After Being Scummed – Chapter 8

by Little Panda

Ahhhhhhh Don’t Call Me Fairy Sister!

The moment Zuo Jingyou arrived, Tongtong, sitting on the bed, focused all her attention on her.

Tongtong opened her arms towards Zuo Jingyou, wheedling softly, “Mommy, you’re back! Mommy hugs!”

Zuo Jingyou quickly walked to the bedside, her heart aching as she gathered her daughter into her arms. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she asked with infinite tenderness, “Tongtong, does it still hurt?”

Nestled in her embrace, Tongtong looked up at her, smiled, and shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. The doctor auntie gave me a shot and bandaged my boo-boo. Don’t worry, Mommy.”

After comforting Zuo Jingyou, Tongtong lowered her eyes, somewhat self-reproachful. “I’m sorry, Mommy. It was because I was playing too much that I fell. I won’t do it again next time.”

Tongtong was truly a very well-behaved child, knowing how to comfort her mother and how to apologize. How could Zuo Jingyou bear to say anything more? She hugged Tongtong tighter, leaned down to gently kiss the uninjured part of her child’s forehead, and softly reassured her, “It’s okay as long as you’re alright. Mommy is very happy that Tongtong knows what’s dangerous. Mommy doesn’t blame you.”

Zuo Jingyou reached out, gently stroking the child’s head, coaxing her softly, asking if anywhere else hurt. Tongtong showed all her injuries, asking coaxingly for her to blow on them. After Zuo Jingyou blew gently, Tongtong giggled and said, “Ah, Mommy cast a happy spell on me! My boo-boos will get better soon!”

The child laughed cheerfully, and Zuo Jingyou’s heart eased with relief. She ruffled the soft hair at the back of the child’s head and smiled gently. “Mm, Tongtong will definitely get better very soon.”

Seeing that Zuo Jingyou had comforted the child, the assistant Yang Yi¹, standing to the side, finally spoke with a beaming smile, “Alright now, Tongtong be good. Auntie Yang Yi also brought Tongtong a present that can make the ouchies fly away!”

“Ta-da!”

Yang Yi reached out, pulling a magical fairy Barbie doll from behind her back and presenting it to Tongtong.

Tongtong took the gift, her eyes wide with surprise. “Wow, it’s a magical fairy! And a magic wand!” Wenwen beside her also leaned closer, looking at the gift with eyes full of envy. “Wow, such a big magical fairy! I want one too, I want one too!”

Yang Yi reached out and ruffled Wenwen’s dark hair, her face full of smiles. “I prepared one for Wenwen too. It’s in the car, you’ll see it when we go back later.”

Wenwen raised both hands and cheered, urging Tongtong to open the gift.

Seeing that both children’s attention was captivated by the gift, Zuo Jingyou glanced gently at Tongtong, then lifted her gaze towards Yin Bai and called out, “Director Yin…”

Yin Bai stood at the foot of the bed, leaning on her cane, her eyes darting around the room, her mind entirely preoccupied with how to slip away elegantly yet without awkwardness later. After all, with this family being so happy and harmonious together, she felt utterly superfluous.

But Zuo Jingyou’s sudden call startled her so much she almost dropped the cane in her hand.

Yin Bai snapped back to reality, gripping her cane, and couldn’t help but think back to how she had just been acting all high and mighty, having that embarrassing chuuni moment² in front of Zuo Jingyou. The sheer awkwardness was overwhelming. But she was accustomed to maintaining a front in public; no matter how awkward the situation, she could mask it flawlessly with an indifferent expression.

She pressed her lips together, her gaze falling on Zuo Jingyou, and pretended to be aloof as she asked, “Is there something, Miss Zuo?”

Although they hadn’t interacted much, Zuo Jingyou could vaguely sense that Yin Bai was someone who cared a lot about appearances. She gave a faint smile, not mentioning what she had seen earlier, and simply expressed her sincere gratitude, “I heard from Aunt Xu³ that you drove Tongtong over today. Thank you.”

Zuo Jingyou reached up to stroke her daughter’s hair, looking at Yin Bai with smiling eyes. “I didn’t expect you to be my mother’s neighbor. Anyway, thank you for what happened today.”

Yin Bai maintained her indifferent mask. “It’s nothing, you’re welcome. We’re neighbors, it was just a small effort.”⁴

She paused, glanced at Tongtong sitting on the hospital bed, lightly bit her lip, and mustered the courage to say, “Since you’re here, Tongtong doesn’t need me to stay with her anymore. I have other things to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

As soon as the words fell, Yin Bai turned, leaning on her cane, and headed hastily towards the door as if fleeing.

Zuo Jingyou subconsciously called out to stop her, “Hey, Director Yin… about the medical expenses you paid upfront…”

Without turning her head, Yin Bai said, “It’s fine, no need to give it back to me.”

Hearing she was leaving, Tongtong on the bed looked up at her retreating figure and asked, puzzled, “Fairy Sister, are you going home?”

Hearing “Fairy Sister,” Yin Bai felt her composure crumble! It’s fine if the kids call me that amongst themselves, but don’t shout it in front of adults!

Yin Bai’s steps faltered. Leaning on her cane, she turned her head to look at Tongtong and forced a smile. “Yes, I’m going home. Your mommy is here now, so you play nicely with your mommy.”

Tongtong said “Oh,” looking at her rather pitifully. “Then can we still come find you to play later?”

“Of course, you can.” Yin Bai’s smile softened slightly, becoming sincere. “Once you’re better, you can come find me in the courtyard.”

Wenwen, leaning over the side of the bed, quickly interjected, “And will you tell us stories?”

Yin Bai nodded. “Mm, I will, as long as you don’t bother me.”

Speaking so much at once in front of people she wasn’t familiar with was truly somewhat difficult for Yin Bai. She paused, trying to make herself seem a bit more amiable. “Alright, I’m heading back now. Goodbye.”

After saying farewell, Yin Bai hurried out with her cane.

Watching her retreating back, Tongtong and Wenwen shouted loudly in unison, “Goodbye, Fairy Sister!”

Yin Bai stumbled, nearly bumping into the doorframe on her way out.

Ahhhhhh, don’t call her Fairy Sister in front of adults! This is killing me, killing me! How is she supposed to pretend to be a mature adult like this?!

Leaning on her cane, Yin Bai walked quickly away, tap-tap-tap, rapidly leaving the hospital room.

Sitting by the bed, Zuo Jingyou watched the direction where her figure disappeared, somewhat taken aback. This Director Yin… seemed rather unused to interacting with people. She had previously thought Yin Bai was just cold and aloof, but seeing this now…

She played well with children but seemed unable to handle adults. It felt a bit…

“Hey… Jingyou-jie, why do I get the feeling Director Yin seems a bit socially awkward?”⁵ Yang Yi, beside her, glanced towards where Yin Bai had disappeared, accurately voicing Zuo Jingyou’s thoughts.

Yang Yi turned her head, looking at her boss with a hint of gossip. “I saw her a few times at banquets before. People in the circle say she’s famously cold and doesn’t talk much, but looking at her now… wasn’t she quite talkative?”

As Yang Yi spoke, she suddenly raised her left hand high and shouted enthusiastically, “Believe in the power of love! Become a magical fairy!”

After her performance, Yang Yi burst out laughing. “How can someone be so cute!” Just like a child, full of playful innocence.

Zuo Jingyou chuckled helplessly, looking at her assistant who was brimming with dramatic flair, and shook her head. “Alright, didn’t I tell you not to gossip about others in private?”

“Go find Director Yin’s assistant’s contact information and ask about the medical expenses. We still need to transfer that money back to her.”

Yang Yi made an OK gesture, turned, and left the hospital room to contact Yin Bai’s assistant.

Because Tongtong’s fall from the wall wasn’t minor, Zuo Jingyou hesitated repeatedly. After Yang Yi left, she still took her phone into the bathroom, dragged He Zhiwen out of her blacklist, and gave him a call.

The moment she dialed, He Zhiwen answered almost instantly. The man’s weary voice came through the receiver, “Thank heavens⁶, Jingyou, you’re finally willing to contact me.”

Without waiting for her to speak, He Zhiwen blurted out a long stream of words like pouring out beans⁷, “Are you willing to cooperate with me now? The scandal is getting worse and worse, the impact on you, me, and Lin Xiao⁸ is terrible. Come out with me and clarify things…”

Listening to the man’s voice from the receiver, Zuo Jingyou felt a momentary daze. Just half a year ago, they were the ideal couple⁹ everyone envied. But just as He Zhiwen had loved her then, in the blink of an eye, he had fallen in love with a man, calling him his “Muse,”¹⁰ loving him with the same intensity.

This man was like a fire, possessing a frank and persistent passion for art, for film, for love. Once upon a time, Zuo Jingyou had firmly believed this fire would be the warmth enveloping her forever.

Yet she never expected he would turn and leave so decisively, scorching her, leaving her standing alone in the same spot, burned to ashes¹¹.

Zuo Jingyou took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the emotions surging in her heart. Leaning against the sink, she said softly, “I don’t want to talk about this with you right now…”

Zuo Jingyou paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, before slowly letting out a breath, her tone calm. “Zhiwen… Tongtong… she fell and got hurt… If you have time, come see her first.”

He Zhiwen was shocked. “Tongtong’s hurt! How did she get hurt? Where is she hurt? Where? I’ll fly back right now!”

Zuo Jingyou paused, then told him, “I’ll have my assistant send you the address later. For now, don’t talk about our matters in front of the child. Just come back and comfort Tongtong properly.”

“As for other things, we can talk later.”

After saying this, Zuo Jingyou decisively hung up the phone and put He Zhiwen back into her blacklist.

Having done all this, Zuo Jingyou leaned against the sink, staring at He Zhiwen’s name on her phone, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts.

Ever since discovering that incident, every time, every single time she saw He Zhiwen’s name, she couldn’t help but interrogate herself: Why did something like this happen?

Why would the person bound to her by marriage vows, the person who said he would love her forever, fall in love with someone else? How did they even begin? What exactly attracted him? Where did she fall short compared to that person? Did she do something wrong?

Countless questions rose in Zuo Jingyou’s mind, leaving her flustered and confused, agitated, and utterly exhausted.

But everything would pass… even if the process was terrible, it would eventually pass.

Zuo Jingyou raised a hand and slapped it against her forehead, forcing a moment of clarity. Stop thinking about it. Things are already like this; thinking more won’t help.

There was no other choice but to face it.

Zuo Jingyou took a deep breath, turned, and splashed water on her slightly red eyes, composing herself for a while before walking out of the bathroom.

Upon seeing her daughter playing happily on the bed, Zuo Jingyou revealed a gentle smile. “Tongtong… Mommy has some good news for you!”

Tongtong looked up at Zuo Jingyou, a big smile on her face. “What good news is Mommy going to tell me?”

Zuo Jingyou smiled slightly and said, “Your daddy said he’ll come back to see you soon!”

Hearing that her daddy was coming, Tongtong’s eyes lit up, and she quickly asked, “Really? Really? I can see Daddy?”

“Mm, you can. You’ll be able to see him very soon.”

But also very soon, she wouldn’t be able to see him often anymore.

The author has something to say:

Tongtong: Adults really are complicated creatures.

LP: Re-translated on April 24, 2025

Footnotes

楊藝 | Yáng Yì
犯中二病 | fàn zhōng’èr bìng | Lit. “commit middle school second year sickness”; Japanese slang adopted in Chinese, referring to teenagers’ delusions of grandeur or cringey, overly dramatic behavior.
徐姨 | Xú Yí | Auntie Xu. ‘Yi’ means aunt, often used respectfully for older women, not necessarily relatives.
举手之劳 | jǔ shǒu zhī láo | Lit. “the labor of lifting a hand”; An idiom meaning a very small effort, no trouble at all.
社恐 | shè kǒng | Abbreviation for 社交恐惧症 (shèjiāo kǒngjù zhèng), social anxiety disorder. Often used informally to mean socially awkward or introverted.
谢天谢地 | xiè tiān xiè dì | Lit. “thank heaven and thank earth”; An expression of great relief.
倒豆子一样 | dào dòuzi yīyàng | Lit. “like pouring out beans”; An idiom describing speaking rapidly and continuously, spilling everything out at once.
林霄 | Lín Xiāo
神仙眷侣 | shénxiān juànlǚ | Lit. “divine immortal couple”; An idiom describing a perfectly matched, happy, and enviable couple.
缪斯 | Miùsī | Transliteration of “Muse,” referring to a source of artistic inspiration.
粉身碎骨 | fěn shēn suì gǔ | Lit. “body smashed, bones ground to powder”; An idiom meaning to be utterly destroyed or to sacrifice oneself completely. Used here metaphorically to describe extreme emotional devastation.

Footnotes

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