After Being Scummed – Chapter 29

So cute!

After seeing Zuo Jingyou off, Yin Bai quickly returned home. She rarely received gifts from friends, and upon arriving home, she couldn’t wait to unwrap the present.

In no time, she pulled out a small nightingale model brooch from the little gift box. In the middle of this colorful nightingale figurine was a garnet, delicately nestled in its heart. Yin Bai carefully held up the brooch and examined it under the light, finding it more and more beautiful the longer she looked.

Whether it was the exquisite craftsmanship or the sparkling garnet, she felt thoroughly satisfied.

She had always believed that the color of her eyes was the most beautiful. But now, looking at this, she thought red wasn’t bad at all!

With this in mind, Yin Bai carefully placed the brooch back in the drawer in her closet, where she stored her collection of precious brooches.

After doing all this, Yin Bai sent a message to Zuo Jingyou: “I really like the gift, the color is especially beautiful!”

Zuo Jingyou hadn’t gone to bed yet and replied quite quickly: “I’m glad you like it. I think this color is dazzling enough; it complements your eyes beautifully.”

Yin Bai subconsciously raised her hand and touched her eyes, thinking that blue and red were a classic combination. So, in other words, Zuo Jingyou was complimenting her eyes for being beautiful!

Yin Bai instantly became happy: “I think so too! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

“Good night.”

There were no more words that night. The next day, past noon, the two children came again, carrying a thermos box, to bring breakfast to Yin Bai. While eating breakfast, Yin Bai heard the children talk about how many people had visited their homes that day, making it lively, and they wanted to invite Yin Bai to join them.

Upon hearing that there were many people, Yin Bai felt overwhelmed and regretfully declined.

For two consecutive days, during the Chinese New Year, many visitors came to Zuo Jingyou’s house, and Yin Bai didn’t go to play. It wasn’t until the third day of the new year that she reunited with her little friends.

The third day was the day she had planned to go out with the neighbor’s family. Since Yin Bai had limited mobility, her assistants couldn’t allow her to go out alone. So, on this morning, whether it was Zhang Yu or Xiang Qiu, they returned to their positions, packed Yin Bai’s luggage, and accompanied her on the outing.

After packing all the necessary items for the outing, Zhang Yu drove and, with Xiang Qiu, accompanied Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou’s family to the airport.

Upon boarding Yin Bai’s private plane, the pilot followed the previously arranged itinerary and flew towards their destination.

The journey from Haicheng Airport to Vienna, Austria, was quite long. Fortunately, Yin Bai’s plane had ample space and was stocked with lots of delicious food and entertainment. She and the children enjoyed the trip, eating and playing all the way until they reached Austria.

When the plane landed in Vienna, it happened to be early morning. Vienna was bitterly cold in the winter, and it had just snowed, covering everything in a vast expanse of white.

Yin Bai was wearing a long white down jacket and a matching Tumac cap. She walked with a cane as she exited the plane and couldn’t help but shiver at the sight of this snowy landscape.

Oh my, it looks so cold!

But her two little companions felt nothing of the sort. The two children, dressed in red down jackets with equally fuzzy hats, exited the plane and, looking at the snow-covered branches in the distance, joyfully exclaimed, “Wow! It’s snow! Vienna’s snow!”

Yin Bai wrapped a light-colored scarf around her neck, with her face mostly hidden in it, exposing only a pair of gray-blue eyes and a slightly reddened nose. She responded casually, “Yes, yes, it’s snow!”

Just as she finished reassuring the children, she saw Tong Tong tugging on Zuo Jingyou’s hand, exuberantly saying, “Mom, mom, let’s take pictures!”

Not to be outdone, Wen Wen reached out to grab Yin Bai’s clothing, calling out cheerfully, “Sister, sister, let’s take pictures too!”

Yin Bai turned her head and exchanged a helpless glance with Zuo Jingyou. They both resigned themselves to being paired with the two children and began taking photos.

Wen Wen and Tong Tong stood together, positioning Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou on either side, forming a heart shape with their hands, and then smiled at Zhang Yu’s camera, saying, “It’s Vienna’s snow!”

Zhang Yu raised the camera and took a group photo of them against the snowy backdrop.

The children made the adults switch positions and forced them to hold hands while they displayed bright smiles in front of the camera, saying, “It’s Vienna’s airport!”

With a click, Zhang Yu took a photo of them in front of the airport exit.

Seeing that the children wanted to continue taking pictures, Yin Bai raised her hand and lightly patted Wen Wen’s shoulder, saying, “Come on, my friends, let’s save the photos for when we get to the palace!”

With her gentle nudge, Wen Wen and Tong Tong decided not to insist on taking more photos. They obediently followed the adults to the car, heading to the hotel.

During the journey, Wen Wen and Tong Tong pressed their faces to the car window, watching the passing snow-covered scenery. They chatted animatedly about building snowmen, what to eat, what to play, where to visit, and what photos to take.

They chatted happily, but Yin Bai noticed that Zuo Jingyou seemed somewhat out of sorts. Since they had disembarked from the plane, Zuo Jingyou’s mood had been rather low, as if she felt uncomfortable. It became even more apparent once they were in the car. Despite the children’s lively discussions, Zuo Jingyou appeared to have little energy to participate. She offered only a few simple remarks before leaning against Professor Sun and closing her eyes to rest.

Yin Bai looked at her several times, comparing her to the spirited Professor Sun beside her. Zuo Jingyou, despite being a young person, seemed listless, like a frostbitten eggplant, wilting and lifeless.

Could it be that she’s sick?

Yin Bai wondered to herself, but with the children around, she didn’t want to make them worry, so she didn’t immediately ask.

After over an hour of driving, they finally reached the hotel where they were staying. Hotel staff helped them with their luggage and took it to the pre-booked suite. The children followed Zhang Yu and Xiang Qiu into the room, full of excitement.

Yin Bai had a slight limp, making her naturally slower in her movements. At this moment, Zuo Jingyou was also feeling unwell, and her pace was not much faster than Yin Bai’s. After Professor Sun had entered the room, Yin Bai, who was a step behind, extended her cane and lightly tapped Zuo Jingyou’s heel, calling out to her, “Hey… friend, are you okay?”

Stopped in her tracks, Zuo Jingyou turned around and looked at Yin Bai with a somewhat bewildered expression, saying, “Hmm?”

Seeing Zuo Jingyou’s somewhat dazed expression, Yin Bai became even more convinced of her earlier thoughts. She carefully glanced at Zuo Jingyou and then whispered, lowering her voice, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Zuo Jingyou shook her head and replied, “No.”

“Really?” Yin Bai, still concerned, asked in a softer tone, “You haven’t developed a fever, have you?”

Zuo Jingyou sensed Yin Bai’s concern and shook her head while offering a smile, saying, “No, don’t worry…”

“Well, that’s what you’re saying, but you’re in this condition right now…” Yin Bai paused, pursing her lips, and then extended her hand towards Zuo Jingyou, saying, “Alright, let me check your temperature.”

Yin Bai reached out with her slightly warm hand and gently placed it against Zuo Jingyou’s forehead.

When Yin Bai’s slightly cool palm touched Zuo Jingyou’s forehead, Zuo Jingyou, who had been somewhat disoriented, suddenly became clear-headed. Her pupils contracted as she looked at Yin Bai, who was now very close, and her mind went blank for a moment.

Yin Bai checked her temperature, then withdrew her hand and muttered to herself, “You really don’t have a fever.” Afterward, she lowered her gaze and looked at Zuo Jingyou with some confusion. “Since it’s not a cold or fever, why do you seem so listless today? Even when the kids tried to talk to you, you seemed weak.”

Zuo Jingyou stared at her for a while, her voice hoarse as she finally replied, “Don’t tell me… you’ve never experienced jet lag?”

She wasn’t sick; she simply couldn’t adjust to the time difference!

Yin Bai tapped her cane on the ground in realization. “Oh… I see!” It all made sense now. No wonder she seemed so out of sorts!

Yin Bai looked at Zuo Jingyou with some sympathy and said, “In that case, you should stay in the hotel and rest. I’ll take the kids out so they don’t disturb you.”

Zuo Jingyou blinked and took a moment before nodding and saying, “Okay.”

After understanding that Zuo Jingyou was simply struggling with jet lag and feeling tired rather than being sick, Yin Bai, with her cane, urged her to walk into the room.

Once inside the suite, Yin Bai asked Professor Sun to choose her room first and then arranged the rest of the rooms one by one before setting out to pack her luggage.

Because Zuo Jingyou was dealing with jet lag, Yin Bai also considerately asked Professor Sun if she was experiencing the same issue. Professor Sun was much more resilient than her own daughter and said that she was feeling fine. Yin Bai was then happily looking forward to inviting her to join them for an afternoon outing.

Professor Sun readily accepted Yin Bai’s invitation.

So, after breakfast, Yin Bai set off with the elderly professor, the children, and her two assistants to the Schönbrunn Palace¹. Although it was regrettable, Zuo Jingyou, struggling with jet lag, couldn’t get up. Even though Tong Tong was reluctant to leave her mom, she reluctantly accompanied Yin Bai.

What’s key is that this group of people was very “considerate.” Knowing that Zuo Jingyou couldn’t make it, while they were out and about, they were “thoughtful” enough to send her the photos they took.

Yin Bai led the tour group, and they even created a WeChat group specifically for sharing photos.

When Zuo Jingyou woke up, she found her phone filled with a pile of unread messages. She opened the WeChat group, and lo and behold, it was filled with group photos from this bunch.

There were photos of Yin Bai with the two children, Yin Bai with Professor Sun, and Professor Sun with the children…

It seemed that under the influence of the children, those two dignified individuals had become typical “tourists,” leaving a photo at every stop, not even sparing the trees by the roadside.

Zuo Jingyou silently scrolled through all the photos and then opened WeChat to send Yin Bai a message: “You guys are going too far…”

She thought Yin Bai was just playing around and didn’t expect a quick response. However, it wasn’t long before she received a call from Yin Bai.

It sounded like they were all walking on the street, and Zuo Jingyou was sitting on her bed, faintly hearing street musicians playing in the background on the phone. Amidst the noisy environment, Yin Bai’s soft voice came through clearly: “Teacher Zuo, are you awake?”

It’s hard to describe the feeling, but wrapped in her blanket, Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but feel as if she were being touched by Yin Bai’s palm on her forehead again, soft and somewhat warm.

Zuo Jingyou held the blanket tightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. “Hmm… where are you all playing now?”

Yin Bai raised her voice slightly, “We’re at Mariahilfer Strasse¹, still having fun… It’s so cold, but there are so many people, very lively…”

Zuo Jingyou hugged the blanket even tighter, as if she could see Yin Bai, all bundled up, leaning on her cane in the bustling streets of a foreign land, playing with a group of people, young and old.

It’s hard to put into words, but just thinking about it made her feel very reassured.

Zuo Jingyou chuckled and asked, “Is that so? Well, have a great time. By the way, when are you planning to have dinner?”

Yin Bai, with her cane, weaving through the crowd, replied with a smile, “In about another hour and a half. If you’re willing to get up, how about joining us for dinner? I can have the hotel staff arrange for your transportation.”

“I’ve made a reservation at a Chinese restaurant, and I hear it’s quite good!”

Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but laugh as she covered her face with her hand. “Why do you have to eat at a Chinese restaurant when you’re abroad? Aren’t there any local specialties?”

Yin Bai also smiled, her eyes crinkling. She replied in a deliberately light-hearted tone, “Based on my years of sampling cuisines from around the world, I’ve discovered that, except for Chinese cuisine, most other cuisines are mostly garbage. I’m guessing the local specialties won’t be good!”

“And, Professor Sun shares the same viewpoint as me! So, we’re going to a Chinese restaurant!”

Yin Bai stated her case confidently, and Zuo Jingyou raised an eyebrow and sighed. “You’re really…”

“Really what?”

Zuo Jingyou thought to herself that she’s really adorable. Of course, she didn’t say it out loud, instead, she cleared her throat gently and said, “Well, then, give me the address, and I’ll head out to meet you, okay?”

“Great!”

After ending the call, Yin Bai sent the restaurant’s address to Zuo Jingyou.