31

The pool water churned into layers of spray, pale long legs wrapped tightly around a slightly darker waist beneath the surface — the picture carried an indescribable suggestiveness.

Gu Zhao's Adam's apple rolled once, his voice hoarse beyond reason: 'Let go of me first.'

'I don't want to.' Ji Su was afraid of choking on water again, clinging to him like an octopus and refusing to let go.

'Be good.' The large hand gripping the slim waist loosened, 'Like this I can't teach you.'

Ji Su's thighs slid down a little, unavoidably brushing against the rock-hard muscle.

His whole body went rigid; belatedly he realized what position they were in, his mind going blank for several seconds.

Gu Zhao's one hand slid down along the waistline, settling on his leg.

Ji Su came back to himself, his ears instantly red as if bleeding; flustered, he let go with both hands and legs, in his panic nearly sinking back into the pool.

Fortunately Gu Zhao reacted swiftly, his large hand gripping his waist and lifting him steadily back to the surface.

'Cough, cough…' Ji Su coughed as he complained, 'Not fun, cough… I don't want to learn anymore…'

'Alright, then we won't for now.' Gu Zhao didn't press him, 'Wait until you're ready and I'll teach you.'

Next time he'd take him to a private Swimming Pool, where teaching would be more convenient.

The pool wasn't especially deep, so Gu Zhao simply stood up in the water, scooped him by the waist, and delivered him back to the edge.

His bottom touched the ground, and Ji Su's heart finally settled back into place; he raised a hand to push his forehead hair back, looking at the person in the water: 'Do you still want to swim a bit longer?'

'Mm.' Gu Zhao glanced at him, then dove back under.

That look had been inexplicably fierce; Ji Su couldn't make heads or tails of it, but obediently sat at the pool's edge waiting for him to finish.

Several more minutes passed, and Gu Zhao finally climbed out.

Water streamed off him, large droplets rolling down the smooth, full lines of his muscles, the whole person radiating a damp, raw sensuality.

Ji Su's gaze landed inadvertently on a certain spot; his eyes widened, then he quickly looked away.

He recalled that just now in the water, he seemed to have touched…

But in that kind of situation, it would be perfectly normal for the other person to have a reaction, right?

'Get up.' Gu Zhao bent slightly forward, extending a hand to him, 'Let's go change.'

'Ah? Okay…' Ji Su immediately ordered himself to stop the wild thoughts, and stood up with one hand braced against the floor.

Gu Zhao lowered his hand and took the lead, walking forward.

The Aquatic Center had set aside separate changing rooms and showers for VIP clients; Ji Su took a quick shower, put on his own clothes, and walked out.

Gu Zhao moved a bit faster; seeing him come out, he called softly: 'Come here.'

Ji Su walked over: 'What's wrong?'

Gu Zhao draped the towel in his hand over Ji Su's head, drying his dripping hair.

Ji Su tilted his face up; through the gaps in the towel he could only see the other's sharply defined jawline.

The lines looked cold and hard, yet the large hand drying his hair was surprisingly gentle — a strange, striking contrast.

Gu Zhao opened his mouth to ask: 'If I hadn't stopped you just now, were you really planning to add that girl's WeChat?'

Ji Su explained gently: 'I felt it wouldn't be great to embarrass a girl in front of everyone.'

Gu Zhao's hand paused; he cupped Ji Su's face with the towel and tilted it up: 'So many people want to add your WeChat — are you going to give it to all of them?'

Ji Su shook his head: 'Not exactly. I only add them in situations where it would be awkward to refuse.'

Gu Zhao's eyes darkened: 'After adding them on WeChat, then what?'

Ji Su: 'Then nothing much. I'll explain things clearly to them over WeChat.'

Gu Zhao: 'If that's the case, why bother with the unnecessary step?'

'It's just…' Ji Su hesitated, 'I just feel like this way it might not hurt the other person as much.'

Gu Zhao continued: 'They're only strangers to you — why do you have to consider so much?'

Ji Su's brow furrowed slightly: 'I don't know either.'

He was just this kind of person — unable to refuse others, habitually trying to please them, as if…

As if by doing so, everyone would end up liking him.

'People who don't like you — no matter how much you try to please them, it's useless.' Gu Zhao looked into his eyes, each word distinct and clear, 'And people who like you won't stop liking you just because you refuse them.'

Ji Su was momentarily stunned, unsure what to say.

'Ji Su, you need to learn to refuse unreasonable requests.' Gu Zhao's voice was deep and very serious, 'Don't waste effort trying to please people who don't matter; don't force yourself to do things you don't like.'

'I…' Ji Su only managed a single word, then hastily lowered his lashes, not wanting the other to see the glimmer of tears in his eyes.

Gu Zhao released his hold, adding mildly: 'In the future, when someone asks for your WeChat, just refuse them directly.'

Ji Su: 'Okay…'

The two left the Aquatic Center and took a cab back to School.

As usual, Gu Zhao walked him to the Dormitory Building, then stopped: 'Go on in.'

Ji Su also stopped, asking: 'Do you want to come up to our Dormitory and sit for a bit?'

Gu Zhao's brow moved slightly: 'Are you inviting me?'

Ji Su nodded: 'Our Dormitory is pretty clean, and the other roommates are easy to get along with.'

Gu Zhao looked at him for several seconds, then raised a hand to smooth a few stray strands of hair standing up on his head: 'I won't go up. I prefer being alone with you.'

Ji Su: 'Oh…'

Gu Zhao withdrew his hand: 'Go on.'

Ji Su turned and walked toward the Dormitory Building entrance, then suddenly looked back over his shoulder and waved: 'Goodnight, see you tomorrow.'

Gu Zhao stood beneath the streetlamp, a very faint smile surfacing on his handsome face: 'Mm, see you tomorrow.'

*

Early June, the weather was growing gradually hotter.

Ji Su's studies and life were proceeding in an orderly fashion — except there was now one more person by his side.

Without quite realizing it, he had grown very close to Gu Zhao, the two of them always appearing in the same places.

Gu Zhao, the campus heartthrob, was famously cold and aloof, the four big characters 'strangers keep off' written all over him.

But it soon became clear to everyone that, as long as Ji Su was beside him, the heartthrob's terrifying aura would soften somewhat.

Ji Su himself hadn't noticed this intimate atmosphere; it was Qiao Jin who first grew dissatisfied.

After class one day, Ji Su asked casually: 'Xiao Qiao, want to come with me to the Gymnasium?'

Qiao Jin, who was packing up his books, turned his head at the words: 'You're going to see Gu Zhao again?'

'There's a basketball game coming up, he's been training really hard lately.' Ji Su slung his bag over his shoulder, 'I'm going to bring him some water.'

'You're bringing him water?' Qiao Jin made an exaggerated gesture, 'Please, the people lining up to bring the campus heartthrob water could circle the track seven or eight times!'

Ji Su was amused into laughter: 'You're not wrong, but he asked me to come, so it'd be hard to refuse.'

Normally Gu Zhao looked after him in every way; if he were to make a fuss over a bottle of water, that would be a pretty poor showing as a friend.

Qiao Jin stroked his chin: 'Susu, have you noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Gu Zhao lately?'

Ji Su paused: 'Have I?'

'Yes!' Qiao Jin unconsciously raised his voice, 'The time you spend with me has gotten way less!'

'What are you talking about?' Ji Su laughed, 'We literally sleep in the same Dormitory.'

'That's not what I mean — you've been ditching me to hang out alone with Gu Zhao lately!' The more Qiao Jin spoke, the more something felt off, 'Susu, tell me — am I still your best friend or not?'

'Of course you're my best friend.' Ji Su tried to change the subject, 'Zhou Yang's playing too — want to come find him with me?'

Qiao Jin: 'Yes!'

The two walked to the Gymnasium; before even going in, they heard a burst of shrieks and cheers from inside.

Qiao Jin's face was knowing: 'It must be Gu the campus heartthrob unleashing that damned charm of his again.'

Ji Su: '…'

Once inside the venue, he indeed spotted Gu Zhao on the court at first glance.

A tall boy over one meter ninety, dressed in a black basketball jersey, broad-shouldered and long-legged, with deep, sculpted features that could be picked out from a great distance.

Gu Zhao wore his usual cold expression when playing, his presence even more commanding than off the court — lithe as a hunting leopard, yet with an unhurried elegance.

Even though it was only a regular practice session, there were still plenty of spectators.

'Qiao Jin, Ji Su!' At that moment, Wang Mingzhe's voice rang out, waving vigorously at them, 'Come on, come on — we saved you the best seats!'

Ji Su walked over and sat down in a front-row seat, raising his eyes to search for that figure on the court.

Gu Zhao had also seen him; across half the court, he smiled faintly in his direction.

'Ahhh, Gu Zhao just smiled!'

'What what? Who did Gu Zhao smile at?'

'He seemed to be looking in our direction!'

…

The noisy chatter rose from behind him; Ji Su automatically tuned it out and answered with a curved, smiling brow.

He couldn't help recalling that time, also at the Gymnasium, when he'd mustered the courage to smile at Gu Zhao and been completely ignored.

Who could have imagined that in just a few short months, they would have become such good friends.

With a 'thud', Gu Zhao casually sank a three-pointer.

'Gu-ge, you're amazing!' Wang Mingzhe called out praise, then turned and asked, 'The Basketball Club is having a dinner tonight — want to come with us?'

Ji Su declined tactfully: 'I'd better not, I'm not really acquainted with the others.'

'What's the big deal? You're acquainted with me, Wang Mingzhe, isn't that enough?' Wang Mingzhe swept a generous hand through the air, 'Qiao Jin, isn't that right?'

Qiao Jin laughed loudly: 'Yes, yes! Who could have a bigger face than Wang-ge?'

Ji Su also laughed: 'Let's talk about it later.'

At halftime, Gu Zhao walked toward the rest area.

Ji Su stood up holding a bottle of mineral water; he'd only taken two steps before a male voice from behind called out: 'Ji Su!'

He turned around and replied politely: 'Hello.'

A delicate-featured boy introduced himself: 'My name is He Yun, I'm also a member of the Music Society — do you remember me?'

Ji Su nodded slightly: 'I remember. You lent me an umbrella once.'

'Yes, yes!' He Yun nodded rapidly, 'That's great, I didn't expect you to remember!'

Ji Su asked: 'Is there something you wanted?'

He Yun's face was full of unspoken words: 'That… are you very close with Gu Zhao?'

A bad premonition rose in Ji Su's heart; he only gave a vague response: 'Mm.'

'I've liked Gu Zhao for a long time, but I've never dared to talk to him…' He Yun's expression was shy and hopeful. 'Could you give me his WeChat ID?'

Ji Su: '…'

He wasn't Old Man Under-the-Moon — why did people keep coming to him to tie the red thread?

'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that the WeChat ID came from you.' He Yun pleaded in rapid succession. 'For the sake of us both being members of the Music Society, and since I've helped you before, won't you help me this once?'

Usually, by this point, Ji Su would have begun to waver.

But at this moment, the words Gu Zhao had once said to him echoed through his mind.

'Ji Su, you need to learn to refuse unreasonable requests.'

Ji Su pressed his lips together, his gaze growing firm: 'I'm sorry, I can't give you Gu Zhao's WeChat ID.'

'Why?' He Yun still hadn't given up. 'It's just a WeChat ID — whether or not I get added, I won't make things difficult for you.'

'Because one thing at a time — I can't just hand over his WeChat ID on my own.' Ji Su's tone was calm. 'If you really want to add Gu Zhao on WeChat, you can go ask him yourself. He's right over there —'

He turned his head and, without warning, collided with a pair of dark, fathomless eyes.

Gu Zhao stood there holding a towel, no one knew how much he had heard.

He Yun saw him too. He had been about to speak, but the moment he met that icy, bone-piercing gaze, he fled without a single word.

Ji Su: '…'

So all his long-winded effort had less killing power than a single glance from Gu Zhao?

Gu Zhao took a long stride and walked toward him.

Ji Su twisted off the cap of the mineral water in his hand and held it out: 'You've worked hard.'

Gu Zhao took the water and drank more than half the bottle in one go.

He drank in great haste; the water he couldn't swallow in time streamed down his jaw to his collar, dampening his basketball jersey so that it clung tight to his body, the firm, swelling contours of his chest muscles thrown into sharp relief.

Ji Su stole one glance, then another on the sly, his heart honestly a little envious.

Could he truly never, in this lifetime, train himself into muscles as perfect as those?

Gu Zhao lowered his gaze: 'What are you looking at?'

'Nothing.' Ji Su quickly lifted his face. 'Oh, about what happened just now…'

He was still trying to figure out how to phrase it when he heard Gu Zhao's voice at his ear: 'You did well.'

Ji Su: 'Mm?'

'I said —' Gu Zhao brushed his cheek with a warm, damp finger, 'you did well.'

Ji Su blinked, and his ears grew inexplicably hot.

Whenever Gu Zhao spoke to him in that tone, he felt like a child being praised.

Gu Zhao's throat moved slightly; the tip of his finger toyed with the flushed, reddened earlobe.

'Oh, right — Wang Mingzhe mentioned earlier that you all have a group dinner tonight.' Ji Su remembered. 'He invited me and Xiao Qiao along.'

Gu Zhao withdrew his hand: 'Do you want to go?'

Ji Su hesitated a little: 'I…'

Gu Zhao said lightly: 'If you want to go, then go. If you don't, then don't.'

Ji Su smiled: 'Then I'll go.'

Gu Zhao would be there anyway, and he knew everyone else — there was no need to be precious about it.

Gu Zhao answered: 'Alright.'

*

After training, everyone went together to a restaurant near the School for the group dinner.

The Basketball Club had many members, so they split into two tables; Ji Su, as usual, sat obediently in the seat beside Gu Zhao.

Everyone chatted and drank amid laughter, and soon someone got the idea to set their sights on Ji Su, wanting to drink a cup with him.

Since that last time he had gotten drunk, Ji Su hadn't touched alcohol again — but in a setting like a group dinner, refusing even one cup seemed too dull.

He was just about to lift his glass when a large hand pressed it down.

Gu Zhao switched hands, picked up the glass in front of himself, and poured the drink into his mouth.

'Good! Brother Gu, generous!'

'Wait, whose cup was that, exactly?'

'Who wants to drink?' Gu Zhao's tone was offhand. 'Come drink with me.'

'Forget it, forget it — we wouldn't dare!'

'Who'd dare drink with Brother Gu? Don't want to live anymore!'

…

Amid the clamoring voices, someone called out loudly: 'Brother Gu, what's the actual deal between you and Ji Su? Why are you shielding him like this?'

The moment those words fell, an eerie silence settled over the table.

Ji Su's heart gave a lurch, and he instinctively looked toward the person at his side.

Into that silence, Gu Zhao asked, expressionless: 'Does it have anything to do with you?'

'Hahahaha!' That line was so very Gu Zhao that everyone burst out laughing together.

Ji Su secretly let out a breath of relief and quietly lifted his juice for a sip.

'I'm telling you, you bunch of big men have absolutely no self-awareness!' Wang Mingzhe slammed the table. 'Have you looked at what Ji Su looks like, and then looked at what you lot look like?'

Zhou Yang laughed and chimed in: 'Exactly.'

The topic was left behind, and the table regained its lively noise.

By the time the dinner ended, it was already past nine.

Although no one quite dared to pester Gu Zhao, it was a club dinner after all, and in the end he still drank several glasses of wine.

Gu Zhao leaned back in his chair, his long fingers pinching the bridge of his brow.

'Did you drink too much?' Ji Su watched him with worry. 'Let's take a cab back.'

'My home isn't far from here.' Gu Zhao looked at him. 'Stay at home tonight.'

Ji Su didn't think much of it: 'Alright, then I'll walk you back.'

After saying goodbye to the others, Ji Su helped Gu Zhao to his feet, and the two of them walked out together.

On the way home, Gu Zhao's arm rested around the slender shoulders; he looked as though his whole weight were leaning on Ji Su, but in truth he hadn't dared to exert even half a fraction of force.

Once a stranger, twice familiar — this was the third time now, and Ji Su, practiced, punched in the code and pushed open the front door.

He helped Gu Zhao to the sofa and was just about to lower him down when he somehow tripped, and his whole body tumbled onto the other man.

Gu Zhao had been drinking, and the heat of his body was impossibly high; Ji Su, sprawled across the broad, solid chest, found his nose wrapped in a rich, cold-edged fragrance of wine, and for a moment his head went spinning, as though he too were drunk.

It was only when the bodies pressed together showed some unmistakable change that he jolted back to himself and scrambled up in a panic.

But the more he panicked, the worse it got — not only did he fail to climb off properly, his palm pressed hard against the burning chest.

Gu Zhao opened his eyes, and a spark of fire lit in the depths of his gaze.

Ji Su shuddered all over, scrambled backward in haste, and landed hard on the carpet on his backside.

Gu Zhao took a deep breath, sat up from the sofa, and reached a hand out toward him.

'I'm fine…' Ji Su braced himself against the coffee table and got up. 'I'll go pour you some water.'

Gu Zhao lay back against the sofa, one hand resting on his forehead, a pair of deep, bottomless eyes following that figure without pause.

Ji Su poured a cup of warm water, returned to the sofa, dropped to one knee on the cushion, and brought the cup to those thin lips.

Suddenly, a flash of the same scene surfaced in his mind — only with the roles reversed.

Last time, when he had been the drunk one, Gu Zhao seemed to have taken care of him in exactly this way.

Except compared to him, Gu Zhao's conduct when drunk was truly better by more than a little…

Lost in thought, his hand trembled and he spilled a little water.

'I'm sorry…' Ji Su apologized instinctively and reached to wipe the water from Gu Zhao's chest.

Cool fingertips brushed across his chest, the pads of the fingers soft and smooth; Gu Zhao's brow furrowed, and he raised a hand to catch Ji Su's fingertips.

Ji Su's motion stalled; he tried to pull his fingers back but couldn't.

Gu Zhao's voice was low and hoarse: 'I told you, you don't need to apologize to me.'

'I forgot…' Ji Su felt inexplicably nervous, and searched for something to say. 'Actually, you didn't have to take those drinks for me tonight — otherwise you wouldn't have gotten drunk.'

Gu Zhao didn't answer; his large hand held Ji Su's and slowly moved downward, finally coming to rest over his heart.

'Thump, thump, thump…'

Strong, forceful heartbeats, each one heavier than the last, pounding against his palm until it went numb.

Ji Su's fingertips curled inward; his own heartbeat was thrown into disarray, and he stammered: 'Wh-what is it, is something wrong with you…'

The tail of his voice gradually faded into the air.

Gu Zhao was watching him with quiet focus, his dark, deep-set gaze full of complicated emotions Ji Su couldn't read — but more than enough to make his heart pound with terror.

'Ji Su.' Gu Zhao opened his mouth, his voice hoarse. 'Don't you always ask me why I'm so good to you?'

Ji Su's heart was beating faster and faster; he had a vague sense that something terrifying was about to break through the soil.

Gu Zhao gave him no room at all to retreat, and answered his own question: 'Because I like you.'

With a 'boom', Ji Su's mind exploded, instantly going blank.

Several seconds passed — perhaps longer — before his crashed mind rebooted.

Like?

Gu Zhao had said… he liked him?

'Gu Zhao, stop joking around.' Ji Su's first reaction was that it was absurd. 'Are you drunk?'

He tried once more to pull his hand back, but it was held even tighter.

'I'm very sober.' Gu Zhao's gaze fixed on him without wavering. 'And you know perfectly well I'm not joking.'

'I…' Ji Su wanted to say something, but for the moment lost his voice.

'Of course you can refuse me — once, twice, a hundred times, a thousand times.' Gu Zhao's voice was low and hoarse, his tone more solemn than it had ever been. 'But I won't give up on you just because you refuse.'

Ji Su's heart was a tangled mess; amid his own deafening heartbeat, he seemed to hear once more that familiar voice.

'Someone who doesn't like you — no matter how much you try to please them, it's useless. Someone who likes you won't stop liking you just because you refuse.'

Only now, at last, did he truly understand those words.

In that long, suffocating silence, Gu Zhao smiled, very slowly: 'Ji Su, I'm that kind of person too.'

'Even if I dash myself to death against the southern wall, I will never take a single step back.'