The Scumbag Omega Chases After Platonic Love - Chapter 7

On Saturday, during the day off, a palpable sense of weariness filled the consulting room. Nai Bing had received the response to her part-time job interview earlier that day and could start as a substitute tonight. She was overjoyed at the prospect of a little extra income each month.

“Xiao Bing, what are you doing after work?”

“I’m going to my part-time job.”

“You’re working so hard even before graduation. It’s people like you who make society so cutthroat, you know? Hahaha!” her colleague joked.

She smiled but didn’t respond. Why not make use of her free time on the weekend? Following the subway map to her destination, she arrived at the restaurant. The owner occasionally called for substitutes when they were short-staffed, paying hourly.

After changing into her uniform and a brief training session, she began clearing tables, wiping down counters, and running errands. Aside from the long hours on her feet, it felt no different from her regular office work.

After several hours of non-stop work, she returned home to find a message from Xiao Qi: “How’s it going? Is work going smoothly? Are you feeling better? Mainly, I wanted to ask if that sister of mine has been bullying you.”

Her friend was a blunt, cool girl—a trait shared with Yi Zhanying’s straightforwardness. No wonder they were sisters.

“She’s actually quite nice. Why would she bully me?” Nai Bing surprisingly spoke up in Yi Zhanying’s defense. “I was wondering if you could give me some advice. What would be a good gift to reciprocate?”

To her surprise, Yi Mingqi replied, “The best gift would be yourself.”

“You know that’s impossible…”

“Hahaha, I just think it would be amusing to see you two dating.” Yi Mingqi clearly relished the idea of a good show.

After washing up, Nai Bing lay in bed secretly scrolling through Yi Zhanying’s social media feed, trying to gauge her interests from her daily posts such as clothes, shoes, bags? Such gifts were safe choices for women, but felt too generic.

As she scrolled from top to bottom, she stumbled upon Yi Zhanying’s early wild photos; multiple piercings, tattoos. Only then did she notice that Yingying’s profile picture was a selfie, revealing a large silver lotus tattoo on her back; a strikingly sensual image.

Ping! Her phone vibrated. The screen showed: 

[“I patted ‘Scary/Molester’.”] She quickly tried to recall the message, but it was too late.

[“Bingdog, you patted me?”] A lightning-fast reply.

[“I accidentally tapped it. Sorry.”]

[“Were you secretly stalking me? 😂”]

[“By the way, do you know that emoji means sarcasm?” Nai Bing noticed that this person rarely used popular emoticons, usually sticking to default emojis and emoticons.]

[“I didn’t know. If you don’t like it, I won’t send it again.”]

“……” She replied with a few periods, then added, “Well then, get some rest soon.”

A voice call came through immediately. Nai Bing answered, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, I just wanted to say goodnight in person.” Her voice was soft and pleasant, with a hint of huskiness that made it sound like she was holding back a giggle.

Nai Bing held her breath, listening intently, as if she could hear the faint sound of breathing through the phone.

“Goodnight,” Yi Zhanying said.

“Goodnight.”

After hanging up, Nai Bing curled up under her blanket, a warm glow spreading through her chest.

Every interaction with Yingying filled her with a rich affection, like vibrant petals swaying in the light, glistening with dew. Even her mood lifted, her voice and scent lingering around her like a moving landscape.

What was this feeling? Something intangible permeating her life, bringing subtle changes like the butterfly effect.

On Sunday, Yi Zhanying was working part-time at a tea restaurant, stationed there for the entire day.

Yi Zhanying and her friend Qin Shen drove to the restaurant, parked their car, and chose a conspicuous spot to sit. They casually ordered some tea and desserts—egg tarts, biscuits, and coconut balls.

“You like that girl who works here? Where is she?” Qin Shen glanced around, eager to catch a glimpse of the object of her friend’s unrequited affection.

“I haven’t seen her. She might be backstage.” Yi Zhanying’s thoughts drifted. Just then, someone in a cheongsam appeared at the cash register, and she felt herself falling under the spell of Xiao Bing’s beautiful profile.

“Can I help you, ladies?” Nai Bing glanced over and noticed them. There was a click as Yi Zhanying snapped a photo with her phone.

“Cheongsam, got it!” Yi Zhanying exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she admired the photo on her phone.

“You look like a lovesick fool,” Qin Shen remarked, nudging her wrist.

“May I keep this photo?” Yi Zhanying asked politely.

“If you want to, it’s fine.” Nai Bing replied, inwardly rolling her eyes. You’ve already taken the photo, and you’re asking for permission?

During a break, Nai Bing joined their table. Since the tea table only had two sides, she had to awkwardly squeeze next to Qin Shen.

“This is my sister’s good friend, Nai Bing. This is Professor Qin Shen from PU University,” Yi Zhanying introduced them, her fingers gracefully gliding over her teacup.

“Why haven’t you considered pursuing a master’s degree, Xiao Bing?” Qin Shen asked.

“I want to enter the workforce early and help my parents with the financial burden,” Nai Bing replied honestly.

Qin Shen looked thoughtfully at Yi Zhanying before turning back to Nai Bing. “Why should someone so young have to worry about such things? Does your family really need the small amount you earn each month?”

Nai Bing nodded. “They do. Every little bit helps.”

Qin Shen paused, then pointed at her silent friend across the table. “She’s clearly a ‘leg to stand on,’ practically handed to you on a silver platter. She’s like an ATM. Once you’re with her, you won’t have to work so hard.”

Nai Bing shook her head, bewildered, offering no further explanation.

“Hahaha, not bad at all,” her friend commented.

Later that afternoon, as they were leaving, Nai Bing stopped Yi Zhanying and pulled out a gift from her bag. “Yingying, I didn’t know what you’d like or what you might need, but I got you this…”

She handed it over, a little shy.

“For me?” Yi Zhanying took the small gift with slender fingers, untied the cloth bag, and found a silver bracelet inside.

“Mm-hmm. Be careful on your way home.” With that, she hurried back into the teahouse to work, making a hasty retreat.

During her drive, she kept glancing at the bracelet on her wrist. It was simple, elegant, and beautiful, engraved with a butterfly. For the first time in her life, she was so delighted by a gift. Recalling Nai Bing’s sincere and bashful expression still made her heart flutter.

So this is what it feels like to be in love. This hazy, slightly sweet pinkness, dyeing even her mood crimson.

April slipped away, and May Day approached.

The company gathering, long-scheduled, finally arrived. The group gathered at a Japanese restaurant, where the manager handed out a stack of free movie tickets, distributing them one by one.

“We’ve finally got time off, so couples, make time to see that romance movie. The new release starring the hottest actress around. I hear it’s excellent!”

“Ah, that’s the one! First Snow of Distant Mountains! I heard it’s a real tearjerker!” A colleague grew excited.

“I saw the trailer. It looked amazing! The lead actress is Li Qianxi. Does anyone here follow her?”

“She’s just become popular this year…”

Nai Bing heard the name and felt it sounded familiar: Li Qianxi. Vague childhood memories surfaced in her mind. Could it be her childhood sweetheart? What a coincidence.

After the group meal, the teacher covered the cost upfront, which averaged to over two hundred yuan per person. Nai Bing tucked away two movie tickets and silently headed home. She tossed and turned in bed, occasionally swinging her legs. It was perfectly normal to go to the movies during a rare break, usually enjoying solitude.

This time, she naturally thought of Yingying, but going with her… might be too ambiguous, leading to misunderstandings.

Still, watching a movie as friends should be fine, right? She flipped through her contact list and found “Horror/Molecule.” After a few rings, the call didn’t connect. She hung up and immediately received a return call.

“Xiao Bing, you actually called me? How delightful! Hearing your voice brightens my entire day, like the Muse herself.”

Nai Bing wanted to retort, “You’re the one who inspires me, always so radiant, like a brilliant summer day.”

“But I hadn’t even spoken yet! How did you hear me?”

“I can feel your breath.”

Having been teased again, Nai Bing got serious. “I have two movie tickets here, and I wanted to ask you…”

“Bing, are you inviting me to a movie?” Yi Zhanying interrupted before Nai Bing could finish.

“Yes.”

There was a clatter from the phone, followed by a stifled groan that sounded like she’d bumped into something.

“What happened?!” Nai Bing exclaimed, her heart twisting with worry. She wished she could crawl through the phone line to check on her.

“I slipped in the bathtub… It hurts…”

“Ah, you!” Nai Bing’s heart clenched. How did this happen? She’s grown up, yet she’s tripping in the bathtub. “Where did you hit? Are you dizzy? Is anything dislocated? Don’t move too much, just lie down. Is someone with you?”

“It’s fine, just a little sore on my back…” Yi Zhanying’s voice trembled. Her excitement had made her careless.

Leaning against the bathtub edge, she continued enjoying her phone time with her beloved. “Were you really worried about me? Just hearing those words from you makes the pain fade.”

“What?” Nai Bing sensed she was up to something again.

“I love you, I love you more than anything, Xiao Bing,” the woman’s soft voice suddenly poured over the phone line, her gentle confession like a melody seeping into Nai Bing’s heart. A sudden pang struck Nai Bing, as if hearing these words of affection for the first time.

“I love all your different sides. Your innocence, your silence, your bashfulness, even your cluelessness about romance. I adore all of it.”

So… you love all of me? Nai Bing recalled Yi Zhanying’s gaze, always filled with countless layers of affectionate adoration. She could feel her heart fluttering, though she couldn’t tell if it was fear or something else.

“Thank you for your affection, but I still think this is moving too fast,” Nai Bing said, drawing on her professional instincts. “Saying these things when you don’t really know me yet… doesn’t that seem rather impulsive?”

The line fell silent. Yi Zhanying didn’t respond for a long moment.

“Yingying, does it still hurt?” Nai Bing asked, changing the subject.

“My body doesn’t hurt, but my heart does,” Yi Zhanying replied, her voice delicate and pitiful. “I’ve been bullied…”

“Then… let me comfort you.”

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