When the Scumbag A Got the Dog-Licking Script - Chapter 39

She was truly disappointed. Yu Jinzhao was no different from the others outside, lacking any real substance. Feeling utterly disillusioned, Pei Daowan struggled to break free, wanting nothing more than to leave.

“Pei Daowan!”

Yu Jinzhao gripped Pei Daowan’s shoulders, forcing her to meet her gaze. Her eyes burned with an intense, unwavering light, like glowing embers radiating determination and strength.

This intensity made Pei Daowan hesitate. For the first time, she felt a flicker of fear, unwilling to meet Yu Jinzhao’s eyes and dreading the words she was about to hear.

“I’m not joking, nor am I acting on impulse. This is the result of deep consideration. I apologize if it seems sudden, but I need to say this.”

“From the moment I woke up and saw you, I believe I fell in love at first sight. Every subsequent encounter felt like falling in love all over again. You might think I’m drawn to your appearance, but that’s not true at all.”

“I fell in love with your soul, not just your appearance. I want to understand your past, your passions, what you love, what you hate—everything, including your friends and your future. I want to be a part of it all.”

“Enough, Yu Jinzhao! I don’t want to hear any more. Let go of me.”

Pei Daowan trembled violently, overwhelmed by an unprecedented surge of emotion. The intensity of her feelings paralyzed her thoughts, leaving her only able to reject Yu Jinzhao as a temporary escape.

Yu Jinzhao didn’t give her a chance to flee. “I’m not asking for a response,” she continued. “You have no obligation to reciprocate my feelings, but I needed to tell you this.”

“This isn’t a fleeting impulse. Every time I see you, my heart pounds like a drum. I’m not usually tongue-tied, but whenever I face you, every word feels clumsy and inadequate.”

In truth, Yu Jinzhao had released her grip the moment Pei Daowan said she didn’t want to hear any more. Pei Daowan was free to leave, yet she remained rooted to the spot. She refused to accept Yu Jinzhao’s feelings, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away either.

“I want to say… I really like you. I’ve never liked anyone before, but I’ll learn. I’ll do my best to make you happy. The reason I haven’t said ‘I love you’ is because I feel that word is too heavy, not something to be said lightly. Only when I truly prove my love for you will I say it.”

Pei Daowan’s long hair, slightly disheveled, cascaded over her shoulders. With her head bowed, Yu Jinzhao couldn’t see her expression, only the tight clench of her hands at her sides betraying her inner turmoil.

Pei Daowan remained silent, caught in a struggle. She wanted to reject Yu Jinzhao, but the words wouldn’t come. The path she was destined to take would inevitably hurt Yu Jinzhao, and they were destined to drift apart. She didn’t know how to handle this burgeoning affection.

Yu Jinzhao didn’t press her, standing quietly by her side, waiting patiently. After a long silence, Pei Daowan finally spoke, her voice hoarse and low.

“You’ll regret liking me. I’m not who you think I am, and I’m nothing like your ideal type. So…”

Yu Jinzhao interrupted her. “You’re not me. How can you know if I’ll regret it? Besides, my intuition is rarely wrong. I believe we’re kindred spirits.”

Pei Daowan seemed to scoff, a hint of mockery flickering across her face. The same kind of person? Ridiculous!

She had crawled out of a pool of mud, her current radiance merely a facade. Only she knew the utter ruin that lay beneath.

Obsessive, extreme, misanthropic, venomous, vengeful, and ruthless in pursuing her goals—Yu Jinzhao probably knows none of this.

If Yu Jinzhao ever discovered her true nature, would she still speak with such conviction? More likely, she would despise her. At this thought, Pei Daowan couldn’t resist reaching out to touch Yu Jinzhao’s cheek.

The skin was warm and slightly damp, perhaps from a recent hot bath, yet it felt almost scalding, making her skin tremble.

From jawline to cheek, to brow and hairline, Pei Daowan traced every feature meticulously, leaving no area untouched. How wonderful—a face brimming with youthful vitality after all these years.

Filled with genuine sincerity and unwavering sincerity. What a pity. Your judgment is flawed; you’ve chosen the wrong person. You’re destined for disappointment.

At this realization, Pei Daowan couldn’t suppress a pang of anguish, her eyes reflecting the long-suppressed struggle within.

She reached out and covered Yu Jinzhao’s eyes, blocking her vision completely. Yu Jinzhao didn’t resist, allowing Pei Daowan to touch her freely.

Standing on tiptoe, Pei Daowan gently pressed a kiss to Yu Jinzhao’s lips. The movement was so light, even Pei Daowan herself felt as if she hadn’t quite made contact.

They had never truly kissed, neither last night nor tonight. They had done everything adults do, yet a kiss remained absent.

In this moment, the kiss carried extraordinary weight. In this hidden corner, it accompanied something far more significant, entrusted to Yu Jinzhao.

Gently releasing Yu Jinzhao, Pei Daowan had regained her composure. Her eyes were cold, and her expression remained impassive as she looked at Yu Jinzhao.

“It’s too early for you to say these things. I’ll pretend tonight never happened.”

With that, Pei Daowan turned to leave, unwilling to continue the conversation. Yu Jinzhao remained silent, unable to speak, a bitter ache rising in her chest. The soft sound of Pei Daowan’s slippers on the stairs struck Yu Jinzhao’s heart like a muffled hammer, making it hard to breathe. Does Pei Daowan not believe me?

Just as Pei Daowan’s figure was about to disappear around the corner—the very spot where Yu Jinzhao greeted her daily, and where Pei Daowan had caught the bouquet of flowers that day—Yu Jinzhao spoke.

“I’ll prove I’m not just saying empty words. I’ll also ensure my feelings won’t cause you any undue trouble in your life.”

Yu Jinzhao’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried with exceptional clarity through the quiet night air. Pei Daowan heard every word, each syllable sinking deep into her heart. Perhaps Yu Jinzhao was sincere, and she wanted to believe her. But alas, they were destined to walk different paths.

Yu Jinzhao thought she detected a flicker of hesitation in Pei Daowan’s movements, but that might have been wishful thinking. Pei Daowan continued upstairs without pausing, leaving Yu Jinzhao unable to even see her retreating figure.

After a long silence, Yu Jinzhao remained motionless. Finally, she numbly touched her forehead. Something seemed to have fallen, yet left no trace behind.

A sudden realization washed over her. She slumped back, turning her head to gaze at the river. When will that painting ever be finished? she wondered.

Upstairs, Pei Daowan struggled to calm her racing thoughts. She could maintain a facade of composure when facing Yu Jinzhao, but now, alone, an overwhelming sense of loneliness surged through her.

For once, she felt utterly lost. She truly wished Yu Jinzhao were a complete scoundrel, so she could use her without hesitation.

What if Yu Jinzhao discovered this marriage was a complete sham? What if she knew Dao Wan had already been reborn once and knew everything?

Anxiety surged within her. Pei Daowan instinctively reached for a cigarette, a bad habit from her previous life.

With a click, a faint flame illuminated her cheek. Through the glass door, she saw her own reflection: disheveled, her expression dazed, like a female ghost.

She let out a self-mocking laugh, and the flame died out. In the moonlight, she noticed the flowers by her bedside were gradually withering. A pang of regret struck her—if only these flowers could live forever.

Even with this thought, Pei Daowan had no intention of preserving them as eternal flowers. Instead, she wondered when they would completely wither and be tossed into the trash.

She drew back the curtains completely, letting the bright moonlight flood the room. Pei Daowan stared blankly, suddenly realizing that the moon tonight looked exactly as it had the night Yu Jinzhao had accidentally stumbled upon her.

Throughout eternity, the moonlight had never changed. Would Yu Jinzhao change?

A soft, ethereal moonlight spilled across the windowsill.

Despite not having slept the entire second half of the night, Yu Jinzhao’s mental state remained surprisingly stable. Pei Daowan’s final words from the previous night had stung, but retreating over such a minor setback would only prove Pei Daowan right.

As Pei Daowan descended the stairs, she heard Yu Jinzhao bustling about in the kitchen. Moments later, Yu Jinzhao emerged, placing breakfast on the table.

As if sensing her presence, Yu Jinzhao looked up. Pei Daowan instinctively wanted to avoid her gaze, but Yu Jinzhao had already flashed a bright smile.

“Good morning, Pei Daowan.”

Suddenly, Pei Daowan felt a sharp pang of resentment at how dazzling Yu Jinzhao’s smile was. It pierced her heart, leaving a dull ache. She resented how Yu Jinzhao could act as if nothing had happened the night before, as if nothing had changed.

Irritated, Pei Daowan ignored Yu Jinzhao’s greeting and brushed past her smile, descending the stairs without a word.

Yu Jinzhao seemed oblivious to Pei Daowan’s coldness, continuing cheerfully, “I asked the housekeeper not to come today. I made this myself—it’s a local specialty from my hometown.”

Pei Daowan glanced at the dining table. There was something she had never seen before: a dark brown bowl filled with a thick, murky liquid that seemed to contain everything imaginable.

She felt a twinge of disdain. It didn’t look very appetizing, quite a departure from Yu Jinzhao’s usual culinary standards. This seemed like a real letdown.

Yu Jinzhao, however, enthusiastically promoted the dish. “This is called Hulatang in my hometown. It has beef, wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles, tofu skin, and all sorts of other things. Don’t let the appearance fool you—it’s actually really delicious!”

Unable to resist Yu Jinzhao’s enthusiasm, Pei Daowan decided to give it a try, just to be polite.

“Mmm…”

The flavor was odd, with a spicy aftertaste. It wasn’t exactly delicious, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

In Yu Jinzhao’s world, Pei Daowan would be considered a typical Southerner, specifically from the Jiangnan water towns, with a preference for light, sweet, and sour flavors.

Yu Jinzhao, on the other hand, was a native Northerner, whose tastes leaned toward stir-fried dishes cooked over high heat, sometimes with bold, intense flavors.

“It’s… weird,” Pei Daowan remarked.

Pei Daowan couldn’t help but stick out her tongue. She took a sip of the clear water beside her, her mouth still filled with the slightly odd taste. It wasn’t unpleasant, just unfamiliar.

The soup seemed to be packed with spices and hearty ingredients, quite different from what she usually ate, leaving her momentarily taken aback.

“It’s fine, I’ll drink it. I also made soy milk. You can have that instead,” Yu Jinzhao said, smoothly taking Pei Daowan’s bowl and chopsticks with practiced ease, as if intending to drink from the same bowl.

With a thump, Pei Daowan stood up, glaring fiercely at Yu Jinzhao.

“Get another bowl.”

Yu Jinzhao shrugged, feigning innocence. “I only made one bowl. There’s no other.”

Pei Daowan gritted her teeth. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose, deliberately trying to provoke her. It was clearly revenge for what she’d said last night.

Petty!

Despite her mental rant, Pei Daowan genuinely didn’t want to drink the Hulatang. While she didn’t dislike it, the taste was just too strange.

Especially now that she’d snatched it from Yu Jinzhao’s hands, it only made things worse, like she was trying to hide something.