A Scumbag Alpha Gets the Simp’s Script - Chapter 17

When Pei Daowan returned, the house was silent and devoid of light. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet; Yu Jinzhao certainly wasn’t asleep. Usually, she would be in the living room watching television.

For some reason, despite the short time they had spent together, Pei Daowan had memorized Yu Jinzhao’s evening routines.

Is she angry?

Is it because I didn’t trust her?

After hesitating for a long while, Pei Daowan decided to apologize. She deliberately ignored the strange flutter in her heart, providing herself with a logical excuse: regardless of her feelings, she still needed Yu Jinzhao’s identity. Now was not the time to burn bridges. Besides, she was the one who voiced the suspicion first; it was only right to apologize.

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

It was somewhat ironic. They had lived under the same roof for a month, yet she had never entered Yu Jinzhao’s room, nor had Yu Jinzhao entered hers. Their rooms were adjacent, yet their biggest intersection was a chance encounter on a balcony at night.

Pei Daowan decided to compromise. An apology was necessary; it was unfair to Yu Jinzhao otherwise.

Knock, knock, knock.

Pei Daowan knocked gently—not too soft, not too hard, just enough for Yu Jinzhao to hear.

After a while, there was no sound from inside. It was as if the room were empty. Pei Daowan realized with a start: Am I being rejected?

She knew the girl was home. When she came in, she had checked the foyer; Yu Jinzhao’s shoes were lined up neatly.

Hesitating for a moment, she knocked again, harder this time.

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

Still no response. Pei Daowan felt a flicker of annoyance. She had never been a proactive person, yet she had initiated twice tonight with zero reaction. The contrast between this and Yu Jinzhao’s previous attentiveness left a bitter taste in her mouth. She decided to try one last time.

Before she could knock, Yu Jinzhao’s voice muffled through the door. It was so low that Pei Daowan had to lean her ear against the wood to listen.

“Talk about what? About whether you should trust me? If that’s the question, I don’t think there’s anything left to say.”

The words reached Pei Daowan clearly. She chewed on the meaning. So, she really is upset about the lack of trust.

“Can you open the door first? Let’s talk face-to-face. It’s not that I don’t trust you; I just… didn’t know how to face you for a moment.”

BAM! The door was pulled open with force.

The opening was so sudden that Pei Daowan, who was leaning against the door to listen, lost her support. Gravity took over, and she pitched forward directly into Yu Jinzhao’s path.

Yu Jinzhao was also caught off guard. She instinctively reached out to catch Pei Daowan by the waist, acting as a human cushion. Both of them crashed heavily onto the floor.

Oof—

It was a hard fall. Yu Jinzhao lay there dazed for several seconds, her head ringing.

“Yu Jinzhao? Yu Jinzhao?”

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

Her back throbbed. The only thought in her mind was: This is nothing like the hero-saving-the-beauty scenes in dramas. I look like a clumsy bear.

When she finally struggled to her feet, Yu Jinzhao’s eyes were brimming with tears. It really hurt. If Pei Daowan hadn’t been standing right there, she would have let the tears fall, but pride held them back.

Pei Daowan felt a wave of guilt. She especially didn’t dare look into Yu Jinzhao’s eyes, which looked like two swelling pools about to overflow.

Yu Jinzhao didn’t scold her. She just sat on the side, puffing out her cheeks and blinking rapidly to keep the tears from falling. She looked like a puppy that had been scolded by its owner—too afraid to be angry, but profoundly aggrieved.

Pei Daowan knew she was in the wrong. She wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how. Her heart was in a mess, though her face remained stern.

“No crying!”

Yu Jinzhao: “!”

Originally, the tears were just a physiological response to the pain. But when Pei Daowan said “No crying!” with such a cold, fierce face, Yu Jinzhao actually felt like crying for real. This person is so heartless! How are we supposed to get along?

The moment she said it, Pei Daowan regretted it. Her tone was too harsh, but she truly didn’t know how to comfort someone. Memories of her own mother comforting her were too distant to be useful. She had defaulted to the blunt way she handled everything.

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

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it. Forgive me, okay?”

Pei Daowan could see the tissue blooming with dampness. She felt a slight relief; at least the tears were out. What would she do if Yu Jinzhao refused her apology?

Yu Jinzhao had never expected to be this close to Pei Daowan. With her eyes covered by the thin tissue, she instinctively kept them closed, afraid that opening them would tear the paper.

Her nose caught that cold, faint fragrance again. But this time, there was something more—a hint of something else, like a peach blossom peeking through the first snow. It was slightly sweet, but only just. She felt the touch of skin against her, even through the tissue, and her eyelashes fluttered.

Pei Daowan saw Yu Jinzhao’s eyes tightly shut, her expression one of struggle and restraint. She felt a bit frustrated. I’ve humored her this much, is she still angry?

She increased the pressure slightly, roughly wiping away the remaining tears. She took Yu Jinzhao’s chin in her hand, forcing the girl to look at her.

“I said, no more crying.”

Pei Daowan’s tone was sharp again.

Strangely, being scolded this time didn’t make Yu Jinzhao sad. Instead, she felt a spark of happiness—she thought she might be losing her mind. She felt she could taste a hint of doting and indulgence in those four words.

“You are really mean. And you frame me without even knowing the facts.”

“…”

Pei Daowan’s arrogance deflated. Inexplicably, Yu Jinzhao felt like a hot potato—she didn’t know how to handle her. She almost wished Yu Jinzhao would be unreasonable so they could just have an argument, rather than this awkward comforting.

She had handled people far more difficult than this girl. She had much more ruthless ways to get what she wanted.

With a sigh, Pei Daowan knelt down to be at eye level with her. Because Yu Jinzhao was sitting on a chair, she was still significantly taller. Pei Daowan kept a straight face as she used the tissue to clear the last of the moisture from the Alpha’s lashes.

Those eyes, usually sharp and striking, were now red-rimmed and damp. Combined with Yu Jinzhao’s pouting, aggrieved expression, she looked truly wronged. Even the hardest heart would soften. Pei Daowan lowered her voice, her tone turning gentle.

“Tomorrow is the weekend. Shall I take you out to have some fun? You can meet my friends as well.”

Yu Jinzhao felt her earlobes itch. Pei Daowan’s voice was soft, like she was coaxing a child. She felt bashful, but the last part—meeting her friends—made her heart skip a beat.

She had always believed that introducing someone to your friends was a very private, meaningful act. It signaled acceptance and a level of care.

Her low mood evaporated instantly. She could feel her inner self cheering and jumping for joy. Wait, I shouldn’t be won over this easily.

But she’s so nice to comfort me like this…

Pei Daowan saw the corners of Yu Jinzhao’s mouth twitching, even though the girl was still looking away. She knew she wasn’t angry anymore. It was almost funny. She really is a kid. Does she want me to coax her a bit more?

“Not only will I take you out to meet my friends, but we can go for barbecue again in the evening.”

Pei Daowan remembered how happy Yu Jinzhao had been last time—how the river breeze had made her look so relaxed and free.

The little person in Yu Jinzhao’s heart was now doing somersaults.

“Really? You’re not lying to me!”

Pei Daowan couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle Yu Jinzhao’s hair. It was fluffy and clean—it felt as good as it looked.

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

Yu Jinzhao beamed, immediately forgetting the night’s grievances. She even started making excuses for the woman. “I wasn’t really that angry. It’s just… you didn’t trust me. It was mean. I felt so wronged.”

“Mm. I know. It won’t happen again.”

Pei Daowan patted her shoulder. Yu Jinzhao stopped acting aggrieved and stood up, following the woman’s lead. The previous air of pity was gone.

Truly a child’s heart. Everything is written on her face.

“Do you want to sleep now?”

“Of course not!”

What kind of joke was that? It wasn’t even nine o’clock. The night was young.

“Fine. I’ll go wash up. Why don’t you find a movie? We can watch one together.”

This was the second time Pei Daowan had made a request of her. The first was to go shopping; this was the second.

As Pei Daowan went to wash up, Yu Jinzhao began scratching her head in a panic. What kind of movie should she pick?

What would Pei Daowan like?

Romance? She didn’t seem interested in love; the book never mentioned her falling for anyone.

Action? No, her intuition said she wouldn’t like that.

Comedy? Arthouse? Tragedy?

After agonizing for a long time, Yu Jinzhao crept to the bathroom door and asked tentatively, “What kind of movie do you want to see?”

The sound of running water muffled the response, but she caught the gist: “You decide. Pick something you like.”

Something I like?!

She liked many movies, but Pei Daowan might not!

After a long struggle, the moment Pei Daowan emerged from the bathroom, Yu Jinzhao looked at her and suddenly knew exactly what to watch.

Le Silence de la Mer (The Silence of the Sea).

She wasn’t usually a fan of tragedies, but this film was more than just a tragedy to her. She truly loved it. She couldn’t even explain the exact reason, but she desperately wanted to share it with Pei Daowan.

She thought of a line from the film: “He only lightly touched her shadow. The night is damp, the ground is damp, the air is silent, the woods are quiet… tonight, I love you.”