When the Scumbag A Got the Dog-Licking Script - Chapter 17

When Pei Daowan returned, the house was silent and dark. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, so Yu Jinzhao definitely wasn’t asleep. Normally, Yu Jinzhao might be watching TV in the living room.

For some reason, despite their limited time together, Pei Daowan had memorized Yu Jinzhao’s evening routines.

Is she angry?

Is it because I don’t trust her?

After hesitating for a long moment, Pei Daowan decided to apologize. She deliberately ignored the strange emotions stirring within her, convincing herself with a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Regardless of the circumstances, she still needed Yu Jinzhao’s identity. Now wasn’t the time to burn bridges. Besides, she had been the one to harbor suspicions first, so it was only right that she apologize.

Taking a deep breath, Pei Daowan stood before Yu Jinzhao’s door, mentally preparing herself.

It was almost comical. They had lived under the same roof for a month, yet she had never entered Yu Jinzhao’s room, nor had Yu Jinzhao ever entered hers.

Their rooms were even adjacent. Perhaps their closest interaction had been that night when Yu Jinzhao accidentally caught her smoking.

Realizing this, Pei Daowan decided to compromise. She owed Yu Jinzhao an apology; anything less would be unfair.

Knock, knock, knock!

Pei Daowan tapped lightly on the door, the force just right—neither too soft nor too loud, but audible to Yu Jinzhao inside.

After a long moment, no sound came from within the room. It was as if no one were there at all. Pei Daowan belatedly wondered if she was being rejected.

She knew Yu Jinzhao was in the room. When she’d returned earlier, she’d specifically checked the entryway and seen Yu Jinzhao’s shoes neatly arranged.

Hesitating for a moment, Pei Daowan knocked again, this time with slightly more force, a change she didn’t even realize she’d made.

“Can you come out? I want to talk to you.”

Still no response. Pei Daowan’s frustration began to simmer. She had never been a particularly proactive person.

Yet tonight, she had taken the initiative twice, and Yu Jinzhao hadn’t given her any reaction at all. This was especially jarring considering how attentive Yu Jinzhao had always been to her feelings before.

The stark contrast left Pei Daowan feeling deeply unsettled. Once, twice, but not three or four times, she thought, resolving to try one last time.

Before Pei Daowan could knock one last time, Yu Jinzhao’s voice drifted through the door. Muffled by the barrier, the words barely reached Pei Daowan’s ears, forcing her to lean closer, pressing her ear against the door to listen intently.

“What is there to discuss? Whether you should trust me? If that’s the question, I don’t think there’s anything to talk about.”

Every word landed precisely in Pei Daowan’s ears as she carefully chewed over their meaning.

So, Yu Jinzhao is angry because I don’t trust her.

“Please open the door first. Let’s talk face-to-face. It’s not that I don’t trust you—I just don’t know how to face you right now.”

With a bang, the door was yanked open.

Yu Jinzhao’s sudden movement caught Pei Daowan off guard. Still leaning against the door from trying to decipher Yu Jinzhao’s words, she remained frozen in place.

Neither woman had expected Pei Daowan to be so close. For a moment, both were stunned.

Especially Pei Daowan. With the door gone, her momentum carried her forward, threatening to send her tumbling straight into Yu Jinzhao’s arms.

Flustered, Yu Jinzhao instinctively wrapped her arms around Pei Daowan’s waist, bracing herself as a human cushion. They crashed heavily to the ground.

Whoosh…

The fall was brutal. Yu Jinzhao lay stunned for what felt like an eternity, her head ringing like a bell.

“Yu Jinzhao? Yu Jinzhao?”

Pei Daowan frantically called her name several times before Yu Jinzhao’s pupils slowly focused.

Her back throbbed with agony. Only one thought swirled in her mind: This is nothing like the heroic rescue scenes in dramas. More like a bear attack.

Struggling to her feet, Yu Jinzhao’s eyes welled with tears. The pain was unbearable, but she forced herself not to cry, embarrassed to show weakness in front of Pei Daowan.

Pei Daowan felt a pang of guilt, avoiding Yu Jinzhao’s gaze, which threatened to overflow with tears.

Yu Jinzhao didn’t scold Pei Daowan. Instead, she sat stiffly to the side, her cheeks puffed out, blinking furiously to hold back the tears. She looked like a scolded puppy, too hurt to be angry but brimming with resentment.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Pei Daowan wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how. Her mind raced, though her expression remained stern.

“Don’t you dare cry!”

Yu Jinzhao: !

Yu Jinzhao hadn’t initially felt a strong urge to cry; the tears were simply a physiological response she couldn’t control.

But when Pei Daowan coldly snapped, “Don’t cry!” she genuinely felt like crying. This woman is so heartless, she thought. It’s impossible to get along with her.

Pei Daowan regretted her harsh words the moment they left her lips. Her tone had been too stiff, but she genuinely didn’t know how to comfort someone.

Her memories of being comforted by her mother were so distant that she had almost forgotten what it felt like. All she could think to do was resort to the simplest, most direct approach with Yu Jinzhao.

Sighing, she pulled out a tissue and carefully placed it over Yu Jinzhao’s eyelashes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me?”

Pei Daowan could clearly see the tissue darkening with moisture. She let out a breath of relief—the tears were still falling. What if Yu Jinzhao refuses to accept my apology?

Yu Jinzhao had never imagined being this close to Pei Daowan. With the thin tissue covering her eyes, she instinctively closed them, afraid that if she opened them, the fragile paper would tear.

The tip of Yu Jinzhao’s nose caught the same faint, cool fragrance she had noticed before, but this time there was a subtle difference—a hint of peach-blossom pink peeking through newly fallen snow.

It was faintly sweet, yet not overwhelmingly so, and Yu Jinzhao wondered if it was merely her imagination. Her eyelashes fluttered involuntarily as she felt the touch of Pei Daowan’s fingers through the tissue.

Pei Daowan saw Yu Jinzhao’s tightly closed eyes and the struggle in her expression. For a moment, she felt a pang of guilt. I’ve already tried to comfort her like this. Is she still going to be angry?

Driven by this thought, Pei Daowan pressed harder, roughly wiping away Yu Jinzhao’s lingering tears. She gripped Yu Jinzhao’s chin, forcing her to look up.

“No more crying,” Pei Daowan snapped, unable to resist her stern tone.

Strangely, Yu Jinzhao felt neither hurt nor wronged by the harshness. Instead, she felt a strange sense of elation, as if she had lost her mind.

For she could have sworn she detected a hint of indulgence and affection in those five words.

“You’re so mean,” Yu Jinzhao protested, “and you always accuse me without even listening to my side.”

“……”

Pei Daowan sighed helplessly, her anger deflating like a punctured balloon. For some inexplicable reason, Yu Jinzhao now felt like a hot potato, leaving her unsure how to handle the situation.

Suddenly, she wished Yu Jinzhao would be unreasonable and unforgiving, giving her a chance to argue back instead of having to comfort her.

Clearly she had dealt with far more difficult people than Yu Jinzhao before. Clearly she also had simpler, more direct methods at her disposal.

With a soft sigh, Pei Daowan crouched down to meet Yu Jinzhao’s gaze. Due to the height difference and Yu Jinzhao’s half-seated position, she was still considerably taller.

Pei Daowan maintained a stern expression as she used a tissue to wipe away the lingering tears around Yu Jinzhao’s eyelashes.

Those usually sharp, almost aggressive eyes were now red-rimmed, the corners tinged crimson. Combined with Yu Jinzhao’s pitiful expression, it was clear she had suffered a great injustice.

Even the hardest heart would soften at this sight. Pei Daowan lowered her voice, her tone softening with tenderness.

“Tomorrow’s the weekend. How about I take you out to have some fun? We can also meet my friends.”

Yu Jinzhao felt a tickle in her earlobe. Pei Daowan’s voice was soft and gentle, and this almost childish tone made her feel a little embarrassed. But the mention of meeting her friends made her heart leap.

She had always considered introducing someone to her friends a deeply personal matter, akin to taking them shopping. These gestures signified her approval and affection; otherwise, she would never do such things.

The heavy mood that had settled over Yu Jinzhao just moments ago began to dissipate with Pei Daowan’s words. She could feel the little person inside her wanting to cheer and jump for joy.

No, I can’t let her win me over so easily.

But Pei Daowan was being so sweet, willing to coax her like this.

Seeing Yu Jinzhao’s barely suppressed smile, even as she stubbornly averted her eyes, Pei Daowan knew she wasn’t angry anymore.

This is kind of funny. She really is just a kid. Does she want me to coax her some more?

“Not only will I take you out to play and meet my friends, but I’ll also take you for barbecue tonight.”

Pei Daowan remembered how happy Yu Jinzhao had been the last time they went for barbecue, the river breeze ruffling her hair, carefree and relaxed.

The little person inside Yu Jinzhao could no longer contain itself. It wasn’t just cheering and jumping anymore; it was rolling around on the ground in pure delight.

“Really? You’re not lying!”

Pei Daowan couldn’t resist ruffling Yu Jinzhao’s hair. It was fluffy and clean, just as soft as it looked.

“I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this.”

Yu Jinzhao couldn’t help but giggle, instantly forgetting all about the evening’s earlier drama. She even started making excuses for Pei Daowan herself.

“I wasn’t really angry. It’s just that you don’t trust me enough. It’s so annoying! I was so wronged!”

“Mm, I know. I won’t do it again.”

Pei Daowan patted Yu Jinzhao’s shoulder, and Yu Jinzhao, no longer trying to maintain her composure, straightened up at the touch, instantly shedding her earlier air of grievance and vulnerability.

Still such a child at heart, Yu Jinzhao thought, wearing every emotion on her face.

“Want to go to sleep now?”

“Of course not.”

Are you kidding me? It’s not even nine o’clock yet. The night’s just getting started.

“Alright, I’ll go wash up. Find a movie and watch it with me.”

Yu Jinzhao realized this was only the second time Pei Daowan had ever asked her for something. The first time was when she asked her to go shopping.

As Pei Daowan went to wash up, Yu Jinzhao was left alone, scratching her head in confusion. She had no idea what kind of movie to choose.

What kind of movie would Pei Daowan like?

A romance? But she didn’t seem interested in romance at all. The book never mentioned her falling in love with anyone.

An action movie? Even less likely. Yu Jinzhao’s intuition told her Pei Daowan wouldn’t enjoy it.

A comedy? An art film? A tragedy?

After agonizing over the choices for ages, Yu Jinzhao still couldn’t decide. Not wanting to disappoint Pei Daowan, she crept up to the bathroom door and asked, “What kind of movie do you want to watch?”

The sound of running water muffled Pei Daowan’s reply, but Yu Jinzhao thought she heard her say, “Just pick something you like.”

Something I want to watch?!

Yu Jinzhao loved many movies, but Pei Daowan might not share her taste.

After agonizing for ages, the moment Pei Daowan emerged from the bathroom, Yu Jinzhao suddenly knew exactly what movie she wanted to watch.

Calm as the Sea!

She didn’t typically enjoy tragedies, but this film was more than just a tragedy to her; she truly loved it.

She couldn’t even articulate why she loved it so much, but she desperately wanted to share it with Pei Daowan right now.

She remembered a line from the movie: “He merely brushed against her shadow. The night was damp, the ground was damp, the air was still, the forest was silent. Tonight, I love you.”