After Being Scummed – Chapter 66

I’m actually quite willful myself~

Yin Bai’s high-profile confession not only brought her a top trending topic but also garnered much more attention at the banquet than ever before.

Although Yin Bai was known as the scapegoat in the industry, gaining her favor was no easy task. In the past, everyone knew she had a preference and would try to get close to Xiao Nian in order to catch Yin Bai’s attention.

Now that Yin Bai and Xiao Nian had been separated for several years and had found new loves, some filmmakers who sought investment shifted their focus to Zuo Jingyou.

Therefore, at the post-awards banquet, Zuo Jingyou attracted more attention than the directors and actors who received awards.

After socializing throughout the evening, Zuo Jingyou finally found a moment to catch her breath and discovered Yin Bai, who was hiding in a corner with her assistant, Xiang Qiu, enjoying a fruit platter.

On such occasions, Yin Bai rarely socialized in person. Most of the time, she would delegate the task of entertaining guests to Zhang Yu, simply saying, “Contact my assistant,” which would effectively dismiss people.

After being pestered throughout the night, Zuo Jingyou, upon seeing Yin Bai leisurely enjoying desserts and a fruit platter, let out a light laugh and teasingly remarked, “Teacher Yin, you seem so relaxed~”

Yin Bai, holding a fork, looked up and replied, “Of course, I don’t have to deal with socializing~”

She reached out, pulled out a nearby chair, patted the backrest, gesturing for Zuo Jingyou to sit down. “Take a break for now. If you’ve already greeted familiar faces, let’s go back in a while.”

Zuo Jingyou nodded and said, “Okay.”

Yin Bai scooped a spoonful of dessert and handed it to Zuo Jingyou, smiling warmly. “Ah… come on, Teacher Zuo, have something sweet to replenish your energy.”

Zuo Jingyou smiled with narrowed eyes, lowered her head, and took Yin Bai’s spoon into her mouth. As her tongue touched the sweet cake, Zuo Jingyou gave her assessment, saying, “It’s very sweet and quite delicious.”

Yin Bai nodded and wholeheartedly agreed, “It is indeed delicious, but it still falls a bit short compared to the cakes made by Teacher Zuo!”

Zuo Jingyou softly looked at her and asked, “Craving for my cakes?”

“Not just that!” Yin Bai pinched her fingers and greedily listed a bunch, saying, “I want to have Teacher Zuo’s pudding, Teacher Zuo’s sweet and sour ribs, Teacher Zuo’s stew, Teacher Zuo’s fish…”

“Basically, I just want Teacher Zuo to cook for me!”

Zuo Jingyou gazed at Yin Bai’s greedy puppy-like expression, reached out, and pinched her face, coaxing her with a smile. “Then when we go back, I’ll cook for you?”

Yin Bai vigorously nodded and happily exclaimed, “Great! My friends also want to taste the dishes made by her mom!”

“Alright, alright, your friends will have a portion too!”

After a busy month, Zuo Jingyou also felt that it was time for her to go home and spend time with her daughter.

Sitting across from Yin Bai, Xiang Qiu felt a bit overwhelmed witnessing this shameless display of affection. How could it be? Even such a delicious cake suddenly lost its fragrance!

No wonder her colleagues lately preferred socializing rather than staying by the boss’s side. When these two people talked about love, it was truly heart-wrenching for anyone who witnessed it!

Of course, this dog food not only choked Xiang Qiu, a single dog sitting across from them, but also choked Lu Qing, who was already married.

Looking for the figure of Zuo Jingyou to find an opportunity for negotiation, Lu Qing, holding a champagne glass, suddenly felt that perhaps Yin Bai wasn’t as cold and heartless as she appeared on the surface.

Maybe in a place she didn’t know about, she had also cherished Xiao Nian just like this. It wasn’t as she had thought… that Yin Bai didn’t appreciate Xiao Nian and merely treated her like a canary…

But that’s all in the past now. No matter what kind of person Yin Bai is, it doesn’t matter anymore because Xiao Nian ultimately chose her and they are spending the rest of their lives together.

This thought flashed through Lu Qing’s mind, but she quickly suppressed these personal emotions and refocused on the matter at hand. In the end, she walked towards Zuo Jingyou.

Upon hearing the approaching footsteps, Yin Bai, who was discussing what dish she wanted to eat with Zuo Jingyou, looked up and immediately felt a pang in her heart when she saw Lu Qing holding a wine glass…

What is this person here for again?

Zuo Jingyou noticed Yin Bai’s halted conversation and saw her gaze straight behind her. Following Yin Bai’s line of sight, she turned her head and looked towards Lu Qing approaching them, greeting her in surprise, “Director Lu?”

Lu Qing pursed her lips and smiled, raising her glass to greet the two of them. “Director Yin, Teacher Zuo…”

Yin Bai nodded indifferently, lifting her fork to bite on it, thinking to herself, why is Lu Qing here? Could it be for the movie, just like last year? No way, she has been trying to reach out to Zuo Jingyou for a whole year, and Zuo Jingyou hasn’t responded yet?

While Yin Bai’s thoughts wandered and she started to have random speculations, Lu Qing pulled out a chair and sat beside them, looking at Zuo Jingyou earnestly. “Regarding that movie project, I still want to negotiate with Teacher Zuo. Can we talk again, Teacher Zuo?”

Yin Bai, who appeared nonchalant as she poked at her fruit plate, secretly gathered all her attention and focused on Lu Qing, wanting to hear what she wanted to discuss with Zuo Jingyou!

A movie? Is it really about last year’s matter?

Zuo Jingyou didn’t expect that Lu Qing was still concerned about this matter. She had clearly rejected her formally, but Lu Qing hadn’t given up. Zuo Jingyou sighed and looked at Lu Qing, saying, “Director Lu, I already explained to you last time. I have carefully studied your script, and I have thoroughly researched the character background… But… I don’t believe I can portray Ms. Lin’s character well.”

Lu Qing put down her glass and looked at Zuo Jingyou with great seriousness. “But I believe that among actresses in the same age group, there is no one more suitable for this role than you, Teacher Zuo. I really look forward to working with you.”

Zuo Jingyou smiled lightly. “Thank you for your exaggerated praise, Director Lu. However, this role is quite challenging to handle, and I don’t think I can interpret it accurately at the moment. Why don’t you consider other excellent actresses? For example, Teacher Jiang Yue or Teacher Meng Zhiqiu…”

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, seemingly sensing Zuo Jingyou’s determination. After hesitating for a moment, she looked at Zuo Jingyou and said, “Can you tell me the reason why you don’t want to play this role in the movie? I believe someone as discerning as you wouldn’t miss out on such a character.”

“Is it a scheduling conflict? I can wait for your availability… As for the remuneration, I can offer you a generous compensation. Although this movie is self-funded, the production will undoubtedly be grand…”

“The script is exquisite, and you have witnessed my standards. The production team is reliable, and I really can’t figure out why you would turn down this movie.”

Lu Qing furrowed her brow, clearly displaying her confusion.

Zuo Jingyou looked at her with a gentle smile and replied, “Just as you said, the production, the team, and the script are all something I can’t refuse. But I also know that I am not capable of handling this role, so I have to reluctantly decline.”

Lu Qing pursed her lips, her brow still furrowed, and said, “But the way you look, Teacher Zuo, doesn’t seem like someone reluctantly declining. Or is there someone in our team that you don’t want to work with?”

Someone she doesn’t want to work with?

Yin Bai turned her head and glanced at Zuo Jingyou, feeling the same confusion in her heart.

Zuo Jingyou shook her head and smiled lightly. “There’s nothing like that. I genuinely want to collaborate with Director Lu, but this time it just doesn’t feel right. Because I have high expectations for this story, I hope a more skilled senior actress can portray this remarkable woman. It’s my sincere blessing to Director Lu and my anticipation for this movie.”

“If Teacher Zuo so eager for this role, why not give working with me a try? Perhaps it could yield unexpected results?”

Although there was still a smile at the corner of Zuo Jingyou’s mouth, the twinkle in her eyes had faded. “I have a realistic understanding of my abilities. I don’t believe I can deliver an outstanding performance or breakthrough in this role… So, Director Lu, it’s better to seek someone more capable.”

This time, Zuo Jingyou’s rejection was quite blunt.

Having understood Zuo Jingyou’s firmness in her words, Lu Qing thought for a moment and decided not to insist any further. She said, “If that’s the case, let’s have the opportunity to collaborate in the future.”

Zuo Jingyou directly took Yin Bai’s champagne glass and raised a toast to Lu Qing, saying, “Then let me toast in advance to the success of Director Lu’s movie, with numerous awards!”

“Thank you~”

Lu Qing took a sip of her drink and glanced at Yin Bai, who was engrossed in eating beside her. Finally, she lifted her glass and left.

As she left, Lu Qing couldn’t help but have a thought in her mind: Perhaps Zuo Jingyou’s refusal wasn’t for her own sake, but for Yin Bai’s.

If Zuo Jingyou is really involved with Yin Bai, it’s possible that she would do such a thing… After all, she and Yin Bai can’t stand each other… Zuo Jingyou loves Yin Bai, so it wouldn’t be surprising for her to do something like that.

Although Lu Qing didn’t have much contact with Zuo Jingyou, she somewhat understood her nature. Zuo Jingyou may appear to be friendly to everyone, but she’s quite straightforward.

Yin Bai, who was sitting beside them, caught a glimpse of Lu Qing walking away from the corner of her eye. She quickly put down her fork and eagerly asked Zuo Jingyou, “What kind of movie did Lu Qing ask you to act in?”

Zuo Jingyou smiled and explained, “It’s a Republican-era film, and the main character is the famous Lin Qiu. Lu Qing wants to portray her legendary life…”

Another Republican-era film?

Yin Bai couldn’t help but mutter, “Lu Qing really does love making movies set in the Republican era, those stories that happened during turbulent and unsettled times. But she’s good at it, and her works are well-received and successful.”

“Her scripts must be good, and she’s known for directing stories about women. You would definitely look beautiful under her camera. Why did you refuse her? Is it because of the script?”

Zuo Jingyou sighed and looked at Yin Bai helplessly. “Because someone once angrily told me that she is biased towards me, so she won’t associate with anyone who makes me unhappy.”

“Since I’ve received such profound love, of course, I want to reciprocate it in the same way.”

Yin Bai widened her eyes and stared at Zuo Jingyou. “Just because of that? Just for this reason, you’re willing to miss out on a potentially great movie?”

“What about it then?” Zuo Jingyou gazed softly at Yin Bai, her eyes filled with a smile. “A good movie, like a partner, is something you can’t actively seek but can only come across.”

“Yin Bai, I’m actually just as willful as you are, you know~”

“Your happiness is very important to me.”

Yin Bai knew that Zuo Jingyou cherished her, but when she truly felt such special affection, she couldn’t contain her excitement.

She grabbed Zuo Jingyou’s hand and said earnestly, “Teacher Zuo, let’s go back now.”

Forget about the banquet, forget about socializing. Right now, she just wanted to embrace her beloved and enjoy the moment to the fullest!

LP: Are they doing it everyday?!

On another note, I’m currently trying a new Adsense feature which fine-tunes how many “auto ads” are being displayed. I set it at the lowest settings which 5, but if the ads are a bother, please let me know and I’ll disable the feature~