After Being Scummed – Chapter 51

Oh, you childish ghost!

Yin Bai is a very proactive person. After making up her mind, she had Zhang Yu book the tickets, packed her bags, and the next morning, she flew to Tibet.

In November, Tibet is chilly with a biting cold wind. Of course, that’s not the worst part. The most challenging aspect of this region on the vast plateau is not only the freezing wind that Yin Bai couldn’t bear but also the tormenting low oxygen concentration. The thin air at this high-altitude region made Yin Bai struggle for breath.

After getting off the plane, Yin Bai, following the security and guide team contacted by Zhang Yu at the last minute, took a car to the Linhai Town where Zuo Jingyou was located.

However, shortly after getting on the car, Yin Bai was defeated by the effects of altitude sickness and various discomforts due to motion sickness. She felt a headache, feverish, tightness in her chest, and overall discomfort. She lay in the back seat like a dead fish, groaning and moaning against the car window.

Zhang Yu, sitting beside her, looked at her seemingly lifeless state, worriedly reached out to touch her forehead, and frowned, saying, “Boss, do you have a fever?”

While Zhang Yu was touching Yin Bai’s forehead, she sighed and said, “Boss, why did you come to such a desolate place in the middle of winter, where there’s no one in sight and even the birds don’t lay eggs?”

“You are afraid of the cold, and your body is delicate. Isn’t it suffering for you to come here?”

“Clearly, Teacher Zuo will be back next month. Why can’t you sit still? Why did you rush over here so eagerly?”

Yin Bai leaned against the car window, glared at Zhang Yu weakly, and muttered, “I like to see the winter scenery on the plateau. Is that not allowed?”

“Alright, alright.” Zhang Yu nodded, withdrew her hand, and sighed, “You’re not even running a fever, so why are you looking so miserable?”

Just as Zhang Yu was puzzled, the tour guide sister sitting in the last row handed her a thermos cup and reminded her with concern, “I think Director Yin might have altitude sickness. Give her some hot water and let her inhale some oxygen. She should feel better.”

Zhang Yu was stunned. While taking the hot water from the tour guide, she turned to Yin Bai in shock and said, “Boss, this is only an altitude of three thousand meters, the starting point for entering Tibet! And you’re already struggling!”

Yin Bai felt extremely uncomfortable. Her pair of gray-blue eyes glared fiercely, and she roared at Zhang Yu like a little angry lion, “You… shut up! Speaking so loudly, be careful of hypoxia!”

“Ok… ok…” Zhang Yu poured a cup of hot water for Yin Bai and handed it to her mouth, feeding her gently, “Drink it quickly, take it easy, don’t scold me.”

Yin Bai didn’t have the strength to roar anymore. She glanced at Zhang Yu, lowered her head, and slowly sipped the hot water in small sips. The warmth from the hot water seemed to dispel the cold rising in her stomach, making her feel a bit better.

After Zhang Yu fed her a good amount of hot water, she then opened the oxygen supply device in the car and placed an oxygen mask on Yin Bai’s face, expressing concern, “Hey, quickly take a few breaths; your fair face has turned pale.”

Yin Bai gave her a glare, and before she could say anything, with a “hiss” sound, she was enveloped in the rich oxygen.

Yin Bai subconsciously took a deep breath. The highly saturated oxygen mixed with other gases entered her lungs through the nasal passages, dissolved into her bloodstream, and quickly cleared her foggy brain caused by lack of oxygen.

To her surprise, Yin Bai found that the tension in the back of her head was gone, her body no longer ached, and the ghostly pain that felt like being pressed down in bed had also lessened.

She leaned back in her seat, widened her eyes, looked at Zhang Yu, and pointed happily at the oxygen mask covering her face.

Zhang Yu raised her eyebrows playfully and said, “Effective, isn’t it? If it works, BOSS, you should take in more!”

Next, Yin Bai leaned back in the car seat, clutching the oxygen and inhaling deeply all the way.

The car continued to drive along the national highway, getting closer to Linhai. The temperature dropped as they approached.

The vast blue sky and drifting white clouds gradually receded, and the forest scenery on both sides of the road took on a desolate autumn hue. Yellow and red leaves mixed among the evergreen trees, resembling a large palette splashed onto the pure sky of the western region. The surroundings were painted like an oil painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

In the deeper and higher regions, one could already catch a glimpse of the winter’s snowy landscape. Even if one was sheltered in the warmth of the car, there was a sense of coldness, as if being exposed to an icy world with no place to hide.

Clutching the oxygen, Yin Bai looked at the desolate and magnificent scenery outside the window, couldn’t help but shudder.

Based on her years of travel experience, the more beautiful the scenery, the sparser the population, and the more harsh the living environment. It tends to be less convenient.

As she inhaled oxygen, she furrowed her brow, thinking, “Why did Zuo Jingyou come here? If she wants to enjoy the scenery, she could go to the more bustling and lively Tibetan areas. Why did she have to come here with Xu Ruofeng?”

Could this be true love?

Ah, maybe. Zuo Jingyou is a woman who has only had one relationship but managed to enter into marriage. In a way, she is truly very simple.

Her good friend might be a love-crazed person.

Yin Bai, holding the oxygen tank, was extremely restless. Her heart was hurting, and her mind was filled with strange thoughts. She muttered non-stop, either complaining or venting, never saying a good word.

Zhang Yu sat beside her, watching as she leaned against the car window, murmuring about Zuo Jingyou at one moment and complaining about Xu Ruofeng the next. Zhang Yu silently moved a step away.

Hmm… she always feels that the current Boss is quite dangerous, like a resentful woman in a deep boudoir.

After a long drive, in the afternoon, Yin Bai finally arrived at the town inn where Zuo Jingyou was staying—thanks to the blessing received from the flowers she sent earlier. This time, she asked Yang Yi about Zuo Jingyou’s schedule and managed not to disturb her.

When Yin Bai, holding an oxygen tank and leaning on a cane, got out of the car, she was still thinking that Zuo Jingyou usually finishes work at six in the evening, and it was only four o’clock now, so Zuo Jingyou probably hadn’t returned.

She had plenty of time to freshen up, change into clean clothes—she had even prepared a bath if not for the tour guide’s advice that people with altitude sickness shouldn’t bathe.

But it’s okay; she could still wipe her face and become a clean and tidy fairy.

As Yin Bai thought about this, she hobbled towards the house with the help of her cane. Zhang Yu and the tour guide were busy carrying luggage around her.

Just as Yin Bai, struggling with her cane, made it to the doorway, a car arrived from the mountains and stopped at the inn’s entrance. The car door opened, and a black-haired woman in Tibetan attire jumped out of the car.

The woman raised her head, and upon seeing Yin Bai at the door, a look of incredulous surprise appeared on her face. “Yin Bai!”

Upon hearing the voice, Yin Bai shivered all over. She turned around with her cane and immediately saw the approaching woman.

The woman was dressed in a long-sleeved, red Tibetan gown, with a colorful and splendid belt around her waist. Intricate and elegant headwear adorned her forehead, and a dazzling golden jade necklace hung around her neck. She looked extremely elegant, graceful, and charming.

The woman lifted the hem of her gown, moving towards Yin Bai like a graceful bird. Yin Bai, leaning on her cane, stood at the doorway, watching as the woman’s cascading black hair created a captivating curve with every step she took, causing her heart to flutter.

Ah, it was Zuo Jingyou…

As Yin Bai thought about it, Zuo Jingyou had already arrived in front of her, with a face full of smiles. “How come you’re here?”

Yin Bai looked at the radiant smile on her face, and her heart raced like a startled deer, thumping incessantly. Her friend looked exceptionally beautiful today!

Wearing ethnic clothing made her look especially charming, what should she do?

Yin Bai raised her hand, took the oxygen tank, covered her face, and took a deep breath.

Hiss… her heartbeat quickened even more. What should she do!

Zuo Jingyou stood in front of her, watching this series of actions, couldn’t help but chuckle. She reached out, grabbed Yin Bai’s hand holding the cane, and smiled, “What’s going on with you? The altitude here isn’t that high; why are you starting to use oxygen?”

Yin Bai put down the oxygen tank, lowered her gaze to look at Zuo Jingyou, and said very seriously, “I have altitude sickness.”

Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but laugh, “This is less than three thousand meters… and it’s all forest around… and you’re getting altitude sickness?”

Yin Bai nodded, sniffed, and said confidently, “I’m taller than all of you. It’s normal not to get enough oxygen up there!”

Well, fair enough, you have a point.

Zuo Jingyou didn’t discuss the matter further and instead, holding her hand, said cheerfully, “If you have altitude sickness, why did you come here? Just to visit me?”

Yin Bai’s mouth twitched, feeling a bit wronged, “Before coming, I didn’t think I would get altitude sickness.”

Seeing her like this, Zuo Jingyou couldn’t help but raise her hand, pat her head, and comfort her softly, “Alright, alright. Since you’re here, you’ll get used to it.”

Yin Bai nodded, fully agreeing, “Right, as long as I have the oxygen tank.”

After saying this, Yin Bai sighed and said to Zuo Jingyou, “If you don’t play with me, I can only come to find you. We haven’t seen each other for almost half a month. Don’t you miss me at all, my friend?”

Between friends, would one miss each other so much?

Zuo Jingyou was too lazy to argue about this matter. The moment she saw Yin Bai, she understood that, in Yin Bai’s heart, she held a different place.

Besides being friends, there was another kind of indescribable difference.

Zuo Jingyou held Yin Bai’s hand, her eyes gently looking at her. “Alright, alright, it’s my fault for not being able to accompany you. Yin Bai, I’m glad you came to see me.”

Zuo Jingyou tilted her head, looked at Yin Bai, and smiled, “Since it’s been so long, how about a long-lost reunion hug?”

Yin Bai was momentarily stunned, and in that instant, Zuo Jingyou raised her hand and embraced her.

When her body was enveloped in a warm embrace, Yin Bai’s mind buzzed for a moment. It seemed that at this very moment, the cold wind, the bustling crowd, and everything else began to fade away from her.

In this world, the only warmth she could feel was in this embrace.

It turns out that a hug is such a powerful gesture. She felt that the accumulated grievances and uneasiness from these days, the bitterness and coldness carried by the long journey, vanished in an instant…

In her world… in the entire world, there was only one Zuo Jingyou.

Yin Bai couldn’t help but extend the hand holding the oxygen tank and gently embraced Zuo Jingyou around the waist.

The two of them hugged at the doorway, disregarding the peculiar gazes of onlookers. They clung to each other like a couple deeply in love reuniting after a long separation.

At that moment, Xu Ruofeng, who had finally finished the tasks at the trunk and emerged from the car holding a camera, saw Zuo Jingyou being embraced and was momentarily stunned.

Huh… what’s going on? Could it be that her junior sister is in a romantic relationship?

With this thought in mind, Xu Ruofeng called out towards Zuo Jingyou, “Jingyou!”

Holding onto Zuo Jingyou, Yin Bai heard the voice and quickly raised her head to look. Upon seeing Xu Ruofeng leaning against the car with a camera, Yin Bai’s eyes widened instantly. She fiercely tightened her grip around Zuo Jingyou’s waist, pressing her tightly against herself.

Hmph! She’s mine! Mine!

Zuo Jingyou, nestled in Yin Bai’s embrace, felt the strength around her waist. She lowered her head onto Yin Bai’s shoulder, lightly bit her lip, and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

What a childish ghost… just like a child, possessive to the core.

With this thought, Zuo Jingyou placed her chin on Yin Bai’s shoulder, hugged her waist tightly, and sighed softly.

Perhaps it’s precisely because of her immaturity, her pure simplicity, that makes people find her precious and irresistible.

Given that things have come to this point, how can she even consider taking a step back and letting go of this person?

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