After Being Scummed – Chapter 10

Heartbreak Frontline Alliance!

Zuo Jingyou’s mockery on her face pierced through He Zhiwen’s already thin skin. He Zhiwen couldn’t hide the guilt on his face; he grabbed his hair and said with a troubled expression, “I know I’ve let you down, but that’s my fault, not his.”

He Zhiwen sighed deeply, his face filled with remorse. “I broke my promise, I strayed first, I fell in love with someone else, I was the one who felt a connection first…”

He Zhiwen, filled with guilt and seriousness, looked at Zuo Jingyou and said, “But Jingyou, he is innocent. I can’t… because of my mistake, let him bear this stigma.”

“Anyway, we’re already divorced. Can you please help? Consider it a collaboration. Aren’t you preparing for a new movie? I can invest in it, taking only a small share… as long as you can… you can…”

Zuo Jingyou took a step back, leaning against the wall, and looked at him coldly, with a mocking expression. “What can I do? I don’t lack money, and I don’t need your help.”

“He Zhiwen, since you can have an affair within the marriage, why can’t you go out and bear the blame for him?”

Faced with her cold and mocking attitude, He Zhiwen’s tone became more urgent. “Jingyou, don’t say it like that. You know the circumstances; I can’t…”

Zuo Jingyou glanced at him, her eyes filled with coldness. “Can’t what? Can’t admit you had an affair? Will it affect your upcoming movie release? Or is it that you can’t admit he interfered with someone else’s feelings, which would affect his career and public image?”

Even during their divorce, He Zhiwen had never seen Zuo Jingyou so assertive. He nervously grabbed his hair, his tone slightly anxious. “How can you… how can you say that? How can you be so harsh?”

“Harsh?” Zuo Jingyou chuckled, lifted her chin slightly, and her eyes were full of sarcasm. “He Zhiwen, I brought you back today to let you see Tong Tong, not to listen to how you want to salvage your new lover’s reputation.”

“You can go back; I will only clarify what needs to be clarified in this matter. I won’t do anything beyond that.”

He Zhiwen became irritated immediately, his face turning red as he raised his voice, “Jingyou! How can you be so heartless? How can you stand by and do nothing?”

Zuo Jingyou paused, scrutinizing the familiar yet unfamiliar man before her, and said in disbelief, “I’m heartless? I stand by and do nothing? He Zhiwen, you need to understand, is it my fault that you’re in this situation today?”

He Zhiwen stomped his foot in frustration right where he stood, sounding somewhat desperate, “Yes! It’s my fault! But Jingyou, you can’t be so unforgiving!”

“Yes!” He Zhiwen raised his voice shamelessly, “I made a huge mistake, but you have to know that you and I are apart because I no longer love you!”

“You’ve only lost a husband who didn’t love you. If he loses me, he’ll lose genuine love!”

When Zuo Jingyou heard her ex-husband utter this melodramatic line, she shuddered, leaning slightly against the wall, looking at him in disbelief.

How could he… how could he say something so shameless?

Meanwhile, amidst their argument, neither of them noticed a figure with a cane appearing around the corner. But upon hearing this statement, the figure also took a step back, hiding behind the corner wall, wearing an expression of incredulity.

Leaning on her cane, Yin Bai pressed against the wall, continuously hearing He Zhiwen’s frustrated voice, “Now that his career is facing difficulties, shouldn’t I lend him a hand? We no longer have love between us, but can’t we still consider our past relationship and interests? Jingyou, please calm down and analyze the situation, alright?”

“You coming out to clarify would benefit both you, me, and him!”

Upon hearing this dialogue, she felt a surge of embarrassment coursing through her. Goodness, how had she not realized He Zhiwen had the skills to write melodramatic scripts like this? What kind of divine lines were these?

What does it mean, “What you’ve lost is a husband, what he’ll lose is love.”

What does it mean, “Between us, there’s no love, but there’s still room for interests?”

Isn’t this just your one-sided affair? How can you be so self-righteous?

Yin Bai had seen plenty of people with such thick skin in all her years, but this was the first time she was truly taken aback by someone with such audacity.

Initially, when she first learned of the scandal, she had thought He Zhiwen’s wrongdoing was limited to infidelity. But now, looking at it, He Zhiwen seemed to have something seriously wrong with his mind.

He must be mentally ill, right?

If he wasn’t ill, how could he abandon his wife and child, break his promises, and say such shameless things?

Yin Bai was shocked, doing something impolite for the first time in her life. She cautiously peeked her head out, clandestinely observing the two former lovers who were now in a standoff in the corridor.

In the quiet and deep corridor, Zuo Jingyou leaned against the wall, arms crossed, gazing at He Zhiwen with slightly reddened eyes. Her lips quivered, and after several moments of restraint, she finally uttered, “You… you’re insane.”

Zuo Jingyou didn’t seem to be adept at hurling insults, but after uttering this line, she took a deep breath and pointed her hand in the direction of the elevator, saying with unbearable patience, “Leave, He Zhiwen. Just go.”

“I will never agree to this! I will never use my own feelings to gain benefits!”

Zuo Jingyou covered her mouth with her hand, her voice tinged with a teary tone. “Yes, you no longer love me, but have you ever asked if I still love you? How can you say something so excessive?”

Yin Bai, standing in the shadows, was shaken to her core upon hearing this statement, observing Zuo Jingyou’s tearful and restrained demeanor.

Such a pitiable woman…

In this moment, Yin Bai, seeing the disarray in Zuo Jingyou, as if saw herself.

Standing in front of Zuo Jingyou, the emotionally charged He Zhiwen also suddenly lifted his head and met a pair of tearful and restrained eyes, freezing in place.

Yes… he had never considered this question. He had only thought that after he had done such excessive things, the proud Zuo Jingyou would surely heartlessly let him go.

He hadn’t expected… hadn’t expected…

He Zhiwen glanced at her, then quickly lowered his head again, his eyes turning red as he mumbled, “I’m sorry…”

“In the future, I won’t…”

Won’t what? Won’t say such things again? But the damage had already been done, how could it be undone?

Could they reconcile? Of course not. He had already made up his mind to leave his family for Lin Xiao; how could he possibly return?

He Zhiwen ran his hand through his hair in frustration, then turned away somewhat forlornly. “Take good care of Tong Tong. I’m leaving. I’ll handle this matter on my own and won’t trouble you anymore.”

After He Zhiwen finished speaking, he hastily departed.

Yin Bai, who had been hiding behind the corner, watched as He Zhiwen hurriedly walked in her direction, and quickly leaned on her cane, lowering her gaze as if she were just a passerby. She held a bag in her hand and walked steadily with her cane, tap-tap-tapping along.

Soon, the red-eyed He Zhiwen and Yin Bai passed each other by. In that moment, as He Zhiwen hurriedly left, he didn’t notice Yin Bai. She lifted her gaze, casting him a subtle yet disdainful glance.

Ah, men!

Yin Bai walked out from the corner with her cane, and when she raised her head, she immediately spotted Zuo Jingyou still standing in the corridor.

Zuo Jingyou had her back turned to her, with one hand bracing against the wall. She tilted her head back, pinched her nose bridge, and slowly blinked back the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

Seeing her in this state, Yin Bai hesitated about whether to turn around and act as if she hadn’t seen anything, quietly making her exit. However, just as she was about to lift her leg to leave, Zuo Jingyou, pinching her brow, turned around and looked in her direction.

Yin Bai raised her head and involuntarily locked eyes with a pair of misty, teary ones. She froze in her tracks.

Oh no… I’ve been caught, and there’s no escaping now!

With this thought in mind, Yin Bai, leaning on her cane, smiled awkwardly yet politely at the woman in front of her. “Hehe… Miss Zuo…”

Zuo Jingyou froze for a moment. “Ms. Yin?”

Yin Bai, leaning on her cane with a bag in her other hand, felt quite awkward seeing the lingering tear stains on Zuo Jingyou’s face. However, she was accustomed to treating everything as if nothing had happened. So she forced a smile and said somewhat hesitantly, “Um… Miss Zuo, is Tong Tong okay?”

After speaking, she raised the bag in her hand and continued in a somewhat subdued tone, “I caught a heavy cold, came to the hospital for treatment, and, well… I brought a few storybooks for Tong Tong while I was at it.”

In reality, after returning home yesterday, Yin Bai had spent the night thinking about her own awkward situation, tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep, and ended up with a severe cold. She could have just taken medicine at home, but Yin Bai also felt a bit guilty about the neighbor’s child falling and being hospitalized due to her scare. So, she brought a few books as an apology gift, intending to visit while the adults were away.

Little did she know she would run into the argument between He Zhiwen and Zuo Jingyou. Yin Bai, who generally wasn’t interested in other people’s affairs, couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for Zuo Jingyou in this particular situation.

But Zuo Jingyou, a more mature and composed adult than her, heard Yin Bai’s words. She turned to the side, wiped away her tears haphazardly, and managed to muster a smile as she walked towards Yin Bai. “Ms. Yin, you’re really kind-hearted. Thank you.”

Yin Bai pursed her lips and said with some difficulty, “You’re welcome.”

She watched as Zuo Jingyou approached her and handed over the bag of storybooks. “Here, please take them inside. Consider it my gift to her.”

Zuo Jingyou accepted the books, looking surprised. “Ms. Yin, aren’t you going inside to see Tong Tong?” Although Zuo Jingyou had heard Tong Tong’s descriptions, the two children weren’t particularly familiar with Yin Bai. However, it seemed that the kids got along well with her.

Yin Bai sniffled and quickly waved her hand. “No, no, no. I have a severe cold; I won’t be going in.”

Yin Bai lowered her gaze, observing Zuo Jingyou’s reddened eyes, with long eyelashes still adorned with teardrops. Suddenly, she remembered the handkerchief she had handed over to her that night, realizing that they were indeed part of the “Heartbreak Frontline Alliance.”

Yin Bai, who usually didn’t like dealing with strangers, took off the handkerchief folded over her shirt pocket and handed it over. “By the way, there’s this too…”

Zuo Jingyou raised her head, looking somewhat puzzled.

Yin Bai pursed her lips and said somewhat awkwardly, “If you go to see the child like this, she might notice. Wipe your tears…”

Zuo Jingyou hesitated for a moment, instinctively raising her hand to wipe her tears. Yin Bai quickly stopped her and placed the handkerchief in her hand, anxiously saying, “Children… they are very sensitive. If their mother is feeling sad, they can sense it immediately…”

“You… just calm down for now.”

Zuo Jingyou looked at the handkerchief in her palm, nodded slightly, and turned a little, facing away from Yin Bai as she gently dabbed away the remaining tears.

Yin Bai stood beside her, watching as Zuo Jingyou tilted her head slightly, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She raised her hand to wipe away the excess tears, feeling a wave of empathy for the sorrow they both shared.

Being abandoned was always a painful experience.

But she had never comforted anyone before and didn’t know how to. After a moment of contemplation, Yin Bai took out her phone, opened her playlist, and said to Zuo Jingyou, “Actually… there’s no need to be too sad. It will… pass eventually.”

Zuo Jingyou turned her head, looking at Yin Bai with some surprise.

Was she trying to comfort her?

Meeting her gaze, Yin Bai smiled and said, “Let’s listen to a song.” Knowing that Zuo Jingyou was the mother of the child next door, Yin Bai decided to offer her some solace.

With that, Yin Bai tapped her phone, and to Zuo Jingyou’s astonished gaze, she played a particularly cheerful tune. “She always leaves only a phone number…”

When Zuo Jingyou heard this old yet nostalgic melody, she paused for a moment and then couldn’t help but smile, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

The Heartbreak Frontline Alliance, what’s all this about…

As Zuo Jingyou thought about it, she lifted her gaze and smiled at Yin Bai. But when she lowered her head again, tears fell uncontrollably, like large pearls. It seemed that she realized she was losing her composure, so Zuo Jingyou quickly raised her hand to cover her face, letting her tears flow silently.

Seeing her smile had eased Yin Bai’s tension somewhat, but the moment she saw tears in Zuo Jingyou’s eyes, her brain seemed to freeze.

Oh no, it seems like I messed up!

Yin Bai panicked, feeling utterly lost. She quickly stopped the music and, seeing Zuo Jingyou covering her face with her hand, she hurriedly apologized, “Um… I’m sorry… I…”

She was in a state of panic, appearing more like a child facing an emotional breakdown rather than an adult. Zuo Jingyou covered her face, and her tears flowed even more uncontrollably.

Her voice quivered, and she said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Ms. Yin… I lost control…”

“I don’t know why…”

Even though she had promised herself to hold back and decided not to cry, she couldn’t help but shed tears in front of a well-intentioned stranger.

With her face still hidden, Zuo Jingyou lowered her head and softly added, “I don’t know why…”

Perhaps it was because Yin Bai appeared like a child, or maybe it was because the pent-up emotions had finally found an outlet. Zuo Jingyou couldn’t control herself and continued, “I thought that as long as I did well enough, there would be no problems in my marriage. But I realized that just me doing well isn’t enough…”

Hearing this sudden confession, Yin Bai stood still, looking at the helpless woman before her, who was covering her face. It inevitably reminded her of the time when she was abandoned by Xiao Nian.

Yin Bai gazed at Zuo Jingyou, muttering to herself, as if she were speaking to Zuo Jingyou, but also to herself, “Ah… I understand, I understand…”

“Clearly, it wasn’t my fault, but I always wonder if I did something wrong. Why does she love her and not me?”

“Is there something about me that isn’t good enough?”

The author has something to say:

In the final part, both Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou’s lines are quotations from “Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa” (HYYH).

They both represent a similar type of love, seeking solace in each other. Of course, there can’t be any immediate affection, but hey! We have Tong Tong, our little angel!

In the distant future, Yin Bai might say: “Heh, He Zhiwen, your wife is mine, and your daughter is mine too!”

(Feeling triumphant)

As always, please leave comments, and I’ll choose fifty readers to send red envelopes to.

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