After Failing To Tame The Scumbag - Chapter 31

“They are all adults.”

The dreaded situation did not occur.

Since that phone call, Ji Jin seemed to suddenly understand the meaning of “social distancing after rejection.” He stayed obediently in the blacklist without popping his head out.

To this, Chu Cheng gave a big thumbs up.

“Blue sky, white clouds, waves, sand… this is the kind of life we should be living,” Chu Cheng said, reclining on a beach lounger. She turned to hand Yun Chuxiu a glass of iced fruit juice, her eyes twinkling behind her sunglasses.

The beautiful glass was covered in cool droplets of water that accidentally slipped through her fingers, melting into the sunlight. It felt as if the sound of soda was fizzing inside the glass, a muffled, dishonest crackle.

Yun Chuxiu was in a great mood. She scanned the diverse crowd around them, within a few breaths, the frost in her eyes thawed slightly.

“Yes, this is the life I want.”

After distancing herself from that city, all the inextricable entanglements seemed to turn to dust in the summer sea breeze. Even if it was only temporary, it was enough to let her pretend to relax on a tightly wound string.

…This is the life she wanted.

Yun Chuxiu reminded herself repeatedly, looking up at the sun half-blocked by an umbrella. It was still so scorching, as if it had never changed.

“……Hello,” a young girl in a pinkish-yellow short skirt ran over. She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, bowing slightly with a shy posture but a bright smile.

Yun Chuxiu looked at her sideways and didn’t let the words fall to the ground. “Is something the matter?”

“It’s like this, we are doing a beach live stream. I was wondering if you’d be interested in participating, Sister?” The young girl scratched her hair, her attitude sincere. “We’ve prepared small gifts for everyone who joins the game, though they aren’t worth much money…”

“Why are you undermining yourself first?” Chu Cheng popped her head up from the side with a chuckle. “Shouldn’t you talk up the perks to entice people to join?”

“That would be a scam…” The girl didn’t catch any malice in the other’s eyes and laughed sheepishly. “It’s just me and my sister here. If we lied to people, what would we do if we got hit?”

Chu Cheng nearly choked on her soda. “You’re quite honest.”

“What do you think?” She nudged Yun Chuxiu, encouraging her. “What a sincere kid. Boss, do you really have the heart to let her expectations fall through?”

“Stop making trouble,” Yun Chuxiu rose from her lounger. Her gaze lingered briefly on the group of people in the distance. “Do you know me? The people organizing your games should have everything pre-arranged, why did you think to come to me?”

After hearing this, Chu Cheng’s expression turned solemn. Although she still smiled, her gaze held a hint of scrutiny. She had faced the heat of entertainment reporters head-on, even if she had been momentarily careless, her vigilance spiked once reminded. For a brief few seconds, a refusal was on the tip of her tongue.

“Actually, it’s because the live camera accidentally drifted earlier, and you were caught in the frame for a moment,” the girl lowered her head guiltily, explaining softly. “Everyone really wanted to see you on screen, so that’s why I came to ask.”

Yun Chuxiu gave an “mm.”

The girl became even more flustered, her face reddening. “Sorry, if you don’t want to be on camera, we won’t force it.”

“It’s okay.”

Yun Chuxiu thought for a moment, then added, “I can participate in your game. During the process, if I feel uncomfortable, I will withdraw at any time. Is that acceptable?”

The girl’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously. “Of course!”

Realizing she was too excited, she reached behind her back and pinched the soft flesh of her waist, sneaky, but not at all hidden from the two women in front of her.

Yun Chuxiu watched her quietly, facing the raw color of youth. The superficial smile in her eyes became much more genuine.

“You go back first. I’ll be over in a moment.”

Yun Chuxiu reached for an untouched juice and handed it to her, saying, “It won’t be long.”

The girl nodded. She initially didn’t want to take it, but she couldn’t resist those eyes that seemed to breathe. She said bashfully, “Then I’ll head back. By the way, my name is Xia Qing. You can just call me that later.”

She walked away with a jaunty step. From a distance, they could see her holding the unopened drink against her face to cool down.

Chu Cheng clicked her tongue. “As expected of the Boss. Even just coming out to play, your beauty is on stable business hours.”

“Stop being poor mouthed,” Yun Chuxiu said helplessly. She leaned toward Chu Cheng and whispered, “Someone has been watching us. If I’m not mistaken…”

“She should have been there since we left the hotel.”

Chu Cheng’s expression turned serious. After listening to Yun Chuxiu describe a few features, she asked, “Could it be a former partner or someone we know?”

She proposed a hypothesis but then dismissed it herself. “No, that’s not right. Even if it’s an acquaintance, following us is too strange.”

“Especially in public.”

“Could it be a paparazzi who caught wind of us?” Chu Cheng’s mind raced, her brow furrowing instinctively. “That would be too persistent…”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Yun Chuxiu lowered her gaze, seemingly struck by a thought. Her voice dropped even lower. “She’s just following us, she doesn’t have any photography equipment, and she doesn’t seem to have any malice.”

If it weren’t for the girl Xia Qing coming over and causing the stalker to make a sudden movement, the tracking could have been dismissed as a coincidence.

Chu Cheng was completely confused. “Then what is she after?”

“I don’t know.” Yun Chuxiu slowly moved her legs to stand up. She pressed down on Chu Cheng’s hand to stop her from getting up to look. “Keep an eye out later. For safety, don’t go looking for her alone.”

Chu Cheng: “Hey! You’re looking down on me! I actually go to the gym every day and even learned self-defense from a trainer.”

Yun Chuxiu: “.”

It was hard for Yun Chuxiu to explain her gut feeling, so she just used a vague warning: “The situation is unclear. It’s best not to start a conflict, especially since we are in an unfamiliar place.”

“And, she probably means no harm,” Yun Chuxiu emphasized again, thinking of the look she had glimpsed earlier, her tone complex. “We have no proof. So, just let her know you’ve noticed her.”

Chu Cheng didn’t catch the abnormality in her attitude. Being dissuaded again, the fighting spirit in her eyes flickered out. She accepted this method of testing the waters.

After finishing her instructions, Yun Chuxiu turned toward the crowd. As soon as she stepped into the sunlight, that gaze from behind predictably latched onto her again.

She curled her lip and ignored it, walking straight to the Xia sisters. The beach was always noisy, especially this area.

“Hello,” the girl next to Xia Qing reached out politely, smiling warmly and accidentally revealing sharp canine teeth. “I am Xia Wan, Xia Qing’s older sister.”

“How should I address you?”

“My surname is Yun,” Yun Chuxiu didn’t reject the sisters’ smiles. “Just calling me Sister is fine.”

“Sister Yun!” Xia Qing seemed more lively. After the polite introductions, she bounced over like a rabbit with its ears up. “That area over there is the live stream zone. It’s currently a mid-break. You can get to know the other participants first.”

“The game we are about to play is the ‘Strange Sandcastle Contest.’ We asked ahead of time, even though groups are already formed, everyone is very willing to have you join them.”

Yun Chuxiu looked over. About fifteen or sixteen people were gathered in the live stream area, sitting in groups of three or four. The sand at their feet was loose and unformed.

Someone noticed her gaze and nudged a companion to whisper something. When they looked back, they waved their hands high in an enthusiastic invitation.

Xia Wan reminded her kindly: “Once Sister Yun chooses, we can begin.”

Yun Chuxiu nodded. She didn’t hesitate. “Then… them.”

She walked toward the group with the most burning gaze. Three girls were huddled close together, completely breaking normal social distancing for strangers. Their movements hinted at a certain intimacy.

They shouldn’t be hard to get along with.

Yun Chuxiu made a quick judgment. Just as she put on a polite smile, she was interrupted by a passionate shout.

“Boss!” The girl sitting in the middle patted the sand. Her eyes were soaked in sunlight, bright and clear. “Boss, come here! I just saw Manager Chu. Did she tell you we were here too?”

Yun Chuxiu: “.”

Yun Chuxiu fell silent for a moment. Not wanting to ruin her employee’s good impression of the manager, she nodded.

The girl on the far right cheered instantly. “Hmph, I knew it!”

“My relationship with Manager Chu is great. I saw her, so she definitely saw me at first glance,” she said proudly. “The Boss said so herself. With a witness here, you have to admit defeat and pay up.”

The girl on the far left gave a helpless smile and raised her hands in surrender, muttering, “Who would have thought? I thought you couldn’t see this spot from over there.”

Yun Chuxiu: “…” You indeed cannot see it.

“What did you bet on?” She sat down in the empty spot. She felt a slight twinge of guilt for accidentally throwing her employee under the bus and prepared to compensate them appropriately.

“A whole coconut!” the girl in the middle teased the one on the left. “Small bets for fun! We are the top ten model employees of the company, after all.”

Yun Chuxiu was stunned for a moment, then laughed helplessly.

“Everyone,” Xia Qing, who had been standing nearby, raised her hand like a student. Once they all looked over, she asked curiously, “Are you all from the same company? What a coincidence!”

Pausing, she reminded them before anyone could answer, “The stream is live now! Everyone watching is very curious. Your company atmosphere seems great.”

“This is our big boss,” the girl in the middle glanced at Yun Chuxiu’s expression and, after confirming it was fine, took on the role of spokesperson again. “As for the atmosphere, we’re out here on a team-building vacation, so of course it’s normal to be happy.”

Besides, they had received the strategy guide from Manager Chu early on! It was sent to the group chat, instructing every single person to make sure President Yun was happy, accompanied by a very generous red envelope.

Meeting her wasn’t even a guarantee. Who wouldn’t be happy about this?

The girl in the middle was beaming. Xia Qing felt the sincerity in her voice. When she turned back to ask Yun Chuxiu, she was much more relaxed.

“Just now, several accounts entered the room specifically wanting to give Sister Yun gifts,” Xia Qing showed her the phone, asking a bit awkwardly, “Are they people you know? I’ve already turned off the tipping function. Can I contact them to return the money?”

Yun Chuxiu scanned the four names pinned at the top. She quickly matched them to faces, and her eyes turned cold instantly. “No need,” she looked at the traces of bickering on the screen and gave a faint, cold smile. “There’s nothing to return. They are all adults, they can take responsibility for their own actions.”