Scum A with a Sweet Black Lotus O – Chapter 38

The first confrontation between love rivals

At that moment, everyone looked at Fu Chaoyun with strange expressions in their eyes.

Fu Chaoyun: “……”

            

“W-what are you looking at? O-zai is just really tasty!” Fu Chaoyun said extremely loudly.

Silence.

“Indeed,” Pei Xuezhi finally helped break the awkward atmosphere.

            

Her cold eyes looked at Fu Chaoyun, and combined with those words, it felt… quite passive-aggressive [yin-yang guai-qi: speaking in a sarcastic or mock-friendly way].

Fu Chaoyun fell into passive silence.

The O-zai incident traced back to when she first transmigrated here. At that time, a beautiful person suddenly “appeared” on the bed, and she thought heaven had assigned her a wife, only to later learn this was the omega protagonist Pei Xuezhi.

            

To ease the other’s discomfort during their sensitive period, but mainly to distract attention, Fu Chaoyun offered Pei Xuezhi some O-zai, which was rejected.

Unexpectedly, now their roles had reversed.

Though nothing much was said, and though there were so many people around… the atmosphere between these two made everyone feel like they couldn’t interrupt.

            

Seeing this, Qin Zhenyan broke in, “Let’s get two cans of O-zai for Ah Yun. As people grow up, their tastes naturally change sometimes, which is understandable.”

Good brother Qi Changfeng: “……”

Who does he think he is? Since when did these words need his input?

            

Ex-girlfriend Tang Ying: “……”

Is this alliance trying to make implications about me?

Though it was clearly meant to smooth things over, nobody present seemed to buy it. The audience who usually watched the show with a microscope exploded, with the danmu going wild.

            

【What’s with Qin Zhenyan jumping in now? What’s it got to do with him?】

【Isn’t he pursuing Pei Xuezhi? Seeing Chaoyun and Xuezhi chatting away, he got anxious and had to magically interrupt to stop it!】

【This guy’s way of speaking is really uncomfortable, feels like he’s mocking Fu Chaoyun.】

            

【+1 It’s fine when Pei Xuezhi mocks Fu Chaoyun, that’s just flirting~ Everyone else, absolutely not!】

【Ahhh can’t hold back anymore, been wanting to say this – this newcomer Qin is so greasy, immediately calling everyone Zhizhi, Jiaojiao, Ah Yun, please, you’re not familiar with anyone, who are you to use such nicknames? Is it your turn?】

【By the way, he calls Jian Yi by his full name, I’ve never heard him call Qi Changfeng “Changfeng” :)】

            

【Treating men and women differently, playing favorites~】

【Don’t be so negative, he calls Fu Li “Xiaoli” too.】

【What do you mean? Our Fu Li is a proud omega too!】

            

【Self-made businessman, company CEO, rich in social experience, speaks so properly… 33 years old, he’s just a middle-aged daddy-type man [older male who acts paternalistic], using caring and gentleness as a disguise, always likes to lecture in your ear, maybe he’ll even pressure people to drink later! Just wait and see.】

【+1, what’s with him telling Fu Chaoyun he “understands”? Whether someone drinks or not isn’t his business, why does he need to understand?】

【Let the couple bicker, others stay out of it!】

            

【Wall-breaking support! (No typos)】 [In the original text, it’s deliberately misspelled]

【Those defending Mr. Qin shouldn’t talk about gender swapping and age discrimination, our 32-year-old Sister Jiaojiao is super cute! Though she’s a beta, even younger alpha wolf pups love her! They live for her, die for her, fight for her, and even bang their heads against walls for her!!】

“Actually… I can drink alcohol too,” Fu Chaoyun said again.

            

Everyone at the table was drinking alcohol, with her being the only one drinking O-zai, which did seem a bit too childish.

Originally, she didn’t care about others’ opinions.

Although Pei Xuezhi had embarrassed her, she had also given her a way out, but now hearing Qin Zhenyan bring it up made her inexplicably uncomfortable, wanting to prove a point.

            

“Is that so?” Qin Zhenyan smiled. “Ah Yun can choose whatever she wants to drink. Looks like Zhizhi was being nosy then.”

This time he was speaking up for Pei Xuezhi.

In an instant, everyone clearly felt the atmosphere around Pei Xuezhi grow cold. Qi Changfeng had been standing there for a while, looking back and forth between them.

            

“So, still want the O-zai?”

“One can,” Pei Xuezhi said.

“Alright~”

            

Qi Changfeng quickly slipped away, not wanting to get involved in these disputes.

Brother, take care of yourself!

The red wine was quickly brought over and opened. In the end, Pei Xuezhi’s glass was filled with wine, not O-zai.

            

“Zhizhi can drink alcohol?” Qin Zhenyan asked.

“Mm.”

Qin Zhenyan wasn’t bothered by the cold response at all, “Red wine is good, it’s good for beauty, isn’t that right, Doctor Jian?”

            

Jian Yi was cooking beef slices in the hotpot. Hearing this, he picked up some meat with his chopsticks and spoke slowly, “Red wine contains antioxidants that can soften blood vessels and promote blood circulation, which is indeed beneficial for health.”

The knowledgeable Qin Zhenyan smiled.

“However, regarding beauty benefits… those effects are minimal and require long-term consumption to see even slight results. You’d be better off maintaining a regular sleep schedule with early bedtime and early rising.”

            

Jian Yi said gently, “Mr. Qin, if you have questions, you can consult a doctor. You’re already so busy managing your company, perhaps read fewer WeChat articles.”

He had originally been content just eating melon and watching the show, not wanting to get involved in all this chaos, but Qin Zhenyan just had to call him out using professional knowledge…

Well, too bad then.

            

Qin Zhenyan’s expression stiffened, but he still maintained a gentle, gentlemanly smile, “Alright, I understand. Thank you for the correction, Doctor Jian.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jian Yi resumed his previous position of cooking meat, as if nothing had happened, but the subtle awkwardness in the air couldn’t fool anyone.

            

This face-slapping was so good that even Qi Changfeng, who usually couldn’t stand Jian Yi, gave him an approving look.

Of course, it might also be because the newcomer Xia Shiyi had drawn away all his hatred, making Jian Yi’s offenses seem trivial in comparison.

He even secretly pushed some fresh beef closer, letting Jian Yi eat his fill!

            

Oh, this beef was actually ordered by Qin Zhenyan… whatever~!

It’s not good to drink on an empty stomach, so everyone was cooking their own hotpot food first, not rushing to drink.

Qin Zhenyan, who had just been “accidentally” shut down with professional knowledge, behaved quite properly at first, but after a while, started picking up food for Pei Xuezhi again.

            

He used the public chopsticks, dipped in the tomato soup base, and his behavior was quite proper and polite, but just as the baby bok choy was about to land in Pei Xuezhi’s bowl, it was suddenly blocked by another pair of chopsticks from the side.

He looked up.

“Does Ah Yun have something to say?” Qin Zhenyan maintained his approachable demeanor.

            

Since entering the villa, Qin Zhenyan had been clearly targeting Pei Xuezhi, obviously trying to steal her from Fu Chaoyun, but after half a day, this was strictly speaking their first direct confrontation.

Countless eyes, both on and off camera, fell on the two of them.

【Fight! Fight!】

            

【Whoever wins gets Pei Xuezhi!】

【Just flip the table… sorry my bad, we’re eating hotpot, the soup is too hot to flip. Regret.jpg】

“Mr. Qin,” Fu Chaoyun called out, her eyes very calm as she faced the man, “you’re 33 this year, not 83, and Zhizhi is 21, not 11.”

            

Qin Zhenyan didn’t understand, pausing for a moment, “…so?”

“Even my 83-year-old great-grandmother knows not to randomly pick food for young people. What if they don’t like it? That would be awkward.”

Fu Chaoyun spoke bluntly, and Qin Zhenyan’s eyes flashed behind his glasses as he argued back with equal logic.

            

“But I just saw that Zhizhi eats baby bok choy.”

“Mr. Qin, are you really unaware or just pretending to be… hmm?” Fu Chaoyun mumbled the last syllable, but everyone knew what word she had omitted.

“Do I need to make myself even clearer?”

            

Suddenly, Fu Chaoyun gave Qin Zhenyan an extremely beautiful smile – not like when trying to attract a potential mate, but like a top predator showing its prowess, intimidating the opponent into backing down.

“Zhizhi has her own hands and can pick up whatever she wants to eat. She doesn’t need you to help her. I might be speaking too directly.”

Fu Chaoyun paused, “Mr. Qin, don’t you think you’re being… too fussy and annoying?”

            

Qin Zhenyan’s eyes darkened behind his glasses.

After speaking, Fu Chaoyun seemed done with the matter and picked up a piece of vegetable to cook in the pot.

As coincidence would have it, she also picked baby bok choy.

            

Fu Chaoyun said casually, “Even when pursuing someone, you should give them appropriate breathing space, otherwise, the fish will suffocate.”

“Is Miss Fu saying I’m the fish?” As the source of this conflict, Pei Xuezhi suddenly spoke up.

“I wouldn’t dare.”

            

Fu Chaoyun’s tone suddenly became light and cheerful as she picked up the baby bok choy from the clear soup pot and naturally placed it in Pei Xuezhi’s bowl.

Her movement was so natural that Qin Zhenyan couldn’t even block it in time, and Pei Xuezhi herself didn’t refuse.

Pei Xuezhi’s expression remained cool and unapproachable, while Fu Chaoyun’s amber eyes looked clear and soft as she gazed at her.

            

Her eyes curved up, the rising steam adding a touch of warmth, “Someone as beautiful as Zhizhi would have to be a mermaid – the most beautiful one in the sea!”

That warmth seemed to reflect over, and for a moment, even Pei Xuezhi seemed to be covered in a warm glow, no longer so untouchable.

“Didn’t Miss Fu just say not to pick food for others? So what’s this now?” Qin Zhenyan’s voice rang out.

            

This mature man must have been angered – he wasn’t even calling her Ah Yun anymore, directly addressing her as “Miss Fu,” his tone no longer gentle, hiding a hint of menace.

Fu Chaoyun continued cooking food for Pei Xuezhi, answering dismissively without giving it any weight, “Can’t you tell? It’s double standards.”

Qin Zhenyan: “……”

            

“Besides, Zhizhi and I have known each other for a while, naturally can’t compare with certain newcomers.”

These words felt so satisfying!

Qi Changfeng almost couldn’t hold back, nearly jumping up to applaud Fu Chaoyun.

            

“Judging relationships purely by time known, isn’t Miss Fu’s argument a bit shallow? I must disagree.”

“Huh? Isn’t it common knowledge that I’m uneducated and shallow? Mr. Qin must not have watched enough of the livestream, haven’t done your homework yet.”

Fu Chaoyun: Super justified.jpg

            

In fact, after yesterday when Fu Chaoyun was called on by Professor Rong and answered well, many people began to doubt whether Fu Chaoyun was really “illiterate.”

Although the idea of “pretending to be illiterate” sounds ridiculous, she had even pretended to be a “scumbag alpha,” usually just spending money to look at pretty girls’ faces – what wouldn’t such an outrageous person do!

Fu Chaoyun admitted it so quickly that it left Qin Zhenyan with a stuffy feeling in his chest, unable to either release or swallow it.

            

“You—”

He had just started to speak when he saw Fu Chaoyun pick up another piece of food for Pei Xuezhi with practiced ease, then cast a casual glance his way.

“Mr. Qin, you’ve repeatedly interrupted my time with Zhizhi, which isn’t very gentlemanly behavior. When you were talking to Zhizhi earlier, I was polite enough not to disturb you.”

            

Qin Zhenyan: “……”

That was only because you were tied up with Tang Ying, your ex-girlfriend!

“I don’t know how knowledgeable you are or which school you graduated from—after all, you’re not Qi Changfeng, and I haven’t seen your degree certificate. But just based on your judgment…”

            

At this point, Fu Chaoyun deliberately paused.

She had put down her chopsticks by now, her beautiful fingertips lightly tapping the table, making barely audible sounds that weren’t disturbing, yet this gesture alone was enough to make everyone stop and look.

She cast a sidelong glance, her eyes holding a hint of mockery [literally: smile-not-smile], “I really wonder how Mr. Qin managed to start his company.”

            

“Ah, it really makes one worried about your business.”

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LP: You’re no much for Fu kitten

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