The Scumbag Omega Chases After Platonic Love - Chapter 12
It was late May, and Nai Bing realized they had known each other for almost a month. As the weather warmed, she put away her hooded jacket. While tidying her room, she noticed the shoes Yi Zhanying had given her last time, placed on the top shelf of the shoe rack. The pair from the night Yi Zhanying had knelt to tie her shoelace in public.
Back then, Nai Bing had felt the woman was secretly glancing at her feet, almost suspecting she was a foot fetishist. Now she realized the shoes had a hole…
How gentle and thoughtful she is, Nai Bing thought. Sometimes she wished Yi Zhanying really were her older sister, like Xiao Qi, who had grown up with Yingying. She imagined how happy that must be.
Beep. Her thoughts drifted as her phone lit up with a call from Xiao Qi.
“What’s up?”
“Ahem, it’s Friday today. Come over to my place. My sister will be there too. It’ll just be the three of us,” Yi Mingqi’s voice was cool and detached.
“Sure! Should I bring anything?” Nai Bing asked, still cleaning as she spoke. After all the care the sisters had shown her, showing up empty-handed felt wrong.
“Haha, no need. We have everything. Just bring yourself. So, it’s a date!”
“Okay.”
Being a lone worker in a strange city was often lonely. Meeting these two felt like a stroke of luck. She imagined the countless others in similar circumstances, bound by shackles and unable to rest, with no one to offer them water when they were exhausted.
After a routine day at work, Nai Bing looked forward to gathering with the Yi family in the evening. She had to admit she was especially eager to see Yi Zhanying. If Xiao Qi knew the truth, she’d probably feel a little disappointed…
“Hey, hey, Xiao Bing, busy?” A colleague from HR suddenly leaned over.
Nai Bing was sipping her milkshake through a straw. Yi Zhanying still had delivery guys dropping off orders every day, sending more than just nutrition. She was sending warmth.
“What’s up?”
“What’s your deal with Li Qianxi? She came looking for you specifically last time!” Her colleague’s gossip instincts flared.
“We’re friends. We’ve known each other since childhood,” Nai Bing replied lazily. She’d never been into chasing stars; she’d only watched a few talent shows with Xiao Qi.
“Wow, since you’re so close, could you get me an exclusive photo of her? One with a signature and lipstick mark on the back?” The female colleague was an A-type personality with an interest in aesthetics. Come to think of it, she’d also asked for Yi Zhanying’s contact information before.
“A lipstick mark… What do you want it for?” Nai Bing’s expression turned serious.
“I just want it, okay~?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll ask.”
Nai Bing sat in her swivel chair, puzzled. The star effect still held tremendous sway in this day and age, and Qianxi had recently skyrocketed to fame thanks to that movie, her momentum still strong. Yet Nai Bing still found it all rather unbelievable.
After work, she passed by a bustling new snack shop known for its outrageously delicious donuts. The line stretched around the block, and even then, there was no guarantee of getting any.
Seeing it was still early, she decided to join the line and buy two portions to bring to Yi’s house for her sisters to try.
Meanwhile, at Yi’s house, Yi Zhanying stood by the door, clutching her phone, anxiously awaiting the doorbell and Nai Bing’s arrival. Her heart raced with anticipation, her emotions swinging wildly between excitement and disappointment.
Yi Mingqi, who had been tidying her books, glanced back at her sister kneeling solemnly as if receiving an imperial prince. She frowned. “Come on, we’re not in Japan. We don’t do that kneeling thing here.”
“Hey, sis, why’s she still not here?” Yi Zhanying asked, hugging her soft pillow.
“Probably got held up at work. You know how it is for corporate drones, overtime’s normal. Or maybe there’s traffic… wait, no, she takes the subway. Maybe some weird omega was hitting on her along the way.” Yi Mingqi finished with a mischievous grin. “You know, like you, ha ha ha…”
Yi Zhanying frowned slightly. “Just make fun of me, you little rascal.”
“Hahaha!”
Finally, around 7 PM, Nai Bing arrived. “I’m here!”
The door revealed a stunning beauty dressed in silver silk loungewear, kneeling gracefully on a meditation cushion with a warm smile. “You’re back,” she said.
“Ahem!” Nai Bing choked again. What was this act now? It felt like cosplay. Yi Zhanying looked every inch the virtuous, homebound wife eagerly awaiting her husband’s return.
She held up the donuts she’d bought. “I brought some snacks…”
“Come in! We made dumplings today.” Yi Mingqi called from the kitchen.
The three of them divided the tasks and prepared the meal. The table was set with stir-fried crab meat, cold noodles, okra, fish mint salad, and a large bowl of dumplings. The TV provided background noise as the news broadcast.
“Xiao Qi made all the dishes herself. She’s truly amazing,” Yi Zhanying said, ladling several dumplings into Nai Bing’s bowl.
“Dumplings are just easier,” Yi Mingqi said, bringing over the vinegar from the kitchen.
The atmosphere was harmonious, but Nai Bing noticed that few items in the house actually belonged to Yi Zhanying. The shoe rack and coat stand were filled entirely with Xiao Qi’s belongings.
“You don’t live together?” she asked.
Someone watching her nearby smiled warmly. “Yes, the three of us in our family each have our own paths, without interfering with each other,” Yi Zhanying said.
“How did this come to be?” Nai Bing asked, voicing her long-standing curiosity. “Could you tell me about your mother…?”
“She’s so busy with work that she rarely pays attention to us,” Xiao Qi answered.
“Oh, and what about your father?”
At this, the two sisters exchanged a brief, knowing glance. It seemed the elder sister would explain.
“Xiao Qi and I share the same mother but have different fathers. Her biological father’s name is unknown, and it doesn’t matter anyway. As for my father, he’s no good either. Mentioning him would spoil the mood.”
After finishing her explanation, Yi Zhanying gently divided a dumpling in half with her chopsticks for Nai Bing, ensuring it would absorb the flavors better. Her gentle demeanor remained unchanged.
“It sounds quite complicated…” Nai Bing mused, recalling Li Qianxi’s earlier words. Yingying’s background was far from the simple story she’d imagined.
After dinner, the three settled onto the sofa to watch TV leisurely. Yi Mingqi deliberately left the main seat empty for the other two, positioning herself on the side and stealing occasional glances to see what they were up to.
To be honest, she still found it bizarre. A bottomless pit of desire paired with asexual? What kind of twisted combination was this? How could they possibly make it work?
Nai Bing sat upright, hands resting on her knees, staring intently at the TV. She couldn’t help but wonder what Yi Zhanying was doing beside her, constantly fiddling with her phone—answering staff messages or chatting with someone?
They were sitting so close, less than ten centimeters apart, that the closeness made Nai Bing nervous. She could catch the faint, refreshing scent, like clear spring water, emanating a pleasant fragrance. Suddenly, Yi Zhanying shifted her posture, crossing her right leg over her left, bringing them even closer…
Nai Bing felt an unconscious brush against her, sending a tingling sensation through her. She focused more intently on the TV, telling herself not to worry about what others were doing. The more she worried, the more nervous she became, and nervousness led to losing control.
“Bingdog, you’ve got something on your shirt…” Yi Zhanying glanced over, noticing a dark stain on Nai Bing’s blouse—it was vinegar.
“Huh?” Nai Bing replied, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of intimacy as Yi Zhanying leaned closer to examine the stain. Her hair brushed against Nai Bing’s neck and shoulder, making her itch even more.
“Should I take it off and wash it for you? With baking soda,” Yi Zhanying suggested, pulling back slightly, her expression earnest.
“No need, I’ll wash it myself when I get home!” Nai Bing said firmly.
“Do you have baking soda at home? We have some here.”
“It’s okay, I can just buy some when I go home.”
Yi Mingqi, who had been observing the scene from afar, felt speechless. She noticed the confusion and panic on Nai Bing’s face. At first, she thought it was just shyness, but then she realized something was off. The way Nai Bing hugged herself, as if defending herself, suggested fear—was it terror?
Are these two getting together…? Yi Mingqi was highly skeptical.
As usual, the host family warmly saw them off after dinner. In the car, soothing music quietly flowed as both women remained silent, as if by mutual agreement.
After a long pause, Yi Zhanying broke the silence. “Isn’t your brother taking the college entrance exam soon?”
Nai Bing nodded. “Yeah, my mom called not long ago, asking me to send a video to encourage him.”
“He’ll probably be taking the exam in the same city as you, right? You’ll see him in September?”
“He’s supposed to come in June, he said he misses me and wants to get a summer job to earn some pocket money.” Nai Bing paused, thinking about her brother’s upcoming visit. Where will he stay if he’s working a summer job? I need to start looking for a place to rent for him.
Yi Zhanying didn’t press further. From Xiao Qi, she’d learned that the siblings had a close relationship, with the younger brother showing genuine concern for others. The real issue lay with their parents’ limited education, not the children themselves.
When she dropped Nai Bing off at her apartment building, Yi Zhanying pulled a small packet of baking soda from her bag. “Here, I didn’t want to stop the car to let you buy some on the way. Take this.”
Nai Bing accepted it in a daze, mumbling, “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome. Get some rest. Goodnight.”
Yi Zhanying turned to leave, not planning to stay overnight.
“Drive safely.”
After Yi Zhanying left, Nai Bing carried the small gift back to her apartment alone. Sitting by herself, she could feel Yi Zhanying’s lingering presence in the air. The woman had a unique aura; whenever Nai Bing thought of her, it felt as if she were being enveloped by gentle, flowing currents that smoothed over her deeply buried anxieties.
I should go wash the clothes, she thought. I’ll check Yingying’s room to see if she left anything to wash. A crisp white sleeveless blouse with ruffled edges lay neatly spread out on the bed; clearly forgotten.
Nai Bing gently picked it up, but then noticed a lipstick mark on the back of the collar. Her mind went blank. Is this it? The classic trope; her lipstick on your clothes, her perfume on your skin!
She sniffed the fabric, remembering how Yi Zhanying had reeked of alcohol that night. Could it be?
As she washed the clothes, her mind wandered. Doesn’t Yingying have a large tattoo on her bare back? If someone were to kiss her there, their lips would trail down her spine… Tsk, Nai Bing wondered what she was thinking about such indecent things, feeling dirty for letting her imagination run wild.
After finishing, she took a photo and sent a message: “Will you be wearing this shirt soon? I’ve washed it.”
Yi Zhanying, back home and drying her hair, clicked on the photo and recalled the incident: a junior colleague had drunkenly thrown herself at her, clumsy and tactless.
“I’ll pick it up when I have time. Bingbing is so cute~” she replied.
Nai Bing clutched her phone, her mind spinning again. What does ‘when I have time’ mean? Does that imply she doesn’t have any specific plans soon? The way she dropped her off today was so abrupt, without even mentioning it. Tsk.