When the Scumbag A Got the Dog-Licking Script - Chapter 26

Yu Jinzhao didn’t finish her sentence. The condition for her words to hold true was if, or rather, if they were people from the same world.

Pei Daowan composed herself, her hand unconsciously tightening around her chopsticks. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she pressed them into a thin line and remained silent. She rose alone to clear the dishes.

Yu Jinzhao realized she had overstepped. Her words had crossed a boundary, and her expression darkened as she followed behind to help clear the table.

An awkward silence fell between them. Yu Jinzhao tried several times to approach Pei Daowan, but each time, Pei Daowan subtly evaded her, leaving Yu Jinzhao feeling even more dejected.

Like a puppy abandoned by its owner, Yu Jinzhao’s brows drooped, her usual liveliness gone. She stole glances at Pei Daowan, looking both wronged and pitiful.

“Sigh~”

Someone sighed softly. The next moment, Pei Daowan reached out and cupped Yu Jinzhao’s cheek, pinching it lightly as she had done that night. The difference was that while the pinch that night had been gentle, this one was a bit firmer. Caught off guard, Yu Jinzhao let out a small hiss.

Pei Daowan, completely oblivious to having teased Yu Jinzhao, asked, “Can’t I pinch your cheek?”

Yu Jinzhao instinctively shook her head, her head bobbing like a rattle drum, terrified Pei Daowan might change her mind and never pinch her cheek again.

“At your age, you shouldn’t be making so many assumptions and thinking about nonsense. Instead of wasting your energy on that, you should be figuring out how to convince Li Jin to help you film the variety show the day after tomorrow.”

Yu Jinzhao muttered under her breath, “You’re always acting so bossy, like an old autumn wind. You’re not even that much older than me.”

Pei Daowan glanced at her disdainfully, sneering, “How do you know I’m not that much older? I’m old enough to be your mother, and then some.”

This time, Yu Jinzhao’s voice rose sharply. “Liar!”

Pei Daowan snorted coldly, unwilling to prolong the conversation. After all, she couldn’t exactly reveal that she had been reborn.

Yu Jinzhao suddenly leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Pei Daowan, I’m suddenly really curious… Have you ever been in love with anyone?”

Although the System had claimed Pei Daowan’s past life was consumed by revenge, leaving no room for romantic connections, that didn’t necessarily mean she had never loved anyone. Besides, Yu Jinzhao had a feeling the System wasn’t entirely reliable. It was better to ask directly.

“Why are you asking?”

“Just curious. Indulge my curiosity.”

“What’s there to be curious about? Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’?”

“Hmph, you just don’t want to tell me.”

“If you already know, why ask? Where’s your ability to read the room and your emotional intelligence?”

Pei Daowan was usually reserved and somewhat aloof, so Yu Jinzhao found it oddly thrilling to be teased by her. Instead of getting angry, she felt a strange excitement, eager to see more of Pei Daowan’s hidden sides.

“Good sister~” Yu Jinzhao boldly grabbed Pei Daowan’s sleeve, shaking it back and forth like a child throwing a tantrum.

Pei Daowan, unaccustomed to such familiarity, felt flustered and unsure how to react. She raised her voice, trying to intimidate Yu Jinzhao: “Yu Jinzhao!”

After spending several days together, Yu Jinzhao had figured out that Pei Daowan was actually warm-hearted beneath her cold exterior. Though she appeared aloof and unapproachable, she was surprisingly soft inside. Armed with this knowledge, Yu Jinzhao shamelessly played on her weakness.

“Good sister~ Good sister~ I know you’re the best! Just tell me, please?”

Pei Daowan, worn down by Yu Jinzhao’s persistence, couldn’t bring herself to be harsh. She reluctantly relented, “No, no, there’s nothing. Can you stop shaking my sleeve now?”

As she spoke, Pei Daowan raised her arm, her sleeve still firmly gripped by Yu Jinzhao. Her eyes were filled with speechless disdain. How had she never noticed Yu Jinzhao’s shamelessness before?

“Really?”

Yu Jinzhao straightened up instantly, her expression brimming with uncontrollable excitement. If not for the intimidating look in Pei Daowan’s eyes, she would have given her a bear hug right then and there.

Pei Daowan yanked her sleeve free from Yu Jinzhao’s grip, which had been tormenting it for half the day. In exasperation, she flicked Yu Jinzhao’s forehead, finally feeling a little relief.

Thwack!

Yu Jinzhao took the forehead flick squarely, immediately clutching her forehead with teary eyes. She glared at Pei Daowan with such exaggerated accusation, as if Pei Daowan had committed some unspeakable atrocity.

If Pei Daowan hadn’t known exactly how much force she’d used, she might have actually doubted herself and wondered if Yu Jinzhao had suffered some terrible injustice.

Tonight, Pei Daowan had not only confirmed Yu Jinzhao’s thick-skinned nature but also added another impression: her remarkable ability to feign innocence. Even Pei Daowan herself almost felt a pang of sympathy.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Was one flick not enough? Want another one?”

Yu Jinzhao couldn’t help but whine to her “attacker,” “You’re so mean!”

Pei Daowan nearly laughed in exasperation. Who was the one relentlessly badgering me with questions and tugging at my sleeve? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

“Yes! I am bad. Is this your first time meeting me? Let me tell you, I’m not just bad—I’m downright malicious. You’d better stay far away from me, or you’ll be crying and won’t even know where to go.”

I like you even when you’re bad! Yu Jinzhao secretly replied in her heart, her eyes fixed on Pei Daowan without blinking.

“Is that so? Actually, I can be pretty bad too. You just haven’t noticed yet.”

Pei Daowan scoffed, dismissing Yu Jinzhao as a child not worth her time.

“Alright, stop fooling around. If you keep it up, you’ll be doing the dishes by yourself.”

Yu Jinzhao finally quieted down, her face falling into a mournful expression. She loved cooking, but she absolutely loathed washing dishes. Each time she did them, she had to force herself through it. She couldn’t fathom how Pei Daowan had figured out her aversion.

After a restful night’s sleep, Yu Jinzhao woke up half an hour earlier than usual the next morning, just as she’d predicted. Pei Daowan was still there.

“Good morning, Pei Daowan!”

Pei Daowan looked up to see Yu Jinzhao leaning casually against the escalator railing, her posture elegant and relaxed. She greeted her with a cheerful smile, radiating an air of carefree grace.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in golden light, dazzling and impossible to ignore.

A breeze, from some unknown direction, swept aside the wisps of hair framing her forehead, making her smile even brighter, pure and radiant, as if golden light shimmered in the corners of her eyes.

Unconsciously, Pei Daowan’s breath caught in her throat. She averted her gaze, refusing to look at Yu Jinzhao, but her hand clenched tightly beneath the table.

Yu Jinzhao’s open, sunlit nature stood in stark contrast to her own, as if they belonged to entirely different worlds. Pei Daowan couldn’t bear to confront this disparity directly.

“Morning,” she murmured, her voice slightly subdued, carrying a faint undercurrent of melancholy. It was barely noticeable, almost indistinguishable from her usual tone.

But Yu Jinzhao had been completely focused on Pei Daowan lately, and her emotional intuition was sharp. Instead of asking what was wrong, she simply grabbed her breakfast and sat down beside Pei Daowan.

Seeing that Pei Daowan didn’t react to her presence and remained silent, Yu Jinzhao began talking to herself.

“Pei Daowan, you know what? I had a dream last night. A really good one.”

Pei Daowan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but she didn’t look up, listlessly poking at the steamed bun on her plate.

“I dreamed we met in middle school. You were the new transfer student, and you were so beautiful—just as beautiful as you are now. You caused quite a stir on your first day.”

Pei Daowan’s eyebrows finally twitched. She coldly spat out two words: “Boring.”

“But you haven’t heard my part yet! I was so smitten too! The teacher told you to pick any empty seat, and there happened to be one right next to me…”

Pei Daowan expected her to say she’d “conveniently” sat next to her, but Yu Jinzhao didn’t.

“I was so hoping you’d choose to be my deskmate! I kept giving you obvious hints with my eyes, but you picked a corner seat with no deskmate at all.”

A faint smile finally tugged at the corner of Pei Daowan’s lips. Choosing no deskmate at all—that does sound like me.

“After that, several of us tried to win your favor, but you ignored everyone, focusing solely on your studies. To get your attention, I started studying hard too, but I always ended up second in every exam, never surpassing you. It drove me crazy!”

“I don’t know how long that went on, but we never interacted. You kept outperforming me, and I was so frustrated and angry, I almost woke up.”

Pei Daowan chuckled. “Getting this worked up over a dream? Are you an idiot?”

“Hmph, that’s not true! I don’t know what happened after that. The dream got all jumbled up, and I can’t remember the details. All I remember is that after school that night, you suddenly wanted to walk home with me and said you wanted to thank me.”

Pei Daowan scoffed, “How shameless.”

Yu Jinzhao scratched her head. “Aiya, it was just a dream! I don’t know what happened in the middle either. But the point is, you were willing to get close to me, and I was so happy!”

Yu Jinzhao paused abruptly. Pei Daowan decided to give her a response, since the girl had been chattering away without eating breakfast.

“And then?”

Yu Jinzhao smiled sheepishly. “Then I got so happy that I laughed myself awake.”

Pei Daowan: “……”

How could someone be so utterly nonsensical? I must be crazy for patiently listening to all this nonsense. What a waste of time.

“Pathetic.”

Hmm, Yu Jinzhao didn’t deny it. She was indeed pathetic. She’d never understood what it meant to like someone until she met Pei Daowan, and then it hit her like a bolt of lightning: sometimes liking someone needs no reason at all, and it comes so unexpectedly.

“Yu Jinzhao!”

“Here!” Was it just Yu Jinzhao’s imagination, or had Pei Daowan been calling her by her full name much more frequently lately?

Pei Daowan’s expression remained largely unchanged. “Don’t say things like that to others in the future.”

Yu Jinzhao instinctively replied, “Who else would I say such things to?”

Pei Daowan seemed pleased with her answer. Her fingers moved slightly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Yu Jinzhao’s ear. “That’s for the best. Now, let’s eat.”

After breakfast, the two went to work separately. On her way, Yu Jinzhao began strategizing how to win over Li Jin. While she was confident, she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Li Jin genuinely disliked the Yu Family and wouldn’t give her a chance.

Meanwhile, Pei Daowan was feeling restless. Throughout the morning, she had spaced out several times, even prompting Liu Qingyi to remind her repeatedly.

Her phone screen remained lit, still displaying the message Yu Jinzhao had sent her earlier—around the time she’d arrived at the office—asking what they should have for dinner that evening.

For once, Pei Daowan found herself conflicted. She had a dinner gathering scheduled for tonight, one she could attend or skip. Normally, she wouldn’t bother going, but…

Yu Jinzhao’s invitation to dinner tonight made her want to avoid the situation altogether. Had she grown too close to Yu Jinzhao? Beyond necessary interactions, their lives shouldn’t become too intertwined.

“Sister, what’s wrong with you today? You’ve been spacing out all morning,” Liu Qingyi remarked, noticing her distraction.

Liu Qingyi had just entered to report on her work when she caught Pei Daowan daydreaming again. She couldn’t help but marvel at the change in her sister, who had now been caught lost in thought multiple times—a truly rare occurrence.

A conflicted expression crossed Pei Daowan’s face. These girlish, lovesick thoughts felt utterly inappropriate for her.

“It’s nothing. I’ve just been a bit tired lately. A little rest will do the trick.”

Liu Qingyi accepted this explanation without suspicion. After all, she could never have guessed what Pei Daowan was actually wrestling with.

Pei Daowan appeared to be listening to Liu Qingyi’s progress report, but her mind drifted again. She couldn’t help but wonder what Yu Jinzhao was doing right now. Was she also anxious about their meeting tomorrow?

“Sister! Sister! Is there anything else that needs to be arranged?”

Liu Qingyi’s voice snapped her back to reality. Pei Daowan adopted a serious expression, her brow furrowed slightly, as if pondering Liu Qingyi’s question. No one would have guessed she had been daydreaming.

“Everything’s fine. Just continue according to the plan.”

“Got it,” Liu Qingyi replied, turning to leave. But just as she reached the door, Pei Daowan called out to stop her.

“Qingyi, I want to ask you something. I mean, if… if there were something you were strongly drawn to, but you knew you couldn’t keep it forever, would you choose to stay away or keep getting closer?”

Liu Qingyi chuckled. “Sis, you make it sound like there’s something you can’t have. What could possibly be beyond your reach?”

Pei Daowan sighed softly. “There are far too many things I can’t have.”

Hearing this, Liu Qingyi dropped his teasing tone and replied earnestly, “It’s normal to not get everything you want. Most things in this world are beyond our reach. But there’s a saying: ‘Even if a thousand oppose me, I will still go.’ Life is short, and I don’t want to live with regrets.”

“Alright, I understand.”

The door closed, leaving Pei Daowan alone in her office once more. Her expression was blank as she sighed softly.

As lunchtime approached, Yu Jinzhao finally heard the special notification tone on her phone. Without hesitation, she hurriedly opened her phone to check the message.

The message contained only four words: You decide. These four words instantly stirred Yu Jinzhao’s emotions. After waiting all morning for this message, it had finally arrived.

As soon as Yu Jinzhao arrived at the office that morning, she couldn’t help but wonder what to cook for dinner that night. Uncertain whether Pei Daowan would be home, she couldn’t contain her excitement and went straight to ask her.

After waiting all morning, the chat window remained stubbornly empty. Yu Jinzhao began to suspect her phone was malfunctioning—how else could Pei Daowan not reply?

Now that a message had finally arrived, Yu Jinzhao couldn’t help but grin. She paced back and forth in the office several times, gradually calming her racing heart.

“Pei Daowan~”

The three words lingered on her tongue, tasting sweet even without seeing the woman. She could almost smell the cool fragrance that had enveloped her when Pei Daowan had held her that night.

She recalled the painting she’d been working on. Over a week had passed, and she still hadn’t figured out where to start. But today, inspiration struck—she knew exactly how to begin.

These past few days, Yu Jinzhao had been eager to get home. She rushed through her work, leaving the office before the official end of the day to head straight to the market. To anyone who didn’t know better, it looked like she’d taken on another part-time job.

Tonight, Pei Daowan seemed in much better spirits than the previous night. Not only did she talk more with Yu Jinzhao, but she even revealed Li Jin’s preferences, a truly unexpected delight for Yu Jinzhao.

After dinner, Yu Jinzhao, her heart racing with excitement, unveiled the canvas. The balcony scene was already painted, the ink dry. She ran her fingers delicately over the dark strokes, the dried paint leaving a rough, sandy texture. Tracing the edges meticulously, she mentally measured the distances for each brushstroke.

The words of her art teacher echoed in her mind: “Though paint is silent, it possesses texture. The interplay of light and shadow, color and contrast, embodies the cyclical rhythm of the seasons—both vibrant life and silent decay.”

Yu Jinzhao struggled to find the right words to describe it. To her, Pei Daowan was not merely a living person but the protagonist of her painting. She wanted to capture her beauty with the utmost skill.

With her right hand gripping the brush, Yu Jinzhao began painting without hesitation. She knew exactly what to do. A silhouette gradually emerged on the canvas…