After Being Scummed – Chapter 25

Let’s celebrate the New Year together!

The night after receiving the invitation, Zuo Jingyou made a video call to her daughter. As usual, she discussed some everyday matters, informed her about when she would be returning, and then presented her daughter with a choice between “going to the beach with Dad” and “going skiing with ‘Fairy Sister’ Yin Bai.”

Young children possess a unique sensitivity. Upon hearing her mother’s question about whether she wanted to go with her dad or “Fairy Sister” Yin Bai, Tong Tong tilted her head in thought for a while before asking, “If I go with Dad, will Mom go too?”

Zuo Jingyou smiled, her eyebrows slightly arched. “Tong Tong can go with Dad. Mom will stay home with Grandma.”

Tong Tong pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “But Grandma said we don’t need to keep her company.” After all, Grandma was usually very busy, always in her study, and didn’t play with them.

Zuo Jingyou sighed. “Oh, it’s because Grandma is Mom’s mother, so she doesn’t need Tong Tong’s company, but she does need Mom to keep her company.”

Tong Tong found it quite reasonable, thought for a moment, and then asked, “So, if I go skiing with ‘Fairy Sister’ Yin Bai, will Mom go too?”

Zuo Jingyou propped her head with one hand, pretending to be deep in thought. “Yes, she will, because Dad is Tong Tong’s dad, and Mom can trust you to have fun with him. Mom doesn’t know ‘Fairy Sister’ Yin Bai very well yet, and she also wants to be friends with her. So, Mom will accompany Tong Tong.”

Tong Tong thought it made sense but still felt a bit torn. She furrowed her little brow, bit her lip in contemplation for a while, and eventually made her decision. “Since Mom is going too, I’ll go as well. I can see Dad anytime, but I want to be with Mom all the time.”

Zuo Jingyou wasn’t surprised at all by Tong Tong’s choice and smiled. “Tong Tong is truly a good child to Mom.”

With a cheerful exchange, the mother and daughter talked for a while before Zuo Jingyou put her daughter to bed.

After ending the call, Zuo Jingyou pondered for a moment and decided to call her sister.

Zuo Jingyou was born in Yun City, and since the age of seven, her father, a soldier, had sacrificed his life. She had been relying on her sister and mother ever since.

Unlike Zuo Jingyou, who ventured into the entertainment industry, her sister Sun Mingrui was a biological genius and currently worked at the Biotechnology Institute in Hai City. However, due to her demanding work, she couldn’t balance her family life, and two years ago, she had divorced her husband, leaving her daughter Wen Wen with their retired mother.

With the approaching New Year, considering Sun Mingrui’s frequent presence in the laboratory, it was likely that the holiday would only be an opportunity for a family reunion dinner. Any thoughts of convincing her to go on a trip were futile.

Nevertheless, Zuo Jingyou still made the call to inquire about her sister’s situation.

Sun Mingrui hadn’t finished work yet when she received her sister’s call. After listening to her sister’s brief account of the situation, she didn’t hesitate and said, “Since it’s an invitation from your friend, you should go. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can take Wen Wen with you.”

Zuo Jingyou knew this would be her sister’s response and sighed softly, asking, “What about you? Will you be going home for the family reunion dinner this year?”

Sun Mingrui thought for a moment, “Yes, I’ll be going, of course.”

After some sisterly pleasantries, Sun Mingrui thought of something else to ask, “Xiao You, how’s that movie of yours coming along? Have you secured the funding?”

Zuo Jingyou knew her sister well. While she might be quite focused on her work, she tended to forget about everything else. However, she also realized that her sister remembered her affairs, which demonstrated that she was genuinely concerned about her.

Zuo Jingyou sighed, “I found it, didn’t I tell you before? I’m quite good at this; getting investments is a breeze.”

Sun Mingrui let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good… I won an award earlier, and the prize money is substantial. If you need more, I…”

Zuo Jingyou burst into laughter, “Sis, use your money for buying research materials. Also, my movie is already filmed. When it’s released, please come watch it.”

Sun Mingrui also laughed and nodded vigorously, “Alright, when your movie premieres, I’ll take some youngsters with me to support you.”

Zuo Jingyou, with a gentle smile, replied, “Okay.”

After reconciling with her sister, Zuo Jingyou called her mother. Her mother, Sun Yulan, was a very serious and upright old professor. Upon hearing Zuo Jingyou’s words, she furrowed her brows in thought and responded, “If you’re going with your friend, I won’t disturb you.”

Zuo Jingyou instantly recognized that her mother’s habit of not liking to go out was acting up again. She began to coax gently, “Mom, didn’t you use to say you wanted to take me to see snow and soak in hot springs? This is a perfect opportunity; let’s go together.”

Sun Yulan furrowed her brows and replied, “I never said that.”

“Come on, Mom, let’s go together, okay?”

As a mother, no matter her age, she couldn’t resist her daughter’s coaxing. Sun Yulan sighed and asked, “Who is this friend of yours? What kind of friend?”

Zuo Jingyou chuckled, “It’s the one from next door.”

Sun Yulan was surprised, “The one from next door? Isn’t she Tong Tong and Wen Wen’s friend? How did she become your friend? Are her parents coming along too?”

Zuo Jingyou knew that, given her mother’s oblivious nature and her tendency to be out of touch with the world, she probably didn’t have a clear understanding of Yin Bai over the past several months. She let out a soft laugh and explained to Sun Yulan, “The one from next door is also my friend, Mom. We just got to know each other.”

Sun Yulan marveled, “You’re quite something, darling. You can be friends with fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds and anyone else. Friends are everywhere, it seems.”

Having grown up accustomed to her mother’s misunderstandings, Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but laugh, “Mom… she’s not fifteen or sixteen. She’s already twenty-five or twenty-six. Oh… she might even be close to thirty. She’s a really nice person, and you’ll see when you meet her.”

“Alright, alright, since you put it that way, I’ll go and see who this mysterious person is.”

Zuo Jingyou gently responded with an “Hmm” and then paused before saying, “By the way, Mom, it seems like there’s no one at her house. What do you think about inviting her over for dinner on New Year’s Eve?”

Sun Yulan readily agreed without hesitation, “Well, then, bring her over for dinner. You’ve brought people over before, like Little Tian, Little Yi, Little Jiang, and so on… They’ve all joyously come to our home.”

“I must say, our home is like your grand banquet hall. Either too busy to return or bustling with a crowd as soon as you’re back.”

Zuo Jingyou chuckled apologetically, “Don’t worry, there won’t be a bustling crowd this time. I’m just bringing her alone, alright?”

Sun Yulan casually remarked, “Well, it’s up to you.”

The mother and daughter chatted about some everyday matters, and when Zuo Jingyou noticed it was getting late, she let her mother go to rest. After hanging up the phone, it was already half-past ten. Zuo Jingyou finished up her tasks and sent a message to Yin Bai, saying, “It’s settled. Remember to invite your little friends for skiing tomorrow.”

Yin Bai had been waiting for a whole day and finally got the answer she wanted. She immediately cheered, “Teacher Zuo is amazing!”

Zuo Jingyou replied with a smile, “I have a sister… who is also Wen Wen’s mother. She’s very busy with work and can only come home for the family reunion dinner, so if we want to go on a trip, let’s do it after the Chinese New Year.”

“What about after the third day of the new year?”

Yin Bai replied joyfully, “Sure, I have a plane, so you can pick any time that suits you.”

Zuo Jingyou chuckled, “Thanks, that would be great.”

Yin Bai, with a warm smile, said, “Not a problem at all. By the way, for the itinerary, would you prefer domestic or international travel? The interior of my plane is very comfortable, and long-haul flights are not an issue. Take some time to think about where you’d like to go, and let me know. I’ll have my assistant arrange it.”

“How about Changbai Mountain? The Greater Khingan Range? Hokkaido? Sweden, Finland? Those small countries in Eastern Europe are quite comfortable too. Would you consider any of these?”

Zuo Jingyou pondered for a moment and replied, “It’s up to you to decide, but it’s probably best to avoid Hokkaido. My mother isn’t very fond of that place.”

Yin Bai understood and said, “I see. Let’s go to a comfortable Eastern European country, then. We can have a seven-day, five-night trip and introduce the kids to new experiences.”

Zuo Jingyou nodded, “Great.”

Yin Bai went through another round of country selections and then had Xiang Qiu provide the optimal plan, which she would discuss with the children tomorrow.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Zuo Jingyou seized the opportunity to ask, “Now that the travel plans are set, I have a question for you.”

Yin Bai replied readily, “Ask away; I’m here to answer any questions you have.”

Zuo Jingyou quickly typed a line of text, “How are you planning to spend New Year’s Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year?”

Yin Bai quickly understood her question and replied, “Oh… well, Jin Xiangyu is bringing some people to visit me and have the New Year’s Eve dinner with me.”

Zuo Jingyou grasped the situation, “Ah… Assistant Jin… Will there be many people?”

Yin Bai thought for a moment and answered, “Not too many, just a few. For various reasons, they won’t be going home for the New Year.”

Zuo Jingyou hesitated for a moment but still extended an invitation to Yin Bai, “If you don’t mind, would you like to come to my place for the New Year’s Eve dinner? Our family is quite simple, just me, my sister, Tong Tong, and Wen Wen… If you come, I’m sure Tong Tong would be delighted.”

On the other side of the phone screen, Yin Bai, clad in pajamas, lay on her bed, her eyes widening. She incredulously read Zuo Jingyou’s message again and, wrapped in her blanket, rolled around on her bed in sheer delight. She replied, “Are you inviting me to spend New Year with your family?”

Zuo Jingyou’s lips curled slightly, “Well, you did invite me for a trip, didn’t you? As friends, it’s only right to share a meal.”

Yin Bai was overjoyed. While it wasn’t the first time someone had invited her for the New Year, such as when Zhang Yu wanted to bring her home for the holiday, she hadn’t dared to go because she wasn’t acquainted with them.

Now, she knew Zuo Jingyou, and her home was right next door, a safe place, finally fulfilling her desire to mooch a meal.

Yin Bai hugged her blanket, rolled around again, and asked with a beaming smile, “Will I be disturbing your family reunion?”

Zuo Jingyou understood that she had received a partial acceptance and replied with a smile, “No, you’re more than welcome.”

“In that case, I’m going!” Yin Bai exclaimed excitedly, “I’m going to your place to mooch a meal this year!” It was her first time, and she couldn’t pass up this opportunity to solidify their friendship.

Zuo Jingyou’s lips curved upward as she responded, “Then, what dishes would you like to eat? Please let me know so I can prepare. Also, for those employees of yours who aren’t going home, why don’t you invite them to my place as well? We can all have dinner together.”

Yin Bai bit her lip, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I’ll go alone; it’s fine. It’s a bit awkward to bring them along.”

Zuo Jingyou was genuinely concerned as she asked, “What about them?”

Yin Bai quickly proposed a solution, “I’ll book a trip for them and let them go on vacation! Then I’ll give them a big red envelope as well!”

For the sake of a meal, Yin Bai didn’t hesitate to abandon her long-time subordinates. At this moment, far away at the company’s headquarters, Jin Xiangyu, who had been working diligently for her boss, naturally sneezed.

LP: I want to work for Yin Bai.