Scum A with a Sweet Black Lotus O – Chapter 79.2
by Little Panda“Pei Xuezhi, let’s be together.”
“Miss Tang, thank you for coming.”
Tang Ying looked up almost in astonishment, and when she saw the faint smile in his eyes, in that moment, she felt that they were even more beautiful than a sky full of stars.
As an omega, although not as unrestrained as Fu Li, she also had a relatively outgoing personality. When she was with the scumbag alpha “Fu Chaoyun,” she didn’t experience the joy of love at all. Later, although she had dated several people of the same age, it wasn’t serious, and gradually she became immersed in her studies and career.
Was a mature, older boyfriend this charming?
Tang Ying was captivated. She even wanted to hug him, but up to this point, they had only held hands at most. In the end, Tang Ying barely suppressed the urge, secretly reaching out to hold Jian Yi’s hand.
In front of the cameras, it wasn’t really a secret.
Naturally, Jian Yi noticed. The gentle beta looked at her sideways and finally chose to hold her hand back, accepting her gesture.
He leaned in closer and softly said, “I will study hard.”
Although his own experience in dating wasn’t extensive, hadn’t he seen plenty?
The microphone wasn’t taken away, and the sound was transmitted everywhere. Perhaps this gentle beta was doing this intentionally.
Tang Ying’s face flushed crimson.
【Congratulations to the 《Heartthrob》 production team! Another couple formed tonight!】
【This couple isn’t exciting enough…】
【There’s no helping it. Time is limited, Jian Yi is gentle, and Miss Tang, as an omega, needs to maintain some reserve. They can only take it slow~】
【But this couple is warm enough.】
【Let me think. If Ni Jiaojiao and Qi Changfeng are like elementary school students in love (I’m not saying Jiaojiao-jie is an elementary school student, it’s that idiot Qi Changfeng who dragged Jiaojiao-jie down to elementary school level!), this pair is probably high school level? Innocent, romantic, and pure. A handhold, a glance, and their hearts flutter.】
【Thank you Qin Zhenyan!】
【? What does this have to do with Qin Zhenyan?】
【Tang Ying sprained her ankle and returned to the guest amusement park team building event. Wasn’t that Qin Zhenyan’s idea?!】
【Ah poo!】
【I declare—The Strongest Matchmaker · Qin Zhenyan!】
【We’ve had AB relationships and BO relationships, so isn’t it time for our most classic and exciting AO relationship? (Rubbing hands fly.jpg)】
【Upstairs, you’re missing someone.】
When Qin Zhenyan’s name was called, his face darkened slightly.
The first two couples had gone down the stage together sweetly. What was the point of calling him up now?
Come on, go up and show everyone the correct posture for a rejected confession?
Absurd!
But on second thought, if he didn’t go up now, later when those two were done, there would only be the other rejected confessor, Xia Shiyi, and perhaps he wouldn’t even have a chance to appear. So it made sense… My ass!
Couldn’t they put him earlier in the order!!
Qin-zong raging.jpg
But a reliable adult alpha’s image still needed to be maintained. The clips were edited, the venue was set, and in the end, he invited Pei Xuezhi.
When he called out this name, Fu Chaoyun, who had maintained a spectator attitude all night, finally slightly…lifted her eyelids.
What are you looking at!
It’s my turn now, you can wait on the sidelines! At most, you can just stack armor!! [叠个甲 | dié ge jiǎ | Internet slang; to prepare for criticism by preemptively acknowledging potential flaws or weaknesses]
Qin-zong was emboldened now, taking the expressionless Pei Xuezhi to his own door.
【Oh, there’s still Qin-zong.】
【As expected, he chose our Zhizhi…】
【Whatever, Chaoyun Muxue can’t be broken. Now, please, Qin-zong, show us the correct posture for a rejected confession. It just so happens to be a good contrast with the successful confessions before!】
【You’re so bad… but I love it hhh】
Qin Zhenyan chose lilies.
【Hmm… I can only say it’s very consistent with a 33-year-old man’s aesthetic. Both straight As are too obvious!】
With a doomed ending, Qin Zhenyan didn’t seem very sincere.
Pei Xuezhi spent all her time with Fu Chaoyun. He had too few scenes with Pei Xuezhi, not enough to edit, unless he face-swapped!
But wouldn’t that be self-humiliating?
The clips were edited reluctantly. The flowers were placed casually, and even the letter was written sloppily.
Qin Zhenyan read three sentences, perhaps feeling awkward, and chose to go off-script.
“…Forget it, I know you have your own choice, and I know the person in your heart isn’t me, but even if everyone laughs, I’ll still choose you tonight.”
“It’s not about competing for anything, but about saying goodbye to myself, to these past twenty-odd days.”
“Finally, lilies suit you very well.”
Saying this, Qin Zhenyan didn’t take the flowers to offer them to Pei Xuezhi, but instead opened his arms, revealing a refined smile, “Pei Xuezhi, can you give me a hug, as a farewell to all of this, my goodbye to the past.”
【Holy crap!】
【Where did Qin Zhenyan learn this flowery and ambiguous language, he’s almost catching up to Fu Li!】
【He used to hang out with Fu Li for a while, it’s fake~】
【The last day, unexpectedly, Qin-zong actually pulled off a last-minute victory!!】
Pei Xuezhi, standing opposite him, remained expressionless. But almost the moment his voice fell, not far away, a sharp gaze pierced straight through.
Qin Zhenyan smiled, “Just kidding.” He deliberately looked back in that direction, “It seems someone is anxious. But unfortunately, it’s my turn now.”
【Someone?】
【Who else could it be, Fu Chaoyun!】
【Qin Zhenyan has also become mischievous.】
Qin Zhenyan gentlemanly withdrew his hands and retreated to a safe distance, “You may not be the one I’m looking for, but in the end, I wish you happiness.”
Then, he departed alone with grace and style, without even waiting for Pei Xuezhi together to show gentlemanly spirit.
This action earned Qin Zhenyan a rare wave of positive comments.
Of course, this was also his intentional design.
In this final week, Qin Zhenyan had come to terms with it. Since he was destined to be the one who failed on the dating show, he might as well choose to be magnanimous.
His original reason for participating in the show was partly to pursue Pei Xuezhi, a beautiful, intelligent, and influential virtuous helper. The other part was to present himself as a facade, boosting his company’s visibility.
In the first half, he performed poorly because he was too concerned about gains and losses. In the second half, because he was tactful and knew when to give up, he received less criticism. It wasn’t until last week, when Fu Li had his incident, that Qin Zhenyan finally calmed down completely.
Until tonight’s confession night, his actions preserved his last shred of dignity as a mature alpha.
Qin Zhenyan knew very clearly that once a perfect person shows the slightest flaw, countless people will scrutinize and criticize them with a magnifying glass. But if someone who has previously achieved nothing does a good deed, they will be praised by most.
He was now taking the second route… But if he could be liked from the beginning, who would want to take the second route?!
The rest could only be washed away by time.
Pei Xuezhi didn’t take Qin Zhenyan’s flowers. After a moment, she returned to the center point. On the way back, she felt a burning gaze on her.
【Ahhhh! The main event is here! This is also the couple I’m most looking forward to tonight!!】
【I can only say four words: No! Suspense! Whatsoever!】
【It’s the final night, can you give us a 360° passionate kiss in front of the camera? It has to be French!!】
【Are you really not providing a live stream for later tonight? I’ll buy a ticket wuwuwu~】
The production team didn’t even need to announce the process.
Fu Chaoyun walked up to Pei Xuezhi in full view of everyone, extended her hand, palm up, in full view of everyone, and softly extended an invitation, also in full view of everyone.
“Zhizhi, come with me.”
Pei Xuezhi looked up.
Colorful flames danced in her eyes, as if irresistible. However, this time, Pei Xuezhi didn’t reach out her hand.
She chuckled lightly and refused, “That’s against the rules.”
【Hahahaha!】
【Indeed.】
【Production Team: Do you even have our rules in mind?! Oh, it’s Director Fu, then it’s fine.】
【Shocking! On the final night of 《Heartthrob》, Fu Chaoyun is rejected by Pei Xuezhi!! (Doge)】
【Come report to my XC tomorrow!】
Fu Chaoyun also smiled, a deep look flashing through her amber eyes.
“Indeed.”
Because it was an invitation, this time they weren’t side by side. Instead, Pei Xuezhi followed half a step behind Fu Chaoyun.
She was being led.
The black cover opened.
Unlike the other guests, Fu Chaoyun had personally built an arched frame over two meters [≈ 6.6 feet] high, and the flowers, adorned by her skillful hands, were exquisitely scattered throughout every branch and joint of the arch.
Leaping above, it was like a magpie bridge erected over the Milky Way on Qixi Festival [七夕节 | Qīxī Jié | Chinese Valentine’s Day], solely for that one annual meeting, yet now it was erected above the two of them.
She chose three types of flowers.
Champagne roses, yellow roses, and Phalaenopsis orchids [蝴蝶兰 | húdiélán | Phalaenopsis orchids, also known as moth orchids].
There were the most orchids, with the other two colors of roses used as accents, not very many.
This special shaped door stunned the remaining guests and all the viewers. Qi Changfeng almost yelled, “She’s! Cheating!” but was suppressed by a glance from Ni Jiaojiao beside him.
No way, he finally had a partner, so he had to be obedient, right?
Compared to Qin Zhenyan’s meager display, these two had left too many sweet moments on this show, casually editing would be more than ten minutes.
But Fu Chaoyun didn’t choose some particularly intimate, cuddly scenes. Instead, she chose some relatively “proper” ones.
For example, that time in the museum, she looked towards Pei Xuezhi from afar, and when Pei Xuezhi looked up, she happened to see her too. Then their gazes met, paused, lingered…
Everything seemed to go without saying.
The editor, through long-range plot, fast and slow motion, and special effects processing, made all the interactions between these two look not purely sensory stimulation, but more of an ambiguous and lingering atmosphere that couldn’t be cut off.
【There’s also the haunted house scene!】
【There’s also the bungee jumping scene!】
【There’s also the one where Pei Xuezhi helped Fu Chaoyun catch goldfish, ahhh every scene is so sweet kswl】
【Very touched, it’s like watching their journey together. Since it’s self-edited, they know the situation best, the details are really very good, really very thoughtful.】
【So when is the celebration feast? I have to go to the supermarket today! And go on a shopping spree!!】
【Qin-zong in the back saw it, drool flowing from his eyes…】
【Wait, why isn’t Fu Chaoyun speaking?】
The clip had been playing for almost three minutes, but Fu Chaoyun still hadn’t spoken. Logically, Fu Chaoyun should be reading the letter she wrote to Pei Xuezhi at this time.
But.
These two were just standing face to face under the “magpie bridge”, with the projected images on the side, imprinted on their both fair faces. The atmosphere should be ambiguous and lingering, but it was too quiet.
It was so quiet that it seemed to hide some greater surprise, as if…
【Uh…】
【Even if you’re an old married couple and you already have babies, it’s a bit too lazy for Fu Chaoyun not to write anything. Strong condemnation, too perfunctory!!】
【I was just praising you, how come you suddenly slacked off!]
【Ritual is also very important! Be careful, your Zhizhi might run away! (Devil’s whisper)】
Suddenly.
Swoosh—Bang! Fireworks exploded on the other side of the projection screen, followed by bursts, dyeing the dark suburban night with brilliant colors.
“Why is she different from us!” Qi Changfeng couldn’t hold back anymore. Alphas are very competitive creatures, and the same is true when it comes to relationships.
“The show isn’t over yet, can this be set off early?!?”
【Hahahaha!】
【Holy crap, Fu Chaoyun still has a trump card?】
【Our Director Fu brought in so many sponsorships, it’s reasonable for her to set off some fireworks for herself to boost morale! Justified.jpg】
【This move, this move is called bringing the wool back to the sheep!】 [羊毛出在羊身上 | yángmáo chū zài yáng shēnshang | idiom meaning, essentially, what you gain ultimately comes from your own pocket/resources]
In the silence, the director immediately said, “This isn’t designed by the production team.”
Others clearly didn’t believe it.
“Not you? Then who!”
“Other residents nearby set it off.” He paused, “If you need them, you can contact them in advance yourself.”
Everyone: “…”
Their confession segments were over, how could they “contact in advance” anymore!
The fireworks went on for a full five or six minutes, continuously rising and exploding, burning money like it was nothing.
Under the magpie bridge, the two looked at each other.
All the confessions tonight were not as grand as Fu Chaoyun’s. And the alpha who was always good at sweet words didn’t speak, not even opening the letter, just casually holding it in her hand.
Gradually, the fireworks came to an end.
Suddenly.
Fu Chaoyun tossed the letter aside. The afterglow of the fireworks fell in her eyes, dyeing her amber eyes with brilliant and colorful hues, yet always carrying a touch of the night’s depth.
Then, those deep eyes fell on Pei Xuezhi, reflecting her image. Suddenly, all the surrounding noise seemed to disappear, and there was only this one person left between heaven and earth.
“Pei Xuezhi.”
She called her name formally, not the intimate “Zhizhi”, nor the polite and distant “Miss Pei.”
Just like the signature on a marriage certificate, the most formal and most rigorous.
At the same time, Fu Chaoyun took the flowers from the side.
She had used mostly orchids, but she picked two roses—one yellow and one champagne.
She offered them to Pei Xuezhi.
“Let’s be together.”
The simplest, the most direct, and also the most sincere.
Without any frills, only the most concise words, at this moment, it was even more heartwarming.
Pei Xuezhi also looked at her, her eyes dark and deep, her long hair swaying gently in the wind, only making her skin whiter and her lips redder.
A beauty emerging.
It was the beautiful “female ghost” that Fu Chaoyun had first seen.
In the embers of the fireworks.
Pei Xuezhi didn’t answer verbally, but drew a rose from Fu Chaoyun’s hand.
【Happy ending!】
【So, are we having a celebratory feast?!】
“Crafty and scheming, but success is all that matters. A total of nine people on the show, forming three couples, the production team must be thrilled with this success rate!” A guest sighed nearby.
The lighthearted and romantic melody of 《Like You》 played again…
The fireworks and video clips both ended.
“Stop the music for a moment.”
“It’s not acceptance.”
Fu Chaoyun and Pei Xuezhi’s voices sounded simultaneously, overlapping, harmonious yet with a hint of strangeness.
Everyone present paused, the happy reunion atmosphere of the night came to an abrupt end, all surrounding sounds disappeared, and the atmosphere suddenly became very, very quiet.
At this time.
Everyone noticed the rose in Pei Xuezhi’s hand.
The one she drew was—
…a yellow rose.
- Champagne roses: Often symbolize appreciation, gratitude, and joy. They can also convey feelings of admiration and beginning moments of love due to their association with new beginnings and celebrations.
- Yellow roses: While commonly associated with friendship and platonic affection, yellow roses can sometimes carry more complex meanings. In some contexts, they have symbolized jealousy, infidelity, or a decrease in romantic love. However, the more modern and widely accepted interpretation remains focused on friendship, caring, and joy.
- Phalaenopsis orchids (Moth Orchids): Generally represent refinement, beauty, elegance, long life, and good fortune. In a romantic context, they can symbolize lasting love, deep affection, and respect. They can also convey a sense of admiration for another person’s unique qualities.
Hmmm… I guess we still have a long way to go? I wonder what kind of reason or plan are they planning at this moment! Thanks for the chapter!!!