Gu Jing didn't think he would be returning to high-school so quickly after graduating from it not so long ago. Of course, that was in his original life. As soon as he turned twenty, he moved out of his step-father's house into a cheap, barely functioning condominium. It was gross, hot and the facilities were more terrible than back at his step-father's.
Gu Jing sighed, sliding the door open with a brooding aura that notified the students of the tyrant's incoming rage. Most of them who were separated into groups of their own dispersed like flies to a fly repellent and seated themselves far away from him. Gu Jing's seat was located near the window, as would every cool, macho male leads would sit themselves at. Luckily, the plot made it so that the main shou, Kuanlin, sat just in front of him. What a fate.
As of now, the little shou was staring at Gu Jing with starry eyes. Anyone with two perfectly working eyes could see the heavy affection overflowing from within those pure, limpid orbs.
But, Gu Jing felt uncomfortable. He had, of course, dealt with girls confessing to him, but none of them were as... obsessed? He could put it that way - obsessed with him to this terrifying degree. Kuanlin's hot gaze prickled his skin like a million bees and Gu Jing shoved his bag onto his desk with an expressionless face.
The system nudged him, "Host, it's time! The little shou's looking at you! Make your manliness shine through and woo him!"
Gu Jing felt very annoyed by the system's nonstop nagging, so he snapped, "Alright! I know, I know. But, are you sure the shou's supposed to love me this much? I almost feel like I'm catfishing a poor guy."
"Isn't that good for you?" The system was confused.
...Right, Gu Jing almost forgot that the system was a robot. They were foreigners to the concept of having a conscience. So, Gu Jing shut up and tried to focus on delivering his lines on time.
"I never knew you had sat in front of me. This must be fate telling us something," Gu Jing smiled, but in his head, was bashing the setting of the script, and just how terrible it was to the point even he felt embarrassed saying these corny lines. You sat behind a person for many days, weeks, yet didn't even notice them until now!? Unless the original Gu Jing was blind, then he wouldn't have realized the true beauty of the little shou!
"Is that so?" Disappointment was evident on Kuanlin's small, fair face. He was still very much young, so he couldn't control the slightest differences on his face. But then, elation leaked from his eyes at the thought of Gu Jing noticing him.
He took in greedily the perfunctory sight of Gu Jing, the hint of cockiness in the youth's lazy half-smirk as if indicating that everyone should adore and fawn over him. Normally, this type of sanctimonious expression would have evoked dislike from other people, but not Kuanlin. In fact, he thought this go to expression of Gu Jing's was extremely adorable. Like a feather tickling his heart, Kuanlin clamped a hand over the lower part of his face as if trying to hide the heavy color of claret staining his usually pale cheeks, but the bright color of his cheeks was revealed his bashfulness mixed in with happiness.
The smile deepened in Gu Jing's bright azure eyes that threatened the effulgence of the sun. He leaned in even closer, practically invading Kuanlin's personal bubble as if it were nonexistent, which it actually was, but it was considered rude to disregard someone's personal space, which was what Gu Jing was exactly doing right now. Not that Kuanlin even cared.
"Are you blushing?" Gu Jing's eyes twinkled impishly like a ruffian. His slender fingers grasped at Kuanlin's own long ones and he gently peeled them off with simple strength. It was obvious that Kuanlin was uncomfortable by the lack of space between them, but at the same time, could not help but yearn for the other to linger by his side. It was as though Gu Jing were the sun, illuminating everything and the path leading to his closed heart. Gu Jing's fulgent and holy presence knocked on Kuanlin's heart door, and he had no choice but to open up to him.
"Won't you show me your face, Kuanlin?" Guanlin's voice was addicting like grape wine, and Kuanlin was drunk on it, "I want to see your face. What you look like when you blush. I... weirdly want to see every expressions your face can make. So, won't you allow me?"
It didn't take Gu Jing another time to plead with his beguiling face and addicting voice that Kuanlin's mental barriers came crumbling down into dust. In the face of Gu Jing, Kuanlin's adam apple bobbed up and down, before he squeezed out a low voice.
"Please don't stare too much. If you look at me like that, I think I will... I will.." Kuanlin stammered out, troubled by the intensity of Gu Jing's stare, yet wanting for the other to only look at him just as how he was only solely looking at him. What he couldn't say out aloud was: I might develop the urge to kiss you. But, he couldn't tell Gu Jing that. Gu Jing was definitely straight and he might scare him away.
If only he noticed sooner that Gu Jing was deliberately seducing him and leading him on, plating the seeds of affection and waiting for them to grow only to nip at the buds down later on.
Let us take a look inside the 'cool' and 'holy' Gu Jing's head.
"Holy shit. He's really pretty. Ah, now I'm really jealous. If I had a face like his, all the entertainment companies would be begging me and licking my shoes to get me to join them. Isn't God just really unfair and picky when it comes to distributing equal amount of beauty to everyone!?"
On the outside though, the handsome, three-dimensional face smothered a patient expression. Gu Jing lifted his hand followed the cusp of the shell of Kuanlin's ear, tucking a strand of black hair behind the red-tinged ear. He trained his eyes on the cupid bow above Kuanlin's lips which were pursed from anticipation. Gu Jing's eyes flashed seriously. This was the perfect time to utter his lines.
"Kuanlin, I.."
Kuanlin stared deeply at him. The hint of embarrassment from before had disappeared, and was replaced with boundless patience that even made Gu Jing, who was preparing to say, bashful.
Gu Jing swallowed a lump down his throat. He rephrased himself and begun again, "Truthfully, I-"
"Gu Jing!" A low voice interrupted him.
A fierce emotion filled the azure eyes, and he whipped his head to the side, a "what" already forming on his lips when he noticed it was a black-haired, petite girl with an unusually husky and low voice. Gu Jing awkwardly closed his mouth and tilted his head at the girl as if asking why.
But then, the system started to ring shrilly inside of his head, making Gu Jing wince and grab his head as though protecting it from something. He hunched over his position as the system talked inside his mind.
"This is...this is one of the girls who Gu Jing cheated on Kuanlin with! Host, I suggest that you act lecherous with her to further highlight your scummy personality."
Gu Jing furrowed his eyebrows. The alarm bells constantly ringing in his ears didn't help to reorganize his thoughts. He could barely hear the system over the bells, so he looked up at the girl with an unintentional look of rejection. The corners of his lips were downturned and the area between his eyebrows crinkled. It took a few seconds for him to regain back his equilibrium. Once he got over the system's deafening announcement, he forced a smile, revealing a line of pearly whites.
"Yes?" He went an extra mile to make his voice softer and sweeter, intentionally puffing up his chest and shooting flattering looks in the extra's direction as though the look of utter refusal from before never existed.
However, the student's feral countenance was etched onto the random girl's delicate mind. Her shoulders shook and her bottom lip trembled in an especially fragile way. She couldn't believe her prince was acting so aggressive towards her! He hated her! There was nothing worse than knowing someone you poured all your heart into would show such a blatant look of dislike towards you.
She had always been insecure because of Gu Jing's infamous reputation of being a well-known casanova. She knew he was only fooling around with her, but she couldn't help but fall over her feet for him. Of course, she couldn't be blamed for liking him. Gu Jing was so perfect, so attractive. He had all the check boxes that girls wanted in a man ticked, except for the box for a decent personality. But nowadays, as long as you were a looker, you could break as many hearts as you wanted and get away with it.
No one would be able to refuse a face like Gu Jing's unless they were asexual, blind, or... their mental barriers were just that strong.
She thought she could change him. But now, she found out that it was her own wishful thinking. A leopard could never change its spots. She could only hope that Gu Jing's dick shrunk to the point he could no longer fool around with anyone!
On the brink of tears, she cried out, "I hope that your dick shrinks and you go bald! Fuck you, Gu Jing, you... you scumbag!"
Her voice had attracted all attention towards them. The other students glanced at the school tyrant and his 4th girlfriend for the week breaking up. Usually, those girls never caused a commotion in class because the boss was tactful enough to cut off his relationships somewhere secretive where no one could witness the ruckus. But unexpectedly, the boss's girlfriend was kicking up a fuss in class! She wasn't even in their class! But, since the tyrant's background was oppressing, they could only shut their mouths and keep their complaints inside their hearts.
Then, she rushed out once she realized the overwhelming amount of attention being paid to the two of them. The chatter still didn't continue after she was gone.
Incredulity left Gu Jing at a loss. His jaw had automatically unhinged. He scratched his head and swept a tongue over his bottom lip. Nervously, he sagged into his chair.
Inside his head, "System! What the hell just happened!? This wasn't in the script. What the fuck did I do wrong?"
The system, too, was at disbelief. It was just a newbie system, so it didn't know why the main system was glitching. Its robotic voice held a little nervousness when it spoke.
"I.. I don't know as well, host. I think it's because the main system glitched. Hold on, I'll go check it with them. I trust that you can still operate well without me. Right, host?"
"I..." Gu Jing began, but he couldn't find himself to continue.
"Riiiigghhhttt?" The system pressured him more.
Gu Jing licked his lips once again. He replied impatiently, "Alright, alright. What do you take me for? A toddler? I'm a grown man, okay? I can look after myself. Just trust me."
"Alright, host, please continue working hard," The system's mechanic voice soon faded away inside of his head. Gu Jing called the system's name just to double-check. But, indeed. Just like it said, the system really had gone away. Almost immediately, relief filled Gu Jing's chest.
However, he still felt a little uneasy. One wrong step and that may totally mess up his chance to reincarnate as a golden spoon. No. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to die knowing the golden opportunity he was given to flip his life upside down. Nothing could blotch his road to reincarnation. And if the system couldn't make sure of that, then he himself would.
"Ha..." Gu Jing's rested against the closed window pane, his chapfallen expression evoked sympathy from Kuanlin.
In other's eyes, Gu Jing's miserable appearance was tantamount to losing his girlfriend. The students who were secretly eyeing the school's tyrant for some juicy insider information suddenly faced the dejected form of the blond. They were taken aback and actually thought that the boss had met his match who dumped him. Maybe it was because of his infamousness that his beloved girlfriend had dumped him over, and the student who used to be a player, for the first time, realized how much he loved her. And, they began to make up a pitiful backstory of the unsuspecting, but diligently delivering his lines, Gu Jing.
Gu Jing sneezed. He swept under his nose and sniffled, having a naturally sensitive nose, 'Is that girl still cursing me or something?'
Ah. It was so pitiful! Boss was almost on the verge of tears!
When a person who was always so proud showed their weakness, even for a split second, it was different from a person who could truthfully reveal what they felt. So, their attitudes were a mix between, 'He deserved it!' or, 'Poor him! He loved her so much!'
Gu Jing felt someone cover his ears. When he reopened his eyes, he was faced with the sight of concern on Kuanlin's pretty face. His lips parted in mild surprise, for the shy Kuanlin who had trouble asserting himself suddenly found the courage to make a bold move, was considered a great feat. Anyone with human instincts would melt against the warmth emanating from a human's palm, and Gu Jing, who had never experienced the foreign concept of consolation, was unexpectedly weak against the feathery touch.
He leaned into Kuanlin's warm palm, to the point it almost burned his cheek, and smiled.
"Are you nervous?" Gu Jing chuckled, a low, dulcet tone that spot pangs into the hearts of everyone who were able to hear it, "Your palms are very sweaty. They're sticking to my cheek so closely."
"S.. Sorry," Kuanlin flushed, but made no indication to put his hands away, "But, it's just... I'm afraid that you'll be hurt from the things they're saying. No human deserves to be gossiped right in front of themselves. If only... if only I could tell them off. But.. but, now, I can only do something so miniscule for you."
Either Kuanlin was extremely naive, or... he was extremely naive, but he was accommodating even towards a slag like Gu Jing, even after the event that recently transpired, it seemed as though he were willing to believe a playboy in the name of liking someone. Everything went according to his plan, but why was it that Gu Jing didn't feel accomplished? He should have been dancing on top of the table, swinging his bag as though he were Tarzan. But, everything that went smoothly didn't make him ecstatic, oddly.
"+4 misery points!" A robotic voice chimed in his head.
"System, is that you? You came back so fast," Gu Jing felt himself looking for the system, and looking forward to its presence, but only remembered afterwards that the system was away for a period of time. He wanted someone to tell him what he was doing wasn't wrong, but his conscience was telling him that he was wrong. Wasn't he just really selfish? For his gain, he would trample over others' feelings.
Even if he felt sorry for the little shou, they were just virtual characters. They weren't real. And even if they were, they would meet their better matches after him. Actually, he tried to convince himself that what he was doing was in favor of them.
'Sorry, buddy, but it's a person for themselves,' Gu Jing looked upon the shou with a complex depth within his eyes, 'You'll find someone better. So, don't blame me for breaking your heart.'
"It's always been a usual thing for me," Gu Jing laughed; a curt, short snort like the beginning of spring. Uncharacteristically, it made him seem more approachable, "What's going to happen to me if I take offense at every little thing they say? Besides, it is true. I can't deny the facts."
"But you're..." Kuanlin bit his lips, unable to refute Gu Jing's resoluteness.
Suddenly, the door was slid open. A middle-aged man, presumably the head teacher, entered the class. Behind him, a taller, more robust youth trailed in. Distinguishable brown hair, and sharp, ruddy, red eyes, Gu Jing already remembered the student's appearance by heart, and probably out of spite as well. Of course, one would feel distaste towards their own love rival. Gu Jing was excited to know that he was competing with such a terrific man for the hands of the fair shou! It actually... made him feel worthy.
The student was no other than... Lai Wenxing! The extreme male lead! The swooning lad! The charming, super duper, intellectual, decent and upright male lead! Gu Jing spouted all these nonsensical titles inside his head, barely able to sit up properly from excitement of meeting his love rival. What if they had to duke it out for the shou's love? Gu Jing wasn't a proper fighter, but he was sure he could put up a satisfying fight. Scenes of violence and dog-blood drama like "You don't deserve him! I do!" played inside his head.
Kuanlin looked upon the dazed sight of Gu Jing, who was staring at Lai Wenxing so intently it would seem ambiguous in other people's eyes. Out of the blue, he developed an urge to cover Gu Jing's eyes, and was startled by his own train of thoughts. He clamped a hand over his mouth, and was starting to really wonder if he was becoming mentally unstable. Still, it left a bitter taste in his mouth knowing that Gu Jing... might actually like Lai Wenxing. Why not? His logic actually made sense once you went over it with a proper mindset.
Why Gu Jing was a hardcore playboy... Why Gu Jing looked at Lai Wenxing with such pitiful eyes... Why Gu Jing even looked at him... It was all because of Lai Wenxing. Because he was Lai Wenxing's best friend, he was noticed by Gu Jing. Even if he didn't like the reason behind Gu Jing approaching him, touching him, looking at him, he thought that as long as Gu Jing was willing to interact with him, he would be fine being used. But, unexpectedly, he couldn't stand it. He may be shy, but due to his introverted personality, he was used to observing people from afar.
Ah... It was fine for him to be a little selfish, right?
"+5 misery points!"
Gu Jing tentatively averted his eyes and craned his neck in Kuanlin's direction, tilting his head absent-mindedly. He must have still be deep in thought.
About what? Kuanlin wanted to interrogate the clueless youth. Why did you approach me?
'The little shou is sure working hard to bring me profits~' Gu Jing no longer felt like a shameless rascal after deluding himself and giving back-up reasons to why he should fool an innocent high-schooler with the mentality of an adult, 'Hehe~ Your misery brings me joy. Work harder, little shou! And this Gege will bring you a delicious heartbreak.'
"What were you going to say?" Gu Jing inquired with an unusual patience.
"Ah... no, it's nothing important," Kuanlin's nose wrinkled. His expression was veru ugly.
Gu Jing smiled at Kuanlin. The corners of his eyes were naturally slanted upwards, making people feel as though he himself were a ferocious person, somewhat similar to the eyes of a feral cat. But, when they were curved out of good-will, it was extremely easy to instill a good feeling in others. Good-looking things were not as rare in this day and age, but they were always appreciated by people of all kinds. And with the kind of shitty plot Gu Jing was given, it would be no time before he completely farmed 100 misery points. He felt very optimistic.
Kuanlin, on the other hand, felt his heartrate speed up. He pressed a hand over his chest, clutching the fabric within his fingers. Was it normal for him to feel this happy over a mere smile? Right. Lai Wenxing and him were friends. If Gu Jing wanted to be friends with Lai Wenxing, then it meant that he also wanted to be Kuanlin's friend, right? There was no need to be selfish. After all, Lai Wenxing treated him so well. There was... absolutely no need to separate friends.
"+1 misery point!"
Absolutely no need to be selfish.