist.

'Hiss...' Ji Su sucked in a breath and explained softly, 'Sorry — the night wind is strong, I was afraid you'd catch cold.'

Gu Zhao stared at the face so close to his, studying it carefully.

His eyes were black and deep, heavier than the night behind him. Ji Su couldn't quite bear such a gaze, and looked away: 'Can you... can you let go of me first?'

Gu Zhao released his hand and asked in a low voice: 'What are you apologizing for?'

Ji Su straightened up: 'Huh?'

There was no readable emotion in Gu Zhao's tone — he was merely stating a fact: 'You're very used to apologizing to people.'

Ji Su gave a small start: 'Am I?'

He himself had never noticed this habit of apologizing to others, but thinking about it now, he did seem to often say things like 'sorry,' 'excuse me,' 'pardon me' to people.

Gu Zhao reached out a large hand and caught the blanket that kept sliding down.

'I apologized to you because I accidentally woke you up.' Ji Su came back to himself. 'I meant to put a blanket on you, but it seems I've done a good deed badly.'

Though he already owed Gu Zhao a proper apology — just not for something this small.

Gu Zhao looked at him: 'I wasn't asleep.'

'Ah...' Ji Su blinked, not knowing how to continue the conversation. 'Then... I'll go back to my room first?'

Gu Zhao closed his eyes again: 'Mm.'

Ji Su turned and walked inside, closed the balcony door, thought for a moment, then carefully locked it.

Qiao Jin, seeing his action, asked casually: 'Susu, why did you lock the balcony door?'

Ji Su: 'Gu Zhao is on the next balcony.'

'Should be locked!' Qiao Jin immediately agreed, then asked, 'Want me to drag a table over to block it too?'

Ji Su was amused by him: 'It doesn't need to be that dramatic.'

*

Early the next morning, Ji Su got up, washed, and went downstairs.

The others were still asleep; the Villa was perfectly quiet.

Ji Su walked into the Kitchen, poured himself a cup of warm water, and after drinking it, finding himself with nothing to do, decided to make a simple breakfast.

The Kitchen was well-equipped. He took an apron hanging on the wall, put it on, opened the fridge, and took out ingredients.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him.

Ji Su turned and greeted: 'Morning.'

Gu Zhao's brow gave a small jump; his feet stopped short.

Ji Su was wearing a black apron, the ties cinching in a waist so slender it seemed it could not bear to be grasped; the hem of the apron reached his knees, making it look as though he were wearing a pinafore dress.

'What is it?' Ji Su, seeing him stare without speaking, raised a hand to touch his cheek. 'Is there something on my face?'

Gu Zhao withdrew his gaze: 'No.'

Ji Su vaguely sensed something strange about him, but didn't think too much of it, and continued preparing breakfast.

Gu Zhao walked to the table, poured a glass of water. His large, well-defined hand gripped the glass, and his gaze fell heavily on that slender yet distinctly curved back.

Mengmeng had indeed sent him plenty of photos wearing skirts, but the background was always the Dormitory, and at most he'd only ever shown his waist and legs — never any other gender-distinguishing parts of his body.

Could he be...

Making a prejudgment error?

Ji Su turned his head: 'I'm going to make sandwiches — is there anything you don't eat?'

Gu Zhao's train of thought was broken: 'What?'

Ji Su patiently repeated: 'I'm planning to make some sandwiches for breakfast — is there anything you don't eat?'

Gu Zhao was silent for a few seconds, then asked: 'Why are you making breakfast for everyone else?'

'Huh?' Ji Su was caught off guard by the question. 'Just... on a whim.'

Gu Zhao said coldly: 'Whoever eats it makes it.'

The other's cold manner looked ungrateful on the surface, but Ji Su's feelings were a little complicated.

He already knew Gu Zhao was G — the G who had always been teaching him not to bother trying to please others.

Ji Su also knew he wasn't deliberately trying to please others — these were just habits carved into his bones over many years.

Just as the two were at an impasse, Zhou Yang's surprised voice rang out: 'Gu-ge, Ji Su, why are you up so early?'

'I don't like sleeping in in the morning.' Ji Su shifted his gaze to him. 'You're up pretty early too.'

'Ha! Us law-school dogs only really get up early during finals!' Zhou Yang strode over in a few steps. 'Are you making breakfast?'

Ji Su hesitated for a moment, then replied: 'Yes.'

'Then perfect — let's make it together.' Zhou Yang picked up a tomato from the table and took a bite straight from it. 'But just so you know upfront, my cooking is terrible, haha!'

Ji Su pressed his lips into a small smile: 'My cooking isn't great either.'

With Zhou Yang's arrival, the atmosphere in the Kitchen returned to normal, and Gu Zhao also silently joined the breakfast-making army.

After breakfast, everyone except Wang Mingzhe prepared to go out hiking.

Throughout the rest of the day, Ji Su kept feeling as though some gaze was lingering on his back, present one moment and gone the next — but whenever he went to look for it, there was no trace of it. He could only assume he was being paranoid.

During the hike, though, he finally got to see how good Gu Zhao's stamina was — not a flush on his face, not a breath out of place, strolling as though in his own garden.

On the way down, Qiao Jin whispered in his ear: 'Susu, with Gu the campus heartthrob's stamina like that, you definitely couldn't take a beating from him.'

Ji Su was a little worried too, and could only comfort himself: 'I think Gu Zhao probably isn't the kind of brute who solves problems with his fists... right...'

After all, just yesterday the man had risked his own safety to pull Ji Su off a horse — which showed Gu Zhao wasn't the sort who was cold on the outside and even colder within.

'See, you don't even sound sure of that.' Qiao Jin slid his eyes sideways. 'But it's fine — just keep it hidden well.'

Ji Su replied in a low voice: 'You let things slip in front of him less often, and I'll hide it better.'

Mentioning last night's Piano incident, Qiao Jin couldn't help feeling guilty: 'That was just a momentary lapse — I really wanted to protect your Piano-playing reputation...'

'Qiao Jin, Ji Su, what are you two doing back there?' Zhou Yang, walking ahead, called back over his shoulder. 'The sun's almost setting.'

Qiao Jin answered: 'Coming, coming!'

He Yi Ming took the initiative to stop, waited for Ji Su to catch up, and made conversation: 'Ji Su, do you usually not like hiking?'

'I'm fine with it — I go hiking when I have time.' Ji Su replied. 'It's just that my physical fitness isn't as good as yours, so I find it more tiring.'

'Well, it didn't really look like you were struggling.' He Yi Ming said warmly. 'If you like outdoor activities, we can make plans together often in the future!'

Ji Su gave a small smile: 'We'll see.'

At that moment, Gu Zhao also stopped his steps; turning his head, he saw the two of them walking side by side, chatting and laughing.

Ji Su suddenly met a pair of cold, pitch-black eyes; his heart gave a lurch, and he nearly missed his footing.

Gu Zhao's brow furrowed, and his body instinctively stepped forward.

Fortunately, He Yi Ming caught Ji Su's arm in time, asking with concern: 'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine.' Ji Su withdrew his arm, shifted a little to the side. 'Thanks.'

When he looked up again, Gu Zhao had already continued down the mountain.

*

After hiking all day, everyone was a bit tired. In the evening, Zhou Yang ordered a big meal delivered to the Villa, and they ate dinner on the big terrace as usual.

After dinner, Ji Su went upstairs to handle some things for a while; when he came back down, the terrace was already empty.

He searched around the Villa, and finally followed the sound to the Swimming Pool behind it.

'Susu!' Qiao Jin was sitting on the edge drinking, and seeing him, excitedly waved. 'Come over and play!'

Ji Su walked over, saw Zhou Yang swim a lap in the water, and praised him: 'Zhou Yang, your swimming is really good.'

'I'm okay — Gu-ge is the really impressive swimmer.' Zhou Yang leaned against the pool edge. 'He's on the School's swim team, and has won a lot of medals for our School.'

Qiao Jin sighed: 'Gu the campus heartthrob really lives up to being an all-around campus heartthrob — is there anything he can't do?'

Zhou Yang thought seriously for a few seconds, then replied: 'Get along with people.'

'And he can't do romance!' Wang Mingzhe picked up the thread. 'Otherwise our poor Gu-ge wouldn't have ended up being scammed by his online dating partner.'

Ji Su took another hit to the knee, and awkwardly cleared his throat.

'Ah, don't talk about that.' Qiao Jin interrupted. 'If Gu Zhao hears, he'll dunk you in the Swimming Pool and you'll drink your fill of water.'

'Hahaha!' Zhou Yang laughed out loud. 'Is Gu-ge really that brutal?'

Qiao Jin hunched his shoulders: 'I think so.'

'By the way, where's Gu Zhao?' Ji Su looked around. 'Why don't I see— ah!'

He turned around and nearly walked into a wall of a person.

'Looking for me?' A low, magnetic voice sounded from above his head.

Ji Su stepped back two paces in a row: 'Sorry...'

Gu Zhao glanced at him, walked to the pool's edge, untied the belt of the bathrobe he was wearing, and removed the white bathrobe — underneath, he wore only a loose pair of black swim trunks.

Qiao Jin, sitting across from him, instantly widened his eyes; a 'wtf' he couldn't hold back burst out of him.

The next second, Gu Zhao plunged into the water, swimming back and forth in the blink of an eye like a flood dragon — all that could be seen in the water was churning white foam.

With a splash, and water spraying in all directions, Gu Zhao broke the surface — facing Ji Su's direction.

His pitch-black hair was soaked, clinging wetly to his handsome face. He casually pushed his fringe upward, fully revealing the high, sculpted ridge of his brow — looking sharper and more aggressive than usual.

It was the first time Ji Su had read something almost predatory in those black eyes. He wanted to turn and leave, but his feet seemed nailed to the ground.

'Gu-ge, didn't you just say you didn't want to swim?' Zhou Yang spoke up to break the silence. 'Why'd you suddenly get in?'

Gu Zhao didn't answer, swam to the pool's edge, braced his hands on the side, and vaulted up in one motion.

He bent down, picked up the bathrobe from the ground, and wiped the water from his body in slow, absent strokes — his gaze still locked tightly on Ji Su's face.

Before his eyes was a wall of clearly defined abdominal muscles, water droplets continually rolling down the grooves between them; the loose black swim trunks were completely soaked...

Ji Su couldn't help but recall the abs photo the man had sent him; the tips of his ears grew hot, and his gaze began to dodge.

Gu Zhao deigned to speak: 'Aren't you getting in the water?'

'I...' Ji Su didn't know where to look for a moment, his eyes could only fall on his own toes. 'I can't swim.'

'Right, right, right — Susu can't swim!' Qiao Jin's brain finally sparked for once, laughing awkwardly to himself. 'If he got in the water I'd be afraid he'd drown, hahaha!'

'Can't swim? Then let Gu-ge teach you!' Wang Mingzhe offered enthusiastically. 'With Gu-ge around, guaranteed to learn!'

Zhou Yang also chimed in: 'Yeah, having a swimming skill might save your life at a critical moment!'

Ji Su: '……'

Right now, he just wanted to call for help...