26

Ji Su was both ashamed and flustered; seeing Gu Zhao's hand stop, he immediately tried to pull his leg back.

The next second, that scalding large hand seized his calf and pressed that long leg firmly back down.

Gu Zhao spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "What are you running from?"

"I..." Ji Su, scalded by the touch, shivered and tried to negotiate in a small voice, "Can I put it on myself?"

Gu Zhao's eyes were lowered; the hand gripping the calf tightened of its own accord, the veins on its back bulging in a single sharp ridge.

Ji Su cried out at the pain: "Ah!"

Gu Zhao's Adam's apple rolled; in the end he mastered himself and let go.

He set down the stockinged leg, rose, turned his back, and closed his eyes to steady his breathing.

Ji Su, entirely oblivious to his state, pulled on the remaining stocking at the fastest speed of his life, then stood: "I'm dressed."

Gu Zhao turned back; his gaze fell on the thigh wrapped in the stocking, and the look in those dark eyes grew ever more obscure.

Ji Su stared at his own toes and asked softly, "Is this all right?"

Gu Zhao said nothing; his gaze traveled upward, very slowly.

Like a cold, viscous serpent, coiling round and round those beautiful legs, drawing tighter with every pass.

Ji Su gathered his courage, lifted his eyes, and met the other's gaze head-on: "Does seeing me in a skirt strike you as strange?"

Apart from a pair of legs that were reasonably long, his hair was short and his chest flat — by every measure, an ordinary boy.

No straight man would enjoy watching a plain, unremarkable boy in a skirt, surely?

Gu Zhao's gaze settled on his face; he gave a noncommittal hum.

Ji Su pressed on: "Does it completely shatter the lovely image of Mengmeng in your mind?"

Gu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly; he replied evenly, "It's not quite what I imagined."

"That's wonderful." Ji Su visibly relaxed, his fingers tugging at the hem of his short skirt again. "Then can I take the skirt off?"

Gu Zhao: "No."

"Huh?" Ji Su blinked, bewildered. "Why?"

"You haven't yet reproduced the poses in the pictures you sent me." Gu Zhao crossed his arms. "Only when I see the same poses as in the pictures can I fully connect the two of you."

His tone could not have been more serious — as though he were discussing some solemn piece of academic research, or presenting crucial evidence in a courtroom.

The pictures Ji Su had sent G flashed through his mind — himself lying on his side in bed, with even his backside nearly showing.

The other had even sent him a voice message, telling him not to be so wanton...

Gu Zhao stared at the crimson tip of his ear: "What are you thinking about?"

Ji Su came back to himself: "I don't think we need to go quite that far..."

Gu Zhao stepped toward him: "I think we do."

Ji Su was forced backward step by step, then dropped onto the edge of the bed.

Gu Zhao looked down at him, his pleasant voice like a demon's whisper: "Shall I help you pose?"

"No!" Ji Su bit his lower lip and conceded, "I-I'll do it myself..."

Gu Zhao stopped in his tracks: "Mm."

Ji Su's expression wavered: "You're not going to take photos, are you?"

Would Gu Zhao take full-body shots showing his face, then use them to blackmail him?

Gu Zhao said coldly, "In your mind, am I that kind of person?"

Ji Su dared not admit it: "No, I was only asking..."

"I'm not ignorant of the law." The corner of Gu Zhao's mouth lifted in a faintly mocking arc. "I couldn't bring myself to blackmail someone with private photos."

Ji Su apologized: "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean that..."

He sat on the bed in his sailor uniform, his black hair slightly disheveled; his beautiful face wore a pitiful expression, his red lips parting as though pleading with the other not to do anything excessive to him — which only made one want to be rougher with him.

Gu Zhao clenched his back teeth, the vein at his temple pulsing as he forcibly suppressed the sudden surge of sadistic desire within him.

Just as Ji Su was about to lie down, a sudden knock came at the door, followed by a string of questions: "Gu-ge? Are you in the dorm? Why's the door locked?"

Ji Su startled, instinctively shrinking toward the head of the bed: "Wh-what do we do?"

Gu Zhao steadied himself: "Go change in the bathroom first."

Ji Su reacted at once, scrambling toward the bathroom — so hastily that he stumbled.

"Slow down." Gu Zhao ignored the increasingly urgent knocking, waited for him to close the bathroom door, then turned toward the entrance.

The moment the door opened, Wang Mingzhe's big face pressed in: "Gu-ge, what are you doing alone in the dorm with the door locked?"

Gu Zhao said expressionlessly, "Didn't I tell you to come back later?"

"Well..." Wang Mingzhe tapped his wristwatch. "It's nearly eight — isn't that late enough?"

Zhou Yang explained, "Old Wang's foot only just healed, he can't do anything strenuous, so he could only sit there watching me play basketball. He couldn't sit still."

Gu Zhao said nothing more and turned to walk back inside.

Wang Mingzhe followed him into the dorm, muttering, "I'm going to hit the bathroom first, I'm dying here."

"Wait." Gu Zhao raised a hand to stop him. "Someone's inside."

Wang Mingzhe looked puzzled: "Who? There are only three of us in our dorm, right?"

No sooner had the words fallen than the bathroom door opened and Ji Su walked out.

"Ji Su?" Wang Mingzhe's face lit up at once. "How come you're at our dorm?"

Ji Su forced himself to reply, "I came to borrow the bathroom."

"No way?" Wang Mingzhe's eyes went wide. "I remember the Architecture Department dorms are really far from the Law Department ones — why'd you come all the way here to use the bathroom?"

Gu Zhao: "Is that a problem?"

Wang Mingzhe hastily said, "No, no, of course not!"

"Well..." Ji Su walked to the desk, picked up his backpack. "I'll head back to the dorm now."

Zhou Yang tried to keep him: "You're already here, stay a bit longer."

Ji Su politely declined: "It's pretty late, I still have to work on my drawing assignment when I get back."

Gu Zhao said, "I'll walk you."

Ji Su wanted to refuse, but meeting those deep, dark eyes, he silently nodded: "All right, thanks for the trouble."

The two walked out of the dorm one after the other, heading toward the stairwell.

The corridor was full of shirtless boys; the moment they spotted Ji Su they couldn't help staring — but a single cold glance from Gu Zhao sent their eyes skittering away.

Once outside the Law Department Boys' Dormitory, Ji Su stopped: "I can make it back on my own."

Gu Zhao stepped down first: "Walking you back to your dorm."

Ji Su had no choice but to follow, and they kept walking.

After a few steps, Gu Zhao asked out of nowhere, "You said you've played piano since elementary school — was that true?"

Ji Su nodded slightly: "That part's true."

Gu Zhao glanced sideways: "Then why study architecture now?"

"I learned piano as a kid because..." Ji Su paused. "Because there was nothing else to do, just a way to pass the time. I was nowhere near professional level."

Gu Zhao offered a compliment: "You play beautifully."

"Just that one piece, really — I've played it so many times since I was little." Ji Su's lips curved slightly. "It's quite a coincidence that you happen to like that piece too."

Gu Zhao fell silent; for the rest of the walk neither of them spoke, only their two shadows crossing and parting, crossing and parting.

About ten minutes later, Ji Su stopped: "I'm here."

Gu Zhao stopped as well, suddenly raising one hand.

Ji Su flinched backward on reflex, his eyes squeezing shut.

Gu Zhao's hand froze in midair: "You thought I was going to hit you?"

"No, how could I possibly think that..." Ji Su opened his eyes and denied softly. "It's just a human reflex, nothing else."

His long, dense lashes trembled uneasily, casting a shadow across his eyelids that made one's heart itch.

Gu Zhao's raised hand descended, turning out the collar of his white shirt and smoothing it with meticulous care.

Ji Su stood rooted, his spine visibly rigid.

"There." Gu Zhao withdrew his hand. "Go on up."

"Good night." Ji Su, as if granted some special reprieve, said this and then hurried toward the dormitory entrance.

Gu Zhao stood where he was, watching that slender, upright figure vanish from sight, then turned and left.

*

Back in his dorm, Ji Su closed the door and leaned against it; the heart in his chest was still pounding wildly.

"Su-su, you're back!" Qiao Jin rolled off the bed and jumped down. "I sent you messages and you didn't reply to a single one — I was worried sick!"

"I'm fine." Ji Su lifted his face. "I didn't check my phone, sorry for worrying you."

Qiao Jin looked him up and down: "Whether I'm worried is secondary — the main thing is, Gu Zhao didn't do anything to you, right?"

Ji Su recalled what had just happened in the dorm, his cheeks warming slightly: "Nothing..."

"No way, something definitely happened!" Qiao Jin urged him. "Tell me quick — what exactly did he make you do?"

Ji Su's voice grew smaller: "He made me put on a sailor uniform and show him."

"Holy shit!" Qiao Jin shouted. "That exciting?"

Ji Su: "..."

Qiao Jin's tone was complicated: "So Campus Heartthrob Gu really knows how to enjoy himself — Mengmeng's photos weren't enough, he had to see the real thing, huh?"

"It's not like that, Xiao Qiao." Ji Su explained on Gu Zhao's behalf. "He wants to see me in a skirt so he can completely get over his attachment to Mengmeng."

Qiao Jin didn't get it: "What do you mean?"

"In Gu Zhao's mind, Mengmeng's hidden upper body and face must be very beautiful." Ji Su analyzed seriously. "But once he sees me in a sailor uniform, the illusion will be shattered."

Qiao Jin leaned back tactically: "Are you sure?"

Ji Su nodded: "Yes."

Qiao Jin's expression was hard to read: "He said that himself?"

Ji Su thought back for a moment: "Pretty much."

"Alright then." Qiao Jin said, half-believing. "Maybe it's because... Gu Zhao's homophobia is pretty severe?"

Unless he was a severe homophobe, he didn't believe anyone could see Su-su in women's clothes and feel disillusioned.

That slim waist, those long legs, that shy yet alluring look — even he, a hardened little zero, couldn't help wanting to pounce on him...

"Anyway, Gu Zhao isn't as scary as we imagined." Ji Su straightened up and walked toward his desk.

Qiao Jin pouted: "Weren't we just scared by what Zhou Yang said earlier?"

"Zhou Yang also said Gu Zhao is a good person." Ji Su sighed softly. "I'm the one who hurt a good person."

"Ah, Su-su, don't overthink it." Qiao Jin hugged his arm and shook it. "I think Campus Heartthrob Gu seems fine, and aren't you already trying to make up for it?"

"Got it." Ji Su smiled. "Then let's pray together that Gu Zhao can forgive me soon."

Qiao Jin affirmed: 'Of course! Who could really stay mad at baby Su-su!'

Ji Su pulled his arm back. 'Alright, go have fun.'

A moment later, he drew his phone from his pocket, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Gu Zhao.

Ji Su: [Have you gotten back to the Dormitory?]

Gu Zhao: [Just got back.]

Ji Su: [Mm, that's good then.]

Ji Su: [Get some rest early. Good night.]

Gu Zhao: [Why aren't you sending stickers anymore?]

Ji Su: '...'

He thought for a moment, then tentatively typed out a question.

Ji Su: [Are you… wanting me to add you back using Mengmeng's account?]

Gu Zhao: [No need.]

Ji Su felt a little vexed — Mengmeng was a known liar; adding Gu Zhao back would be like pouring salt on his wound, wouldn't it?

Ji Su: [I'm sorry.]

Gu Zhao: [I told you, stop apologizing all the time.]

Ji Su bit his lip, just about to reply, when a new message popped up in the chat window.

Gu Zhao: [The person wearing the dress I gave you that day — that was the scammed senior?]

Ji Su's heart skipped a beat, startled once again by the other's sharp intuition.

Ji Su: [Yes…]

Ji Su: [But none of it has anything to do with her. It's all my fault.]

Gu Zhao: [What's your relationship with her?]

Ji Su: [Senior and junior.]

Gu Zhao: [Do you like her?]

Ji Su: [How could I?]

Ji Su: [The senior and I went to the same high school. She looked after me, so I wanted to help her — I never thought it would backfire…]

Gu Zhao: [Mm.]

Ji Su couldn't quite read what he meant, and just then another new message popped up.

Gu Zhao: [Have her compile all the information about that guy into a document and send it to you, then send it to me.]

Ji Su was stunned for a few seconds, then quickly caught on.

Ji Su: [Are you going to help the senior track down that scumbag?]

Gu Zhao: [The person who made me take the fall — you think I'd let him off easily?]

A chill ran suddenly up Ji Su's spine, and he couldn't help but shiver.

Maybe Zhou Yang was right — whoever crossed Gu Zhao, he'd dig three feet into the earth to find them, settling every grudge, every grievance.

Looking at it that way, Gu Zhao had probably been lenient with him… right?

Ji Su: [Okay, I understand.]

Ji Su: [I'll contact the senior right away.]

Gu Zhao: [This isn't all your fault. You don't have to pay for other people's mistakes.]

Ji Su held his phone, hardly able to believe his own eyes.

Did this mean Gu Zhao had forgiven him?

Gu Zhao: [But the one who tricked my feelings was you, so you still have to take responsibility for me.]

The surge of emotion rising in Ji Su's chest dissolved in an instant.

Ji Su: [Mm, I know.]

*

Ji Su had no idea what methods Gu Zhao had used, but two days later, he received the scumbag's personal information.

The information was extremely thorough — name, age, height, weight, ID number, contact details, which school, which major, which class, even down to the exact house number of the scumbag's home.

Ji Su said a quick thank you, then forwarded the scumbag's file to the senior.

As for how the senior would handle things afterward, he didn't want to interfere anymore.

Gu Zhao sat across from him. 'Just a thank you?'

Ji Su blinked, startled. 'What?'

Gu Zhao rephrased. 'How do you plan to thank me?'

Ji Su asked softly in return, 'How would you like me to thank you?'

He had almost forgotten — Gu Zhao's way of doing things meant he never did favors for free.

'Keep the debt for now.' Gu Zhao shifted his tone. 'You haven't finished last time's assignment.'

'Last time what—' Ji Su caught on halfway through, the tips of his ears flushing. 'Didn't that already pass…'

'Who said it passed?' Gu Zhao's dark, heavy gaze fixed on him. 'Did I say it passed?'

Ji Su pressed his lips together and fell silent.

'I dreamed about Mengmeng last night.' Gu Zhao spoke unhurriedly in that low, magnetic voice. 'In the dream, he kept calling me senior, calling me gege—'

Ji Su gritted his teeth and agreed, 'Fine. When are you free?'

It seemed Gu Zhao still hadn't walked out of Mengmeng's shadow — he would have to administer a strong dose.

Gu Zhao: 'Tonight.'

'Tonight?' Ji Su hesitated. 'Is there no one else at your Dormitory tonight?'

Gu Zhao's tone was calm. 'Come to my place.'

'Huh?' Ji Su's eyes widened slightly. 'Your place?'

'What?' Gu Zhao lifted his chin slightly. 'Or would you rather go to a Hotel?'

Ji Su: '...'

Could he choose neither?

Gu Zhao, rarely one to explain himself, added, 'I have a place near School. I live there alone.'

Unfortunately, that did nothing to comfort Ji Su — being alone with him seemed even more terrifying.

Gu Zhao stood up. 'Let's go.'

Ji Su rose in resignation and followed him out.

Gu Zhao had arranged a car, parked right at the School gate.

Ji Su had been about to open the back-seat door, but after a moment's hesitation, obediently got into the passenger seat instead.

Though he didn't want to sit beside Gu Zhao, treating him like a driver would be rather impolite.

It was his first time seeing Gu Zhao drive — long, powerful fingers resting on the steering wheel, his manner casual, yet the car moved fast and steady.

Before long, the car pulled into a high-end residential complex and drove straight into the underground garage.

After they got out, they took the elevator up.

Gu Zhao stood at the door and entered six digits. 'The password is my birthday.'

Ji Su hadn't really been paying attention and replied absently, 'Oh.'

Gu Zhao glanced at him sidelong. 'Repeat it.'

Ji Su: '...'

Forced to memorize Gu Zhao's Residence door code, Ji Su stepped inside for real.

As an Architecture Department student, he instinctively took in the layout and décor of the place.

The space was generous — four bedrooms and two living rooms, the base palette black and gray, every piece of furniture in the same cool tones; the overall style was hard-edged and somber, much like the impression Gu Zhao gave.

Ji Su couldn't help asking, 'Did you decorate this place yourself?'

'Yes.' Gu Zhao answered. 'Everything that's mine has to pass through my own hands.'

Ji Su nodded, slipped on the house slippers, and walked into the living room — then suddenly remembered an important problem. 'Wait, I didn't bring a dress.'

'No need.' Gu Zhao walked past him from behind. 'I prepared them.'

Ji Su: '...'

Was this person so certain he would come home with him?

Gu Zhao walked into the open Kitchen. 'What do you want to eat tonight?'

'It's fine, I'm not hungry.' Ji Su wanted to get it over with quickly. 'How about… I just complete the assignment first?'

Gu Zhao glanced back. 'In such a rush?'

Ji Su didn't know what to say, so he just laughed a little.

'Alright.' Gu Zhao turned and headed toward the bedroom. 'Come here.'

Ji Su took a deep breath and followed.

Gu Zhao stopped at the bedroom door, turned the handle, and pushed it open.

Ji Su looked up into the bedroom and, caught off guard, froze once more.

In the center of the room stood an oversized luxury bed, and spread across it were dresses of every kind.

Ji Su opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.

The dresses looked terribly familiar — they seemed identical to the ones he'd received before…

'The dresses I bought for you — for Mengmeng — I picked every single one myself.' Gu Zhao's gaze was dark and deep, his tone cold. 'Since you gave them away to someone else, I had no choice but to pick them all over again.'

Ji Su stepped back instinctively, but a large, burning hand pressed against his back and held him steady.

Gu Zhao said coldly, 'Trying to run again?'

'No…' Ji Su's throat was dry, his words barely coming out. 'T-too many…'

'Too many what?' Gu Zhao gave a cold laugh. 'I'm not asking you to wear them all.'

A small flame of hope lit in Ji Su's chest. 'Then can I pick which one to wear?'

Gu Zhao, in a rare show of mercy: 'You may.'

Ji Su let out a small breath of relief, walked with heavy steps toward the bed, and picked out a long dress. 'Is this one okay?'

Gu Zhao laughed coldly. 'Did Mengmeng ever wear a long dress?'

Ji Su: 'No…'

Gu Zhao: 'Pick again.'

Ji Su closed his eyes, steeled himself, and grabbed one at random from the bed. 'Then how about this one?'

Gu Zhao's gaze fell on the red slip dress, his eyes darkening another shade. 'That one works.'

Ji Su unfolded the dress and only then saw its style clearly — his brain rang with a buzz.