After Failing To Tame The Scumbag - Chapter 27

“The one who never forgets.”

As expected, Yun Chuxiu fell into a drunken stupor and lost consciousness.

She was well aware that her alcohol tolerance was poor, but fortunately, her “drinking etiquette” was decent. When drunk, she would usually find a comfortable spot and sleep quietly on the spot. In the heat of summer, she wouldn’t catch a cold either.

…Or so she thought, before her memories began to resurface.

Yun Chuxiu climbed out of bed, intending to find a glass of water to soothe her parched throat. Before she could even move her hand, she noticed a sticky note folded into a paper crane sitting on the table.

Beside it stood a quiet thermos, it looked brand new. Upon opening it, a refreshing scent of lemon wafted out, with a hint of sweetness in the taste.

Yun Chuxiu pursed her lips and slowly unfolded the upright paper crane.

The first thing she saw were three large blotches of ink where words had been crossed out. It was clear the writer had been emotional, the scratching was thorough, the pen strokes nearly piercing the paper.

Only the very last line remained tidy:

[If you’re feeling frustrated, don’t drink anymore. You might as well just call me over and take it out on me.]

Yun Chuxiu froze for a moment, instinctively touching the thin quilt covering her. As her wrist brushed against the edge of the bed, the slight indentation in that spot felt as if it still retained the warmth of another person.

Knock, knock, knock.

There were three polite taps on the door.

As if synchronizing with the final moment before she blacked out last night, Yun Chuxiu shuffled over in her slippers and opened the door. The waitress outside wore a bright smile and handed over a paper bag after a few pleasantries.

“This was prepared for you by your girlfriend.”

Yun Chuxiu glanced down. The bag contained clothes, a water-colored celadon dress, specifically chosen from a brand she frequented.

“Where is she?” Yun Chuxiu didn’t even bother to refute the “girlfriend” label; she could guess with her pinky finger who had deliberately emphasized that. “If I don’t accept this…”

The waitress’s face immediately fell. “If you don’t accept it, we won’t get our extra overtime pay.”

Overtime pay… Ah, this hotel seemed to be under Ji Jin’s name. She had stayed here so often she had forgotten that fact.

Helpless, Yun Chuxiu decided not to make things difficult for the staff and took the bag.

When Ji Jin wanted to accomplish something, she always had a myriad of ways to do it. There was no need to waste energy over such a small matter.

Besides, her taste was indeed excellent.

Yun Chuxiu changed into the long dress. She was accustomed to how perfectly it fit, and instead picked up her phone which had been charging. The moment she turned it on, a message of concern from Ji Jin popped up.

It was as if she had timed it perfectly.

Yun Chuxiu replied casually, first thanking her properly for the care she provided last night, then with a flick of her finger, she sent a transfer, one that was more than enough to cover the cost of the clothes.

Ji Jin didn’t accept it. Three seconds later, the phone rang.

“…What is the meaning of this?” The person on the other end sounded like she was about to explode with rage, yet she forced herself to maintain a semblance of logic, softening her tone: “A-Xiu, you know I just wanted to look after you.”

“That’s why I accepted it,” Yun Chuxiu said nonchalantly, stroking the fabric of the dress as she suddenly recalled things from long ago.

Hotels, clothes, being looked after…

And, a bank card.

“We can’t do things like this with our current relationship,” she smiled, saying carelessly, “Things are already muddled enough, it’s best not to repeat the same mistakes.”

Her words carried a hint of teasing. Yun Chuxiu didn’t actually want to reach a deadlock with Ji Jin, the years they had spent together weren’t just for show.

But the tone on the other end changed instantly.

“You resent me, don’t you?” Ji Jin spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing someone, her speed increasing. “I didn’t hide what happened last night. Everyone knows now that you were the one who rejected me. No one will ever use those nasty words to slander you again.”

“I know I did many things wrong in the past. I thought you didn’t care, so I only gave them a simple warning. I didn’t expect…”

“Wait,” Yun Chuxiu pulled the phone a bit further away and called for a stop. “I truly don’t care about what those people say. Even if you really did something wrong, there’s no need to take this onto yourself.”

“Public opinion is a fearsome thing, it’s the one thing you can’t control.”

After saying this, her throat felt tight. Yun Chuxiu coughed and took a sip from the open thermos.

It was a bit too sweet.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up,” Yun Chuxiu said. “Since we’ve broken up, there should be a distinction from the past. You should get used to it as soon as possible.”

Silence followed on the other end, leaving only the sound of increasingly ragged breathing until the call was disconnected.

Yun Chuxiu sighed, handled a few more messages of concern both good and bad and finally felt a bit of relief.

“…So that’s how it was.”

There was a call record on the logs from last night that lasted a few minutes. Most likely, she had accidentally dialed out while she was drunk.

Alcohol truly causes trouble.

Yun Chuxiu rubbed her temples, unwilling to waste the whole day dwelling on the past. She cut off her train of thought, packed her things, and headed downstairs.

And then…

She bumped into an acquaintance in front of the elevator.

“Miss Wen,” Yun Chuxiu nodded in greeting. Confirming that she had no personal relationship with this Miss Wen, whom she had only met at banquets, she stopped speaking.

In any other setting, their communication would have ended there.

Yun Chuxiu thought today would be the same.

“Miss Yun,” the woman standing directly in front of her smiled. It was a faint smile, shrouded in a melancholy that made it seem as if it might disappear if one blinked. She said, “I have come here specifically to find you.”

Yun Chuxiu was stunned. She remained silent for two seconds, still unsure what the woman wanted. She replied politely, “To find me? Is there something important?”

Wen Shuyu smiled without answering, saying instead: “Around the New Year, I took in an adoptive sister. She is good in every way, but she is trapped by love. Especially these past two days, I don’t know what triggered her, she went out happy and came back bitter. Now she’s at home drunk, refusing to even listen to me.”

Yun Chuxiu’s mind stuttered. She seemed to think of something, her expression turning solemn. “Then your meaning in finding me is…”

“The news of Miss Yun rejecting Ji Jin has spread far and wide. I imagine you have some useful experience in such matters,” Wen Shuyu pressed on, her expression unchanging. “I only hope my sister sees through it sooner. Even if it means being rejected, a broken heart can still be healed.”

“If you hadn’t rejected Ji Jin last night, I wouldn’t have been able to make such an offensive request.”

Yun Chuxiu sensed a subtle malice in her tone. She paused, then declined flatly: “No, I don’t think that kind of experience is universal.”

“Indeed it isn’t,” Wen Shuyu took a cooperation agreement out of her briefcase. It was in black and white, showing the maximum extent of her sincerity. “But you will agree.”

Yun Chuxiu didn’t want to take it, but she understood in her heart that Miss Wen hadn’t come here to play this scene just for a “buyout.”

One could even say the unspoken threat behind it was much heavier.

“Why does it have to be me?” Yun Chuxiu lowered her eyes, as if anticipating something, saying helplessly: “I don’t believe I’ve left any lingering romantic debts. In this kind of situation, the possibility of making things worse seems much higher.”

“Her name is Meng Lin,” Wen Shuyu stuffed the cooperation agreement into her hand, her voice dropping lower and lower. “I don’t care if you agree or refuse. I just need her to wake up.”

“I will give her more and better things. There is no need for her to be miserable over one person.”

“Is this the reason you showed up here?”

Meng Lin threw aside the empty liquor bottle in her hand. Although surprised, she quickly composed herself and pulled Yun Chuxiu to sit down on the cleanest section of the sofa.

“I didn’t expect her to go to you,” she scratched her hair. The smell of alcohol on her was strong, but her consciousness was clear to the point where she couldn’t understand why Yun Chuxiu would show up. “Shouldn’t you be with Ji Jin right now?”

In her pettiness, Meng Lin didn’t want to mention the word “marriage.” Unable to avoid the topic entirely, she muttered a few words before saying indignantly: “She just watched as someone threatened you? How could she…”

“We’ve broken up,” Yun Chuxiu didn’t hide it from her, nor did she give her any baseless hope. “I have no plans for a relationship right now. What she couldn’t get, I can’t give to anyone else either.”

“Do you love her that much…?” Before joy could surge within her, Meng Lin felt a sense of disappointment on her behalf. Her face was full of displeasure: “How did Ji Jin dare to mention breaking up with you? Seven years of feelings thrown away just like that. She took everything and then turned her back, she’s worse than an ungrateful wolf!”

This time, Yun Chuxiu’s silence lasted even longer. “Did you not pay attention to the news from last night at all?”

“I’ve been drinking until now,” Meng Lin realized something was not quite right, but she didn’t dare think too deeply. She replied honestly: “The thought of your name being tied to hers from now on gave me a ‘news-checking phobia’.”

She spoke calmly, the butterfly at the corner of her eye fluttering lightly, making her expression seem relieved.

After all, the idea of Yun Chuxiu and Ji Jin breaking up was something she hadn’t dared to dream of since returning from the bar. She thought she’d have to wait years for a chance to intervene.

She never expected a windfall to fall from the sky.

Meng Lin coughed, trying not to let her happiness show too clearly, and asked softly: “Why are you asking me this…”

“Oh,” Yun Chuxiu smiled politely. “It’s nothing much. I just wanted to tell you that last night, Ji Jin was going to propose to me. The person who brought up the breakup… was me.”

Meng Lin: “…”

“You really have a knack for piercing me with the most unpleasant words every single time,” Yun Chuxiu knew this was a pure accident on her part, but it didn’t matter. The old debts hadn’t been settled anyway. The most important thing was to cut off any lingering thoughts, ideally making her take a detour whenever she saw her.

Yun Chuxiu sneered. Thinking of how she used to act in front of her, she “slapped” a cup onto the table, frowned, and mocked her without restraint: “It seems we are destined to have nothing to say to each other. The adopted daughter of the Wen family… I didn’t think you would return to me in this way.”

“Buying me off with money… are you happy? What Ji Jin didn’t do to me, you’re now achieving through a roundabout way.”

Yun Chuxiu calmed down, thinking her words were harsh enough. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Meng Lin silently crouch on the ground to pick up the broken porcelain shards, blocking her path.

“I know, Chuxiu,” Meng Lin took a deep breath, bowing her head, not daring to look into the other woman’s eyes. “But I still feel a secret joy that you came to see me,” she whispered hoarsely, talking to herself as if smiling. “You’re willing to use such things to sting me, at least it proves that I once left a mark in your heart…”

“Chuxiu, I’m not the only one who can’t forget, right?”