After Failing To Tame The Scumbag - Chapter 13

“What would you do without me…”

Ji Jin nodded in silent agreement with her own thought, leaned against Yun Chuxiu’s shoulder for a while longer, claiming she was “soothing her heart” which hadn’t quite recovered from the fever. At the mention of the illness, the person who originally intended to push her away lost the will to resist.

“Moral kidnapping.”

Crude, but incredibly effective against a certain someone.

“It’s a bit hot,” Yun Chuxiu remarked after the second hand of the clock had made three full rotations, her tone a clear hint.

Ji Jin took a deep breath, staring at her with wide, watery eyes, trying her best to convey her emotions through her gaze alone.

At this moment, the benefit of the pitch-black room became apparent again.

Yun Chuxiu generously reached out and patted Ji Jin’s head, then with practiced efficiency, grabbed a handful of hair and deftly maneuvered the person off her shoulder.

The movement wasn’t heavy, it carried more of a warning than a harsh rejection.

“Actually, we could just lower the air conditioning temperature,” Ji Jin muttered. Knowing she was being difficult, she quickly let her voice trail off.

Yun Chuxiu didn’t bother responding. She stood up and pulled open the curtains that had been blocking the light.

Sunlight finally poured in.

The heaviness of the day felt baked away by the sun through the glass. Yun Chuxiu stretched her stiff arms, her thoughts finally settling into a clear line.

“A-Xiu,” Ji Jin called from behind her again.

Yun Chuxiu turned her head slowly. Where her gaze landed, Ji Jin had already tucked away all her dark emotions. She was smiling brightly, looking as if nothing had happened at all.

It was only then that Yun Chuxiu noticed the “little details” on the other woman’s outfit: the black-gold hidden patterns, the silk texture, and the choker-style collar chain that wrapped around her neck like a snake…

“What are you looking at?” Ji Jin stretched her arms as well. The movement lifted the light fabric of the shirt, revealing a glimpse of her well-defined abs underneath. The wearer’s face held no overt malice, yet she was undeniably, quietly alluring.

Yun Chuxiu: “…” So this is the play.

Yun Chuxiu cleared her throat, her expression cooling. Now that she saw the “trick” being played, her heart actually felt a bit more grounded. “Are you planning to wear that out with me?”

Ji Jin shook her shimmering earrings, the golden gemstones were carved into the shape of vertical pupils. Paired with her gentle face, the contrast was unexpectedly striking.

“Doesn’t it look good?” Ji Jin asked, knowing full well the answer.

Yun Chuxiu was silent for two seconds before choosing honesty: “It’s a very good look.”

“But…”

“But?”

Yun Chuxiu said expressionlessly, “If you’re wearing that out, you’d better stay far away from me.”

Ji Jin tried to fight for her meticulously curated outfit: “This doesn’t exactly violate public decency laws…”

Yun Chuxiu replied icily, “It doesn’t. That’s why I’m not stopping you from wearing it.”

Ji Jin: “…”

Ji Jin folded instantly: “But on second thought…”

In the end, the outfit didn’t survive the outing.

In the heat of midsummer, Ji Jin wrapped herself up tightly as if playing a game of “ostrich.” Yun Chuxiu assumed this was just a rebellious reaction to her earlier comment; though her eyes twitched, she didn’t ask further.

Since they’d be in air conditioning most of the way and not directly exposed to the sun, Yun Chuxiu let her have her little tantrum.

But Ji Jin refused to be quiet.

Wearing a coat in the height of summer was unusual… She had prepared excuses for it, but Yun Chuxiu had only frowned once and then dropped it.

Though this was technically the “luckiest” outcome, Ji Jin brooded over it until she felt a stifling frustration rising in her chest.

“Are you asleep again?” Taking advantage of a red light, she looked at Yun Chuxiu, pouting in dissatisfaction. “Why won’t you say a single word to me today?”

“A-Xiu…” Ji Jin’s eyes bored into her. Remembering that she couldn’t say what she wanted to say most, she tried to let her beautiful eyes speak for her mouth.

Yun Chuxiu pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn’t miss the flash of grievance in the other’s eyes. Knowing exactly where the problem lay, she glanced pointedly at Ji Jin’s heavy clothing and smiled casually. “I have nothing to say.”

“If I actually tried to control you, you’d just be unhappy about it.”

Yun Chuxiu’s voice was thin, as if she didn’t care who heard. She said her piece and left it at that.

Right then, the light turned green.

Ji Jin looked away vaguely. Whether out of guilt or because she’d been struck by her own boomerang, she found it hard to speak.

The car fell silent once more.

Ji Jin was an expert at “burying her head in the sand” as long as it wasn’t spoken aloud, it didn’t happen. With her goldfish-like memory, she figured she could just survive this shallow stretch of water and go back to swimming freely.

Thinking of this, Yun Chuxiu felt a sense of helplessness.

Ji Jin never voiced the things she truly wanted. She expected others to understand instinctively, yet feared being exposed. Even at this stage, she insisted on pretending everything was fine.

What was the point?

“…It’s not like that,” Ji Jin finally whispered after a long while, her voice lower than the wind whistling past the windows. “I’m not unhappy. Not even a little.”

“Mm,” Yun Chuxiu didn’t bother arguing. She ended the conversation directly. “Then let’s just say I’m the one who’s unhappy.”

Anyway… it was close to becoming reality.

Yun Chuxiu closed her eyes tiredly. Her mind flashed back to Ji Jin’s panicked state. That sharp pain in her heart was gradually dulling after one too many evasions.

Since they were “just” girlfriends, her own comfort should come first. When one feels weary, choosing to break up is the natural course of action, right?

Only an arm’s length away, Ji Jin seemed to sense something and shivered involuntarily.

She couldn’t stop stealing glances at the person beside her. She found the suffocating silence unbearable, yet she feared the direction the conversation might take. She forced herself to play the role of a dutiful mute.

It was agony.

Ji Jin gripped the steering wheel, biting her lower lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood.

“We’re here,” she said. Fortunately, the drive wasn’t long.

“Who else did you call?” Yun Chuxiu opened her eyes and immediately noticed a familiar car parked nearby. Her voice remained steady. “Acting on your own again?”

Sensing the faint chill in that upward inflection, Ji Jin’s tongue practically tied itself in knots as she explained: “It’s my assistant. I had her prepare some food. You’ve been looking after me all this time and haven’t eaten anything.”

“Don’t do this next time.” Yun Chuxiu got out of the car and met the gaze of the assistant who had stepped out to check on them. Facing the young girl’s eager yet apologetic eyes, Yun Chuxiu didn’t say much. She simply took the containers, planning to transfer some extra money to the girl via her phone later.

After all, racing over to prepare food for the boss on a single phone call didn’t exactly sound like a standard job description.

Especially when the boss herself was supposedly on leave.

Yun Chuxiu had no intention of making things hard for the girl. Even if she disliked the blurred boundaries, she remained her usual gentle and kind self on the surface.

Ji Jin took the opportunity to slip through the door with her.

She gambled on the fact that Yun Chuxiu wouldn’t embarrass her in front of a subordinate. She played the part of the “henpecked partner” perfectly, navigating the tense atmosphere until she successfully landed herself at the same dining table as Yun Chuxiu.

And then…

She nonchalantly took off her outer coat.

Yun Chuxiu: “…”

Looking at the familiar, suggestive outfit, Yun Chuxiu didn’t even know what to say. She could only manage a helpless: “…You really are persistent.”

“I can’t help it,” Ji Jin suddenly laughed. She put on the air of a dedicated servant, leaning over to pour a glass of chilled juice.

As she moved, her collar fell open slightly. Her beautiful collarbones shifted with the movement of her arms, creating a deliberate visual impact.

Yun Chuxiu could hardly look at her. “Do you insist on seeing this path through to the end?”

“How will I know if it works if I don’t try?” Ji Jin arched an eyebrow, cheekily handing over the juice. “A-Xiu used to love my body, didn’t you? I haven’t slacked on my workouts at all.”

Yun Chuxiu didn’t answer. She tilted her head back and swallowed the juice, as if the sun outside had parched her throat.

Ji Jin’s smile widened. Even without a verbal response, she wasn’t discouraged. She simply placed piece after piece of food into Yun Chuxiu’s bowl.

They were all dishes Yun Chuxiu usually liked, but perhaps because the request was last minute, the chef hadn’t been precise, the flavors were a bit too heavy, too salty.

The food went mostly untouched, but the thirst quenching juice was refilled glass after glass.

“A-Xiu, do you want more?”

Ji Jin maintained her smile. Seeing the flush on Yun Chuxiu’s pale face grow more pronounced, the gaze she had kept lowered finally, slowly, lifted.

Yun Chuxiu had a low alcohol tolerance; she knew this well. She avoided drinking whenever possible, and when she couldn’t, she used water-diluted substitutes.

Because of this, she wasn’t sensitive to the taste of alcohol, especially when it was masked by layers of fruit juice.

“What would you do without me?”

Ji Jin frowned and poked Yun Chuxiu’s arm, appearing genuinely distressed by the question. She pulled the other woman into her arms, peppering her heated cheeks with soft kisses.

Yun Chuxiu didn’t fight back, but she did shakily pat the hands locked around her waist. A drunk person has little strength, but that tiny hint of resistance registered clearly in Ji Jin’s eyes.

“Thirsty? Drink a little more.”

Ji Jin’s eyes darkened. “Thoughtfully,” she brought the remaining half-glass of “juice” to Yun Chuxiu’s lips, watching calmly as the last flicker of sobriety was swallowed by intoxication.

“A-Xiu… A-Xiu…” She hugged her tighter. Even though it was the other person who had lost consciousness, Ji Jin was the one looking utterly aggrieved.

It was as if she weren’t the one who had orchestrated the whole thing.

“Forgive me…”

Ji Jin buried her face in the crook of Yun Chuxiu’s neck, trembling like a large, insecure dog. She nuzzled against her, trying to soak in every ounce of her scent.

The sheer terror of losing her had birthed a monstrous, distorted kind of “courage.”

Ji Jin carried her to the soft, comfortable bed. Feeling the warmth of the person in her arms, she whispered to herself over and over.

She had done everything, and yet she had done nothing.

As for the consequences when Yun Chuxiu woke up… she no longer had the capacity to care.