After Being Scummed – Chapter 87
by Little PandaDo You Want to Get Married?
Yin Bai and Zuo Jingyou stayed at the hotel for a day. After Yin Bai had mostly recovered, Zuo Jingyou flew back to Haicheng with her.
Because Zuo Jingyou had missed the very symbolically significant Chinese New Year’s Eve, everyone decided to make another delicious meal for her on the evening of the Lunar New Year to celebrate the Spring Festival with her.
Of course, most of these dishes were made by Zuo Jingyou. Eating the delicious delicacies, Sun Mingrui said with great emotion: “Ai, as expected, only after eating the meal Xiao You1 makes can it be considered a New Year’s Eve dinner……”
Yin Bai heard this and, afraid she would lose her self-confidence, encouraged her with the children: “Of course, the food Dajie made is also very good, you can successfully graduate as a master chef!”
Dajie?
Zuo Jingyou, sitting beside Yin Bai, turned her head to look at her, her expression extremely subtle.
But at this very moment, everyone chimed in one after another, comforting Sun Mingrui that she had actually performed very well, and if she practiced more, they would entrust next year’s New Year’s Eve dinner to her.
Even Zuo Jingyou gave Sun Mingrui a serving of food with her chopsticks, smiling as she comforted her: “Dajie has been my assistant for so many, many years, I’ve never even eaten a meal made by Dajie, so Dajie must also make a delicious meal for me in the future!”
Sun Mingrui glanced at Zuo Jingyou and said in a teasing tone: “Why are you also calling me Dajie along with the others?”
Zuo Jingyou just smiled and said nothing.
After dinner, Zuo Jingyou and her family re-watched yesterday’s Spring Festival Gala. Everyone chatted for a while, and after coaxing the children to sleep, Zuo Jingyou and Yin Bai returned to her villa.
Actually, ever since Tongtong started second grade and was not so clingy with Zuo Jingyou, Zuo Jingyou did not often spend the night at home. The villa next door, belonging to Yin Bai, became the place she frequently stayed.
When the two of them returned to Baihe Mountain Manor, they basically ate at Zuo Jingyou’s house during the day and spent the night at Yin Bai’s house. Zuo Jingyou, who was clearly still unmarried, was living exactly like a married youth who had married the next-door neighbor.
After washing up, Yin Bai, who had been drained dry last night, lay in bed hugging Zuo Jingyou, yawning lazily. Zuo Jingyou leaned against her chest, listening to her heartbeat, reached out to poke her shoulder, and asked: “Why did you suddenly call my sister ‘Dajie’?”
Yin Bai said “Oh”, and began to explain to Zuo Jingyou: “Your sister felt that we are one family now. I was always calling her Miss Sun, Miss Sun, and she felt it was too distant.”
“So I called her Sun-dajie!”
Zuo Jingyou let out a “puchi” laugh, tweaked Yin Bai’s ear, and said with a smile: “Dajie, you really dare to call her that, huh? She wasn’t angry with you?”
Yin Bai said with a grin: “Nope, she’s not angry. She’s just like you, her temper is really too good, she won’t hit a bear child2.”
Who would describe themselves like that, and even call themselves a bear child.
Zuo Jingyou bent her finger and flicked her on the face: “Naughty.”
Yin Bai caught her punishing hand and asked with some curiosity: “But speaking of which, why does Dajie always call you Xiao You? Is that your childhood name?”
Zuo Jingyou nodded and said: “En, it’s my childhood name, my father gave it to me. Because I was a dry-land duck3 when I was little, he hoped I could learn to swim sooner.”
Yin Bai blinked: “Your father gave it to you? But if he hoped you would learn to swim, shouldn’t he have called you Xiao Yu4? Like a little fish, you would learn very quickly.”
“If I were to give you a childhood name, I would definitely name you that.”
Zuo Jingyou just smiled, and said with a sigh: “But my dear, when I had my childhood name, you were still who knows where.”
“Alright.” Yin Bai bit her lip and sighed, then suddenly her lips curved into a smile. She hugged Zuo Jingyou’s body and slid into the bed, calling out with a laugh: “It’s not too late now~”
“Xiao Yu… Xiao Yu… Xiao Yu…”
Every time Yin Bai called out, she would, like a little puppy, give a little bite to Zuo Jingyou’s sensitive spots. Zuo Jingyou felt ticklish and shrank her body to hide from her, holding back her laughter and saying: “Yin Bai… Yin Bai, don’t fool around…”
Yin Bai didn’t listen, still calling her relentlessly: “Xiao Yu… my dear classmate Xiao Yu… hee hee…”
Zuo Jingyou was tickled by her until she giggled. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she reached out and pushed her head away from her body. With a watery shimmer in her eyes, she gave her a look that was both reproachful and not: “Be good, don’t fool around.”
Fine, don’t fool around.
Yin Bai pressed down on top of her, looking at her softly and asking: “If I don’t fool around, can I kiss you?”
Under such a clear gaze, Zuo Jingyou rarely felt a surge of girlish shyness. She pursed her lips and nodded lightly: “Of course you can.”
Yin Bai leaned down, and a gentle kiss fell.
After a night of passion, it was already past nine o’clock when they got up the next morning. By the time the two of them had hurriedly washed up and gone to the house next door, Sun Mingrui had already made breakfast for the children—Ginger Shred Chicken Congee5.
Except for adding too much ginger, everything was quite perfect. Everyone gave Sun Mingrui a thumbs-up.
No matter what kind of family, meeting with relatives and friends on the second day of the Lunar New Year6 is always unavoidable. Zuo Jingyou still had an aunt and a paternal uncle in Haicheng. Therefore, after finishing breakfast, a large group of people headed majestically to the appointed hotel for lunch.
Yin Bai was idle and bored, so she went along too.
At the dinner table, the younger generation were all looking for her and Zuo Jingyou for photos, asking for autographs, and the like. The older ones, in their words and between the lines, were all saying that Sun Mingrui was still young and shouldn’t always be thinking about work, that she should learn from Jingyou, who has a successful career and has also found a partner.
After talking about Sun Mingrui, they started to inquire about Zuo Jingyou’s affairs. Asking what her and Yin Bai’s plans were, when they were preparing to get married, and whether they wanted children.
Technology is so advanced now, two women can also have a child.
How could Yin Bai have ever seen such a scene? Her little white face turned even whiter from fright. The environment she grew up in from a young age was not the same as most people’s; no one had ever hinted, openly or secretly, that marriage was such an important matter.
Frightened, Yin Bai didn’t eat well for the entire meal, and on the way back, she was also rather absent-minded.
Professor Sun saw her frightened appearance and comforted her with a loving face: “In traditional concepts, it seems one must get married and have children for a person to be complete.”
“But this is not a necessary condition for a person’s sound personality. So, Comrade Xiao Bai, as for the words of those aunties and uncles, just listen and let it be.”
“There’s no need to care too much.”
Yin Bai still hadn’t quite come back to her senses. She hesitated and said “Oh”, then turned her gaze to look at Zuo Jingyou.
She thought to herself, I wonder what Zuo Jingyou thinks. After all, Zuo Jingyou has been married before, she probably also hopes to get married.
Professor Sun saw her looking at Zuo Jingyou, and the love in her eyes became even more apparent. She paused, and said kindly to Yin Bai: “Back when Xiao You was going to marry that Xiao He, she came back to ask for my opinion. I told her that my opinion, and the opinions of others, are not important.”
“The important thing is, do you want to get married? Are you prepared to face marriage? Also, family, children, responsibilities, and so on… these are all things you need to be responsible for. Can you handle them with ease?”
“Only when you have considered things well and make the decision yourself is it the most appropriate.”
Zuo Jingyou nodded and said: “Yes.”
She reached out, took Professor Sun’s arm, and said like she was acting spoiled: “So that’s why Mom is the best mom in the whole world…” When she let her and her sister get divorced, there was absolutely no psychological burden.
After hearing Professor Sun’s words, Yin Bai relaxed a little. That’s right, what others think is not important. The key is what she and Zuo Jingyou think.
Since she had already resolved to spend the rest of her life with Zuo Jingyou, she had to ask about Zuo Jingyou’s thoughts.
Therefore, when they returned that evening, Yin Bai knelt on the bed and seriously discussed this issue with Zuo Jingyou: “Teacher Zuo, tonight I want to seriously discuss a serious issue with you. Do you think it is necessary for us to obtain the legal rights and interests between partners?”
Zuo Jingyou guessed that she would ask this question sooner or later, but she didn’t expect Yin Bai to bring it up that very night. Her young lover really couldn’t keep things to herself.
Thinking this, Zuo Jingyou sat opposite Yin Bai, looking at her with a smile: “What about you? You tell me what you think first.”
Yin Bai was a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said to Zuo Jingyou: “Right now, I need your opinion more. You have experience with marriage, you can speak first.”
Zuo Jingyou thought that was indeed the case. She considered it carefully for a moment and said to Yin Bai: “Using my limited experience with marriage, I believe that marriage is not the most beautiful destination for a love story.”
“Although in the eyes of many people and in the doctrines of many religions, marriage is such a sacred and solemn thing, from my observation, what is sacred and solemn is love, not marriage.”
“Marriage is more of a contract between two people, a letter of commitment to maintain family harmony and the security of their life together. So you see, there are many people who, despite having clearly lost their love, still maintain a pitiful marriage.”
Yin Bai nodded and said: “That is indeed true. That’s why sometimes I can’t quite understand why people still consume each other in a marriage when there is no love left. I have seen many such examples in the marriages of people around me.”
For example, those open marriages where they clearly have children and a family, yet each plays around on their own.
Marriage is indeed a contract, and does not symbolize love.
Zuo Jingyou started to laugh and said to her: “So you see, do you think we need this contract?”
Yin Bai frowned and did not answer.
Zuo Jingyou continued: “As for our current relationship, I personally feel it is not necessary. From a benefits perspective, although if I marry you, I would also obtain a large amount of assets if we were to divorce one day, I don’t care about these assets, because I feel that if I needed it, you would definitely give me a lot of support.”
“Just in terms of career, if we are dating, you will definitely give me a lot of support. Your business contracts are the biggest benefit in this circle.”
So… so blunt!
Yin Bai nodded and said: “That is true. Even if Teacher Zuo doesn’t ask, I will work hard to help Teacher Zuo!”
Zuo Jingyou smiled faintly: “Right? You have always done so, and you’ve even connected me with quite a few endorsements. I’ve earned a lot of money these past two years. So you see, I already have the benefits I can get, and I also have the essence of marriage, so I don’t need these things.”
“But, there is still an important issue lying between us.”
Yin Bai was puzzled and tilted her head to look at her: “What issue.”
Zuo Jingyou smiled and, looking at Yin Bai, said: “I want to ask you, do you want to conceive a child? A child that is like me, and also like you.”
“This question is far more important than marriage.”
Yin Bai was instantly stunned on the spot.
LP: Re-translated on August 29, 2025
Footnotes
- 小游 (Xiǎo Yóu): A nickname for Zuo Jingyou. 小 (Xiǎo) means “little” and is a common prefix for nicknames. 游 (Yóu) is the second character of her given name, Jingyou (靜幽), but with a different character that is a homophone (幽 yōu vs. 游 yóu). The reason for this specific character is explained later in the chapter.
- 熊孩子 (xióng háizi): Literally “bear child”. A popular modern slang term for a naughty, spoiled, or misbehaving child who causes trouble.
- 旱鸭子 (hànyāzi): Literally “dry-land duck”. A colloquial term for a person who cannot swim.
- 小鱼 (Xiǎo Yú): Literally “Little Fish”.
- 姜丝鸡肉粥 (Jiāng sī jīròu zhōu): A type of rice porridge with shredded chicken and ginger.
- 大年初二 (Dànián chū’èr): The second day of the Lunar New Year. Traditionally a day for married daughters to visit their parents’ home.
Wait, they have the technology to allow two women to have a kid here? When the aunts and uncles mentioned technology, I thought they meant like IVF.
Wait, they have the technology to allow two women to have a kid here? When the aunts and uncles mentioned technology, I thought they meant like IVF.
Well for me, i don’t really care abt marriage but since I don’t care, I also don’t mind it, it’ll only be a contract if you let it, ‘no? Ultimately, i just want to be able to call someone wife 😝
Well for me, i don’t really care abt marriage but since I don’t care, I also don’t mind it, it’ll only be a contract if you let it, ‘no? Ultimately, i just want to be able to call someone wife 😝