After Being Scummed – Chapter 20

Amazing, Zuo Jingyou

It has been almost a year since the incident when Xiao Nian left her. But now, seeing Lu Qing standing in front of her, Yin Bai couldn’t help but recall the bitterness, resentment, and subtle anger she felt at that time.

She didn’t know if Lu Qing was aware of her true relationship with Xiao Nian. She didn’t care how Xiao Nian would judge her, and she had no interest in why Lu Qing had invited her to the wedding.

Was it true, as Lu Qing claimed, that she sincerely invited her because she had helped Xiao Nian a lot? Or was it because, as the current winner, Lu Qing wanted to show off to her, the former lover?

All these reasons didn’t matter in Yin Bai’s heart.

What mattered was that she thought that so much time had passed, and she would have let go, but in reality, she hadn’t.

Not only had she not let go, but her bitterness, resentment, and anger hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

She had never been so acutely aware of how petty she was in matters of the heart. She wasn’t carefree, she hadn’t received preferential treatment, so whether facing Xiao Nian or Lu Qing, all she could do was seethe with impotent rage.

She couldn’t even…

She couldn’t even bring herself to harm Xiao Nian or Lu Qing.

Yin Bai tightly gripped the cane in her hand, suppressing the sourness and anger surging in her chest. She forced a smile and said nonchalantly, “Is that so? That’s great. However, I might have a conference to attend in February, but since it’s Xiao Nian and your wedding, I’d be delighted to attend.”

Her tone was more mature than usual, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Remember to send me an invitation, and even if I can’t make it in person, I’ll still send you a wedding gift.”

Lu Qing, her lips pursed, spoke sincerely, “Thank you for your generosity, Director Yin.” Afterward, she turned to look at Zuo Jingyou, “I also hope that Teacher Zuo can attend my wedding.”

Zuo Jingyou gave a faint smile, “Congratulations in advance, then.” As a third party, Zuo Jingyou didn’t want to pass judgment, so she offered a polite remark.

Yin Bai’s frustration reached its peak, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, starting to usher the guests, “Shall we continue our conversation?”

“Of course, Director Yin.”

After achieving her purpose, Lu Qing briskly turned and left. Yin Bai stood in place, subconsciously following Lu Qing’s figure with her cane, watching her blend into the crowd. However, her first thought was whether Lu Qing would go find Xiao Nian after turning around.

After all, Miss Li was a fan of Xiao Nian, so it would be normal for her wedding to invite Xiao Nian.

Realizing this possibility, Yin Bai immediately withdrew her gaze and turned to look in another direction. Even though she really wanted to see Xiao Nian, once she understood that the Xiao Nian with Lu Qing wasn’t her Xiao Nian, she couldn’t bear the sadness.

Zuo Jingyou, standing beside her, took it all in. She looked at Yin Bai’s face, which suddenly lost its smile, and spoke with some concern, “Are you okay?”

Yin Bai sighed and turned to glance at her new friend, a sense of helplessness in her eyes. “What can I do if I’m not okay? I can’t just rush over and beat her up, can I? This is Mr. Li’s beloved daughter’s wedding, if I cause a scene, how can I continue doing business!”

Yin Bai puffed up her cheeks and clenched her fists angrily. “Darn it! I should have found someone to teach her a lesson and given her a good beating in some alley a long time ago! She’s just so infuriating!”

Zuo Jingyou understood that Yin Bai was just venting her frustration. She chuckled softly, uncertain of how to respond, “Uh… well, you know, resorting to violence isn’t really a good solution.”

Yin Bai glanced at Zuo Jingyou and sighed deeply, “Of course, I know I can’t do something like that… I’m just… I’m just really angry…”

Zuo Jingyou could empathize with that to some extent. She nodded and said, “Yeah, I understand. I was quite tempted to… find that person and let out my emotions too, but…”

Zuo Jingyou hesitated for a moment and continued, “My situation is different from yours.” After all, it was He Zhiwen who had cheated first, so no matter how angry she was, she knew that the biggest fault lay with her husband.

And Yin Bai… she didn’t fully understand the details of this matter, so she couldn’t make a judgment.

Yin Bai leaned on her cane, looked up at the azure sky, and sighed, “Yeah, we’re different.”

He Zhiwen once loved you so deeply, but Xiao Nian had never loved her.

Xiao Nian and Lu Qing only got together several months after their contract ended. Xiao Nian… she actually gave Yin Bai enough dignity.

She couldn’t even say it was Xiao Nian’s fault, that Xiao Nian had cheated, that Xiao Nian had violated the agreement! Because Xiao Nian simply didn’t love her.

Is it wrong not to love someone? Is it wrong not to respond to someone’s love?

Yin Bai understood everything in her heart, but she couldn’t accept why the person being favored wasn’t her.

With this in mind, Yin Bai took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at Zuo Jingyou, “Well… actually, I can understand her actions. If I could marry someone I really liked, I’d definitely go even further than she did.”

“I would invite all my loved one’s exes, have them sit together at a table, and then customize special souvenirs for them. And then, in the envious and jealous eyes of all of them, I’d walk down the aisle into the bonds of matrimony.”

“It’s just human nature, you know. I understand, I understand.”

Zuo Jingyou watched Yin Bai’s lighthearted smile and felt relieved in her heart. With an arched brow and a smile, she asked, “So, does that mean you’re going to attend their wedding?”

Yin Bai scoffed, “Dream on! That’s absolutely impossible!”

Her emotional state wasn’t quite at the point where she could genuinely wish happiness to her departed lover and their current partner. But knowing that Xiao Nian had left her and hadn’t found happiness either didn’t bring her any joy either.

The best course of action was to turn a blind eye.

Zuo Jingyou nodded, indicating her understanding of Yin Bai’s decision. She then suggested, “How about we continue with some sweet treats now to lift our spirits?”

Yin Bai tapped her cane firmly a few times, contemplated for a moment, and then decisively said, “Yes!”

Zuo Jingyou replied with a smile, “Great, let’s go find some delicious treats.”

She started leading Yin Bai around to sample various snacks. While doing so, Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but think that Yin Bai was remarkably easygoing, much like a child. It was no wonder that Yin Bai got along so well with kids like Tong Tong.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, the wedding began punctually. Yin Bai and the people around her changed seats and sat beside her.

It was at this moment that she saw Xiao Nian once again.

Xiao Nian and Lu Qing’s seats were in the same row as Zuo Jingyou’s, with Zuo Jingyou on the left and them on the right, separated by five or six people.

As soon as Yin Bai spotted Xiao Nian, she became distracted once again, and her gaze couldn’t help but keep drifting towards Xiao Nian’s side. Xiao Nian and Lu Qing were sitting close together, seemingly engaged in a whispered conversation. Maybe Lu Qing had shared something joyful with her because Yin Bai distinctly saw the radiant smile on Xiao Nian’s beautiful face.

The moment Yin Bai saw that smile on Xiao Nian’s face, jealousy began to bubble up within her. She thought, “Xiao Nian never smiled so charmingly at me.”

That damn Lu Qing, damn it!

Perhaps it was her jealousy that made Yin Bai emit an aura of resentment, causing Zuo Jingyou to find it somewhat unbearable. As Yin Bai’s gaze crossed hers for the fifth time and fixated on Lu Qing and Xiao Nian like a puppy, Zuo Jingyou finally couldn’t take it anymore and reached out to block Yin Bai’s line of sight.

Staring at the suddenly appeared fair, delicate, and slender hand in front of her, Yin Bai was momentarily taken aback. She glanced sideways at Zuo Jingyou and muttered softly, “What are you doing?”

Zuo Jingyou, looking particularly helpless, said, “I suggest you better not look anymore. Watching too much… can make you sad.”

Yin Bai felt a bit of annoyance but also knew that Zuo Jingyou was right. She reluctantly made an affirmative sound and redirected her gaze, sitting up straight.

Soon, the wedding ceremony concluded, and the bride kissed the groom. This led to the final step of the ceremony, the bride tossing her bouquet.

All the unmarried men and women in the audience stood up and began to compete for the bouquet.

Yin Bai had mobility issues and couldn’t be bothered to participate in such activities, so she remained seated without moving.

However, while she had mobility issues, others were physically fit. As a result, Lu Qing and Xiao Nian, who were on the other side of the room, stood up along with the crowd and went to catch the bouquet together.

Seeing Lu Qing and Xiao Nian walking away hand in hand, Yin Bai let out a disdainful huff and muttered bitterly, “Didn’t they already get engaged? Why bother joining in on the excitement!”

Her sarcastic tone made Zuo Jingyou, who was nearby, cringe.

Zuo Jingyou raised her hand to cover her forehead, turned her head, and sighed as she said to Yin Bai, “Alright, alright, don’t get upset, my friend. It’s not worth it.”

Zuo Jingyou extended her hand and patted Yin Bai’s shoulder, soothing her, “Wait here for me a moment. I won’t let them catch the bouquet.”

Yin Bai, puzzled, asked, “What are you going to do? Are you going to compete for the bouquet?”

“Why not?”

With that, Zuo Jingyou joined the crowd at the front and stood among the young men and women, all vying for the bouquet, right beside Lu Qing and Xiao Nian.

Yin Bai remained seated in her place, watching Zuo Jingyou blend in with the group and stand next to Lu Qing and Xiao Nian.

She watched Zuo Jingyou’s figure in the distance, gripping her cane tightly. Not far away, the bride, with her back to the group of unmarried young men and women, raised the bouquet, saying, “One…”

“Two…”

From the crowd, young voices called out loudly, “Over here, over here, bride, throw it here!”

“Come to me!”

Amidst the clamor of the crowd, everyone shouted in unison, “Three!”

In an instant, the bouquet in the bride’s hand flew backward, tracing a graceful arc in the sky, heading straight toward Lu Qing’s direction.

Yin Bai sat alone in a white chair outside the crowd, watching as Lu Qing suddenly burst into action, leaping into the air and reaching out towards the flying bouquet.

But at that moment, someone was even quicker than her.

In Yin Bai’s view, she saw it clearly. Zuo Jingyou, wearing high heels, leaped high into the air and, with her hand, snatched the bouquet from Lu Qing’s fingertips.

At that moment, Yin Bai watched as Zuo Jingyou landed back on the ground, and her heart skipped a beat.

At the moment when Zuo Jingyou caught the bouquet, the crowd erupted into a chorus of enthusiastic cheers.

In this very moment, under the admiring gazes of everyone, Zuo Jingyou turned around while holding the bouquet and looked towards Yin Bai. Her gaze pierced through the crowd, landing directly on Yin Bai. Zuo Jingyou raised the bouquet in her hand and, across the sea of people, illuminated a beautifully radiant smile for Yin Bai.

Under Zuo Jingyou’s guidance, all eyes focused on Yin Bai.

Yin Bai, dressed in a light gray suit with a sapphire brooch, sat amidst the sparsely populated white chairs. She held her cane, gazing at the smile on Zuo Jingyou’s face, and responded with a smiling twinkle in her eyes.

Arching her brows, Yin Bai gave an appreciative expression, raising her thumb high in the direction of Zuo Jingyou, who stood at a distance.

Impressive, jumping so high even in high heels!

Yin Bai couldn’t help but admit that when Zuo Jingyou snatched the bouquet from Lu Qing, she felt a genuine sense of satisfaction!