After Being Scummed – Chapter 1.1

Ms. Yin, please rest assured, I didn’t see anything

On April 21st, the 51st Thorny Flower Awards were held in Haicheng. At the award ceremony, countless lights sparkled, and celebrities of all sizes sat in the guest seats, gathering to form a galaxy.

Yin Bai sat in the most conspicuous VIP seat, clutching her cane tightly, and coldly eyed the stage.

At this moment, on the award stage, the young female director, Lu Qing, who had won the “Best Director Award,” held her trophy and, under the spotlight and before numerous cameras, briefly expressed her gratitude.

Just then, she paused and looked in the direction of her creative team, her eyes filled with tears as she said, “In addition to this, I want to thank my muse, the lead actress of ‘Last Night in the Little Mansion,’ Teacher Xiao Nian.”

Hearing this, Yin Bai instinctively turned her head and, through the crowd, looked at Xiao Nian. At the same time, a spotlight shone on Xiao Nian.

Xiao Nian wore a rose-red off-shoulder evening gown, her black hair elegantly swept up, resembling a cloud of beauty surpassing any bride. Compared to when Yin Bai first saw her, Xiao Nian had matured even more and become even more charming.

With these thoughts in mind, Yin Bai’s heart ached once more. She tightly gripped her cane, intending to use it to support herself to continue listening.

Yin Bai turned her head and saw Xiao Nian under the spotlight, tilting her head back, her eyes filled with tears, looking very emotional.

The voice of Lu Qing came clearly from the stage: “She’s not just the leading lady in my film; she’s also the leading lady in my life, my muse, my confidante.”

“So, right here, in front of everyone, I want to say it sincerely, Teacher Xiao Nian, I love you!”

As Lu Qing’s words fell, the audience below erupted in astonishment. Just as everyone was surprised by her bold confession, Lu Qing picked up the microphone and shouted even more passionately, “Would you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me, Teacher Xiao Nian?”

There was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by a burst of even more vigorous applause.

Amid the cheers, Yin Bai could clearly see Xiao Nian raising her hand, wiping away tears, and with a smiling face, she stood up and, holding the hem of her dress, dashed like a bird towards Lu Qing on the stage.

At that moment, Yin Bai felt that Xiao Nian was like a moth flying into the flames, disregarding everything, losing her rationality, yet appearing vivid and captivating.

It was a side of Xiao Nian that she had never witnessed before, a facet she could never possess.

Yin Bai looked up, watching Lu Qing on the stage with open arms, holding Xiao Nian in an embrace. The two of them shared a passionate kiss before countless cameras, and a massive wave of cheers rushed toward them. At that moment, Yin Bai could distinctly hear something breaking in her heart.

It was her fragile glass heart.

It was the fragile glass heart that she had deluded herself with for three months, the one she had finally had to face the harsh reality with.

Xiao Nian had never loved her, even though they had been together for nearly seven years. In Xiao Nian’s eyes, she was nothing more than a villainous sugar mommy lusting after her body, reeking of money and corruption.

It was all over.

Yin Bai watched the embracing and tearful couple on the stage, realizing that aside from feeling a chilling numbness throughout her body, she surprisingly had no other reaction.

Perhaps it was because, three months ago, on that night when Xiao Nian had come to her with honesty, she had already let it all out.

Well, not being able to find love wasn’t such a big deal. Perhaps someone like her didn’t deserve someone else’s love.

Yin Bai took one last deep look at the stage, imprinting the image of Xiao Nian in her current state in her heart. Then, she stood up, leaning on her cane, turned away from the noisy crowd, and walked towards the darkness.

As the noise behind her faded into the distance, Yin Bai walked with unsteady steps until she reached the underground parking garage.

Assistant Zhang Yu had been waiting there early, and when she saw Yin Bai approaching, she hurriedly greeted her, “Boss, why did you come out so early? Are we going straight to the banquet venue now?”

Yin Bai’s eyes were red, and she gave her a silent glance without speaking.

Seeing that her boss was in a bad mood, Zhang Yu cautiously suggested, “You look tired today. How about I just take you home later?”

Yin Bai remained silent, and in her mind, she once again recalled the scene of the loving couple embracing and showing affection in front of everyone, feeling both jealous and wronged.

Seven years! She had been with Xiao Nian for seven years! During these seven years, Yin Bai had given Xiao Nian everything she wanted, lifting her step by step to this point. Yet, it all crumbled before Lu Qing’s film and the words “She’s my muse!”

Why? Why! It was clearly her who came first. At the beginning, Xiao Nian was her muse, her “little rose”!

The more Yin Bai thought about it, the angrier she became, feeling a bitter frustration welling up inside her. She hobbled to her car, leaning on her cane, and then, raising the cane, she started banging it on the front hood of her Maserati, making a clattering noise, venting her frustration, “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

“Damn it! How dare she propose in public! In front of everyone!”

“She’s so proud of being loved by her! You’ve got everything, so why do you have to show off in front of me!”

Zhang Yu was startled by her outburst and quickly stepped forward, trying to restrain Yin Bai, “Alright, boss, calm down. It’s not worth it. You’ve damaged the car, and repairing it will cost a lot.”

Yin Bai looked up, gave her a fierce glare, and grumbled, “I have money!”

“Okay, you have money.”

Zhang Yu quickly took a step back and made a please gesture with her hand, “Then, please continue smashing.”

Yin Bai shot her another look, lifted her cane, and continued to bang it against the front hood of her car.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn you, Lu Qing! I hope your filmmaking career goes down the drain! Spend your whole life with Xiao Nian and never find another muse again. Once you leave Xiao Nian, you won’t be able to make any more movies!”

“Damn it! Damn it!”

Yin Bai raised her cane and vented her frustration by banging it against her own car with a clatter. Just then, the sharp-eyed Zhang Yu noticed someone approaching them not far away. Zhang Yu quickly reached out and tugged on Yin Bai’s sleeve, verbally reminding her, “Boss, boss!”

Yin Bai turned her head, her eyes red and filled with anger, giving her a fierce look. Why not? She could afford to repair the car, and she needed to vent her frustration right now.

Zhang Yu quickly spoke up, reminding her in a hushed tone, “Someone is coming.”

As soon as Yin Bai heard that, she hastily looked in the direction of the approaching person. In the dimly lit parking lot, the sound of high heels echoed with each step, each click resounding in her ears.

A woman dressed in a white narcissus-sculpted evening gown, adorned with delicate makeup, approached Yin Bai with her assistant. Yin Bai leaned on her cane and, upon seeing the newcomer, was immediately taken aback.

What a coincidence, it turned out to be Zuo Jingyou—the arch-nemesis of Xiao Nian’s entertainment career! What’s worse, Zuo Jingyou was one of the few people in the industry who had witnessed Xiao Nian and Yin Bai being intimate on several occasions.

Upon seeing her, Yin Bai recalled the last time they had argued at a private gathering, how she had tearfully pleaded with Xiao Nian to stay by her side. Since that encounter when they were caught by Zuo Jingyou, she had become someone Yin Bai wanted to avoid at all costs.

But as luck would have it, it seemed that fate had a grudge against her, always eager to put her in awkward situations. Once again, Zuo Jingyou stumbled upon one of those embarrassing moments.

However, after experiencing such incidents a few times, Yin Bai had become more composed. She tightly gripped her cane, pretended not to notice Zuo Jingyou, and emotionlessly said to Zhang Yu, “Let’s go, back home.”

Zhang Yu quickly went to open the car door, and Yin Bai, leaning on her cane, made her way to the back seat. Just as she took a step, Zuo Jingyou arrived with her assistant and greeted, “Ms. Yin? Long time no see.”

Hearing her voice, Yin Bai felt a tightening in her scalp. She had no choice but to lean on her cane, raise her head, and look at Zuo Jingyou, forcing a business-like smile, “Long time no see, Miss Zuo.”

At this moment, Yin Bai’s eyes were slightly reddened at the corners, and her complexion appeared somewhat pale, making her look slightly disheveled. Zuo Jingyou, seeing Yin Bai in this vulnerable state, was surprised and asked, “Ms. Yin, is everything alright?”

As Zuo Jingyou spoke, her gaze swept over the somewhat dented front hood of the Maserati, inevitably recalling the scene from the award stage where Xiao Nian and Lu Qing had embraced. She immediately understood.

Zuo Jingyou showed a apologetic expression, “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Ms. Yin. I didn’t see anything today.”

Zuo Jingyou apologized once more and added, “I’ll take my leave now, Ms. Yin. Drive safely.” After saying this, she led her slightly curious assistant away.

She didn’t see anything? What did she mean by she didn’t see anything? She definitely saw, didn’t she?

Yin Bai stood in place, leaning on her cane, watching Zuo Jingyou depart. After Zuo Jingyou had left, Yin Bai turned and got into the car, sitting in the back seat, gripping her cane, her expression very somber.

Zhang Yu started the car and drove them out of the underground parking lot.

After a while, Yin Bai, still holding her cane, reluctantly asked the front-seat Zhang Yu, “Just now… Miss Zuo probably didn’t see, right?”

Zhang Yu was momentarily taken aback by her question, not immediately grasping what Yin Bai was asking. After a pause, she replied somewhat uncertainly, “The lighting in the parking lot was not great, so she probably didn’t see…”

Yin Bai wrestled with her thoughts for a while and, in the end, leaned against the car window with a resigned sigh, saying, “Never mind… let it be…” Whether she saw or not didn’t really matter. After all, Zuo Jingyou had already seen her at her most disheveled.

Yin Bai felt somewhat exhausted. She leaned against the car window, gazing at the ambiguous and hazy neon lights through the window. Her mind went blank, and thoughts about Xiao Nian replayed like a carousel in her mind. The last thing that came to her mind was their final conversation three months ago.

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