After Being Scummed – Chapter 4

No way, this is Zuo Jingyou’s child

Yin Bai walked towards the wisteria arbor with a cane in hand, listening to the little airplane girl at the forefront ask, “Tong Tong, do you have any ideas? Please, say it quickly.”

The child named Tong Tong smiled mischievously and said, “Wen Wen Jie, we can just go and ask her for it.”

The little airplane girl was quite resistant to this idea, “I don’t want to. She’s so mean! Besides, that shuttlecock is gone, and we still have other things we can use.”

Although they were both children, Tong Tong patiently counseled her sister, “But that shuttlecock is still good. Alright, Mom said that adults don’t really mind these things, as long as we thank them properly.”

The little airplane girl still wanted to resist, “But…”

The girl named Tong Tong, pulling her sister along, gradually moved away, saying, “It’s okay, if we talk to her nicely, she’ll definitely give it to us.”

The conversation between the two children faded into the distance. Yin Bai perked up her ears and faintly heard that the girl named Tong Tong seemed to be coming with a gift to ask for the shuttlecock.

Was she really this shallow and childish? These little brats, they shouldn’t think they could win her over with sugar-coated bullets!

Yin Bai set aside her cane, reopened her book of poems, and, as she read, thought about it. When the little brats came over later, she was determined to be a bit stern, speak in a colder tone, and not allow them to disturb her reading with their loud chatter. She wouldn’t allow the shuttlecock to be thrown around again, and the little airplane girl wouldn’t get away with it either!

This was a matter of principle, and she would make it perfectly clear!

Yin Bai had an idea in her mind, and as she flipped through the pages of her poetry collection, she frequently checked her phone to see if there were any incoming messages.

She waited for a while, but she didn’t hear the little brats pressing her doorbell. She started to feel anxious and even wondered why the little brats hadn’t come over yet.

As Yin Bai continued to wait, flipping through her poetry collection hastily, she finally heard her phone ring.

Upon hearing this sound, Yin Bai’s whole body trembled. She thought, “Here they come!”

She sat up straight, set aside her book, cleared her throat, and then tapped to open the communication from outside her front door.

The phone screen flashed, revealing the images of the two children as captured by the surveillance.

In the surveillance footage, a little girl who appeared to be around four or five years old tilted her head and pressed the doorbell, peeking into the yard with curiosity. She called out, “Hello, is anyone home? Is there anyone here?”

Yin Bai cleared her throat lightly but hesitated for a moment without responding.

The little girl, with her pigtails, looked puzzled and raised her voice, “Hello, is anyone at home?”

The slightly older child standing behind the girl, seeing that there was no response after a while, started to feel anxious. He reached out and tugged at the little girl’s clothes, advising, “Let it go, Tong Tong. I don’t think the auntie is home, and maybe we shouldn’t ask for that shuttlecock.”

Tong Tong lifted her head, standing on her tiptoes to peer towards the doorway. “But the doorbell phone has been answered, why isn’t there any sound?”

Tong Tong seemed convinced that someone was at home and persisted in shouting towards the inside, “Hello, are you there?”

She repeated the question three times, and even if Yin Bai had the heart of a stone, she couldn’t pretend not to have heard. Yin Bai, feeling unsure, brushed her pants and cleared her throat, asking, “Yes, what are you doing pressing my doorbell?”

Yin Bai’s voice sounded rather distant, but in the next moment, she saw the delighted expression on Tong Tong’s face in the surveillance footage. “It’s a big sister with a nice voice!”

Upon hearing these words, Yin Bai’s mood suddenly brightened.

She snorted lightly, and then she saw Tong Tong in the video footage, furrowing her brows and smiling sweetly at her. “Big sister, a shuttlecock flew into your backyard. Could you let us in to retrieve it?”

In her improved mood, Yin Bai didn’t really mind being called the “weird auntie” by the kids anymore. However, her naturally mischievous disposition got the better of her, and she instinctively teased the children, “Didn’t your mother tell you not to enter other people’s homes without permission?”

“Entering a stranger’s house can lead to encountering the Big Bad Wolf!”

Yin Bai intentionally frightened them. As expected, Tong Tong in the surveillance footage looked worried. The older child, who was already hesitant about entering her house, was now even more inclined to give up, saying, “Tong Tong, maybe we should just go back.”

That weird auntie inside is just too scary, scarier than the Big Bad Wolf in fairy tales.

Tong Tong hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip. After some thought, she looked up at the surveillance and smiled, saying, “Well, big sister, can I please ask you to help me look for the shuttlecock and bring it to the front gate for us?”

Yin Bai clicked her tongue lightly, thinking that this kid was quite audacious to actually try to boss her around!

Without much thought, Yin Bai rejected, saying, “I don’t want to!”

After being turned down, Tong Tong looked disappointed. She glanced at her child’s watch and mustered up the courage to speak to Yin Bai on the other end of the phone, “How about this, big sister? Can you please just open the door, and we’ll find it ourselves?”

Yin Bai grumbled to herself, “Pretty bold, huh?” Then she said, “Fine, come in. Once you’re inside, follow the path on the left, and it will take you directly to the backyard.”

After finishing her words, Yin Bai briskly hung up the phone, pressed the door-opening button, and let the two little brats inside.

With a click, the iron gate swung open. Upon hearing the sound, Tong Tong exchanged a glance with her younger cousin and, holding her hand, headed inside. “Let’s go, Wen Wen Jie, we’re going in to find the shuttlecock.”

The two children pushed open the iron gate and walked along the left path.

Yin Bai’s yard was filled with various types of roses, and as they walked, the roses of all colors bloomed brilliantly, creating a stunning sight. The children, hand in hand, were quickly captivated by the vibrant flowers, praising their beauty as they chattered away. Occasionally, they would also mention searching for the shuttlecock.

In the distance, Yin Bai heard the voices of the two children. She quickly reached out and tossed the found shuttlecock into a low shrubbery beside the wisteria arbor, placing the white shuttlecock on the green foliage so that it would be easy for the children to spot at a glance.

As the sound of the children’s footsteps grew closer, Yin Bai hastily opened her poetry collection, pretending to be engrossed in her reading. However, the corner of her eye involuntarily glanced in the direction from which the children were approaching.

Soon, two small figures, hand in hand, emerged from behind the artificial rockery.

Yin Bai held the book to her face, but her gaze couldn’t help but move downward, focusing on the two girls holding hands.

The girl walking at the front appeared to be around four or five years old, her hair tied in a little bun, dressed in a white T-shirt and black overalls. Her face had a hint of baby fat, looking like a small, rosy-cheeked bundle. The girl following her was a bit taller, around six or seven years old, wearing a little skirt, her hair flowing freely, and she seemed somewhat uneasy.

Yin Bai had never seen the girl in front before, but when she looked at her features, she strangely felt a sense of familiarity.

The girl behind had left a bit of an impression on Yin Bai. Not too long ago, this child’s little airplane had flown onto her balcony, narrowly missing her head. So, when she had gone to retrieve the little airplane, Yin Bai’s expression had been far from pleasant.

Seeing the two girls getting closer, Yin Bai quickly lifted her book to her face, pretending to be an indifferent adult who chose to look the other way.

Soon, the two girls discovered the shuttlecock lying in the shrubbery, and they hurried over, saying, “Ah, it’s our shuttlecock! Wen Wen Jie, it’s here.”

Wen Wen was very excited and said, “Yes, it’s here, Tong Tong!”

In no time, the two of them reached the wisteria arbor, eagerly picking up the shuttlecock.

Hearing the commotion, Yin Bai couldn’t resist putting down her book, clearing her throat, and directing her gaze toward the two young girls not far away.

Upon seeing this figure, Tong Tong, who was holding the shuttlecock, looked up and locked eyes with Yin Bai beneath the beautiful wisteria arbor. She was momentarily stunned.

Beneath the enchanting wisteria arbor, Yin Bai, dressed in a cool gray cotton linen T-shirt and pants, with silver-rimmed glasses, had a distinctly reserved appearance.

Even colder than her outward appearance were her eyes, which were unlike those of ordinary people. Those eyes, tending towards a shade of grayish-blue, were strikingly unique in the eyes of the children.

The child holding the shuttlecock stared straight into Yin Bai’s eyes and exclaimed admiringly, “What beautiful eyes you have!”

Yin Bai, being complimented by a child, instinctively started to raise her hand to cover her eyes. However, halfway through the motion, she felt it was a bit awkward, so she placed her hand near her lips and cleared her throat. “Alright, you’ve found your shuttlecock. You should head back now.”

Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, her tone this time was much softer than during their phone conversation.

Tong Tong let go of Wen Wen’s hand, holding the shuttlecock, and walked towards Yin Bai with a clattering sound. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her. “Big sister, thank you for letting us in to retrieve the ball.”

Yin Bai, looking at her curious and delighted expression, wasn’t sure how to respond. She nodded and managed to utter a soft, “Mm.”

Tong Tong looked at her curiously, smiling with her eyes. “Big sister, you’re so pretty, like an angel. Your eyes are like gray-blue glass beads, so shiny!”

Yin Bai acknowledged that she was pleased, and her lips curled up slightly. “Of course, I’m a fairy.”

Tong Tong’s eyes lit up, and in Wen Wen’s startled expression, she took a few steps closer to Yin Bai, still holding the shuttlecock. “So, Sister Fairy, can you do magic? Do you have a magic wand?”

Yin Bai’s smile froze in an awkward place as she replied with a playful tone, “Sorry, I can’t do magic, and I don’t have a fairy wand. I’m just a useless fairy who happens to be pretty.”

However, Tong Tong didn’t mind her response. She approached Yin Bai with a clattering sound, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a piece of candy. “Sister Fairy, you’re not only pretty but also kind-hearted. You’re a good fairy.”

Tong Tong handed the candy to Yin Bai and said with a soft smile, “Kind-hearted Sister Fairy, thank you for letting us in to find the shuttlecock. This is a gift for you, I hope you accept it.”

Yin Bai lowered her gaze and looked at the candy Tong Tong handed over, hesitating for a moment before reaching out to accept it, expressing her gratitude.

Tong Tong, seeing Yin Bai take the candy, said cheerfully, “Then we’ll be heading back now, Sister Fairy. Goodbye.”

Yin Bai held the candy and nodded, saying, “Goodbye.”

In no time, Tong Tong, with her astonished sister in tow, bounced away, barely daring to breathe.

Yin Bai sat under the wisteria arbor, watching the two children leave. She absentmindedly unwrapped the candy in her hand and, as she threw it into her mouth, couldn’t help but wonder if these parents fed their child honey every day. How else could Tong Tong, as sweet as her name, have such a sweet disposition?

And, moreover, this Tong Tong looked strangely familiar…

Yin Bai pondered for a while, mentally running through the people she knew one by one, until it finally dawned on her after a long moment. This child resembled someone.

She resembled Zuo Jingyou!

Damn!

She remembered that Zuo Jingyou’s child was around the same age! Could it really be such a coincidence that this child was actually Zuo Jingyou’s kid? What a bizarre twist of fate!

The author has something to say:

Oh dear!