After Being Scummed – Chapter 9

Love is inherently selfish

After receiving a call from Zuo Jingyou, He Zhiwen immediately packed his bags and flew back to Haicheng from the capital. Before leaving, He Zhiwen also called Lin Xiao to tell him that he was going to see Zuo Jingyou because of Tong Tong and him.

Lin Xiao, deeply entangled in a romantic scandal, was currently on a closed film set. When he received He Zhiwen’s call, he had just finished a scene and was sitting in a corner of the set, wrapped in a shawl, sipping water.

The April sun was exceptionally bright, but it felt a bit chilly on this expanse of northern desert land. Lin Xiao hid in a spot shielded from the cold wind, holding a thermos cup and listening to He Zhiwen’s voice on the phone. His heart felt warm.

However, just as he was about to exchange some sweet words with He Zhiwen, he heard that He Zhiwen was going to meet Zuo Jingyou. The hand holding the water cup tightened uncontrollably due to jealousy.

But in the end, Lin Xiao suppressed his jealousy and asked with a concerned tone, “How is Tong Tong? Is she okay?”

He Zhiwen sounded urgent and obviously very worried, saying, “She must have had a nasty fall; otherwise, Jingyou wouldn’t have contacted me. Tong Tong has always been afraid of pain since she was a child. I wonder how she’s crying right now.”

Lin Xiao swallowed his discomfort and said, somewhat uneasily, “Well… kids do tend to cry a lot. Remember to buy her some of her favorite snacks, gifts, and comfort her well.”

“Also, don’t rush too much. Contact the assistant in Haicheng, and they can pick you up from the airport to take you to the hospital. Don’t drive yourself, and don’t overexert yourself. Haven’t you been quite busy with filming recently? Take these days to accompany Tong Tong, and also find some time to rest.”

Lin Xiao was a man, and he certainly understood a man’s mentality. He couldn’t show too much jealousy, but he also couldn’t be too magnanimous. In this precarious relationship, even though He Zhiwen loved him passionately now, Lin Xiao had no confidence in surpassing Zuo Jingyou.

Moreover, Zuo Jingyou and He Zhiwen had a child together. Such a connection was something he naturally couldn’t overcome.

At the same time, he knew the fickleness of men. In the face of true love and desire, even the bonds of having a child didn’t count for much.

So he could only strive to make He Zhiwen love him a little more, and gradually, become unable to leave him.

Indeed, upon hearing Lin Xiao’s gentle and caring words, He Zhiwen couldn’t help but feel guilty. He paused for a moment and whispered to Lin Xiao, “I’m sorry, Xiaoye. Don’t overthink it. Jingyou and I divorced at the beginning of the year, so this trip is really just to see our child. There’s no other intention, so please don’t be jealous.”

On the other end of the phone, Lin Xiao chuckled softly. He held the water cup and lowered his gaze, his fingers unconsciously playing with the lid of the thermos cup as he softly replied, “Of course, I’ll be jealous. You’re going to see your ex-wife; how could I not care?”

“But I know that, in reality, it’s for Tong Tong. She’s your daughter, and you can’t not see her. Life is so long, I’ll have to get used to it.”

Lin Xiao paused for a moment, insinuatingly saying, “Moreover, Jingyou isn’t the kind of vulgar woman who would try to win back her husband by using their child. So, I trust you both.”

“Remember to take care of yourself, alright?”

He Zhiwen immediately felt at ease. He muttered softly, “I’m sorry for all the trouble during this time. Don’t worry, the clarification post will be out soon. Give me some more time, and I’ll make you officially my lover.”

Lin Xiao smiled and replied, “You don’t need to say such cheesy words. I love you, and I know that’s enough.”

They exchanged some affectionate words, but Lin Xiao had to get back to preparing for his scene, so they ended the call.

Lin Xiao put down his phone and looked up at the open space not far away. The swirling wind and sand made everything appear hazy, as if nothing was clear. Only a faint ray of sunlight descending from the sky brought a shallow brightness.

In that place, the assistant director was directing a group of extras for a scene. Lin Xiao couldn’t help but think back to many years ago when he was also among these extras. It was He Zhiwen who had plucked him from that crowd, giving him a chance to shine.

On that cold winter day, during the time when he was drifting alone with nowhere to turn, it was He Zhiwen who had extended a helping hand, allowing him to continue his life.

He Zhiwen was like the sunlight streaming into the dimly lit studio, warming the few things left in his life.

Even though He Zhiwen was already married at that time, Lin Xiao had persevered, step by step, until he stood before He Zhiwen, becoming his leading man.

Lin Xiao contemplated for a moment, then picked up his phone again, opened Weibo, and saw his homepage filled with rumors and negative information about him and He Zhiwen.

Scrolling down the screen, Lin Xiao observed the heated arguments between the fans of Zuo Jingyou and his own fans, the words exchanged filled with intensity. He couldn’t help but smile.

The term “third party”? He didn’t care one bit about that label.

Love, after all, was a selfish thing. Everyone fought for the one they loved with their own abilities. Wasn’t that the way it should be? Life was so short yet so cold and lonely. Only when two souls came together could they experience a fleeting moment of brilliant fireworks and light. Why shouldn’t they fully embrace the present?

Lin Xiao switched to his messages and sent a message to an anonymous number: “Tonight, release the news of He Zhiwen and Zuo Jingyou’s divorce.”

Anyway, they had indeed divorced, hadn’t they? He Zhiwen and Zuo Jingyou had no more ties, and from now on, he was his own person.

After receiving a confirming response, Lin Xiao added that number to his blocklist and then walked over to the director to continue shooting his scenes.

He Zhiwen flew back to Haicheng and arrived at the hospital the next morning.

Since six months ago, when He Zhiwen confessed to Zuo Jingyou that he had fallen in love with someone else, the two had begun to work on their divorce proceedings. Besides the complicated division of assets, the custody of Tong Tong was a major issue.

He Zhiwen, having been unfaithful first and aware of his mistake, didn’t dare to fight for custody of Tong Tong with Zuo Jingyou. Therefore, it was only natural for Tong Tong to be raised by Zuo Jingyou.

Since then, Zuo Jingyou had intentionally or unintentionally reduced the time father and daughter spent together. Until half a month ago, when Zuo Jingyou and He Zhiwen officially went through the divorce proceedings, she had left the home where they had been living and temporarily entrusted Tong Tong to her grandmother’s care.

As the child was still quite young, she might not fully grasp the meaning of divorce. Neither Zuo Jingyou nor He Zhiwen intended to tell her at this moment. Instead, they planned to wait a little while until Tong Tong got used to He Zhiwen not coming home and then explain the situation to her.

So during this time, Tong Tong had been under the impression that her father was away in a distant place for work and couldn’t come home often.

That’s why she was so delighted to see her dad today.

Despite the anesthesia wearing off and the wound starting to hurt, early in the morning, Tong Tong insisted on playing a board game with her dad.

Rarely getting the chance to meet, He Zhiwen spent the morning playing with Tong Tong. After finally making the child happy, He Zhiwen looked at Zuo Jingyou, who was sitting across from them, watching the father-daughter duo. He cleared his throat and said to Tong Tong, “Tong Tong, Daddy has some work to do and can’t stay with you any longer, okay?”

He Zhiwen raised his hand and ruffled Tong Tong’s hair, smiling as he comforted her, “Tong Tong, be strong. How about next time Daddy comes to see you, we go out to play together, alright?”

Tong Tong’s little face immediately drooped, her eyes filled with disappointment. “Daddy is so busy, he has to leave now? Can’t you stay with Tong Tong a little longer? Tong Tong really misses you!”

He Zhiwen nodded, shamelessly fibbing with a straight face, “Well, there are many uncles and aunties waiting for Daddy to go back to work. Daddy really wants to be with Tong Tong, but I’m just too busy.”

Tong Tong was a sensible child, and though she was reluctant to hear this, she only looked at He Zhiwen with watery eyes and said, “Then next time Daddy comes back, please stay with Tong Tong a bit longer, okay?”

He Zhiwen nodded and gently ruffled Tong Tong’s messy hair once more, reassuring her, “Of course, next time I come back, how about Daddy takes you to the amusement park?”

“Okay!” Tong Tong nodded and extended her pinky finger towards He Zhiwen, sweetly saying, “Daddy, let’s make a pinky promise.”

He Zhiwen smiled and hooked his finger around his daughter’s pinky, saying, “Promise.”

“We promise, pinky swear, and we can’t break it for a hundred years.”

Tong Tong shook her finger, sealing the deal with her dad, and giggled, “Daddy promised Tong Tong, you can’t break it, okay!”

He Zhiwen chuckled warmly and reassured his daughter, “Of course, Daddy would never deceive Tong Tong. I’ll always keep my promises.”

Having finally comforted his daughter, He Zhiwen lifted his gaze and looked at Zuo Jingyou, who had been smiling at them from the opposite side of the hospital bed. He awkwardly licked his lips, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he said, “Jingyou, I have to go now. Could you… give me a ride?”

Throughout the morning, he had been struggling to find the right words, as if there was something he wanted to say to Zuo Jingyou. Zuo Jingyou understood his intentions, sighed, and nodded. She got up, patted her daughter’s head on the bed, and spoke softly to comfort her, “Mommy will take Daddy downstairs. I’ll come back to have lunch with you, Tong Tong. Be a good girl and wait here for the nurse.”

Tong Tong nodded and obediently replied, “Okay.”

Zuo Jingyou sighed again, gave her daughter’s head another gentle pat, and then turned to He Zhiwen, saying, “Let’s go; I’ll take you downstairs.”

He Zhiwen squinted his eyes and smiled, saying, “Alright.”

They walked out of the hospital room one after the other, and just as they reached the exit, He Zhiwen couldn’t contain his eagerness and called out to Zuo Jingyou, “Jingyou… Jingyou… how about we find a quiet place for lunch at noon and have a proper talk?”

He Zhiwen’s voice resonated in Zuo Jingyou’s ears, and she paused, thinking that this moment had come. She sighed and turned to face He Zhiwen, speaking calmly, “There’s no need to go elsewhere. You came back this time mainly to visit Tong Tong.”

“As for other matters, haven’t we already discussed everything when you were honest about your affair and wanting a divorce? Is there anything else to talk about?”

All their conversations, from confessing his infidelity to wanting a divorce, had been straightforward. Zuo Jingyou didn’t see any need for further discussion between them.

This hospital room, located on the second-to-last floor of the hospital, was primarily reserved for patients with high status, and the environment was exceptionally quiet. It was noon, and most of the medical staff were taking their lunch break. The hallway was empty, devoid of any individuals.

Zuo Jingyou stood in the deep corridor, her arms crossed, silently watching the man in front of her, her eyes like deep pools.

Seeing her expression, He Zhiwen felt somewhat uneasy, ran his hand through his hair, licked his lips, and said, “It’s just that… a few days ago, after the news about Lin Xiao and me came out, implicating you… I thought, perhaps you should consider giving an appropriate public statement on your end as well?”

“And last night, news of our divorce also spread widely. At a time like this, shouldn’t your studio provide a response?”

Zuo Jingyou didn’t say anything, she just silently watched him.

In the depths of her solemn gaze, He Zhiwen felt an immense pressure. After thinking for a moment, he decided to speak candidly, “I know it’s not right for me to come to you with this request, but Jingyou, considering we were married for so many years, can you please help me out?”

“Since we’re already divorced, could you do me a personal favor and explain that we had relationship issues last year and we’re already divorced now?”

In essence, he wanted to prevent others from seeing Lin Xiao as a third party who had intruded into their marriage.

Zuo Jingyou understood the implication in his words. She chuckled lightly, crossed her arms, and spoke coolly, “What do you want me to say? That we were divorced last year? That Lin Xiao didn’t intrude into our marriage? Do you want me, after the divorce, to uphold the reputation of the man who destroyed our marriage?”

“He Zhiwen, you truly are quite the sentimentalist, aren’t you?”

“But why should I? Why should I help him? Just because you love him? Because he made me lose my husband and my child lose her father?”

Zuo Jingyou’s voice was lowered, carrying a hint of sarcasm she had never displayed before. “Why should I be so magnanimous as to support your love?”

The author has something to say:

He Zhiwen is the kind of person who says, “If I like someone, I like them, regardless of gender.”

In this story, I won’t pass judgment on anyone’s actions, so how you evaluate them is up to you, dear readers.

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