After Being Scummed – Chapter 35

It’s the boss’s little fox!

The opera 《The Marriage of Figaro》 that they were going to watch was performed at the Royal Opera House. Yin Bai had arranged the seats and itinerary a long time ago and was just waiting to take Zuo Jingyou to play.

Usually, she would leave two days before the performance, but this time, because of Zuo Jingyou’s jet lag, Yin Bai decided to leave three days early to take Zuo Jingyou to the airport.

On the agreed-upon day, Yin Bai had Zhang Yu pack her luggage early and send her to the airport. She started waiting for Zuo Jingyou in the VIP waiting room two hours early.

The scheduled departure time was around 2PM, but Yin Bai started waiting since 11 o’clock, repeatedly looking at her watch, anxiously tapping her cane in the waiting room.

She wondered why Zuo Jingyou hadn’t arrived yet and didn’t contact her frequently. She started to have all sorts of wild thoughts. Could it be that her good friend encountered traffic, or had an accident on the way? Or did Zuo Jingyou have something sudden come up and had to stand her up?

Since the agreed-upon day, she had been waiting every day, hoping that Zuo Jingyou could go with her. If Zuo Jingyou ditched her today, she would definitely feel heartbroken!

The more she thought about it, the more urgently she tapped her cane, making Zhang Yu, who was playing on her phone opposite her, feel very uneasy. Zhang Yu sighed and shifted her gaze from the phone screen, sincerely suggesting, “BOSS, should I call Assistant Yang again?”

Yin Bai glanced at her and snorted, “What’s the point of calling? Didn’t she say she was almost here half an hour ago? Maybe she’ll arrive in a moment.”

Zhang Yu said helplessly, “I can see you’re anxious.”

“Nonsense!” Yin Bai denied adamantly, “I’m not anxious at all. She’s always late, that’s just her way!”

Zhang Yu silently muttered, “It’s not that she’s late, it’s just that you arrived too early! Besides, if you’re not anxious, why are you so agitated, constantly tapping your cane? You’re going to break your cane!”

Zhang Yu softened her tone and said to Yin Bai in a friendly manner, “BOSS, I’m a bit concerned. How about I call Assistant Yang? It’s been almost half an hour, and she should have arrived by now. Just in case there are any delays on the way, we should be prepared, right?”

Yin Bai thought this made sense, huffed for a while, and reluctantly said, “Well, go ahead then.”

“Alright!”

Zhang Yu pressed the dial button and called Assistant Yang. After the call was connected, Zhang Yu quickly asked where they were. Yin Bai, sitting nearby, immediately perked up her ears, and Zhang Yu noticed her curious expression, so she put the call on speaker.

In a short while, Assistant Yang’s voice filled the entire waiting room, “We’ve just gotten off the car and are heading to the waiting room. Thank you for waiting a bit longer.”

Yin Bai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Everything was fine, and they hadn’t been stood up!

Seeing that Yin Bai had finally calmed down, Zhang Yu spoke into the phone, “You and Teacher Zuo take your time and stay safe. Don’t rush. BOSS and I will be waiting for you in the waiting room.”

Assistant Yang replied, “See you later.”

Zhang Yu hung up the phone.

She raised her head, looking at Yin Bai, who had finally stopped tapping her cane, and said somewhat helplessly, “BOSS, are you finally at ease now?”

Yin Bai fiddled with her cane and let out a light hum, saying, “They’re both adults; there’s nothing for me to worry about.”

Then why did you rush her earlier?

Zhang Yu clicked her tongue and said, “You were clearly quite worried…”

Yin Bai rolled her eyes at her and couldn’t be bothered to respond. Seeing this, Zhang Yu sighed and, seemingly overcome with emotion, said, “BOSS, you’ve changed quite a bit in the recent year.”

Yin Bai cocked her head, looking at Zhang Yu with some confusion, “Why do you say that? Have I changed somehow?” Yin Bai felt that she had been in the same state since she met Xiao Nian in the years after that.

Zhang Yu thought for a moment and said, “It’s just a feeling. Before, you were cheerful in front of us, but not like how you are with Teacher Zuo.”

“You used to be reserved in front of Teacher Xiao, saying one thing and meaning another, always keeping a poker face in public, like an ice sculpture…”

Zhang Yu counted Yin Bai’s quirks one by one with her fingers. Yin Bai instantly raised her cane and threatened to hit her, “Hey, can’t you say something nice in front of me? Do you believe I won’t hit you?”

Yin Bai waved her cane in the air a couple of times, and Zhang Yu immediately dodged, laughing, “I was just joking, BOSS. Stay calm, stay calm!”

Yin Bai snorted, reclaimed her cane, and after some hesitation, she said, “What else do you have to say? Go on.”

With the gift of gab, Zhang Yu continued, “In short, the previous BOSS seemed to carry the burden of an idol, like she was made of porcelain or glass that needed to be carefully protected, or it might break at any moment.”

“But perhaps breaking up with Teacher Xiao… or more accurately, the blow Teacher Xiao dealt you, shattered the outer layer of your idol glass burden, revealing the soft cotton inside.”

Zhang Yu gestured like she was threading a needle, making a vivid analogy, “Meanwhile, the two kids next door and Teacher Zuo used their kindness, thoughtfulness, and love to weave a cloth, wrapping your cotton up, and sewing it into a cute cloth doll.”

After finishing her description, Zhang Yu clapped her hands and said very seriously, “The current BOSS is no longer an ice sculpture but a lovable cloth doll, the kind everyone adores.”

Yin Bai sighed softly, raised her hand to rub her arm, and said, “Why do I feel like you’re being particularly cheesy today? Do you think I’ll give you a raise if you flatter me? “

Zhang Yu winked at her with one eye and said, “BOSS, how can you think like that? I genuinely and sincerely find you cute, it’s not about getting a raise!”

“Besides, according to our company’s regulations, I was supposed to get a raise this year anyway.”

Yin Bai gave her a cold laugh and said, “Hah! It’s all about the raise after all! Superficial!”

Zhang Yu sighed, “You’re the capitalist, you don’t understand the pain of us working stiffs. Salary is important, of course. But aside from the boss-employee relationship, as your tiny little friend, I’m genuinely happy to see you like this.”

“Last night, when you had me pack my bags, you were so excited, like an elementary school student about to go on a field trip with friends tomorrow.”

Yin Bai felt a bit uncomfortable, tapped her cane, and mumbled, “Was I that obvious?”

Zhang Yu sighed, “Incredibly obvious! I’ve been with you for a few years, not that long, but still. I haven’t seen you act this way towards anyone else except for Teacher Xiao. So, Teacher Zuo must be a very special friend to you.”

“I think for you, BOSS, having a friend like that is truly wonderful.”

“If Teacher Xiao is your little rose, then Teacher Zuo must be the cunning fox of friendship for you.”

“To be honest, BOSS, you’re so kind that we’re all really happy to have someone who genuinely cares about you.”

Cunning fox of friendship?

As Yin Bai listened, she started feeling uneasy, raised her hand to stop Zhang Yu’s mushy words, and said, “Stop, stop, stop… Have you been reading Shakespeare lately? I’m getting goosebumps all over my body!”

“Okay, I won’t speak anymore.”

Zhang Yu finished speaking, made a gesture of zipping her mouth shut, and didn’t speak further.

Yin Bai glanced at her, hesitated to speak, and then stopped herself. After a while, she tapped her cane and said reluctantly to Zhang Yu, “I understand what you mean. You’re saying my condition has improved, and you’re happy about it. I also know that you care about me, so I appreciate that.”

“Teacher Zuo is a wonderful person, and I’ll cherish her.”

Zhang Yu nodded appreciatively, “I think Teacher Zuo will understand BOSS’s intentions. Friendship requires understanding, and BOSS doesn’t need to worry so much or be in a hurry. You should trust Teacher Zuo; she’ll definitely come when she says she will.”

Yin Bai was a bit taken aback by her words, muttered while looking down, “I’m not worried that she’ll stand me up; I’m just afraid that something… might happen to her.”

You see, this was her first time traveling alone with such an important friend, and she was filled with anticipation. Who wouldn’t feel a bit nervous on their first trip with someone truly significant to them?

Zhang Yu understood her thoughts and smiled, deciding not to say more, “Alright, just wait a little longer. Teacher Zuo will be here soon.”

Sure enough, after a short while, footsteps could be heard outside the waiting area. Yin Bai heard the footsteps and quickly turned her head towards the door, shouting with delight, “Teacher Zuo!”

At that moment, Zuo Jingyou’s figure entered her line of sight. When their eyes met, Zuo Jingyou smiled at her and, with a hoarse voice, said, “I’m sorry, I’m five minutes late.”

Her voice sounded hoarse and exhausted, and Yin Bai was momentarily stunned. She stood up, leaning on her cane, and looked at Zuo Jingyou approaching in high heels, her brows furrowing as she asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Zuo Jingyou’s current condition was very off, looking as if she had consumed fake alcohol, and she seemed disoriented.

Even with makeup concealing it, Yin Bai still saw a hint of weariness on Zuo Jingyou’s face. Zuo Jingyou shook her head, walked up to Yin Bai, and explained, “I have a slight cold, but it’s no big deal. I went to the hospital, got some medicine, and resting for a few days will do the trick.”

Yin Bai was skeptical and approached Zuo Jingyou, carefully examining her, “Your eyes are all red and even look a bit swollen. Are you really okay?”

Yin Bai extended her hand, placing her palm on Zuo Jingyou’s forehead to measure her temperature, and furrowed her brows, saying, “Your forehead is burning hot; you have a fever.”

Zuo Jingyou took a step back, lowered her gaze, and evaded eye contact, saying, “No, it’s just a cold. Well, aren’t we about to board? Let’s get going.”

Zuo Jingyou brushed it off, grabbed Yin Bai’s wrist, smiled, and said, “I’ll rest on the plane; let’s start our journey. Don’t delay.”

Yin Bai, seeing how hoarse Zuo Jingyou’s voice was, grabbed her hand in return, and said very seriously, “No, you’re in this condition, and with such a long flight and a time difference, your condition will definitely worsen.”

“Zhang Yu, cancel the flight. We’re not going this time.”

Yin Bai said this and grabbed Zuo Jingyou, walking towards the exit, leaning on her cane, and said firmly, “Come, I’ll take you to the hospital. Your health is more important.”

Zuo Jingyou, feeling a bit dizzy, looked down at Yin Bai, who was holding her wrist in confusion, and blinked, “We’re not going anymore?”

Yin Bai nodded, firmly saying, “We’re not going.” Her friend’s health was more important!

Zuo Jingyou might have been a bit dazed and staggered behind Yin Bai, asking in a confused manner, “But didn’t you say you’d forgive me if I went with you to see the play? We’re not going this time, does that mean you won’t forgive me?”

Yin Bai, upon hearing this, turned to look at Zuo Jingyou with great surprise.

Zuo Jingyou met her gaze, blinked, smiled softly, and said, “Let’s still go watch the play.”

Yin Bai, seeing her in this state, turned to look at Yang Yi and asked in amazement, “Is your boss losing her mind?”

Yang Yi nodded, “Whenever she’s sick, she acts like this, all dazed and confused.”

After that, Yang Yi further explained, with added drama, “She had gastritis last night and had to be put on an IV in the hospital. She felt a bit better in the morning and insisted on catching the flight to come see you.”

“I couldn’t talk her out of it, so I had no choice but to come with her.”

More than being unable to talk her out of it, Zuo Jingyou’s combativeness when she’s ill is off the charts, almost like a naughty child. While at the hospital, Yang Yi tried to persuade her and Yin Bai to skip the trip this time.

However, Zuo Jingyou, lying in the hospital bed with an IV, whined and insisted on seeing Yin Bai because she had promised her friend she would come.

Yang Yi thought, “Are you still in elementary school? Are you a child? When she’s ill, her whole personality changes!” But the fact was that someone as sharp as Zuo Jingyou, once captured by the illness and overwhelmed by pain, becomes as childlike as a kid.

Yang Yi had no choice but to help Zuo Jingyou change clothes, do her makeup, and bring her over.

Upon hearing this, Yin Bai widened her eyes and exclaimed in astonishment, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yang Yi shrugged, saying, “Our boss is quite stubborn. We couldn’t stop her, and it wouldn’t be right to go against her wishes. Plus, she values her commitments; if she’s agreed to come, she will come.”

So, even when she’s sick?

Yin Bai was utterly speechless and grabbed Zuo Jingyou, pulling her along while leaning on her cane, gritting her teeth, “Zhang Yu, quickly find the nearest hospital and take her there!”

“YES, BOSS.”

The group headed off to the hospital in a grand procession.